The Dining Room at Sea Ranch Lodge
Coastal farm-to-table dining in a 1968 lodge, led by a CIA-trained chef with his own working farm.
- Mon 5:00 – 9:00 PM
- Tue 5:00 – 9:00 PM
- Wed 5:00 – 9:00 PM · Today
- Thu 5:00 – 9:00 PM
- Fri 5:00 – 9:00 PM
- Sat 5:00 – 9:00 PM
- Sun 5:00 – 9:00 PM
Along Highway 1
Leg times are driving estimates along Highway 1.
South to north along Highway 1: Stewarts Point Store, then ~5 min to Sea Ranch Lodge, then ~15 min to Gualala Downtown, then ~25 min to Point Arena Downtown. The Dining Room at Sea Ranch Lodge is the venue on this page.
Nearby
Within a short walk
A short drive
- Pebble Beach 1.4 mi NW
- Two Fish Bakery 2.5 mi SE
- Shell Beach 4.3 mi NW
- Sea Ranch Chapel 4.5 mi NW
Restaurant
The Dining Room occupies the South Building of The Sea Ranch Lodge, one of the oldest structures in the Sea Ranch community, with ocean views and the community's "living lightly on the land" design ethos. Executive Chef Ryan Seal (CIA-trained, formerly of Round Pond Estate, Joseph Phelps Vineyards, and Michelin-starred SPQR in San Francisco) took over the kitchen in October 2025, cooking New American / California Coastal food built around house-made pastas and dishes like coastal black cod and uni carbonara.
The defining relationship is with The Sea Ranch Farm — Seal and Farm Manager Katrina Coffman plan each season's crops together, and Farm produce (like the Farm Lettuces salad) shows up across dinner, lunch, and brunch menus. The Dining Room is the evening anchor of a wing that also includes the adjoining Bar + Lounge and the more casual Café.
Chef Seal's arrival in October 2025 is recent — expect the menu and signature dishes to keep evolving as he settles in with the Farm program. The Dining Room also hosts occasional winemaker dinners (a Croix Estate pairing dinner was a recent example), bookable through the same reservation line.
Bar
The Bar + Lounge is the social center of the Lodge — the room the property describes as having "stories seeped into its historic walls," anchored by a Fireside Lounge and a Solarium looking out on the Pacific. Drinks and small bites keep the same regional, seasonal focus as the Dining Room, on longer, looser hours stretching from lunch into the evening. Community programming — Jazz Nights, trivia, "Vino & Vinyls" listening sessions, a lecture series — rotates through the room, and Sea Ranch locals treat it as their default drop-in. The recommended rhythm: a sunset drink here first, then dinner next door.
What to Order
- Uni carbonara — squid ink chitarra pasta, pancetta, furikake, sea urchin; one of Chef Seal's named signature dishes
- Hamachi crudo — grilled cucumber, jalapeño-infused coconut cream, strawberry, cilantro oil
- King salmon sashimi — nori-sesame crunch, white soy, garlic brown butter crumble, trout roe, avocado purée
- Grilled octopus — guajillo tamarind glaze, wakame seaweed salad, jasmine rice chip
- Diver scallops — onion soubise, Asian pear, beluga lentils, purple frilly mustard
- Grilled NY steak — 6oz Snake River Farms beef, cauliflower purée, coffee soil, mushrooms, green garlic oil
- Sea Ranch Burger (lunch) — Sea Ranch Farm beef, shallot jam, pickled green tomato, aged white cheddar
Ask about coastal black cod too — a Chef Seal signature not on every night's menu. During Sonoma County Restaurant Week, the $60 three-course prix-fixe (farm salad, local rockfish, cheesecake) is a good lower-cost sampler.
Before You Go
- Reservations recommended — Dining Room direct line (707) 266-4615 / diningroom@thesearanchlodge.com (separate from the Lodge's main number)
- Dinner nightly 5–9pm; lunch Thursday & Friday 11:30am–2pm; weekend brunch Saturday & Sunday 10am–2pm — confirm lunch/brunch by phone, as the site's overview box lists slightly different hours
- Parties of six or more require a $25/person deposit at booking
- Full bar and regional wine list; typical spend runs $50–$100/person
- Free on-site parking lot and free street parking; credit/debit accepted
- Outdoor seating available alongside the main dining room
What visitors say
- "The food, the beverage, the ambience is all on point, and the view is unsurpassable" — Alicyn Campbell, part-time Sea Ranch owner
- "Food at the dining room, and cafe were exceptionally good" — David Radosh, whose wedding was catered by the Lodge
- "Extremely high-end amenities, stunning food" — Tarik O'Regan, visiting with young children