Cliff House Dining Room

Even with reservations, we had to wait 15 minutes to be seated despite tables being obviously available. We ordered their crab cake as an appetizer which was the best thing served on the night. My guest had the Chicken entree and she noted it was bland and unimpressive. I ordered the Elk Chop with beans and found it to be incredibly chewy. The service was poor. Our waiter was nice enough but he was gone for large stretches of the evening and not at all attentive. We declined dessert because of the underwhelming experience.

Awesome experience! Food and service was fantastic. Had a classical guitarist playing throughout the evening. It made the setting even more serene and romantic! One table got a little loud at moments but not to overboard. Just having a great time.

Everything was wonderful. The trout was delicious and cooked to perfection. And the pistachio chocolate cake was out of this world. They also serve and amuse-bouche which was a delicious potato, prosciutto cake with whipped white truffle butter on top, delicious! The service was amazing, kind, and attentive. Highly recommend!

Very amazing experience. Food was prepared to perfection and the staff was amazing. They let a meat bag like myself enjoy fine dining. I dropped the ball and looked like a bum but they treated me like a king. Elk chopps with beans , carrots and sausage. AMAZING! The structure was built in 1870, older than the state it resides in. Defentily another tab on the bucket list for places to revisit and get the full experience. Will not forget this meal. Made the top 10 on my personal greatest meal list.

Solid food choices while staying in Manitou. We had the breakfast vouchers, which are a great value. Their breakfast food is excellent. We also enjoyed dinner and their $20 Prime dinner special was a great value. My mom had the Coq Au Vin and loved it. The rich history is also worth diving into with both contemporary and classic guests over America's rich history.

Reservations for 8:00 pm on Valentine’s Day 2026. My wife and I got there early and had some wonderful (but over-priced) drinks at bar by the fireplace. Service was standard, nothing special nothing bad. We went to the restaurant at 8:00 pm and the hosts greeted us warmly. We were sat in a steadily emptying restaurant. After about 10 minutes, we were greeted by our server. She was pleasant enough. We ordered our meals and enjoyed more over priced drinks. The meal: I ordered the French onion soup and wifey orders the Tomato salad. Mine was excellent. The salad was nothing special. Then our appetizers came. I had the lobster cannoli and wifey had the vegetarian option. Both were extremely salty. Eat about half of each. Then the main course came. I had the filet and two shrimp with mashed potatoes broccoli. Wifey had lamb chops. My steak was undercooked, but still delicious. Wifey loved the lamb chops. The dessert was served and I ordered a cheesecake which I don’t think I got. Whatever they gave me was not very good. Wifey got the chocolate mousse. It was ok. We were charged $125 per meal plus drinks. The bill was about $360. For what we paid, I would expect a little more attention and pizzazz from the waiter and for the food to be cooked perfectly with no over salting. It wasn’t the worst experience but certainly not a place I need to go back to.

Lunch on a summertime busy Friday was great! Pictured are salad wedges with grilled shrimp, fish & chips, French onion soup as well as a pasta and vegetable dish. The fish coating was the best I've ever had.

Excellent food. Especially enjoyed the filet mignon (rare) and French onion soup 🍲. Crab 🦀 cake also quite good. Delicious creme brulee. Friendly efficient service. Relaxed pleasant atmosphere. Very enjoyable experience. Go out of your way to come here.

Quiet, cozy, and full of charm--The Cliff House delivered such a memorable dining experience. I had the prime rib (tender, flavorful, cooked just right), and added an extra sea bass appetizer that was buttery and delicate. Truly melt-in-your-mouth good. Finished with the tiramisu, which was light, creamy, and perfectly balanced--no sugar overload here. The space was clean, well-lit, and peaceful--ideal for a relaxing night out. 5/5 - Every bite was worth it. I'd go back in a heartbeat.

