21 Best Places To Eat And Drink In California's SLO County

San Luis Obispo County lies halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles on the California Central Coast. The region is nestled between Santa Barbara and Monterey counties covers 3,300 square miles, including 100 miles of the Pacific coastline. SLO County has a small-town feel. The community comprises ranchers and farmers, winemakers, and brewers who focus on family while taking the time to slow down and enjoy life.

When considering the food and drinks of SLO County, one commonality exists across the board: a focus on local. The people who live and work in SLO are fiercely proud of what their community offers, including fresh seafood, local meats, olive oils, abundant produce, wine, spirits, and more. Using ingredients sourced from their land is at the forefront of many of the region's best restaurants and bars. We traveled throughout the region, tasting and sipping, narrowing down the best places to eat and drink in SLO County. Here are our favorites.

There are a lot of California wines served in San Luis Obispo. It makes sense, as the county is home to the Paso Robles and SLO Coast wine regions. The regions produce everything from cool-climate whites to robust, tannic reds. However, sometimes we want something outside the norm of what you can find in SLO's backyard. That's when we go to Saints Barrel.

We enjoy the relaxed wine bar's selection of international bottles, including interesting options from France, Germany, Greece, Australia, and Italy. Saints Barrel's in-house sommelier also hosts educational wine-tasting classes every weekend, digging into why a region's terroir affects the grapes, influencing the character of the wine, including the taste, texture, structure, and complexity.

The Alchemists' Garden mixes and shakes some of the best cocktails in Paso Robles. With a fresh, clean feel, the decorations are straightforward. But the drinks are not. Cocktails include modern takes on the classics and an evolving list of seasonal options inspired by Mother Earth's garden.

Alchemists' Gold is the spot's take on an Old-Fashioned cocktail. It includes 100-proof Old Forester bourbon infused with cocoa nib. The cocktail smokes under a cloche, with bartenders removing the lid after serving, releasing a whiff of smoke, creating a theater for the senses. If you are cocktailing with friends, opt for one of the group options, including the aromatic Garden Spear. It is a take on a lemon drop martini, mixing hibiscus-infused vodka with house rosehip liqueur, mint, and lemon that is beautiful and delicious.

Sitting at one of the highest elevations in Paso Robles, the Daou brothers have created a serene venue for wine-tasting Bordeaux-style wines while serving stellar fare. Estate chef Spencer Johnston creates memorable feasts using unique flavor combinations atop 2,200 feet above sea level mountain, looking out on the winery's vineyards. Using locally sourced goods from Central Coast purveyors, the flavorful dishes enhance the flavors of the Paso Robles wine.

We dined as a guest of Daou, enjoying flavors like a farro and cauliflower salad with a curry-lime vinaigrette, seared scallops with coconut butter, and seasonal kale risotto with spring chantarelles, all paired with Daou's red blends. Reservations are required, and it is expensive. However, the flavors and the setting make this the best place for lunch with a view.

Tolosa Winery and tasting room sit at the entrance to Edna Valley, a part of the SLO Coast wine region with close proximity to the Pacific. The SIP-certified winery makes white wines that are zesty, refreshing, and crisp and red wines that are pure, fresh, and lively.

Tolosa's inviting tasting room features multiple indoor and outdoor areas where members and guests can enjoy the flavorful wine. Visitors can sip communally or privately, enjoying zen-like relaxation in a wine-country chic atmosphere. The winery offers various tasting experiences, including enjoying a bottle in the charming olive grove. Reservations are required, with tastings lasting around an hour and a half. However, the atmosphere is so welcoming that you may want to stay all day.

The winemaker for Paso Roble's organic Tablas Creek Winery is also a cider producer, creating innovative combinations that highlight the essence of apples. Neil Collins grew up in Bristol, England, an area known for crafting delicious fermented apple cider. The story goes that Collins couldn't find a comparable cider to those he loved from his English homeland, so he began brewing batches from locally grown apples using only native yeast for fermentation. Soon after, Collins started a cidery inside Lone Madrone Winery along with his wife and sister.

