11,966 Feet · Gold Hill · Telluride Ski Resort
Alpino Vino: Dining at 11,966 Feet Above Telluride
Alpino Vino is the highest fine-dining restaurant in North America, at 11,966 feet above Telluride. Ski in for Italian Alpine lunch, or ride a heated snowcoach up after dark for a four-course Northern Italian dinner.
Gold Hill · Telluride Ski Resort
11,966Feet
Highest fine-dining restaurant in North America
- Lunch
- First come, first servedNo reservations taken
- Dinner
- By snowcoachReservation only · 21+
- Season
- Winter onlyClosed in summer
The journey
Getting to Alpino Vino: Ski In or Ride the Snowcoach
On skis by day, or by heated snowcoach after dark. There is no public road and no pedestrian access.
Ski to the front door
Ride Gold Hill Express (Lift 14), turn left off the lift and ski down See Forever. The restaurant sits on the trail — skis go in the rack outside.
Ride the snowcoach up
A heated snowcoach collects guests in Mountain Village at the bottom of Lift 4 and climbs roughly twenty minutes through the dark to the door.
By day · Ski in
After dark · Ride up
The building
A Private Mountain Retreat on Gold Hill, Since 2009
Before it was Alpino Vino, the building was a private mountain retreat — designed by a well-known local architect on a historic Gold Hill mining claim, and converted and reopened as a restaurant in 2009.
Inside it is small and deliberately so: one dining room, hand-hewn beams, stone floors, furniture built from reclaimed wine barrels, and a wood-burning fireplace going all afternoon. The reference point is the refugi of the Dolomites, and it is not a loose one.
Lunch
Ski-In Lunch in Telluride: Menu and Hours
Lunch is à la carte, ski-in and first come, first served — handmade pasta, panini and antipasti, served indoors by the fire or outside on the deck.
The signature grilled cheese with tomato-Gorgonzola soup has become one of Alpino Vino’s most recognizable lunch dishes — Parmesan sourdough, double-cream Colorado cheese, basil pesto.
Antipasti
Fine cheeses and cured meats, built for sharing.
Handmade pasta
Made in house daily.
Panini
Including the signature grilled cheese and the Wagyu panino.
Dinner
Four-Course Northern Italian Dinner, After Dark
Dinner is a four-course Northern Italian prix-fixe with an optional sommelier wine pairing, served after dark in a single small dining room.
- Snowcoach departures
- 5:15pm and 7:30pm
Mountain Village, bottom of Lift 4 - Seating
- Indoors only
a single small dining room - Age
- 21 and over
- Booking
- By reservation
(970) 728-7560
The wine list
A Mountaintop Wine Bar in Telluride
Alpino Vino is as much a wine bar as a restaurant. The cellar draws on Italian and American producers, with particular depth in Brunello and Barolo — one of the deepest Brunello collections in Colorado.
- The list
- Italian and American producers
Brunello and Barolo led - At dinner
- Optional pairing
poured course by course - At lunch
- By the glass or bottle
served until 3:30pm - Wine director
- Andrew Shaffner
Brunello di Montalcino
Sparkling, opened on the deck
Celebrations
Weddings and Private Events at Alpino Vino
Alpino Vino is a ceremony and reception venue as well as a restaurant. Telluride Ski Resort lists it for weddings of up to 24 guests, December through March, with the option of holding the ceremony on the deck as the sun sets behind Mount Wilson and the reception inside by the fire.
The same room takes private evening events — the whole restaurant to yourselves.
Weddings at Alpino Vino →
Ceremony and reception, up to 24 guests, December–March. Deck ceremony at sunset, reception by the fire, arrival by snowcoach.
Private events →
The whole restaurant for the evening, up to 24 guests, 21 and over, booked through the culinary concierge.
Recognition
Why Alpino Vino Is Worth the Climb
No other restaurant in Telluride can claim the elevation, and the cooking has been noticed well beyond Colorado.
- Esquire2020
- 100 Restaurants America Can’t Afford to Lose
- Food NetworkProfiled
- The kitchen’s Alpine cooking at 11,966 feet
- Travel + LeisureRecommended
- The grilled cheese, the charcuterie and the wine list
- BravoTop Chef, 2018
- Filming location for the high-altitude baking challenge
Writing for Esquire in 2020, Madison Vain named Alpino Vino to 100 Restaurants America Can't Afford to Lose, describing the cooking as “both cozy and refined” and the wine list as among the most memorable she expected to encounter.
Common questions
Frequently Asked Questions About Alpino Vino
Do I need to be a strong skier to reach Alpino Vino for lunch?
You reach it from Gold Hill Express (Lift 14), turning left off the lift and skiing down See Forever. You need to be comfortable getting down that run — there is no walking route to the door at lunchtime.
Can I visit Alpino Vino without skiing?
Yes, in the evening. Dinner guests ride a heated snowcoach from Mountain Village rather than skiing in. Lunch is ski-in only.
How high is Alpino Vino?
11,966 feet above sea level, on Gold Hill at Telluride Ski Resort — the highest fine-dining restaurant in North America.
Does Alpino Vino take lunch reservations?
No. Lunch is first come, first served, with a waitlist once the seats fill. Ski over early to put your name down.
How do I book dinner at Alpino Vino?
Dinner is by reservation only, booked through the culinary concierge by phone or email. Guests must be 21 or over.
What time is lunch served at Alpino Vino?
Lunch runs daily from 11am to 3pm through the Telluride Ski Resort winter season. The last seating is at 2:45pm, the kitchen closes at 3pm, and wine service continues until 3:30pm.
Is Alpino Vino open in the summer?
No. Alpino Vino is open during the winter ski season only and is closed through the summer.
Can you get married at Alpino Vino?
Yes. It is a ceremony and reception venue for up to 24 guests, December through March, with the ceremony available on the deck at sunset. See weddings at Alpino Vino.
Does Alpino Vino have a wine list?
Yes. The cellar draws on Italian and American producers, with particular depth in Brunello and Barolo — one of the deepest Brunello collections in Colorado. Pairings are poured course by course at dinner, and wine is served by the glass at lunch until 3:30pm.
An afternoon, or an evening, above Telluride
Your table is above the clouds
Ski in for lunch between 11am and 3pm, or reserve a seat for dinner after dark. Alpino Vino runs during the Telluride Ski Resort winter season only.