Breckenridge is a beautiful Summit County village nestled in the Colorado Rocky Mountains. Breckenridge is a haven for ski-enthusiasts most of the year, while in summer, the whole village transforms to welcome tourists wanting to explore the many mountain paths and adventurous activities. After a long day out and about in the mountains, you will want to sit down at one of the many great restaurants in Breckenridge with a nice meal or a local craft beer. To help you make a reservation in one of the many restaurants in Breckenridge, I have put together a list of the best restaurants in Breckenridge to help you choose!
Table of Contents
Aurum Food and Wine Breckenridge Restaurant
Aurum Food and Wine in Breckenridge is a beautiful little Boutique restaurant on South Ridge. Known for its fine dining in a relaxed setting and extensive wine menu with national and international wines, this Breckenridge restaurant is the place for foodies!
With menu items ranging from prosciutto with heirloom tomatoes to hamachi Crudo or even mouth-watering pan-seared duck breast on a bed of creamy mash – you will be delighted with the beautiful food served at Aurum food and wine restaurant in Breckenridge.
When looking at the prices of the menu items at Aurum Food and Wine restaurant in Breckenridge, we notice they have several menus including a menu for dinner and drinks, a kids menu, a sweets menu, a wine menu, and a spirits menu, a to-go menu and even a yurt dining menu!
Happy Hour at Aurum Food and Wine is from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. and will get you 50% off on snacks, selected wines, and drafts. Additionally, the cocktails you find in the ”Preserving the Past” section of the menu will only be $7 each.
Looking at the snacks, we see Korean Fried Chicken ($14), a delicious French Onion Burger with caramelized onion jam and roasted garlic aioli ($24), and the Aurum Caesar Salad made with Grana Padano. White anchovy will set you back $13.
Shared plates include Burrata and Strawberry Salad ($15), Cardamom Asparagus Soup ($11), Hamachi Crudo ($17), and delicious beef tartare with miso egg yolk and spicy kimchi ($15). There are five mains to choose from with the 8 oz steak ($46), the seared duck confit ($38), and the braised short ribs ($48), all looking mouth-wateringly good!
As for desserts, you can choose from Warm Chocolate Chip Cookies ($10), Cream Soda ($12), Sponge Cake ($11), and a selection of sorbets and ice cream ($6). Aurum Food and Wine restaurant in Breckenridge also offers a selection of dessert cocktails, dessert wines, and even ports!
Make sure you dress up a little after your outdoor activities when you come to dine in this elegant atmosphere! I would not say that Arum Food and Wine in Breckenridge offers formal dining, but it is best not to arrive in trainers and flip-flops.
If you would rather not eat out, you can also count on the au-to-go menu so you can enjoy Breckenridge’s best restaurant from the comforts of your own home, townhouse, or condo!
Twist - one of the best Breckenridge restaurants
If you are not looking to spend $46 on a steak but are in dire need of some great comfort food – then Twist is the Breckenridge restaurant for you!
This little eatery serves pork shoulder taco to die for, potato-wrapped organic salmon, and seared almond cod with grilled red onion, all very creatively and beautifully presented.
Chef and owner Randy LeMere comes up with Twist’s seasonal menus – one of the reasons I am not going to deeply into what is currently available will change depending on the season and the ingredients available.
One of the good things about working with a seasonal menu is that you are sure that all ingredients are fresh.
Happy Hour at Twist runs from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. every day. You will get $5 off all appetizers and $3 off all sides. There is also a discount on a number of beers, a glass of Prosecco, Pinot Grigio, Chardonnay, Pinot Noir, or Rose is only $6 during Happy Hour, and you can choose from a nice selection of cocktails – also for $6.
Not only the food at Twist is impressive, the historical building it is located in was constructed in 1881 as a two-story building that would house the Summit County Leader Newspaper Office. The building would cost $1450, which was money that the citizens of Breckenridge raised.
In 1988 an addition was built at the rear of the original building, and in 1996 the building got a facelift during a complete renovation.
Soupz On - A Breckenridge Soup Restaurant
Let’s be honest – after a long mountain walk or a cold day on the mountain in skis… all you are craving is a good nice steaming bowl of freshly made soup. Queue Soupz on! This great Breckenridge soup restaurant serves many delicious soups, salads, and sides that cater to meat-eaters, vegetarians, and even vegans!
Soupz On serves some of the best homemade soups available in Breckenridge. All soups, salads, breads, and sandwiches are seasonal to make sure vegetables and other ingredients are fresh. Moreover, the menu at Soupz On changes daily in order to make sure the soups are freshly made.
The restaurant is open every Monday through to Saturday from 11:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. and is closed on Sundays and holidays. This fan-favorite brings modern comfort food and is a great choice if you are looking for a vegetarian or vegan lunch in a casual atmosphere.
Relish Restaurant Breckenridge
Next up is Relish, a restaurant by chef and owner Matthew Fackler and his wife Lisa, who has lived in Breckenridge for over 20 years.
