Many foreigners we meet have aspirations to spend their vacations seeing all that California has to offer. We’ve made a short list of things to do, see, and eat while in the state we’ve lived in for many years.

NAPA

STAY

• Meadowood (in St. Helena)

• Senza

• Recommend to stay in Yountville or St. Helena

BREAKFAST

• Model Bakery (English Muffin)

LUNCH

• Charter Oak (Burger)

• Gotts Roadside

• RH - come here for the ‘scene’ rather than for the food

• Brasswood

• Oakwood Grocer

• Oxbow Market

• R&D - while it’s now a chain, the first one started in Napa

DINNER

• French Laundry

• Press

• Don Giovanni

WINERIES

• Harlan

• Promontory

• Ashes & Diamonds*

• V Sattui*

• Futo

• Rudd

• Davis*

• Lokoya

• Robert Mondavi

• Hall

• Quintessa*

• Kenzo

• Artesa*

• Del Dotto

• Zaken

• Chappellet

• Aubert

• Robert Sinskey*

*These wineries also have food and can serve you lunch. You should only realistically do a maximum of 4 wineries a day, so booking a winery that serves lunch can help you knock out two birds with one stone.

OTHER

• If you have time, you can spend a few days in Healdsburg and eat/stay at SingleThread or the new Montage.

SANTA BARBARA

STAY

• Rosewood Miramar

BREAKFAST

LUNCH

DINNER

SEE

• Los Olivos wine tasting

• Carpinteria beach

LOS ANGELES

STAY

• Hotel Bel Air

• Four Seasons Beverly Hills

• Four Seasons Beverly Wilshire

• Casa Del Mar

• Terrenea

BREAKFAST

• Eggslut (The Slut)

• Great White

• Elephante

LUNCH

• Tocaya

• Loqui (Mushroom Tacos)

• Gjelina

• Rose Cafe

• Sugarfish (Trust Me)

• Wurstcuche

• Bay Cities Market (Godmother Sandwich)

• Nobu Malibu

• The Window (Burger)

• Stella

• Fathers Office (Burger)

• Grand Central Market

DINNER

• Felix (cacio e pepe, alla a’matriciana, sfincone)

• Capo

• Osteria Mozza

• Toscana

• Milo & Olive (garlic knot)

• Baltaire

• Dialogue

• Scopa

• Madeo

• Republique (chicken)

• Raos

• Forma

• Tar & Roses (oxtail dumplings)

• Le Comptoir

• Providence

• Spago

• Wallys Wine Shop in Santa Monica

• Manchego

• La Vecchia

• Jon & Vinnys

BARS

• Casa Del Mar (hotel bar with live music)

• Chez Jay (dive bar)

• Tony Ps (dive bar)

SEE

• Griffith Observatory

• A Show at Hollywood Bowl

• Rosenthal Wine Tasting

• Malibu Wines

• Getty Museum

• Getty Villa

• Abbott Kinney Street (food & shopping)

• The Grove (food & shopping)

• The Magic Castle

• Bike the Santa Monica Boardwalk

• 3rd Street Promenade (food & shopping)

• Malibu Pier

• Rodeo Drive

• The Last Bookstore

• Temescal Canyon Hike

• Hollywood Sign Hike

THINGS TO SEE OUTSIDE OF LA:

• Terrenea & Wayfarers Chapel

• Cielo Wines

• Universal Studios

• Catalina Island

• Temecula

• Laguna Beach

• Newport Beach

• Joshua Tree

• Palm Springs

• Santa Barbara

• San Diego (& SD Zoo)

• Paso Robles Wine Tasting

• Solveng

SHOWS OR MUSIC VENUES

• Hotel Cafe

• Vibrato