Scenic, bohemian Big Sur is known for many things — awe-inspiring vistas where dense redwoods meet the wild sea; lore tied to Beat poets and New Age philosophy — but it’s not exactly known for destination dining. The breathtaking stretch of California
coast is geographically expansive, but the tiny, woodsy town at its center has a year-round population of only about 1,500 residents and a pretty limited selection of places to eat.
As I experienced a few weeks ago, Big Sur is a dreamy place to unplug (if you’re dumbphone-curious but not ready to commit to losing Instagram, most of Big Sur has terrible cell service — a plus in my tech-exhausted book), but like many traveler destinations, going in with no plan can lead to paying $22 for a forgettable sandwich or, as I did one morning, receiving an “iced latte” made by pouring hot coffee over a few sad ice cubes. But there is a way to eat well — very well — on a long weekend in Big Sur, especially if you’re driving from Los Angeles and are willing to embrace some delicious detours.
Share my finds (and learn from my mistakes) from my third visit to this beautiful area, as a food writer whose top priority while traveling is to eat as well as possible.
Day 1:
Dinner: Mattei’s Tavern in Los Olivos
The Inn at Mattei’s Tavern is a gorgeous Auberge-owned property tucked away in Los Olivos, a small town in the Santa Ynez Valley. The Tavern — its 140-year-old stagecoach stop turned upscale, Michelin-recommended restaurant — remains a worthy detour for a leisurely dinner. I loved the preserved historic details (including a guestbook from 1893), but felt even more impressed with the deeply personal service, melt-in-your-mouth beef tartare, and tender pork chop with apple cardamom compote and Vidalia onion soubise. The Golden Spur cocktail, made with honeycomb and lavender-infused vodka and served with a honey dipper as a garnish, was surprisingly strong, which is probably why I can’t remember the name of the dessert I enjoyed with my dining companion, but I do remember that it was a delightful, Eton-mess-like meringue creation.
We stayed nearby at the Skyview Motel in Los Alamos, a renovated midcentury motor lodge with boutique rooms, an adults-only pool, and an on-site diner called Norman — a nod to its former nickname, “the Bates Motel” — that serves steak frites, Hemingway daiquiris, and other zhuzhed-up classics.
Day 2
Lunch: Peasants Feast in Solvang
This quaint sandwich spot, Michelin-recommended and one of Eater’s favorite places to eat in the Santa Ynez Valley, is a standout in Solvang, the whimsical “Danish capital of America” filled with bakeries, miniature windmills, and Scandinavian architecture. We split the juicy Lil’ McFeast, a smash burger that includes ample aged cheddar, shredded lettuce, red onion, dill pickles, and burger sauce on a sesame brioche bun; an elite chicken Caesar (I am a connoisseur of sorts); and an expensive but generously sized pickle plate. The food brings fine dining flair into a casual lunch setting, but the service is relaxed… very relaxed (be mindful if you’re in a rush).
Before hitting the road again, I grabbed an oat milk cortado and a peach-bourbon scone, delightfully craggy and with a buttery crumb and jammy pockets of fruit, from Good Seed Coffee, one of the few more modern cafes in town.
Dinner: The Sur House in Big Sur
You go to the Sur House for the views, first and foremost — the romantic restaurant is perched on the edge of a cliff overlooking the misty ocean horizon — but not at the expense of flavor. While it’s located at the Alila Ventana, an all-inclusive Big Sur luxury resort decidedly outside my budget for a laid-back weekend trip (if you want to go all A Beautiful Mind on your World of Hyatt points, you might be able to book more fearlessly), the restaurant allows outside guests to make reservations and order a la carte.
While waiting for our table, I was offered a complimentary s’mores experience — honestly, the best s’more I’ve ever had, thanks to a gooey block of house-made marshmallow, which I charred in the outdoor fireplace as instructed. Dinner highlights included Salt Spring mussels with Calabrese sausage and garlic tomato butter; lobster risotto with saffron red pepper cream; and a Tomatini, a sort of martini-bloody mary hybrid. If you can score a patio table, Sur House feels very suited for a special occasion, even if hotel guests eat there every night.
Day 3
I’ll be honest: Day three was mostly about hiking and exploring the natural beauty of Big Sur, making restaurant-hunting less of a priority. On previous visits, Big Sur Bakery would have been my go-to morning stop, but unfortunately, it burned to the ground in 2024. Instead, our meals were mostly utilitarian on this day: a pesto scramble at Big Sur Roadhouse, across the street from our hotel Glen Oaks; a massive, gong-sized chicken quesadilla and sour beer at Big Sur Taphouse; and a beet and goat cheese salad with a passion fruit margarita at Big Sur River Inn, which felt like a picturesque way to end the day (I was still devastatingly full from the quesadilla).
Day 4
Brunch: Deetjen’s
There should be a photo of Deetjen’s in the dictionary to accompany the word “cozy.” With its dark wood, tchotchkes, and Grandma’s-house warmth, this beloved inn and restaurant gives big fairytale energy. The food remains uncomplicated, but the ambiance can’t be beat. It’s a wonderful, homey place to eat a breakfast burrito while pretending you’re in a Brothers Grimm story, sans cell service or Wi-Fi.
Pit stop: The Madonna Inn
IYKYK — San Luis Obispo’s Madonna Inn is a mecca for those who live and die for kitsch and camp. It is visually unrestrained, mostly bright pink and rock walls, and essentially a psychedelic Barbie Dream House that doubles as a hotel, spa, and restaurant. Stop for photos, wander the property, and grab some chocolate truffles from the lower-level gift shop. If you decide to linger in SLO, Eater Los Angeles has more recommendations for where to eat.
Dinner: Sama Sama + dessert at Lokum
I can’t go more than a few days without eating something spicy. As my cravings for chiles, garlic, and ginger intensified, the clear choice for dinner on the way back to LA became Sama Sama, a lowkey Southeast Asian restaurant in downtown Santa Barbara, with its big Indonesian and Malaysian flavors. I loved the banana-leaf-wrapped coconut curry cod, the crispy rice salad, and the lemon-honey gin cocktail that came with a sidecar of pilsner for a sort of DIY shandy. Afterwards, we walked a few blocks to Lokum, a Turkish delight shop showing off the breadth of the dessert with flavors ranging from tiramisu to rosewater pistachio. (If you taste a few samples, it will be impossible to leave without a bag.) Another great dessert option: McConnell’s — I’m personally obsessed with the Santa Barbara-based ice cream maker’s current collaboration of flavors with See’s Candies.
Where I want to go next time: Solstice, a new fine dining spot in Big Sur with intriguing dishes such as smoked Brokaw avocado with caviar and green garlic soup with kombu; Bell’s in Los Alamos for Michelin-starred French bistro fare; Wild Coast Sushi Bar at Treebones Resort for oceanfront omakase.
Check out more of our restaurant picks for this region on the Eater App, and follow me for more recommendations from my travels and favorite cities.
More for the table:
- California is home to a lot of offbeat dining, including a surprisingly wide array of grill-your-own steakhouses.
- Earlier this year, we shared a story about beloved artworks in restaurant dining rooms, including the carved wood bar at the Madonna Inn and the portrait on the wall in Deetjen’s.
- Big Sur is known as a popular destination for couples’ trips, but you can still experience wildly romantic dining at these spots in New York and Los Angeles.
