Walla Walla is one of our favorite weekend destinations, and for good reason. This vibrant eastern Washington city offers so much to visitors, including an impressive number of Washington wineries and tasting rooms, a charming downtown, and a phenomenal dining scene. Around every bend of Walla Walla is an iconic winery, an unforgettable view, or a culinary masterpiece. Even better, Walla Walla is a four hour drive from Seattle, or just a short one hour flight, making it an accessible getaway to Seattleites.

Recognized among the finest wine regions in the nation, Walla Walla features more than 130 wineries and nearly 3,000 acres of grapes that welcome you to taste. Whether you’re staying within downtown’s welcoming vibe or off the beaten path surrounded by sweeping vineyards and nature, you’re never far from great food, acclaimed wine, big-time adventure, and small-town experiences. Keep reading for all of our recommendations for your next visit to Walla Walla.

Where to Stay

We highly recommend staying at The FINCH. The FINCH is a modern boutique hotel that is pet friendly and centrally located in downtown Walla Walla. The one-of-a-kind guest rooms offer everything you might need for a comfortable stay, including private bathrooms with walk-in tile showers, HD flat-screen TVs, air conditioning, cozy bathrobes, hair dryers, and a mini fridge. We love the local artwork that is unique to each guest room. The FINCH is also an ideal spot to gather, with lots of outdoor spaces including a covered sitting area with a wood-burning fireplace.

Must-Visit Restaurants

A weekend in Walla Walla would not be complete without a visit to Brasserie Four, one of our favorite restaurants in town. This cherished bistro is located right in the heart of downtown, and offers classic French cuisine complemented by delicious craft cocktails and a wine wall full of both local and imported wines. For starters, the oysters on the half-shell and calamari are must-tries for seafood lovers, and we love French classics like the escargot, French onion soup, and pork and duck rillettes. You can’t go wrong with any of the mains, but the steak frites and the mussels are definitely the favorites. The croque madame is always a great choice, along with the duck confit pizza. If you’re a dessert person, you have to try the crème brûlée, the chocolate mousse, or the Nutella crêpe. Accompany it with the champagne cocktail and it’ll almost feel like you’re in Paris!

Brunch is always a pleasant way to start a day of wine tasting, and Bacon and Eggs is an excellent spot for it. Located in downtown Walla Walla, Bacon and Eggs is known for using locally sourced ingredients in all their dishes. They also offer delicious morning cocktails like the Bloody Mary, Tequila Sunrise, and Irish Coffee made with top-quality Victrola espresso. One of the standout dishes at Bacon and Eggs is the biscuits and gravy. The biscuits are baked in a butter bath, resulting in a crunchy exterior and soft interior. Other brunch favorites are the Huevos Rancheros, Crab Cake Benedict, and the Stuffed Brioche French Toast. The cheesy grits are also a must-try.

TMACS, also downtown, is a great spot for a cozy lunch; especially if you’ve been drinking some wine and need something hearty to soak it all up! TMACS serves modern American cuisine made using fresh, local ingredients in a welcoming atmosphere. There is something on the menu for everyone, including delicious starters like the wild salmon cakes and the braised pork belly. The wagyu burger and lobster mac & cheese are two of our absolute favorites, and the Brussels sprouts salad with apples, bacon, pistachio, and sage parmesan aioli is truly one of the best salads we’ve ever had. If you’re in the mood to imbibe, TMACS has a fantastic selection of craft cocktails, like the refreshing Cucumber Smash.

Specializing in pasta made by hand, Passatempo Taverna brings some of the most beautiful and rustic Italian cuisine, as well as historical cocktails, to the Walla Walla Valley. Passatempo sources seasonal, local produce whenever possible. Dinner here is the perfect way to cap off a day of wine tasting. The garlic & rosemary focaccia and the marinated Castelvetrano olives are both a must. You also can’t go wrong with the hand rolled pork & prosciutto meatballs. The pizzas at Passatempo are delicious, consisting of fermented dough that is made with local flour from Small’s Family Farm. Give the winter squash & brown butter ricotta pie a try, or the spicy pepperoni. We personally can’t get enough of the pastas at Passatempo, which range from classic Roman pasta dishes like cacio e pepe and carbonara, to house specials like rigatoni bolognese and hand rolled potato gnocchi with pesto and charred cauliflower. Passatempo has a fantastic selection of Italian and Washington wines, and their craft cocktails are a crowd pleaser like the Favorite Outfit, made with gin, lillet blanc, pear, fennel, and citrus.

