Alpenglow Stube

We enjoyed a spectacular ride up to the Stube at sunset. The ride up was only the beginning. The service was impeccable, the choices outstanding and the overall experience amazing. One of the best possible dining experiences at a ski area. The appetizer (Blue crab) was excellent as was the fillet.

What an overall experience. Riding in the gondolas we’re breathe taking, and the blankets kept us warm. The 7course tasting menu was well worth the price. The husbands a la cart options were amazing as well.

One of the most romantic dinners ever! Didn’t expect so much! The gondola ride to the top is amazing in the daytime up and nighttime back. Very romantic with the blankets to keep you warm. Loved the touches… the slippers, the views, the welcoming letter to the restaurant. The service and food were also amazing and this was probably one of the most romantic nights ever for me. I will return!!!

Best lunch ever!
Stopped in for the Savor the Slopes, 3 course lunch. Everything we had was excellent. Service was outstanding! Andrew from Atlanta, was the perfect mix between attentive and letting us enjoy the meal.
Go here if you ever get a chance!

We went for the Sunday Champagne Brunch and it was wonderful!
I was able to make a reservation for the four of us on Open Table the morning of. Since we had reservations, we were able to skip the line for the River Run Gondola and hop right in. We didn’t get blankets like some of the other reviews mentioned but that may just be for dinner. There’s a short walk through the snow from the River Run exit to the Outpost Gondola so wearing boots isn’t a bad idea. The Outpost Gondola ride was even more beautiful than River Run. The full trip up took about 30 minutes.
We arrived a bit earlier than our reservation so we checked our coats and ordered warm drinks from the bar. While the menu had them listed for $ 14, they ended up being just over $ 9 each.
Once seated, we all decided to opt for the full brunch for $ 56 which included a mimosa, choice of soup, buffet, and choice of entrée. For $ 46 you could get the buffet only, which honestly would have been plenty. The buffet had mainly cold items including smoked salmon, trout, mussels, crab, shrimp, oysters, fruit, pasta salad, potato salad, mixed greens, meats, cheeses, and crackers. The chicken wellington was the only warm savory buffet item. The dessert buffet was amazing as well with cheesecakes, cake pops, tiramisu, crème brûlée, warm bread pudding, chocolate covered strawberries, and mixed berry tarts.
Since we ordered the full brunch our party ordered both the cream of broccoli and the winter vegetable soups. The broccoli soup seemed to be a bit too salty but overall pretty good. Our friend that ordered the vegetable soup seemed to enjoy his. For entrées we ordered the venison benedict, pork tenderloin, and mini quail egg BLT’s. All were absolutely delicious.
Service was wonderful and the overall experience was definitely worth the splurge. I’d definitely go back.

LOVE this place. First, you take a gorgeous gondola ride to over 11,000 feet to get here. The staff hands out blankets, making it cozy. My kids really enjoyed the ride up through the snow storm. The restaurant itself is charming and welcoming. They have a coat check room where you can rest heavy coats and boots, while they give you slippers for the dining room. The magnanimous host lead us past the stately wine room and by the plethora of 4 Diamond awards. Impressive! The copper accented open kitchen looked so inviting as we were led to a gorgeous table in the dining room. Chris, the server who took care of us, made menu suggestions and wine recommendations. He was amazing; one of the best servers I’ve ever encountered. He was also especially accommodating to my small children, and joked with them and made them comfortable. To start, I had the Blue Crab, and my husband had the Elk starter. Everything was artfully prepared down to the last detail. For dinner, my husband said his Duck was the best prepared duck breast he’d ever had. On behalf of my family, I’d like to thank Chris and everyone there for giving us such a perfect magical experience. We will be back.

6 Days ago, I wrote a review about our experience Alpenglow Stube on Chistmas Day. Paul Phillips — Food & Beverage Director responded and made amends. Paul was very sincere about our situation gave a credit. We were more concerned that this doesn’t happen to future patrons; so that, they can have the great experience advertised. I must Paul did go above and beyond and put in protocols to hopefully prevent this in the future. Thank you Vail Resorts and Paul for doing the right thing in taking care of your customers!

