This review focuses on the main stand where most tourists go! The one with plush seating on both…read moreends. The dirty snowman is legit! Basically spiked hot chocolate topped with whipped cream. If I'm not mistaken I believe it's vanilla vodka, Baileys Irish cream, and hot chocolate. This is the perfect drink to give you a light buzz in the snow. It's sweet and tasty with a nice alcoholic touch. For $13.50 these are about the same price as any other hotel cocktail.

This is the best apres ski scene I've ever come across! Family friendly (which I realize is a…read morefunny thing to say about a bar), casual, kick-back and fun, the Cabana Bar is the outdoor lounge that resides in those orange and brown open air cabanas on either side of the Northstar Village ice rink. We got lucky and managed to grab some seats around the fire pit both days we were there. Something about this communal pit puts folks in a good mood --- the first day the woman next to me whipped out marshmellows and sticks from her some ice cooler and shared them all around the fire. It was great! A lot of laughter and stories about the slopes ensued and we weren't simply strangers around the same fire anymore. The second day we purchased a smores kit from the bar and roasted marshmellows with the kids again. This seemed to unleash the kid in others near us. Two pairs of folks who didn't know each other, struck up a deal and pooled their money to get their own kit which they shared. The bartenders are fun --- have them make you thier specialty drink a "Dirty Snowman," (hot chocolate, vanilla flavored vodka and Bailey's). These folks also make an awesome hot apple pie (the drink, not the pastry). My kids give the hot apple cider here two thumbs up. If you have proficient ice skating kids with you, unleash them on the rink on their own. They can burn excess steam within your full view. It's a beautiful thing to be able to drive home in peace with an exhausted skier/skater snoozing in the back!

Should read 4.5 stars but I'm rounding up!…read more We had the most amazing ski vacation at the Ritz Carlton. We spent 4 nights here and did not leave the property except to ski 3 whole days. Here's my notes: ***Seriously ski-in ski-out: The hotel is located on a ski run, so we literally traded our shoes for our boots at the mountain concierge and then grabbed our skis/poles from the concierge outside and started skiing down the mountain to our desired lift. No need to hop on a slow gondola or walk a distance to get to the snow. ***Some fun hotel perks: The hotel does a smores thing at 4:30 pm every day and we thought it was a very nice event. They gave everyone a plate with a graham cracker and piece of chocolate, then your choice of marshmallow (they had strawberry and regular). They also gave us a cup of hot chocolate with a little liquor if you were so inclined. They also had Kids events and we had our little guy paint a pinecone. He had a great time with the very nice guy running it and who knew painting a pinecone could be so fun? ***The restaurants: While we had high hopes for going out to Truckee to check out some cool restaurants, we were so tired from skiing at the end of each day, we never made it out. We loved the food at the Lobby Bar (I think it's called the Living Room) and their new taco restaurant which is called Montesa. Both are expensive (for example, get ready to pay $11-13 for a taco) but we really liked the food at both places. We also ate at Manzanita which is the high end restaurant and the service was amazing plus our little guy LOVED their kids buffet. We on the other hand thought the food was just okay and I don't think we would do this again. So why 4.5 stars and not 5 stars? ***Communication could be improved. We asked directions to the Smores event and a staff member told us it was at the Backyard restaurant and it's not there. In addition, because we pushed out our trip by a day due to the weather, we lost the room upgrade we had secured. It was not the Ritz Carton's fault that we lost this, but there were a couple places where we told the Ritz what was happening with us and they could have told us that they could not guarantee our upgrade. ***Service times at the Lobby Bar restaurant were extremely slow. There was one night where we waited for our food for at least an hour and a half. We will be back!

We booked a family stay at the Ritz-Carlton, Lake Tahoe for myself, my wife, and our six-year-old…read moreson. A few days before our trip, our son was diagnosed and tested positive for RSV. I called and asked for a reservation modification given the circumstances, and I was completely open to alternative solutions: a date modification, Marriott Bonvoy points to rebook on our own, a refund, or anything reasonable. We just wanted some flexibility. What followed was the usual runaround. We called the Ritz-Carlton directly, they told us they couldn't help because we booked through American Express. So we called Amex, whose concierge team was empathetic and professional. They reached out to the Ritz-Carlton on our behalf. After waiting 24 hours and following up, we were told that Ritz-Carlton management responded via email and declined to allow modifications to the reservation and still expect us at the property unless we pay a $750 cancellation fee. We presented a positive diagnosis of a contagious virus, were willing to accept any reasonable accommodation; a date change, points, anything, and the answer was no. This raises a serious concern beyond our personal frustration. If the Ritz-Carlton would rather a family show up carrying a contagious virus than accommodate a date change, what does that say about their commitment to the health and safety of their guests and staff? How many other sick guests have they pressured to check in rather than lose a night's revenue? What about employees who may face the same inflexibility when they're ill? For a brand that markets itself as the gold standard of hospitality, this experience seems like the opposite.

