Summer 2025 Aspen Restaurant News

Aspen Dining Update: What's New, What's Hot, and What's Coming Soon

Aspen’s ever-evolving restaurant scene is buzzing with exciting new additions, long-awaited openings, and creative reimaginings of favorite spaces. Whether you're looking for the best new patio, your next breakfast spot, or a casual place to sip a local craft brew, here’s what’s new—and next—on the Aspen dining landscape.

NEW & NOTABLE

EXPLORE BOOKSELLERS CAFE

A quiet treasure has returned—Explore Booksellers has reopened its charming upstairs space as a coffee shop. This cozy retreat is ideal for reading, meeting, or just enjoying a delicious coffee and baked treats surrounded by literature. 

YUKI 
After much anticipation, YUKI, Nobu Matsuhisa’s new-world cuisine concept, is finally open on Durant Street—just above Belly Up. The ambiance is sleek, refined, and intimate and the menu looks amazing, with something for everyone!

ZIGZAG
In the former Mezzaluna space, ZIGZAG has brought a fresh French-American bistro vibe to East Cooper Street. Their happy hour (3–6pm) has quickly become a local favorite. 

WAYAN ASPEN
This Indonesian-meets-French culinary concept from NYC found a home in the former Local Coffee space at 614 E. Cooper. After successful pop-ups at The Little Nell Wayan has found a home in Aspen.  The original Wayan is found in Manhattan's Nolita neighborhood. 

LOCAL TAP
Located at 121 S. Galena (formerly Aspen Tap), Local Tap is Aspen’s only craft brewery, offering 13 taps, a laid-back atmosphere, and fantastic sourdough pizzas—all under new ownership. It’s quickly becoming a go-to for casual outdoor dining with a fabulous sun-drenched patio in the afternoons.

AOSTA
One of Aspen’s most acclaimed new restaurants, AOSTA serves alpine Italian cuisine in the former Almresi space on Durant Street. The Cordts-Pearce team (long-time local restauranteurs who own and manage the Wild Fig, Monarch, CP Burger, Woody Creek Tavern) continues their culinary winning streak with this spot.

COMING SOON

Silvers Aspen
Set to open in the former Jour de Fête space after 36 years of operation, this new NY-style bagel spot will fill a much needed grab and go void while starting a new chapter in Aspen’s breakfast scene.

CHAPS ASPEN
Opening this fall at the former Maru space (or Takah Sushi to go way back), CHAPS is poised to become a new local favorite—part bar, part hangout—with a golf simulator, billiards, and laid-back energy right across from Wagner Park. Aspen has been missing a spot like this since the closure of Cooper Street Pier (Bad Billy's) in 2011 and Ryno's Pizza in 2020.

Aspen’s dining scene continues to evolve with an exciting blend of innovation, nostalgia, and community flair. From sophisticated cuisine to delicious bagels,  there’s something new for every palate. Stay hungry, Aspen.