Game Creek Restaurant

Unbelievable service and experience! Gondola ride to get it started followed by a snow cat jont to the front door of this eclectic romantic restaurant! Super special for any occasion. Dim light, exquisite food and cocktails, once in a lifetime dining night of your life!

This is clearly a top notch restaurant. The ride in the gondola, the snow cat ride, and the cozy inviting restaurant all serve to make the evening special. Rachel our server was professional, personable and attentive. The food is clearly designed for those who appreciate fine dining. One of the nicest touches was the «chef surprise» (mango sorbet) that was provided to the individuals in our party who had order 3 courses instead of 4. This kept everyone on track with the meal presentation. The lump crab salad with caviar was exquisite and on par with tastings I’ve had at per se and the French laundry. The one down side to the evening was the behavior of the table next to us. They were a large party who showed up drunk and it got worse from there. Their boisterous nature (loudly and repeatedly dropping the f-​bomb) overwhelmed the management, and when we were leaving, the scenario was only getting uglier. The situation tainted the evening for our table and those around us. Who wants that when you’re paying for fine dining? Management should have quickly and quietly moved them to a private room. This awkward issue aside, we enjoyed our experience at Game Creek.

Hubby and I went to Game Creek Club Restaurant for dinner on a Saturday night in August. Our reservation was for 7:15. They told us to be at the gondola by 6:45. The gondola ride up was nice and relaxing. The transport van was waiting when we got to the top. It took us to the restaurant quickly. We were early and opted for drinks on the balcony before dinner. The Fig Tree Martini was scrumptious but might be a big sweet for some. We moved into the dining room for dinner. You have the choice of a three or four course dinner or the five course chef’s tasting menu for $ 120. You can add on wine pairings for $ 45 for a total of $ 165. We couldn’t decide so went with the chef’s menu and wine. The food was fabulous and the wine pairings complimented the food perfectly. Our waiters were attentive but not pushy. The Sommelier, Matthew, was knowledgable and we enjoyed talking with him about the pairings and how he chose them. Our dinner took over three hours not including the transport up and down the mountain. When we were ready to leave, the shuttle was there and the ride in the gondola back down was a nice way to end the evening,
If you are looking for a memorable evening, with good food and wine, I’d highly recommend this restaurant.

possible tourist trap… food tasted good and was quick. Service was disappointing and condescending. Chef appeared at one table but did not stop by other tables. Obviously there is culinary talent there, however the service may drag the place out of success. More than twice they asked if we wanted bread and did not bring it. I complained and the servers conferenced and seemed to laugh at us. They refused to divide the check per our request. The bill was over $ 500 for four and it seemed like a reasonable request. We waited over 45 minutes for our table. I’d save my money and eat at a place that has a solid track record.

Loved the trip up the mountain on the gondola and snowcat. It was a nice touch to provide blankets. Food was great. Service was ok but not great. For the price it should be outstanding. We asked the server if she would mind separating the check. She provided a pen for us to do the calculating. I found that to be extremely poor service. Trip down the mountain was freezing. Apparently blankets are only one way. Overall dissappointing.

My experience in summary:
The trip up the mountain — we were given fleece blankets and boarded the gondola to mid-​mountain, then taking the enclosed snowcat (kind of like a modified bus) to the restaurant. Probably this was the most memorable part of the evening. Very cool to look down on the town in the dark.
The wait — our 7:30 reservation somehow became an 8:15 reservation. No big deal. There was a nice bar and seating area.
The meal — you have a choice of 3, 4, or 5 course tasting menus, with or without wine pairings. The menus run for $ 85, $ 95, or $ 105 depending on the number of courses, adding $ 12 per 3 oz pour of wine for the pairings.
Our waitress could not get the wine pairing part straight, so one member of our party never received his first glass, and another never received his second. The wine that they served happened to also be on the wine-​by-​the-​glass menu, only you received half the volume for the same price. Our amateurish waitress accidentally served the same wine to one of my friends for two of the courses. Not good.
The food — it was very good, except for the soup. Very bland and underwhelming. Fois gras was excellet, as were the scallops. I enjoyed the elk.
Bottom line is that as with many meals in ski towns, the quality of the wait staff is very poor, and the prices are disproportionately high, without adequate justification.
I would never go back.

