Slopeside Lounge at the Highlands

The story

Crafted with passion, served with love

A Resort Lounge Worth Lingering In

The Slopeside Lounge sits within The Highlands at Harbor Springs, a full-service resort on 600 Highland Drive that draws visitors year-round to the hills of northern Michigan. While the resort offers more than a dozen dining options across its grounds, the Slopeside Lounge is the one that earned Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence in 2023 — a recognition that points directly to the care put into its curated wine list.

Casual American with a Considered Pour

The format here is relaxed American: casual meals, appetizers, and drinks in a setting designed for unwinding rather than ceremony. Handcrafted cocktails and a local beer selection round out the bar program, but it's the wine list that distinguishes the Slopeside Lounge from a typical resort stop. Wine Spectator's Award of Excellence is granted only to restaurants that present lists with sufficient depth, breadth, and compatibility with the menu — no small achievement for a lounge in a ski and golf resort.

The wider dining complex at The Highlands is built around the rhythms of outdoor recreation, and the Slopeside Lounge reflects that sensibility: somewhere to settle in after a day on the slopes or the course, order something satisfying, and take your time over a well-chosen glass.

Part of Something Larger

The Highlands operates across seasons, and the Slopeside Lounge is available for private parties and events in addition to everyday lunch and dinner service. Takeaway is also an option for guests moving between the resort's many activities. Within a property that spans everything from quick-bite tee stops to a full Main Dining Room with hillside views, the Slopeside Lounge occupies a comfortable middle ground — more considered than a pub, more approachable than a formal dining room — and the Wine Spectator recognition confirms that the drinks program is being taken seriously.