You’re really paying for the experience at this restaurant and I have admittedly had better food, better service, and yes– even a better atmosphere at other restaurants.
Service: Spotty. Sometimes it was very attentive and fantastic. Every detail from which side you were served was there… but we also had ample empty glasses at our table and a mismatch of tableware and silverware which always required us to locate our server to fix. Plus our waiter pulled out and uncorked the wrong bottle of wine. Lastly, several of our entrees weren’t served warm.
Food: 1^st course: Amuse-​bouche: excellent– best bite of the evening (unfortunately). 2^nd course: Apps. VERY disappointing. Tuna was terrible (looked like it came out of the reduced priced seafood bin at Safeway). The pork cheeks were terribly dry. The bread (which may be considered a course by some) was terrible. I tried 2 different varieties and each was dry and mediocre at best. 3^rd Course: Maple Butternut squash soup: very good but again I’ve had just as good elsewhere. 4^th Course: Pallet cleanser: what you would expect. 5^th Course: Entrees. Looking around the table no one was blown away. The lamb was average (have had better at many different restaurants and even better from Trader Joe’s). The pork chop looked the most appetizing but I didn’t get a bite. The Pheasant sausage was meh. The Duck also at least looked good but I also can’t comment on how it tasted. Course 6: Dessert: Major let down. They had the classic molten lava cake which was good but dry. Admittedly, I think I have fonder memories of Chili’s lava cake from grade school. We also ordered the apple crisp which was a little underdone for my preference but it did have all the requisite flavors you’d hope for.
Atmosphere: The location and gondola ride can’t be beat but the atmosphere itself felt like an early 90’s supper club. If you’ve been to one you’ll know what I mean.
In summation: It’s good but not great. It’s an experience above and beyond a restaurant though and to some people that’s more important than the food and service.

The location certainly is hard to beat, though be warned the blankets that kept us toasty on the way up were nowhere to be seen on the ride down, brrr! Later reservations will miss much of the views but the stars were a wonderful cap on the evening.
The service was friendly, though spread a bit thin. There were times when we had a wait to flag down our waiter talking to tables at the other end of the dining area, a big no-​no for a place trying to deserve the AAA four-​diamond status.
The sommelier was very knowledgeable, steering us away from some expensive but bad pairings and the two bottles were the (very marked-​up) highlights of the evening.
The food was very inconsistent, some plates were tasty or had tasty elements, others were way over-​salted or just boorish. Steer clear of the spinach salad and the cheese plate took the title of the worst we’ve ever been served (1 in my party was French and lives off of cheese); avoid at all costs! The meats were well-​cooked to our desired temperature though the sides left us wanting something else other than what the chef had paired for us.
Overall a nice experience but not worth the cost and the frozen buttocks on the blanket-​less ride down. If you’re looking for mountain views and haute cuisine, try the Ranch House in Fraser, CO.

I was thinking of canceling my reservations and just relaxing in bed due to laziness. I am here on my own in Keystone for a conference and will be flying out tomorrow. I AM SO THANKFUL THAT I MADE THE DECISION TO HAVE DINNER HERE! Well actually I was encouraged by my husband and friends to «just go! Or you will regret it and wish you went!»
The gondola ride is included in your reservation and is really if no cost to you. Normally a ride is $ 29 to go up 11,444 feet… So really it’s even a better deal as you can subtract that from your dinner cost.
The view is amazing from the 2 Gandola rides and is unexplainable with the view. I have never seen such beauty. It’s an experience just to be at such an elevation.
Once entering the restaurant I was greeted with such friendliness and the feel of the restaurant is comfortable. Very classy and welcoming. The service is very personal and professional. I dined alone and wanted a window — my waiter didn’t hesitate to meet my desires.
The food was over the top and cooked to perfection. I will add pictures of the food and post it here. You will not be disappointed. The taste is remarkable!
Do not hesitate. Get out of bed. It’s a total experience that you will not forget.

Had dinner with family last night
My 10 yr old who’s had steak once at Outback…(my fault)…polished her plate of steak and mashed potatoes!
I had the chefs tasting 7 course menu… main course Venison steak… Best I have had
Lamb appetizer amazing
Restaurant has been rated 4 AAA fora reason

Absolutely wonderful evening at the Stube! We used to live in Dillon and moved to California. We recently visited Summit County to stay with friends and decided to go big and book reservations at Alpenglow Stube. We had a phenomenal experience! You take two Gondolas to get to the restaurant, but they give you blankets to keep warm!
From the minute we walked in, the service exceeded our expectations. All of the staff were so friendly and accommodating. The waiter immediately offered 50% off a bottle of Bordeuax of our choice! He mentioned that most people are ordering Napa cabs lately, and they had bottles in stock, we couldn’t resist the offer!
The food was to die for — there were 4 of us, we opted to do the a la carte menu and it did not disappoint! We ordered two apps (Bison and crab) and they were delicious, almost melted in your mouth. As couples, we both split a salad with our spouses. Every meal was delicious, the presentation as well — our group ordered lamb, venison and salmon.
Then it was time for dessert and it did not disappoint! We shared the Crème brûlée and the Banana Pudding.
We finished with after dinner drinks. SUPERB experience!

