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Aspen · Open Monday · 2026 Edition

Best Restaurants Open on Monday in Aspen 2026

Aspen's two best rooms rest on a Monday. Bosq, Colorado's only mountain-town Michelin star, serves Tuesday to Sunday, and Element 47 at The Little Nell skips Monday dinner entirely. In a small resort town where seasons and days off matter more than they do in a city, that leaves a real gap at the top. What stays open is a tight, reliable group: Nobu Matsuhisa's Japanese room, the French bistros that have fed Aspen for thirty years, and the steakhouse on Hopkins. Five upscale tables confirm Monday hours below, ranked by what each is for, in dollars per head before drinks. A June note: the summer season is on, but always confirm at the edges of a shoulder season.

The sushi counter at Matsuhisa, Main Street Aspen
Photo: Google Places. The sushi counter at Matsuhisa Aspen on East Main Street.

Why a Monday list matters in Aspen

Aspen is a small town with big-city prices, and its top kitchens keep a strict early-week rhythm. Bosq, chef Barclay Dodge's Michelin-starred room, serves Tuesday to Sunday and goes dark Monday; Element 47 at The Little Nell, the grandest hotel dining room, runs breakfast, lunch and bar on Monday but no dinner. A visitor who plans a ski or summer trip around Aspen's marquee tables and lands on a Monday night will find the very top closed. That is the single most useful thing to know about eating well here at the head of the week.

The town also runs two shoulder seasons, roughly mid-April to late May and mid-October to mid-November, when many places shut for a break, so a Monday list has to clear two bars: open that day, and open that month. The five below pass both for June 2026. The order leads with the marquee Japanese room, Matsuhisa, then the two French bistros and the steakhouse, before closing with the all-day tavern at the base of the gondola. Every hour was checked against the venue's own published schedule in June 2026. For the rest of the week, start with the Aspen dining guide.

The Monday list

1

Matsuhisa Aspen

Japanese · Main Street, Aspen · $90–180 per head

Monday hours: Dinner 17:30–22:00

Matsuhisa Aspen at 303 East Main Street is Nobu Matsuhisa's original mountain-town outpost, the room that helped put Japanese-Peruvian cooking on Aspen's map decades ago. The black cod miso, the yellowtail jalapeno and the new-style sashimi are the orders, alongside the omakase at the sushi bar, with a meal around $90 to $180 a head before sake. It opens Monday from 5:30pm to 10pm, the latest kitchen on this list and the most reliable upscale Monday table in town. Book ahead in high season; the sushi counter is the best seat for a solo diner or a pair.

2

Cache Cache

French bistro · South Mill Street · $80–150 per head

Monday hours: Dinner 17:30–22:00

Cache Cache at 205 South Mill Street has been Aspen's beloved French bistro since 1989, a warm, low-lit room of regulars where chef Chris Lanter cooks Provencal-leaning classics. The roast chicken, the rack of lamb and the steak frites are the orders, with a meal around $80 to $150 a head and a serious by-the-glass list. It opens Monday for dinner from 5:30pm to 10pm. This is the Monday booking for anyone who wants the old, unfussy Aspen rather than a scene, the bistro that locals return to year after year. Reserve ahead and ask for a banquette.

3

Betula

French-West African · East Cooper Avenue · $90–160 per head

Monday hours: Dinner 17:30–22:00

Betula at 525 East Cooper Avenue is chef Barclay Dodge's second Aspen room, the more adventurous counterpart to his Michelin-starred Bosq, blending French technique with West African flavours and a strong raw bar. The crudos, the wood-grilled dishes and the West African-spiced plates are the draw, with a meal around $90 to $160 a head. It opens Monday for dinner from 5:30pm to 10pm, the night Bosq is closed, which makes it the way to taste Dodge's cooking at the start of the week. Book a seat at the raw bar to watch the kitchen work.

4

Steak House No. 316

Steakhouse · East Hopkins Avenue · $90–180 per head

Monday hours: Dinner 17:30–21:30

Steak House No. 316 at 316 East Hopkins Avenue is Aspen's clubby chophouse, a dark, brass-and-leather room that runs late and loud through both seasons. The dry-aged steaks, the seafood tower and the steak tartare carved tableside are the orders, with a meal around $90 to $180 a head. It opens Monday for dinner from 5:30pm to 9:30pm. This is the Monday pick for a classic steak night, the room for a group celebrating after a day on the mountain or the trails. Book the main dining room rather than the bar for the full effect.

