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Huge windows reveal stellar lake views at this intimate Euro–Cal restaurant serving seafood, beef, and vegetarian entrées—Moroccan-spiced lamb loin is a signature dish—along with small plates like Jamaican jerk hamachi poke. The gem-laden wine list and exceptional desserts earn accolades; the service is low-key professional.
115 Grove St., Tahoe City, California, 96145, USA
Known For
- Tasting menu a good deal
- Romantic choice
- Dinner on the deck in fine weather
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed Mon. and Tues.
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Its excellent service, world-class cuisine, and superb wine list make this intimate restaurant the top choice for high-end dining in South Lake. Inside a converted cabin, Evan's serves creative American cuisine that might include pan-seared day boat scallops and meat dishes such as rack of lamb marinated with rosemary and garlic and served with raspberry demi-glace.
536 Emerald Bay Rd., South Lake Tahoe, California, 96150, USA
Known For
- Intimate atmosphere
- World-class cuisine
- Dessert menu
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch. Closed Sun. and Mon.
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Making a reservation is the smart move at this Neapolitan-style pizzeria, which has a snappy industrial look and was opened by esteemed San Francisco restaurateurs during the pandemic. Each day they prepare several pasta dishes and a half dozen wood-fired pizzas—burrata Margherita, perhaps, or maitake mushroom, or chicken Parmesan with mozzarella—that patrons supplement with prosciutto, pepperoni, sausage, anchovies, and other toppings.
11025 Pioneer Trail, Truckee, California, 96161, USA
Known For
- Special pizzas each week
- Smoked chicken, steak, and grilled fish among possible entrées
- Mostly Italian wine list
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Rough-hewn wood beams, a vaulted wood ceiling, and a roaring fireplace in winter lend romance to this cozy 1927 pine-log cabin where chef-owner Charlie Soule skillfully prepares French- and Asian-inspired cuisine. Pan-roasted duck breast à l'orange with Grand Marnier, sea scallops poached in champagne with a kiwi-and-mango cream sauce, a Thai curry-chicken noodle bowl, and a vegan sauté judiciously flavored with ginger, jalapeños, sesame seeds, and teriyaki sauce frequently appear on the menu.
9983 Cove St., Kings Beach, California, 96143, USA
Known For
- Romance by candlelight
- Old-style service
- Bread pudding for dessert
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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If it's in between normal mealtimes and you're hungry for something healthful, head to this order-at-the-counter café for salads, overstuffed wraps, hot sandwiches, homemade vegan soups, all-day breakfasts, and the best smoothies in town. Dine at wooden tables in the cheery contemporary indoor space or out front on the patio, or just order food to go.
3123 Harrison Ave., South Lake Tahoe, California, 96150, USA
Known For
- Fresh, healthy cuisine
- Vegan and vegetarian friendly
- Congenial staff
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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A floor-to-ceiling mural of Lake Tahoe scenes spans the longest wall of the South Shore's largest brewery's downtown outpost. The influences on homegrown beers, from light lagers to dark ales, come from as near as California and Mexico and as far away as New Zealand, the model as well for Pacific Rim flourishes that find their way into burgers, sliders, sandwiches, and a few apps and salads.
4000 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, California, 96150, USA
Known For
- Beer flights
- Local business
- Outdoor patio
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The high, exposed and rough-hewn ceiling, stone walls, heavy wood shelving, and orblike contemporary metal chandeliers of special-occasion Trokay split the difference between Western high-country style and industrial chic. The four-course prix-fixe menu and 10-course tasting option also diverge from the expected in dishes that might include sea-urchin bisque, dry-aged duck with kumquat and anise, and diver scallops with bacon dashi (fish broth).
10046 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee, California, 96161, USA
Known For
- Chic setting
- Superior wine list
- Artful presentation
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.–Thurs. No lunch
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A festive marina restaurant with a heated outdoor patio, Artemis reveals its Greek influences in breakfast dishes like baklava French toast and gyros and eggs. All day, though, the menus encompass more familiar options (eggs Benedict in the morning, burgers and grilled mahimahi later on).
900 Ski Run Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, California, 96150, USA
Known For
- Heated outdoor patio
- Outgoing staff
- Marina location
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Inside a rough-hewn former ski cabin with an intimate six-table dining room (book two weeks ahead in winter, when two outdoor areas are closed), this restaurant serves rustic Italian cuisine that you can pair with wines from the owner's formidable list. Thin eggplant crepes stuffed with smoked salmon are among the top appetizers, with fettuccine Calabrese, swordfish, and filet mignon prepared two ways frequently on the menu.
1169 Ski Run Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, California, 96150, USA
Known For
- Loyal in-town following
- Entrée price includes soup or salad
- Silky white-chocolate ice cream with seasonal berries for dessert
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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Adults might opt for the signature pear-and-Gorgonzola pizza at this modern Italian restaurant, but most kids clamor for the house favorite—sausage and pepperoni with a four-cheese blend. Salads and pasta dishes round out the menu.
1985 Palisades Tahoe Rd., Olympic Valley, California, 96146, USA
Known For
- Inventive pizzas
- Reasonably inexpensive dining option in a pricey area
- Family-friendly
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The view's the thing at this lakeside stalwart, where you can watch the sun shimmer on the water through the dining room's plateglass windows or from the outdoor deck. Price wise, Gar Woods is a better bet for lunch, when fish tacos and crab and prime-rib French dip sandwiches are on the menu, than dinner, at which grilled steak and fish are the mainstays.
