El Tovar Dining Room

Stella
Stella
First Reviewer
4 out of 5
Avg. Member Rating
4
Reviews
9
Photos
Editor Pick

Great Meal with a View

  • March 26, 2009
  • Rated 4 of 5 by MilwVon from Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Great Meal with a View

In planning for our Grand Canyon visit, I booked our dining reservation to assure a primo spot for dinner. The El Tovar did not disappoint on the view nor the meal.

We booked for 4:30, when the dining room opens for the evening. As one of the first groups to dine, we were given one of the better tables along side the windows facing the canyon. It was nice to enjoy the view while dining.

We opted to pass on the appetizers, salads and soups because as we entered the dining room they made special note of their dessert tray at the entrance. For dinner David went with the chef's nightly special, chicken marsala ($25) served with spinach over linguini. The delicately sweet marsala with mushrooms was outstanding!

I went with the crab stuffed rainbow trout ($26), and swapped out the rice pilaf for the fingerling potatoes. I had never even heard of fingerling potatoes but they were very good, somewhat similar to oven roasted potatoes but with a unique flavor. The trout fillet was very good, prepared perfectly.

Dinner was served with a basket of breads, which didn't seem quite fresh and at room temperature. This would be my only negative comment on the entire meal.

For dessert the choices were many and I had a hard time choosing between chocolate and non-chocolate options. I finally zeroed in on the apple pie that had a nice crunchy "crumble" topping. Talked into having it warmed and served ala-mode, I was in for a $10 dessert!! It was outstanding, but I don't know if I can say it was worth $10. (The small single scoop of vanilla ice cream was a $3.20 add-on.) David had the crème brulee ($6) and loved every bite. David reminded me that we were dining on $4 desserts and paying the premium for the views. Point well taken.

All in all, our dinner with tax and gratuities was just under $90 for the two of us. Given the overall outstanding experience, we felt it was an OK value. David was right, as much as anything, we were paying for the location and ambience of our dining experience, which we felt was great . . . so no complaints.

The El Tovar Dining Room is located inside the El Tovar Lodge right on the south rim of the Grand Canyon. They are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner; with reservations highly recommended especially for dinner.

For more information, check out their web site: http://www.grandcanyonlodges.com/dining-421.html.

From journal Wonderful Two Days at America's Top National Park

The El Tovar Dining Room

  • July 16, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by aponyah from Grand Canyon, Arizona
The El Tovar is best for breakfast and lunch. Make sure you try the Prickly Pear marinated boneless chicken breast with a layer of pepper jack cheese on a bed of rice. Delicious! My favorite. It is a beautiful, historic hotel and if you want a window seat you must reserved the 5pm or first reservation slot.

From journal Destination: Grand Canyon, Arizona

Editor Pick

El Tovar Dining Room

  • January 17, 2002
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Boomsie from Los Angeles, California
We had a beautiful table by the window in this large, dark but elegant room inside the El Tovar Hotel. The tables are nicely set with linens and little vases with flowers. Many of the servers seemed to be foreign-born. Our team of waitresses were both from the Czech Republic and were quick, friendly and attentive without being overbearing.

I had angel-hair pasta with a mushroom sauce. Husband had grilled chicken breast, veggies and au gratin potatoes. We each had a wonderful glass of chardonnay. Everything was cooked perfectly and was delicious. It was a tad expensive for lunch, but the food, service and atmosphere were well worth it. Our lunch tab came to almost $70, but we ordered an upscale wine (by the glass) and left a really nice tip. Sometimes I visit a place and have high hopes that it will be wonderful. Sometimes I'm disappointed. I wasn't disappointed here. It's everything I had hoped it would be.

From journal California to New Mexico with my dog

Editor Pick

The El Tovar Dining Room

  • May 2, 2001
  • Rated 4 of 5 by Stella from Brooklyn, New York
The El Tovar Dining Room

The El Tovar Dining Room, part of the El Tovar Hotel built in 1905, offers the best dining experience in the Grand Canyon. Its log cabin architecture, stuffed moose, deer and elk heads on the wall and hanging kerosene lanterns give this space a rustic air that compliments the surrounding South Rim area.

When you walk in, the right side of the dining room is closest to the Canyon. Request a table here if you want to watch the sunset during dinner. For appetizers, try the jalapeno fritters. The perfect amount of cream cheese is slipped into the fritter to provide some relief from the hot, yet irresistible, treat. A typical entrée features rainbow trout, wild rice, a selection of bok choi, carrots and other steamed vegetables. And for dessert, the ginger crème brulee is presented with a pastry spoon and fresh whipped cream.

Reservations are recommended if you are planning to dine at The El Tovar Dining Room. The gourmet food and regional specialties prepared have given it a reputation among both travelers and locals.

From journal Into the Earth

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