It was a rainy spring skiing day, so we came in early and decided to splurge on the fondue here…read more They don't publish the menu online, but everyone seems to get the fondue, and a lot of families get the kids' burger, which comes in a nice bento looking box. They have salads, burgers/sandwiches, soup, and charcuterie as other options. I started with the Coybow Pass, which is a mezcal based drink. The clothespinned dried orange slice was a nice touch. The fondue was a mix of various cheeses served in a traditional pot, with apples, wild board sausage, brussels sprouts, and focaccia. This hit the spot after a chilly day of skiing. Service was as you would expect for the Ritz - super polite and professional. If you're staying here or just want to duck in for a fancier break, the Living Room is worth a try.

The service was excellent. The lady who took our order was so nice. The food was just ok. Even the…read moreMoscow mule was so sour we had to change it. The falafel was not super dry but lacked flavor. The farrow bowl was simple but not a fan of mixed cold and warm food. The Burrata was not the best we had. Five star for service.

Great day-excursion for any Ritz Carlton guests who want to have a lake experience…read more Experience: all-inclusive experience that includes full access to the lake house which includes kayaks, paddle boards, jacuzzi, inside/outside lounge spaces, and food (snacks & lunch) and non-schoolchildren drinks. Alcoholic drinks are available for purchase. Cost: $199/person, all inclusive (except alcohol) Environment: two-story house with around 50 lounge chairs and a couple conversation areas including some indoor areas with TVs. Staff: Jones, TJ, and Chef Angel were the best! Always attentive and able to help with anything. Chef made us an amazing vegetarian lunch consisting of a beyond burger and roasted veggies. Almost all the snacks were vegetarian/vegan. Verdict: Absolute must for all Ritz Carlton guests! Service was great, food was amazing, and the experience was unrivaled. Enjoy the lake without staying at the lake. Tips #1: Marriott ambassadors can get a 10% discount. Tip #2: there are limited spaces, so reserve early Tip #3: there is a free shuttle to/from the Ritz or you can drive Tip #4: leave on the 9:30 shuttle and arrive first to get a great spot for the day (lounge chair areas) Tip #5: pre-purchase a bottle of champagne so it's on ice at the lake house, ready for you to enjoy Next Time: would definitely visit again. Worth the money for an all-day experience!

Our experience at the Lake House was excellent, but we were totally unprepared to find out the…read moreprice was $500 per person per day. You pretty much pay for the use of house facilities, including lounge chairs, some water sports, food and nonalcoholic drinks. The house was pretty amazing and the shuttle service was excellent but it was extremely overpriced.

After a fun day of snowboarding, my wife and I went looking for somewhere nice to eat and the…read moremediterranean fusion Petra Restaurant & Wine Bar seemed like a calm place within the village to relax at. We were quickly seated and our server checked up on us frequently. We were impressed by the decor of wine, leather seats, wooden branches, and relaxing music. We ordered the Meatballs, Chicken Pot Pie, and French Onion & Gnocchi soup. The pie's unique presentation was welcoming. The bread was crispy and the chicken mixed with vegetables had the right ratio. The soup went down warm and satisfied my chills. The onion wasn't overpowering the gnocchi. And of course, we had a paired wine that was suggested. We'll be back to try the other fusion dishes.

Stayed at Northstar over the new years holiday and ordered takeout from Petra on 1/2/26. The menu…read moredefinitely felt limited. I ended up ordering chicken pot pie. I'll pause and acknowledge that chicken pot pie isn't typically something one orders out. But having said that, chicken pot pie isn't something I'd expect any restaurant to mess up! What I got was dismally disappointing. It was at best a watery chicken soup served with two pieces of puff pastry. The chicken was probably the leftover of that used for other chicken dishes. To be fair, they had a good crab cake.

This place is absolutely awful. Not only is the service horrible but you can't use the pool and…read morethey won't let you use the Jacuzzi because it's being constructed but they have additional ones in the spy area but they won't let you use them and the food is also extremely bad who wants to meditate in the spot area and then eat junk food And that's all they have. It's a terrible environment.

Not sure how this place gets five stars. I'm a platinum elite member with Marriott Bon Voy, so I'm…read morepretty confident I know what a five-star Ritz-Carlton looks like. Staying in a suite. The couch has holes in it, the bathtub drain didn't work. We had room service our first night here. Had soup entrees, two salads, the salad had burrata cheese, it was was really good. But just a very light drizzle of balsamic dressing. We requested more, just to be told the Chef would charge us for a side of dressing. Seriously? Checking out other restaurants today!

Great ambience, cozy but spacious. Staff were very nice & helpful with the menu…read more - Caesar salad: good portion and yum. Good amount of cheese & sauce. - Onion soup: so yum! Very flavorful, good cheese & goodies.

Cute bistro! Delicious food! Good atmosphere. Nice wait staff…read more Highly recommend this place, especially if you are GF. Our table got the beef tar tar, French onion soup, tomato soup, beet salad, fish sandwich, burger, pork sandwich and rabbit pot pie. The only complaint was- I wish I got the burger because it was better than the pork sandwich, but that was pretty good too.

