3 Best Restaurants in Sun Valley, Idaho

This cozy pink cottage in downtown Ketchum aims to transport you to a sunny home in the Tuscan countryside, complete with a very Italian owner, who is often on the floor greeting her patrons. Warm yellow walls, worn wooden floors, and a crackling fireplace give the place an old and intimate charm, while the bakery counter of European cheeses, cured meats, cakes, and pastries entices with tempting aromas before you even round the corner. The breakfast and lunch menu are fresh and rich, handwritten daily, with specialties like eggs Benedict and daily homemade zuppe (soup). With only 10 tables inside and garden patio seating in summer, reservations are recommended.

A favorite among locals and tourists alike, this saloon-style steak house is a slice of historic Idaho, with buffalo heads, birchbark canoes, and Ernest Hemingway’s shotgun adorning the walls. It’s busy most nights and reservations aren’t accepted, so come early to catch the 5 o’clock crowd, put your name on the list, and enjoy a margarita in the bar, rubbing shoulders with some of Ketchum’s most notable characters. The prime rib is the most popular of the steaks, but if you’re a rib lover (beef or pork), come early and order quick—it serves a limited number and almost always runs out. It also boasts the biggest baked potato in world, available with all the Idaho-style “works.”

Perched at 7,750 feet on Bald Mountain, halfway up the River Run side, this historic ski lodge is known for its fondue and great views. Upstairs, white linen tablecloths and a rustic lounge (think elk antler chandeliers) encircle a four-piece fireplace. Downstairs, Averall’s Bar is filled with pink-nosed skiers warming up with a beer or, in the summer, with hikers enjoying the southern views of the valley and surrounding Pioneer Mountains. On a starry winter night, you can ride the gondola up the mountain, dropping off at the lodge’s doorstep, to enjoy an old European-style meal with the tiny town of Ketchum glittering below.