Where's the big dinner?
- Bell's Bell Street, Los Alamos
The valley's Michelin-starred bistro, from Per Se alums Daisy and Greg Ryan. Go if you can be online at 1pm on the 1st of the month. Prix fixe $125 a person before drinks, service and tax, 5pm to 8:30pm, Thursday to Monday. Source - The Tavern at Mattei's Tavern Los Olivos
Dinner in an 1886 stagecoach stop, now an Auberge hotel. Go if you want a historic room with a Michelin listing. On the 2026 Michelin Guide list. Source
Which private tastings and tours are worth paying up for?
- Brave & Maiden Estate Refugio Road, about 4 min by car from Sagunto Street in Santa Ynez
Every tasting is private, hosted and seated, with Cabernet Sauvignon first. Go if you want an hour of attention, not a crowded bar. Private seated tasting $55 a person, or $100 with a winery tour. Source - Firestone Vineyard Estate Tour & Tasting Zaca Station Road off Foxen Canyon Road, about 18 min by car from Grand Avenue in Los Olivos
An estate tour for 2 to 12 guests that ends in the Wine Club Lounge. Go if you want the tour, not just the bar. $75, daily at 10:30am by reservation, 21 and over. Source - Cult wineries by appointment Los Olivos and the Sta. Rita Hills
Stolpman's 98 from Vinous and Dragonette's 100 from Dunnuck. Go if you collect, or want to. Some pour by appointment; some sell only by mailing list. Source
Where to sleep after the splurge
Two places where the stay is the experience, plus a hilltop pool. For every room in Solvang by price and style, see our Solvang hotels guide.
- The Inn at Mattei's Tavern Los Olivos
An 1886 stagecoach stop with a Michelin Key. Go if you want to walk to Los Olivos tasting rooms from a top hotel. The $75 resort fee buys cruiser bikes and Mercedes-Benz house cars. Source - Alisal Ranch On Alisal Road south of the village, about 7 min by car from Copenhagen Drive in Solvang
A 10,500-acre guest ranch open since 1946. Go if you want a guest ranch, not a hotel. The Alisal River Grill is the one table non-guests can book. Source - Skyview Los Alamos Hilltop above Bell Street, Los Alamos
A 1959 hilltop motel with a 21-and-over pool and Norman, its poolside restaurant. Go if you want the pool and dinner at Bell's down the hill. Free bikes and no resort fee. Source
