This lovely historic hotel has always dominated the Pike's Peak region in service, food and visual appeal. This visit brought me in for Mother's day brunch and it's evident that the establishment is under some major construction but this didn't deter from our feast. It seems the hotel could use some repairs and touch ups and so it's good to see that is underway. The buffet provided a wide variety of options from omelette station, breakfast items, seafood options, prime rib carving station, loads of sides, salad bar and more. My favorites were the au gratin potatoes, Brussel sprouts, and Mac & cheese. The dessert options were very limited as most items had run out and weren't refilled, but I was too full to care. Service seemed a little curt, but was sufficient. I don't think I would ever make a true judgement of a dining establishment based on a buffet experience so I'll have to go back for a regular service to truly explore what the Cliffhouse has to offer these days. Hopefully it is full of excellence as it once was. I'll be back..... read more

The Cliff House Dining Room - Under construction - New American Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

See all

Loved everything about the Cliff House Dining Room. You won't be disappointed! Thanks to the crew for a great experience for our party of six on vacation! Michelle Y. read more

The service and staff were great. The history of the place fascinating. Location and parking easy. I'm thinking (hoping for them) this might have been a one-off bad night for the cook/kitchen. We came with a large party (24) - so maybe it's due to our number. - it seems every meat dish had black sauce covering the meat. I didn't taste the others' dishes but it may all have been same soy sauce based sauce . It tasted ok but not what I expected. - I had elk chops - it was cooked unevenly (some parts very rare some medium). - filet mignon was over cooked - Moroccan chicken had odd spices and was very dry. read more

We made reservations for dinner in the veranda for our first night of travel. Since we arrived earlier than expected I tried to change our reservation to an earlier time but was told it was completely booked. After visiting the town we stopped back to check and the veranda was not that busy and there were empty tables. After checking with the hostess again we were seated at a table. The handmade cocktails looked delicious so we each tried one (yum). The salads were prepared beautifully and were very tasty. The entrees were not too big and the appetizers were too small to be shared. If you are ravenous maybe this would not be ample but it was perfect for us on this evening. The wine list is small but good as well and the service was excellent. read more

The Cliff House Dining Room - New American Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

My parents surprised me with an early birthday dinner and I ended up having a really nice meal here. The restaurant was not super crowded on a Sunday evening, but there was still a decent crowd in the dining room. Service from valet down to the waiter was extremely friendly and helpful as well. We tried the french onion soup, scallops and filet and all were excellent. Classic, but somewhat elevated. We really enjoyed the meal, especially the french onion soup as it was executed damn near perfectly. Only docking a star because it was definitely a bit overpriced for what it was. That said, it's a specialty town in the mountains so that can be expected a bit. If you're looking for a nice experience in the area, I'd give this place a shot. I'll definitely return sometime for another special occasion. read more

See all

The Cliff House was just wonderful. The quaint town reminded me of Berkley, Ca with its fun, ecletic shops. We enjoyed a late dinner in the Cliff House bar, just in time before closing. Our room was a delight and had a beautiful view of the town below. The bed, amenities and shower were all great and the room a perfect size. I truly enjoyed the dome ceiling and wish we had time to enjoy a breakfast here, as the menu looked great. We ended our stay with a short drive along Pikes Peak, stopped to take photos and left on our way to our next destination. We definitely will be returning. I can't wait. read more

The Cliff House Dining Room - New American Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

See all

Quiet, cozy, and full of charm--The Cliff House delivered such a memorable dining experience. I had the prime rib (tender, flavorful, cooked just right), and added an extra sea bass appetizer that was buttery and delicate. Truly melt-in-your-mouth good. Finished with the tiramisu, which was light, creamy, and perfectly balanced--no sugar overload here. The space was clean, well-lit, and peaceful--ideal for a relaxing night out. 5/5 - Every bite was worth it. I'd go back in a heartbeat. read more

The Cliff House Dining Room - Champagne - New American Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