What an elegant place and first class service. I saw this place advertised on Yelp and thought it would be a welcome change from the Bistros and Brewery type places we had been visiting. Everything was so lovely and the Trout dinner I had was marvelous. Wife had the Elk chops and then cheesecake for dessert . Not cheap but worth it, IMHO.

I had such a nice experience here! I'm vegan and my mom is staying here to visit me in COS. She had asked the front desk earlier to ask the chef if they could make a vegan dish if we had dinner there. They said absolutely no problem. We ended up there with my husky outside on the porch for sunset dinner and I was actually blown away. Best meal i've had in a while!!! fresh DELICIOUS veg and black rice- very flavorful. not your typical boring vegan rice bowl. also grilled some carrots and potatoes (in olive oil instead of butter for me) on the side too. compliments to the chef and the wonderful staff. & Mom said very reasonable prices for such a nice place

My parents surprised me with an early birthday dinner and I ended up having a really nice meal here. The restaurant was not super crowded on a Sunday evening, but there was still a decent crowd in the dining room. Service from valet down to the waiter was extremely friendly and helpful as well. We tried the french onion soup, scallops and filet and all were excellent. Classic, but somewhat elevated. We really enjoyed the meal, especially the french onion soup as it was executed damn near perfectly. Only docking a star because it was definitely a bit overpriced for what it was. That said, it's a specialty town in the mountains so that can be expected a bit. If you're looking for a nice experience in the area, I'd give this place a shot. I'll definitely return sometime for another special occasion.

The Cliff House was just wonderful. The quaint town reminded me of Berkley, Ca with its fun, ecletic shops. We enjoyed a late dinner in the Cliff House bar, just in time before closing. Our room was a delight and had a beautiful view of the town below. The bed, amenities and shower were all great and the room a perfect size. I truly enjoyed the dome ceiling and wish we had time to enjoy a breakfast here, as the menu looked great. We ended our stay with a short drive along Pikes Peak, stopped to take photos and left on our way to our next destination. We definitely will be returning. I can't wait.

Great staff but very overpriced food. $52 for the ribeye and it's a thin, fatty, skirt steak cut into two pieces and covered in some kinda green stuff. WTF? Brutal! Then they add like 4 tiny new potatoes and 3 pieces of asparagus as an extra insult. Weak.

A Special Experience. The food, service, and ambiance of the Cliff house were amazing. I really wanted to eat elk since I was in the rocky mountains. The day we went the Elk was not on the menu but the chef made an exception and made them anyways. The meat was perfectly cooked medium rare just the way I like it. I have no complaints. The mountains and location were majestic.

We arrived without a reservation on a weekend evening. We were told that the only available option for seating would be on the front patio of the hotel which we didn't mind. The patio dining had both options of the lunch menu as well as the dinner menu. I was excited about that because I wanted a sandwich since it was pretty warm out. I ordered the smoked turkey sandwich and fries. My husband had the filet mignon. The sandwich was really good, but parts of the bottom toast were soggy from the plate. The steak was a nice cut, nice and tender and the right temp. I wasn't a fan of the demi-glace but that's a personal preference. My husband enjoyed it. The service was fine. The server could have been a little more attentive, but she was polite. I will most likely return in the future.

Visited for the Easter buffet. Food was very low quality. When we called for reservations we were told there would be an omelet bar and a turkey carving station along with various seafood. We received a very poor waffle bar (premaid, tough and cold) a smoked salmon and a very tough carved roast beef instead. Waitress was annoyed she had to serve our table but the manager was friendly and apologetic for the food and service. We would not recommend the experience.