For the experience, this is hard to beat. The gondola ride up in the evening, and then the cat ride to the restaurant is really something. But it all pales when you stand outside on the deck at sunset and check out the views across the mountain. It is truly magical. So that’s the good news.
The bad news, as others have noted is the cost vs. benefit. Yes, the sights are great and yes getting there is more than half the fun. But for the prices (expect to pay $ 300 for dinner for two with a moderate bottle of wine) you should be getting excellent service and fantastic food. In short, neither rises to the level of great. It’s good, but it’s not great.
My wife and I and other couples have dined here three times beginning in 2009. We have never had the same wait staff. So I presume the turnover here is pretty high which itself is an indicator.
Check out some fo the other high-​end places in Vail and see if you can do better for your dollar. If you have to have the on-​mountain-​at-​night dining experience, try the Bistro-​fourteen at the top of the gondola and walk out after dinner to the observation deck looking down into game creek bowl. You’ll save $ 150 and have almost as good a time.

When I think of memorable dining, I think of Game Creek. First there was the trip up the mountain on the gondola under magnificent starry skies, then a transfer to the snow cat (with a blessedly heated cabin) into Game Creek Bowl and down a black diamond run to the restaurant. Skiing all day and the cold mountain air worked up an appetite perfectly suited to a menu offering wild game paired with well-​chosen wines. My tastebuds still remember a superb meal which included an amazing fois gras, a remarkable butternut squash soup, the most succulent braised duck of my life, tender mouth-​watering medallions of elk, and at the end … bread pudding with hard sauce! Really, who ever remembers squash soup? But it was that good. Also nice that the vegetarian in our group was accommodated.

This is an experience which my family and I thoroughly enjoyed. The journey begins with a 730pm gondola ride with blankets. The snow cat met us at the summit and we were at the restaurant within 10 minutes for our 8pm reservation. Food tasting menu was extraordinary. Himachi with radish, frois gras with 3 mushrooms and port demi glaze, elk, venison, lamb all uniquely seasoned and delicious. Ravioli of crab and lobster with a soft cognac cream reduction. Gouda cheese, pear napoleon, gilatto sandwich to close. Great wine list and the Spanish Grenache and Tempranillo was outstanding. Now you pay plenty but it was worth the experience. Service was very attentive and nicely executed. What would give it another star? Some of the dishes were prepared better than other so the consistency amongst the dishes was lacking; we also had one elk that was cool by the time it made it to the table although this removed from our bill. Do go though as it is a unique mountain experience that will prepare you for the next days adventurers of skiing.

Impeccable. Every step of the way. I had never heard of this restaurant on the top of Vail Mountain and my fiancé surprised me with it. First, a gondola ride, accompanied by blankets, to the top of the mountain. Then a ride on a snow cat to the restaurant. What a fun experience. Once inside the restaurant, the service was top-​notch. The waiter and supporting staff were so attentive, we never wanted for anything. The food was equally amazing — options of either 3, 4 or 5 course prix-​fixe. My main was a lamb that was so buttery soft, it melted in my mouth. I don’t believe I’ve ever had lamb prepared that well.
I don’t think I’ve ever included comments about the patrons of an establishment in my reviews but I have to say that I was equally impressed with the patrons — families with kids of all ages that were all incredibly well-​behaved. The comment I made to my fiancé was, «Wow, these kids all seem like boarding school kids» and I meant that in the most respectful, complimentary way.
I would love to go back again when I’m not sick with the flu and get the full experience with wine!

