The Top 21 Places to Eat and Drink Near Vaquera House
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Rank 1. Element 47
Contemporary
Element 47 trades Aspen's mining heritage for contemporary refinement, its sleek dining room warmed by fireplace light and anchored by an impressive wine collection. The menu scales from daytime comfort—tortilla soup, salads—to dinner's ambition: lobster, duck, Wellington.
- AAA Four Diamonds
- Forbes Travel Guide Forbes Four Star
- Wine Enthusiast The Wine Restaurant Hall of Fame
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Rank 2. Bosq
Contemporary
In a dimly lit room that feels both withdrawn and welcoming, Chef Barclay Dodge builds a seasonal tasting around foraged ingredients, fermented condiments, and the Colorado pantry, each plate arriving with meticulous attention to source and technique. Even lobster from New England submits to local inflection—grilled over juniper, transformed—in a menu that treats ambition as a form of generosity.
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- James Beard Awards 2024 · Semifinalist · Outstanding Chef · Barclay Dodge
- James Beard Awards 2023 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mountain · C. Barclay Dodge
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Rank 4. Prospect
Mediterranean
Inside the Hotel Jerome, Prospect trades Aspen's stuffiness for a casual, colorful dining room where seasonal cooking built on local sourcing unfolds across three meals. Lumache pasta with pesto and stracciatella arrives alongside Colorado lamb with caponata and babaganoush—Mediterranean inflected, approachable, unburdened by pretense.
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Rank 5. YUKI Aspen
Japanese
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Rank 6. Wayan
French/Indonesian
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Rank 7. Clark's Oyster Bar
Seafood
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Rank 8. Aspen Public House
New American
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Rank 9. Ellina
Italian
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Rank 10. Duemani
Mediterranean
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Rank 11. Cache Cache
Traditional French
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Rank 12. Las Montañas
Mexican
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Rank 17. Sant Ambroeus Aspen Restaurant
Milanese Italian
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Rank 18. Spring Cafe
Vegetarian
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Rank 20. Mawa's Kitchen
Contemporary
Tucked into an airport business center, Mawa's Kitchen rewards the search with a sun-lit room of wildflowers and bare tables, plus a breezy terrace. Owner Mawa McQueen brings West African technique to accessible cooking: black-eyed pea hummus with charred vegetables, a boldly spiced seafood gumbo, a cheesecake worth saving room for. The place trades prestige for genuine hospitality and value.
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
- Eater The Best Aspen Restaurants
- James Beard Awards 2022 · Semifinalist · Best Chef: Mountain · Mawa McQueen
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Rank 21. Woody Creek Tavern
Comfort Food