Forget everything you thought you knew about food and wine pairings. Paso Robles is one of California’s most daring culinary playgrounds, where chefs and winemakers are shattering rules and rewriting menus.
Today, you can sip bold reds while tasting cheese rolled in exotic spices, pull up a chair to dazzling Michelin-starred restaurants and discover hidden spots where innovative artisans work alongside craft distillers. One thing’s for certain: Wine pairing events in Paso soar beyond the expected, featuring everything from farm-to-table fare to a fresh twist on local seafood.
The best part? Paso’s authentic, no-pretense vibe means these mind-blowing culinary experiences simply come with the territory. Ready to taste for yourself? Discover Paso Robles Wine Country’s most delicious secrets—these 9 unique food and wine pairing experiences are sure to blow your mind and leave you craving more.
1. Daring Dining Theater at Six Test Kitchen
Six Test Kitchen delivers Paso Robles’ most exclusive dining experience—just a dozen seats surrounding Chef Ricky Odbert’s open kitchen where every course unfolds with mind-bending precision. This acclaimed Michelin Star restaurant serves a 12-14 course tasting menu featuring stellar ingredients like pristine bluefin tuna with pear and fermented turnips sourced from local farms.
Chef Odbert’s colorful journey from cooking in his parents’ garage to this state-of-the-art kitchen experience is remarkable, indeed. As you might expect, diners are wowed by each bite as well as each sip: The wine program showcases rare bottles from Sicily’s Mt. Etna to Burgundy’s hidden gems.
But fair warning, feasters. Reservations release at 9 AM on the first of each month and sell out within minutes. For serious food lovers seeking an unforgettable culinary wine experience, this surprising Tin City stop delivers precision and innovation that rivals any major city eatery—all with a distinctly Paso Robles palate.
2. Michelin-Starred Farm-to-Table Fare at JUSTIN
Looking to sample one of Paso’s most elegant and highly-rated culinary expressions? JUSTIN Vineyards and Winery continues to set the standard as the only winery in America with both coveted Michelin Star and Green Star honors. That’s all thanks, of course, to the winery’s onsite dining destination The Restaurant at JUSTIN.
Raise a glass to fresh, seasonal menus that shine with Paso Robles bounty: Chef Rachel Haggstrom’s seasonal prix fixe menus feature 95% of ingredients from their 26-acre farmstead, which includes a 150-tree orchard, on-site apiary and colorful edible flower meadow.
Be sure to make advance reservations to dine at this elegant Adelaida District restaurant–they do go quick! With its indoor-outdoor feel, the restaurant is an iconic Paso Robles culinary experience perfect for special occasions and celebrations. But for the ultimate chocolate lover’s experience, book their 3-hour chocolate immersion where you’ll learn truffle-making secrets from JUSTIN’s expert chocolatiers while designing and painting your own custom creations to take home, all paired perfectly with their award-winning wines.
Local Tip: In the mood for award-winning Bordeaux-style sips and chef-crafted small bites? JUSTIN’s Downtown Tasting Room is conveniently located on Downtown City Park and features a cozy dining area perfect for awe-inspiring afternoon nibbles.
Reserve a Table – The Restaurant at JUSTIN
3. Sky-High Dining: Paso’s First Rooftop Experience at Tetto
Want in on new heights of flavor? Downtown Paso Robles just opened its first rooftop bar, and it’s changing the game for wine country cocktail hour. Perched atop The Piccolo hotel, Tetto Rooftop Bar brings urban sophistication to Paso’s charming square. Kick back, relax and take in panoramic views of vineyard-covered hills that stretch on to the horizon.
This isn’t just about the views (though they’re spectacular)—Tetto’s locally inspired menu ups wine country wine plates to new levels. Sip craft cocktails while nibbling on a signature charcuterie board featuring Italian cured meats paired with artisan cheeses, or dive into creative flatbreads like the Paso Fire topped with house sausage, pickled jalapeños and aromatic sage.
The al fresco atmosphere captures everything magical about Paso evenings—golden hour light spilling across the hills, the buzz of downtown below and that lovely wine country breeze. It’s the kind of dreamy experience that transforms a simple meal into an unforgettable photo opp.
Local Tip: Reservations here aren’t accepted, so arrive early to snag a spot at Paso’s hottest new dining destination.
4. Meet the Innovative Artisans of Tin City
Welcome to Paso Robles’ unlikely culinary playground—Tin City where over 40 artisans, including award-winning winemakers, innovative craft brewers and cutting-edge distillers have transformed an industrial warehouse district into Paso Robles Wine Country’s most exciting food and beverage destination. This walkable makers’ market feels like discovering a hidden neighborhood where artisans craft everything from hand-pulled pasta to small-batch spirits right before your eyes.