5

Ajax Tavern

New American · Base of Aspen Mountain · $50–110 per head

Monday hours: 11:30–21:00

Ajax Tavern at 685 East Durant Avenue sits at the base of Aspen Mountain beside the Silver Queen Gondola, The Little Nell's all-day tavern and the town's great people-watching terrace. The double cheeseburger, the famous truffle fries and the raw bar are the orders, with a meal around $50 to $110 a head. It keeps the widest Monday hours on this list, 11:30am to 9pm, so it is the only full upscale option for a Monday lunch as well as an early dinner. The terrace is the seat in summer; the bar carries the apres crowd in winter.

How to book a Monday table in Aspen

The first rule of an Aspen Monday is to accept that the Michelin star is closed and book the reliable field instead. Matsuhisa is the hardest Monday table and rewards booking a week or more ahead in high season, on Resy or by phone. Cache Cache, Betula and Steak House No. 316 take Monday reservations directly and fill fast on a peak-season night, so reserve early. Ajax Tavern holds its terrace for walk-ins but a booking secures a table at lunch or dinner. For a solo Monday, the sushi counter at Matsuhisa and the raw bar at Betula are the easiest seats and a fine solo-dining move. For the bigger picture by cuisine, see the best Japanese restaurants worldwide, the best French restaurants worldwide and the best steakhouses worldwide.

Frequently asked questions

Is Bosq open on Monday in Aspen?

No. Bosq, Colorado's only mountain-town Michelin-starred restaurant, serves Tuesday to Sunday and closes Monday. Element 47 at The Little Nell, the town's other top dining room, does not serve dinner on Monday either, running breakfast, lunch and bar only. A diner hoping to book Aspen's marquee tasting rooms on a Monday night will be turned away. The strong field that does open Monday is the Japanese, French and steakhouse set listed here. See the Aspen dining guide for the rest of the week.

Which upscale restaurants are open on Monday in Aspen?

Matsuhisa, Nobu Matsuhisa's Japanese room on Main Street, opens Monday from 5:30pm, as do the French bistro Cache Cache, the French-West African room Betula and Steak House No. 316. Ajax Tavern at the base of Aspen Mountain runs all day from 11:30am. These five are the reliable Monday bookings when Bosq and Element 47 are closed, covering Japanese, French and steak.

Is Matsuhisa Aspen open on Monday?

Yes. Matsuhisa Aspen, Nobu Matsuhisa's long-running Japanese restaurant at 303 East Main Street, opens Monday from 5:30pm to 10pm. The black cod miso, the yellowtail jalapeno and the omakase at the sushi bar are the orders, with a meal around $90 to $180 a head before sake. It is the most reliable upscale Monday table in town. Book ahead in high season; the sushi counter is the easiest seat for one or two.

Are Aspen restaurants open in June?

Most are, but check first. Aspen runs two shoulder seasons, roughly mid-April to late May and mid-October to mid-November, when many kitchens close for a break. By June the summer season is underway and the restaurants on this list are open, though a few keep reduced days early in the month. Always confirm directly before travelling, especially for a Monday at the very start or end of a season.

What time do Aspen restaurants open for Monday dinner?

Most Aspen dinner kitchens start Monday service at 5:30pm. Matsuhisa, Cache Cache and Betula all open at 5:30, with Steak House No. 316 the same. Ajax Tavern is the exception, open all day from 11:30am to 9pm, so it is the only full upscale option for a Monday lunch as well as an early dinner. For a late Monday seat, Matsuhisa runs latest, to 10pm.

Keep reading

Plan the rest of the week with the full Aspen dining guide, or by occasion with solo dining at the counter. By cuisine, see the best Japanese restaurants worldwide, the best French restaurants worldwide and the best steakhouses worldwide. Travelling Colorado? Compare with the Denver dining guide. Planning a Monday in the Midwest? See the picks for restaurants open Monday in Chicago. For the global view on closing nights, read where to eat well on a Sunday or Monday.

Hours verified against each restaurant's published schedule in June 2026; Aspen is a seasonal resort town, so confirm directly before travelling, especially near a shoulder season. Restaurants for Kings is editorial, not sponsored. Some reservation links may earn an affiliate commission, which never affects a ranking or a score.