The Ahwahnee Dining Room

The setting is absolutely stunning—the dining room feels like something out of Harry Potter’s Great Hall or Beauty and the Beast. High timbered ceilings, stone walls, candle-like chandeliers, and live piano music set a magical atmosphere. Unfortunately, the food was a major letdown. Despite the fine-dining prices, the buffet menu was underwhelming and poorly executed. Most dishes lacked flavor, and the desserts were simply bad. It was quite disheartening, especially considering the grandeur of the place. Another downside was the inconsistent service. While some of the waitstaff were professional and attentive, others seemed undergroomed and unprepared, which detracted from the overall experience. If it weren’t for the charming piano music, this would have been a zero-star experience for me. I truly hope they improve the food—it wouldn’t take much, given how low the bar currently is. I came in with high expectations, and sadly, the meal didn’t come close to matching the setting.

We went to The Awahnee Dining Room as a family of 6 on two separate occasions. LOVED the experience. For breakfast we opted for the al la carte menu and we can say everything tasted really good except for the French Toast that was more on the soggy side. The steel cut oats and trio mushroom, avocado and salmon on toast was a big hit. Angeline was incredible super cheerful and friendly. On average each plate was around ~20 dollars per pax before tip with generous portions. For dinner we had the dinner buffet. Although the selection was smaller than anticipated we thoroughly enjoyed our experience. The highlight was the prime rib which was not chewy and the salad was to die for. We received great service yet again from Shannon and Marcus who were enthusiastic and attentive. Shannon even provided us recommendations for which route to take back to sf. There was live piano music which adds to the atmosphere.

We were very impressed with the service here. Our server, Shannon, gave us great advice and tips. All the servers were very friendly and attentive. There were many menu options, including vegan ones. And the space is AWESOME! As in, truly inspired awe. It's a grand hall with beautiful windows and lots of space between tables. Just lovely. Thanks again!

I recently had dinner at the Ahwahnee Dining Room and while the night overall was memorable, it was thanks largely to the stunning atmosphere and the great company I was with. The grandeur of the historic hotel truly sets a tone of elegance and charm—the high ceilings, classic decor, and timeless beauty of the space made it feel special. However, a few elements detracted from the experience. While we dressed for the occasion, it was disappointing to see that the dress code was not consistently enforced. The lack of formality at many nearby tables took away from the sophisticated ambiance that the venue naturally provides. As for the food, it was unfortunately underwhelming. It wasn’t bad, but it lacked depth of flavor and the menu was more limited than I expected for such a renowned location. Service was another area that didn’t meet the mark. Our waitress was kind and genuinely tried her best, but it was clear she was under stress—likely a result of being understaffed, which seemed to be a theme across the room. The setting is truly one-of-a-kind and worth experiencing, but I hope the dining and service elements rise to meet the surroundings in future visits.

The price is steep, but the food is decent and the service is good. You’re definitely paying for the ambience and decor, but it is a lovely place to dine in Yosemite. Perfect for a nice date or a celebration dinner. Great wine selection too. We had the dinner buffet here and it’s not the biggest selection, but it was again decent.

$67 buffet?! This used to be an upscale place! Buffet was mediocre. Few choices for this price. Service never supplied info about buffet or menus. Desserts were awful. Prime rib was almost raw. Steak tough. Orange juice tasted old and not fresh. Hard to appreciate ambiance with a buffet. $10 mandatory valet parking. I will not go back. NOT RECOMMENDED!

Large buffet breakfast with a wide variety of choices. You are sure to find something for everyone here. The food is also really good. The dining hall is magnificent and huge with large windows letting in lots of natural light and can see the falls from. White table cloth dining with full table service, you serve your own food. A small setback, we had reservation and upon arrival at the appropriate time we still had to wait 20-30 minutes to be seated, also the buffet options did not get replenished often even though there was ample servers, not sure why, bowls also would be a great addition for the fruit/oatmeal bar. Overall great serve and delicious breakfast in a gorgeous old historical hotel was a great experience. I would probably come back !

This is a grand historic dining hall. Good service by Nancy. Even for a buffet, the food was delicious. One has to be patient for refills of buffet items.