When your travel journey brings you to Telluride, the adventures you have are destined to be memorable ones. Skiing down the slopes of snow-covered mountains, relaxing in front of roaring fires in our luxurious Telluride, Colorado sanctuaries, and enjoying a taste of the town, exploring new flavors that you may want to bring back to your own tables at home. And to ensure that no wrong food steps are taken during your trip of a lifetime, we have created this ultimate and comprehensive guide to dining in Telluride, offering a glimpse into the epicurean adventures you can have in our mountain town.
Sunrise and Breakfast
For the early risers amongst our guests there is no greater beauty in life than the sight of the sun rising over the landscape. The quiet dark of the night, the first flickers of pink morphing into fiery magenta, gold, and orange, and then like someone flicked a switch, the homes, landscape, and mountains of Telluride are in full view. A sunrise brings the ultimate serene experience into your world and can also bring the sharpest of hunger pangs to your stomach, something these breakfast restaurants will help conquer.
Baked in Telluride, 127 S Fir Street, Opens at 7 AM
For nearly 50 years, Baked in Telluride has been the spot for breakfast, offering a simple but filling breakfast menu filled with a selection of pastries, breakfast burritos, and breakfast sandwiches. Even better this inexpensive purveyor of food doesn’t charge an arm and a leg for their yummy meals (feel free to come back for lunch or an early dinner) something all travelers will appreciate, no matter how large their vacation budgets may be.
The Butcher & the Baker, 201 E Colorado Avenue
Moving up a little in cost, the Butcher & The Baker brings farm to table goodness to every meal as well as locally sourcing all ingredients whenever possible. Their bakery is filled with all the best treats, including Cinda Bun Kits that are frozen and can be baked in the kitchen of your Vacation Telluride escape on mornings you want to spend a little more time at home. Also open for lunch and dinner, if you like their breakfasts you will love the rest of the days’ menus as well.
The Pick, 565 Mountain Village Boulevard #101, Open at 8 AM
Your Telluride adventures are destined to be ones that require an excess of energy, which, of course, means eating a hearty and filling breakfast is vital, and The Pick, located in Mountain Village, accommodates the largest of appetites. Offering hand rolled burritos and bowls, their Get out of Bed Burrito is one of our favorite breakfasts, filled with eggs, bacon chorizo, rice, beans, cheese, pico de gallo, guacamole, and sour cream.
The Midday Meal
No matter how filling your breakfast may have been, the hiking, skiing, and exploring you will be doing during your Telluride vacation will ensure that when midday strikes, everyone in your traveling party will be ready to fill up again.
Cornerhouse Grille, 131 N Fir Street, Open at 11 AM
If you have ever dined at a place where the ambience was wonderful, but the food was less than adequate, or have tried some great food in questionable surroundings, you will definitely appreciate the charms of Cornerhouse Grille. Housed inside a historic house and featuring a wrap-around porch and patio with more tables (for the summer months) this is the spot where the burgers are thick and juicy, the sandwiches are filling, and the full bar allows diners to enjoy a cold beer or refreshing cocktail.
High Camp Warming Hut, Located at the Top of Prospect Bowl (Lift 12) Winter Only
Serving a warming selection of hot beverages, sandwiches, soups, and snacks, this spot located on the mountain has become a skiing tradition, enabling hungry skiers to gill up their tanks without having to leave the mountain.
Shake n’ Dog, 670 Mountain Village Boulevard, Open at 10:30 AM
Simply delicious and providing a menu filled with more items than just hot dogs and milkshakes, this is a popular summer spot thanks to the sweet and frosty ice creams they sell. We visited for the hot dogs for the first time and have been returning on a regular basis to sample the rest of their menu. Try their Frito Chili Pie, you won’t be disappointed!
Family Friendly Restaurants for the Evening Meal
The family vacation can be a true bonding experience, one that doesn’t come without a few issues and one of those issues could be the family meal. Children’s palates aren’t as mature as we would often hope, meaning fancy meals are often wasted on them, and quite frankly, as much as we love these miniature humans, their manners aren’t often fancy friendly. Fortunately, Telluride offers a great selection of family friendly restaurants where you will feel comfortable and at home.
Brown Dog Pizza, 110 E Colorado Avenue, Open at 11:30 AM
Isn’t it nice that even on a ski vacation in Telluride, there is a pizza spot that is guaranteed to stop all the “Where are we eating?” arguments? Brown Dog Pizza offers the best pies in town, served in a downtown restaurant that offers a patio that is very popular in the summertime. Winner of the 2015 top scoring American at the Pizza World Championship in Italy (yes, that exists) kids will be excited to be enjoying pizza and parents will thrill at the gourmet taste.
Oak, The New Fat Alley BBQ, 250 W San Juan Avenue, Open at 11 AM
There’s never a wrong time for barbecue, and Oak will be an experience loved by all, especially the parents, as they are also famed for their beer and bourbon. This is a great après ski spot, and they even offer beer and cocktails to go, and their barbecue is the best in town. Also offering burgers, cheese steak, and salmon, there is something on the menu that will appeal to every appetite.
