With its electric blue skies, the beckoning Maroon Bells, Roaring Fork water sports, and frequent celebrity sightings, Aspen’s summer allure just might outshine all the other Colorado mountain towns. It’s the time to revel in the Silver Queen City’s storied panache and Gucci cowboy glam, but with smaller crowds than winter’s see-and-be-Instagrammed snow scene.

Aspen’s restaurant lineup is a rightful destination in itself. Award-winning local chefs swim in summer and autumn Western Slope bounty—Olathe corn, Palisade fruits, Paonia squashes and greens—creating menus dominated by seasonal freshness. Here’s where to eat and drink in Aspen this summer, as well as tasty spots to rest and recreate.

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39 Degrees

Closeup of a bright orange cocktail in a rocks glass with a lemon peel garnish.
The Yellow Jacket is one of Hidalgo’s signature cocktails. Photo courtesy of the W Aspen
  • Location: 550 S. Spring St., Aspen
  • Cuisine: International

W Aspen’s signature restaurant delivers a dinner menu as rich and layered as the hotel’s playful interior. Follow the swirling blue topographic carpeting that mirrors the region’s peaks through the lobby, and pass beneath the giant suspended DJ booth (a geometrical homage to the largest silver nugget discovered during Aspen’s 19th century mining boom) to find 39 Degrees. The retro-inspired menu hits all the worldly bases, with Korean fried cauliflower in gochujang sauce, coconut curry halibut, and a soft pretzel served with miso mustard and sake fondue. Roll right into legendary Aspen nightlife at the hotel’s new bar, Hidalgo, created by mixologist Dushan Zarić. Here you can savor handcrafted agave cocktails like the elderflower liqueur–based Yellow Jacket and the bubbly Cosmic Drop with butterfly pea flower–infused mezcal and passionfruit foam.

Bosq

Closeup of a shallow white bowl holding six raw scallops, several small spoonfuls of caviar, and green herbs, in a red and while swirled sauce.
Bosq serves attractive dishes like this petite bowl of scallops and caviar. Photo courtesy of Bosq
  • Location: 312 S. Mill St., Aspen
  • Cuisine: Chef’s tasting menus

Bosq chef-owner and Aspen native Barclay Dodge builds his five- and 10-course tasting menus by plucking mushrooms from shady Independence Pass nooks and watercress from forested stream banks, nudging neighboring growers for luscious melons, and grilling lobster over fragrant juniper branches. The Michelin-starred, 35-seat restaurant is a lesson in art and alchemy and an Aspen institution worthy of a lingering summer night indoors.

Cache Cache

Dice raw salmon and salmon roe on top of slices of avocato on a white plate with lemon wedge and a ramekin of green sauce in the background.
The menu at Cache Cache leans French, like this salmon tartare. Photo courtesy of Cache Cache
  • Location: 205 S. Mill St., Aspen
  • Cuisine: French

There’s a reason Cache Cache has been on the tip of discerning diners’ tongues for nearly four decades. That reason rests upon a classical French foundation bolstered by relationships chef Chris Lanter has built with Western Slope and North Fork Valley farmers. Dig into heartfelt, unpretentious offerings like the local baby bok choy served alongside wild Ecuadorian shrimp or mustard-and-herb-crusted Colorado lamb plated with whatever veggie is shining brightest that week.

Duemani

A dimly lit restaurant dining room with three dark wood booths, padded wooden chairs, large orchid arrangments on shelves between the tables, and a wall painting of a fish's tail.
Duemani’s dining room is as attractive as its food. Photo courtesy of Duemani
  • Location: 216 S. Monarch St., Aspen
  • Cuisine: Mediterranean

Breaking coastal Mediterranean down into its most uncomplicated form, this refreshed Aspen Hospitality Group space delivers a bounty of seafood in appetizers, fillets, and whole fish. Sip Peronis and negronis over Duemani’s shareable tuna and hamachi crudos, or order the five-piece lump crab tostadas for the table. Mains hail from land and sea in a pleasing lineup of Chilean sea bass, branzino, and flaky Colorado trout alongside Mediterranean takes on lamb chops with lime labneh and veal Milanese. Have something to celebrate? Splurge on chef’s tasting selections in the private 26-seat subterranean wine room.

Ellina

A plate of seafood with a view of Aspen behind it.
Red snapper and mussels at Ellina. Photo courtesy of Ellina
  • Location: 430 E. Hyman Ave., Aspen
  • Cuisine: Italian

Chef Miguel Diaz cut his culinary teeth in his grandmother’s Puerto Vallarta kitchen. Dashes of those Mexican roots meander their way into Ellina’s modern Italian offerings through a secret taco menu and a rich mole sauce dressing the Scottish salmon. The flavors live harmoniously with the truffled artichoke heart bruschetta and house-made mafaldine Bolognese—smartly tied together by owner-sommelier Jill Carnevale’s award-grabbing, 2,500-bottle wine list.

Mawa’s Kitchen

Mawa McQueen sits at a bench in front of a yellow wall at Mawita.
Chef Mawa McQueen. Photo by Kelsey Brunner
  • Location: 305 Aspen Airport Business Center F, Aspen
  • Cuisine: International

Newcomers to this Aspen staple quickly learn why regulars call the owner “the Queen.” The Michelin Guide–recommended chef Mawa McQueen has been impressing patrons with her global breakfast, lunch, dinner, and brunch menus for more than two decades. Stick a fork into a stack of fonio (similar to quinoa) and blueberry pancakes, classic croque madame, signature Joyce Farms rotisserie jerk chicken, and pan-seared strawberry summer salad. Don’t miss Mawa’s summer guest chef dinners, lobster bake, and special jazz brunch offerings.

Sway

A hand holding oysters at Aspen restaurant Sway.
Oysters at Sway. Photo courtesy of Sway
  • Location: 308 E. Hopkins Ave., Aspen
  • Cuisine: Thai

Sway, an Austin, Texas darling, has wiggled its way into Aspen’s restaurant row and locals’ dinner rotations with its focus on traditional hot and cold Thai bites. The food is communal, seasonal, and regional; dip veggie spring rolls into tangy tomato vinegar jam, note the lemongrass zip in the blue crab fried rice, and savor fermented black bean hints in the crispy pork and shrimp dumplings. Set aside space for the Thai tea affogato—the perfect balance of hot and cold with a macadamia crumble crunch.

Wayan Aspen

Two lamb chops on a plate
The lamb chops at Wayan. Photo by Noah Fecks
  • Location: 614 E. Cooper Ave., Aspen
  • Cuisine: Indonesian

After a procession of pop-ups inside the Little Nell, Cedric and Ochi Vongerichten’s New York–born French-Indonesian concept settled into a brick and mortar in December 2024, inviting guests to tuck into bold, rich plates under woven lampshades and carved wooden masks from Jakarta. Polished perfection shows up in Wayan’s exquisite Colorado lamb satay and signature Thai basil lobster noodles with black pepper butter. Whatever you do, don’t skip dessert—the fragrant passionfruit pandan custard and banana cake sundae deserve undivided attention.

Lisa Blake
Lisa Blake
Lisa Blake is a freelance writer and children's book author living in Breckenridge. When she's not writing about food and mountain adventures, she can be found on the river with her son, pug and husband.