Not everyone goes to the mountains to ski (or snowshoe or dogsled). Some simply want a change of scenery for their three square meals a day. Luckily, the high country is delivering with a lineup of new eateries, some of which will mark their first winter in 2024 and others that will be ready to refuel hungry diners as the season deepens. Our suggestion: Get to these eight new restaurants before everyone else hears about them.

Three Daughters Pizza

Location: Breckenridge

Opened: June

Upscale restaurant Tin Plate Pizza welcomed a neighboring walk-up pizza spot over the summer. Named for restaurateur James Harris’ trio of kids, Three Daughters serves New York–style slices and 16-inch pies made from a biga starter (the same ingredient used in ciabatta) alongside breadsticks and chewy Dynamite Cookies.

The PlayGarten

Location: Silverthorne

Opened: June

Featuring a fun-for-all-ages indoor playground, The PlayGarten leans into the entertainment dining trend that’s taken root across the country. While kids try to dunk on the basketball hoops or whoosh down slides, adults can enjoy the self-serve beer taps and arcade games. When you’re ready to refuel, order grub from any of the myriad food vendors inside Bluebird Market.

Two Twelve

Location: Crested Butte

Opened: July

This winter will be the first for Two Twelve, where the mountain American menu is built on local ingredients and open-hearth cooking (think: fire-roasted garlic–leek soup, black Angus filet from Craig and fruit-forward desserts). The Elk Avenue eatery is from the same team behind two Crested Butte icons: Secret Stash Pizza and Bonez Tequila Bar & Grill.

Belly Up Aspen

Location: Aspen

Opening: Fall

The renowned downtown music venue is set for expansion: an upstairs lounge and restaurant will get guests in the mood for a night of fun with pre-show cocktails and bites. Upcoming shows include The Chainsmokers in December and Lyle Lovett in February.

Tavernetta

Location: Vail

Opening: Winter

The wildly popular Italian eatery at Denver Union Station is expanding to the high country with its second location, slated for Four Seasons Resort and Residences Vail. Expect an all-Italian wine list, a wide-ranging digestif program and beautifully composed Italian dishes from one of the top restaurant groups in the state.

The Spice Rack

Location: Estes Park

Opened: June

The “base camp for Rocky Mountain National Park” does not always get equal winter billing with its Interstate 70 counterparts, but it’s just as enticing a locale for those looking to play in the snow. Visitors can now do so fueled by slow-brewed coffee, fresh-made Danishes, scones, biscuits and gravy, and more from locals Andrea Baran and Hannah Rose.

Wayan

Location: Aspen

Opening: Winter

Akin to its sister restaurant in New York City, Wayan Aspen will serve a menu of French-Indonesian cuisine from chef Cédric Vongerichten and his wife, Ochi. That translates to lobster noodles with black pepper sauce and Colorado lamb satay — the belly-warming dishes one needs after a day on the slopes.

Avanti Food & Beverage

Location: Vail

Opening: 2025

Like its counterparts in Denver and Boulder, Avanti Vail will be a food hall serving multiple dining concepts (five, to be exact), including a grab-and-go market and coffee shop, plus indoor and outdoor bars. The eatery is taking over the Larkspur Restaurant space at Vail Resort’s Golden Peak base area, an oft-overlooked — read: less crowded — section of the mountain.