The MacRostie Healdsburg Guide intro image
The MacRostie Healdsburg Guide
Celebrating the Best Local Restaurants, Bars, & Bites

While a day visit to our MacRostie Estate House in the heart of the Russian River Valley offers guests an unforgettable tasting experience, for those planning a more leisurely exploration of wine country, the picturesque town of Healdsburg is a must-visit destination.

Centrally located in Northern Sonoma County less than 20 minutes from Santa Rosa and just 5 miles from our Estate House, the idyllic town of Healdsburg has a population of less than 15,000, ensuring its quaint charm.

Despite its small-town vibe, Healdsburg has earned acclaim as a foodie paradise, with world-renowned wineries and restaurants including Michelin-starred gems and family-owned favorites. Healdsburg’s restaurants and hotels are consistently featured on regional and national “best of wine country” lists in such publications as the New York Times, Conde Nast Traveler, and Sunset Magazine. The town has also been recently spotlighted by Wine Spectator in an article entitled “Healdsburg’s Big Moment: Small-town America meets wine country luxury in this vibrant village in Sonoma” and in the San Francisco Chronicle, in a story by Esther Mobley titled “My Ideal Itinerary for One of Wine Country’s Cutest Downtowns.”

We are delighted to share five of our favorite places to dine in Healdsburg, including some of our Estate House team’s top picks, as well as destinations recommended by our guests and club members.

Gallina D’oro

Located in the vibrant heart of Healdsburg, Gallina D’oro is one of several restaurants in Sonoma County owned by the Diaz family. Combining rustic simplicity with culinary sophistication, it offers breakfast, lunch, and dinner, with a culinary focus on the humble chicken and the versatile egg. Rooted in farm-to-table principles, guests can enjoy shrimp and fish tacos for lunch, or a delicious Mole Oaxaqueño made from twenty rare ingredients for dinner. It is also a great place for breakfast, where you can start your day with homemade Huevos A La Mexicana or Chilaquiles before you embark on a day of wine tasting, Whatever you choose, you’ll leave happy and full.

Valette

Founded in 2015 by famed Chef Dustin Valette and his brother Aaron Garzini, who both grew up in Healdsburg where their great-grandfather operated local bakeries, Valette was envisioned as a canvas for local farmers, winemakers, and artisans to showcase their crafts. Valette serves high-quality, yet honest food while offering warm and impeccable service and a collection of acclaimed small-production wines. 

With delectable dishes such as Day Boat Scallops en Croute, American Kobe Beef Tartare, and Bone-in Duroc Pork Loin with Front Porch Farms Polenta, the Michelin Guide calls Valette’s cuisine “modern American with a few French twists.” While the a la carte menu is wonderful, we also recommend trying Chef Valette’s five-course ‘trust me’ Tasting Menu.

Bravas Bar de Tapas

Named one of the “top 20 tapas restaurants in the U.S.” by Travel + Leisure, one of the “Top 100 Bay Area Restaurants” three years in a row by the San Francisco Chronicle, and a MichelinBib Gourmand selection in 2019, Bravas serves up traditional Spanish and modern tapas-style dishes created by James Beard finalists Mark and Terri Stark.

With an array of both warm and chilled tapas such as Tuna Belly Salad, Bacon Wrapped Dates, and Steamed Clams in Cava, Bravas is great for a lunch or dinner of delectable sharing. Beyond the tapas menu, Bravas does amazing Raciones (large plates served family style) such as Whole Crispy Mount Lassen Trout, as well as made-to-order paellas for two or four diners.

Guiso Latin Fusion

Named one of the “Top 100 Restaurants in America” in 2019 and the recipient of the OpenTable Diner’s Choice 2020, 2022, and 2023, Guiso Latin Fusion is a family-owned restaurant that has been serving Latin American and Caribbean dishes since 2015.

With a focus on local, seasonal cooking, Guiso sources fresh ingredients from local farmers’ markets to create an array of delicious dishes. With an emphasis on family-style dining, the Guiso menu offers everything from Cuban Sliders and Hanger Steak Skewersto Tacos de Pescado made from Bodega Bay rockfish and Spicy Sauteed Wild Prawns in Grandma’s Guiso tomato sauce. Open Tuesday through Saturday for dinner, and for lunch during the summer months, Guiso is a local favorite.

The Matheson

Recognized as one of Sonoma’s premier food and wine experiences, The Matheson is guided by renowned Chefs Nate Davis and Dustin Valette. The menu is a modern ode to Healdsburg’s micro-seasonal ingredients such as locally foraged fungi and purpleheart tomatoes grown on a farm within walking distance of the restaurant.

The menu is divided into Snacks, Garden, Sea, and Land, the food is both seasonal and deliciously sophisticated, with the Michelin Guide writing that The Matheson is an “über-cool space that never takes the focus away from the menu that weaves seasonal products with California flair and Mediterranean elements. The results are thrilling.” With its beautiful location, sophisticated ambiance, and artful plating presentations, it’s an Instagrammable-worthy destination for passionate foodies.