Romantic restaurant at over 11,000 feet in the air!!! Service and food is great! Check in your coat and ski boats for slippers! Take two gondola rides up or stop for lunch to refuel after a morning of skiing.

We dined here for lunch right before Christmas. It was one of the highlights of our trip and absolutely worth the time and money. The gondola ride was wonderful, particularly for those who don’t ski so they could see the mountains’ beauty. I would recommend going for lunch during the winter so you can see out from the gondola.
The restaurant was beautiful and decorated for Christmas. Our party of 4 each ordered a different entrée and enjoyed them all. Bison chili, shepard’s pie, shrimp scampi, chicken pie. The least remarkable was the scampi. The caprese salad was delicious and beautiful.
The manager checked on our table several times and our server was delightful. We talked with the chefs and enjoyed the interaction very much.
My only caution is for those who get altitude sickness-​be aware that this restaurant is very high and it is a rapid ascent. Prepare by drinking water, Pedialyte or whatever helps prevent your sickness.
Highly recommend this restaurant experience for adults. We left our kids (teenagers) at the condo and it was a very good decision.

We ate here last year for Sunday brunch which we enjoyed very much. We were hoping they would have something similar for Christmas Day lunch but unfortunately only had the regular lunch menu. The food was mediocre at best, expensive ($ 500 for 7 of us including a few drinks, appetizers and desert). Still I think pretty expensive especially for food that was not very good. Lobster bisque came out luke warm (which was disappointing because the flavor was actually very good) had some other appetizers which were just ok. Lobster tacos were expensive and so little lobster couldn’t even taste the lobster. Shepherds pie was very dry. Took FOREVER between courses which was irritating. Server was terrible.
Once again I would recommend their Sunday brunch which is great other than that eat somewhere else.

We usually done next door at Der Fondue Chessel, but decided to give the Stube a try. It was absolutely fantastic.
Our service was excellent. The entire staff was overly friendly. We kind of expected the meal to be just ok but it blew us away. From the appetizers to dessert everything was delicious. We did our best to try it all. Their wine list is also quite extensive.
Oh…and another added bonus was dining above 11,000ft & watching the herd of elk out the window. The gondola ride up and back is the perfect say to start and end this experience! Can’t wait to go back!

