Rachel’s guidebook
Food scene
Delicious breakfast/brunch spot. Take a wander from the "Tree House" to this great little cafe. You will need to walk over or around Terrace Hill to get there but its well worth the mile walk.
35 locals recommend
Sally Loo's Wholesome Cafe
1804 Osos StDelicious breakfast/brunch spot. Take a wander from the "Tree House" to this great little cafe. You will need to walk over or around Terrace Hill to get there but its well worth the mile walk.
A locals coffee spot. Lovely place to stop if you are wandering around town and fancy a coffee. Great gifts for sale too.
66 locals recommend
Scout Coffee
1130 Garden StA locals coffee spot. Lovely place to stop if you are wandering around town and fancy a coffee. Great gifts for sale too.
Great italian place in downtown SLO. Its worth a visit for happy hour and or dinner. Pizza oven in the restaurant keeps it nice and warm and produces very tasty pizza.
32 locals recommend
Flour House
690 Higuera StGreat italian place in downtown SLO. Its worth a visit for happy hour and or dinner. Pizza oven in the restaurant keeps it nice and warm and produces very tasty pizza.
Lovely cocktail bar. Can get a bit loud and crowded at the weekend so i would suggest going earlier in the evening so you can get a seat at the bar. The food is delicious too - especially the hanger steak.
56 locals recommend
Sidecar
1040 Broad StLovely cocktail bar. Can get a bit loud and crowded at the weekend so i would suggest going earlier in the evening so you can get a seat at the bar. The food is delicious too - especially the hanger steak.
Great coffee shop. It has the added bonus of having a hidden cocktail bar in the back of the coffee shop. Cocktail bar is open on Thursdays and at the weekend. At $10 a drink its great value not to mention super tasty. Well worth a visit.
31 locals recommend
Kreuzberg California
685 Higuera StGreat coffee shop. It has the added bonus of having a hidden cocktail bar in the back of the coffee shop. Cocktail bar is open on Thursdays and at the weekend. At $10 a drink its great value not to mention super tasty. Well worth a visit.
Boutique hotel with very good restaurant and its own cocktail bar. Well worth a visit. Outside seating with heaters. Good date night place.
33 locals recommend
Granada Hotel & Bistro
1126 Morro StBoutique hotel with very good restaurant and its own cocktail bar. Well worth a visit. Outside seating with heaters. Good date night place.
Batch
1108 Broad StDelicious hand made ice cream. Run by CalPoly students. My fave ice cream shop in SLO.
Very good brunch place. The "egg sando" is yummy albeit a little naughty! Great spot for sitting outside and watching the world go by.
7 locals recommend
Mint+Craft Cafe and Mercantile
848 Monterey StVery good brunch place. The "egg sando" is yummy albeit a little naughty! Great spot for sitting outside and watching the world go by.
Recently converted into hip eating and drinking spots. Well worth a wander.
6 locals recommend
The Creamery Marketplace
570 Higuera StRecently converted into hip eating and drinking spots. Well worth a wander.
Yoga
This is my go-to Yoga spot. If you happen to be here on a sunday morning there is a free community class at 10.30am which is well worth a visit. Sign up online. Spark also does drop in classes which you can pay for online or in person.
Spark Yoga
977 Foothill BlvdThis is my go-to Yoga spot. If you happen to be here on a sunday morning there is a free community class at 10.30am which is well worth a visit. Sign up online. Spark also does drop in classes which you can pay for online or in person.
Neighborhoods
If you are craving the beach, take a trip to Avila. It has a quaint small town feel to it. There are some good places to eat and drink along the front facing the ocean. Sip something tasty and watch the sun go down. Great date night choice if you need to earn brownie points!
329 locals recommend
Avila Beach
If you are craving the beach, take a trip to Avila. It has a quaint small town feel to it. There are some good places to eat and drink along the front facing the ocean. Sip something tasty and watch the sun go down. Great date night choice if you need to earn brownie points!
Traveler advice
Getting around
Driver or Uber
Driving in SLO is easy. Parking is plentiful and most garages offer 90 minutes free. Uber is also a great option. SLO is a walkable city and I would recommend a walk downtown from my unit. Whilst, it is safe to walk back at night I tend to get an uber back as the street lighting is not great and it tends to be badly lit in some places. Its usually about a $7.50-$8 ride from downtown my my unit.
What to pack
Temperature variations
SLO can get a little chilly in the evenings so make sure you pack accordingly. It rarely rains so you won't need an umbrella/rain jacket!
Don't miss
Thursday night farmers market
Farmers market takes over downtown on a Thursday night and is well worth a visit. Downtown has a great vibe all the time but its especially fun on a Thursday night.