Where to Eat, Drink, Feast, and Sleep in Healdsburg, California

Welcome to Sonoma County, the little sister (but never second fiddle) to more popular Napa County next door — the stars of California wine country. Healdsburg, the charming small town along the Russian River that's the unofficial capital of Sonoma, is a culinary wonderland. Abundance and community are at the heart of everything, as is slowing down to pay attention to nature's bounty. Everyone is welcome, and these are the top places to eat and drink — then sleep it off in style.

Healdsburg Bubble Bar

A charming, pint-size bar serving bubbly from around the world, Healdsburg Bubble Bar is the brainchild of Sarah Quider, a winemaker who wanted to give back to the community. And give everyone a reason to drink Champagne as a daily celebration.

Van Z Vineyards

Small, family-owned winery Van Z Vineyards produces fewer than 500 cases of wine annually and hosts intimate tastings in their open-air barn, along with excursions on not-so-Dry Creek.

The Matheson

The Matheson is a beautiful hometown story: Local chef Dustin Valette returned to his roots, opening a restaurant in the same building where his great grandfather had owned a bakery 100 years earlier. The menu, dedicated to the micro seasons of California, is an elevated yet lively culinary journey. Ingredients come from local suppliers; a 80-bottle-wide wine wall brims with local varietals for sampling. On the restaurant's rooftop, Roof 106 offers wood-fired pizzas and appetizers — perfect for a casual pitstop overlooking the town's plaza.

Little Saint

If a vegan designed their ideal restaurant, it might look like Little Saint: plant-based, farm-to-table, a lively atmosphere, exciting flavors, and creative uses of a vegetable bounty. An upstairs venue with a state-of-the-art sound system hosts weekly concerts.

Dry Creek General Store

Operating since 1881, Dry Creek General Store has everything you'd want from a classic mom 'n' pop — enormous deli sandwiches, homemade candies, great chip selection — and more. The bar next door has what everyone wants after several days wine tasting: cold beer.

Costeaux French Bakery

Classic Costeaux French Bakery, operating in the same building since 1923, is the place for boxed lunches and picnic kits to take to the vineyards.

SingleThread

At three-Michelin-starred SingleThread restaurant, chef Kyle Connaughton and his wife Katina redefine farm-to-table seasonality with an artful Japanese touch. Much of the bounty in the ten-course tasting menu — vegetables, fruits, herbs, honey, and flowers — comes from their 24-acre biodiverse farm. The meal is unforgettable from the moment guests sit down to a dazzling hassun appetizer spread, a virtuoso show of precision, creativity, and craft. Extra lucky guests can retire to one of the rooms at their inn upstairs.

Montage Healdsburg

The hills are alive and ripe at the Montage Healdsburg estate, which features 15 acres of vineyards on 258 acres abundant with California oaks and verdant greenery. Bungalow-style guest rooms sprawl among the property, along with two pools, a spa, and three restaurants. The one downside to the property: You'll have a hard time venturing elsewhere, as the resort offers everything you'd want in a dreamy wine country escape. The only time you'll lift a finger is to pour yourself another glass on your private terrace.

The Ruse

The Ruse, a newly renovated 11-room inn housed in a historic Victorian home, is perfect for those who want to be within walking distance of town and also near the many bike trails that wind through wine country. Spacious guest rooms have gas fireplaces and outdoor patios overlooking the property's put-put golf course and six pickleball courts.

Harmon Guest House

If you care about good design, environmental stewardship, and convenient location, and you love to drink wine, you're in luck. Harmon Guest House, just off Healdsburg's historic downtown plaza, is a LEED Gold-certified, 39-room hotel that invits the outdoors in via large windows, sunlit stairwells, reclaimed redwood sun-shading features, and a check-in desk made from an enormous felled eucalyptus tree. Read the full Fathom review here.

SingleThread Inn

If you saved room after the glorious tasting menu, you should just check into SingleThread Inn for the night. You'll be treated to a Japanese breakfast served exclusively for guests of the five-suite inn located above the dining room. The rooms are serene, with 14-room ceilings, redwood beams, exposed brick, and deep bathtubs. You'll have prime access to Healdsburg's charming town square, and its nightly live music in the summer.

The Madrona Hotel

It's a date with romance at The Madrona Hotel, a special, eight-acre estate that includes a reimagined 19th-century residence, carriage house, and set of bungalows in the heart of Sonoma Wine Country. The artful restaurant and bar are fueled by a half-acre garden, and the orange grove near the silk tent and in-ground pool is an ideal spot for sunset cocktails.

Hôtel Les Mars

If all this California cool has you longing for a touch French château elegance, you'll find it at Hôtel Les Mars, just a block from the plaza. The sixteen rooms are furnished with four-poster beds, Italian linens, French antiques, marble bathrooms, and — best of all — working fireplaces.

Keep Exploring California Wine Country

How to Survive Napa With a Hangover
A Wine Tour of Napa and Sonoma
Napa Valley's Hidden Treasures