Mariposa is Sedona’s crown jewel dining experience for many reasons (painstakingly sourced ingredients, award-winning cuisine, stellar service), but it’s the peerless sunset views that catapult this restaurant into the “legendary experience” category. High on a hillside overlooking the famed northern Arizona Red Rocks, the restaurant was designed to leverage the spectacle of sunset as it casts light on the surrounding rocks, changing hues from vermilion to peach over the course of a meal. It’s spectacular dinner theater and you’ll only find it at Mariposa.

Owner and Chef Lisa Dahl, who keeps her hours full as the executive chef and CEO of five restaurants in Sedona (Dahl & Di Luca Ristorante Italiano, Cucina Rustica, Pisa Lisa, Mariposa, and her newest addition, Butterfly Burger, a Couture Burger Lounge), doesn’t rest on her sunset laurels. She hustles, and hard. A self-taught chef, Dahl is credited as being the first chef to introduce fine dining to Sedona in the late ‘90s with the opening of Dahl & Di Luca. 

Elegant and demure, the Chanel-clad Dahl moves through the dining room, picking up customer napkins and delivering plates to tables. She answers questions, but rarely keeps the focus on herself for long—pointing to her team and their role in her success. She is quick to add that Mariposa’s sheer size and reputation has at times been overwhelming, “This place has brought me to my knees many times;  it’s an enormous responsibility.” Whether it’s sourcing sweetie peppers from Peru, octopus from Spain, or managing the throngs that want to a reservation, she does things in the best possible way with the best possible ingredients. This dedication to detail is an effort that is easily noticed in dishes such as the rack of lamb with roasted ratatouille, aji Amarillo, cilantro mint pesto, or the pillowy handmade empanadas stuffed with portobello, poblano, caramelized onion, and gouda. Indeed, you’re more likely to be disappointed by the sunset’s performance than Dahl’s.

If you enjoy Mariposa, and you most certainly will, consider a visit to one of her other ingredient-driven restaurants—including an entirely new concept coming this summer as part pf the new Ambiente Landscape Hotel.

Dahl and Di Luca, which is the restaurant that established her reputation for fine dining almost 25 years ago, is a classically styed Italian restaurant with cozy seating, white tablecloths, soft lighting and spotless service. Best bets are the mushroom ravioli, sea bass (so fresh) and the diabolically delicious arancini.  Cucina Rustica offers a more casual rustic Italian vibe and a menu that features organic produce and sustainably raised meats. At Pisa Lisa you’ll find the usual suspects of salads and paninis but the strength here is in her Neapolitan-style wood-fired pizzas. The sophisticated, sleek Butterfly Burger Lounge serves up award-winning burgers (try a Funghi Sublime with sautéed mushroom, truffle gouda and a house dijonnaise sauce) paired with imaginative sides, boozy milkshakes and a drool-worthy selection of craft beer and bourbon.

The most exciting new is her partnership with the much-anticipated Ambiente landscape hotel—literally up the street from Mariposa (exclusive to guests of the hotel will be a private walking path directly to Mariposa). Dahl will serve rustic, playful dishes from a retrofitted Airstream situated poolside at the heart of the three-acre property. Alchemy is exclusive to hotel guests only and will serve breakfast and lunch daily –think Teriyaki Roasted Beet Burger with herbed, blistered goat cheese; Ahi Tuna Poke Soft Tacos with avocado-wasabi crema; Quesadilla Supremo filled with grilled rosemary chicken, roasted tomato, and spicy jack cheese; Lentil Walnut Fritters with cilantro mint pesto.

“For me, Alchemy will be a fantasy,” said Dahl. “It will be eclectic and adventurous. There are no rules, yet each dish will be precisely designed to leave Ambiente’s guests dreaming about what they’ll eat next.”

The hotel is planning to open later this summer and will be just one more opportunity to keep Dahl on her A-game—which is where she seems most comfortable.