We had a lunch for 17 people at the Union Hotel last Sunday honoring my father after his service at…read morethe Druids Cemetery. Barabra and her crew took such good care of us! Food was on point and the service was wonderful. So many memories for our family in Occidental. At some point the place will have new owners that we hope they will keep the tradition's started over a century ago. Barabra thank you again for taking such good care of us.

Our University group returned to the Union Hotel Restaurant after a 6 year pause. Part of our…read moreabsence was COVID and another was picking the nearby Hazel's for at least a few years. But now that Hazel's is temporarily closed and moving to a new location, we decided to come back. Things have definitely slowed down here, as the full family-style Italian meals have been replaced by huge Pizza choices, plus delicious bruschetta, tasty dinner rolls, and huge salads (with optional grilled chicken). We definitely miss the ravioli and the other Italian touches. Maybe it was COVID, or maybe dining choices have evolved away this kind of dining. What was sad to see was a huge dining room that we mostly had to ourselves, with memories of various celebrations dancing in our heads. I also peaked into the huge kitchen, of which only a part is used or currently needed. I wonder if Negri's across the street is in similar straights? On the positive side, the food was delicious and we didn't go hungry! Service was home town friendly and efficient, and the total tab for the 10 of us was quite reasonable. The nearby Union Hotel bar (for our pre-meal cocktails) was also fun and busier.

Hey, just the person who got a Cesar salad mac & cheese and some boneless wings, but that didn't…read moreshow up and I got two salads and Mac and cheese it was so creamy and I was the person who wanted to do a five star rating Made by a 6 year old

This place does not get better with time and that's a fact…read more We came here as a party of 6. The first thing we noticed was that the lighting in the restaurant was so dim that we couldn't read the menu without using the flashlight on our phones. My husband got chicken parmesan and barely even touched the chicken. He said the chicken was extremely dry, so dry that it was inedible. There was no marinara sauce on the chicken, and the pasta was barely ok. My Garlic Gold pizza was super greasy, the dough was not good, and overall it was very bland. Out of 6 people not a single person finished their food. That definitely says something. I do not recommend the Union Hotel Restaurant!

Was staying at Occidental for the weekend and Negri's was locally recommended. We arrived at the…read morepeak of dinner time so it was quite a wait for our food. We went with the venetian shrimp as an appetizer and the roasted half chicken which was the special for the day. The venetian shrimp was okay... the shrimp was cooked well but the polenta was too greasy and buttery and we just picked off the shrimp before we were done with it. The chicken was delicious - roasted perfectly sitting on bed of mashed potatoes, artichoke hearts and tomatoes.

The service was great. Friendly server who was very attentive. The food was fabulous! We ate in the…read morebar because there was an event, but it overall was a great experience. We will return for sure.

Our favorite place in the world! We were so fortunate to be married at one of the Occidental…read moreGuesthouses (The Trees) in October 2019. The setting is absolutely magical. Each of the Guesthouses is impeccably decorated, cozy, and welcoming. From the beautiful redwood grove at The Trees to the incredible outdoor dining table at The Hills. Each house is uniquely dreamy, nestled in the picturesque town of Occidental. Barbara is truly the most wonderful, kind, and welcoming host. She attended to every single detail to ensure that our wedding day was perfect (even down to wiping off benches after the beautiful morning mist cleared). She is a dear friend and really makes every visit extraordinary. We know we will continue visiting for years to come. While you stay in Occidental, you MUST get food from the Union Hotel. Between visits, my husband and I dream about Garlic Gold pizza, carrot cake, and the best minestrone around. The pizza crust is to die for- fluffy and just the right balance of perfectly browned. The slice of carrot cake is literally larger than my hand and maybe even forearm! Super rich and velvety cream cheese frosting- amazing! We have visited Occidental once during COVID and the Union has an excellent picnic style menu. The food is ordered outside and nicely packaged for take-out or eating at a table in their distanced outdoor area. As someone who has strictly adhered to distancing and other protocols, I felt safe and comfortable! Highest praise for the Occidental Guesthouses and Union Hotel! A must visit for anyone who loves cozy accommodations, excellent food, and the most welcoming environment.

Beautiful homes for guests, especially the Trees, all with amazingly comfortable beds and classy…read moretouches such as pianos in The Trees and the Farmhouse, and a clawfoot tub with redwood views at the Trees. Booked all of them as part of an amazing wedding service with the Union Hotel, and all of our guests were very impressed!

Oh the good old days of a traditional family dinner establishment. That's what this reminded me of…read more Our service was kind of slow but it was a busy Saturday night and we were celebrating a birthday party of 10 Food was so delicious, and the servings guaranteed leftovers for the next day. By the way, everything that was taken to go, heated up nicely the next day. We were able to sample each others meals (my favorite thing about dining with friends) Chicken Marsala, Chicken Parmesan, Cannelloni Crepes, Petrale Sole, Calamari Steak, Gnocchi with Creamy Gorgonzola Sauce, so so much food and that did not disappoint. If you're craving Family Style Italian, definitely give this place a try.

