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Zuma has arrived in Vail, bringing black cod, a robata grill, and enough sake to keep dinner going long after the ski lifts stop.
The restaurant inside The Sebastian marks Zuma’s first U.S. opening in more than five years and its first American location in a mountain town. It joins Miami, New York, Las Vegas, and Boston, with San Diego also expected this summer as the brand begins another push across North America.
The setting makes sense. Zuma has always paired serious Japanese cooking with a dining experience built for people who aren’t in a hurry to go home. In Vail, that means a lounge and DJ booth alongside sushi and robata counters, plus two private dining spaces for groups of 10 to 12.
The menu brings the dishes that have followed Zuma around the world: marinated black cod wrapped in hoba leaf, chu toro maki with oscietra caviar, Norwegian king crab with ponzu, and the usual sweep of nigiri, sashimi, and food pulled from the charcoal grill. The bar adds more than 40 sakes, 250 wines, Japanese whiskies, and cocktails.
Chef Rainer Becker opened the first Zuma in London in 2002 after spending six years working in Tokyo. His version of the izakaya divided dinner among the main kitchen, sushi counter, and robata grill, with dishes arriving for the table rather than in the usual procession of individual courses. More than two decades and 25-plus locations later, the formula has become well traveled.
The Vail restaurant wraps it in carved timber, Japanese beams, glowing amber resin, backlit washi paper, and wool-lined booths. The effect is warm, polished, and clearly designed for ski jackets to come off and the evening to stretch out.
Vail has never needed help extending après-ski. Zuma has simply brought a more elaborate menu for it.
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