Ahwahnee Dining Room

Raymond Carbonneau Robles

We were very impressed with the service here. Our server, Shannon, gave us great advice and tips. All the servers were very friendly and attentive. There were many menu options, including vegan ones. And the space is AWESOME! As in, truly inspired awe. It's a grand hall with beautiful windows and lots of space between tables. Just lovely. Thanks again!

Roman Rios

This place is always amazing. The hotel itself is amazing. But this done in room is really amazing. The food is always great. The service is always great. The drinks are great. I think the biggest thing about this place is the atmosphere, way worth stopping in and having some lunch when you're in the park.

I cannot believe the low reviews here. We joined for lunch and had an amazing time. The place is stunning. Our server, Joshua, was wonderful and attentive. He was also thorough with my food allergies. We were sat by the large windows to see the falls. Our party ordered multiple apps, entrees and desserts and everything was so delicious! I was really impressed with the food. The only thing I wish they would change is the dress code for dinner. We are van campers and never have that attire on us. Will definitely be back on our next park visit!

If you are staying at the hotel, you have access to reservations that are reserved for guests and not listed on OpenTable - but even those can fill up. We were able to get a table for the following day when we checked in. The hanger steak was the best dish out of all three nights that we dined there, and even that was a bit overcooked for medium rare. The dining room is exceptionally charming and the staff are lovely.

Ava M

If you are staying at the hotel, you have access to reservations that are reserved for guests and not listed on OpenTable - but even those can fill up. We were able to get a table for the following day when we checked in. The hanger steak was the best dish out of all three nights that we dined there, and even that was a bit overcooked for medium rare. The dining room is exceptionally charming and the staff are lovely.

Carolyn G

We had a great time here at Xmas. Our server, Nicola I think, was extremely hardworking and pleasant. The food was genuinely delicious. We weren’t expecting much (based on existing reviews), but learned that they have a new chef.

Breakfast at The Ahwahnee Dining Room is truly a magical way to start the morning. The moment you walk in, you’re greeted by a stunning, cathedral-like dining hall—soaring ceilings, grand chandeliers, and massive floor-to-ceiling windows that perfectly frame Yosemite’s breathtaking scenery. The space feels both historic and luxurious, with a calm elegance that immediately puts you in a great mood. We were given two complimentary breakfasts courtesy of Sierra, the second-shift front desk hostess, because our room hadn’t been ready past 4pm the day prior. That thoughtful gesture alone started our morning off on a wonderful note. We were a party of five, and when we first walked in, we assumed breakfast was buffet only. But Walter and Skyler, our fantastic servers, let us know that we could order from the regular breakfast menu as well. Still, the buffet looked too good to pass up! BUFFET HIGHLIGHTS Carving Station: Featuring tender slices of ham and roast beef carved to order. Seafood Selection: A beautiful spread of fresh oysters, jumbo cocktail prawns, smoked fish, and classic lox. Hot Breakfast Offerings: Fluffy French toast, perfectly prepared eggs benedict, crispy bacon, savory sausage, breakfast potatoes, and scrambled eggs. Lighter Options: A refreshing assortment of salad greens, seasonal fruits, yogurt, and warm oatmeal. Pastry Assortment: A selection of small pastries, perfect for a sweet finish. Coffee & Tea: Served tableside, with an additional self-serve station available exclusively for hotel guests. Walter and Skyler took amazing care of us. Both were warm, attentive, and genuinely friendly. At one point we spotted several deer outside the windows and immediately ran out to take pictures. When we came back, Skyler shared a fun fact: sometimes a bear wanders into the meadow near the hotel, and park staff will safely cage and relocate it to keep both humans and the bear protected. A cool Yosemite tidbit you don’t hear every day! Overall, this breakfast experience was wonderful, from the elegant setting to the incredible buffet and exceptional service. Pro Tip: Make your dinner reservation weeks in advance. Don’t do what we did—waiting until two weeks before our stay. The dining room was completely booked (no surprise since we visited the weekend before Thanksgiving, one of their busiest times). If you’re staying at The Ahwahnee or just visiting Yosemite for the day, breakfast here is absolutely worth it. A peaceful, delicious, luxurious start to the morning.