Me and my family were very disappointed, in the food and service. We've tried this place lots of times before and were also disappointed but we tried it again because we had high hopes. My grandmother and great aunt just came into town and just wanted a nice time. But NO, we couldn't have that. My sister got the kids Mac n cheese and it was 16 BUCKS. FOR JUST VELVETA! Like dude can't you do better than that? Also my grandma got the ceaser salad and obviously it was terrible just the bagged salad don't come here it's nawt worth it read more

What an elegant place and first class service. I saw this place advertised on Yelp and thought it would be a welcome change from the Bistros and Brewery type places we had been visiting. Everything was so lovely and the Trout dinner I had was marvelous. Wife had the Elk chops and then cheesecake for dessert . Not cheap but worth it, IMHO. read more

We thoroughly enjoyed the food, service, and atmosphere here. The staff were attentive to our dining needs and quality of food was very good at this price point. I had the Caprese salad and was impressed because good Mozzarella is hard to find. We will certainly come back again. Also, the restrooms were clean and use real linens to dry hands which is a very nice touch. read more

The Cliff House Dining Room - New American Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

President Theodore Roosevelt stayed here. This classy, historic, upscale, white table cloth boutique hotel has AMBIENCE. We consider The Cliff House one of the finest dinning experiences in the area, so when my wife wanted to celebrate her birthday and invite 14 of her friends, we chose The Cliff House. EVERYONE in the party RAVED about the gourmet drinks, the gourmet food, the excellent and accommodating service, and the ambience; no one wanted to leave, and we were not rushed. I payed for the entire bill and was amazed at how reasonable the bill was. Also impressed that with the large party, the well deserved tip was optional. read more

"Best steak I've ever had," says my husband :) we were also served stuffed olives while we waited. I had the chowder, which was very good. Then we had dessert (ganache) and a glass of red wine to enjoy in our room the next night. Everything was amazing, so good, top tier, worth every penny. We will be back! read more

Cliff House at Pikes Peak - Thanksgiving "Buffet" 2025 We booked the Cliff House Thanksgiving dinner buffet for our family of five and paid around $500, expecting a special holiday meal in a beautiful setting. Unfortunately, it was one of the most disappointing dining experiences we've ever had. The "buffet" was set up in a small, cramped room, and the food quality was shockingly bad for the price. The turkey was clearly pressed turkey, not carved from an actual bird. There was no salad station, no green beans, no yams--none of the traditional Thanksgiving sides you would reasonably expect. Most of what was there tasted like it came out of a can or had been previously frozen, and everything was salted to within an inch of its life. They also mixed in brunch items, but those were just as bad. There was a silver bin of waffles that were so hard I could barely cut them. There was a single platter of fruit, and many of the other buffet options were picked over and lukewarm. Staff were slow to replenish trays or bring out anything fresh or hot, so what we saw was what we got--and it wasn't good. For the amount we paid, this Thanksgiving dinner was a total embarrassment. We ended up leaving a lot of food uneaten because it simply wasn't edible. I would not recommend the Cliff House Thanksgiving buffet to anyone, and we will not be returning for future holidays. We came back to our hotel, which was in Colorado Springs and called the Doubletree Hilton, and told the front office staff how disappointed we were in this very expensive Thanksgiving dinner at the cliff house. They told us that their kitchen is selling a Thanksgiving dinner for $25 a plate and would we like to try that. They said it was pretty good. We thought what the heck because all of us were still hungry. The Thanksgiving dinner that the Doubletree Hilton in Colorado Springs provided was one of the best Thanksgiving meals I've had in a long time. Huge portions, very tasty food, real pieces of turkey straight from the turkey, not pressed, and a third of the price. They literally put the cliff house to shame. Let me put it this way the Cliff house Thanksgiving buffet would have to move up about 10 steps before they were even as good as golden corral. read more

We arrived without a reservation on a weekend evening. We were told that the only available option for seating would be on the front patio of the hotel which we didn't mind. The patio dining had both options of the lunch menu as well as the dinner menu. I was excited about that because I wanted a sandwich since it was pretty warm out. I ordered the smoked turkey sandwich and fries. My husband had the filet mignon. The sandwich was really good, but parts of the bottom toast were soggy from the plate. The steak was a nice cut, nice and tender and the right temp. I wasn't a fan of the demi-glace but that's a personal preference. My husband enjoyed it. The service was fine. The server could have been a little more attentive, but she was polite. I will most likely return in the future. read more

