Start from 37 curated places around Paso Robles, CA, then choose the recommendations that fit your guests.
Restaurants & cafés
Il Cortile Ristorante
Downtown's serious Italian room, with from-scratch pastas, braised meats, and the biggest wine list in town. The wild boar pappardelle is the dish people come back for, and it carries the room as the go-to special-occasion table.
Buona Tavola
A cozy Northern Italian trattoria on Spring Street that's been the locals' homemade-pasta standby for years; handmade sausages and packed-but-warm tables are the draw. Less formal than Il Cortile, and a reliable mid-week dinner.
Trails & outdoors
Cerro Alto Loop
The big-payoff hike southwest of town, climbing to a 2,600-foot summit with panoramic views from Morro Bay to Edna Valley and the chain of volcanic peaks called the Nine Sisters. This is the harder option when you want real elevation and a view.
Salinas River Walk
A flat riverbed-and-oak walk following the Salinas through the Templeton and Atascadero corridor, mostly soft sand and dirt with gentle grades. It's the easy nature option close to town when you don't want to drive into the hills.
Things to do
Tablas Creek Vineyard
The Westside estate that set the standard for Rhone-style wines in Paso, with organic, biodynamic vineyards out Adelaida Road and unhurried, non-pretentious tastings. This is the appointment for serious wine people, and the drive out is part of it.
Eberle Winery
An Eastside institution off Highway 46 with 16,000 square feet of underground caves and, unusually, free tastings and free cave tours. It's the welcoming, no-fee, dog-friendly option that's good even for people who think they don't like winery visits.
Landmarks & sights
Mission San Miguel Arcangel
One of the best-preserved of the California missions, just up Highway 101 in San Miguel. The chapel's wall frescoes are the originals, painted by Salinan artists two centuries ago and never repainted, which is what sets it apart from the heavily restored missions farther south.
Estrella Warbird Air Museum
A volunteer-run aviation and military-vehicle museum on the municipal airport grounds, with around 40 restored aircraft and the Woodland classic-car collection sharing the property. It's a rainy-afternoon or hot-day option that skews toward people who like hardware and the stories behind it.