Vegetarian Food Adventures in Sonoma County

Eating vegetarian in Sonoma County is easy and delicious since so many quality ingredients are grown and produced right here.

Modern chefs consider vegetarian and vegan recipes to be fine cuisine, and celebrate beautiful, flavorful, meatless dishes as part of their offerings.

In Sonoma Wine Country, visitors can sip vegan wines, feast on exciting vegetarian cuisine, and even get an insider’s look at where food is grown through local tours and outdoor recreation. Here is a fun and helpful itinerary of vegetarian and vegan delights in this scenic region.

Day One

Guerneville

The riverside town of Guerneville is evolving into a hip dining and shopping destination that’s still enough of a hideaway. Home to just 4,534 souls, including art, food, wine, and nature types, the half-mile-long downtown Guerneville boasts an eclectic mix of convivial bars, shops, restaurants, and wine-tasting salons.

Start your day with breakfast at Piknik Town Market, a modern-day shop with a delicious mix of gourmet groceries plus an upscale deli complete with handy, prepared foods and curated wines.

Look for dense yet flaky signature biscuits and veggie sandwiches layered with good things like hummus, pesto, fresh produce, and a variety of excellent bread and cheeses. Take your delicious finds to-go, or hang out at this friendly spot and watch the town from big windows.

A trail snakes through the redwoods at Armstrong Redwoods Park
Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, located in Guerneville, California

Enjoy a hike through Armstrong Redwoods State Natural Reserve, an 805-acre forest with groves of ancient trees towering 350 feet and sometimes shrouded in mystical fog. Pioneer Nature Trail is an easy and mostly flat mile-and-a-half round-trip path. Next door, more spectacular nature trails await at the 5,683-acre Austin Creek State Recreation Area.

One of Sonoma County’s most marvelous, off-the-radar wineries awaits just a few minutes away at Porter-Bass Winery. Here, winemaker Luke Bass bottles and corks all of his excellent Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and Zinfandel by hand, working out of a wine cave dug into a hillside. In good weather, tastings are held under a walnut tree with wines lined up on a wood plank between wine barrels with views of the vineyard.

People play in the river at Johnson's Beach in Guerneville
Johnson’s Beach in Guerneville, California

It wouldn’t be right to visit this laid-back river town without lazing on the river, and Johnson’s Beach offers the best access, tucked just beneath Guerneville’s entryway bridge. Lounge on the clean river sandbar on rentable beach chairs beneath umbrellas. Or float on the gently flowing water with by-the-hour canoes, kayaks, and pedal boats that take you on a leisurely ride past river homes and forests.

The beach puts you just steps away from Sonoma Nesting Company – okay, everything in Guerneville is just steps away — but this is a great time to stop in and meet shop owners Dax Berg and “Smitty.” Browse their delightful shop stocked with offbeat treasures like reinvented furniture, collectibles, and garden art.

A mural on the side of the building surrounding the patio says "Dig the Earth."
boon eat + drink, in the town of Guerneville, California

Dinner beckons not far away at boon eat + drink, owned by chef-entrepreneur Crista Luedtke. The cool, casual concept showcases organic ingredients, homegrown vegetables and herbs, and a Cal-Italian menu that’s knock-your-socks-off delicious. The brief, rotating menu offers a full section of green plates, like polenta lasagna layered with seasonal veggies, ricotta salata, and spicy marinara over a bed of sautéed garlicky greens.

When it’s time to check in for the night, boon hotel + spa , also owned by chef-entrepreneur Crista Luedtke, is a tiny, memorable retreat with plenty of amenities. Rooms are tucked against the redwoods in old miner’s cabins, or get cozy in a vintage “lovebug” camper.  In the summer, experience glamping in their luxury tent cabins.

Other great accommodations in Guerneville include Mine + Farm and Dawn Ranch Resort.  Or get right into nature with this listing of Sonoma County Campgrounds & RV Parks — click on Rivers & Redwoods.

Day Two

Sebastopol and Santa Rosa

After a restful night, drive to charming Sebastopol. This food and wine town boasts dozens of small farms and boutique wineries for a small-town vibe with both sophisticated and rural delights.

Stone fruits resting on a table at the market
Fresh, seasonal produce is abundant in Sonoma County, California. 

On Sundays year-round, the Sebastopol Farmers Market (in the downtown plaza) draws shoppers from all over as some of the region’s best growers offer the finest seasonal produce. Explore this fun scene, and you may find juicy summer peaches or winter kale, plus artisan bread, cheeses, and an array of vegetarian delights like wood-oven Margherita pizza.

Next, discover what all the buzz is about at The Barlow, a thriving culinary and arts center featuring more than two dozen shopping boutiques, art galleries, restaurants, and tasting rooms in the former site of an apple factory. Barlow visitors can sample and enjoy local products directly from the people who make them.

Bottles of colorful juice on a counter
The Nectary at the Barlow, in Sebastopol, California

If you want a bite to eat, you’ll find all sorts of vegan and raw food options in the to-go case at The Nectary — the first juice and smoothie apothecary bar of its kind. It serves a unique assortment of 100 percent organic fresh cold-pressed juices, superfood and green smoothies, and probiotic beverages such as fruit-and-herb-infused Kefir, Jun, and Kombucha.

A lush flower garden in front of the Victorian building
Muir’s Tea Room, located in Sebastopol, California

Located in a lavishly restored historic Queen Anne Victorian, Muir’s Tea Room is inspired by legendary Scottish-born conservationist and tea lover John Muir. Muir’s combines the beauty of nature with whimsical decor, a stunning cottage garden, and delicious plant-based savories and desserts.

Sebastopol boasts world-class wineries, like Merry Edwards Winery, renowned for its Pinot Noir and Sauvignon Blanc.

After sipping there, visit Furthermore Wines for amazing single vineyard Pinot Noir and a game of bocce.

You would also do well to sample the blanc de blancs at nearby Iron Horse Vineyards — the sparkling wine is considered some of the best in the nation.

A sandwich with vegetables and melted cheese sauce
Cozy Plum Bistro, in the town of Sebastopol, California

When it’s time for a meal, head to Cozy Plum Bistro for vegan delights. BBQ drumsticks, Impossible burger, and Sicilian Pesto Tenderloin Sandwich may not sound vegan, but they are exactly the plant-based dishes you’ll find at Cozy Plum. Foodies will relish meatless cuisine that includes a creative twist on mouthwatering burgers, breakfast sandwiches, and even seafood.

If you’d like to spend the night, Hotel E is a brand new, four-star boutique ideally situated in the iconic beaux-arts building on the recently reunified Old Courthouse Square in downtown Santa Rosa.

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