See all

Our 32nd anniversary dinner tonight. Our server was wonderful and the ambiance was dated and not in a good way. The menu is very limited and two items were not available. The brie and ceaser said was good. My filet was tasty but mine was seriously over cooked. This left it tough and dry. For the price Our experience was lacking and we will never return again. read more

Beautiful setting in a cute little town. It had good energy from the immediate greeting until we got our check. It made up for the overpriced food and small portions lol. read more

I had such a nice experience here! I'm vegan and my mom is staying here to visit me in COS. She had asked the front desk earlier to ask the chef if they could make a vegan dish if we had dinner there. They said absolutely no problem. We ended up there with my husky outside on the porch for sunset dinner and I was actually blown away. Best meal i've had in a while!!! fresh DELICIOUS veg and black rice- very flavorful. not your typical boring vegan rice bowl. also grilled some carrots and potatoes (in olive oil instead of butter for me) on the side too. compliments to the chef and the wonderful staff. & Mom said very reasonable prices for such a nice place read more

See all

A Special Experience. The food, service, and ambiance of the Cliff house were amazing. I really wanted to eat elk since I was in the rocky mountains. The day we went the Elk was not on the menu but the chef made an exception and made them anyways. The meat was perfectly cooked medium rare just the way I like it. I have no complaints. The mountains and location were majestic. read more

See all

Great staff but very overpriced food. $52 for the ribeye and it's a thin, fatty, skirt steak cut into two pieces and covered in some kinda green stuff. WTF? Brutal! Then they add like 4 tiny new potatoes and 3 pieces of asparagus as an extra insult. Weak. read more

I enjoyed this "fine dining" experience. The food was good and came in a timely manner, the staff was helpful, and I love the historic building. We went for Valentine's Day.. sat in front of the fireplace while a pianist played. It was so cozy. read more

Food and service was above our expectations. They have a nice wine list by the bottle. Dining here will be on our list for our next visit to Colorado. read more

My husband and I did the Manitou incline and had some time before we rode the cog railway so we decided to look around for a breakfast spot. We decided to stop at the cliff house and have their breakfast buffet. We were greeted and seated right away. The entire staff was really friendly. I had 2 plates of the Biscuit and gravy, scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon, fruit, and pastries. They also had cereal. Ambiance was nice, they had fancy table cloths on all the tables but everyone was dressed casually. read more

The Cliff House Dining Room - Breakfast buffet plate: Biscuit and gravy, scrambled eggs, potatoes, sausage, bacon, pastries. - New American Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

Visited for the Easter buffet. Food was very low quality. When we called for reservations we were told there would be an omelet bar and a turkey carving station along with various seafood. We received a very poor waffle bar (premaid, tough and cold) a smoked salmon and a very tough carved roast beef instead. Waitress was annoyed she had to serve our table but the manager was friendly and apologetic for the food and service. We would not recommend the experience. read more

Visited Pikes Peak then grabbed lunch in Manitou Springs at the Cliff House Red Mountain Bar and Grill. Ordered a Colorado beer; 1265 by Left Hand Brewing. Jan had the Jalapeno Braut and I had wings. The Braut was excellent, the wings good, but a bit over cooked. Nice venue. The terrace provided a lovely view of themountains. The view=4. The Braut=5. The wings=3. read more

