Cucina Profile Photo - Restaurants in Vail CO
Cucina

Restaurants
 Vail, 81657

Send Message
Show Phone Number
Do you own or operate Cucina? Claim this listing now. Claim this listing

About

Cucina is the breakfast restaurant and bar at The Lodge at Vail, a few steps from Gondola One in the heart of Vail Village. Its main job is breakfast before the mountain: a full plate and a coffee close enough to the lift that nobody has to rush.

It suits lodge guests, anyone staying nearby who wants a sit-down breakfast, and groups looking for a weekend brunch in the village. Outside diners are welcome.

Breakfast and brunch

The menu covers the classics: a lodge breakfast of eggs, potatoes and bacon or sausage, omelets, pancakes and waffles, chicken and waffles, a green-chile breakfast burrito, avocado toast with smoked salmon, and lighter plates such as steel-cut oats and an acai bowl. Mimosas, Bloody Marys and Lavazza coffee are on the drinks list. In summer, breakfast runs daily, with a longer brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Cucina Bar

In winter the bar starts the day with specialty coffee and ends it with cocktails by the fire pit, which makes it an easy après stop for anyone coming off Gondola One.

Seasons

Cucina follows the lodge's seasons and closes during the off-seasons, so check the FAQ for the current schedule and call before planning around it.

Private events

The room can be booked for group breakfasts, luncheons, dinners and small celebrations, which is useful for a wedding-weekend breakfast or a team gathering before a ski day.

Also at The Lodge at Vail

Cucina is inside The Lodge at Vail, which also houses Elway's, a steakhouse for dinner and après. Lodge guests can order Cucina breakfast to their rooms.

Sources: Cucina, breakfast menu, The Lodge at Vail. Checked September 23, 2026.

Cucina is our favorite après-ski stop, especially on Wednesdays and Saturdays when they have live music, and the bands are really fun. My daughter's favorite part is roasting s'mores at the outdoor fire pit, and the hot chocolate with marshmallows is seriously good. We go all the time, so if you're there on a Wednesday or Saturday over Christmas break, you might just run into us!
Get Directions View Larger Map

Contact Information

Company Name
Cucina
Phone Number
Show Phone Number
Location
174 Gore Creek Dr
Vail, 81657

Cucina Photo Albums

Posted by Cucina
Cucina Photos
Cucina Photos

Photos of Cucina.... View More

We may earn a commission from links on this page, at no cost to you. Disclosure

Visit Website Reserve a Table View Menu

About Cucina

Quick answer: Cucina is a restaurant at 174 Gore Creek Dr, Vail, CO 81657. The Lodge at Vail's breakfast room and bar, steps from Gondola One: eggs, omelets, waffles, weekend brunch and fireside cocktails. As of October 2026 it is closed for the off-season and reopens November 13, 2026 for the ski season, per The Lodge at Vail.

Last updated

Cucina is the breakfast restaurant and bar at The Lodge at Vail, a few steps from Gondola One in the heart of Vail Village. Its main job is breakfast before the mountain: a full plate and a coffee close enough to the lift that nobody has to rush.

It suits lodge guests, anyone staying nearby who wants a sit-down breakfast, and groups looking for a weekend brunch in the village. Outside diners are welcome.

Breakfast and brunch

The menu covers the classics: a lodge breakfast of eggs, potatoes and bacon or sausage, omelets, pancakes and waffles, chicken and waffles, a green-chile breakfast burrito, avocado toast with smoked salmon, and lighter plates such as steel-cut oats and an acai bowl. Mimosas, Bloody Marys and Lavazza coffee are on the drinks list. In summer, breakfast runs daily, with a longer brunch on Saturdays and Sundays.

Cucina Bar

In winter the bar starts the day with specialty coffee and ends it with cocktails by the fire pit, which makes it an easy après stop for anyone coming off Gondola One.

Seasons

Cucina follows the lodge's seasons and closes during the off-seasons, so check the FAQ for the current schedule and call before planning around it.

Private events

The room can be booked for group breakfasts, luncheons, dinners and small celebrations, which is useful for a wedding-weekend breakfast or a team gathering before a ski day.

Also at The Lodge at Vail

Cucina is inside The Lodge at Vail, which also houses Elway's, a steakhouse for dinner and après. Lodge guests can order Cucina breakfast to their rooms.

Sources: Cucina, breakfast menu, The Lodge at Vail. Checked September 23, 2026.

Cucina is our favorite après-ski stop, especially on Wednesdays and Saturdays when they have live music, and the bands are really fun. My daughter's favorite part is roasting s'mores at the outdoor fire pit, and the hot chocolate with marshmallows is seriously good. We go all the time, so if you're there on a Wednesday or Saturday over Christmas break, you might just run into us!
Breakfast & Brunch New American Cocktail Bars restaurants restaurants/breakfast-brunch restaurants/casual restaurants/family-friendly nightlife nightlife/apres-ski nightlife/sports-bars-pubs restaurants/vail-village

Quick Snapshot

Neighborhood: The Lodge at Vail
Cuisine: Mountain Comfort
Service: Breakfast • Dinner
Show Phone Number

Business Hours

Closed for the season · Reopens Nov 13

Show all hours
Mon–FriClosed
7:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Sat–Sun
7:00 AM – 1:00 PM