Our last night in Keystone, we were treated by the Keystone Lodge and Spa to an incredible dinner at the AlpenGlow Stube. (I know, it took me awhile to wrap my head around that Bavarian mouthful of a name too.)
When I called the restaurant to ask about the dress code I was told this: «Well, it can be chilly on the gondolas, so we suggest warm clothing… but it is also the nicest restaurant in Keystone.»
Oh. Okay. We boarded the gondolas at the bottom of the Keystone Resort Ski Lift. If you are not from Colorado, you might not know what a gondola is. It’s a box, that is attached to a cable that lifts you hundreds of feet in the air. It’s a fancy ski lift. It’s kind of neat. Unless you hate heights
The restaurant is at the top of the world, the summit. We climb out of the gondola and take it all in (as I wipe tears of fear off my face) — one of the best views I’ve ever seen. It’s quiet. It’s high. It’s…amazing. It’s Colorado in all her fierce, independent, big beauty.
The Alpenglow Stube is located on the North Peak (Colorado speak) at 11,444 feet, the highest restaurant in North America. The stube itself is a cozy looking log cabin. A GIANT log cabin.
We were greeted with a smile from the manager, and led to our table — the chef’s table! We had a perfect view of four master chefs, creating gourmet Bavarian inspired dishes. You could just tell these chefs were the real thing.
See those diamond dishes on the wall? They are all AWARDS.
It was way out of my league. My sister leaned over and whispered to me «This is not a place where you order stuff ON THE SIDE.» Then I thoroughly embarrassed her by ordering a Shirley Temple to drink. (I didn’t want wine, since my stomach was in knots from the terrifying gondola experience.) Bewildered and impressed, we looked over their intimidating menu — it changes every season, and that was reflected in the food choices. Everything looked good.
We chose the four-​course Chef menu, which included a salad or consommé (which I learned means SOUP), a nightly intermezzo, entrée and dessert. I started with a grapefruit and avocado salad with toasted pine nuts (which are like, my favorite thing ever). Cindy ordered the butternut squash consommé, which was DELICIOUS. I maybe finished hers off. After that, we feasted on a wide variety of rolls: hard crackers, cheese and bacon rolls, sweet wheat and sourdough with homemade berry jams and butters.
Then our intermezzo came — a prickly pear sorbet. It was delicious. I don’t know that I’ve ever had anything combining pears and ICE, but I want to again. It was heavenly on my tongue and cleared my palette.
The entrees were dazzling and hearty: Cindy had ordered the steak, and I had gone with the gnocchi. How to explain my gnocchi? Cheesy, salty, herbed deliciousness. Perfectly seasoned and topped with many crunchy things that I wish I knew what they were, but I just don’t. A food blogger, I’m not, nor have I ever claimed to be. But I do know when I’m eating food that tastes exquisite, expensive and rich. It does not taste like normal food.
It’s an experience, instead of just filling your belly.
After we finished off our entrees, the chefs sent over their fish special for us to try. I hope that our moans didn’t disturb the other diners because the fish was… there are no words.
Cindy and I both agreed that it was the BEST FISH we have ever had. EVER. And never will again, probably. It simmered on our tongue, light and saucy and like eating a piece of fish heaven.
Dessert arrived, and I was thrilled when I saw that they had swirled a «C» onto my plate. (Cindy pointed out that it could be just a swirl, but I ignored her, the fun police). My flourless chocolate torte was simply to die for, and Cindy made a lot of happy faces while eating her lemon crème brûlée that had a POPPY SEED SPOON.
The chef came over and chatted with us for awhile. Everyone there was SO friendly — the service was just incredible. I felt like royalty — gazing down on the commoners far below at the base of the mountain. Those PEASANTS.
I casually asked the manager if there was any other way down the mountain other then the gondola. She laughed. I leaned back and laughed too, awkwardly, like I was totally kidding. I wasn’t. «So there is really no road or anything?» Cindy shot me dagger eyes and I shut my mouth.
Dining at the Alpenglow Stube was truly one of the most incredible and memorable eating experiences I have had and will ever have again. From the gondola ride (which was everyone else at the restaurant’s favorite part of the whole thing) to the fish that melts on your tongue to the quaint lodge atmosphere to the bittersweet chocolate torte, I cannot express fully how much everyone needs to the visit the Stube at least ONCE.
If you live in Colorado, get there soon. Take someone you love, for it’s a very romantic place. It’s a place to propose,

Only 2 review so far? How is that possible?!
Anyway, dined at Stube over the weekend and had a great experience. Entrees are definitely on the expensive side, but given the quality of food, service, and the experience of dining at 11,444 elevation — I think it’s worth trying. Also, the appetizers were very affordable in comparison and tasted amazing.
Tip 1: Gondola ride is free when you dine at Stube. That’s $ 28/​person in cost savings you can calculate into your bill. Not only is it free, but they move you to the front of the line and provide you blankets for the ride up – a VIP experience.
Tip 2: If you are here in the winter, don’t bother dressing up too much. While upscale, getting here require short walks in the snow — so no heals ladies! They emphasize comfort.
FOOD:
You can order a la carte (appetizers $ 15-​$ 20 and entre $ 45-​$ 50) or do the 7 course meal for $ 99). We choose the former and enjoyed everything we ordered:
–Seared Jumbo Scallops ($ 15) — HIGHLY recommended. So sweet and grilled to perfection. I’d consider ordering two of these instead of an entrée!
–Ragout of Blue Crab ($ 18) — Small tower of crab meat, also very good.
–Seared Hudson Valley Foie Gras ($ 16) — seared foie gras over a bed of apple compote. The sweetness of the apple overwhelmed the foie gras a bit, but i’m also happy eating foie gras any which way since it’s banned in my home state of CA!
–Baby Beet and Spinach Salad ($ 13) — nothing to call home about, but solid salad.
–Bone-​In Rib Eye ($ 48) — 16oz of very tender rib eye accompanied by béarnaise sauce, a delicious potato croquette, and some veggies. Tasty and enough to share.
DRINKS:
Stube has a huge wine selection with a big spectrum of prices. We had a bottle of their top recommend Merlot (forgot name) and was not disappointed. In addition, after our meals, we decided to do a round of hot alcoholic drinks and they were all fabulous! My favorite was the Chocolate Raspberry Forest ($ 9) (Chambord, Crème de Cacao, Vodka, and Hot Coco) which I will now have to try to replicate at home!