The Cliff House needs help. We used to enjoy the Cliff House, but it needs some attention, cleaning and a new PASTRY CHEF, or a pastry chef that works. My company visited the Cliff House over the holidays for our Christmas Party. All were expecting to enjoy a full dinner including dessert. When it came time to order dessert, they were sold out of everything chocolate, they had ONE crème Brulé and a few panna cottas (that were left over from another larger party). This is a Saturday during the holidays. You would think that they would be up-selling and promoting. Ours was a PLANNED dinner reserved weeks in advance. The one crème brule was grainy (see picture) - the filet had over cooked-limp asparagus and oddly flavored sweet potatoes. The halibut was dry (several individuals had ordered this meal and requested additional sauce) and the tuna was smothered in mayonnaise. After a few months and having a gift certificate, my husband and I recently gave The Cliff House another try on a Saturday afternoon. We walked through the bar/grill area thinking that perhaps we could come back with friends and sit out on the patio area - but even on a Saturday afternoon there were boxes of cleaning supplies on the tables and very empty. Such a strange atmosphere. We were seated in the dining room where we ordered lunch (burgers that were heavily salted). We asked our server which dessert she recommended - she said definitely the Black Forest Cake, you can't go wrong with chocolate! She returned to us indicating they were out of the Black Forest Cake. So, we ordered the Orange Pavlova and the Tiramisu. She returned indicating they were OUT OF BOTH of those as well. She offered us some cream ricotta that they had had from breakfast which was good and said that they had Chai Cream Brule. This sounded like an odd flavor to us, but we decided to share one. It was RUNNY (see the picture) - not what Crème Brulé is at all. I inquired about their pastry chef and the server indicated that she was not working and would not be in until next week. As we were leaving and looking at some of the older pictures on the walls - I noticed several cleaning rags that were left on tables and on the walls where pictures were no longer hung holes that needed to be filled....Some TLC would go a long way.

My husband and I did the Manitou incline and had some time before we rode the cog railway so we decided to look around for a breakfast spot. We decided to stop at the cliff house and have their breakfast buffet. We were greeted and seated right away. The entire staff was really friendly. I had 2 plates of the Biscuit and gravy, scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon, fruit, and pastries. They also had cereal. Ambiance was nice, they had fancy table cloths on all the tables but everyone was dressed casually.

The food and service were amazing it was in front of the penny arcade in Manitou and it had a dart and shuffleboard and delicious popcorn. I and my son had so much fun playing darts and shuffleboard I highly recommend it if you are with friends or with your family or to watch the Super Bowl at the bar

The service, the good and decor are awesome. I had the French Onion soup and crab cakes. My s/o had the burger, and we loved them both. While I live in CO, I want to stay a night in the hotel, as I got a great recommendation from a patron who stayed in the past.

Food and service excellent. It has a nice dining room and pleasant servers. Deserts outstanding. Ate at the Broadmore and this restaurant is better by far and not as expensive.

Wow! This kitchen and wait staff embrace the "if it's in the kitchen, you can have it" mentality. I am GF/DF and struggle to find compliant meals when I am away on business. This establishment killed it! I ordered the elk and a salad that wasn't on the menu. The chef prepared it perfectly! I had a beautiful, quiet window seating not accentuating the fact that I was dining solo.

We have stayed here many times, but I think it's our last time. Our room was so hot, one said the ac was being worked on one said it was just our room, then we were told they hadn't turn the air on yet. Something they felt didn't need to be told to us before checking in. We are facing the sun, and our room is at 79 degrees. We won't be back this is the worst experience we have had here and our last. Our bell hop was great, but the rest of the staff just flat lied

My wife and I had the trout and the wahoo. The trout was filleted and cooked to perfection. The wahoo and sauce were delicious . The vegetable sides were not overcooked but retained heat and crispness. We had a Caesar salad that was flavorful and the lettuce was suitably crisp with a generous dressing serving. The dessert was the chocolate mousse dome and it was exquisite. Portions from salad through desert were ample. We are near food coma so we need to hit send asap but not before acknowledging our server Christopher who did everything right with good sense of humor. He was the consummate professional and among the best to ever serve us.

Husband had bison which was very good. My fish was lacking flavor as was our app. It was good food at a high price tag where I would have thought I'd be more impressed.