I like old places that stand the test of time. This is literally in the middle of cow farms…read more Smaller than what I imagined but has character. Service on a Saturday night was sloowwwwww! Food is just average. The idea of free bread, soup, and salad was a nice gesture but none were very notable. Ordered 3 dishes and nothing stood out as great. Lasagna was mostly a pile of ricotta. Chicken parm was not breaded. Vodka sauce was not creamy. Chicken tasted fresh is the only plus. Go if you're in the area or like historical spaces but I would not go back for the food.

Originally established as a railroad saloon and boarding house in 1879, the Union Hotel is one of…read moreSonoma County's truly iconic spots, where history surrounds you the moment you step inside. Sitting at the bar, I couldn't help but imagine the hardworking railroad crews resting their weary heads here long ago, alongside the glamorous, lively parties that once filled the space. Knowing it's recognized as part of the Occidental Historic District only adds to the magic. Very worth a stop to wet your whistle at the historic Union Hotel Saloon. The sweet bartender even gave us a complimentary tour of the public areas.

Room: Beach Primrose, 3rd floor. (I wish more people…read moreidentified their room.) I stayed here last year for a long weekend. I love this hotel, but it's not without its quirks. I gave it as many as four stars because everything was clean and I love the character, including the marginally-dilapidated atmosphere, the ancient "lift" (can't really call it an elevator). If you want a slick, polished experience, choose a different lodging. Maybe the "Inn at Benicia Bay" down the street; I had breakfast there one morning and it looked very posh. But if you want a piece of history, I am passionate about the Union Hotel. Things to note before you take it on: The management is notoriously hard to get in touch with before your stay. While you're here, there's someone at the desk during the day within limited hours. But don't expect any contact or action at night. Don't expect calls back. Their late-check-in process was a little nebulous in terms of explanation before the fact, but worked out really well. I came up with adult children and needed an extra bed, but never got any closure on my requests. Not to worry, there were a couple of rollaways in the corner of the hallway with the housekeeping materials so everything worked out well. We tried the jacuzzi tub, and although it started up OK, we immediately regretted it because it sounded like you were right next to a 747 taking off. Then we discovered it wouldn't shut off! I called the after-hours number but didn't get a response. Finally we found a GFI outlet opposite the sink and if we tripped it with the Test button, it shut off the Jacuzzi! That was the only real problem we had. The room was nice and roomy, and even though it was one of cheapest rooms, it had a nice couch and coffee table for meals and activities. Great view from the 3rd floor overlooking the side street and the bay over to the side. The bed is so plush in the Beach Primrose (as of 2025), they have a little stepstool at the foot for you to climb up. If you're marginally athletic you can hop up on it from the side. All in all, very comfy. The town is great. Lots of good food, including the bar/restaurant on the ground floor. Doordash and Ubers available in town, too. Very restful weekend. Read the history on a section of their web site and other accounts of Benicia and Vallejo. Amazing stories, including the fact that it was the site of the State Capitol for a year or so. Lots of ghosts in this town, including in this hotel. You can feel her in the walls and halls. I'm coming back soon to get to know it more.

Very fair price especially for the area for a basic room. Desk staff was absolutely wonderful and…read morevery kind/personable. Clean and comfortable, pet friendly, more of a motel vibe than hotel but we enjoyed our stay. The water pressure was good and the water was clean. Proximity to absolutely incredible food was a hugeeeee plus! Everything was within immediate walking distance.

We stayed 12/20/25 in a deluxe queen room. The room is not large enough for two queen beds and…read more have occupants be able to get out of one of them on both sides. There were two chairs in the room that didn't quite fit. The room looks as if it may have been recently remodeled but they forgot to decorate it, so they threw a couple of sadly outdated prints up and a horrible image of a sheep's face against a wallpaper print wall. The heater needs work because it makes a noise resembling concrete being swept- all night long. The room had no visible power outlets near beds, where we expected to be able to recharge phones and multiple devices. In order to turn on the lamp between the two beds you need get down on the floor under the desk to find the switch, which was plugged into an extension cord under the desk. The room needs at least one reachable outlet per wall outside of the bathroom countertop which is too wet to act as a charging area. An outlet with four plugs needs to be installed between the beds at top-of-desk level. The bedside lamps are ancient and need replacing. We were very disappointed and found the room unacceptable. Don't stay here.

it was fun and exciting and very informative! Jacob and…read moreSebastian were great! Felt safe the whole time and had a blast! Definitely would come out again and do the longer run.Great Birthday!

