How To Spend One Day in Paso Robles: My Favorite Spots
Paso Robles is still considered one of California’s best kept secrets. An “undercover” wine region that has so far escaped the tourism craze and high pricing that is often seen in Napa and Sonoma. And even still, Paso delivers amazing vintages, beautiful vineyard landscapes and excellent farm-to-table cuisine to all who visit. It’s a spot that I love to frequent again and again! On a recent visit for my sister’s wedding, I spent a free afternoon revisiting a few of my favorite Paso Robles spots. Here’s how it all went:
Skip to my Paso Robles Mini Guide here.
Arrival
Coming in from Los Angeles, I arrived in downtown Paso Robles just before noon with my dog, Charlie. It was a warm August day so our first order of business was to explore a bit before the afternoon heat fully kicked in.
Luckily, Paso’s downtown is both small and charming so it didn’t take long for us to see all the local boutiques and olive oil tasting rooms. If you’re into that sort of thing, I’d recommend visiting Pasolivo for a more authentic Paso experience.
Being in the heart of wine country, we also came across multiple wine tasting rooms. Since I hadn’t eaten yet and because I had a reservation at a local winery later that afternoon, I decided to forgo the tasting rooms this time and are already planning my next visit back.
We ended our downtown explorations with a quick walk through City Park. Home to both a gazebo and a historic public library building, the park felt like an offshoot of The Gilmore Girls‘ park, or at least, Paso’s version of The Gilmore Girls park.
Charlie, in particular, loved the park – so much so that she fully sprawled out on the grass mid-walk in an effort to stay longer. But since it had really heated up since we first arrived, I decided to press on, making a mental note to surprise her with a fun treat at lunch.
Location:
Paso Robles is located about 3 hours from Los Angeles and 3.5 hours from San Francisco.
Weather:
Since it’s around 25 miles inland from the ocean, Paso does get quite hot! The best time to visit is actually early Spring (March and April) or late fall (October and November).
one day in paso robles
Thomas Hill Organics Bistro and Wine Bar
Just two blocks away from City Park is the downtown Paso Robles staple, Thomas Hill Organics Bistro and Wine Bar. The restaurant serves healthy farm-to-table cuisine and is especially accommodating to allergies. I ate here on my first ever Paso Robles trip and loved it, so I was excited to be dining here again for lunch!
I enjoyed a healthy, but hearty meal on the restaurant’s interior patio: Fresh Gazpacho, Black Lentil Tacos, Tri-Colored Cauliflower Salad, Marinated Artichokes, and of course, a few glasses of white wine.
It was a delicious spread that the restaurant went out of their way to prepare dairy-free so I did not have to worry one bit about my allergy. And that’s one of the reasons I love eating here so much. There aren’t many small town places that have lots of options available for those with restricted diets like myself, so I always love coming back.
And I’m not the only one who was spoiled with a special meal. I ordered Charlie an “off-menu” side of chicken that she happily scarfed down while I enjoyed my food!
L’Aventure Winery
After lunch, I dropped Charlie off at our hotel so she could nap while I went wine tasting with family. I mean, what is a trip to Paso Robles if you don’t visit at least one winery?
My family and I had booked a reservation at L’Aventure, a French-style winery located on the southwest side of Paso Robles.
The drive up to L’Aventure’s tasting room offered a wonderful sweetness before we even tasted our first drop of wine. We feasted on the sight of breathtaking hills and lush vineyards that both beckoned and welcomed us toward the experience ahead.
Once at the tasting room, we were shown into the property’s wine caves, the entrance to which sat a lovely pink velvet sofa where we conducted our tasting.
We slowly sampled a version of L’Aventure’s Estate Experience tasting, which offered 6 locally-grown wines to try. My favorites were the Optimus Estate, a red Syrah, Cabernet Sauvignon and Petit Verdot blend, and the Estate Cuvée Blanc, a white Roussanne, Viognier and Grenache Blanc blend.
Paso Robles Mini Guide
Accommodations
Hotel Cheval – $$$$
Allegretto Vineyard Resort – $$$
Downtown Shops
Pasolivo – Olive Oil Tasting
Ambiance – Women’s Clothing
Park Street – Art Gallery
Restaurants
Thomas Hill Organics Bistro and Wine Bar – Farm-To-Table
Restaurant at Niner Wine Estates – Californian
The Hatch – Rotisserie and Bar
Favorite Wineries
L’Aventure Winery – French-Style
Broken Earth Winery – Sustainable
Robert Hall – Biodynamic