Visited Pikes Peak then grabbed lunch in Manitou Springs at the Cliff House Red Mountain Bar and Grill. Ordered a Colorado beer; 1265 by Left Hand Brewing. Jan had the Jalapeno Braut and I had wings. The Braut was excellent, the wings good, but a bit over cooked. Nice venue. The terrace provided a lovely view of themountains. The view=4. The Braut=5. The wings=3.

Food was as excellent as it was out of the ordinary. I had the trout. It was like nothing I'd ever seen and was extremely tasty! Service was excellent and eminently "professional" in an old, fine-dining style. It was more expensive than Yelps $$ rating suggested but it was worth it.

We enjoyed a special occasion dinner here and the food was delicious. Presentation and service were excellent. We were seated in a quiet corner and enjoyed being able to speak at normal levels throughout the meal. As with many "fine dining" meals these days, the salt level is on the heavy side - a trend we hope passes soon. Overall a very nice experience which we would recommend.

The atmosphere was good. The waiters were very attentive. Food coming out took a while. The Caesar salad and some of the sauces were too salty. The ragout appetizer was very good! I loved it. I also got the Rocky Mountain trout. Cooked well and very crispy skin but I didn't love the berry sauce. The elk and the duck were good as well.

Everything was good here from start to finish. We recommend the Filet. Service, food, drinks, private little area for us to dine was honored by our request. We will definitely come back.

Every bit of this place from appetizers to desserts was something to rave over. Our service was first rate and the patio offered a lovely, quiet dining atmosphere. I will return.

This establishment was recommended to us by a tour guide and we made reservations for a later dinner to explore the Manitou springs. I loved the facade when we pulled up and ended up snagging a spot right in front of the restaurant and there was free parking. The porch had tables set up and chairs and it looked so inviting. We walked into the restaurant, kindly directed to us by the front desk staff, and were sat immediately. We were put in front of the musician playing his guitar. It was lovely and we were so excited to hear his music. It was like our own private concert, with about 3 other tables, but he was playing directly to us, as we were in front of him. An amuse-bouche was brought out to us, compliments of the chef, and it was delicious. My mom and I both went with the Rocky Mountain Trout because it was time for us to taste some more of the local fares. It was delicious and featured fingerling potatoes and asparagus. The wait staff was efficient and attentive. The ambiance of the restaurant was wonderful.

We came here for breakfast since our stay came with breakfast vouchers which was a pretty fun time to have a buffet styled meal since I haven't done anything buffet-like since the pandemic! They actually have a good variety of breakfast stuff versus the other hotels I've been in with complimentary breakfast. They had the basics like cereal, scrambled eggs, and bacon. They also had fancier stuff like frittatas, jelly pastries, and biscuits with gravy! I can tell the staff was stressed, but our waitress was still super attentive and my coffee cup was never empty thanks to her! I'd love to dine here during dinner one day. Everyone in town seemed to recommend dinner here!

The duck was outstanding. With an excellent wine suggestion from the sommelier. The hubs has the elk, which was the first time I had elk and it was exceptional.

I highly recommend dinner at the Cliff House - the food was excellent and the wait staff was wonderful (attentive, without being overbearing). I had the salmon entree - delicious, and baked Alaska for dessert - also delicious. The classical guitar player was exceptionally talented. I ordered dessert just so I could enjoy his music longer! (I believe he's there Friday evenings - don't miss it!) As for breakfast, the food was delicious with a wide variety of offerings. Even the fruit (melon) was fresh and delicious.

The ambiance was elegant and made me feel very special. As for the steak, it was tender and tasty. Every bite I really enjoyed. I truly would recommend eating here, especially on the special occasion.

This place has all the features to be a great place to eat. It is missing wait staff, at least in the mornings we were there to complete the experience. Too much money for what it was - for us.

