Visit Temecula Valley Announces 10 Best Restaurants

The Restaurant at Ponte Winery received the most reviews at 620. It also placed as a Top 100 Restaurant for Al Fresco Dining in the United States, as rated by TripAdvisor and OpenTable. The outdoor restaurant is surrounded by stunning vineyards and manicured gardens. They serve locally sourced produce, all natural, hormone-free meats and wild caught or sustainably farmed fish. They are open for lunch daily and dinner is available Friday and Saturday evenings. Reservations are strongly encouraged.

Other wine country restaurants in the top ten are Pinnacle at Falkner Winery and Creekside Grill at Wilson Creek Winery. Set on a 1,500-foot hilltop, Pinnacle offers indoor and outdoor seating with a breathtaking panoramic view. This award-winning restaurant serves Mediterranean style lunch in an elegant setting daily. Their wines pair perfectly with their menu items. Creekside Grill is cozied up to the winery’s 30-year old Cabernet grapevines and herb garden. The restaurant offers fresh, wine-inspired casual fare. Guests can expect gorgeous salads, scrumptious sandwiches, and seasonal inspired specials. They are open daily, including a popular Sunday brunch.

The Goat & Vine came in with 537 positive reviews. Their philosophy is that food should be honest, healthy, and created with the utmost integrity. Every morning they handcraft their breads, pizza dough, sauces, dressings, and proteins from scratch. Themed handcrafted pizza is their specialty. The Goat & Vine is open daily for lunch and dinner. They don’t take reservations so plan for a wait but its well worth it.

Another Old Town Temecula top place to dine is E.A.T. Marketplace. They do their best to make sure every ingredient is free of GMO’s, antibiotics, hormones, and pesticides. They are dedicated to sourcing the cleanest foods possible and serving locally driven foods that are hyper fresh and nutrient dense. E.A.T. Marketplace offers delicious menu items for those with dietary restrictions as well as carnivores, vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, and paleo eaters. They are open for breakfast and lunch daily.

An authentic Tuscan-Sardinian-Italian cultural experience can be found at Trattoria Toscana. Chef Pietro, born in Sardinia, carefully selects fresh, local ingredients as well as imports from Italy to create high quality, homemade Tuscan and Sardinian meals in his scratch kitchen. He sun-dries tomatoes by hand using fresh, organic tomatoes to accentuate the flavors of his dishes, such as his popular dish, Pappardelle con Funghi. Trattoria Toscana is open daily for lunch and dinner, excluding Tuesdays.

Cork|Fire Kitchen is nestled in the canyon on the south end of town at Temecula Creek Inn. This rustic yet refined farm-to-table dining experience features inventive menus made for sharing. Floor to ceiling windows provide a gorgeous view of their pristine golf course. Cork|Fire Kitchen uses Temecula edibles, foraged fresh and organic whenever possible. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner makes it convenient for those staying at this charming resort, as well as visitors to the region since its located just minutes from everything there is to do in Temecula Valley.

Seafood lovers savor the fresh, sustainable menu at Bluewater Grill. The company operates their own swordfish harpoon boat and serves the finest quality locally harpooned swordfish in the season. Other fish is direct from the fisherman offshore in San Diego, just south of Temecula Valley. Bluewater Grill offers more than 40 varieties of seafood annually, with oysters on the half shell, award-winning chowder, and local wines that pair with their menu beautifully. They are open daily for lunch and dinner.

Garage Brewing Company not only serves award-wining handcrafted beers, but they have thin crust pizza dough made fresh daily with Italian milled double 00 flour that is fermented for a minimum of two days. The unlimited possibilities of flavor combinations keep guests coming back for more. Be sure to save room for one of their tempting dessert pizzas. The restaurant is open Wednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner.

Great Harvest Bread Company is known for its fresh, made from scratch breads but they also serve lunch daily. Their sandwiches are made from breads using whole wheat that is ground fresh daily. Between the slices of breads are layered with premium meats, gourmet style spreads, and fresh vegetables. Arrive early for the best selection of baked goods to start the day or enjoy their full menu until 6:00 pm, Monday through Saturday.

These stand-out restaurants identified on TripAdvisor are some don’t-miss stops when staying in Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country. Find out more about dining options in Temecula Valley at VisitTemeculaValley.com.

A three to five-day stay is recommended to see and do everything this destination has to offer. Just an hour from San Diego, Orange County and Palm Springs; and 90 minutes from Los Angeles makes it an ideal hub for visiting all major Southern California attractions.

ABOUT THE TEMECULA VALLEY AND VISIT TEMECULA VALLEY
Laid back, picturesque Temecula Valley Southern California Wine Country welcomes nearly three million visitors each year. It is a year-round vacation destination, located 60 minutes from San Diego, Orange County, and Palm Springs; 90 minutes from Los Angeles.

Temecula Valley Wine Country is widely recognized for its scenic vineyards, award-winning wines, and experiential wineries. The popular boutique destination includes the Temecula Valley A.V.A. (American Viticulture Area) as well as historic Old Town Temecula, and Pechanga Resort Casino. It also was named as a 2019 Wine Enthusiast 10 Best Wine Travel Destination.

Visit Temecula Valley is the region’s official tourism marketing organization and resource for visitors. The Visitors Center is located in Old Town Temecula. For visitor information and assistance, please call (888) 363-2852 or go to VisitTemeculaValley.com.