Tahoe gets cold in the wintertime, and sometimes you just need a place to go to warm up and get some comfort food or at least gather around a fire with your friends and a tasty beverage. Here are a few of the best restaurants and bars with fireplaces in the Tahoe basin that are open to everyone: 

Himmel Haus, 3819 Saddle Rd., South Lake Tahoe

Across from the California Lodge at Heavenly Mountain Resort, the Himmel Haus is the perfect place to go when the lifts close for the day, you want to warm up, and you are in search of some great German Bavarian food. 

---

---

At 5 p.m. on a cold sunny day, both fireplaces were roaring and there was already a group of eight people sitting in the main dining area right next to the floor-to-ceiling gas fireplace encased in stone, talking about sausage. On the other side of the restaurant, another smaller gas fireplace is in a sunken lounge area closer to the bar and next to the foosball table. 

“Yes, I feel like people come in just to sit by the fireplace,” the Himmel Haus host says. “It gets really cold outside up here and we get a lot of snow, so people tend to gravitate towards the fireplaces to get warm.”  

---

---

Black Bear Lodge, 1202 Ski Run Blvd., South Lake Tahoe

Black Bear Lodge also ranks high on South Lake Tahoe fireplaces with its rooms, suites, and cabins tucked into the pines. The front of the lodge is designed in river rock and a gigantic gas fireplace in the lobby is made of the same bouldering. If the rock ledge is full of people, then sit on one of the leather couches near it and play a wooden game while still feeling the heat.

The best part is that the Black Bear Lodge keeps a small beer and wine bar where guests and locals are both welcome. On a random Tuesday evening, a group of guys from the United Kingdom were imbibing in beer on tap, wine, and other canned beverages. A couple of South Lake Brewing Co. beers are on tap; I recommend having a Marlette Sunrise tangerine blonde ale to enjoy in front of the roaring fire. 

The Loft, 1001 Heavenly Village Way Ste. 50, South Lake Tahoe

This swanky “dinner and a show” spot has cool ambiance and vibe in Taste, which is the restaurant upstairs outside of the theater. A spacious lounge area has leather couches that you just sink into as you wait for your show, are coming out of a show, or just want a place to chill. But instead of coffee tables around the couches, gas firepits hold flames wrapped in glass with dark granite countertop brims around them to hold a plate, set a drink down, or play Jenga. The flames are there, but the glass keeps any Jenga pieces or alcoholic drinks ending up in the pits. 

Tahoe House Bakery & Gourmet, 625 W Lake Blvd., Tahoe City

Open from 6 a.m.-3 p.m. daily, this family-owned eatery arguably has the best fresh-baked breads and pastries on the West Shore. Along with their European-style baked goods, it also has gourmet sandwiches, breakfast items, and cozy to-go comfort foods like chicken pot pies, soup, and Swiss Landjaeger. Two main dining rooms surround a tall see-through gas fireplace, which lights up when it gets cold enough outside. It’s busiest in the mornings around 8 a.m. when people stop in to grab a cup of coffee and a pastry on their way to the slopes; if they have time to eat it then they’ll usually post up in front of the fireplace to do so. 

River Ranch Lodge, Bar & Restaurant, 2285 River Rd., Tahoe City 

Follow Highway 89 north of downtown Tahoe City towards Truckee and you’ll come upon River Ranch. It’s right on the Truckee River so not only is this a common spot to get out after a day, but people also like to come here for dinner, drinks, and possibly even stay the night after skiing or riding Alpine Meadows. River Ranch has 19 rooms, a restaurant, a bar, and two fireplaces. One is a river rock wood-burning stove in one of the dining rooms and the other is around the corner from the bar, tucked into a little nook with a TV next to it. That one is a metal stove that burns both gas and wood, and since it’s first-come first-serve, those spots get taken fast. 

The Soule Domain, 9983 Cove St., Kings Beach

The Soule Domain—aka “a log cabin with affordable food”—has been a locals’ favorite since 1985. Perched across from the former Tahoe Biltmore on the California side of the state line, The Soule Domain prides itself on its creative American cuisine made with free range, organic meats and natural ingredients whenever possible. Impress your date by reserving a candlelit table next to the Country wood stove in its downstairs dining area and indulging in a Queen of Sheba flourless chocolate double torte cake at the end of your meal. The Soule Domain really makes you feel at home when it’s halfway buried in snow. 

Lone Eagle Grille, 111 Country Club Dr., Incline Village

Even though the panoramic views of Lake Tahoe are what primarily draws people into the Lone Eagle Grille, its two massive stone see-through fireplaces are just as commanding of places where people want to sit. Lone Eagle Grille opened in 1994, and its Valhalla design also includes high ceilings, double-decker windows, large wooden trusses, and Craftsman-style lighting. Both gas fireplaces are turned on every night when the snow starts to consistently fall; one of the seats in front of the two-story fireplace near the bar is an ideal spot to have an Incline 75 craft cocktail and lounge food special. 

Editor’s note: This article originally appeared in the Winter 2024 edition of Tahoe Magazine.