Speaking of dining well, Telluride has some amazing eateries from the food itself to the unique scenery and atmosphere. Listed below are our personal favorites.
BON VIVANT
Wow. Just wow. Bon Vivant is a French restaurant nestled at the top of the Polar Queen Express – Lift 5. This unique restaurant is only accessible during the ski season via skiing/snowboarding Telluride Ski Resort and boy oh boy is it a must! The views are unbeatable and the food is impeccable. I will say, it is pricey. I comically heard a woman say “wow, this better be the best mimosa of my life for this price”. If you can afford the splurge I say do it! The restaurant also has a “beach”. You can stop by the bar, get a drink, and sit out on chairs to enjoy your libation and the view.
One other important fact to note about Bon Vivant: it is BUSY! The restaurant is first come first serve, and a waitlist accumulates quickly. We got lucky and stopped by soon after it had opened. Even then, we had an hour long wait. We hit a few more runs and came back to be seated and enjoy a fab meal. I had a bloody mary and the french onion soup.
enjoy the beach, the view, and the bloody mary
SMUGGLER UNION BREWERY & RESTAURANT
Okay. I mentioned how expensive Bon Vivant was, well, in reality, most restaurants in Telluride are going to be pricey and Smuggler Union is no exception. This brewery restaurant has a true mountain resort vibe and is unlike most other breweries I have been to. My dad was legitimately frustrated that a brewery was so pricey but the service was great and the food was even better – so no real complaints here! Plus our waitress was amazingly understanding while baby boy was difficult the entire time we were in the restaurant.
Like I said, baby boy was in a mood so I was preoccupied and do not remember everything we ordered, but I know I did order the Prime Flat Iron Steak Frites and thought they were great! I also ordered mashed potatoes for baby boy, he did not care for him, but let’s be real, his opinion doesn’t count because my adult palate thought they were tasty!
NEW SHERIDAN CHOP HOUSE
As you know, I strongly believe brunch is the most important meal of the day so it is only natural for me to find a great spot to brunch wherever my travels take me. My favorite place in Telluride to date is New Sheridan Chop House. This is actually where I gave a bloody mary a second chance (I’m now obsessed) and had one of the best eggs benedict. The restaurant is inside the New Sheridan Hotel and, fun fact, includes the oldest bar in Telluride. Besides brunch, I hear they serve up a wonderful dinner as well.
New Sheridan Chop House is open for brunch everyday from 8am – 2pm. Brunch is also served at The Bar and in The Parlor.
STRONGHOUSE BREW PUB
This little pub is about as unique as it gets and full of history as the building was built in 1892 and remains the last surviving intact building in Telluride’s Historic Four Corners Corridor.
If you are looking for some comfort food, this is where I would recommend going. I got the Alpine Mac&Cheese and it was as wonderful as Mac&Cheese can possibly get. Even baby boy loved it, whom I very begrudgingly shared with.
That’s all I have for now, but we will be going back to Telluride in February 2022 and I will add more suggestions to the list!
All the love,
If you want to know more about our experience in Telluride make sure to check out our post A FAMILY SKI TRIP TO TELLURIDE | WITH A BABY IN TOW .
