Mawa's Kitchen

Mawa's Kitchen, Afro-Mediterranean cuisine in Aspen

Mawa's Kitchen is the flagship restaurant of executive chef and owner Mawa McQueen, located in the Aspen Airport Business Center in Aspen, Colorado. The establishment is listed as recommended by the MICHELIN Guide and its cuisine is defined as Afro-Mediterranean with a French-American touch. The chef has been a semifinalist for the James Beard Award and received the Colorado Governor's Minority Business Award in 2020 and 2022.

A seasonal offering and international heritage

The menu is distinctly seasonal and reflects Mawa McQueen's international heritage. The culinary offering combines Mediterranean, French, and African roots at dinner, and incorporates American classics at breakfast and lunch. The restaurant presents itself as a space for imaginative, fresh, locally sourced, organic, and global cuisine.

The kitchen can accommodate dietary preferences such as vegetarian, vegan, gluten-free, low-sodium, and suitable for people with diabetes.

Services and operating hours

The restaurant offers breakfast and lunch Monday through Friday, a four-course tasting menu for dinner Monday through Saturday, and brunch on Saturdays and Sundays. It also provides catering services for events, private chef, and in-flight dining for private aircraft departing from Aspen airport.

Ambiance and space

The venue features a cozy dining room and a shaded patio with views, open from late spring to early fall. Inside, the decor includes warm colors and artworks that reflect the chef's roots and showcase local artists. Guests can sit at the full-service bar, where cocktails made with house-made juices and a selection of curated wines are served, facing a glass window.

Events and special experiences

The restaurant participates in Aspen Restaurant Week with a $75 three-course prix fixe menu, available from September 21 to 27, combining classic and new dishes from the chef. The company is celebrating its twentieth anniversary.

It also hosts 'Stories at Mawa's Kitchen: A Theatrical Culinary Journey,' an immersive, coursed dinner tracing the personal story of Chef Mawa McQueen, directed by Broadway's Adam Kantor and presented alongside Theatre Aspen, TA Next, and StoryCourse. The experience takes place for only three nights, from October 23 to 25, with fewer than 50 seats available per night.

Mawita, the tapas and wine bar

Next to Mawa's Kitchen is Mawita, a new tapas and wine bar offering an à la carte dinner option. Some dishes that were dinner favorites at Mawa's Kitchen are reimagined as tapas at Mawita.

Location and contact

Phone: (970) 710-7096