Went to Cliff House for the first time for a late lunch. We were celebrating a birthday/Mother's Day. The only positive experience revived was from the valet parking boys (2) of them an our waitress.. she herself could have been more excited to be there. Regardless, she did take care of us (5) Back to entering through front doors.. we've never been there, the front desk let us stand there for few minutes.. mind you this is a Hotel too!!! we had to ask a women standing at the front desk who acted like we were interrupting her! she didnt greet us, we asked where to go, she pointed and said turn left. We were seated, chairs at the table that ate in bad condition. Food (expensive) had no flavor what so ever, dry, plain. Felt like hospital food... but.. putting food aside.. the worst of the experience was listening to head server or maybe restaurant manger lecture his employees loudly while were were sitting there trying to enjoy the bad food was rude!! He saw us sitting there too! very disrespectful to customers. This was not cheap dining! ($300) total We we're looking forward to the atmosphere of this historic Hotel and good food. very disappointed. Cheers to the young valet boys who truly greeted us with a smile an positive attitude!! Will not be returning.

Beautiful ambiance. Great music. Ok good. Poor service acknowledged by the management and we were comped a crappy dessert? Not close to being worth the prices charged here.

Thank you Brooke, our server, for a wonderful night! It was so fun to sit on the stone veranda, review an interesting wine list, get great menu tips from Brooke, and devour a truly delicious meal. Brooke's sense of humor and good will, even when the waiting list grew long and the rest of the staff were stressed beyond reason, made it memorable. Surely as the pandemic recedes, these guys will get their house in order. Meantime we'll keep our eyes on Brooke and people like her, who just get the job done--WELL. Thank you Brooke and all the other folks who made a couple of front porch meals happen tonight.

Mercedes, our server was the best part of our dinner at the Cliff house. Dinner was awful!!! Ordered the lobster bisque. The worst I have ever eaten. It was tomato red color and tasted just like tomato bisque with no seafood flavor at all, just 3small chunks of lobster on top as garnish. My husbands' onion soup was not hot. Although plenty of cheese atop,it did not throughly melt. Red Lobster makes a better entree than my scallop entree here. But, the worst entree by far was the duck. It was far from crispy skin and not rendered at all. Uneatable,we sent it back and waited, and waited for a substitution of the pork chop. We gave up waiting and left after paying the check for a most disappointing anniversary dinner ever. We enjoyed our desserts at Culver's on our way home.

Very quaint. Right in the midst of the town. Beautiful setting. Place is slightly dated but the room was very nice and comfortable. Dinner on the front porch was a great setting with an opportunity to enjoy the mountain weather. The food was very good with nice portions. Service was adequate, and little slow, but we were not in the dining room. Leftover wine was corked so that we could enjoy it later.

All stars for the French onion soup, and definitely the sous vide filet mignon. Get the filet. Although service was fine, I expected better. I was staying at this creepy establishment. I read the history and knew it had an interesting past, and the décor remained in the same era...but man when I'd wake up in the middle of the night I was completely expecting for an apparition to be starring at me from the corner. Plus, the staff had interesting stories on encounters. Anyhow, I waited until my last night to dine here. It's a beautiful space, with nice views. When I walked in it was fairly empty and no one was in front to greet me. I walked further into the restaurant, then was asked to go back to the front and wait. I guess I didn't understand why I couldn't just sit at one of the 50 open tables. My server was very friendly, and we had a nice conversation about the menu. But he forgot my water, bread basket, and didn't ask if I needed another beverage. There were a few other dinners that had a larger table. I felt like since I was a single diner, I was overlooked, and not asked how I was doing. It was disappointing. However, the food was mouthwatering. I even got a little amuse-bouche, it was a fancy rollup thing, and quite delicious. My French opinion soup was next. It was steaming hot, gooey, savory, and just what I needed. I decided on the filet mignon since my server was raving about it and said it was first sous vide, and finished to my preferred temp, medium rare. That steak was incredible! It wasn't the prettiest thing, but it was unbelievably tender. I could cut it with my fork. I immediately sent my husband a message that he needs to purchase a sous vide machine for me. The steak didn't need anything, but I am a sucker for horseradish with my meat, like peanut butter and jelly. They were out of horseradish, what?...Okay, well on to the sides. They were pretty good, but not as memorable compared to the steak. I'd definitely come back for the food. Hopefully the staff was just having an off day.