The seasonal Mangelwurzel is our flavor of choice. Collins co-fermenting beets, fennel, and granny smith apples to create a savory, earthy, licorice-filled combination with a dry palate and a vibrant fuchsia hue.

Craft distilling is on the rise in SLO, with over a dozen distilleries producing artisan spirits throughout the county using grape must, local botanicals like butterfly pea flower, and California-grown barley. One of the best with a cool, surfer vibe and tasty drinks is Rod & Hammer's SLO Stills.

The distillery was founded by two friends who share a love for quality spirits, good beer, and the feel of the water. They began 30 years ago, opening SLO Brew. In 2019, they added SLO Stills to the back of the brewery, creating a unique destination for all things boozy.

Their liquor-making process begins by making beer, which is handy since it is readily available, and then distilled into liquor. All spirits use purified water from the Pacific Ocean, another nod to their love of the Central Coast's water. We recommend stopping for a cocktail, then taking a bottle home, like SLO Stills straight rye whiskey. It is made from 95% rye and aged two years in American oak, producing a smoky, spicy, earthy whiskey.

Suppose you're looking for nightcap late-evening drinks in SLO County. In that case, Nightcap Cocktail Lounge inside the Granda Hotel is for you. With a sexy speakeasy ambiance, the dimly lit, intimate atmosphere feels like a scene from a film noir movie.

Cocktails include tricked-up classics and a bevy of new creations, like the Oaxacan In The Park mixing tequila, mezcal, lemongrass jalapeño coriander syrup, and gusano. Or try the fruity gin, berry, and lemon-filled Raspberry Cobbler cocktail. If you prefer wine, the list is small and predominantly local, with selections like Valdiguie rosé from Paso's Avenales Ranch and Delmore pinot noir from SLO Coast. If you're an early bird instead of a night owl, stop in when the bar opens at 6 p.m. for the nightly martini happy hour.

Ada's is the place for seafood lovers. Chef Doug MacMillan brings the influence of his family's Italian and Northeastern roots to Ada's Fish House sitting a few blocks from the ocean in Pismo Beach. Using ingredients caught right outside his backdoor on the Californian coast, the chef's dishes are clean, fresh, and flavorful. The dishes are expensive, but the flavors are on point.

We highly recommend freshly caught Pacific Gold oysters from nearby Morro Bay, Pacific Coast sand dabs cooked Piccata-style with lemon, white wine, and capers, or the best lobster rolls packed with sweet, succulent lobster. MacMillan's seafood linguine includes a mix of seafood and shellfish with a briny tomato sauce that tastes like the sea.

Pismo Beach was once a clamming mecca. The bivalve has called Central California beaches home for generations, with the Pismo Beach taking its name from the Pismo clam. Clams were harvested commercially and recreationally through the 1980s when populations began to shrink.

Though clamming is not as common today, you can still enjoy the best clam chowder at Pismo Beach's Splash Café. Since 1989, the tiny, beach-side eatery has been serving creamy chowder to locals and tourists who often face long waits as lines wrap around the building. Eating a piping hot cup of creamy New England clam chowder at the beach may seem odd. However, Splash Café proves the hearty potato, heavy cream, and clam-filled bowl of chowder is the perfect beach food.

Sitting oceanfront, the small eatery enjoys cooling breezes off the Pacific year-round. In the chill of the evening air, nothing is more comforting than a warm bowl of the café's soup. We suggest adding the seafood and clams topper. You can thank us later.

There are a lot of coffee shops in SLO County. One of the best is Amstrdm in Paso Robles. Owned by classically trained pianist Corey Jordan and his partner, Kate, the coffee house opened in 2020 as a coffee house and piano bar, with the duo making all syrups in-house, using locally roasted beans from Spearhead coffee located right outside their door. Breakfast specialties feature fresh pastries and made-to-order brunch items, including wraps and sandwiches.

The drink of choice is the Himalayan salted caramel latte. Salty and sweet flavors are layered with rich, bold roasted coffee for a completely satisfying way to caffeinate your morning. Pair with a made-to-order egg, bacon, avo sando, or a flaky, buttery chocolate croissant.