Cambria, California
Cambria, California travel guide
Welcome to my Bite Sized Travel Guides series. What exactly is a Bite Sized Travel Guide, you ask? Well, it’s essentially a short and sweet travel guide, a summarized version of where to eat, where to stay, what to do and quick tips, my favorite “bites” of a destination, if you will. Because sometimes I haven’t spent enough time in a location, or don’t know it well enough, or don’t have enough professional photos from somewhere, to qualify for a full blown travel guide, but I still want to share the spots I do know, love and recommend, as well as ones I have bookmarked for future visits, in a simple, minimal and easy to digest format with small tips and tidbits as well as any relevant and correlating blog posts and links. The Bite Sized Travel Guides are perfect for someone just looking for quick recommendations, and not wanting to scroll through a whole guide and paragraph after paragraph just to find a spot for dinner. The Bite Sized Travel Guides will also be added to and refreshed anytime I re-visit the featured location and have something new to add. I hope you’ll find these bite-sized bites of a destination just as tasty as I do!
Cambria is a cute little coastal town, one of the last stops before you hit Big Sur. And while it certainly can make a great stop to grab food on your way to or from Big Sur, it’s worth more than just a food stop. It’s the perfect place to take a few days to unwind, relax and take in nature and wildlife. And at about halfway between Los Angeles and San Francisco, it makes a perfect weekend or long weekend getaway no matter where are you in the state. But trust me when I say that it’s so relaxing you’ll definitely want to stay for longer!
WHERE TO
EAT + DRINK
HIDDEN KITCHEN
Great spot for healthy breakfast/brunch; they’re known for their light and fluffy blue corn waffles with a variety of sweet and savory toppings, but their smoothies are also amazing!
TRUE EARTH MARKET
I think this might be my favorite spot in Cambria. A great little market with fresh produce, healthy eats and local provisions (think California wines and cheeses, local bee pollen and honey, fresh baked bread from Los Osos, etc). They also have a great kitchen in the back with pretty much anything you might want (soups, sandwiches, sushi, wraps, pizza, tacos, bowls, salads) that you can order as well as pre-made options. Everything is super fresh and flavorful and it’s a great spot to grab things for a picnic or hike lunch, if you need food for the road or even to grab something for a quick dinner after a day of exploring. Also don’t skip their cookies!
BONI’S TACOS
Tucked away in the industrial part of town during the week or found at a small truck in the town center on weekends, this place is a must whether you’re visiting Cambria for a few days or just stopping through on your way to or from Big Sur. Get the taquitos and chile verde tacos, and don’t skip on the verde salsa or the rice and beans.
SEA CHEST OYSTER BAR
A classic local spot that is kitschy and exactly what you’d expect at a seaside spot in a small town; sit at the oyster bar if you can and get the oysters fresh or rockefeller, and instead of one of the main entrees, go for the mussels and an order of the garlic bread
THE FRENCH CORNER BAKERY
If you’re looking for baked goods or dessert, this is a good spot to check out. We enjoyed their scones (at the hotel) and carrot cake (at the Sea Chest).
ON MY LIST TO TRY // Brydge (one of Cambria’s newest restaurants which looks great for lunch or dinner), The Sow’s Ear (I’ve got my eye on the flower pot rolls, lobster pot pie and the ultimate mud pie), Robin’s (such a cute space and a diverse menu that sounds delicious), Black Cat Bistro (I mean, how can we not want to go here since we have a black cat?!), Harmony Cafe at the Pewter Plough (they have brunch, lunch and dinner, patio looks cute and they have live music Friday + Saturday at dinner, and jazz every few weeks on Sundays), The Cow Tipper, Mozzi’s Saloon
WHAT TO DO
MOONSTONE BEACH
A beautiful and easy walking path right along the water with easy access down to the beach throughout the walk
BOP ABOUT TOWN
Town is divided into an east and west; each has a few little shops (Slabtown was one of my favorites but I also like Terracotta and Thrift by the Sea is great for, you guessed it, thrifting), restaurants, etc. so it’s cute to walk around and pop into them, but it’s very small so you definitely don’t need a lot fo time
FISCALLINI RANCH
Another easy and beautiful walk along the water; this one is higher up which makes it great for sunset watching; it’s short and sweet, so great if you don’t have a lot of time, but there are some additional trails on the hillside that can turn this into a longer walk; the lower easy path is also wheelchair accessible
GO WINE TASTING
Paso Robles isn’t far and certainly has tons of amazing wine options but if you want to stay local there are a few options-
SEE THE ELEPHANT SEALS
There’s a few spots to stop and view them right off the side of HWY 1 (with plenty of parking available), check here for more info; we also saw a few at San Simeon State Park
HEARST CASTLE
visit just the castle or make a day of it and also go for a wine tasting and exploring Hearst San Simeon State Park across the street
TOURS + CLASSES
CLYDESDALE HORSEBACK RIDING AT COVELL RANCH
TAKE A KELP CLASS WITH KELPFUL
GO ON A TOUR AT STEPLADDER CREAMERY
TAKE A PILATES CLASS IN THE VINEYARD
VISIT NEARBY TOWNS
MORRO BAY- fresh oysters and seafood by the water
CAYUCOS- cute spot with more restaurant options, lots of good thrifting/antiquing and the Brown Butter Cookie Co.
HARMONY- a tiny little town, stop by for ice-cream or a wine tasting on the weekends
SAN SIMEON-see the lighthouse (reservations required for the tour), look out for the grazing zebras, walk around Hearst San Simeon State Park (we loved the hike that goes out to the point
BIG SUR- no explanation needed, you can never go wrong with a visit to Big Sur
WHERE TO STAY
WHITE WATER
Beautifully designed property directly across from Moonstone Beach (Talk about an ideal location!); clean, friendly staff, fireplaces in the rooms, breakfast (fresh local pastries, hot coffee + the makings for mimosas) delivered to your door every morning, complimentary bikes, great lobby to hang in with a bar and small bites
THE SQUIBB HOUSES
Quaint and charming B&B located right in the center of town; the main house was originally built in the 1880’s and the current proprietor as done such a great job keeping up the charm of the place; we stayed in (and loved) the garden room as it has a private entrance, cute little porch complete with rocking chairs, views of the lovely gardens and a fireplace; breakfast is also included (ours included things like fresh berries, yogurt, granola, toast, everything to make eggs benedict and breakfast potatoes)
