We decided that no trip to Colorado would be complete without a fondue dinner. So, we booked a reservation at Der Fondue Chessel, a restaurant at the Keystone Ski Resort. It was definitely an amazing experience and one that I would recommend.
To start, Keystone looks like a movie set, complete with cute shops and perfect ski-town buildings with white lights on the trees. To get to the restaurant, patrons take two gondolas to the top of the mountain, taking about 30 minutes combined. The price of the lift ticket is included in the dinner. Dress warmly for the gondola rides; blankets are provided, but it can get chilly. The mountain view – even at night – was beautiful; romantic for couples, and fun for families.
The space allows for either a dressier event, or a more casual event. The restaurant looks like a giant lodge, outfitted with high ceilings, wood beams and a giant stone fireplace. Guests eat from long family-style wooden tables. In our case, the restaurant was open to the public and although some people were dressed up, wearing ties and dresses, others were wearing jeans.
Service was great. The restaurant was very accommodating to our special requests; we had three vegetarians and one meat-eater. They even offered to use separate cooking spaces and gave the vegetarians a special salad.
Our meal:
- The first course was a salad, which was good but ordinary.
- The second was a cheese fondue with vegetables, apples and bread. This was a hit – general consensus was that the cheese was great.
- The third course was delicious – although the vegetarian option could have been more inventive. I particularly enjoyed the polenta and vegetables. Our carnivores enjoyed lamb, chicken, beef, scallops and shrimp.
- The best course, in my opinion, was desert! We ordered the turtle, and cookies and cream chocolate fondue with fruits, and cakes to dip it in. We finished it all, even after our big meal!
To keep in mind:
- Throughout dinner, we were entertained by an Austrian trio who stopped by to show off their accordion skills and tell us a few jokes. Although a little reminiscent of the Hofbrau House, the trio added more fun to the evening. Just something to consider with a group.
I would definitely recommend this unique dining experience to round out a group ski vacation.