This place was awesome.
From the moment we got on the gondola I was impressed. As soon as we arrived at the base of the Eagle Bahn Gondola our whole experience was amazing.
I was with several friends as we finally made it to the base of the gondola, as soon as we stepped in the chalet we were immediately handed warm, comfortable blankets to accompany us to the top of the Vail mountain.
After arriving in the restaurant, we enjoyed a drink and then promptly seated. Our waiter described the menu to us. It was a price fix menu with 3, 4, or 5 items ranging from $ 60 to $ 100. I got the 5 item chefs choice dinner and was satisfied with every single bite. The menu changes quite frequently so there is no use to describing my selections but I can tell you that everything I had, was absolutely spectacular.
The service was awesome, our water glasses were constantly full and the wine selection was second to none. I would return to Game Creek in a heartbeat and recommend it to everyone looking for a unique experience.

If you are looking for more than just dinner out make a reservation at the Game Creek Club Restaurant. This is a private on-​mountain club for members only during the day but is open to the public for dinner.
On-​mountain means its literally halfway up the mountain just above the top of the Eagle Bahn gondola which you will need to take to get there and once at the top of the gondola you will be picked up by a snow-​cat decked out with indoor seating to take you the rest of the way up and out to the club.
The club itself is perched atop the game creek bowl and has a huge wrap around deck you can access through the door just past the bar by the host stand. Plan your dinner such that you arrive during daylight and are there through sunset because the dining room faces west and you get a great view of sunset over the vail valley where you can see down to Eagle-​Vail.
You should be able to walk right on to the gondola with no line at that hour but plan for 15 mins up the gondola and a 15 min wait for the snow-​cat and then 10 mins or so to get up to the club on the cat. Get there with enough time before your reservation to have a glass of wine in the small bar sitting by the fire and walk out to that deck as the sun sets.
Once seated the friendly wait staff will explain their dinner options. They offer multi-​course pre-​fixe dinners where you can choose how many courses you want and select items for each course from a variety of options. We were surprised that one of the best courses we had was a phenomenal sashimi course. Game meats and poultry were good choices for main courses. Delicious desserts and sweet wine rounded out our fun dining experience.
If you happen not to be able to get a reservation at the Game Creek Club for dinner there is a similar on-​mountain restaurant at Beaver Creek called Beano’s Cabin which offers a great on-​mountain experience with a sleigh ride up and down.
This may not be three star foodie-​dining in a major city and the pricing is typical for Vail but it is a great experience that you will remember long after you have forgotten all your other dinners in Vail.

Not worth the money. I’ve dined at many great restaurants in the U.S., Europe, Australia, China. Game Creek is good, not great, and therefor I cannot recommend it because it’s expensive (almost $ 300 including tip, for 2), but doesn’t deliver on that expense. I will not go back and cannot recommend it to friends. The service again was good, not great. At these prices, it should be amazing. The one exception was the bartender, I think his name was Matt, who had some very good and very original martini offerings.

This is a super unique dining experience. You have to arrive a little bit early to take the Eagle Bahn gondola to the top of the mountain, where a Sno-​Cat is waiting for you. This looks like one of the grooming machines, but inside, it’s decked out with lights, and the interior is like that of a limo. You’re then brought over to the Game Creek lodge, where there’s a mat for you to walk across into the restaurant. Still, I would recommend against stilettos…
The interior is very warm, and there are heads of game mounted on the wall. All the servers that evening were men, and all looked like they could potentially be models portraying hunters in magazines.
We went for the 4 course pre-​fixe, which included venison and beef from the Colorado Mountains. I’m not a big meat eater, but everything was very fresh. It’s American fare, but the flavors were bold and strong. For me, it was a bit heavy to eat so much meat, but it’s a nice way to re-​fuel for your next day of skiing.
It’s a very romantic experience to ride in the Sno-​cat, but a lot of families were dining there, as well. It’s a totally unique experience, and it’s a bit on the pricey side, but most nice meals in Vail will cost you about the same amount. It’s worth trying if you’re looking for something different.

