The renowned Ahwahnee hotel at Yosemite is about to scrap its a la carte dinner offerings and send everyone to a prix fixe menu — with prices starting at $95 per person.
Beginning April 23, the hotel’s dining room, coveted for its wood-beamed ceilings, wrought-iron chandeliers and giant windows overlooking scenic Yosemite Valley, will offer guests a set five- or seven-course meal, with an optional wine pairing, according to park communications reviewed by the Chronicle.
The five-course meal, priced at $95, will rise to $135 with the wine pairing, and the seven-course meal will be $125, or $165 with wine. A vegan version of the dinner will also be offered as will an a la carte kids’ menu.
The 99-year-old Ahwahnee, which has been visited by such dignitaries as President Barack Obama, Queen Elizabeth II and President John F. Kennedy, is widely considered among the grandest places to stay and dine within a national park. Like many facilities in the national park system, the hotel is operated by a private concessionaire, in this case Philadelphia-based Aramark.
Aramark officials did not respond to questions from the Chronicle about the new menu. But officials at Yosemite National Park, in a briefing sent to employees on the change this week, billed it as the product of recent hotel renovations.
Over the past few years, construction crews have made a series of structural modifications to the Ahwahnee, including $35 million worth of seismic retrofits in the dining room and kitchen. The work forced the restaurant to close for most of 2023, and food service has faced a handful of logistical challenges since. Only recently have dining operations been unencumbered, with the completion of several kitchen upgrades.
The forthcoming change to the dinner menu presents an opportunity for Aramark to showcase improvement at the hotel, but it’s also an invitation for scrutiny: For $95, people will come with expectations.
The food at the Ahwahnee has long been a subject of criticism. Online reviews have consistently described it as mediocre and “cafeteria-like,” and especially disappointing given entrée prices, which currently run from about $36 to $63.
Meanwhile, Aramark, which runs several hotels, shops and restaurants at Yosemite, has received a string of bad performance reviews from park officials. In 2019, the Ahwahnee hotel lost its prestigious four-star award from AAA and has since retained a three-star rating.
Once the prix fixe menu begins, dinner will be available by reservation only (no walk-ins) and seatings will be more limited, according to park officials.
The Ahwahnee also serves breakfast and lunch.
Dining and Cooking