Best Restaurants & Places to Eat Sonoma | Local Wally's Sonoma Tourist Guide
From cheap eats to 5 star dining, Trust Local Wally to find the BEST Places to Eat in Sonoma. No bad meals on vacation if you eat where the locals do. The honest Sonoma Restaurant Guide.
BEST RESTAURANTS GOOD EATS SONOMA
From Cheap Eats to Michelin Stars, The Best Sonoma Dining Guide
There's nothing more disappointing than sitting down to what some online review site promised to be a great meal only to be served mediocre food. Maybe I'm guilty of being a bit of a foodie but I like every meal to be worthy of an instagram post when I go out.
I took this philosophy to heart when I wrote my Sonoma Best Dining Guide - I only list the places that I love, the places I go back to again and again and recommend to my friends. And I keep adding to this guide so if I missed one of your favorites let me know and I’ll check it out
And don’t worry, I’m not a food snob where every meal has to cost an arm and a leg. From cheap eats to Michelin star, stick with these restaurants and you’ll never leave unhappy.
Don't Forget Your Wine Pass
I know, I sound like your Mom telling you to change your underwear but you come to Sonoma without a Priority Wine Pass don't blame me if your wallet is screaming at you by the end of the trip. That's because spending $20+ per person at every stop is for rookies. Experienced travelers get the Priority Wine Pass to get VIP 2 for 1 tastings - half off - at some of Sonoma and Napa’s best wineries. So get the pass, just $39.99 per couple, and save at every winery stop. Is it worth it? Can you do math?
To order go here for my reader discount and never pay full price for wine tastings again!
Eating Cheap (and Feeling Good) in Sonoma
Look, not every meal on vacation has to be fancy pants expensive. Do you think locals only eat at Michelin star restaurants? No way, and you shouldn’t either because if you do you’ll miss out on some incredible good eats. In Sonoma cheap eats doesn’t have to mean Golden Arches.
Angelo’s Wine Country Deli
Slam on the brakes! In the Carneros area is Angelo’s Wine Country Deli, a totally legit deli with incredible sandwiches made with homemade cold cuts and sausages.
Wally Says: You must stop to get their beef jerky and you’ll be kicking yourself if you don’t get sammies for a picnic here.
Cochon Valant BBQ
Texas style BBQ served by the pound on a tray lined with butcher paper, smoked over almond wood, serious BBQ, casual setting with great ambiance.
Wally Says: Typically when Guy Fiero from Food TV points his pointy head in I stay away but this time he got it right.
El Molina Central
A higher end taco shop loved by locals, farm workers and foodies alike. Ultra casual, picnic tables, menu changes seasonally but always add a tamale. Always.
Wally Says: Not as cheap as you might think but worth it - this is near gourmet Mexican food in a humble package.
Happy Dog
Hey, check out that funny building with a dog painted on the side! Chuckle but don’t drive by without stopping in for legit hot dogs, burgers, fries and shakes. Cash only.
Wally Says: Yelp! reviewers love to hate this place but it is what it is and that’s what I like about it.
La Bamba Taco Truck
Located across the street from the fancy Fairmont Hotel, look for long lines that lead to the holy ordering window of La Bamba Taco Truck. So cheap, bring cash or go hungry.
Wally Says: Open only from 7 pm to 1 am, incredible tacos, burritos, and other traditional items, all top notch.
Lou’s Lunchenette (Boxcar Fried Chicken)
Fremont Diner, hugely successful, decides to scale down the menu and renames itself Boxcar Fried Chicken, then adds more items and renames itself Lou’s Lunchenette. What’s next?
Wally Says: Foodie chefs, confused marketing department, incredible food in a truck stop setting.
Murphy’s Irish Pub
There are plenty of Irish Pubs that are not very Irish but Murphy’s is legit, a haven for ex-pats from the UK and Ireland as well as locals and tourists looking for a fun vibe and good eats.
Wally says: Voted Sonoma’s Choice Best Bar, there’s live music, sports on 10 big TV’s, every day is St. Patrick’s Day here.
Oso Sonoma
Urban rustic chic restaurant with small plate options from oysters to tacos. Tapas style eating so get a lot of plates to sample a bit of everything. Great happy hour!
Wally Says: Located right in the Sonoma Plaza, a nice alternative from the mostly high end restaurants in the area.
Tasca Tasca
Portuguese tapas and wine bar, get 7 small plates for $35, wines offered at half glass so you can try a bunch of them to pair with your tasting plates. Local beers, cool vibe.
Wally Says: Branch out and try some of the more unusual dishes - everything is so good here you can’t go wrong.
Sonoma also has luxurious gourmet dining, the perfect ending to a perfect day of wine tasting. All of these restaurants are over the top delicious, make sure you make reservations well in advance.
Cafe La Haye
Tiny bistro with a dozen or so tables serving up modern American fare using the freshest ingredients. White linens, elevated food preparation, foodie heaven.
Wally Says: Their menu is small but mighty with every dish a standout. If you can get in here you should - it’s outstanding.
Della Santinas
Romantic dining, beautiful outdoor patio, Dela Santina’s is the place to be on a warm summer evening when you want authentic Italian dining under the stars.
Wally Says: From their homemade pasta to their rotisserie meats, everything is well prepared and delicious.
Depot Hotel Restaurant
Not your typical hotel restaurant when the chef has cooked with Jacques Pepin and their son, the exec chef, has credentials from The French Laundry, Redd, and El Dorado Kitchen.
Wally Says: Rustic Italian cuisine in a wine country setting, an outside table by the pool, how elegantly romantic.
El Dorado Kitchen
Hotel restaurants that serve B-L-D are usually average but El Dorado Kitchen rises above this with unique California cuisine that simply knocks it out of the park.
Wally Says: On a tighter budget? Head to the lounge where you can get a burger and fries for $14.
Farm at Carneros Inn
A high end restaurant in a high end resort at the southern tip of Sonoma, it’s worth the drive for an elegant dining experience. White linen elegance with wine country friendliness.
Wally Says: This is fancy dining for sure but it never feels snobby or uptight and the food, oh the food, so good!
The Girl & The Fig
Sonoma’s signature restaurant, I love their casual French bistro with local friendly bar and summer perfect outdoor patio. This is essential Sonoma dining, my top pick if you can only pick one.
Wally Says: Their $42 fixed price 3 course meal is the way to go, add wine pairings for only $12, trust me, this is it!
Glen Ellen Star
Michelin star restaurant that looks like your neighborhood eatery, everything is cooked in a real wood fired oven. Foodie destination, this has to be the best food in Sonoma.
Wally Says: Sit at the bar to watch the chefs in action, it’s like watching a Top Chef show “live”.
LaSalette
One of Sonoma’s standouts for years, LaSelatte is elegant dining serving Portuguese cuisine with excellent presentation to match their complex flavors.
Wally Says: Inventive cuisine, Old World setting, LaSalette has been a Sonoma favorite and continues to impress.