Etto Pasta Bar takes center stage with fresh-made pasta and classic Italian preparation using local ingredients sourced from over a dozen local farms and ranches. Their monthly-changing menu features everything from fabulous Cacio e Pepe to seasonal creations, all served in a casual indoor-outdoor setting. Next door, their Italian marketplace sells handcrafted pastas alongside imported specialties for the ultimate take-home Italiano experience.
But that’s not all: Tin City’s beverage scene spans every craving possible: BarrelHouse Brewing Co. pours small-batch beers in their spacious beer garden and music venue, Tin City Cider Co. keeps a handful of ciders on tap from rosé blends to dry-hopped classics, while Tin City Distillery serves innovative Wine Shine brandies with flavors like hibiscus and ghost pepper. For dessert, Negranti Creamery offers America’s first sheep’s milk ice cream—lighter and more alluring than traditional dairy.
This isn’t your typical wine country destination: Tin City strips away the pretense and serves up authentic foodie finds—It’s industrial cool meets artisanal excellence, perfectly capturing what makes Paso Robles so undeniably delicious.
Reserve a Table – Etto Pasta Bar
5. Indian Flavors Meet Paso Terroir at LXV and Copia Vineyards and Winery
Two remarkable Indian-American couples are revolutionizing Paso’s culinary scene with bold spice-forward pairings that honor their rich cultural heritage while celebrating local terroir.
Copia Vineyards and Winery, set high in Paso Robles’ renowned Adelaida District, serves up Wine Flight & Culinary Pairings as distinctive as its Indian-American owners, Varinder and Anita Sahi. Anita’s culinary roots shine in Copia’s seasonal pairings, created with local chefs to highlight each wine’s versatility. Think turmeric panna cotta alongside a delicate roussanne-viognier blend, or beet tahini with roasted acorn squash paired with their signature Rhone red blend, “The Cure.”
Named one of the “Top 10 Best Tasting Experiences” in America by USA Today, downtown Paso tasting lounge LXV offers wine pairings paired with proprietary spice blends. Owners Neeta and Kunal Mittal draw from their collection of 250+ spices to create blends that “mirror, complement or contrast” each wine’s unique flavor profile.
Head to their popular tasting room for a bold sip of sangiovese paired with neutral sheep’s milk cheese rolled in Sirocco spices (sumac, dry mango powder, cardamom, star anise, cloves, fennel, rose petals) or experience a luscious cabernet franc alongside cheese coated with their Irish Monk mix featuring dulse seaweed flakes, miso and pink peppers, to name just a few!
Both experiences showcase how Indian flavors can elevate Paso wines in unexpected ways—LXV’s intimate downtown setting features three distinct spaces (an Indian day bed room, Tuscan-inspired cellar and outdoor patio) while Copia’s panoramic patio overlooks 50 acres of vines where the Sahis share their journey firsthand.
Reserve a Table at Copia Vineyards
Book a Spice and Wine Tasting at LXV
Want to know all the finest winery restaurants in Paso Robles?
This guide tells you everything you need to know about all 24 winery restaurants in Paso Robles, categorized to suit every taste and budget. We dig into the must-try dishes and wines specialities for perfect pairings at each venue.
6. Regenerative Estates and Farm-to-Table Dining at Halter Ranch, Lone Madrone and more
Some farm-fresh fare simply outshines the rest. Restaurant Alice, named for owner Hansjörg Wyss’s mother, showcases cutting-edge regenerative farming practices with ingredients grown on Halter Ranch’s 2,700-acre organic estate. Amid this pristine scenery, taste Paso at its freshest: Executive Chef Paul Arangorin sources hyperlocal ingredients including on-site butchered grass-fed beef, estate olive oil from their 4-acre grove and honey from regional bee boxes. Here, the seasonal menu changes with each micro-season, creating true Paso farm-to-table flavors impossible to replicate elsewhere.
This iconic Paso Robles winery curates exceptional non-food experiences for its guests, too: Among them, enjoy Halter Ranch fly-overs, Defender vineyard tours and even rides on their Swiss narrow gauge locomotive!
Lone Madrone’s Roots Wine & Food Pairing with Chef Jeffery Scott plates seasonally-driven pairings featuring local produce and artisan cheeses designed to enhance their dry-farmed, organically-grown wines.
Exceptional estate dining experiences can be found at Niner Wine Estates, winner of “Best Winery Restaurant in America” by Food & Wine, where you’ll sample estate-produced olive oil, onsite chicken eggs and barrel-aged coffee on their patio overlooking famous Heart Hill.