Ease into the day with coffee and breakfast at Walla Walla Roastery, a micro-roastery located in the Airport Wine District. They have amazing coffee, pastries, and a super friendly staff. We recommend getting an empanada or two, they are so buttery and flavorful. The fresh-baked scones are also delicious. With views of the Blue Mountains and rotating art local art exhibits, Walla Walla Roastery is a great way to start the day.

Another fun spot is Runway Market, a sparkling wine bar that also serves tasty panini sandwiches and flatbread pizzas. Run by Cathy Bay, aka the queen of local sparkling wine, Runway Market is in the Airport Wine District and is a great place to go for lunch and bubbles. Our favorite menu items are the caprese panini, the Cuban panini, and the B17 pizza, which is topped with caramelized onion jam, bacon, and tomato. Runway Market always has an impressive selection of sparkling wines that you can order by the glass or in a flight. There are mimosa flights as well, and flavors vary weekly!

Must-Visit Wineries

L’Ecole No 41 Heritage Wine Bar is a great spot to kick off your weekend in Walla Walla. Located in the historic Marcus Whitman Hotel in the heart of downtown Walla Walla, L’Ecole Heritage Wine Bar offers tasting flights and glass pours of L’Ecole’s award-winning wines. L’Ecole is one of the original wineries in Walla Walla, third in fact, and just recently celebrated their 40th anniversary. As one of the most decorated wineries in the Valley, L’Ecole No 41 strives to stay at the forefront of sustainable farming and handcraft quality wines that start in the vineyard.

Located on a small hilltop overlooking the vines, Grosgrain Vineyards is an excellent place to spend an afternoon wine tasting. The tasting room itself is beautiful, with large floor to ceiling windows providing lovely views, an abundance of natural light, and creative, funky decor that we would best describe as desert chic. Owners and winemakers Matt and Kelly Austin left their professions as an attorney and fashion designer, respectively, and sought a fresh start in the Pacific Northwest, where they bought and nurtured five acres into Grosgrain Vineyards. Their dedication to organic farming shines through, yielding wines that exude finesse and vibrancy. We love the unique and rare grape varieties that Grosgrain has to offer, such as the sparkling wine made with hard-to-find Lemberger grapes, and the skin-contact Semillon that can also be referred to as an orange wine.

Another gem in Walla Walla is Rôtie Cellars. Located in the Rocks District of Milton Freewater (which is just over the border in Oregon!), Rôtie draws inspiration from the wines of the Rhône Valley in France, offering classic Walla Walla Valley Rhône style wines like Grenache and Syrah. The tasting room has a gorgeous wrap-around patio that offers stunning views of the surrounding vineyards as well as the nearby Blue Mountains. Their flagship Rhône blends, 100% Grenaches, and Rocks Estate Syrahs are all a must try, as is their bubbly rosé (carbonated on a super high-tech bottling line so it’s bright, crisp, and fresh!).

A very cool and unique thing about Walla Walla is their Airport Incubators program. Established in 2000, the Port of Walla Walla founded this project to provide new winemakers with a low-cost location to start and build their businesses. All five of the incubators are filled with Walla Walla Community College Enology & Viticulture program alumni, and each expresses their own style of wine. We highly recommend visiting SMAK Wines and itä wines; both are female-owned and making waves in the wine industry. SMAK Wines is the first Asian-owned winery in Washington state, owned by winemaker Fiona Mak. It is a rosé-exclusive winery, where each rosé is created to reflect one of the four seasons (and named after them too). Each rosé is made with a single varietal grape from a single vineyard source to showcase the high-quality fruit sources Washington state has to offer. itä wines is dedicated to expressing the unique terroir of the Eastern foothills of the Walla Walla Valley, and winemaker Kelsey Albro Itämeri brings a style that matches the moderation and finesse of these hillside grapes, and a focus on unique varietals and styles, like the carbonic Zinfandel.

Pursued by Bear in downtown Walla Walla is owned by acclaimed actor Kyle MacLachlan. They offer a nice selection of Washington wines, and the Cabernet Sauvignon is one of their best in a cozy and inviting tasting room. The winemakers aim for a wine style that splits the difference between Eastern Washington abundance and olde world finesse. The wines at Pursued by Bear are robust and fruit-forward, yet food-friendly.

We hope to have inspired you to visit the beautiful Walla Walla Valley! Cheers and happy traveling!