Has anyone had a great experience with accomodations in the greater Paso Robles area? I’m going to be making a weekend wine tasting visit with my wife and another couple who haven’t been there before.
It doesn’t need to be in the city itself, just somewhere reasonably convenient to the west Paso wineries.
Also, I’d love any recommendations for wine-themed dining in the Paso area.
We always stay at the Adelaide Inn, right off 46W and 101 FWY. It is NOT fancy, but it IS clean and cheap. Location is excellent.
Paso Robles Inn (with the sulfur springs) I would affirmatively NOT recommend – the sulfur smell is overwhelming, and sickly.
As for dining:
Artisan (highly recommended)
Villa Creek (highly recommended)
Bistro Laurent
McPhee’s (in nearby Templeton) (highly recommended, if you don’t mind the short drive)
Buono Tavola (sp?) (I’ve never eaten here, but have heard very good things about it)
I usually stay in Avila or Morro and drive up to Paso, but I asked a winery/friend this question last year and got the following compendium:
Here’s a list of some nice places - if they’re lookin’ for B&B type places, then Venteux is nice, and close to Turley and LC. If more of a hotel experience, then Bella Sera, or Hotel Cheval.
Hampton Inn, Paso Robles- http://hamptoninn.hilton.com/ - nice
hotel - no great views or anything (right off hwy/freeway and shopping center - but advantage is quick access to highway that leads to west Paso area.)
Bella Sera - http://www.labellasera.com/ (next to Hampton Inn - may even be same corporate ownership, but more of a luxury hotel).
The local industry association has a website that has links for visitors for more info on places to stay: http://www.pasowine.com/ (there is also a map on that site).
Here are some nice places for a visit to Paso Robles (inns, B&Bs) - book early.
Venteux Vineyards - http://www.venteuxvineyards.com - this is near us and Turley Wine Cellars and is operated by Scott and his wife Bobbi Stelzle. Nice and quiet area.
Dunning Vineyards - http://www.dunningvineyards.com - this may be booked for their club members but good to keep on the list of possibles.
Santa Rita Inn http://www.santaritainn.com/ - little cottages -
nothing over the top fancy but again, closer to our location than other places and seem nicely decorated.
My wife and I stayed at the Canyon Villa B&B when we were there for our Honeymoon - great place that is very well priced for the accommodations. It was purpose built (new build) with four guest rooms on one wing, the owners living on the other wing - with the dining room in the center. It sits up on a hilltop with great views of the countryside around it. They have a wood fired pizza oven in the back and arrangements can be made with the owners to do a pizza night in the backyard. The drive to downtown for dinner is less than ten minutes, but you feel like you are away from civilization once you are on the property. We stayed three nights, and would definitely go again.
If there is room and (a)you don’t mind driving a bit and (b) don’t mind the tariff I would do Justinn(Paso Robles) or Asuncion Ridge(listed Paso but more like Atascadero). I have also had a pleasant stay at Fog’s End in Cambria and the Country House Inn in Templeton(this one flies under most radars). All of these I would be absolutely happy with and the owner/inn keepers are delightful…Gary
You have got to try Il Cotile-two blocks off the main square in Paso- superb Italian cooking. Already one of the winemakers hang outs. We went there with a friend of ours, Adam LaZarre, and his wife and we counted 8 other winemakers in the place. We’ve beebn there 3 times and never had a disappointment
With all due respect to our berserkering winemakers, let me ask this:
What does it matter if the place is a winemaker hang-out? Do winemakers have some kind of superior culinary taste of which I am not aware?
If the place has been good three times in a row, that’s great — and that should stand on its own. I just don’t understand the relevance of it being a winemaker hangout.
I second La Bella Serra. Right next to Hampton Inn but with nice hot tubs in very nice rooms, big flat panels, etc. Clean and modern, Mediterranean themed. Pretty much right on Hwy 46 West which is prime winery area.
For restaurants, Villa Creek is a must stop, as is Thomas Hill Organics. Artisan is hit or miss.
Hmmmm… that does have a nice ring to the name, doesn’t it???
Highly recommend ThomasHill for casual dining (heck…pretty much all dining in Paso is casual). They have great pizzas.
I usually stay at the CountryHouse Inn in Templeton. Just a 10 min drive down the road from Paso. If you’re lucky,
you can see BeniDusi out in his vnyd and stop for a chat. Great guy. CountryHouse is a quaint B&B right on Main.
DianeGarth is proprietor. Great breakfasts.
Tom
To throw out one more option, my wife and I stayed at the Seven Quails B&B last year, and it was a very nice time. It’s quiet (only two rooms), with great views over the hills and friendly owners. http://www.sevenquails.com/
I can second recommendations for Thomas Hill Organics and Buona Tavola, although I’ve only eaten at the BT in San Luis Obispo.
As a matter of fact, I DO think winemakers are especially good judges of food. I have yet to find a restaurant where winemakers hang out that has bad food. Their presence is yet another indicator of the high quality of the food.
Highly recommend Artisan for dinner. Had two really great dinners there. Corkage friendly as well. Stayed once at Villa Toscana, which was really beautiful, but I heard something about the hotel going through foreclosure so not sure if its still open. Also stayed at Bellasera, which while a bit corporate feeling, is very clean and nice.