See all

The Cliff House needs help. We used to enjoy the Cliff House, but it needs some attention, cleaning and a new PASTRY CHEF, or a pastry chef that works. My company visited the Cliff House over the holidays for our Christmas Party. All were expecting to enjoy a full dinner including dessert. When it came time to order dessert, they were sold out of everything chocolate, they had ONE crème Brulé and a few panna cottas (that were left over from another larger party). This is a Saturday during the holidays. You would think that they would be up-selling and promoting. Ours was a PLANNED dinner reserved weeks in advance. The one crème brule was grainy (see picture) - the filet had over cooked-limp asparagus and oddly flavored sweet potatoes. The halibut was dry (several individuals had ordered this meal and requested additional sauce) and the tuna was smothered in mayonnaise. After a few months and having a gift certificate, my husband and I recently gave The Cliff House another try on a Saturday afternoon. We walked through the bar/grill area thinking that perhaps we could come back with friends and sit out on the patio area - but even on a Saturday afternoon there were boxes of cleaning supplies on the tables and very empty. Such a strange atmosphere. We were seated in the dining room where we ordered lunch (burgers that were heavily salted). We asked our server which dessert she recommended - she said definitely the Black Forest Cake, you can't go wrong with chocolate! She returned to us indicating they were out of the Black Forest Cake. So, we ordered the Orange Pavlova and the Tiramisu. She returned indicating they were OUT OF BOTH of those as well. She offered us some cream ricotta that they had had from breakfast which was good and said that they had Chai Cream Brule. This sounded like an odd flavor to us, but we decided to share one. It was RUNNY (see the picture) - not what Crème Brulé is at all. I inquired about their pastry chef and the server indicated that she was not working and would not be in until next week. As we were leaving and looking at some of the older pictures on the walls - I noticed several cleaning rags that were left on tables and on the walls where pictures were no longer hung holes that needed to be filled....Some TLC would go a long way. read more

See all

This establishment was recommended to us by a tour guide and we made reservations for a later dinner to explore the Manitou springs. I loved the facade when we pulled up and ended up snagging a spot right in front of the restaurant and there was free parking. The porch had tables set up and chairs and it looked so inviting. We walked into the restaurant, kindly directed to us by the front desk staff, and were sat immediately. We were put in front of the musician playing his guitar. It was lovely and we were so excited to hear his music. It was like our own private concert, with about 3 other tables, but he was playing directly to us, as we were in front of him. An amuse-bouche was brought out to us, compliments of the chef, and it was delicious. My mom and I both went with the Rocky Mountain Trout because it was time for us to taste some more of the local fares. It was delicious and featured fingerling potatoes and asparagus. The wait staff was efficient and attentive. The ambiance of the restaurant was wonderful. read more

See all

Wow! This kitchen and wait staff embrace the "if it's in the kitchen, you can have it" mentality. I am GF/DF and struggle to find compliant meals when I am away on business. This establishment killed it! I ordered the elk and a salad that wasn't on the menu. The chef prepared it perfectly! I had a beautiful, quiet window seating not accentuating the fact that I was dining solo. read more

See all

We came here for breakfast since our stay came with breakfast vouchers which was a pretty fun time to have a buffet styled meal since I haven't done anything buffet-like since the pandemic! They actually have a good variety of breakfast stuff versus the other hotels I've been in with complimentary breakfast. They had the basics like cereal, scrambled eggs, and bacon. They also had fancier stuff like frittatas, jelly pastries, and biscuits with gravy! I can tell the staff was stressed, but our waitress was still super attentive and my coffee cup was never empty thanks to her! I'd love to dine here during dinner one day. Everyone in town seemed to recommend dinner here! read more

The Cliff House Dining Room - New American Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

See all

The atmosphere was good. The waiters were very attentive. Food coming out took a while. The Caesar salad and some of the sauces were too salty. The ragout appetizer was very good! I loved it. I also got the Rocky Mountain trout. Cooked well and very crispy skin but I didn't love the berry sauce. The elk and the duck were good as well. read more

The Cliff House Dining Room - Sweet potato gnocchi and mushroom ragout - New American Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

Everything was good here from start to finish. We recommend the Filet. Service, food, drinks, private little area for us to dine was honored by our request. We will definitely come back. read more

The Cliff House Dining Room - Filet Mignon - New American Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

The service, the good and decor are awesome. I had the French Onion soup and crab cakes. My s/o had the burger, and we loved them both. While I live in CO, I want to stay a night in the hotel, as I got a great recommendation from a patron who stayed in the past. read more

