Cliff House Restaurant

"Adventure Dining"

The Cliff House Restaurant is one of the Stowe Mountain Lodge dining options. It is located on top of Mount Mansfield, Vermont s highest peak. You can get their by hiking or taking the beautiful gondola ride to the top.
We chose the gondola ride. Although our day was cloudy we were still afforded glimpses of a magnificent view and after the clouds broke we got the whole shebang. Typically the restaurant is open for lunches only from 11:30am to 3pm daily. They are also open for special select Saturday night dinners.
The restaurant comes into view as an Austrian chalet as you approach the top of the gondola ride. On top along with the restaurant are a gift shop and hiking trails.
We would have enjoyed hiking around, but we came for the food. What a surprise on the top of a mountain! This restaurant prides itself on using fresh, local and organic ingredients when possible.
We started with a stylishly served Vermont artisan cheese board and some artisan breads. This would have been enough for me for lunch but I had to share and the kids were enjoying it so much. My two older kids shared a meat dish and the little one had a flat bread pizza which we all enjoyed. They also have a childrens menu, but there was too much to entice from the adult menu here. Fondue seemed to be a big hit with many of the tables.
We sat at a table looking out the windows down back at the lodge and had it been a nicer day we might have enjoyed the outdoor seating. There were several groups with kids in tow having lunch. I was taken watching a family with toddler twins which reminded me of our toddler twin days. Kids seemed de rigueur here although it is a fancier lunch establishment.
After our lunch we poked around the gift shop and took the gondola ride back down as the clouds broke and we were able to catch great glimpses of both the lodge and the Cliff House. It was a dining experience.

Families love:
The mountain atmosphere
Adventure dining
Healthy ingredients

Families would like:
More economical pricing