Large buffet breakfast with a wide variety of choices. You are sure to find something for everyone here. The food is also really good. The dining hall is magnificent and huge with large windows letting in lots of natural light and can see the falls from. White table cloth dining with full table service, you serve your own food. A small setback, we had reservation and upon arrival at the appropriate time we still had to wait 20-30 minutes to be seated, also the buffet options did not get replenished often even though there was ample servers, not sure why, bowls also would be a great addition for the fruit/oatmeal bar. Overall great serve and delicious breakfast in a gorgeous old historical hotel was a great experience. I would probably come back !

KG

Breakfast at The Ahwahnee Dining Room is truly a magical way to start the morning. The moment you walk in, you’re greeted by a stunning, cathedral-like dining hall—soaring ceilings, grand chandeliers, and massive floor-to-ceiling windows that perfectly frame Yosemite’s breathtaking scenery. The space feels both historic and luxurious, with a calm elegance that immediately puts you in a great mood. We were given two complimentary breakfasts courtesy of Sierra, the second-shift front desk hostess, because our room hadn’t been ready past 4pm the day prior. That thoughtful gesture alone started our morning off on a wonderful note. We were a party of five, and when we first walked in, we assumed breakfast was buffet only. But Walter and Skyler, our fantastic servers, let us know that we could order from the regular breakfast menu as well. Still, the buffet looked too good to pass up! BUFFET HIGHLIGHTS Carving Station: Featuring tender slices of ham and roast beef carved to order. Seafood Selection: A beautiful spread of fresh oysters, jumbo cocktail prawns, smoked fish, and classic lox. Hot Breakfast Offerings: Fluffy French toast, perfectly prepared eggs benedict, crispy bacon, savory sausage, breakfast potatoes, and scrambled eggs. Lighter Options: A refreshing assortment of salad greens, seasonal fruits, yogurt, and warm oatmeal. Pastry Assortment: A selection of small pastries, perfect for a sweet finish. Coffee & Tea: Served tableside, with an additional self-serve station available exclusively for hotel guests. Walter and Skyler took amazing care of us. Both were warm, attentive, and genuinely friendly. At one point we spotted several deer outside the windows and immediately ran out to take pictures. When we came back, Skyler shared a fun fact: sometimes a bear wanders into the meadow near the hotel, and park staff will safely cage and relocate it to keep both humans and the bear protected. A cool Yosemite tidbit you don’t hear every day! Overall, this breakfast experience was wonderful, from the elegant setting to the incredible buffet and exceptional service. Pro Tip: Make your dinner reservation weeks in advance. Don’t do what we did—waiting until two weeks before our stay. The dining room was completely booked (no surprise since we visited the weekend before Thanksgiving, one of their busiest times). If you’re staying at The Ahwahnee or just visiting Yosemite for the day, breakfast here is absolutely worth it. A peaceful, delicious, luxurious start to the morning.

Lauren (Rose)

Large buffet breakfast with a wide variety of choices. You are sure to find something for everyone here. The food is also really good. The dining hall is magnificent and huge with large windows letting in lots of natural light and can see the falls from. White table cloth dining with full table service, you serve your own food. A small setback, we had reservation and upon arrival at the appropriate time we still had to wait 20-30 minutes to be seated, also the buffet options did not get replenished often even though there was ample servers, not sure why, bowls also would be a great addition for the fruit/oatmeal bar. Overall great serve and delicious breakfast in a gorgeous old historical hotel was a great experience. I would probably come back !

