Gordon Ramsay Truffles Pub

When the resort announced the food market, it described a group of casual counters around a market hall, and Truffles Pub was the sit-down option, with craft cocktails and what it called Ramsay classics. Other counters in the market were announced as a burger spot, a pizza counter, a sushi bar, a fish-and-chips window, a raw bar and deli, and a coffee bar. You can read the original announcement for the lineup, though individual counters may have changed since.

The menu pairs British pub dishes with American comfort food. Beef Wellington is the headline, and the fish and chips is a traditional take, with a crisp batter. Other dishes diners mention are the truffle burger and crispy salmon. The drink list covers cocktails and a draft beer selection that includes craft options. The $$$ price tier fits a celebrity-chef restaurant, so expect a dinner check that is higher than most Cherokee restaurants.

Reservations are available through OpenTable, where the restaurant has a rating near 4.3 from several hundred reviews. One listing shows it open Thursday through Sunday, but days and hours change, so call the resort at 828-497-8880 or check OpenTable before you drive over. A weekend dinner reservation is the safest plan.

Cherokee sits at the Oconaluftee entrance to Great Smoky Mountains National Park, and the resort is a short drive from the Oconaluftee Visitor Center. A dinner here makes a good end to a day on Newfound Gap Road, the Mountain Farm Museum or a hike. If you drive that road, note that the Carlos Campbell Overlook is temporarily closed. The National Park Service lists current closures on its road and trail closures page.

• The restaurant is inside a casino resort on tribal land, and the resort has its own parking.
• The resort has other Gordon Ramsay counters and several other restaurants, so you can compare options on the same visit.

If you want a special-occasion dinner in Cherokee, this and the other resort restaurants are the main choices. For something local and inexpensive, family restaurants along US-19 in town are better, such as Granny's Kitchen.