A Dog “Paw-rents” Weekend intro image
A Dog “Paw-rents” Weekend
Pet-Friendly Travels In Sonoma Wine Country
quotes
“Everyone thinks they have the best dog. And none of them are wrong.”
W.R. Purche

Here at MacRostie Winery and Vineyards, we love wine and we love people. That’s why in the 10 years since opening our beautiful MacRostie Estate House near the charming town of Healdsburg we have been hailed as one of “The Ten Most Beautiful Wineries in California” by Condé Nast Traveler, the “Best Tasting Room in Napa and Sonoma” by San Francisco Magazine, and one of The Press Democrat’s “go-to Sonoma County spots to take out-of-town guests.”

While our love for welcoming guests always shines through, we love dogs just as much. Sure, they never buy wine, and we’re not certain that they tell their doggie friends about how much they enjoy visiting MacRostie, but when they’re here at our estate, everything seems even more carefree and fun.

A dog next to a water bowl with the name "Kobe" on itCalling us dog friendly is probably an understatement. We are dog delighted, dog passionate, maybe even a little dog obsessed, which means dogs are always welcome and we treat them like the amazing furry beings they are. From fun doggie merchandise like branded puppy bandanas, personalized dog bowls (for dog regulars) and plush toys shaped like wine bottles, we are ready to host your dog (and you) at MacRostie.

“Dogs are our link to paradise. They don’t know evil or jealousy or discontent. To sit with a dog on a hillside on a glorious afternoon is to be back in Eden, where doing nothing was not boring—it was peace.”―Milan Kundera

As dog lovers, we are thrilled with how dog-friendly Sonoma County wine country has become in recent years. From dog and pet-friendly hotels to restaurants and wineries, there are many destinations where you can feel at ease visiting with your canine companion. With National Dog Month just around the corner in August, we’re highlighting a few of our favorites:

Pet-Friendly Hotels

Offering 6 acres of intimate gardens, winding flagstone paths, verdant archways, fire pits and secret nooks, the MacArthur Place Hotel and Spa will delight any dog and their owner, and happily welcomes pets of any size for a fee of $150 per pet. Another popular doggie destination is the The Lodge at Sonoma Resort, which allows 2 pets up to 75 lbs for $150 per stay. Providing an oasis of serenity within walking distance to quaint shops and world-class restaurants at the Sonoma Plaza, the Lodge at Sonoma provides dog beds, water bowls and treats for animal visitors. One of wine country’s most iconic resorts, the Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn and Spa features a 40,000 square foot oasis set atop an ancient mineral hot spring and offers a variety of spa experiences. While there is no spa for animals, four-legged friends are welcome for $150 per pet, and beds, food and water bowls are provided.

Dog-friendly Restaurants

With beautiful weather and abundant patios, Sonoma County even has dog-friendly restaurants, including HopMonk Tavern, which has locations in both Sonoma and Sebastopol. With expansive biergarten patios and delicious pub fare, the outdoor seating area is great for hanging out with your dog. For a truly deluxe dining experience with your doggie, try Healdsburg’s famed farm-to-table Barndiva Restaurant. One of the fanciest places Rover will ever go, the Michelin-starred restaurant’s lush garden patio welcomes your doggo with water and biscuits. For breakfast or lunch, grab a sidewalk table at Sunflower Caffe in historic Sonoma Plaza. Or, if you’re in the mood for Mexican food, El Molino Central is a dog-friendly Mexican restaurant serving street food to Boyes Hot Springs locals and tourists alike.

Dog-Friendly Wineries and Wine Tastings

In addition to visiting MacRostie, where dogs are always welcome, there are several other nearby Healdsburg wineries where you can also bring your furry friends on leash, including Mauritson Wines, Papapietro Perry Winery and the Sip Sip Lounge at Matrix Winery, where four-legged patrons are welcome to join their parents on the patio seating area.

Wine Country Dog Parks and Trails for Dogs

Once you’ve eaten your fill, savored the best Sonoma County wines, and perhaps even had a spa treatment, it might be time for you and your dog to go for a hike or a walk, and Sonoma County wine country has tons of great options. One of our favorites is Bartholomew Park, where you can walk your leashed dog on a 3-mile trail featuring a duck pond and windmill, mature oaks, madrones, redwoods and beautiful vineyards. With a fully fenced dog park that’s perfect for off-leash play and a half-mile paved trail with picnic tables, Ernie Smith Park in Sonoma is another great spot. We also love Healdsburg’s Riverfront Regional Park, a pet-friendly destination with a redwood grove picnic area, two lakes for water activities, and scenic hiking trails including the 2.18-mile Lake Trail, circling Lake Benoist, and the half-mile Redwood Hill Trail through coast redwood trees.