EMP Winter House

Doesn’t get much better than the experience here. Not expecting much in this town usually still leaves me a little disappointed. Not so much here. The EMP team sure knows what they are doing. Food and service was as good as it gets (tough considering the usual experiences in this town and we also had two little children at our table who weren’t exactly thrilled to be there). Caviar tasting is exceptional. The real star here (no surprise) is the brioche roast chicken and the vegetable sides. However, the pastas, fish and pretty much everything else on the menu we tried was exceptional. Wish they ran more of these at various price points in the town or could teach some others in the valley to learn how to provide a great meal and experience.

Our second experience was amazing and writing the first experience as just an off night for EMP in the kitchen and dining staff. We enjoyed the Fondue menu in one of the Yurts and all the details and food were perfect this time. Meal started with a very delicious bone broth, a truffled pasta dish, and then a very delicious cheese fondue setup finished off by a baked Alaska. Food was on point, service even better. The Yurt experience set meal above any other in Aspen - highly recommend.

Two stars - one for the cool concept and atmosphere, one star for the friendly staff. Zero stars for the food, which was literally disgusting. The "fondue" was lukewarm oil not able to sear anything, and the 'meat' consisted of rolled up lunch meat that was awful. It was so bad and there was so little food that we decided to order a few additional things from the a-la-carte menu. They were overly salted and seasoned side dishes that literally made me nauseous. It was great to get a bill for over $200/ person at the end, when we all left feeling empty and slightly ill. We will never go back! ADDING TO REVIEW FEB 3RD 2019: Well it appears the impossible can happen. My wife and I returned to EMP Aspen last night with another couple from the first time we went, at the invitation of the General Manager, Kevin. We had the exact opposite experience from the fist time, having an amazing dinner and a wonderful experience. I have to hand it to the EMP team for reaching out so kindly and inviting us back to prove their excellence. It appears our first visit was on off night and we've all had those! Last night's dinner was exceptional - food, service, drinks - atmosphere. It was great and this is a wonderful addition to Aspen!

Terrible. For all the hype of EMP coming out of NY and bringing 80 of their staff with them, this experience was truly underwhelming. When you go to a restaurant like this in Aspen, your happy to pay the price for the full experience. At $300 per person, this was an over-priced trip to Olive Garden. SERVICE:The service was mediocre and not the professional wait staff one would expect, which is fine if your running a Red Lobster. The energy of the entire wait staff seemed off. Ex: when you order the steak for 2 (the first delivery was over-done and we sent back to get the medium rare we were looking for) The wait staff didn’t know the grade of the wagyu nor it’s origin (farm, area, state....we’ll take anything) at least get back to your NYC thespian roots and make up a good story. WINE LIST: The wine list was limited and over priced (4x markup) We had the Ch Leoville Las Cases @$750. Look that one up. ‘99 was an ok year, not great. 91 points avg and Nice age on the bottle. The average price for any bottle on the list was $400. Take that for what it’s worth. When I talk to a sommelier, I want a tour, suggestions, hidden gems, wines the SOMM is drinking, interesting grapes and terroir, etc. The only thing I learned about the Sommelier is that she is an introvert. FOOD: (Steak for 2 and Swiss Stroganoff) The food was mediocre. I have had better prepared and seasoned beef at Bernie’s Burger Bus. The seasoning and flavor lacked. The second time the steak came out (medium rare please) it was still over cooked on the edges. The inconsistency in getting the steak right 2+ times suggests the kitchen has some product or production issues. The Stroganoff was also disappointing, lacked flavor, flare or anything magic for our $52. I have had better Swiss/German at mama opa’s Beir House on I10. Sadly, the highlight of the food was the lobster wedge. Quite tasty actually. Wrap up: When you ask for the check before your offered dessert and the highlight of your dinner was getting to finally end the pain and suffering an go back to your hotel room, you know this is not the one. Stick to the Hampton’s,. Aspen is a long way from home and whatever standard you have set for the Ivy League yacht club types has not transfer to the mountain. Perhaps a trip to the oxygen room at the spa will help this restaurant get back on their game.

I hate to be that guy that only leaves great or terrible reviews...but I am that guy. What a scam. We stopped by the St. Regis for a cocktail while considering our dinner options. We didn’t need or expect much, my wife being pregnant (don’t worry, she wasn’t drinking) and having a limited appetite. The bartender was adamant that we try this place next door, “...the only Michelin-rated restaurant in Aspen. They are usually full but luckily they just had a cancellation and we can get you in.” Fine guy, money isn’t an issue and we’re only in Aspen 2 days, let’s treat ourselves. “Treat” is the overstatement of the century. It was crowded, but there were open tables. We weren’t “lucky” to get in. Do those bartenders work on commission? This is the St. Regis, not some slimy hotel in Miami Beach, have some class. I doubt your bottom line is hurting so much that you need hotel bartenders up-selling dinner. That aside, we still could have enjoyed dinner had it not been a rip-off on the scale of a $75 Olive Garden dinner in Times Square taking advantage of tourists. Our courses: $32 - Lobster wedge that barely had any lobster. Value: $5 $42 - Tagliatelle with king crab. There was an ounce of crab, tops. The pasta wasn’t the worst, but well below expectations. Value: $8 $56 - Lamb. I’ve had amazing lamb from the south island of New Zealand to Denver to [name anywhere]. This was the worst I’ve ever had. Dry, tasteless, shallow. Value: $10 Again, money is not the issue. We happily drop four figures at Blue Hill in NY and walk away feeling like we got a bargain. Shame on this place: If it were a standard run-of-the-mill tourist trap around the corner in some random Aspen alley, we’d get it. But St. Regis? Your standards are too high, and this falls well short. We live in Utah and travel to NY frequently and the St. Regis in Park City and NY would never let this persist. I’m not sure what else to say other than save your money, there are better options in Aspen. Oh, and by the way: This place is NOT Michelin rated.

Had ala carte menu dinner. Great service. Delicious food. Reasonably priced Major upgrade from usual aspen overpriced fare.

Amazing experience top to bottom - I’d definitely try the yurt dining!

Interesting seating, too much in terms of food and ultimately made everyone in our group (that went) feel unwell