Similarly, Le Cuvier Winery pairs exquisite small-production wines with upscale epicurean bites featuring elaborate main courses like braised beef shank with bone marrow.
Reserve a Table – Restaurant Alice at Halter Ranch
Reserve a Pairing – Lone Madrone
Reserve a Table – Niner Wine Estates
Reserve a Pairing – Le Cuvier Winery
7. Wow-Worthy Winery Café Culture at CASS Winery and Ancient Peaks
Yes, Paso Robles boasts its own upscale cafe culture, and it gives the Europeans a run for their money. CASS Café is where gourmet plates meet sprawling vineyard ambiance in Paso’s sun-drenched Geneseo AVA. With a popular outdoor dining area overlooking 145 acres of sustainably-farmed vineyards, this family-friendly cafe located at the heart of the CASS Winery Estate offers unforgettable tableside wine tastings alongside scratch-made cuisine.
The culinary team crafts everything from artisanal charcuterie platters to wood-fired pizzas, with standout dishes including Alice’s Crab Cake Salad, slow-roasted pulled pork sandwiches featuring blackberry barbecue sauce and the famous Benny Burger with CASS Winery Estate Angus beef, bacon, blue cheese, horseradish aioli and pickled onions.
Wineries with cafes abound in Paso Robles Wine Country, making grabbing a lunch a breeze—Ancient Peaks Tasting Room and Café just south of Paso Robles is another excellent example of California wine cafe culture, specializing in “ranch-to-table fare” crafted by Chef Cheyne Jackson of top-rated The Range Restaurant.
Local Tip: Stop by Ancient Peaks for their signature sandwiches and wines paired with a vineyard zipline experience, an exhilarating culinary adventure that will truly blow your hair back.
Reserve a Table – CASS Cafe
Reserve a Table – Ancient Peaks Tasting Room and Cafe
8. Luxury Resort Dining Experiences at Allegretto Vineyard Resort, Calipaso and Villa San-Juliette Winery
No need to wrap yourself in a soft robe (unless you want to): Cello Ristorante and Bar at Allegretto Vineyard Resort elevates Mediterranean dining with regionally foraged ingredients and produce plucked straight from Chef Justin Picard’s onsite kitchen garden. Far from your typical hotel restaurant, Cello weaves the resort’s estate olive oil and locally sourced fare into every dish. The best part? You need not be an overnight guest to enjoy!
Linger over an elegant lunch with optional Allegretto wine pairings, or sip their private label vintages for a true farm-to-glass tasting. Seasonal menus spotlight Paso Robles’ rotating flavors—house-made pastas with garden greens, wood-fired pizzas topped with local ingredients and small plates that evolve with the harvest.
For the ultimate vineyard brunch indulgence, escape to CaliPaso Winery & Villa where Sunday mornings transform into lavish culinary celebrations. This exclusive $39 Sunday buffet (9:00 AM – 2:00 PM, reservations required) is the only Sunday-exclusive brunch restaurant in Paso wine country and features succulent cuts from their prime rib carving station, made-to-order omelets and elevated touches like shrimp cocktail and smoked salmon.
Surrounded by beautifully landscaped gardens and framed by hundreds of acres of lush vineyards, this intimate Tuscan-inspired estate creates the perfect setting for celebrating special.
Meanwhile, just 20 minutes from downtown Paso Robles, Villa San-Juliette Winery offers Mediterranean grandeur in a Tuscan-inspired estate, where award-winning Bordeaux-style wines meet handcrafted plates that feel sourced straight from the European countryside. Savor Manila clams in white wine, butter and herbs or sink into their signature Italian braised beef sandwich with sautéed onions and peppers—all best enjoyed on their sophisticated sun-dappled patio.
Local Tip: For the ultimate luxury, book a stay in Villa San-Juliette Winery’s on-site guest house and turn your tasting into a full-on wine country resort-style culinary escape.
Reserve a Table – Cello Ristorante and Bar
Reserve Sunday Brunch – CaliPaso Winery & Villa
Reserve a Table – Villa San-Juliette
9. Coastal Wine & Seafood Adventures at Absolution Cellars
Go absolutely coastal with Absolution Cellars, just west of Paso Robles on the wind-swept Morro Bay coast. Kissed by salt and blessed with endless summer vibes, the winery’s Rare & Reserve Tasting pairs six fresh-shucked oysters from Flying Colors Co. Mobile Oyster Bar with a flight of three vibrant wines.