Relish is a modern American family-run restaurant in an elegant setting attracting skiers, hikers, and even locals. Its menu is primarily inspired by Colorado cuisine. Because the restaurant uses fresh food and ingredients, the recipes are seasonal. Relish will change a menu item or even a complete menu to work with fresh, local ingredients. To compliment your meal, select a drink from the great and varied wine list. Start with a classic appetizer like chili-fried oysters, baked escargot, or dry-aged Buffalo carpaccio at Relish. The Colorado artisanal cheese plate with salami, fruit mustard, candied pistachios, house-made buttermilk lavosh, and Castelvetrano olive tapenade is a must-try for cheese connoisseurs.
Try grilled semi-boneless quail with wild rice pancakes, caramelized Brussels sprouts, and maple walnut compound butter for your main meal, or curry seared bay scallops with forbidden black rice coconut ginger cashew broth, and bok choy shitake mushroom stir fry for your main dish.
The chef of Relish Restaurant in Breckenridge has graduated from the Culinary Institute of America. This is a cookery school located in Hyde Park, New York. After he graduated in 1991, he has been cooking as a chef in numerous restaurants before opening his own place: Relish Restaurant in Breckenridge.
This means he has a lot of experience. Matt has worked in Nantucket, North Carolina, Florida, and Chicago, before deciding to settle down in the Rocky Mountain town of Breckenridge.
Matt spent eight years as the head chef at Café Alpine and two years at Ski Tip, giving him a good understanding of the Colorado cuisine sector. He established Relish in 2006, focusing on local cuisine due to his love for Colorado.
Whether you just came down from the Rocky Mountain slopes or had a long walk in Blue River, this amazing restaurant should be on your to-do list! Don’t forget to have a look at the great beers on tap!
Hearthstone Restaurant
The Hearthstone, housed in a 125-year-old home, embodies Breckenridge’s Victorian elegance while presenting the best of the Rocky Mountains with innovative farm-to-table Colorado cuisine. This great Breckenridge restaurant has a large wine list and various imaginative house-crafted drinks to go with dishes like Ginger Scallops, Blackberry Elk, and Shrimp & Grits. The environment and dining experience at Hearthstone are highly unforgettable, both for the food and the ornately decorated building.
Since 1989, the Hearthstone restaurant has been housed in the Kaiser family home from the late 1800s and early 1900s. Hand-cut steaks, game, and fresh seafood are popular choices among locals. Executive Chef Michael Halpin produces a menu for Hearthstone Restaurant Breckenridge that highlights the best of the Rocky Mountain Region, from local meats to local vegetables and other products. This means that seasonal items, such as meats, fish, artisan cheeses, and fresh produce are grown locally. These items will also take center stage as the Hearthstone restaurant’s culinary team carefully creates each dish with a commitment to excellence. Hearthstone has often been named as one of the favorite restaurants of locals.
Pho Real Vietnamese restaurant Breckenridge
Looking for some delicious Vietnamese food in this casual mountain town? Then Pho Real Vietnamese restaurant in Breckenridge is a great place to go! With stunning mountain views and an eclectic menu of dishes from all over Vietnam, this amazing little place has rightfully so conquered its place in my Breckenridge dining guide!
Pho (pronounced Fuh) is a traditional rice-noodle soup from Vietnam – which made a great pun (hence the name!). In recent years, Pho has become an Asian favorite in the United States, with many Vietnamese restaurants popping up in large cities and cool, affluent communities.
The menu at this Breckenridge restaurant focuses on allowing consumers to create their own bowls of deliciousness. As a customer, you will be able to pick from a selection of meats and veggies, as well as sauces, including fresh basil, sprouts, jalapenos, and lime juice to make your own delicious foods.
Visitors can even choose vegetarian, vegan, and gluten-free alternatives (including a vegan broth for their Pho!).
The recipes are made with naturally raised, nutritious, and organic poultry, meat, and seafood. Pho real tries to use locally sourced ingredients when possible, meaning the food you eat at Pho Real is super fresh.
On the menu of this Vietnamese restaurant in Breckenridge, you will find Vietnamese staple dishes such as spring rolls and the famous Banh Mi and delicious Boba (bubble) tea and, of course, sweet Vietnamese coffee.
Outdoor seating with mountain views is available right outside the restaurant. I would recommend sitting outside on sunny days. Due to the elevation, the sun feels a lot warmer, which means you can slurp your Pho al fresco! Pho Real now – this place is pretty amazing! Never thought to find Vietnamese food this great in an American mountain town!
Breckenridge Distillery Restaurant
Breckenridge Distillery was established in 2007 in Breckenridge, Colorado. It is thought to be the world’s highest distillery, with an elevation of approximately 9,600 feet. The primary source of water used in the Breckenridge Distillery is the water of the melting snow. The water filters down the mountain through the dolomite, the limestone, and eventually the quartz, becoming mineral-rich water that gives the delicate spirits of the Breckenridge Distillery its special and sought-after taste.