5000 N. Lake Blvd., Carnelian Bay, California, 96140, USA
Known For
- Lake views
- Signature Wet Woody cocktail, original-recipe Trader Vic's mai tais
- Dessert menu
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If the kids want burgers, but you want bourbon, Jason's has a full bar along with nachos, wings, and fried calamari starters; French onion soup and clam chowder; a dozen-plus sandwiches and burgers; and steak, chicken, seafood, and baby back ribs entrées. The whole place is wood, from floor to ceiling, lending it an ultrarustic feel.
8338 N. Lake Blvd., Kings Beach, California, 96143, USA
Known For
- House Bloody Mary and other specialty cocktails
- Summer dining on deck overlooking the lake
- Tables by fireplace in winter
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Reservations not accepted
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The white-tablecloth dining room at Heavenly's sleekest (and priciest) restaurant is decked out with carved bamboo, a burnt-orange color palette, and a modern-glass sculpture, all of which complement Pacific Rim–influenced dishes like fillet of beef with miso-garlic butter and the signature Chilean sea bass with Thai-basil mashed potatoes and ponzu butter sauce. Sushi selections with inventive rolls and sashimi combos, plus less expensive vegetarian dishes, add depth to the menu.
1001 Heavenly Village Way, Suite 26, South Lake Tahoe, California, 96150, USA
Known For
- Fresh-off-the-plane Hawaiian seafood
- Thoughtful wine selections
- Upscale setting
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When you're craving spaghetti and meatballs, this wood-paneled roadside spot with a cordial staff and loyal clientele is the place to go. Other good old-fashioned Italian American classics—served to tables with red-and-white-checked cloths—include lasagna, ravioli, chicken and veal piccata, eggplant Parmesan, and Sicilian-style pizzas.
7739 N. Lake Blvd., Kings Beach, California, 96143, USA
Known For
- Generous portions
- Create your own pasta-and-sauce combination
- Spumoni for dessert
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch, Reservations not accepted
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Head here for contemporary-Cal cuisine in a sexy dining room with pumpkin-color walls, burgundy velvet banquettes, and art-deco fixtures. The earthy, sure-handed cooking showcases organically grown ingredients: look for ahi poke, snazzy pizzas bubbling-hot from a brick oven, braised lamb shanks, pan-roasted wild game, fresh seafood, and organic beef.
10007 Bridge St., Truckee, California, 96161, USA
Known For
- Lighter fare for lunch
- Summer alfresco dining
- Live music in bar some nights
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Fantastic flavors and gracious owners have earned this humble roadside restaurant with river-stone columns, pine-paneled walls and ceilings, and Thai statues and ornamentation the loyalty of Tahoe residents and regular visitors. The aromatic dishes include crab pad Thai, basil lamb, sizzling shrimp, and numerous curries.
2108 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, California, 96150, USA
Known For
- Many vegetarian options
- Lunch specials a good deal
- Lively atmosphere
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Tues.
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A longtime town favorite, Pianeta serves high-style Italian cuisine in a warmly lit, bilevel, redbrick space on Truckee's historic main drag. Start with a beef carpaccio antipasto plate or perhaps house-made spicy-fennel and mild sausages, following up with a pasta course of ravioli Bolognese (both pasta and sauce made in-house), an entrée of ragout with spicy sausage and Mexican prawns—or both.
10096 Donner Pass Rd., Truckee, California, 96161, USA
Known For
- Welcoming atmosphere
- Tiramisu and panna cotta for dessert
- West Coast and Italian wine selections
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. No lunch
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The menu at this white-tablecloth restaurant, whose wide windows reveal Palisades Tahoe in all its glory, changes seasonally, but look for rib-eye or New York steak, cioppino or pan-seared fish, or a filling vegetarian dish. The Wagyu Angus burger is a favorite with regulars.
1920 Palisades Tahoe Rd., Olympic Valley, California, 96146, USA
Known For
- Specialty cocktails
- Apps and desserts
- Varied, reasonably priced wines
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon.–Wed. No lunch, Reservations essential
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This longtime favorite turns out big plates of veal scaloppine, chicken piccata, and garlicky linguine with clams—straightforward Italian American food (and lots of it), served in an intimate dining room warmed by a crackling fire on many nights. There's an outdoor patio that's open in warm weather.
2543 Lake Tahoe Blvd., South Lake Tahoe, California, 96150, USA
Known For
- Classic Italian American recipes
- Fritto misto, grilled radicchio, and fresh-baked mozzarella appetizers
- Sticky-bun bread pudding for dessert
Restaurant Details
Rate Includes: No lunch
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A local favorite on the Old Brockway Golf Course, Spindleshanks serves classic American cuisine—ribs, steaks, house-made ravioli, and seafood with adventurous sauces. Savor a drink from the full bar or wine from the extensive list while enjoying views of Lake Tahoe or the historic greens where Bing Crosby hosted his first golf tournament in 1934.
400 Brassie Ave., Kings Beach, California, 96143, USA
Known For
- Chicken-fried steak, huevos rancheros, and omelets for breakfast
- Salads and sandwiches for lunch
- Three outdoor decks
