The Ultimate Vail Bachelorette Weekend Guide Part 3: Where to Eat
Few places lend themselves to a beautiful bachelorette weekend quite like Vail.
Designed as an Alpine Village with charming storefronts, Swiss and Austrian architecture, and of course world-class skiing, Vail is picturesque without a doubt, and offers no shortage of chic activities. But it’s more than that—Vail is simply enchanting. It’s a place that must be experienced to be truly understood, in all its exquisite beauty and endless charms. And of course, when it comes to bachelorette weekends, a weekend in Vail can be as activity-packed and as photogenic as they come. Picture yourself gliding down the mountain and après skiing in high fashion or exploring the Village and winding down with a hot rock massage at the spa. For the ultimate guide to a bachelorette Vail weekend, look no further. And don’t be surprised if you find yourself mentally packing a suitcase full of retro ski sweaters, fur coats, and winter boots stat.
From lavish, multi-course dining experiences to restaurants with a more relaxed elegance, today we are covering the most charming places to dine in Vail, CO. There is nothing like a sun-drenched meal on a flower-filled terrace in spring, after an invigorating hike or nature walk. Or, perhaps, a wintry dining experience in a chalet-style restaurant brimming with Austrian, German, and Swiss décor— chairs with carved hearts and fur throws, and tables adorned with antlers and evergreen bouquets. Read on for my guide to Vail dining which, whether casual or luxurious in nature, always charms.
Where to Eat
1. Larkspur
Simply a beautiful experience. Located just off the Riva Bahn Express at the Golden Peak, Larkspur offers a menu that glows with pure, seasonal ingredients. I’ll always remember Larkspur for—you guessed it—the charming larkspur flowers planted along the entrance. Mountain cuisine is interpreted artistically on a menu that’s full of all things local and seasonal. Larkspur is also renowned for their service and wait staff, who elevate already beautiful food to a well-orchestrated experience to remember.
2. Mirabelle
Mirabelle offers a storybook experience, with a beloved home and garden playing a starring role. Housed inside a turn-of-the-century ranch home, Mirabelle looks as though it emerged from the pages of a whimsical children’s book. The white façade overflows with flowers, hanging from baskets and spilling over pots, while a neat, striped awning covers a deep porch. It is believed that this could in fact be the site of very first home built in the valley of Beaver Creek! But the sense of home and history hardly end there: Master Chef Joly grows his own herbs and microgreens in an on-site greenhouse, whose size and shape is modeled, whimsically, after Epcot. Indeed, Joly and his family still live on site at Mirabelle, and that sense of devotion and tending is evident in every flavor and flourish that emerges from the kitchen. One gets the sense that Joly drifted seamlessly from greenhouse to garden to kitchen to serve guests in his dining room—that this food happens very organically. “You don’t come only to Mirabelle,” writes Joly on the restaurant’s website, “you come to our house for dinner, and it is important to me that you have a wonderful time and experience.”
Images Courtesy of Mirabelle Website and Forbes Travel Guide
3. Vintage Vail
My pick for the chicest brunch—and best Instagram capture. A Parisian striped awning with a vintage marquee immediately announces the vibe: terrace dining, French menu, and upscale, feminine décor, à la Ladurée. The espresso is notable, and the presentation of each plate tidy and pretty. The menu is replete with treasures, but for what it’s worth, Vintage has the most perfect poached eggs: one of life’s simple pleasures.
4. Beano’s Cabin
Oh, what fun it is to ride on a one-horse open sleigh, amirite? Beano’s delivers the most enchanting, storybook winter experience of all, as the only way to arrive is via open-air sleigh, pulled by a snowcat. What better way to create a sense of ceremony and fantasy; you’ll have the sense of having left reality to travel off to some fairytale place. And of course, the dream hardly ends once you arrive and are treated to a four-course feast for the senses. Beano’s books months out, so begin planning early with a coveted reservation. You and your girls will have the most beautiful and (let’s be honest) Insta-worthy experience as you bundle up in fur coats, sip your spiked cocoa, and are whisked off by sleigh ride into dreamland. An experience as magical and formal as a wedding season deserves.
5. Russell’s
On crossing Vail’s iconic Covered Bridge, Russell’s is the first restaurant you’ll find. Its riverside location is lovely, especially in the summertime, when the windows are opened to let in the gorgeous mountain air and river song. The restaurant offers typical steakhouse fare but does so exceptionally well.
6. Bully Ranch
Located inside the lovely Sonnenalp Resort, this casual restaurant is a nostalgic favorite of mine. Bully Ranch perfects laidback, alpine chic, with its rustic, antler chandeliers and unpretentious menu. Just a perfect hangout, especially for brunch or lunch, with a particularly inviting patio, where pots and baskets are lushly planted with flora, and the view looks out on a white chapel. The menu changes seasonally, so my recommendations are of course subject to change as well. But look for a kale salad with hazelnuts and roasted chickpeas that is, in a word, perfect—the kind of salad the Kardashians wish they ate every day. And the fish and chips-- sinfully good. This place is probably on the list because of the good mems I have from it. I used to go here all the time for lunch or for dinner after skating, and it still reminds me of the comfort and reward of hanging out after a long training day, feeling fulfilled from the discipline and artistry of the sport I loved so very much.
7. Sweet Basil
Beloved by locals and travelers alike, Sweet Basil boasts a beautiful wine selection and cuisine with fusion influences. You’ll come for the atmosphere of a restaurant located in the heart of the Valley and stay for the rare and eclectic wines.