When visiting the Breckenridge Distillery, it is recommended you try the blended bourbon whiskey and the American-style whiskey. These are the flagship spirits produced by this local Breckenridge distillery. The bourbon is a highly regarded craft bourbon that has won many national and international competitions, including Best American Blend Whiskey, at the World Whiskies Awards in 2016.
If you are not that big of a fan of bourbon and whiskey, you can also try their gin and vodka, their dark arts, their bitters, the port and sherry, and the spiced rum. The Breckenridge Distillery has something for everyone!
The Breckenridge distillery added a restaurant and even an open-air bar in 2016, meaning it is the place to be in summer and spring. The Distillery Restaurant is open from Tuesday through to Saturday and serves new American-Style cuisine. You can expect bits such as pork rinds or even deviled eggs, but also charcuterie and noodles or family-style options for those traveling with kids.
Looking for something sweet? Don’t forget to ask for the dessert menu!
Breckenridge Brewery and Pub
This fan-favorite Breckenridge Brewery and pub opened in 1990, serving the beautiful mountain town of Breckenridge with delicious and famous craft beers. This also means that the Breckenridge Brewery is actually Colorado’s third-oldest craft brewery. A great feat since Colorado is the capital of craft beers in the United States!
Breckenridge Brewery and Pub can be found in the center of town, just underneath the slopes, which can be found near the main street. Locals and tourists have been coming here for years – not only for its great craft beers but also for the lively atmosphere and great pub food.
However, we quickly discovered a greater demand for craft beer in the early days than they could produce in that location. That’s when Todd Usry, the brewery’s current president, stepped in.
Todd started an apprenticeship right here in Breckenridge. He and the team then started looking for locations in Denver to start the expansion of the Breckenridge Brewery and pub. They needed more space and a larger brewhouse to produce more beer and especially more varieties of beer.
From there, Breckenridge Brewery and Pub made it to one of the most famous breweries of craft beer in Breckenridge, producing the very much loved beer named Avalanche.
Apart from great beer, Breckenridge brewery and pub also serves great food, from burgers to fish and delicious appetizers. This brewery is a great place to hang out after being on skis the whole day or exploring the many beautiful walking trails in Blue river. The beer selection is well-loved, with beers for everyone’s taste. This Rocky Mountain brewery is a fan favorite, and many tourists and locals choose to hang out here after a long hike in the Blue River Mountains or a long day on the slopes.
Those interested in beer wanting to learn more about the varieties made by the Breckenridge Brewery and Pub can even ask for a taster set. If you already are a fan, you can always have the beer delivered to your Breckenridge studio, condo, or flat!
Briar Rose Chophouse and Saloon
Are you looking for old-school but delicious American Classics? Head down to the Briar Rose Chophouse and Saloon. This gorgeous, historic downtown restaurant has been serving the finest aged beef for decades, and lovers of fresh wild game can order their favorite meals from the menu!
The beautiful building in Breckenridge’s center is hard to miss, with its Victorian red facade. Serving amazing American food, this beautiful restaurant is well known in the Breckenridge food scene.
Whether you order a ginger beer or a spirit from the beautiful historic spirits shelf, this restaurant and saloon has been a favorite spot for locals and tourists alike. The Briar Rose Chophouse and Saloon carries an inviting atmosphere, asking guests to leap back in time after their outdoor activities.
The restaurant will also take you on a culinary adventure with its famous aged beef and wild game. Briar Rose Chophouse and saloon works together with famous and well-known premium suppliers for their meat and wild game and other ingredients to make their American classics.
Windy City Pizza and Pub Italian Restaurant in Breckenridge
Windy City Pizza and Pub is a great pizza place serving a mix between Italian food and American style Italian. This amazing Italian restaurants does not only serve you great American Comfort food, but also the best Italian classics. From bar food to pizza and with a great craft beer selection, this Italian restaurant and pub is the king of classic comfort food in Breckenridge.
The menu at Windy City Pizza includes many Italian favorites such as Calzone, Stromboli, Bruschetta, Garlic Bread, Mozzarella Rolls, and a variety of pizza options. If you are not very hungry or prefer something less heavy, you can also go for one of their delicious salads!
You can enjoy happy hour at Windy City Pizza and Pub Italian restaurant in Breckenridge from 3:00PM to 6:00 PM every day. You can order craft cans and bottles for $4, South Park Brewing draft beers for $4, Elevation First Cast draft beers for $3 and PBR for $2, and last but not least, Bud and Bud light are available for $3. I already have my eye on that Cherry Blonde crafted by South Park Brewing!
Every day from 3 to 6 p.m., there is a Happy Hour. Lovers of live music are probably happy to know that there is live music at Windy City Pizza and Pub every week.
Read More about Breckenridge
Lieze Neven is a globetrotting travel writer and expat currently based in Nepal. With a passion for exploration, she has lived in Dubai, the UK, and Belgium, alongside her international teacher husband. Her parents live in France and she tries to visit Paris at least once a year. Together, they travel the world looking for the best hotels, experiences and food locations have to offer!