I read all of the reviews about how bad the food is so we decided to eat here for lunch and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The dining room is magnificent. It looks like the dining hall in the Harry Potter movies. The views from the huge windows are stunning. We had the salmon, burger, french dip sandwich, cauliflower appetizer and stuffed mushrooms. The salmon was good and the burger and french dip were decent. The cauliflower was actually very good, with dates, honey, and chili flakes. The mushrooms were bland. The service was ok. The waitstaff are nice enough but they make some mistakes and aren’t really professional. But it wasn’t bad enough to ruin the experience. I think that lunch is the way to go. It’s less expensive and you can enjoy the views outside. It was one of the highlights of our visit. If you’re not staying at the hotel plan to pay $10 for parking or take the shuttle from the welcome center. It’s a long walk from the village.

audreygubler

I read all of the reviews about how bad the food is so we decided to eat here for lunch and we thoroughly enjoyed it. The dining room is magnificent. It looks like the dining hall in the Harry Potter movies. The views from the huge windows are stunning. We had the salmon, burger, french dip sandwich, cauliflower appetizer and stuffed mushrooms. The salmon was good and the burger and french dip were decent. The cauliflower was actually very good, with dates, honey, and chili flakes. The mushrooms were bland. The service was ok. The waitstaff are nice enough but they make some mistakes and aren’t really professional. But it wasn’t bad enough to ruin the experience. I think that lunch is the way to go. It’s less expensive and you can enjoy the views outside. It was one of the highlights of our visit. If you’re not staying at the hotel plan to pay $10 for parking or take the shuttle from the welcome center. It’s a long walk from the village.

Disappointing...Dark, musky, huge tables for 10, no other option. Not warm, not friendly not even elegant. It's my opinion of course but I think they need to revisit everything, from decor to saltless menu. Also you cant make reservations online, nothing open till 12/31st on opentable app. The restaurant phone just rings and rings. We went on the chance that they had tables for walk ins...The place was empty, a total of 5 tables had guests...Something is off.

I recently had dinner at the Ahwahnee Dining Room and while the night overall was memorable, it was thanks largely to the stunning atmosphere and the great company I was with. The grandeur of the historic hotel truly sets a tone of elegance and charm—the high ceilings, classic decor, and timeless beauty of the space made it feel special. However, a few elements detracted from the experience. While we dressed for the occasion, it was disappointing to see that the dress code was not consistently enforced. The lack of formality at many nearby tables took away from the sophisticated ambiance that the venue naturally provides. As for the food, it was unfortunately underwhelming. It wasn’t bad, but it lacked depth of flavor and the menu was more limited than I expected for such a renowned location. Service was another area that didn’t meet the mark. Our waitress was kind and genuinely tried her best, but it was clear she was under stress—likely a result of being understaffed, which seemed to be a theme across the room. The setting is truly one-of-a-kind and worth experiencing, but I hope the dining and service elements rise to meet the surroundings in future visits.

Cristy “CristyG” G

Disappointing...Dark, musky, huge tables for 10, no other option. Not warm, not friendly not even elegant. It's my opinion of course but I think they need to revisit everything, from decor to saltless menu. Also you cant make reservations online, nothing open till 12/31st on opentable app. The restaurant phone just rings and rings. We went on the chance that they had tables for walk ins...The place was empty, a total of 5 tables had guests...Something is off.

Luis Verdesoto

I recently had dinner at the Ahwahnee Dining Room and while the night overall was memorable, it was thanks largely to the stunning atmosphere and the great company I was with. The grandeur of the historic hotel truly sets a tone of elegance and charm—the high ceilings, classic decor, and timeless beauty of the space made it feel special. However, a few elements detracted from the experience. While we dressed for the occasion, it was disappointing to see that the dress code was not consistently enforced. The lack of formality at many nearby tables took away from the sophisticated ambiance that the venue naturally provides. As for the food, it was unfortunately underwhelming. It wasn’t bad, but it lacked depth of flavor and the menu was more limited than I expected for such a renowned location. Service was another area that didn’t meet the mark. Our waitress was kind and genuinely tried her best, but it was clear she was under stress—likely a result of being understaffed, which seemed to be a theme across the room. The setting is truly one-of-a-kind and worth experiencing, but I hope the dining and service elements rise to meet the surroundings in future visits.

