If you’re staying with us in Sebastopol, the hardest part of your trip will be deciding what not to do. This is a small town, but it punches well above its weight when it comes to food, drink, and things worth wandering into — and after years of sending guests out the door with a list of favorites, we figured it was time to write it all down.
Start your morning right. Skip the hotel-lobby coffee and head to Wild Flour Bread in nearby Freestone, where the sourdough comes out of a wood-fired brick oven and usually sells out by early afternoon. If you’re staying closer to downtown, Portico Social on Main Street covers your espresso and pastry needs just as well, with a dining room warm enough to linger in.
By afternoon, The Barlow is where most of a good Sebastopol day ends up happening. It’s an open-air marketplace built on the site of an old apple-processing plant, now packed with breweries, wine tasting rooms, and independent shops — Crooked Goat Brewing and Seismic Brewing’s taproom at Golden State Cider are both worth a flight, and Fern Bar mixes some of the best garden-to-glass cocktails in the county if you’d rather sip something colorful.
For dinner, Handline on Gravenstein Highway is our go-to recommendation for anyone who wants great seafood without the fuss — order at the counter, grab a stool under the fish mural, and don’t skip the smoked fish dip.
If you need to walk any of that off, the Joe Rodota Trail is a flat, easy 8.5-mile path right at the edge of town, perfect for a morning stroll or bike ride before the day gets going. And if your visit lines up with a Wednesday evening between June and August, don’t miss the free outdoor concerts at Ives Park — it’s one of the most purely local things you can do here.
We’ve actually built out a full, constantly-updated guide to our favorite Sebastopol spots — addresses, hours, and honest notes on when to go — right here on the site, so you’re never stuck guessing where to eat on night one.
This is the kind of trip that rewards a little wandering, and staying in one of our Sebastopol homes puts you close enough to do all of it on foot or a short drive. Browse our Sebastopol properties to find your home base, or check availability for your dates.