We had such an amazing time at Sonoma Zipline Adventures! We were there for my husband's birthday…read more The whole experience was so much fun, exciting, and definitely an adventure to remember. Our tour guides were hilarious, entertaining, and did an amazing job making us feel safe and comfortable throughout the entire experience. They even sang Happy Birthday to him at the end of our zipline tour as he repelled from the tree. They really made the tour memorable. We also reserved one of a Treehouse for an overnight stay, and it was absolutely beautiful! It had such a fun glamping feel and was fully furnished with everything we needed. I was worried I might be cold overnight, but there was a heater that kept the treehouse nice and cozy. The staff was incredibly kind, welcoming, and accommodating from start to finish. We truly had a wonderful experience and would definitely recommend Sonoma Zipline Adventures and the treehouse stay to our friends and family. So much fun, beautiful scenery in the middle of the forest. Great accommodations, wonderful staff, and definitely worth it! We can't wait to come back!

Staff was super friendly and helpful. We liked that the campground is very kid friendly. Lots of…read moreactivities for them. The river bathing/swimming is pretty safe for children! And the camp quieted down at 10pm! We stayed in tent sites and were very happy with the tree shade.

We really enjoyed our latest trip to Casini. The last time we came, we tried out their new…read moreplatinum sites (it's been a while). We liked it so much, we booked it again. While we enjoyed the extra space and the cement patio, we weren't able to use the weber grill due to all the rust. And the swing and chair and table set were nice, but covered in dirt and bird feces. I understand it's a campground, but they're calling these their "platinum" sites. It would be great if they could keep the grills covered (to prevent rust) and hose down the furniture when needed. Nobody likes cooking on a rusty grill.

THE SPIRIT OF NORTH BEACH…read more The year of 2023 unfortunately means "closing" especially for me in the world is sports. First was announced that the Pac-12 Conference a college athletic conference, which has over 100 years of history, will cease to exist July 1, 2024. Next came the news of Golden Gate Fields Racetrack, which was originally supposed to come closed in December 2023, but will now close in June 2024. Late fall of this year it was announced that North Beach Restaurant will be closing after the end of this year. I wanted to come eat here before this restaurant will close. I came to North Beach Restaurant to eat the Thursday before Christmas. I ate at this restaurant several years ago. That time I ordered the lamb shanks. I didn't want to order lamb shanks. In the past when I used to go eat at Italian restaurants I would order three items - antipasti, pasta, and entrée. This time I took a different approach. When I watched Marco Pierre White's "The Great British Feast" he designed the menu by starting with the main entrée then created other items surrounding the main dish. I first started with ordering the main entrée. As this place specializes in Tuscan cuisine with its rustic, elegant decor in the restaurant I ordered the t-bone veal that included tomatoes, pancetta, mushrooms, and potatoes. I asked server since I was going to order the veal chop what pasta dish she would recommend. She showed me three pasta dishes - cannelloni, ravioli, and risotto. I eliminated the cannelloni as veal was included. As I was going to order veal as my main entrée there was no need order pasta that included veal. At the end I choose the risotto because I felt that would complement with the veal chop. For the salad I choose arugula salad with burrata grilled bread. I didn't order wine, but a cocktail daivolone, which consists of vodka, ginger beer, ginger ale, lime, and cherry syrup. For a hearty dinner the daivolone was a soothing cocktail I needed to balance a filling meal. I requested my server that I wanted my salad first then the risotto and veal chop served at the same time. Growing up the only way I would eat salad is if crotons were served. As I grew older I found them to be filling. The grilled bread from the arugula wasn't hard and crunchy as crotons, but they tasted delicious the arugula and burrata. The next dishes were the risotto and t-bone veal chop. The t-bone veal chop tasted like pork chop, but more tender. The tomatoes and the roasted potatoes made the t-bone veal chop dish hearty. A sign of a very good cook is the quality of the risotto. If the risotto is undercooked it can be too crunchy, but if overcooked it can be mushy like congee. The risotto I ate at North Beach Restaurant was soft, but not mushy. The risotto with the porcini mushrooms made my dinner filling. The served then asked if I wanted dessert. I looked at through the dessert menu and nothing stood out, but I was also full. I heard a rumor that North Beach Restaurant may not be closing as it might be for sale. I asked my server about this rumor and she said there were a couple of proposals, but nothing set in stone. An old-school Italian restaurant like North Beach Restaurant would leave a void in North Beach. If North Beach Restaurant does close its doors for good at least I enjoyed my last meal there.

I heard they might bring closing soon, so I decided we had to try it. The photos on Yelp didn't do…read morethe place justice. The inside was beautifully decorated for Christmas.. lovely lights and tinsel all around us. The lights were dimmed in a romantic way, though that did make getting food photos particularly hard. The server was friendly and went over any questions we had. I ordered the aperol spritzer which arrived quickly. The menu had lot of great options Overall the food was delicious.. We did the mushroom bruschetta, seafood pasta and polenta. I'll be sad if this place closes, such a gem.