Idaho’s Best Restaurant With a View is Totally Bucket List Worthy

With the beautiful Boise foothills as the backdrop, there’s no shortage of restaurants with breathtaking views in the Treasure Valley. But if you want THE BEST view? You’ll have to do some traveling! 

As we sat down to write this article, we asked a few friends “Which restaurant in Idaho do you think has the best view?” All of them are Treasure Valley residents so we weren’t surprised by the answers we got. 

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Barbacoa’s patio and rooftop Luna bar was a popular answer. 

Folks who know about Zee’s Rooftop Cafe at the C.W. Moore Penthouse threw a vote its way. It’s hard to disagree. We had our wedding reception at the penthouse because we fell in love with the view.

Because of its proximity to the Greenbelt and Boise River, they thought that Sandbar could be worthy of the title. 

Don’t get us wrong. All these local restaurants are fantastic and offer beautiful views, but it was pretty clear that it had been a while since these friends had made the drive to Twin Falls. According to Cheapism, that’s where you’ll find the best restaurant with a view in Idaho and we can’t disagree with their pick! The national publication chose Elevation 486, a Tom Nickel restaurant perched 486 feet above the Snake River. The unique location provides jaw dropping views of the canyon and Perrine Bridge.  

Nickel, who also owns The Sawtooth Club in Ketchum, told MagicValley.com that he was approached by developers to open the restaurant and that once he saw the location, he couldn’t say no. The opportunity to serve guests in a setting like this was truly a once in a lifetime opportunity. 

Word of mouth about the view from the 100 person patio and through the large floor-to-ceiling windows during the cooler months is what gets people through the door, the impressive menu keeps people coming back. Entrees include Idaho Ruby Red Trout, Fire-Grilled Manchester Farms Quail, Kobe Beef Meatloaf and Northwest Seafood Linguine. While they’re not nearly as fancy, our personal favorites are the Grilled Shrimp Tacos and Beer Battered Alaskan Cod & Chips that you’ll find on the lunch menu. 

A lot of times we question national publication's choice for the best of anything in Idaho, because it's unlikely that they've actually visited the places they chose...but this one feels right. For this author, a stop at Elevation 486 is an absolute MUST when driving through Twin Falls en route to Jackpot, Idaho Falls or Salt Lake City. From personal experience, we can say that the hour or so you stop to enjoy the views, food and maybe a cocktail, are totally worth it. Just be prepared to budget a little. You get what you pay for here.