The range of restaurants and bars at Red Mountain and Rossland is not substantial, but it is pretty good for a small town. Rossland has more cafes, restaurants and bars than Red Mountain. There are also options in Trail, but why would anyone want to leave the beautiful Rossland?

Red Mountain Restaurants

For evening dining, your options for Red Mountain restaurants are somewhat limited.

The Velvet at The Josie Hotel is the top of the pops for Red Resort dining, with its lovely décor and ambience. The Velvet, named after an old mine, serves up a good range of gastronomical delights with locally inspired craft cooking along with some French influence. Or you can just sit around the bar and enjoy a nice wine or cocktail. On fine days you can enjoy lunch, après ski beverages and appies out on the deck overlooking the slopes.

Catpuccino Apres Café & Bistro Bar is great for your morning cappuccino before heading out cat skiing with Big Red Cats, and it’s also great for après ski drinks when the elated cat skiers head there. For dinner, there is a big range of healthy tapas and burgers.

Rafter’s Lounge in the day lodge has a casual dining menu for après ski appetizers or dinner until 9pm (Wednesday to Saturday only), and they also have a children’s menu.

Rossland Restaurants

For evening dining, the gold treasure of Rossland is Idgie’s (1999 2nd Avenue). Many people had recommended this restaurant to us, but in deciphering the Canadian accent we couldn’t quite figure out whether they were describing it as a “garlic” or “gaelic” restaurant. One quick scan of the menu and it was easy to realise that garlic is a common ingredient on the fabulously fine menu that makes you salivate. Examples on the menu include halibut with pecan maple sauce; and chicken with goats cheese, strawberries and spinach draped in roasted garlic white wine sauce. Considering that nearly everything has garlic in it, you know that it’s great for the immune system, and it’s the perfect place for a boys’ night out. The desserts are awesome and thankfully they don’t have garlic in them.

Behind Idgie’s is Misty Mountain Pizza where they use the leftover garlic. They sell quality take-away pizzas and also deliver.

At the Prestige Hotel is Gabriella’s restaurant. The setting includes chic décor, and the extensive menu of Mediterranean and Italian cuisine includes pasta, paella, bruschetta, seafood and steak. Mama Mia! It’s not the cheapest pasta around, but it’s good quality.

A Thai restaurant, Mook Thai Lounge, has popped up at the Old Fire Hall (2115 Queen St Rossland) and it comes complete with the fire poles and trampolines. They serve up genuine Thai food with plenty of spice.

Clansey’s has morphed from a café into a restaurant and bar, and serves up very reasonable meals. Aka Dake sushi restaurant is popular for Japanese fare.

For something a bit different, Le Petite Fromage is an evening dining experience where a group cross-country skis for about half an hour to a remote cabin. The rustic cabin has a woodstove and candlelit tables, where a 3 course cheese and chocolate fondue dinner is served. Like everything in Rossland, this experience costs about a third of the price it would in Whistler. Make the most of it!

Rossland Café Scene

Rossland has various day time cafes.

Alpine Grind is probably the best Rossland café, and despite the very slow service, the coffee and food are good. Everything sells out quickly, so if you’re heading there for lunch, get in early.

Caffe Gabriella at the Prestige Hotel has a range of baked goods but we found the coffee to be pretty horrid!

Bars & Nightlife Red Mountain

It’s a little difficult to paint the town Red because the nightlife is rather sedate at Red Mountain, with après ski (late afternoon) being the main focus.

The Velvet Lounge at The Josie is the place to go for a sophisticated drink, or Catpuccino next to Big Red Cats is good to feed off the energy of the cat skiers.

Rafter’s Lounge in the base lodge is a great place for après ski festivities. The rustic and jovial atmosphere is rather enticing, and it’s tempting to order jug after jug of beer and settle in for the evening. If you get hungry in between drinks, they have appetizers and casual meals (Wednesday to Saturday).

The Rock Cut Pub and Restaurant is open for lunch, après, and dinner. It has a pool table, an outdoor fire, and has live music and acts during winter. It is located on the opposite side of the highway from the Red Resort, so it’s walking distance from the village accommodation, but not really stumbling distance so don’t drink too much!

Rossland Bars & Nightlife

The Flying Steamshovel has a long history and essentially is “the pub” in town. It’s a choice place for après, dinner or evening drinking festivities.

A cosier bar is the Uptown Lounge at the Prestige Hotel. This is far from your average hotel bar, as various locals frequent the bar which adds to the character somewhat.

Rossland Beer Company is a brewery across the road from The Prestige which is popular with locals.