Absolutely blown away by this restaurant. With the high price tag (~$ 100 a head) I was expecting a gorgeous restaurant with average food and average service, but it was so much more. The food went above our expectations as did the service, and with an extensive wine list with lots of affordable (cheap in my mind) bottles, Alpenglow Stube fully deserves it’s 5 stars.
We checked in with guest services at the bottom of the River Run gondola and were given blankets and lift tickets to head on up. The restaurant had advised it would take about 40 mins to get there via the two gondolas, but it was more like 30, thankfully cause yes it’s cold! After hopping off river run, you walk about 100 feet to jump on the Outpost gondola. I don’t ski this side of the mountain so I hadn’t been on the Outpost before, but it’s substantially scarier if you’re scared of heights.
We arrived about 20 minutes early for our reservation and the host had us sit and wait — not a problem, it was Valentine’s Day and we were expecting it to be packed. After turning over our coats and boots (and yes receiving comfy/​warm sheep fur slippers to wear) we were sat. It was apparent from the beginning that the restaurant itself was romantic and intimate (seats were offered in front of the chef station to watch them cook) but the service was going to be fantastic as well. Our server was both efficient and prompt while being lively and funny, definitely adding to our overall experience.
Wine was ordered for the table (again they have lots of affordable bottles in the $ 30-​$ 40 price range, and lots more across the board, so you’ll definitely find something for you). My step father opted to the 7 course tasting menu ($ 99 a person), I opted to do the a la carte menu and picked 6 courses, the bf also picked 6 course, and my mom went with a meeger 5 courses lol. This is a lot of food and left us very full before the entrees came out, if you have self control (we don’t) I’d advise 4 courses, but we tend to live with the «we might never come back here» motto and go full gusto where ever we are dining. No we are not obese, genetics is on our side lol.
The food — this could go on forever, so I’m going to try and keep it short.
*Amuse Bouche — might have been my favorite of the night. A bison carpaccio over beet purée, so so so good.
*2^nd course — I opted for 2 (yes again I’m greedy) the fried rabbit loin and the wild boar. Both were great. I tried some of my step father’s lamb and was blown away. The bf had green lentil dumplings that were very unique and tasty. My mom had the foie gras, I’ve never met a foie gras I didn’t love.
*3^rd course — Venison, Barley and Lingonberry Soup — fantastic.
*4^th course — Lime and strawberry sorbet — unique combination and it did it’s job.
*5^th course — Gnocchi — my only downfall to the meal — rather salty for me, and I was quite full anyways. Everyone else enjoyed their entrees (bison osso bucco and a bison filet).
*6^th course — Cheese Plate — only came with my step father’s 7 course dinner. I didn’t find the cheeses to be that great.
*7^th course — Dessert. I had the pumpkin crème brûlée, which was ok. I licked the plate on my bf’s turtle cheesecake, tried some of my mom’s wild berry something and didn’t get to try my step father’s chocolate mousse, but it looked great from a presentation stand point.
Again, everything was amazing. We debated getting a second bottle of wine and were sold on it when the server said we could take the rest home for the gondola ride lol.
This is a special obviously a special occasion type of place!

Alpenglow Stube has an awesome atmosphere, delicious food and amazing service.
I love this place! I am a skier and if you have ever skied you know how unbelievable uncomfortable ski boots are. The reason I love this place is because when you walk in they trade you your ski boots/​snowboard boots for warm cozy slippers! They also check all of your gear so it is not overcrowding your table.
We came for lunch directly from a full morning of skiing at Keystone. I was instantly in love because I was comfortable with my slippers and no gear. They have top notch service. Food was melt-​in-​your-​mouth delicious. They have two lunch options; 2-​course or 3-​course. I was hungry but not that hungry so I did a 2-​course with soup as my appetizer and fish as my entrée (3-​course also includes desert). Portions were great; I was full but not overly stuffed.
The only downfall to having lunch here is at the end you have to put your ski boots back on and still make it down the rest of the mountain.