A Summer Travel Guide to Aspen, Colorado

For those who want to want to indulge in luxurious designer stores? Ralph Lauren’s East Cooper Avenue store exudes the brand’s spirit of effortless Americana, while Moncler provides an upscale collection of outwear perfect for the mountains. Bottega Veneta, meanwhile, has a beautiful store with interiors that echo their natural Colorado surroundings.

Peruse the Aspen Saturday Market

Every weekend from June to October, the Aspen Saturday Market sets up downtown on the corner of Galena and Hopkins. It’s a farmer’s market and then some—stalls sell edible goods like fresh vegetables, bread, meats, and jams, whereas other local vendors sell crafts. Make sure to stop by the excellent food court for lunch.

Catch a Concert at Belly Up or The Summer Lodge

In Aspen, there are two fantastic options for live music. The first is Belly Up, the famous 450-person venue that’s attracted performers like Deadmau5, The Red Hot Chili Peppers, and Snoop Dogg. The second? The Summer Lodge, a restaurant and lounge housed inside the St. Regis also offers concerts in its courtyard. (For those who also visit Aspen in the Winter: it’s just the warm-weather version of The Snow Lodge.)

Attend a Film Festival, Food Fair, or Another Cultural Gathering

One of the (many) wonderful things about Aspen is their dynamic cultural calendar: on any given summer weekend, there’s a different multi-day event taking place across the town. Take the Aspen Food and Wine Classic, where top chefs come to the mountain town for a weekend of culinary tastings (the grand pavilion tent has 200 booths alone) and cooking demonstrations. Or the Aspen Ideas Festival, which brings together thought leaders from around the world for a weekend of panels, or the Aspen Music Festival, which is regarded as one of the top classical music events in the United States. See what’s happening during your stay through the Aspen Chamber of Commerce—or maybe even plan your stay around it.

Hotels

Founded in 1899, Hotel Jerome’s interiors evoke its historic role as a rugged mountain respite: the hotel’s living room is adorned with plaid curtains, a candled chandelier, and soft leather couches. Cowhide chairs and Wild West-themed artwork adorn the guest rooms. In the summers, the garden becomes a haute hub of social activity, thanks to the hotel’s superb cocktail program.

Thanks to its perennially buzzy après ski scene, the Little Nell is perhaps the most famous hotel in Aspen. Yet even when the slopes are closed, the five-star lodging is still the place to be: its Holly Hunt-designed suites are well-appointed, and there’s no better place to enjoy a drink than the sundrenched patio at Ajax Tavern on Gondola Plaza. This summer, they’re also offering sunset offroading tours that take you from town to a wildflower field on top of Aspen Mountain.

Right on the cusp of Aspen Mountain is the luxurious and sprawling St. Regis resort which, in the summer, has the best pool in town. Splurge on a room with a balcony so you can sip iced coffee while taking in the alpine views, and book a spa treatment at their world-renowned wellness center. An added bonus? The fluffy and friendly Bernese Mountain dog named Kitty who wanders the halls of the hotel.

Two years ago, Aspen welcomed Mollie, a new boutique hotel on the edge of town. They settled in quite nicely: with its Japandi-style interiors (guest rooms are appointed with Noguchi lamps, while shearling accent chairs dot the lobby) it offers a chic, clean alternative to the classic chalet or mountain style. Their rooftop, with 180-degree views of Aspen mountain, is also a stylishly scene place to grab a cocktail. An added bonus? During the summer, they offer free e-bikes for guests to ride around town in.

Restaurants

The deck at Betula, where one can gaze out onto town or Aspen Mountain, is reason enough to make a reservation at this bonafide hotspot. Yet the mountain-meets-French-island cuisine (it’s the sister property to Bonito in St Barths) is certainly a reason to stay: start off with one of their ceviches and then splurge on the bison ribeye steak.

Thirty minutes from Aspen town lies the legendary Pine Creek Cookhouse, a remote restaurant housed in a log cabin amid the Elk Mountains. In the winter, it is accessible only via snow-shoe, cross-country ski or horse-drawn sleigh—and while cars can make it down the road in the winter months, many patrons still prefer to arrive via foot or bike. The menu changes via season too, but perennial favorites include their momos (a Nepalese style dumpling) as well as their elk chop.

Tucked away in a chalet about a block away from Aspen Mountain is Casa Tua’s buzzy Colorado outpost. While the top floor is reserved for private members, the first is open to the public: make a reservation well ahead of time and enjoy one of their fresh pastas or their Colorado trout.

Meat and Cheese doesn’t accept reservations, but don’t let a little wait deter you from dining on the patio at this beloved Aspen gem. As the name suggests, the menu focuses on local and sustainable raised meat and cheese, which changes with the seasons. But, as you could probably guess, you can never go wrong with getting the meat and cheese board.

Grab an outdoor table at White House Tavern, a former miner’s cottage turned eatery, order the French dip sandwich, and people-watch as fellow visitors mill about town.

While Hotel Jerome’s living room is always a classic spot in Aspen, during the summer their sprawling outdoor garden is the perfect place for cocktails made with ingredients from their home-grown herbs and flowers. With wicker tables, white umbrellas, tealights, and abundant sunshine on a blue sky day, you’ll likely stay awhile.

For healthier–yet still delicious—fare, head to Spring Café for lunch. It’s a bright and airy space that specializes in comfort vegan food and organic juices. We’re particular fans of their tempeh reuben, housemade lemonade, and any salad on the menu.

Designed by Giampiero Tagliaferri Studio, Sant Ambroeus’s restaurant has a Milan-meets-mountains interior: Le Bambole sofas by Mario Bellini and chairs by Carlo Ratti sit among Mongolian lamb faux fur and corduroy fabrics, while a bar is made of Verde Alpi marble. Next door in a wooden cabin sits Il Baretto, their cocktail lounge that has an outdoor patio for warm-weather dining.

As the name implies, steak is the thing to order at Catch Steak. Many of the cuts come from Colorado—including the prime rib and ribeye—yet they also offer Japanese and Australian wagyu. Another must-get? The mac and cheese, made with two-year-aged gouda and a buttery cracker crumble.

Grab your morning coffee at Felix Roasting Co. inside Hotel Jermone—or your dessert: their signature Hickory Smoked S’mores latte comes topped with a roasted marshmallow finish. Sip while sitting in a plush teal banquette or a baby pink ottoman, all part of the maximalist interiors designed by Ken Fulk.

The lines for Paradise Bakery can often wrap around the block, and for good reason: their cookies (which include flavors like peanut butter chocolate chip, ginger molasses, and the seasonal lemon zester) and gelatos are the best in town. Make sure to order along with a cup of their lemonade.

For sushi, there’s still no better place in town than Matsuhisa, the Chef Nobu Matsuhisa restaurant housed in a centuries-old Victorian house. In addition to their specialty rolls, you can’t go wrong with the miso black cod and a cold glass of sake.

Wayan is a a French-Indonesian restaurant helmed by chef Cedric Vongerichten and his wife Ochi Vongerichten with locations in both New York City and Aspen. Order flavorful and fusion-filled dishes like lobster noodles with black pepper butter, corn fritters, and Thai basil or crab fried rice.

Cache Cache has been a beloved Aspen restaurant for over three decades. Why? Its classic Colorado menu served in a warm bistro setting: The menu focuses on locally grown produce, dairy, and meats, like a Colorado rack of lamb or a beet salad with Colorado chèvre.

Clark’s Oyster Bar, which also has locations in Austin and Montecito, offers a dynamic array of seafood, serving fare like lobster rolls, crab cakes, crispy red snapper and—of course—freshly shucked oysters.