A Skier’s Guide to Park City’s Best Restaurants

This article originally appeared on Ski Mag

The thing about Park City is that it's both small and sprawling, and unless you're staying near Main Street, plan on driving. That said, the farther away you are from the city center, the easier the parking. No matter what: If you want to eat in a timely fashion, make a reservation. For those willing to venture out, Salt Lake City's bounty of restaurants is located just 45ish minutes away.

DINNER

With more than 100 restaurants per capita, there are so many dining options that it can feel overwhelming. These are our go-to’s for fueling up after a day on the slopes.

Handle
It may have opened in 2014, but Handle and its modern American menu remain as relevant as ever. In fact, if you like what Park City's dining scene has to offer, you can largely thank executive chef-owner Briar Handly for his help in shaping it. Expect composed dishes and nuanced flavors--things like pear and apple salad with pepita granola; fried chicken with red pepper cream and dukkah; and pork shank with grilled endive.
Don't miss: These days, everyone has a cauliflower dish on the menu, but Handle's--with sweet chile glaze and sriracha vinaigrette--is a Park City favorite.

Silver Star Cafe
To say Silver Star appeared on Diners Drive-Ins & Dives is a blessing and a curse. Some diners will flock, and some will flee. But the truth is, Silver Star doesn't really hit the typical DDD model. Most notably, it's decidedly not a diner, a drive-in, or a dive, though it does serve gussied-up comfort food. The show made the cafe's vegetarian wild mushroom stroganoff (justifiably) famous, but don't overlook the Moroccan spiced turkey meatballs, pan-seared trout, or osso buco.
Don't miss: Silver Star's crackly crusted buttermilk fried chicken is gluten-free and served with a spiced sun-dried plum glaze. The restaurant is also open for lunch but the fried chicken is only available at dinner.

Riverhorse on Main
A longtime favorite of locals, Riverhorse on Main hits just right. The space, all windows, brick, and high ceilings is cool; the service is consistently excellent; and the globally inspired menu food is top-notch. (A word to the wise: Ask to sit in the main dining room, otherwise you might get stuck in the back dining room.) The menu is a bounty of upscale dishes, but we could honestly make a dinner of the Gruyere pierogi, the buffalo tartare, and a glass of wine.
Don't miss: The local cider, beer, seltzer, and n/a list is small but mighty.

Tupelo
Many Park City locals will cite Tupelo as their favorite restaurant. A quick glance at the menu and you'll be sold too: deviled eggs with fried country ham, Rockhill Creamery cheese fritters with pomegranate-pepper jam, buttermilk biscuits with honey butter...need we go on? Just get yourself there.
Don't miss: For under $40 you can nab a cozy entree of grilled pork tenderloin, sweet potato spaetzle, red cabbage, beer mustard sauce, and cracklings.

LUNCH

Because of the town’s proximity to the resorts, you can easily swing down for a bite.

Harvest
Harvest's tagline--food, coffee, and people--paints an accurate picture of this bustling spot. But what comes into focus when you dine at Harvest is the dedication to ethically sourced ingredients from (whenever possible) small farmers and producers. Ditto for the coffee program. Plan for an all-day menu of hearty toasts with toppings, bowls, and a few sandwiches (we love the BLTA, yes, even in the winter!).
Don't miss: Replenish a morning spent on the slopes with the wellness bowl: miso-glazed salmon, quinoa, edamame, avocado, and pickled ginger with a ponzu dressing.

High West Distillery (Saloon)
Considering that High West is one of the U.S. most beloved makers of craft rye and bourbon, it shouldn't surprise you that whiskey cocktails and flights (there's also wine and beer) rule here. For a boozy lunch, you can hardly go wrong with the deep cocktail menu, especially when you pair your drink with the gastro-pub-style dishes. Think burnt ends poutine, trout chowder, and lamb shank with white cheddar grits. And, yes, you can (and should) show up in ski gear!
Don't miss: No visit is complete without an order of the ultra-sticky, totally delicious caramel-cashew-bacon popcorn.

