Hearthstone is the type of steakhouse where you’re equally likely to spot a couple celebrating their 40th anniversary and a guys’ trip kicking off their weekend in the mountains. Dinner here is one of the harder tables to get in town (you’ll want to call about a week in advance), but it’s worth it to dig into a Colorado rack of lamb crusted with rosemary and parmesan. If you can’t snag a reservation, their walk-in-only Happy Hour is a solid bet for refreshing cocktails and beef tip bao snacks.

Eating at Rootstalk feels like rolling up to a good friend’s house party, if your friends are known for serving chestnut agnolotti and topping up your glass of central coast chenin blanc. Larger plates like the Colorado NY strip steak and pan-roasted duck breast are great for sharing and are comforting without being too heavy.

Bold is a Mediterranean spot in downtown Breckenridge with a great Happy Hour, but it’s also a solid place to grab breakfast without having to fight your way through crowds you’d find at Columbine or The Crown. The breakfast pot pie is slathered in enough gravy to keep you fueled up for biking through the Vail pass, and the strawberry-topped shortcakes are perfect for your friend who has the sweet tooth of a fifth grader.

This cozy coffee spot should be your first stop on a lazy morning exploring the shops along Breckenridge’s Main Street district. Grab a rich mocha beside their fireplace, or try to grab a table so you can sit with a bagel sandwich and gameplan how many souvenir magnets you want to take home. Just know it can get pretty crowded here and seating is first come, first serve.

Cabin Juice feels like a hunting cabin renovated by the interior designer for the Ace Hotel. Cozy up next to a date for a picture in one of their ski-lift benches, or cool off with a watermelon ginger mojito. Everyday brunch options like brioche french toast topped with lemon yogurt are a great way to start your morning, whether your plan is to hit some fresh powder or just lounge around the spa.

Consider Aurum the ultimate crowd-pleaser when no one can agree on what to eat for dinner. There’s a nice wine list for the oenophile preferential to Rhone Valley reds, grill selections for the meat-and-potatoes person, and excellent cocktails for that friend who just wants to drink and snack on fries. They also have a great Happy Hour—you can easily make a cheap meal out of the fluffy parker rolls and Korean fried chicken bites.

You’ll find lots of places in Breckenridge that serve pizza and other comforting bar food, but the pies here are good enough to impress cynical East Coasters who are suspicious of any pizza made outside of their tristate area. The crust is equally crisp and chewy, and the rounded cups of pepperoni add explosions of saltiness. An 18-inch pie and an order of cheesy garlic knots are large enough for a small crowd, but you can also get a single super slice that comes with its own pizza cutter.

The only time we haven’t seen a line at Crepes a la Cart is when it’s closed or it’s 20 degrees below freezing, but it’s worth the wait for ham and cheese crepes stuffed into a cardboard sleeve. The portable snack is perfect for wandering and window shopping down Main Street, and the sweet chantilly cream-filled options are great for a post-dinner treat.

Going to Eric’s is synonymous with going to Breck at this point, so it’s worth checking it out at least once. Stop by the legendary sports bar where you can eat wings and catch a game while your kids play skee ball and Mandalorian-themed pinball. If you go later in the evenings, most of the kids clear out, so you can spend a few hours playing Big Buck Hunter amongst other people who pay taxes.

Radicato, from the team behind Rootstalk, makes incredible pasta that’ll even impress your cousin who won’t stop talking about the trip to Palermo they took last summer. The menu changes seasonally, and currently features dishes like squid ink chitarra with lobster, and grilled quail with sausage and colatura hot honey. In the past, we've been blown away by braised rabbit and chanterelles, as well as raviolo bathing in sage brown butter.

Once you find your way into this spot right next to the Blue River bikeway, you’ll be greeted with the smell of fruity drinks and one of the best burgers in town. The rice bowls are piled high with poke, avocado, and housemade pickles, and everything from the rice to the teriyaki sauce can be swapped with alternatives like udon noodles and pineapple honey. You should make it a point to get a tiki cocktail sampler for $12, as well as the excellent smashburger with a side of fries or mac salad.

Breckenridge Distillery doesn’t just make the official bourbon and vodka of the Denver Broncos—it’s also the world’s highest distillery at 9,600 feet, and sells bottles you can't find anywhere else. You could spend an entire day trying different kinds of gin, vodka, rum, and whiskey here, but they also have a tasting room downtown if you don’t have time to catch the free bus to the north side of town.

A perfect day in downtown Breckenridge begins with coffee at Columbine Cafe and ends with video games and beer at Eric’s. This is a classic diner that’s walk-in only, so get here early and be prepared to wait a while—especially on busy weekend mornings. They do all the breakfast favorites right, like eggs benedicts and platter-sized pancakes. Their house-smoked chunky corned beef hash goes great in a scramble over hash browns, as well as inside their Hangover burrito.

Breweries and outdoor enthusiasts go hand in hand, and Broken Compass is the perfect spot for decompressing with a few IPAs. There are two locations—the original brewery at the northern end of town that hosts bingo and weekly trivia, and the taproom on Main Street—and both allow you to bring pets or food from nearby restaurants. The list offers everything from an easy-to-drink kolsch and hefeweizen, to juicy pale ales and sours.

Mi Casa is where you should go when you’re craving stiff margaritas and short rib birria tacos. Their Happy Hour runs from 3-5pm, and is one of the better deals in town with two tacos for $8 and a platter of chips, guac, and queso for $9. Mi Casa is also a solid bet for the gluten-free crowd—there’s a dedicated menu full of enchiladas, fajitas, and soups.

Cool River Coffee House is as close as you can get to a local hangout in a city like Breckenridge. You’ll overhear tour guides chatting up their barista, small business owners planning their next craft circle meetup, and families coaxing their children to eat a housemade pastry so they don’t have a meltdown on the mountain. Make sure to order some breakfast burritos, all smothered in pork green chile. It’s worth starting your day here with an excellent latte.

You might not expect a great seafood restaurant in the mountains of a landlocked state, but that’s exactly what you’ll find at the Carlin, which is located inside a luxury inn on Main Street. Start with a tower of oysters, shrimp, crab, ceviche, and pickled mussels. Double down on bivalves with an order of wood-fired oysters topped with compound butter, breadcrumbs, and lemon, or dip toasty batons of bread into a bowl of manila clams and chorizo. Finish off your night with an espresso martini.