As mentioned with the previous reviews, part of the whole dining experience is just getting there. The snow cat ride was great, our driver even let us squeeze into the cabin with him to get a better view of everything going on. The gondola ride was also nice, and you can get some great shots of the town of Vail at night too.
You can opt to sub in one of the menu items from the upgraded prices if you’d like, and we did that with the entrée. Every one of the courses was above your expectation, and our waiter recommended a great wine to compliment each one of the courses.
The price fixe of 100 bucks seems steep, however, it’s pretty hard to get away under 100/​head at most nice restaurants in Vail. The staff is great too.

Previous reviewers mentioned the unusual method of getting to Game Creek, so I’ll skip over that. For the majority of the food-​loving populace, this is a place you visit very rarely, but the attitude my friends and I took was, we’re already high-​rolling it being at Vail in the first place, so we might as well pony up for the $ 100 prix fixe meal.
The food was really very good. My favorite was probably the first course, which in my case was braised pork belly in an apple cider/​tamarind sauce, which was beyond tender. My soup course, mushroom bisque en croute, had good flavor (due in part to the truffle oil) but lacked salt. My entrée of venison loin, medium rare, with pureed celeriac and persimmon on the side, was very delicious, as was the taste of braised beef shortrib I had. My dessert of blueberry tart on blueberry sorbet was good, but the warm gingerbread pudding my boyfriend has was outstanding.
Overall, I’d recommend Game Creek for the experience, the ambiance, the service, the cocktails, and the food… but be ready to pay for it.

The second star is because the adventure of getting to the restaurant is actually fun: up the gondola, then into a snow-​cat straight out of The Shining for a dark ride along a snowy ledge, which finally drops you mountaintop into the Game Creek Club.
This is not a foodie-​friendly restaurant despite its aspirations to be so. Some crazy hodgepodge flavor combos that demonstrated little to no interplay, which leads to the worst possible indictment of this kind of establishment: Novelty for novelty’s sake… Example: A very cold hamachi crudo atop pickled beets and avocado (didn’t work), and very cold smoked salmon with caviar and an unremarkable white binding agent affixing it to housemade BBQ potato chips (yes, we’re not kidding and yes, it tastes exactly like you’re imagining it would)… With the exception of a delightful mushroom and black truffle soup en croute and the desserts (a blueberry tart and gingerbread pudding cake), all of our dishes really failed to please. They lacked flavor, and in the case of my partner’s horseradish encrusted salmon, it was an astringent undercooked disaster which they even volunteered to take off the price of our meal. Also: Anything on the menu that was not cooked was way too cold… We got the impression they were sticking ingredients outside in the 10 degree snow to chill them.
At one point, one of the waitstaff approached us and said, «you’re lovin’ it, aren’t you?» with a smug smile… Umm, no. No, we were not. But, hearing McDonald’s tagline with a presumptive close attached to it was kind of hilarious in that moment.
Overall, staff service was fine, wine list was fine, but the entire experience was definitely NOT worth the +$ 100 prix-​fixe per person.
We will not repeat this adventure, but at least now we can say we’ve eaten smoked salmon on BBQ potato chips on a mountaintop at night… How many people can say that? Of course, maybe that just makes us suckers. :-)

For an extreme dining experience in regards to location and good food, head over to Vail. Take the Eagle Bahn Gondola to the top and then a shuttle bus or Sno-​Cat during the winter and a 4 bedroom Chalet awaits you. During the summer you can enjoy Sunday Brunch and dinner and when the snow comes around dinner is open to the public. Game Creek serves as a ski-​in club house for members only for lunch during the winter season. Dinners include American-​French inspired 4 course prix-​fixe meal. A bit pricey but the experience is well worth it.
09÷02÷07 was the last day of the summer season and they will re-​open to the public on December 15^th.
If you are wondering about membership to Game Creek Club don’t get your hopes up since memberships are sold out.