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Roughly an hour from Napa and 60 miles north of the Golden Gate Bridge lies the tiny town of Healdsburg, in the heart of Sonoma County. Though it’s long been a favorite spot for San Franciscan day and weekend trippers, Healdsburg has increasingly become a destination sought out by those from further afield, curious to experience the buzzy restaurants and the beauty of the wine country.
By day, a morning chill will lift to ensure your days can be spent biking alongside the foothills of the Sonoma Mountains, heading out for wine tastings, or cruising downtown Healdsburg, while come nightfall, the skies fill with swirls of stars. And speaking of stars, they also decorate some of Healdsburg’s most noteworthy restaurants, like Single Thread, which has three Michelin stars and offers up a California-based, authentic Japanese ryokan dining experience—farm-to-table, no less. There’s also the one-star Barndiva, where Chef Erik Anderson serves Californian cuisine at of an elegantly rustic barn.
But Healdsburg isn’t just for hungry patrons. With a buzzy list of interior and antique shops, cheese and specialty purveyors, cocktail bars, and open-air markets, there’s something for every discerning traveler. (The scenery isn’t so bad either; it just so happens to resemble the set of a Nancy Meyers movie.) Below, a guide to Healdsburg, California.
Where to Stay
The Montage
If you’re hoping to want for nothing, look no further than the Montage. After its arrival in early 2021, the hotel is not only new in town, it has upped the ante for luxury wine country stays. The property sits within its own 258 verdant acres lush with vineyards groves of California oak and eucalyptus trees; rooms are organized into villas spread out throughout the hilly estate. Morning walks to the main house (designed with clean yet inviting lines and natural materials stone, wood, and copper for added warmth) for coffee or breakfast are wonderfully picturesque—they could also be spent doing yoga in the vineyard. It’s one of those hotels that presents you with everything you need (and then some), so you’d be perfectly content staying onsite with multiple pools, a spa, outdoor and indoor dining, and fireplaces scattered throughout the spaces, including your own private terrace.
Address: 100 Montage Way, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Amenities: Swimming pools, spa, fitness center, restaurants, bars
Harmon Guest House
The newest property from the Piazza group (who helped to put the town on the map with Hotel Healdsburg, H2Hotel, and Dry Creek Kitchen) is the eco-conscious LEED Gold Certified Harmon Guest House. A striking and well-situated property with its slated wood façade, the Harmon Guest Hous is located in downtown Healdsburg—its rooftop terrace offers views of the town and the mountains beyond. Most of its 39 guest rooms are outfitted with outdoor balconies but the main draw is the hotel’s solar-thermal heated pool which overlooks the woodsy Foss Creek, which runs behind the hotel.
Address: 227 Healdsburg Avenue, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Amenities: Swimming pool, bar, complimentary parking, terrace, free bikes
Hotel Healdsburg
Hotel Healdsburg is located on the town’s tasting room-filled plaza. Aesthetically, the hotel reads as slick with steel elements and an exterior paint hue that evokes concrete, but the property, designed by David Baker Architects, invites nature in with trellised walkways, glass atriums, and well-maintain garden grounds that connect the hotel s various amenities. Sitting in the pool, which is framed with towering Italian cypress trees, you ll feel fully secluded. Plus, the town’s culinary draw, Chef Charlie Palmer’s Dry Creek Kitchen, is right on site.
Address: 25 Matheson Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Amenities: Swimming pool, restaurant, bar, fitness center, spa, complimentary parking
Madrona
One of Healdsburg’s newest hotels is steeped in local history. A gabled Victorian house built in 1881 for John Alexander Paxton, the Madrona was recently transformed by San Francisco-based designer Jay Jeffers into an eclectic 24-room boutique hotel. With bay windows, original fireplaces, and lots of art from the Paxton family’s collection, the interiors embrace a Victoriana maximalism. Michelin-starred chef Jesse Mallgren helms the Madrona’s restaurant and Van Moof electric bikes allow guests to cycle the scenic roads with ease.
Address: 1001 Westside Road, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Amenities: Outdoor swimming pool, restaurant, bar, fitness center, complimentary parking
Where to Eat
At the moment, Single Thread is the crown jewel of the culinary scene (with three Michelin stars) in Healdsburg, a bed and breakfast with a ryokan twist, incorporating traditional fare with seasonal California produce and a luxurious yet simplistic design. Dry Creek Kitchen, helmed by award-winning chef Charlie Palmer, is known for mixing vibrant, seasonal American cooking and elevated wine selections with the intimate charm of a small-town eatery. (Plus, there’s no corking fee for Sonoma County wines.)
Spoonbar is known for its inventive cocktails that rotate with the seasons, as well as fresh, approachable, and seasonal fare from chefs Thomas Mulligan and Francisco Alvarez. Barndiva offers up the best brunch in town, and for a morning caffeine jolt, head to Flying Goat, the undisputed Healdsburg coffee shop supreme.
During the day, pick up provisions from Oakville Grocery or Dry Creek General Store and head to one of the local vineyards for a picnic. The Healdsburg Farmer’s Market is also right across the street. For a sweet treat, head to Noble Folk Ice Cream and Pie Bar. (Yes, that’s right: pie bar. Try the Mississippi Mud.)
The Matheson is popular hometown chef Dustin Valette’s newest concept, opened in the fall of 2021. The three-level space houses a farm-to-table restaurant with both prix fixe and a la carte dinner menus (don’t miss the aged Sonoma duck); an 88-tap wine wall; and two bars, including a rooftop lounge for sipping cocktails while watching the sunset.
Where to Drink
With so many incredible vineyards in the area, it’s hard to choose a handful. Notable standouts in the Healdsburg area include Landmark Vineyards at Hop Kiln Estate (a registered California historical landmark), MacRostie Vineyards (set in a gigantic, industrialized barn, known for its Chardonnay), Medlock Ames (sustainable, biodynamic, and organic), and Unti Vineyards (an old school establishment known for its Zinfandel, but also its delicious rosé and Syrah, among others.)
Fans of Bordeaux should find their way to Vérité Winery, where (by appointment only) tastings are set in a luxurious brand-new estate on the decades-old vineyard. Vérité has been bottling Bordeaux-inspired wines since 1998, following a partnership between the late Jess Jackson of Jackson Family Wines and lauded French winemaker Pierre Seillan. Vérité Winery is a true family affair—the winery is now helmed by Pierre’s daughter Hélène Seillan and the estate was designed by Pierre’s son, Nicolas Seillan. A trip to Vérité feels like an afternoon amongst family—but with much better wine.
What to Do
If you’re the active type, there are few things more beautiful than a hike or bike ride through Sonoma County. For bike rentals, check out Wine Country Bikes; for hiking trails, the Fitch Mountain Fire Trails are a strenuous hike sure to help you work up an appetite.
The Guided Spring Vineyard Hike through Jordan Vineyard Winery offers a gorgeous guided hike through its 1,200-acre property; book fast as these tend to sell out quickly, and be sure to stay after for a glass—or two—of their Cabernet Sauvignon or Chardonnay. For an easier trek, try the Foothill Regional Park at the base of the Mayacamas Mountains: with seven miles of lush trails and some stunning grassy areas to rest, this is another great spot for a picnic. And if you find yourself with sore muscles post-workout, head to The Spa at Hotel Healdsburg for one of their Farm to Spa Healing Treatments.
For a little culture, the di Rosa Center for Contemporary Art features multiple galleries, a sculpture park, and a 35-acre lake, all located on 217 scenic acres in Napa Valley’s famed Carneros region, all protected in perpetuity under the Napa County Land Trust.
