The Highest Restaurant In America

It's one thing to eat at a gourmet restaurant in a big metro area. It's quite another to drive up to the top of a mountain and experience flavors with a gorgeous view.

To find the highest restaurant in America, you have to get out to the Arapahoe Basin ski area near Keystone, Colorado, to dine at il Rifugio (meaning the refuge or shelter in Italian). Located 12,456 feet above sea level, it offers a European bistro experience while being situated in a major ski area.

Perched Above the Slopes

il Rifugio is located at the Arapahoe Basin Ski Area in Keystone. The ski area has been a staple since 1946 and has a maximum elevation of 13,050 feet. It is known for its more advanced terrain that requires a skilled skier to navigate 2,530 feet of vertical drops.

Much like Alpino Vino, il Rifugio is only open during the winter ski season, which varies depending on conditions and the year. For 2026, il Rifugio will open on December 18, from Wednesday through Sunday, from 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. It is located in a former hut used for patrols.

The restaurant recently underwent significant upgrades to ensure sustainability, combining the highest elevation solar array in North America for power, and has no running water. It also aims to minimize waste as much as possible. Food waste is sent down the mountain via snow vehicles, while dishes are sent to be washed by chairlift at the Black Mountain Lodge.

Charcuterie with a View

As a bistro, it offers a variety of wine and charcuterie board dishes with imported and local meats and cheeses. Some of its boards include the antipasto with roasted red tomatoes, marinated artichokes, olives, and fig jam, and the Pâté featuring pickled onions and caperberries.

Guests can also eat Italian flatbread sandwiches such as the Carne with prosciutto and garlic oil or the Verdura with marinated artichokes and porcini mushrooms.

Once guests are done eating, they will have to ski back down to their vehicle using one of several trails.

Altitude on the Palate

Anyone who has flown on a plane might notice that flavors seem a bit more muted. This is caused by two primary factors: lower humidity and pressure.

For example, at 30,000 feet above sea level, humidity sits at less than 12 percent, which is less than the humidity in the Sahara Desert. This, combined with lower air pressure in the cabin, means that sweet and salty foods can taste noticeably blander. According to BBC, this reduction is around 30 percent, in fact. This same principle applies at restaurants that are less than half that elevation, including il Rifugio, although the impact on taste won't be as noticeable as in an airplane.

For il Rifugio and other high-elevation restaurants to ensure their dishes don't taste bland, they have to make adjustments to their seasonings. In particular, they will have to use more seasoning this high up to get the same effect as a smaller amount at sea level.

The high elevation can cause the meat to dry out faster due to the lower humidity, so marination, appropriate salting, and the right amount of liquids can help keep meat tender. To prevent drying, restaurants can also cook meat at a lower temperature for a longer period of time.

Water also boils at a lower temperature in these altitudes. In Denver, Colorado, at 5,280 feet above sea level, water boils at 202 degrees Fahrenheit instead of 212 degrees.

Cooks at high-elevation restaurants note that it takes more patience when cooking, as sauces simmer faster and breads rise quicker. It takes an experienced chef to cook on top of the world.

The Runners-Up Up High

The biggest contender for the title of the highest restaurant in America is the Alpino Vino at 11,966 feet. It is often listed as the highest elevation restaurant in North America, but it is actually 490 feet below il Rifugio.

It is located just outside of Mountain Village, Colorado, near Telluride. The town itself sits at an elevation of 9,545 feet in the San Juan Mountains. The Telluride Ski Resort sits outside of the town, 2,000 feet higher, and also contains Alpino Vino.

This restaurant is only open during the winter season and serves lunch on a first-come, first-served basis, while dinner requires a reservation and is only for guests 21 and up. In order to reach the restaurant, you have to ride up the snowcoach or ski down the See Forever trail. Alpino Vino is a Northern Italian-style restaurant, known for its wine pairing and Brunello list of wines. In order to cook the food, the kitchen has to use a portable induction, as there's no gas line up that high. In addition, all ingredients have to be delivered by snowmobile or snowcoach, as there are no public roads up the mountain.

The highest restaurant east of the Mississippi is the Mount Mitchell Cafe and Eatery, located just below the 6,684-foot summit of Mount Mitchell, which is the highest mountain in the Appalachians and the highest point east of the Mississippi more generally. However, due to the impact of Hurricane Helene, this restaurant closed in August 2026, with plans to reopen in 2027. It still does maintain the Mount Mitchell Summit Snack Shack.

Dinner on Top of the World

For most coming to il Rifugio, it's not just about eating good food; it's the experience itself of eating on top of the world. This experience alone could dull any issues with the food itself, as well as the necessity of finding a place to eat and recharge after skiing.

Running a restaurant this high up is no easy task, as it requires much more planning to ensure delivery of ingredients, cleaning of dishes, removal of waste, and, of course, cooking to ensure the same flavor quality as at sea level. Its primary goal in the end is to live up to its name: as a place of rest and refuge for tired skiers coming down the steep slopes of the Rocky Mountains.