We visited Leonora for dinner over Memorial Day Weekend and this American bistro offers elevated plates & tapas with global wines and an inspired cocktail list. Leonora is located in The Sebastian Vail hotel in the heart of Vail Village. We were staying at The Sebastian so having this great restaurant just steps away was awesome!

Leonora offers an inviting dining experience inspired by the French Alps, Spanish Pyrenees, and the Colorado Rockies. The aesthetic of Leonora is warm and encompassing with a circular shaped dining room that focuses on an impressive glass wine tower in the center.

Casey Greggs was our server and he was amazing - he had stellar recommendations throughout our meal and elevated our dining experience.

We started off our meal with cocktails and had the Fire in the Attic, the Sebastian Spritz, the Leonora Gin + Tonic, and the Colorado Nights.

The Fire in the Attic is made with casamigos blanco tequila, ancho reyes verde, turmeric, lime, and fire water.

This cocktail had a spicy kick with notes of chili and peppercorn. The Ancho Reyes Verde (a peppery Mexican liqueur) added notes of roasted poblano. This was my favorite cocktail (& it matched my outfit lol).

The Sebastian Spritz is made with ketel one grapefruit + orange blossom vodka, select bitter liqueur, and prosecco.

The Sebastian Spritz was bright distinct & orange in color. The taste started sweet but ended with a pleasant bitterness. This was Jordan's favorite!

The Leonora Gin + Tonic is made with tanqueray 10 gin, orange peel, sage, juniper berries, and tonic water. This cocktail was refreshing and beautiful - a perfect summer drink. The Colorado Nights is made with bulleit bourbon, aperol, Montenegro amaro, and lemon. This will be a go to for the bourbon fans out there.

For starters we had the Octopus Asador, Guaca-Poke, Spanish Grilled Skewers, and Mushroom Bolognese.

The Octopus Asador is made with red potatoes, garlic, and chorizo.

This recipe was a smart Spanish-inflected cooking of octopus. The grilled octopus had a slightly smoky flavor and was delightfully meaty. The octopus had a textured, chewy coarseness to it and the chorizo and potatoes added some rustic and country-like flair to the dish.

The Guaca-Poke is made with big eye tuna, ginger, radish, and tortilla chips.

The big eye tuna was nice and fresh. The radish added spice, crisp, and a bit of bitterness to this starter. The Guaca-Poke (Ahi Poke Guacamole) was a refreshing summer snack.

The Spanish Grilled Skewers (which we had an assortment of) were made with King Crab with garlic herb butter, Coconut Lobster with passionfruit thai chili and Elk Heart with anticucho sauce.

The Spanish Grilled Skewers (also known as Pintxos) were the epitome of Spanish street food and were our favorite starters! My favorite of the three had to be the Coconut Lobster with passionfruit thai chili - the coconut lobster combined very well with the passion fruit sauce and I loved the crunchy texture of this skewer.

The Mushroom Bolgnese is made with rigatoni, marinara, parmesan, and lemon.

This bolognese was vegetarian but that certainly didn't take away from the rich-tasting mushroom bolognese sauce. The sauce was meaty (without being made of meat lol), savory and completely delicious. The mushrooms, marinara and aged parmesan amplified each other to create an amazing depth of flavor.

For entrees we had the Black Pepper Lamb Chops, the 10oz Wagyu Manhattan, the Chili Crab Toast, Grilled Vegetables and the Campfire Elk Chop

The Black Pepper Lamb Chops are made with beluga lentils, caramelized yogurt, and rosemary crumb.

The lamb chops were grassy, well-balanced and had a nice overall flavor. I particularly enjoyed the zest the caramelized yogurt added to the chops. The lamb chops were one of my favorites of the meal - big thanks to Casey for the wonderful suggestion!

The 10oz Wagyu Manhattan is made with shishitos, demi glace, and horseradish aioli.

The 10oz Wagyu Manhattan was good and the demi glace was rich and glossy. The meat was a bit undercooked (more rare than medium-rare) but the boys still enjoyed it.

The Chili Crab Toast is made with jumbo lump crab, sourdough, avocado, and orange chili mayo.

The delicate, sweet flavor of the crab teamed well with the Asian taste of the chili. The orange chili mayo was the star of this dish and was sweet, citrusy and had some spice - overall supremely satisfying.

The grilled vegetables were a special request as my friend is a vegetarian - the chef was wonderful enough to oblige!

The 14oz Campfire Elk Chop is made with parsnip purée, cast iron potatoes, river bear bacon, and alpine berry jus.

The Elk Chop was clean and slightly sweet. The meat was tender but a bit undercooked (more rare than medium-rare).

For dessert we had the Dulce De Leche Churros and the Flourless Chocolate Decadence Layer Cake

Leonora’s Dulce De Leche Churros are toasty caramel-filled churros coated generously in cinnamon sugar.

These fresh homemade churros were SINFUL. The churros had an addictive, sugary crisp exterior with a soft inside that was filled with warm melted caramel. We inhaled our first order and immediately ordered a second. Truly no churro I’ve ever had compares. We won’t be able to go to Vail without stopping by Leonora & getting the churros - they are THE BEST.

We also had the Flourless Chocolate Decadence Layer Cake that is made with rich chocolate cake, caramelia mousse, and brown butter financier.

The Flourless Chocolate Decadence Layer Cake was all about pure, rich, glorious dark chocolate. We could tell this cake was made with really good chocolate because we got some inherently fruity and earthy notes. The cake was fudgey in texture with a bit of airiness. The brown butter financier and caramelia mousse imparted gentle notes of caramel and toffee.

Thanks to Leonora and The Sebastian Vail team for having us in! Check it out next time you are in Vail babes and let them know that denv.her. sent you! xx

Leonora

Service options: Dine-in · Takeout · No delivery
Located in: The Sebastian - Vail
Address: 16 Vail Rd, Vail, CO 81657
Menu: thesebastianvail.com
Phone: (970) 477-8050
Reservations: opentable.com

Leonora, The Sebastian Vail