This elevated pairing highlights Absolution’s limited-production, single-vineyard wines sourced from select Central Coast sites—over 20 different varieties crafted each year. (Check the calendar for oyster dates; advance tickets are required.) Nestled right on Morro Bay’s bustling Embarcadero, this oceanside tasting room offers a one-of-a-kind wine-and-seafood experience.
Local Tip: Getting there is half the magic—the 30-minute drive from Paso Robles via Highway 46 West winds through rolling vineyards before delivering you to the coast, where inland terroir meets ocean-fresh merroir.
Check the calendar for Oyster & Wine Pairings
Build your perfectly planned Wine tasting tour
Discover hidden gems, plan smart routes, and taste your way through wine country like a local – without the guesswork. Our Paso Robles route planner shows you ALL the tasting rooms, helps you map efficient routes, and gets you from sip to sip faster. Plus you can download all the information for free. More wine, less driving time.
Discover more Paso Robles Culinary Wonders
More Michelin-Recognized Excellence in Paso
Star-spangled wine county: Did you know Paso Robles has become a top Michelin Star destination, with several restaurants earning coveted recognition for culinary excellence? The Hatch Rotisserie & Bar serves up top notch wood-smoked rotisserie chicken and seasonal sides, while In Bloom showcases creative plant-forward cuisine that’s rightfully earning national attention. French bistro Les Petites Canailles brings authentic Parisian charm to downtown with classic French preparations that honor traditional techniques and local ingredients. This growing collection of Michelin-starred restaurants proves Paso’s culinary scene can compete with any major food hot spot!
Crave-Worthy Estate Parties and Events
Join the party: Get in on the fun with Paso Robles winery estates experiences, from fine dining to swinging soirees! Opolo Vineyards hosts legendary harvest celebrations with panoramic valley views, Balkan dancers and whole roasted lamb, while Oso Libre sells cuts of their own estate-raised grass-fed Black Angus right from their beautiful tasting room. Throughout the region, working olive farms offer estate tastings and olive grove tours where you can taste the sunshine in every golden drop.
Plant-Forward and Vegetarian Restaurants
Veggies for all: Paso’s dining scene is embracing vegetables without sacrificing indulgence. The Alchemist’s Garden leads with farm-fresh cocktails and an omnivore menu that highlights plant-based options, while Ziggy’s satisfies comfort food cravings with fully vegan burgers, thick shakes and crispy fries. Thomas Hill Organics, one of Paso’s longest farm-to-table pioneers, continues setting the standard with peak-season cuisine that puts local colorful bounty at the center of every plate.
Savory Seasonal Celebrations and Foodie Festivals
Paso’s calendar bursts with food-focused events throughout the year, from October’s Harvest Wine Month featuring grape stomping events and intimate winemaker dinners to signature gatherings like Paso Robles Wine Weekend, where food and wine flow freely. These seasonal celebrations always weave top tier culinary experiences into the festivities, creating behind-the-scenes vineyard experiences and special food and wine pairings that capture each micro-climate’s unique flavors.
Global Flavors Galore
Travel the world, one meal at a time: Paso’s dining scene sizzles with enticing global flavors. Junction Tapas serves saffron-scented paella alongside Mexico Ancestral pop-ups, while S’Aranella’s elevates Spanish cuisine with modern tapas and curated Spanish wines. Italian traditions shine at Il Cortile with handcrafted pastas, La Cosecha serves Latin American flair, and Fish Gaucho rounds out the scene with Cal-Mexican preparations paired with exceptional tequila and mezcal.
Food Hall & Market Culture
A whole new wat to eat: Paso’s community-driven food scene thrives in shared spaces like Paso Market Walk, where diverse vendors serve everything from vegan deli fare to slurp-happy ramen under one roof. Stop by the popular downtown Paso farmer’s market for a peek at what’s juicy and delicious right now. Meanwhile, Vivant Fine Cheese elevates your market experience with over 150 artisanal cheeses, educational workshops and expert-guided wine pairings.
Casual Winery Dining
Come as you are: Paso wineries perfect the art of casual elegance with dining that feels like visiting friends who happen to make exceptional wine. Tackitt Family Vineyards welcomes dogs and families around their bonfire pit and pizza oven, Venteux Vineyards pairs small-batch Rhône varietals with food trucks and lawn picnics.
Let’s Eat!
Come hungry and curious—Paso Robles Wine Country is serving up more than just meals and tastings. It’s a place where every glass surprises and each plate delights, where vineyards double as dining rooms and where you leave not only satiated, but inspired. Yes, the heart of Paso Robles Wine Country beats in its crafty kitchens—and the table is set for you! Learn more about Paso Robles dining and plan your foodie-friendly adventure today