We had a lovely lush Christmas Day brunch at The Cliff House! Enjoyed the atmosphere with three separate spaces for dining. There were windows all around that gave the dining room beautiful light. The staff were so attentive and available. The food was delicious and more than enough. Will come back for dinner.

Splurged on a birthday dinner The wine selection was excellent Setting elegant Salmon was good but my scallops were very salty Overall , not worth the money spent

Elegant restaurant with amazing food. We came for a birthday and had an amazing time. The server was great too.

Lovely time here with my girlfriends in a warm and inviting atmosphere...I felt that the service was wonderful, and our waiter was very attentive. We all had the Cesars Salad appetizer which was very good, and our main dish was their Filet Mignon with Potato Dauphinois ~ Excellent! Although the Cliffhouse is historic, its also charming and romantic! I would definitely love to come here again for a date night. The desserts here are awesome! We chose to share the Bread Pudding, the Creme Brulee, and the Peach Crustada! We all thought the Peach Crustada (topped with vanilla ice cream) was the star! If you are planning to come during the day (weather permitting), try to call ahead to get seated in the Veranda.:) Beautiful place, delicious food, and great service! Hope to come back for another visit.

Lovely surroundings, exquisite food, elegant service! We had a lovely time. It was a special occasion and the Cliff House made it even more special. Parking was challenging but the valet handled it and our visit was perfect in every way. We live locally and look forward to taking guests from out of town there when they visit.

Excellent lunch experience! Pumpkin espresso dessert is unbelievably tasty! Highly recommend.

I just love lunch on the patio overlooking beautiful Manitou. Meals are delicious and filling and very fairly priced. After you eat, take a moment to walk around and see the beautiful art displayed in the various common rooms.

Celebrated a birthday with dinner while traveling on vacation- the dining experience was everything I was hoping for- the server was very pleasant and knowledgeable by providing more details to questions asked; the entrees were cooked perfectly (I had the salmon, my husband had the filet) and were delicious. Dessert was the Maple Soufflé, which I highly recommend. Paired with a beautiful room and candlelight, it was a very lovely evening.

Came in for dinner and ordered the Elk, medium and it was very delicious! My friend ordered the scallops, filet mignon, and duck. All plates were very good! Service was excellent, HERB was great!!! Will return!!

We went to the Cliff House restaurant for a delayed Valentine's Day dinner. The restaurant was not particularly busy, although there was a group in the private dining room. Our server was a little slow in coming to us, but not terrible. She was nice and served us well and we enjoyed our interactions. Dinner took a long time to arrive, probably because there were only two servers. We had to inquire about the progresss of our meal. Just as we were finishing up, she came to our table, coat in hand, and told us she had been sent home. Then the manager showed up and affirmed that she was sent home because of an issue. My partner pressed him and was told that there was a problem between our server and the chef--and he felt disrespected. This is in the middle of the dinner hour on a Saturday night! This situation could have been handled so much better. It was very uncomfortable and unprofessional, and the diners were left with much reduced staff. We likely will not go back--it is too expensive to be exposed to kitchen drama when you are just trying to enjoy a meal. The food, by the way, was just adequate.

Group of four went to this spot during COVID. They accommodated us during shift change. We felt safe being seated outdoors on their large patio space. Service was slow (possibly due to our timing) so I wouldn't recommend this place if you're in a rush.

Friendly service with upscale atmosphere but service was slow and steak and elk chop dishes were on not flavorful. You expect more at these prices.

Delightful experience! Food was spectacular, large portions, priced appropriately. Loved the French onion soup and crab cakes to start. Trout and duck were excellent!