CONTINENTAL CUISINE
Due to COVID-19, some of the information below may be temporarily different as restaurants navigate these uncharted times. Please visit each establishment's website for their most up to date information, how they are responding to COVID-19, and short term changes in services offered. Thank you for supporting our community!
FAVORITE SPOTS
Almresi — When you walk into Almresi, you’ll feel like you’ve left Vail behind and have been whisked away to the Alps! Featuring cuisine inspired by the Alps and cozy European flair, Almresi serves Bavarian favorites in a delightful setting.
Alpenrose — This established Vail favorite offers German style comfort food and are known for their homemade pastries and bread. It has a lovely alpine ambiance with a recently renovated cozy bar and patio, which only added to the charm.
Blue Plate — Located in the heart of Avon, Blue Plate Bistro serves classic European fare, including schnitzel and fondue, as well as comfort food favorites. Their owners love putting their own spin on different favorites from across the pond, and their Gondola dining multi-course meal is an experience in itself!
Drunken Goat — Drunken Goat is a hip bistro with a menu designed to share so you can taste, try and sample, specializing in fine foods, cheeses and wines. They feature a Mediterranean inspired menu, with paninis, fine wines and cheese, and bright salads with a gorgeous patio.
Ludwig’s — Ludwig’s is a beautiful restaurant, with an extravagant morning brunch (one of Vail’s most famous) and Stüberl in the evenings. Their menu marries elegant European techniques with local ingredients and delicious flavors in a most elegant setting.
Mirabelle — Nestled away in a beautifully restored historic homesteader’s cabin at the base of Beaver Creek, Mirabelle is home to one of Belgium’s most esteemed and award-winning chefs. He pairs traditional European techniques with locally sourced and seasonal ingredients, including fresh herbs and vegetables from their garden.
Pepi’s — Pepi’s has been a Vail favorite since 1964 and serves authentic Austrian cuisine in a lively atmosphere. The bar is often filed with live music for aprés and the dining room is traditionally appointed with European stylings. Their patio is in the heart of the Vail Village.
Swiss Chalet —Swiss Chalet is known for their traditional European cuisine, including raclette, cheese and chocolate fondue, and creative Austrian desserts. Their cheese is imported from Switzerland and their menu is rich and hearty.
Vintage — Vintage is a French-brassiere style restaurant with a daily Champagne Brunch and eclectic and historically-inspired dinner. Both their brunch and dinner menus are creative and thoughtfully curated, with delicious flavors. Don’t forget to save room for libations and dessert!
RESERVATION INFORMATION
The Vail Valley has amazing restaurants and fantastic cuisine, and you don’t even have to dress up! When you are travelling with your family, please keep in mind prime dining hours for dinner are 5:30 – 8:00PM and reservations are highly recommended, especially if you are travelling over the winter season or during the height of the summer season. It’s difficult to “wing it” for these preferred hours, and cancellations are rare. Restaurants also very often require a credit card to hold the reservation and have a 24 hour cancellation policy—this is to help protect themselves against last minute cancellations and to be able to staff accordingly. Remember, many of the restaurants in the Vail Valley are very small, especially in comparison to larger cities.
If you are travelling during the winter, I would recommend booking your reservations for Christmastime in October/November (depending on when the restaurant opens), and for the rest of the winter you can begin in December. For summertime, you can begin making your reservations approximately 1 month prior to arrival, unless you are coming for 4th of July weekend—if so, I’d start calling when the restaurants open in May! It’s always better to have a reservation and cancel it than it is to risk not being able to get into your favorites because you waited too long. It’s counterintuitive, especially in this day and age of instant-everything, however our valley is small and popular restaurants fill up quickly. Unless noted in the descriptions above, restaurants accept reservations. Some have unique booking policies, and I’ll let you know of them so you can book your family properly!
Remember—if you can’t find the restaurant on OpenTable, just call them! Not every restaurant out here utilizes OpenTable, and if they do, not every restaurant puts every table on the platform so it’s always worth a call.
