The Restaurant at Chasing Rabbits Vail — Restaurant in Vail

During our group’s visit to Chasing Rabbit in Vail, CO to play at their venue space, we embarked on a culinary journey that showcased the restaurant’s creative flair and commitment to quality. From inventive cocktails to refined appetizers and hearty entrées, each dish told a story of flavor, texture, and presentation.

The evening began with a round of cocktails that set the tone for the meal. While I enjoyed a local IPA from the tap, my wife enjoyed the 'Beans to Nuts' martini, rich and indulgent treat with a frothy top and deep espresso hue. Crafted with Moulin Vodka, espresso, Nux Alpina walnut, vanilla bean balsamic, and chocolate bitters, it offered a bold, dessert-like flavor profile perfect for coffee lovers. Equally impressive our friend had the 'Summer Dragon'—a visually stunning and refreshing drink served in a martini glass with a vibrant orange hue. Rimmed with a reddish-brown seasoning and garnished with a slice of dragon fruit, it featured Reyka Vodka, Italicus, lemon, dragon fruit syrup, and rose sage bitters. Bright and citrus-forward, it was the ideal summer cocktail.

To start, the 'Serrano Ham Croquetas' delivered a perfect balance of crispy and creamy textures. Golden and breaded, they were served atop a rich manchego fonduta and filled with Yukon potato and jamón serrano. Each croqueta was topped with Sturia Prestige caviar, adding a refined brininess that elevated the dish. The 'Spanish Ceviche' was a vibrant and refreshing plate featuring diced cod marinated in lemon and garlic, mixed with avocado, cherry tomatoes, bell pepper, and olathe corn. Served with crisp rice crackers, it offered a satisfying contrast of textures and a bold, citrusy flavor. Another standout was the 'Crispy Pork Belly'—perfectly crisped on the outside and tender within. Garnished with pomegranate seeds, mint, coriander mostarda, lemon, and whipped labneh, it was a visually striking and flavorful small plate. But to top off the small plates was the American Wagyu Crudo – an elegantly plated dish featuring thin slices of premium American Wagyu beef, served raw in a crudo style that highlights its delicate texture and rich flavor. Garnished with enoki mushrooms, black garlic, and sorrel, a drizzle of black vinegar adds acidity and depth, while Belper Knolle cheese shavings and horseradish provide a sharp, earthy contrast, and topped with Sturia Prestige caviar, the crudo is elevated with a touch of luxury and brininess.

Moving into the main courses, the 'Moroccan Chicken Tagine' brought bold North African flavors with a modern twist. Tender chicken seasoned with ras el hanout was served over saffron red lentils and accompanied by broccolini. Garnishes of dried apricot dukkah, marcona almonds, and spiced prune puree added layers of sweetness, crunch, and depth. The '2 Bone Pork Chop' was a hearty and satisfying entrée. Beautifully seared and served atop asparagus risotto, the dish was complemented by jamón-braised collard greens and finished with a Calabrian balsamic glaze. It balanced rustic comfort with refined technique, making it a highlight of the meal.

Chasing Rabbit delivered a memorable dining experience through its exceptional service, thoughtful presentation, bold flavors, and inventive pairings. Whether enjoying a cocktail, savoring a small plate, or indulging in a main course, each item reflected the restaurant’s dedication to...

Long time local (born and raised, not a NIMBY) I was excited to see what replaced Cine Bistro. At first the aesthetics of the place are very eye catching (they really did an amazing job). It seems like a great venue when you walk in, but as the night went on I was more and more underwhelmed for the it being newest spot in Vail. The energy was always just under what you’d expect at a proper club your paying to get into. The $25 cover charge is actually pretty affordable for Vail, but I don’t see these shows selling out with the artist being brought in. Running clubs/events in my past a few things to improve, DJ was good, but kept the same beat/energy the whole night where as a more experienced DJ would have been reading the crowd and adding a little more variation (also using only 2 decks with a 4 deck setup the entire night is very noticeable). Tons of local DJs that would love to play this venue and would bring a more energetic crowd. Of course the more energy and excitement, the longer people stay and the more they spend. I’ll be keeping an eye on this spot as it seems to have a lot of potential but execution on the weekend club vibe has been a little sloppy for Vail standards. When you do things in vail, you are competing against the world because only those who get the best in the world visit Vail. Right now, it seems like this was another attempt at a legit nightclub for Vail (which it desperately needs) but is falling short as of right now. I don’t really blame staff or anyone for this as of right now because it is such a new place, takes time to organize better events.

Bring in bigger/more talented artists. They have tons of artists coming through i70 corridor to perform in aspen, it’s always very easy to get artist already performing aspen to perform in Vail. Mojave Grey has a residency in aspen this year and would be a great pick with an amazing combo of live and electronic sound that would sit well with the wide audience range I saw.

I got tons of other suggestion/actionable things, but I’ll wait to see if this is even a concern for Chasing Rabbits. I still think they have potential, but the first experience is really important and I’m hearing a lot of the same from locals, cool aesthetics, but not really much else going on. They’d rather...

We initially had a reservation at this restaurant which we cancelled through OpenTable several days in advance because our flight would not get there in time. After canceling, we called the Restaurant and asked if they had a waitlist for a later reservation. They put us on the waitlist for an 8:30pm reservation and noted they would call us if space opened up.

Fast forward to today, the day of our original, but already cancelled reservation. I am at the airport when a call comes from the restaurant that they have space for us at 8:30 pm and I accept the last minute reservation. Within the hour, I end up having to call back because our flight out of Seattle was looking like it would delayed such that we would not make it there in time. I explained the situation, they wanted to collect $50 per person ($250) for our “cancellation” after they’ve already presumably taken at least that amount, if not more, from whomever canceled ahead of us (their cancellation having made an open table available for us). I said we would not be paying that fee because I took the reservation less than an hour ago off the waitlist and it was impossible for us to give 24 hour warning given the reservation we accepted was for 8:30 that night. I was told, by the hostess I called, to call back once I was sure of the delay. My husband called back once we were certain the of the delay and was met with the same rudeness, not listening to the issues, and being completely unreasonable.

I’ve never had the opportunity to dine at this new Vail establishment, and because of the way we’ve been treated today, we never will. There was likely a table that canceled ahead of us, and the restaurant collected their $50 a head from them. Then we took this table off the wait list and almost immediately had to cancel and they want to collect even more money? What kind of a scam is this? I am pretty appalled at how Incredibly unreasonable their policy is and it was never explained to me when I took that table off the waitlist that the policy even applied to tables from the waitlist.

There are other restaurants in Vail with far superior customer service skills. Dine there instead. With this low caliber of customer service, I would be surprised if this place, Chasing Rabbits, manages to stay in business...