Smita Kolhatkar

This was supposed to be a special dinner for a very special occasion with my husband and son. Our reservation was for 6:15. We reached at about 5:25. The dining room was less than 50% occupied and even with the few people waiting in the lobby to be seated, there would be (And I did see about 15 minutes later) at least ten tables that were empty and stayed empty the entire evening. Yosemite park is nowhere near capacity at this time. I went up to the hostess letting her know that we had a reservation and could she please seat us. She said no, despite the fact that those tables were clearly unoccupied and continued to be. I then managed to get my open table reservation moved ahead by 15 minutes, went up at 5:40 and let her know (to which she grimaced literally). She said they would try. Again, at least least ten tables continued to be empty. Thereafter, at 6:05 she called us and seated us. She only smiled and welcomed my grown up son. The other person took us to our assigned table which was right by the kitchen.we are obviously brown skinned Americans but we are American. Thereafter, a big family (again obviously brown skinned) came and they too were seated by the kitchen. All the white folks were seated on the other side and the tables continued to be empty. We all pay the same price, we eat the same food and are law abiding citizens, this is the first time in my 30 years in my country that I have felt blatant discrimination. Our servers were excellent and that was the saving grace.

I ordered the braised beef. The description says it should come with risotto and fresh market vegetables. However, the “risotto” was completely uncooked and raw rice. It was even cold. The texture was like biting into chips. I sent it back and they sent me and new one and it was even more uncooked the second time. I did enjoy the braised beef, but I did not even touch the rice. It was disappointing and borderline dangerous. My mom had the burger. Honestly it was nothing special. My brother had the salmon, which was good but the green noodles were also cold and borderline uncooked. Nonetheless, we will not be returning. Service also was on the poorer end. I had to shout across the table to come get somebody to take a look at my food.

Had lunch at the Ahwanee for my birthday. While the dining room is absolutely beautiful, we were not prepared for the seating arrangements. The restaurant only has tables for 8 people and even though there were plenty of open tables (probably 70% of the dining room was open), we were seated with another couple. After a few minutes, we realized that one of our new companions was ill with a cold or something similar. The food was fine, nothing spectacular. Service was very good. I suppose great expectations got the best of us. Definitely checking this off our list and have learned from the experience.

The room is beautiful and service was ok. What really disappointed was the food. We ordered 2 burgers cooked medium. The burgers were overcooked but the worst was that the fries were served completely cold and mushy. In a hotel of this level how can’t they even get a burger with fries right?

Jeff Hinrichsen

Had lunch at the Ahwanee for my birthday. While the dining room is absolutely beautiful, we were not prepared for the seating arrangements. The restaurant only has tables for 8 people and even though there were plenty of open tables (probably 70% of the dining room was open), we were seated with another couple. After a few minutes, we realized that one of our new companions was ill with a cold or something similar. The food was fine, nothing spectacular. Service was very good. I suppose great expectations got the best of us. Definitely checking this off our list and have learned from the experience.

Sara T

The room is beautiful and service was ok. What really disappointed was the food. We ordered 2 burgers cooked medium. The burgers were overcooked but the worst was that the fries were served completely cold and mushy. In a hotel of this level how can’t they even get a burger with fries right?

Jason Gillespie

I would not recommend the Ahwahnee restaurant to anyone. The onion soup was “ok”. The Caesar salad had no flavor. The prime rib also had no flavor and the texture was awful. I couldn’t finish either one. The wine was good and the ambiance incredible. The wait staff was all by herself and she did a wonderful job. Overpriced for substandard food.

The setting is absolutely stunning—the dining room feels like something out of Harry Potter’s Great Hall or Beauty and the Beast. High timbered ceilings, stone walls, candle-like chandeliers, and live piano music set a magical atmosphere. Unfortunately, the food was a major letdown. Despite the fine-dining prices, the buffet menu was underwhelming and poorly executed. Most dishes lacked flavor, and the desserts were simply bad. It was quite disheartening, especially considering the grandeur of the place. Another downside was the inconsistent service. While some of the waitstaff were professional and attentive, others seemed undergroomed and unprepared, which detracted from the overall experience. If it weren’t for the charming piano music, this would have been a zero-star experience for me. I truly hope they improve the food—it wouldn’t take much, given how low the bar currently is. I came in with high expectations, and sadly, the meal didn’t come close to matching the setting.