The food and service were amazing it was in front of the penny arcade in Manitou and it had a dart and shuffleboard and delicious popcorn. I and my son had so much fun playing darts and shuffleboard I highly recommend it if you are with friends or with your family or to watch the Super Bowl at the bar read more

waited 10 minutes just to not even get a menu, whereas i could go to ihop and get served faster. was also seated separate from the other diners although they weren't busy at all read more

We have stayed here many times, but I think it's our last time. Our room was so hot, one said the ac was being worked on one said it was just our room, then we were told they hadn't turn the air on yet. Something they felt didn't need to be told to us before checking in. We are facing the sun, and our room is at 79 degrees. We won't be back this is the worst experience we have had here and our last. Our bell hop was great, but the rest of the staff just flat lied read more

My wife and I had the trout and the wahoo. The trout was filleted and cooked to perfection. The wahoo and sauce were delicious . The vegetable sides were not overcooked but retained heat and crispness. We had a Caesar salad that was flavorful and the lettuce was suitably crisp with a generous dressing serving. The dessert was the chocolate mousse dome and it was exquisite. Portions from salad through desert were ample. We are near food coma so we need to hit send asap but not before acknowledging our server Christopher who did everything right with good sense of humor. He was the consummate professional and among the best to ever serve us. read more

Food and service excellent. It has a nice dining room and pleasant servers. Deserts outstanding. Ate at the Broadmore and this restaurant is better by far and not as expensive. read more

All stars for the French onion soup, and definitely the sous vide filet mignon. Get the filet. Although service was fine, I expected better. I was staying at this creepy establishment. I read the history and knew it had an interesting past, and the décor remained in the same era...but man when I'd wake up in the middle of the night I was completely expecting for an apparition to be starring at me from the corner. Plus, the staff had interesting stories on encounters. Anyhow, I waited until my last night to dine here. It's a beautiful space, with nice views. When I walked in it was fairly empty and no one was in front to greet me. I walked further into the restaurant, then was asked to go back to the front and wait. I guess I didn't understand why I couldn't just sit at one of the 50 open tables. My server was very friendly, and we had a nice conversation about the menu. But he forgot my water, bread basket, and didn't ask if I needed another beverage. There were a few other dinners that had a larger table. I felt like since I was a single diner, I was overlooked, and not asked how I was doing. It was disappointing. However, the food was mouthwatering. I even got a little amuse-bouche, it was a fancy rollup thing, and quite delicious. My French opinion soup was next. It was steaming hot, gooey, savory, and just what I needed. I decided on the filet mignon since my server was raving about it and said it was first sous vide, and finished to my preferred temp, medium rare. That steak was incredible! It wasn't the prettiest thing, but it was unbelievably tender. I could cut it with my fork. I immediately sent my husband a message that he needs to purchase a sous vide machine for me. The steak didn't need anything, but I am a sucker for horseradish with my meat, like peanut butter and jelly. They were out of horseradish, what?...Okay, well on to the sides. They were pretty good, but not as memorable compared to the steak. I'd definitely come back for the food. Hopefully the staff was just having an off day. read more

See all

The duck was outstanding. With an excellent wine suggestion from the sommelier. The hubs has the elk, which was the first time I had elk and it was exceptional. read more

The Cliff House Dining Room - The duck was outstanding - New American Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

I highly recommend dinner at the Cliff House - the food was excellent and the wait staff was wonderful (attentive, without being overbearing). I had the salmon entree - delicious, and baked Alaska for dessert - also delicious. The classical guitar player was exceptionally talented. I ordered dessert just so I could enjoy his music longer! (I believe he's there Friday evenings - don't miss it!) As for breakfast, the food was delicious with a wide variety of offerings. Even the fruit (melon) was fresh and delicious. read more

The Cliff House Dining Room - Yummy baked Alaska! - New American Near Me - Manitou Springs, Colorado

This place has all the features to be a great place to eat. It is missing wait staff, at least in the mornings we were there to complete the experience. Too much money for what it was - for us. read more