77 Colo. eateries get AAA diamonds
AAA just gave out its annual diamond ratings across the U.S., and Colorado restaurants received 77 of them. One Colorado spot got the highest, five-diamond rating, while 18 others around the Centennial State were awarded four diamonds for their food, ambience and service.
The Penrose Room at The Broadmoor is Colorado’s only AAA five-diamond restaurant, awarded for its “leading-edge cuisine, ingredients, and preparation with extraordinary service and surroundings,” according to a press release.
Here are the 18 Colorado restaurants that received four diamonds from AAA in 2020:
• Element 47, Aspen
• Beano’s Cabin, Avon
• Grouse Mountain Grill, Beaver Creek
• Mirabelle at Beaver Creek, Beaver Creek
• Splendido at the Chateau, Beaver Creek
• Frasca Food & Wine, Boulder
• Flagstaff House Restaurant, Boulder
• Summit, Colorado Springs
• Edge Restaurant & Bar, Denver
• Guard and Grace, Denver
• Mizuna, Denver
• Palace Arms, Denver
• Panzano, Denver
• Rioja, Denver
• Alpenglow Stube, Keystone
• Keystone Ranch Restaurant, Keystone
• The Cliff House Dining Room, Manitou Springs
• Game Creek Restaurant, Vail
Beano’s Cabin, in Avon, was the only addition to the 2020 list from last year’s. Here’s AAA’s description:
“This mountainside restaurant is located in a former hunting lodge and comes complete with antler chandeliers and a cozy fireplace. The seasonal fixed price menu offers multiple courses and features fare such as venison, Wagyu beef and Colorado lamb. The restaurant is accessed by a scenic shuttle or sleigh ride.”
In addition to the restaurants, AAA awarded 47 Colorado hotels with its highest four- and five-diamond ratings. Hotels with five diamonds are The Little Nell in Aspen, The Broadmoor in Colorado Springs, the Four Seasons Hotel Denver and The Ritz-Carlton in Denver.
Five hotels received four diamonds for the first time in 2020: Gaylord Rockies Resort and Convention Center, Aurora; Fairmont Heritage Place, Franz Klammer Lodge in Telluride; The Lodge at Flying Horse, Colorado Springs; Kimpton Hotel Born, Denver; and The Maven Hotel at Dairy Block, Denver.
“That 66 Colorado properties placed at the top of AAA’s transformed Diamond Program helps cement our top-tier status as a travel destination of global significance,” said AAA Colorado spokesman Skyler McKinley in the release. “These hotels and restaurants consistently exceed expectations by providing their guests highly personalized, memorable experiences. There’s no question that they represent the upper echelon of their industry.”
Travelers can find a complete list of the fourand five-diamond hotels and restaurants on AAA’s website.