This place has a beautiful decor and ambience. They have a live piano player which sounds really elegant as well. We came here for dinner. It’s a buffet style so they bring you water/other beverage and bread/soup but everything else you serve yourself. Food was okay. Nothing really to rave about. But towards the end it got busy or whatever the server got overwhelmed and was giving our table attitude. My mom wanted tea but they took forever to bring tea then the server kept saying she was doing something then she will come bring us hot water. Then she gave me a chock full of attitude while telling me she has to go get hot water for the tea. We just left after that. We already paid so maybe she didn’t care anymore. But I cancelled the breakfast reservation the following day because it was not a pleasant experience to be treated that way.

Javier Cotín

The setting is absolutely stunning—the dining room feels like something out of Harry Potter’s Great Hall or Beauty and the Beast. High timbered ceilings, stone walls, candle-like chandeliers, and live piano music set a magical atmosphere. Unfortunately, the food was a major letdown. Despite the fine-dining prices, the buffet menu was underwhelming and poorly executed. Most dishes lacked flavor, and the desserts were simply bad. It was quite disheartening, especially considering the grandeur of the place. Another downside was the inconsistent service. While some of the waitstaff were professional and attentive, others seemed undergroomed and unprepared, which detracted from the overall experience. If it weren’t for the charming piano music, this would have been a zero-star experience for me. I truly hope they improve the food—it wouldn’t take much, given how low the bar currently is. I came in with high expectations, and sadly, the meal didn’t come close to matching the setting.

I made a reservation a month in advance because this restaurant was fully booked. When we arrived, the place had many open tables, which already felt odd. Despite that, my significant other and I were seated all the way in the back left corner, at a tiny table behind the dish area, completely separated from everyone else. Meanwhile, other couples were seated at comfortable small round tables in better areas. The placement felt intentional and extremely uncomfortable. Honestly, it gave off a feeling of prejudice and possible racial bias, especially considering the available seating. I’m glad we decided not to stay. After reading other guests’ reviews about the food, it only confirmed that leaving was the right choice. Overall, the experience was disappointing and unwelcoming, and I won’t be returning.

Monica Lopez

I made a reservation a month in advance because this restaurant was fully booked. When we arrived, the place had many open tables, which already felt odd. Despite that, my significant other and I were seated all the way in the back left corner, at a tiny table behind the dish area, completely separated from everyone else. Meanwhile, other couples were seated at comfortable small round tables in better areas. The placement felt intentional and extremely uncomfortable. Honestly, it gave off a feeling of prejudice and possible racial bias, especially considering the available seating. I’m glad we decided not to stay. After reading other guests’ reviews about the food, it only confirmed that leaving was the right choice. Overall, the experience was disappointing and unwelcoming, and I won’t be returning.

MRS

I was hoping the tales of the gorgeous dining room being ruined by Aramark were exaggerated, but wow was it bad. There was only one vegetarian dish, butternut squash risotto, and it arrived barely cooked--mushrooms and squash basically raw and the rice undercooked, infused with raw garlic flavor. Someone else had the very expensive prime rib, and it was barely passable. No idea how anyone is giving this more than one star. Maybe breakfast and lunch are better? We ate at the bar the next night, and it was definitely better, though with an odd menu with many cold items even though it was winter. If you stay at the Ahwahnee, I definitely recommend bringing your own food.

Wendy Murphy

What can I say, I was so looking forward to dinner in the beautiful dining room having booked many months in advance. The room, stunning, our waitress efficient, courteous & engaging, piano player provided a pleasant atmosphere. The food however was quite an opposite story. Unremarkable & underwhelming start with the bread basket. Dry rolls & lacking in quality & freshness that you would expect for $8. French onion soup & salad fine but nothing spectacular. Main course of prime rib & hanger steak came out cold initially. Potatoes severally undercooked. When the meal was returned, came back having been obviously placed under a heat lamp. Yorkshire pudding burnt on top, steak recooked to well done & potatoes dry & hard. At $62 & $54 again I expected so much better. The best part of the meal was the glass of wine which indeed was delicious! Whilst the manager reduced the bill by taking off the coat of bread & soup & offered a dessert, it just didn't recover the night.