Village Inn & Restaurant

Our first stay since the new owner. Judy, yook over and we were very happy with our stay as ever before. Judy was so helpful and hospitable as was Jennifer who put out the breakfast and coffee.
Upon our arrival, we got a drink from the bar and had a pleasant conversation with Chris who was tending. Then we went out to the patio to relax and enjoy the great river view.
Staff is great.
Rooms are clean and cozy.
River view rooms are awesome!
Of all the places in the Monte Rio area, this is our very favorite place to stay.
It’s not a Bed and Breakfast, however, there is fresh coffee, fruit, oatmeal, boiled eggs, and wonderful fresh baked scones by Jennifer. This morning she made some gingerbread type round ones rolled in cinnamon and sugar. So it’s a little continental breakfast. There is juice too.
Very happy that someone was able to fill Mark’s shoes (previous owner)!

We had a perfectly delicious dinner here last night. I had baked chicken that was crunchy and moist with wonderful gravy and yummy braised greens. My companions had pasta of the day that they loved-​beef (from ribs) with yummy sauce. And baby romaine wedge salad with the best blue cheese dressing ever. Highly recommend the Village Inn for dinner. Service was excellent too.

Friend and I had an incredible here on Saturday. Crisp flat bread with goat cheese, wild mushroom soup, arugula salad and pear tart. The gnocci with beef stroganoff sauce was outstanding. Professional staff, from bartender, friendly knowledgeable waitress and owner talking to us. Well worth a great evening.

Village Inn Restaurant is a great place to have dinner. It is right on the Russian River, so you can imagine it has a beautiful view. They use local produce and truly take pride in the quality of the food and your experience. The staff was pleasant and attentive. Most importantly the owner was very sweet, attentive, and did a great job of checking in with all customers to make sure their needs were being met. I have not stayed here yet, but from speaking to the owner she is truly working on making this place the perfect place to stay away from home. I will be returning to stay here. Although I cannot comment the Inn itself, I recommend lunch or dinner at this restaurant. Considering the new owner is very responsive, this is a place I will consider on my next visit to the Russian River area.

We had a wonderful dinner with friendly great service 2 ¹⁄₃ months ago. Don’t understand lower reviews.

The burger and flourless cake were boring, nothing special. However, the risotto was the best we’ve ever had! It is a cute little Inn and we had a quiet, enjoyable dinner.

We celebrated our anniversary with a long weekend at the Village Inn in August, and we cannot wait to return.
The VI has recently changed hands, and the new owners are working hard to improve the facility. While we were there, new improvements were evident, but the Inn’s charm was fully intact. We almost felt like we were transported in time and space to the heyday of the great Catskills resorts and expected to see Henny Youngman in the dining room.
The highlights of our stay were the deck overlooking the Russian River and the unexpected and truly amazing meals we enjoyed in Thursday and Saturday nights. The Farm-​to-​Table concept has a lot of competition in the region, but the Village Inn doesn’t pull any punches. How many times have we returned to a restaurant for a radish plate? Once. Here. Perfection. Also amazing were every salad on the menu, the hand cut pastas, and the seared scallop risotto. Portions are large, and we wished they had been slightly smaller so we had been able to enjoy dessert. We have enjoyed meals in a number of restaurants with Michelin stars and left feeling that the food was every bit as good as any one star meal we’ve ever had. As others have noted, work remains to be done coordinating service.
The weak point at the restaurant is the wine list. The extraordinary food deserves a strong wine list, but, at least on our visit, the wine list was sparse and had little variety. On Thursday, the restaurant was out of the one pinot we wanted. When we returned on Saturday with a bottle we purchased at a nearby wine shop, the owner was less than gracious while inspecting our bottle and said, «At least he sold you one that’s not on my list.» Frankly, we would have been glad to pay twice the price for a comparable bottle «on her list» for the convenience of enjoying our room’s deck instead of driving 20 minutes each way for a decent pinot. We hope that on our next visit the VI offers a variety of Sonoma County’s premium offerings.
Special mention goes out to the housekeeping and front desk staff. To a person, the staff members were kind and interesting people who went above and beyond the call to make our stay a memorable one. Whether it was bringing us a fan on a hot day or finding a tray to carry our breakfast back to our room, these women embody hospitality.

