Aurora

About Aurora

Aurora sits inside the Summit House atop Snow King Mountain, 7,808 feet up, reached by a scenic gondola ride that's included with a dinner reservation. Snow King's website calls it a home for "elevated regional cuisine from the Mountain West," built around seasonal ingredients, and the room backs that up with floor-to-ceiling windows framing the Tetons and a bar anchored by an art installation from local artist Bland Hoke that maps the mountain's own ski runs.

The kitchen is run by chef Brandon Hicks, whose résumé includes New York's Brasserie 8 1/2 and ilili, the Michelin-starred Picholine, and San Francisco's The Battery. Reported menu items include alpine fondue, pasta carbonara, rigatoni, grilled swordfish, Colorado lamb chops, gnocchi à la Parisienne, and a prime filet mignon, with a baked Alaska finished tableside for dessert — a menu built for marking an occasion rather than a quick bite.

Reservations are strongly recommended and can be made through Resy or by calling (307) 284-4427; a reservation fee is charged at booking and credited back on the final check. Because the restaurant sits at the top of a gondola line, access is part of the pitch: a confirmed dinner reservation includes a free ride to the summit, while walk-in bar guests can buy a discounted gondola ticket instead. For larger parties, Aurora offers family-style, prix-fixe dining for roughly 10 to 20 guests with advance notice, and the venue can be bought out entirely for private events and weddings through its sales and events team.

Aurora opened in early 2025 as one of the valley's most ambitious new tables. Exact current hours weren't confirmed on the restaurant's own site at the time of writing — the operation is seasonal and tied to gondola operating hours, so it's worth confirming dinner times directly before making the trip.