Hearth & Hill
It's rare to find a restaurant that can do many things well--lucky for Park City, this is where Hearth & Hill excels. The menu spans the gamut, from a poke bowl to short-rib birria tacos to ramen to a vegetarian-style shepherd's pie. There's truly a little something for everyone but H&H isn't a catch-all restaurant, instead, every dish is finely tuned and plated.
Don't miss: For quicker service (but equal quality) pop into Hill's Kitchen a couple of doors down for grab-and-go, including the best dang grilled cheese you've ever had with dill Havarti, cheddar, garlic aioli on sourdough.

No Name Saloon
Although No Name is indisputably home to Park City's best burger until relatively recently, you had to be 21 or older to enjoy it. But when owner Jesse Shetler opened the Annex in 2020, the next-door space gave families with kids the same opportunity to chow down.
Don't miss: Of the nine burger options (six of which feature buffalo patties), the No Name with cream cheese, jalapenos, and grilled onions, is the winner.

BREAKFAST

A skier can't afford to miss the most important meal of the day.

Garden Cafe at Park City Gardens
The magic of this spot isn't just the excellent coffee and grab-and-go breakfast items (tomato quiche all the way!), it's taking a moment to stroll through the adjoining nursery and greenhouse. Well-spaced tables tucked among happy plants offer moments of quiet and fortitude for the day ahead.
Don't miss: Unlike most heavy-hitting lavender lattes, Garden Cafe's is delicate and balanced.

Five5eeds
As the website hints with its "View Current Waitlist" button, Five5eeds is busy, busy, busy. But don't let that deter you. You can order the Aussie-inspired menu to go or plan some extra time and wait for a table. Do not, under any circumstances, miss the banana bread with espresso cream. A twirl of honey and a dusting of buckwheat add extra finesse to an already perfect breakfast. If you're more savory-minded, the shakshuka with Meredith Dairy feta is a must.
Don't miss: Full or not, pick up a matcha-honeycomb cronut for there or for the road.

Ritual Chocolate
If you're familiar with Ritual Chocolate's bean-to-bar philosophy then you already know what wonders are in store. If not, know that Ritual is an artisan chocolate maker that has opened two cafes, one in Park City and one at the chocolate factory in nearby Heber City. There's coffee, of course, but also decadent and delightful drinking chocolate. Mocha lovers, make a pilgrimage to Ritual.
Don't miss: You would be remiss not to buy a bar or two of chocolate. The Desert Sands bar, which is inspired by Utah's landscape, combines white chocolate, crystallized ginger, and chili oil. We can promise it will have you rethinking your stance on white chocolate.

ON MOUNTAIN

Lookout Cabin (located Near the mid-station of the Orange Bubble Express)
Every ski resort has its on-mountain crown jewel, and Lookout Cabin is Park City Mountain Resort's. Lookout dishes up expansive views and a hearty menu of stick-to-your-ribs dishes like bison Bolognese and alpine mac and cheese with pancetta and white truffle drizzle.
Don't miss: A glass of bubbly and the chicken and cornbread Panzanella which has smartly traded out the customary summer tomatoes for butternut squash, dried cherries, pepitas, and poblano peppers.

Umbrella Bar (located in Canyons Village)
Because of its location in the center of Canyons Village, Umbrella Bar is an obvious spot for apres-ski. The menu is straightforward--beer, burgers, chicken tenders, fries, etc.--but the communal, let's-all-cheers vibe is perfect after a day on the hill.
Don't miss: Umbrella Bar is ideal for spring skiing when the sunny outdoor tables are even more coveted than those indoors.

Royal Street Cafe (located mid-mountain at Deer Valley)
There's something about coming in from the slopes and sitting down for a real meal, not one served on a cafeteria tray. At Deer Valley, Royal Street Cafe is that place. Order a glass of wine or cocktail, kick back, and order from a menu that stretches from elk chili with lime crema to a smoked wagyu brisket sandwich.
Don't miss: The shoestring fries, dusted with herbs and Parmesan, are non-negotiable.

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