Amenities at Cucina

  • Full bar
  • Patio/outdoor dining
  • Private room/events
  • Indoor fireplace
  • Fire pit
  • Kids' breakfast menu
  • Wheelchair access
  • In-room dining for Lodge guests

Frequently Asked Questions

When is Cucina open, and when does it reopen for ski season?
Cucina is seasonal and is closed between the Lodge's seasons. For the 26/27 ski season it reopens on November 13, 2026, serving breakfast, après ski, and dinner. In season, breakfast runs daily from 7:00 to 10:30 a.m., with weekends extending to 1:00 p.m. for brunch, and Vail.com posts an evening block of 4:00 to 9:00 p.m.; the lodge has not posted day-by-day winter dinner hours, so for an evening visit call (970) 754-7872. In the spring and fall off-seasons the restaurant closes entirely, and a reservation in the shoulder weeks should always be confirmed by phone.
What is on the menu at Cucina?
Breakfast is the main menu, served a la carte: a Lodge Breakfast of eggs, skillet potatoes and bacon or sausage ($25), an omelette ($25), pancakes or waffles ($21), chicken and waffles ($26), a green-chile breakfast burrito ($26), avocado toast with smoked salmon ($28), and lighter plates such as steel-cut oats ($18) and an acai granola bowl ($21). Drinks run from Lavazza coffee (espresso $5, Americano $6, latte or cappuccino $10) to a Bloody Mary ($18) and mimosas ($15). The full breakfast menu is a PDF on the Lodge at Vail's Cucina page. Despite the Italian name, the cooking is American mountain-comfort breakfast, not Italian. A dinner menu runs in ski season; the lodge's posted dinner PDF was not readable at the time this was checked, so call for the current dinner menu.
Does Cucina take reservations?
Yes, through OpenTable (search "Cucina Vail"), or by phone at (970) 754-7872. One caution from the review record: in the off-season the restaurant closes on the Lodge's schedule, and a diner who had arranged a group dinner through booking channels for April 4, 2026 arrived to find it closed without notice. If your date falls in the spring or fall shoulder, confirm by phone after booking.
What do reviews say about Cucina?
Reviews split by platform, with the location praised everywhere. As of October 2026, Google rates Cucina 4.2 out of 5 from 106 reviews; OpenTable rates it 3.8 from 38 reviews (food 3.7, service 3.8, ambience 3.8, value 3.6); Yelp data carried by Roadtrippers shows 3.5 from 25 reviews. Diners praise the spot steps from Gondola One, the patio and fire pit, the breakfast spread, and the coffee, and criticise slow service at peak times and hit-or-miss food in the 1 and 2 star reviews.
Is Cucina the same restaurant as Cucina Rustica?
Yes. The Lodge at Vail's restaurant traded as Cucina Rustica, and older pages, the restaurant's Facebook page, and some Lodge material still use that name. It is the same room at 174 Gore Creek Drive, now signed simply as Cucina. If you are following directions or a review written under the Rustica name, you are headed to the right place.
How much does breakfast cost at Cucina?
Less than the labels suggest. On the current breakfast menu, main plates run from $18 for steel-cut oats to $28 for avocado toast with smoked salmon, and most are $21 to $26. Coffee drinks are $5 to $10 and breakfast cocktails $15 to $18. The "$30 to $50" figures Google and OpenTable show fit an evening visit with drinks, not breakfast. A 22% gratuity is added for parties of six or more.
Do I have to stay at The Lodge at Vail to eat at Cucina?
No. Cucina is the Lodge's restaurant, but it is open to outside diners for breakfast, brunch, après, and dinner in season, and it takes OpenTable reservations from anyone. Lodge guests get one extra route: a separate in-room breakfast menu, so Cucina's breakfast can come to the room.
Does Cucina serve dinner?
Yes, in ski season. The Lodge sells Cucina as a start-to-finish ski-day restaurant for 26/27: breakfast before the slopes, après ski at the bar and fire pit, and dinner to end the day, with Vail.com posting evening hours of 4:00 to 9:00 p.m. The lodge has not posted which nights dinner runs or a readable dinner menu (its posted dinner PDF was not opening as a menu when checked), so treat dinner as a call-ahead service: (970) 754-7872. Outside ski season, dinner runs only when the restaurant itself is open; it closes with the Lodge's off-seasons.
Is there a breakfast buffet at Cucina?
It depends on the season, and the resort's own channels disagree, so do not plan on it either way. Vail.com describes a hearty breakfast buffet and hotel guests review one (one cites $22 per person), but Cucina's current posted menu is a la carte, with plates at $18 to $28 and no buffet listed. If the buffet is the point of your visit, ask when you book: (970) 754-7872.
Is Cucina kid friendly, and can it host a group breakfast or a private event?
Yes on both counts. The restaurant describes itself as family focused, OpenTable reports a dedicated Kids Breakfast menu (ask for its current items when you book), and the patio fire pit, with s'mores and hot chocolate, is the part children remember. For groups, the Lodge offers Cucina for private events: group breakfasts, luncheons, dinners, and intimate celebrations, including wedding-weekend breakfasts. Call (970) 754-7872 for dates. Note the official site governs here: an AI-generated FAQ on OpenTable's page claims the restaurant does not host private parties, which contradicts the Lodge's own events offer.

Winter in Vail

Book a Vail winter extra

See all Vail tours

More restaurants on VailVacay