Colorado Eats · Aspen, Colorado
Aspen ski town dining and MICHELIN & James Beard, and more
In and around Aspen: 4 MICHELIN or James Beard honorees, 7 ski-town restaurants and 1 game and steak place. The ski-town and game and steak lists were hand-checked in fall 2026 against 2025–26 sources. Colorado Eats knows 109 restaurants, cafés, bars and bakeries in Aspen: search them on the web, or sort them by distance in the app.
Aspen ski town dining
Aspen itself first, then places within 8 miles by distance, hand-checked in fall 2026 against a 2025–26 source. Seasonal places are marked. Statewide: 46 Colorado ski town restaurants.
Ajax Tavern
685 E Durant Ave, Aspen
On the menu: truffle fries, Wagyu double cheeseburger
Slopeside bistro and après patio at the base of Aspen Mountain's gondola, known for its truffle fries.
Bosq
312 S Mill St, Aspen
1 MICHELIN StarJames Beard semifinalist
Element 47
675 E Durant Ave, Aspen
MICHELIN Recommended
J-Bar
330 E Main St, Aspen
On the menu: burger, Aspen Crud milkshake · Since 1889
Wood-paneled bar in Aspen's 1889 Hotel Jerome, a silver-era saloon turned après hangout known for its burger.
Mawa's Kitchen
305 Aspen Airport Business Center F, Aspen
MICHELIN Recommended
Pine Creek Cookhouse
12500 Castle Creek Rd, Aspen
Game & steak On the menu: Rocky Mountain elk chop, elk-stuffed mushrooms, ruby red rainbow trout, smoked trout dip
Cookhouse up Castle Creek Road near the Ashcroft ghost town, serving elk chops, elk-stuffed mushrooms and rainbow trout.
Prospect
330 E Main St, Aspen
MICHELIN Recommended
MICHELIN & James Beard in Aspen
Honored by the MICHELIN Guide Colorado 2026 or the James Beard Foundation (2023–26); an honor is a fact, not a score. Statewide: 85 Colorado MICHELIN and James Beard restaurants.
Bosq
312 S Mill St, Aspen
1 MICHELIN StarJames Beard semifinalist
James Beard: Best Chef: Mountain semifinalist 2023 (C. Barclay Dodge); James Beard: Outstanding Chef semifinalist 2024 (Barclay Dodge)
Element 47
675 E Durant Ave, Aspen
MICHELIN Recommended
Mawa's Kitchen
305 Aspen Airport Business Center F, Aspen
MICHELIN Recommended
Prospect
330 E Main St, Aspen
MICHELIN Recommended
Game & steakhouses near Aspen
Aspen itself first, then places within 12 miles by distance: bison, elk, trout and steak, hand-checked in fall 2026 against a 2025–26 source. Statewide: 37 Colorado game and steak places.
Pine Creek Cookhouse
12500 Castle Creek Rd, Aspen
Game & steak On the menu: Rocky Mountain elk chop, elk-stuffed mushrooms, ruby red rainbow trout, smoked trout dip
Cookhouse up Castle Creek Road near the Ashcroft ghost town, serving elk chops, elk-stuffed mushrooms and rainbow trout.
Oldest restaurants in Aspen
Opening years at today's address, from the place's own history or a published one, oldest first; the note under each explains its year. Statewide: Colorado's oldest restaurants.
J-Bar
330 E Main St, Aspen
On the menu: burger, Aspen Crud milkshake · Since 1889
Wood-paneled bar in Aspen's 1889 Hotel Jerome, a silver-era saloon turned après hangout known for its burger.
Hotel Jerome and its bar opened in 1889.
What Aspen eats
The kinds of places Aspen has most of, out of 109, counted from open map listings and Colorado's license records.
| Kind of place | Places |
|---|---|
| Bar & Pub | 22 |
| Bakery & Sweets | 9 |
| Italian | 8 |
| Coffee & Café | 6 |
| Japanese & Sushi | 5 |
| German & European | 4 |
| Steakhouse | 3 |
| BBQ | 3 |
| Thai | 2 |
| Mexican | 2 |