Floradora Saloon, 103 W Colorado Avenue, Open at 10AM on Weekends, 11 AM Weekdays
It’s a well-known fact that the best restaurants are the ones where the locals dine, and Floradora Saloon is the perfect example. Laidback and casual, their seasonal menu is filled with American favorites, including burgers, sandwiches, and a delicious prime cut you will dream about when you return home to real life. Another popular après ski spot, their après menu includes a section titled Fives till Five, offering appetizer selections that cost only $5 until 5 PM.
Something Special
Not every vacation involves the entire family, and if your Colorado adventures involve something special, you may want to dine at someplace special. This next selection of restaurants will enhance your special occasion, making memories that will last a lifetime.
Allred’s Restaurant, San Sophia Station, Open at 5 PM
Allred’s Restaurant offers a dining experience you will wish never had to end. Operating at an altitude of 10,551 feet above sea level, (only one other restaurant in the area is located at a higher altitude) guests will take the gondola to its mountain top location, perhaps enjoying the sunset as they glide through the sky in the glass cabins. Featuring a three-course prix-fixe menu, the elevated offerings of Allred’s are only matched by their award-winning wine list, making this night spectacular from start to finish. Reservations are recommended.
there…627 W Pacific Avenue, Open at 4 PM
If you live for adventure, there… provides an adventure with every bite with its playful and innovative menu. Offering small plates, unique cocktails, and a bohemian atmosphere that may want you to give up your real life and live like a gypsy forevermore. Appetizers such as elk gyoza, 2nd act dishes such as duck confit bao buns, and main dishes of Wagyu and Greens, will make your taste buds sing with joy, even as you wonder why every meal you eat isn’t this imaginative and delicious.
Timber Room, 568 Mountain Village Boulevard, Open at 3 PM
The Timber Room is one of Telluride’s newer restaurants, opening in 2021 and offering a menu filled with elegance and sophistication, they provide covered and heated outdoor dining in Telluride. The food they serve may include foods you have never tried before, such as mountain mezze, a roasted garlic hummus, babaganoush with Colorado blue spruce tapenade, and local carrot jardiniere or Cross Creek wagyu beef wellington for two, this cozy establishment may bring you the meal you never forget.
International Delights
Your all-American getaway to Colorado may need an international meal to be complete and our next group of restaurants are definitely worth stopping by.
Rustico Ristorante, 114 E Colorado Avenue, Open at 5 PM
Although the pizza you enjoyed at Brown Dog was definitely a highlight of your Telluride vacation, the classic Italian dishes served at Rustico Ristorante are destined to be your favorite meals. Ravioli di Ricotta Rosa, Pollo al Girarrosto, and Al Porcini Risotto are just some of the examples of the authentic Italian delights served at this haute cuisine restaurant.
Esperanza’s Tequila Restaurant, 226 W Colorado Avenue, Open at 12 PM
We live in the Southwest and our comfort food has always been Mexican food, with Esperanza’s Tequila Restaurant being one of our local favorites. It is impossible to be unhappy when sharing a bowl of chips and salsa with your favorite traveling partners, and when you taste their tacos, burritos, and enchiladas, your stomach will sing with joy! Best of all this local hot spot is reasonably priced, allowing travelers to save their money for more important things such as souvenirs and ski adventures.
La Marmotte, 150 W San Juan Avenue, Open at 5 PM
French is the language of love, so it makes sense that La Marmotte, a haute cuisine restaurant housed inside a 19th century cabin, is a local lovers’ hot spot. Offering a sophisticated menu of classic French favorites, the contrast of rustic ice house cabin and elegant French meals will bring a touch of je ne sais quois to your all-American escape to the mountains. Serving hungry diners for over 30 years, this upscale dining experience is destined to be a memorable one.
Have We Missed Anything?
The culinary landscape of Telluride is an extensive one and although we have tried to mention the best of the best, there are some restaurants that deny categorization, so we will just give the following spots honorable mention, suggesting you try them as well.
Alpino Vino, 12100 Camel’s Garden Road, Open at 11 AM
Remember earlier when we discussed Allred’s, stating only one other restaurant in the area was located at a higher altitude? Alpino Vino is the spot, perched 11,966 feet up, offers classic Italian meals and an haute cuisine menu.
Cosmopolitan Restaurant, 301 Gus’s Way, Open at 4 PM
Serving everything from sushi to steak and salmon to seafood stew, remember to save room for dessert because Cosmopolitan offers an extensive dessert menu that includes a warm wild Maine blueberry pie so sweet and fantastic it feels like it could have come straight out of your grandmother’s kitchen.
The Kitchen of Your Accommodations in Telluride Mountain Sanctuary
Although not a restaurant, the gourmet kitchens of our Accommodations in Telluride mountain sanctuaries are sure to bring you joy as they entice you to spend an evening at home exploring the comfortable amenities and luxuries found within. High-end appliances, stone countertops, and large breakfast bars and center islands help make these spaces the heart of the home and as you gather round the tables in nearby dining rooms, the feeling of family and love will be found in every bite you take. Offering all the comforts of home, blended with the modern amenities that make travel fun and exciting, our houses become homes when you and your family reside within. Reserve your favorite escape today and make yourself at home in the mountains, and enjoy following this Telluride vacation guide.
