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Sonoma has plenty of postcard escapes where the quiet is the draw. But if you're the type who likes to be right in the middle of the action, The Lodge at Sonoma is where you want to check in. The Autograph Collection property sits a short walk or bike ride from Sonoma Plaza, surrounded by tasting rooms, restaurants, and shops that make this corner of wine country buzz. Instead of long drives down country roads, your weekend starts the second you step outside.
The Lodge went through a full transformation in recent years, and the updates lean into the region's sense of craft. Mission-style architecture nods to the town's history while interiors keep things grounded in Sonoma's natural palette of wood, stone, and woven textiles. The lobby opens with floor-to-ceiling windows that frame the surrounding hills, and the outdoor spaces carry the same attention to detail with indigenous landscaping and art installations that tie back to Sonoma's elements of land, water, and weather. Some cottages even come with private outdoor soaking tubs, the kind of detail that makes staying put just as tempting as venturing out.
Wit & Wisdom, Michael Mina's first wine country restaurant, centers on wood-fired cooking and a menu that blends comfort with polish. Look forward to Creekstone steaks finished with a red wine demi, seafood that nods to the coast, and starters like Parker House rolls with black pepper honey that hit the table warm. The bar program carries equal weight, with a wine list built for the region and cocktails designed to keep pace with the food. The wine program itself has earned global recognition, landing on The World's Best Wine List 2022 by The World of Fine Wine, the only California restaurant to receive the honor that year, and also securing Wine Spectator's Best of Award of Excellence.
The move, though, is the Night at the Tavern tasting menu, served family-style at $115 per person with an optional $65 wine pairing. Recent lineups have featured hamachi sashimi with truffle vinaigrette, sticky orange duck wings glazed with Grand Marnier, and a wood-fired filet mignon with whipped potatoes, ending on the house-made candy bar layered with caramelia milk chocolate and peanut butter crumble. It's the kind of meal that makes staying on property feel like the right call.
For something more casual, Benicia's Kitchen sits just off the lobby serving Latin-inspired comfort with Sonoma flair. Breakfast might mean chilaquiles topped with Lodge-braised carnitas, or Petaluma eggs with Hobbs' bacon and sausage. By lunch and dinner the kitchen shifts to farm-fresh plates and cocktails, with every dish built around ingredients from local purveyors.
High Horse, a converted horse trailer turned poolside cocktail bar, leans into Sonoma's cheeky rivalry with Napa. Napkins stamped with "Napa get off your high horse" set the tone while bartenders pour colorful, mixology-forward drinks to sip in a cabana or around the fire pits. It's part of what keeps the pool deck buzzing well into the evening, transforming the resort into its own social hub.
For travelers who build itineraries around food and wine, location matters as much as design. The Lodge at Sonoma delivers both. It's close enough to walk to tasting rooms and restaurants, yet outfitted with everything you'd expect from a resort stay: thoughtful design, a spa worth lingering in, and plenty of dining options on-site. For a weekend where you want Sonoma at your fingertips, this is the place to book.