Element 47

The name says everything about where this restaurant is rooted. Element 47, silver on the periodic table, is a nod to the mineral veins that first brought prospectors to Aspen’s mountains in the 1880s. That heritage of discovery and refinement runs through every aspect of the dining room that Rowland+Broughton designed inside The Little Nell hotel.

The design marked a deliberate rebrand and a fresh aesthetic that signaled a new chapter for one of Aspen’s most lauded dining destinations. Serving as architect of record alongside collaborators Bentel & Bentel Architecture Planning Design and KGM Architectural Lighting, R+B established a sleek, modern architectural framework calibrated to complement the sophistication of both the culinary and wine programs, then carefully tempered it with warmth. Wood accent screens, upholstered banquettes, a refined lighting system, and acoustical wall and ceiling panel treatments layer texture and intimacy into the space while ensuring the room feels as considered as what arrives at the table.

The AIA Colorado West Chapter recognized the project with an award for design excellence at its annual gala in Snowmass Village, with the jury describing Element 47 as “a smooth understatement … spaces have been carefully broken down into intimate sitting areas; the restaurant is both grand and comfortable.” It is a precise summation of the balance R+B sought from the outset.

Element 47 is Aspen’s benchmark for fine dining. Recognized by the Michelin Guide and a perennial pillar of The Little Nell’s rare Five-Star, Five-Diamond distinction, one of only a handful of properties in the world to hold both designations simultaneously, year after year. The menu is Colorado Contemporary in spirit with local wagyu, house-made pastas, and seasonal produce guided by what the landscape offers and plated with genuine intention. Breakfast, lunch, dinner, and an all-day bar menu ensure the restaurant moves fluidly through the rhythms of a mountain day, from unhurried morning light to the glow of a long evening at the table.

The wine program is a destination in its own right. Built with care, depth, and a sense of discovery, it earned Element 47 recognition as a 2026 Silver Star winner by Star Wine List, a distinction reserved for the world’s finest wine restaurants and was honored for Best Long Wine List with more than 600 references including Best Austrian Wine List, Best Italian Wine List, and Best Sparkling Wine List. It is a collection that rewards curiosity, and a fitting complement to a kitchen that takes its sourcing just as seriously.