Paso Robles is a year round destination known for its wineries and small town charm. It’s kinda like Napa’s little sister but located in central California, north of Los Angeles. In this travel guide, updated for 2024, I’m sharing my picks of where to stay, where to eat and the wineries that you gotta check out while you’re in town.

Where to Stay

The Piccolo

The Piccolo is a super cute, boutique hotel in the heart of Downtown Paso Robles and features Paso’s only rooftop bar, The Tetto. The Piccolo has 24 guest rooms, which feature exposed brick walls, sliding barn doors, modern furniture/fixtures and views of their courtyard or Paso’s downtown square. Plus, the Piccolo is dog-friendly!

Don’t forget to check out the Moet Champagne Vending Machine in the lobby. Makes for great photo opps! When we checked into our room, they also left a gift card for a local coffee shop nearby. It was such a nice little touch!

Their Rooftop Bar was also a highlight – a special place to watch the sunset. Tetto Rooftop Bar has fun speciality cocktails and small bites to share.

A few things to note… The Piccolo does not have a pool/jacuzzi on site, but their sister property does, Paso Robles Inn, which you can take advantage of.

The rooms also do not have an iron/ironing board, but instead, a clothing steamer. We had to call up for an iron, which wasn’t a big deal, but something to note. Steaming, as many of you know who travel, just does not take out wrinkles from some fabrics, like a good ol’ iron can.

Overall I would stay at The Piccolo again because of the convenient location, modern architecture, beautiful guest rooms and cool rooftop bar.

Oh, and did I mention the Champagne Vending Machine?!

Allegretto Vineyard Resort

If you’re looking for a larger resort, check out the Allegretto Vineyard Resort. It features Mediterranean style decor and gives you all the amenities of a larger hotel (full size gym, large pool, meeting and event rooms). There is an on-site wine tasting room and full service restaurant. While it may not be considered a boutique hotel, it has something for everyone!

What to Eat/Drink

Breakfast at Brunch Paso

Most breakfast spots in Paso do not take reservations, so trying to find a restaurant without a long wait on the weekends is tough. Brunch is one of my favorites in town.

It’s the most instagram-worthy breakfast spot you’ll find around the town square, and their food is equally as picture-worthy. Their menu has a bit of everything so it’s great for groups with a variety of tastes.

Expect a 45+ minute wait on the weekends.

Lunch/Pizzas at Halter Ranch Winery

Let’s be honest – Most people visiting Paso are interested in the wineries, so why not have your cake & eat it too? Cue…Halter Ranch Winery. What I love most about Halter Ranch is that they truly care about sustainability and farm-to-table.

All of their ingredients are locally made and many of them are estate-grown, right on property in Paso Robles.

They serve lunch from 11:00am-3:30pm and on Sundays, they fire up their outdoor pizza oven and serve up delicious pizzas with ingredients from their local vendors.

If pizza isn’t your thing, I would recommend the Halter Ranch Burger or Meatballs.

The seasonal salad is always a refreshing, bright salad with estate grown fruits and a house made dressing.

Of course, they have suggested wine pairings for each dish too but also have a good selection of non-alcoholic options. You do need a reservation, which you can book online.

Dinner at Les Petites Canailles

Les Petites Canailles is my favorite restaurant in Paso for a great dinner. It’s an intimate restaurant in the heart of Downtown Paso Robles and right around the corner from The Piccolo Hotel. The name of the restaurant translates to “The Little Rascals,” a nod to the owners three children.

You’ll see items on the menu like Spanish Octopus, Steak Tartare and main dishes like Risotto & Pappardelle Pasta. They are also known for their Butcher Cuts, a small selection of quality steaks and sauces.

Each dish is beautifully presented and so Instagram-worthy! One of my favorite things on the menu was actually for everyone…behind the scenes. For less than $20, you can buy a round of beers for the kitchen staff. It was a fun way to end the night and definitely put smiles on the chefs faces when we left.

What to Do

Paso Robles is known for their wineries but you’re also in luck if you prefer craft beer and spirits. Downtown Paso has a historic town square, which has a ton of restaurant and shops. Let’s start first with the most popular thing to do in Paso…

Wine Tasting

Paso has over 200 wineries, so whatever you would like to drink – you can find it in Paso! JUSTIN, Turley and DAOU are a few of the more popular, bigger name wineries in town.

There are also tons of boutique wineries such as Union Sacre, Booker and Denner. I always try to explore 1 or 2 new wineries when I visit Paso because there are just so many in the area and more are popping up all the time.

You can find the most current list of wineries and events at PasoWine, which has helped me plan my trip in the past. Feel free to download the winery map above.

To make your next visit super easy, most wineries book reservations through an app called Tock. I highly recommend downloading the app prior to your trip, so you can keep all your reservations in one place. Within the app, you can also modify or cancel your tasting reservations.

I have a blog post – 4 Wineries with a View in Paso Robles, so check out some of my favorite wineries there. One of my favorites that I talk about in that blog post is DAOU. If you’ve never been to Paso and can only visit ONE winery, this is the one!

DAOU

You can’t come to Paso Robles without visiting DAOU. They are open daily from 10:00am-5:00pm and reservations are required. I highly suggest booking in advance because DAOU fills up quickly.

DAOU has everything – incredible wines, a breathtaking view of the entire valley that cannot be beat, and a delicious food menu to share with friends and family.

Many items on their menu feature herbs and produce from DAOU’s garden. Their Cheese and Charcuterie board was big enough for my group of 6 and the perfect companion to our wine tasting.

This is the place to take ALL the social media pictures. Soak it all up because this is Paso Robles.

TinCity

TinCity is a must visit in Paso. It’s located just south of town and a wildly different experience than the traditional wineries like DAOU above. TinCity is built within an industrial park. If you want to taste really boutique-style wines, small batch spirits and beers, TinCity is perfect for you.

It’s really an eclectic mix of independent producers and creators. There is also farm-to-table restaurants and fare, local artisan shops and it’s just fun for everyone. TinCity also hosts monthly events, so check out what’s happening on their website.

Walk the Town Square

Paso has an adorable town square that I highly recommend checking out. You’ll find family-owned restaurants, tasting rooms, shopping of all kinds, coffee shops and more. Most hotels in Paso are within walking distance to the town square, but there is plenty of parking too. If you don’t want to drive out to the wineries one day, there is plenty of wine tasting rooms around the town square that you can check out.

Hope you enjoyed this Paso Robles Travel Guide, updated for 2024! For your convenience, I have all the hotels, bars and restaurants mapped out for you below that I included in this travel guide.

And, I want to hear from you! If you’ve been to Paso and have other recommendations for me, drop them below in the comments!