New Sheridan Chop House

The Storied Room of the San Juans

The New Sheridan Hotel has stood at 233 West Colorado Avenue since 1895 — one of the original grand establishments of the Colorado silver boom, now operating as one of Telluride's most characterful luxury properties. The Chop House inside it carries the history of its building into every aspect of the dining experience: the pressed-tin ceilings, the dark wood panelling, the bar that has been serving the canyon's most significant figures for over a century, and the particular gravity that comes from eating in a room where deals, celebrations, and farewells have accumulated across generations.

The kitchen is built around the great American steakhouse tradition but applies it with the specificity that a serious destination restaurant requires. Dry-aged USDA prime beef is the centrepiece — sirloin, filet mignon, and bison rib-eye among the choices, each available with a selection of toppings and sauces that includes béarnaise, chimichurri, and compound butters compounded with Colorado herbs. Fresh seafood is flown in daily, which at 8,750 feet in a landlocked state surrounded by mountains represents a genuine logistical commitment and produces results — the oysters, the lobster preparations, and the fish courses carry a freshness that no permanent mountain restaurant achieves by accident.

The wine list at the Chop House runs deep in the red categories appropriate to the cooking: California Cabernets and Napa Valley power wines hold the expected positions, but there is more intelligence shown in the Burgundy and Rône selections than most American steakhouses choose to apply. The whiskey program is a separate pleasure — the bar carries one of the more comprehensive bourbon and American whiskey selections in the state.

The Bar

The New Sheridan Bar adjoining the dining room operates as one of Telluride's great social rooms — a Victorian-era saloon that has been continuously operated since the hotel opened and carries the kind of patina that no design project can replicate. The bar accommodates overflow from the dining room for guests who couldn't secure a table, serves the full menu, and provides what is often the better option for solo diners or couples who want to eat well without the formality of the dining room proper.

Signature Preparations

The dry-aged prime ribeye is the definitive Chop House dish — choose the topping and the sauce and accept that the kitchen knows more about aging that cut than you do. The bison rib-eye is the more regionally specific choice and is outstanding: a leaner, more intensely flavoured meat that rewards the decision to order outside the familiar. For the seafood orientation, the whole roasted fish preparations vary by what arrived that day and are among the kitchen's most technically accomplished work.