8. Alpenrose
Whenever I walk past Alpenrose, it always exudes the feeling—this is the essence of Vail. The lovely, flower-trimmed porch offers the ideal place to sit and admire Vail Village, and Alpenrose delivers the Austrian and Bavarian experience upon which Vail was built—from the charming architecture to the strudel- and spätzle- laced menu, it’s all so very Vail. And while Alpenrose has been an institution in Vail nearly since its beginning, the talented Thoma family—creators of Almresi, a place that is more storybook experience than simply restaurant-- recently gave the restaurant a Black Forest makeover. The space has been transformed into a dream chalet, at once airy and cozy (a balance that’s not at all easy to achieve), with reclaimed wood paneling and fur pelts. The family went on an epic, Eastern European shopping spree ahead of the restaurant’s reopening, evident in a space graced with treasures from Austria, Germany, Switzerland, and the Netherlands. All the accoutrements of ski life find a home in Alpenrose, as in the “First Date Chair,” a little table ensconced between two chair lifts (makes one long for a little ski resort romance, yes?). The staff are entirely Austrian and German—and wear traditional Lederhosen, naturally-- rooting every aspect of Alpenrose in its origins. And of course, the menu is a delightful romp through Bavaria and Austria, with traditional dishes like spätzle poised along upscale flourishes—truffle this, foie gras that. I am most besotted by the menu of traditional desserts, from apfelstrudel to palatschinken, the Austrian take on a blueberry pancake, and Kaiserschmarrn, which is allegedly like French toast, but the quintessence of French toast. In my dreams, I’d get to lounge about on the porch with a plate of blueberry pancakes, fortified by the very good espresso and the impeccable views. Perhaps with a man with whom I graduated from the First Date Chair to the deck. But I digress.
About that deck: it’s the ultimate place to drink in Vail culture and life—perfect for people-watching or basking in the après vibes (and sunshine, on generous days). Book a table here for a peak Vail experience, preferably after a pleasantly tiring day on the slopes. Many thanks to this lovely article in Vail Mag for providing much of the background and inspiration for the Alpenrose portion of this guide—I must give credit where credit is due! https://www.vailmag.com/eat-and-drink/2019/02/vail-village-s-beloved-alpenrose-restaurant-gets-an-authentic-culinary-makeover
Images Courtesy of Vail Mag and Alpenrose Website
9. Pazzo’s Pizzeria
Basically, if I could be transported anywhere to eat anything, I’m not kidding when I say I think of a slice of Pazzo’s pizza. Sure, a gelato on the Amalfi coast sounds sublime, as does a creative masterwork of a dessert by Massimo Bottura. But when it comes to life’s simplest pleasures, there is nothing—nothing—like the feeling of a summer afternoon in Vail, fresh from a hike or a run, and a decadent slice of Pazzo’s no-frills pizza. The alchemy of Vail sunshine, endorphins, dough, and cheese is nirvana. Pazzo’s is not cute and that’s the charm. It’s local, it’s hole-in-the-wall, but it’s right in the middle of the Village, so you won’t forget you’re in the fantasy that is Vail. Eat outside in the middle of the day during summertime or hunker down after a full day of skiing to a pizza pie. And thank me later.
10. La Tour
I’ve passed La Tour a million times, but it wasn’t until my most recent trip to Vail that I ate there. And why had I been missing out all this time, I wondered? Situated in the heart of the village, La Tour offers a quintessential Vail experience: gorgeous food in a place where you are perfectly poised to people watch and take in the Village’s charms. Every half hour, the church bells above the restaurant chime, adding a bit of Swiss charm to an already quaint scene, with the art gallery next door and the village happenings bustling around you. The halibut is a sensation, along with all the seasonal flourishes—local figs, roasted artichokes, produce treated in the most expert of ways. End the night with a pot of coffee and a crème brûlée flambé—after all, everyone loves a dessert on fire.
11. Citrea
With its bright, fresh Mediterranean menu, Citrea would be a joy to experience anywhere. But it acquires a special magic from its location, directly overlooking Beaver Creek’s outdoor ice rink. A dinner here feels nostalgic before it’s even over—something you know you’ll remember, with visions of ice skaters gliding softly by. Citrea simply has every ingredient for a delightful mountain evening.
12. Rootstalk
Rootstalk | A short jaunt from Vail, Breckenridge’s Rootstalk offers some of the most revelatory and gorgeous food I’ve experienced—ever. The historic gray-blue home, converted into a restaurant, exudes charm, and in warm seasons, the flower basket trimmed terrace is a splendid place to be. The food at Rootstalk is treated in such an artistic and sensitive way; it’s as though you can truly taste the love and care that goes into each dish. Slow and sensory in its beauty, Rootstalk’s menu change to reflect the seasons, the glorious turning of nature in the mountains. The produce is so fresh and seasonal, you want to cry over the purity of it all, and the desserts are beautifully crafted—more a work of art on a plate than a simple sugared confection. Order a bottle of Love You Bunches wine when it’s offered to really slow down and bask in the indulgent beauty of all that Rootstalk offers.
Thank you for joining me for this Vail series, which is ever-so-close to my heart. I hope you are as absolutely enchanted by Vail as I am— and that you are, even now, in the midst of planning the most elegant and unforgettable bachelorette trip to Vail Valley.