The luxurious Ritz-Carlton, Bachelor Gulch resort is tucked away in an exclusive enclave of Beaver Creek, and it’s worth a winding detour up the mountain road for a meal at the hotel’s signature restaurant. Executive chef Jasper Schneider — who also oversees in-house restaurants Sakaba and Buffalos — channels bold cooking techniques, local produce, and hyper-seasonal flavors for lunch and dinner. On weekends, there’s live music on the sprawling deck during lunch and inside during dinner.

Hidden behind the grand gatehouse of Beaver Creek lies a quaint farmhouse that’s home not only to a bustling French-style bistro but also to chef Daniel Joly, who lives upstairs with his family. A master chef from Belgium, Joly presents European classics with an alpine spin in a candlelit dining room. A special occasion calls for the four-course tasting menu, which features tuna sashimi, sauteed Maine lobster, roasted duck, and a symphony of desserts. A la carte menu standouts include the imported Ossetra caviar service, Alaska sablefish, North Sea dover sole menunière, Colorado farm-raised rack of lamb, and elk tenderloin. You can add seared foie gras to any entree for a fee.

This wine bar is the perfect pre-dinner pit stop, offering a daily happy hour with the best value on wines by the glass. But after a round of drinks, you may just want to stick around for some seasonal small plates. Items like Colorado bison tartare and crispy Berkshire pork ribs are great for groups, while pan-seared Colorado striped bass and Reminisce ranch beef tenderloin fill out the mains. For dessert, try the orange-thyme Grand Marnier creme brulee.

Now under new ownership and fresh off an 18-month restoration project, Vail Valley’s oldest restaurant (built in 1901) is back and better than ever. It’s set in the historic mining town of Minturn, making it a perfect pitstop for anyone traveling between Vail and Beaver Creek, or a great place for a celebratory meal for off-piste skiers who’ve just completed the backcountry Minturn Mile run. The bar, once a secret gambling room, is still chock-full of memorabilia. It’s known for its award-winning margaritas, and musts on the food menu include a cup of posole or bison chili to start, followed by sizzling fajitas, birria tacos, and a pork cheek tostada for the table.

Vail’s only all-day breakfast joint (if your day runs from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m.) lives in Lionshead Village, where solo diners can snag a counter seat to try the caramelized onion, tomato, and Swiss crepe, a cottage cheese-filled blintz, or the Dutch-style pancakes. Family-owned and operated by Brian and Peggy Little, the place makes everything from scratch. A lunch menu is also available.

What was once a movie theater and restaurant that anchored the Solaris complex (RIP CineBistro’s Colorado locations) is now home to a massive social club with multisensory experiences. There’s a speakeasy, screening room, nightclub, arcade, and restaurant — all decked out in an Alice in Wonderland theme. While members do get access to VIP events, secret menus, liquor lockers, and reservations, this swanky social club welcomes the public, too. Build an entire evening around dinner, which consists of modern Mediterranean cuisine like salmon crudo, whole grilled branzino, and braised rabbit bolognese.

You can momentarily escape Vail Village for a quick jaunt to Paris inside this French cafe, which serves traditional brasserie fare, including baked brie, escargot, beef bourguignon, and steak frites. The walls, adorned with posters and antiques, make a perfect backdrop for the food, especially if you go for the decadent Champagne brunch on the weekend.

The valley’s fresh sushi options range from the splurge-worthy Matsuhisa to the solid, affordable Joy, but for something especially intimate, head to Osaki’s. Chef Takeshi Osaki learned the skill of sushi-making from his grandfather in Osaka, and he trained at Nobu’s Aspen outpost before opening his own spot in the heart of Vail Village. Opt for the Omakase Nigiri (eight pieces) or the Omakase Anything, a fuller spread of sushi and signature dishes.

When La Nonna Ristorante replaced Campo de Fiori, longtime chef Simone Reatti remained through the overhaul, eventually becoming a co-owner. Growing up in Cortina d’Ampezzo, he learned to cook from his nonna, whom he honors through a menu of rustic Italian cuisine. Dinner features Reatti’s favorites from his native village in the Dolomites, including fresh pasta made daily (using Molini Pivetti flour from Italy).

One of three Colorado locations (along with Aspen and Denver) of the famed LA-based Matsuhisa empire shows off sushi at its finest from renowned Japanese chef Nobu Matsuhisa. The high-ceilinged hot spot offers a panoramic view of Vail Mountain and a patio (if it’s warm enough) inside the Solaris complex. For the ultimate dining experience, let the chef be your guide through the omakase menu — especially if that chef is Matushisa himself on one of the coveted “Nobu in Town” nights during the high season, when the master himself is behind the bar crafting signature dishes, schmoozing with guests, and signing cookbooks.

This French-influenced bistro brings inventive dishes to guests, and the team prides itself on first-class hospitality and a fabulous wine list. The highlights are the truffle French onion soup, wild Burgundy escargot, imported Hokkaido jumbo sea scallops, and crispy panko chicken paillard.

Opened in 1977, Sweet Basil is a fine dining institution that’s endured Vail’s evolution for a reason. Lunch and dinner focus on refined regional ingredients; first bites might include a winter mushroom salad and rabbit steamed bun, while larger plates might feature juniper-rubbed venison loin, wagyu from Snake River Farms, and Iberian duroc pork chop with honey bourbon glaze. Reservations are required for evenings and are often booked out a month in advance, but you can always try to score a seat at the bar, which is first-come, first-serve.

This cozy, chic spot is worth seeking out for a drink before or after dinner — although the veteran kitchen crew does prepare tasty small plates that make an excellent après-ski meal. In addition to a superb wine list (50 pours by the glass), Root & Flower has an extensive menu of draft beers and craft cocktails. Drinkers should work their way through the menus, divvied up into four categories: underappreciated & misunderstood, pretty & pink, slow & serious, and rustic & complex.