
11 Rave-Worthy Restaurants in Telluride, Colorado
Whether you’re craving tacos, Texas barbecue, or top-tier omakase, this charming mountain town ticks all the culinary boxes.

For orophiles (mountain lovers) like me, there’s no greater thrill than exploring unfamiliar locales above the clouds. But no matter how many mountain towns I visit, there’s one I keep coming back to: Telluride, Colorado.
A former mining camp in the heart of the Rockies that’s been designated a National Historic Landmark District, Telluride has it all: It’s one of the world’s top ski resorts and a paradise for winter sports enthusiasts, bikers, and hikers. Yet what sets it apart from other Colorado vacation spots is its astonishingly varied food scene. Beyond the usual taco joints, saloons, and mom-and-pop restaurants, you’ll find everything from alpine bistros to Detroit-style pizzerias to omakase.
Telluride’s main culinary artery is Colorado Avenue. Along the road, which is free of traffic lights, you’ll find dozens of independently owned establishments and hardly any chains (phew!). Over the past decade, the town center has blossomed into a dining destination in its own right, with award-winning chefs opening fresh concepts and old-school standbys upping their game.
Whether you’re in town for the famous Bluegrass Festival, Film Festival, eccentric Mushroom Festival, or otherwise, keep this list handy for your next orophile adventure.
221 South Oak Street
(970) 591-5852

Food Network and Top Chef fans—along with Telluridians and vacationers—have been flocking to Eliza Gavin’s New American bistro for dishes that draw on her stints in France, New Orleans, and Napa Valley. Occupying an entire Victorian home, the restaurant doubles as a wine school and art gallery. I can’t wait to go back for buttermilk fried quail with spicy honey, rack of lamb with creamy walnut yogurt and white bean purée, and Rocky Mountain trout with ravioli swimming in brown butter and topped with fried capers.
110 East Colorado Avenue
(970) 728-8046
Famous for its rectangular Detroit-style pizza with crust that’s crispy on the outside and chewy on the inside, this quintessential local hangout is popular with sports fans and makes what may be Colorado’s best pies. For first-timers, the mandatory order is the award-winning Brooklyn Bridge, topped with a secret-recipe red sauce, dollops of whipped ricotta, cup-and-char pepperoni, Italian sausage, and Pecorino Romano.
201 East Colorado Avenue
(970) 728-2899

This bright and cheery all-day café is like a living room for locals, with coffee refills, from-scratch pastries, and thoughtful menus, all presided over by Nancy, the resident bird. Owner Megan Ossola, who’s lived in Telluride since 1996, brings produce from her nearby farm straight to the kitchen. Though breakfast and brunch are the most popular, don’t sleep on the lunch and dinner menus, which offer elevated comfort foods such as fried green tomato burgers on house-baked brioche and steaming bowls of beef pho. Note: The Butcher & The Baker is counter service only, which sometimes causes a line out the door, but don’t worry—it moves quickly.
231 West Colorado Avenue, New Sheridan Hotel, 1st Floor
(970) 728-9100
Want to time travel to 1895? Step inside the New Sheridan Hotel, which was originally built in 1891, suffered a devastating fire in 1894, and was resurrected the following year as the brick building that still operates today. Inside the Chophouse & Wine Bar off the lobby, you’ll find a traditional, extravagant steakhouse menu (think wedge salads, French onion soup, and oyster platters) with an Old West spin on traditional cuts—each butchered in-house and cooked to order on a custom 1800°F broiler. If dinner is booked up, a leisurely brunch here is just as great.
156 Society Drive, Unit A
(970) 239-6211

In Telluride’s Lawson Hill, hit the counter at Counter Culture, where you can grab burgers, wraps, salads, and other to-go dishes that get you back out on the slopes and trails sooner. The focus is freshness; it’s the ethos of three longtime locals who came together over a shared passion for sustainability and a commitment to the local community—especially Uncompahgre Valley farmers and ranchers.
Esperanza’s Mexican Restaurant
226 West Colorado Avenue
(970) 728-8399
When a restaurant doesn’t have a website but is always full, you know it’s going to be good. Chef and owner Esperanza Reyes opened this Mexican cantina on the main drag in 2013. Since then, diners have ducked into the downstairs dining room and bar for housemade margaritas, fresh chips, and spicy salsas, followed by massive plates of oozing enchiladas or smothered burritos. With her mother as wingwoman in the kitchen, Reyes has created a favorite gathering spot for families and friends to chow down on cantina classics.
126 East Colorado Avenue
(970) 729-8933
The fourth and newest restaurant from culinary power couple Josh and Melissa Klein, Kazahana filled a much-needed void: sushi. While the dining room is pleasingly minimalist—with smooth wood, backlit window panes, and natural stone—I prefer sitting at the separate omakase bar for the chef’s choice 15-course tasting menu (only available through advance booking). Fish is flown in daily, which means all tiers of fatty tuna, salmon, and other ocean delights are impeccably fresh.
150 West San Juan Avenue
(970) 728-6232
Occupying a 19th-century miner’s home, La Marmotte is “Cabin Porn” on the outside and an escape to France on the inside. The seasonal menus by 27-year-old rising star Maggie DeMarco have something for everyone, but the roasted bone marrow dolloped with tangy shallot marmalade; beet salad with green apples, roasted walnuts, and Taleggio cheese; and boeuf bourguignon with Gorgonzola are my top three standouts.
100 East Colorado Avenue, Suite B
(970) 239-6151

A glass-encased wall of wine bottles anchors this hotspot with big-city ambiance—the first sign you’re in a restaurant that cares as much about what’s in the glass as what’s on the plate. On the list are wines from familiar producers in Napa, Bordeaux, and Tuscany—as well as cult bottles from Philip Togni Vineyard, Señorío de P. Pecina, Marc Hébrart, and Domaine Bitouzet-Prieur. If it’s a special occasion, splurge on the seafood plateau, stacked with oysters, lobster tail, snow crab, poached shrimp, and salmon tartare. Mediterranean-influenced small plates including grilled halloumi, Spanish-style octopus, and zhug with hummus are perfect for sharing, and an order of warm rosemary focaccia with sweet ricotta, black truffle honey, and sea salt is a must.
219 West Pacific Avenue
(970) 728-7020

Opened in 2020, Petite Maison is a French favorite tucked away in an unassuming chalet. Steel beams, café chairs, and a massive mirror etched with the menu give this intimate space a contemporary brasserie feel. I like to start with the baked camembert with fig rum reduction, walnuts, and orange confit, or with a plate of escargots for the table. If you’ve earned your turns after a day on the mountain, opt for the traditional coq au vin, featuring lardons, pearl onions, and local chicken; or the boeuf Oscar, a center-cut petite filet with mashed potatoes, asparagus, and lump crab.
135 East Colorado Avenue
(970) 852-0469
Ramen meets Texas barbecue at this funky fusion hangout in the basement of Telluride’s historic Roma Building, erected in the 1880s to house a raucous saloon, general store, meat market, and more. Today, you can curl up on a couch in the lounge and sample more than 150 spirits—an impressive selection of Japanese whiskeys included. The venue’s crown jewel is the original saloon bar carved from walnut and rare tiger maple. Beyond seriously soothing ramen bowls, like the Mushroom Fest with crispy tofu, seared wood ear mushrooms, and smoky miso broth, fan favorites include grilled brisket nigiri, wasabi Caesar salad, and fried rice with buttermilk fried chicken—dishes I’d never conceived of until I happened upon this gem.
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