First time in Truckee. We drove downtown, parked and started walking. We had chosen a place to eat…read morebut as we walked past this place, it smelled amazing! Looked at the menu, decided to try it, seated quickly and served with excellence. My wife had a pizza and I had the filet. I ordered it medium, it was more medium well, but it was tender and delicious. The demi-glaze on the steak was phenomenal. When we come back, this is definitely on our repeat list.

Great spot for a nice meal! Ambiance was nice and they have a large selection of menu items and…read moredrinks. I tried the hibiscus mojito and it was very tasty and refreshing! We started with the jalapeño poppers which were good. I tried the fish and chips for my main and my only qualm was how fishy the fish tasted. Put me off for sure and I only had one of the pieces of fish as a result. The fries were really good though! My boyfriend had the ribs appetizer for his main and he was a big fan of them. Our server was nice but he had a very hard time hearing us. We would order and then he would say he didn't hear a word we said. Not sure if it was super loud in there, I didn't think it was but it was a bit difficult because every time he came by he had trouble hearing/understanding what we were saying.

A delightful local spot to take in sunset overlooking downtown Truckee. My friend suggested this…read moreplace for my visit and this place has apparently been around for years. I was a little concerned on my drive up to the spot, since you turn off the main road, go up the hill and onto a side street with more than its fair share of potholes. We had a later reservation (7:30 pm) and even though it was a Friday night, the dining room was fairly quiet by the time we arrived. I was seated next to the window and my server, Lee, introduced himself. I was there in time to see the sun dip below the hills and the lights come up on the Main Street below. It really does offer a picturesque view. My friend arrived and she ordered their "famous" Caesar salad and I got the crispy chicken sandwich. We were both quite happy with our choices. I tried hers and the dressing had a touch more anchovy than I prefer, but that's why I don't order Caesar salads. My chicken sandwich came with a generous heap of fries, lightly spiced, and I enjoyed the cabbage and the fact that the bun held up to the contents well. There is a decent wine selection as well as a full bar and signature cocktails, for those who want to imbibe. I went with a cup of Earl Grey, since I'd driven up from the Bay Area and needed a drop of caffeine to stay alert. We shared their carrot cake for dessert and it hit its mark. Not overly sweet, a hint of cream cheese in the frosting. Lee's service was friendly, but not intrusive. We were well taken care of. The food is more than decent, not groundbreaking, but perfect for a good meal after travel or a long day. It also feels like a local's place, not trying too hard to attract tourists. Don't miss stepping outside on the deck. There's a vintage red neon sign that announces Hilltop Lodge that makes for a fun photo op and another great view.

It was difficult finding a restaurant for dinner, however, we got lucky with a cancelled…read morereservation! Highly recommend making one as it can get very busy! Nonetheless, the service was still attentive. It was quite busy so it took approximately an hour for our food to come out Unfortunately my friend did not like her pasta as it did not have enough salt and the noodles were over cooked. Luckily our server took that off our check! The steak AMAZING! By far the juiciest & cooked to perfection The onion soup was great as well and full of flavor! I wish they gave bread on the side or in a bread bowl The ambiance was medium to loud noice level. This restaurant is medium to large size party friendly

Food: 4/5 Service: 5/5…read moreAmbiance: 5/5 We ordered: - crab cakes appetizer: the mango salsa was so good, the mango pieces were ripe and soft, and the crab cakes themselves had good outer crunchy texture with soft filling - new york steak, medium to medium well: I usually find places will make medium to medium well steak at just barely medium rare to medium, but this place definitely cooked it very thoroughly, seemed closer to well-done. The steak was a little too chewy and tough for my taste, but overall good flavor. I loved the wild rice pilaf side! - lemonade and sierra sunburn: both really fresh and seemed like they were made from fresh lemons! the raspberry in the sunburn was great The lighting was warm and the lights were really overhead. The benches were comfortable and not cold to sit on, and overall nice, clean, comfy environment. Service was really friendly and apologized that the drinks menu didn't have dairy-free options for some of the drinks with dairy, overall really attentive and engaging. We found a lot of street parking a few minutes away and walked over, also took a walk on the lake beach right behind it which was super pretty

Here's a more concise, creative version of your review for Jason's Beachside Grille:…read more"February sunshine on the back deck at Jason's Beachside Grille? Pure magic! Dog-friendly vibes, jaw-dropping Lake Tahoe views, and super friendly, efficient service--even with our multiple beer sample requests. I devoured the seared ahi tuna topped with vibrant mango salsa (pro tip: test that fiery side sauce first--it's no joke!). My boyfriend loved his California chicken sandwich with those perfectly crispy, hot fries. Skipped the beer to save room for dessert--rich, indulgent, but perfectly balanced. Total winner! If you're in Kings Beach, Tahoe, this spot nails the lakeside chill with tasty food and unbeatable scenery. Highly