I stayed here overnight just recently and ate at the restaurant. So let me review both. I was looking for something that had a beautiful setting, was quiet, and I could relax and drink some wine. This place basically checks off those boxes.
Judy, the owner, is super nice and helpful. I got a studio room with a river view. The hotel is something like 100 years old and it kind of has that smell of old wood, which I like but might not be for everyone. It kind of feels like your staying at someone’s house — someone who has an old house. Don’t get me wrong, it was very nice in a charming way, with plenty of amenities.
There was ample parking, they had free, fast wifi (most hotels have slow wifi or charge), and some of the rooms have balconies overlooking the Russian River and Redwoods. There are plenty of deck chairs and tables overlooking the river too, and the wifi reaches out there so you can sit out with your laptop and drink wine outside while surfing the web.
The restaurant is on the first floor in what feels like the living room and was a little on the pricey side, but decent. The patio seating is what sets this place apart; it’s outside and beautifully lit in the evening with a view overlooking the river. However, you probably need to put in a reservation to make sure you get a patio seat since all the ones were reserved on the evening I went there.
The bar and bartender standout more to me than the restaurant. The bartender is very friendly and knowledgeable on local wines. You can taste wine, as well as select a few and drink them inside or out on their deck.
One thing I noticed was the temperature here was considerably cooler than the rest of the area. I don’t know if it is always this way but it seemed but to be almost 10 degrees cooler here than nearby Petaluma. Also, I expected to be a lot of bugs and mosquitoes since it is located right next to a river but there were surprisingly few.
Monte Rio is an interesting area itself between all the laid back people in the forest to the secret summer camp next door (Bohemian Grove). Worth a day trip from the bay area.
In the end I left feeling totally relaxed and chilled out.

When we arrived on Tuesday there were still vacancies so Judy kindly upgraded our room to a larger one overlooking the river with a small deck. Very lovely room, neat and clean. We loved the quaint ambiance of the Inn and beautiful grounds. The bartenders and staff were friendly and helpful. A good location near Occidental and Guerneville and about 25 minutes to Bodega Bay. Very quiet and non touristy. Bing Crosby first sang White Christmas here when filming Holiday Inn. A very restful time away.

We just spent our 22^nd anniversary here and i have to say the hightail of the visit was the bartender Chris. He was such a good guy and did everything he could to please us. In a couple of hours he was like an old friend. The setting of the INN is very peaceful and quiet. We only had the appetizers at the bar but man were they good! The parking was plenty and close to the hotel so that was cool too!

When we arrived, Judy asked if we would like to enjoy a glass of wine on the deck overlooking the river while the sun set. Well, I don’t need to be asked twice! Amazing location, super hospitality — we moved inside and had the seared ahi tuna appetizer to share, which was quite delicious. Then the roasted beet salad arrived, every bite was delectable, my only complaint was that it was maybe too big because it was hard to eat the great steak that followed!
Heartily recommend this place if you like great food in a great location with great hosts.

I have never been one to complain or expect a great level of service where I eat. Service has always been sort of an afterthought for me personally, that is until now.
Food 5 stars, Service 0 stars, hence the 3 overall review.
the service here was so bad, that it really got into the way of a great food and a great location, which is really sad.
it all began well, the owner was the first point of contact and she made room for a group of 7 of us on the patio when another party who reserved a table was late. Sadly, that was the last time we saw her .
it took about 10 mins to get drink orders in, then another 10 mins to get drinks. Soup and salad took about 30 mins to get to our table. It took 10 mins to clear empty soup and salad plates. it was at least 30 mins from there for entrees to arrive. Seeing as we were there a total of over 2 hours, I would say, from the time we sat, til the time our entrees arrived, was close to an hour and a half
during this time, we were all hungry and had to ask at least 5 times for bread. for a large table of 7, the server left one small basket. why not leave two? why not leave a pitcher of water? she never came back to refill beverages. it was just one thing after another of lack of service and attentiveness. the service had actually commented about saving room for the entrée when we asked for more bread. I commented, I would love to, but the wait for the entrees was a bit long. she did not respond or acknowledge the comment, which I put in the most friendly/​PC kind of way. I could have easily put it, in my true feelings at that moment, which would not have come out very nice.
I watched other people arrive and they too waited at least 15 mins to simply get menus. I could see the table next to us, spend 3 rounds of selfie taking from the time they sat and the menus finally arrived .
the sad part is, the food was excellent. the soup was fresh, with great ingredients. everyone at our table loved the food.
I would love to go back for the food, but at this time, based on service, would really look strongly at other options.

We recently stayed at the Village Inn for my sister’s wedding weekend. It was fantastic! The inn is unique and charming. We filled five of the rooms with guests of the wedding (including the bride and groom!). The innkeeper and her staff were super accommodating, very friendly and helpful. We had our photographer take pictures of the bridal party by the river on the lawn. We used several rooms to beautify ourselves for the wedding. There were several hairstylists and a couple of make-​up artists coming in to help us. The inn’s staff was very helpful always asking if we needed anything. This especially impressed me because we didn’t tell them prior to our arrival that we were using the rooms to get ready in or we would be using the grounds to take pictures on. This didn’t seem to phase them one bit! In hindsight, I probably should have let them know our plans, but they didn’t seem to mind at all. In fact, they seemed so pleased that we were making the most of our stay. They even brought up some complimentary pastries for us to munch on as we prepared for the big day.
My room was large with a couch and chair and a little balcony. I had a gorgeous view of the river from my room. The other rooms I visited were nice as well. They all had a small fridge and coffee maker. There was also a complimentary breakfast with farm fresh eggs. I just loved it there. I want to go back and we have a place in the Russian River so I probably won’t need to again. But I want to go. I loved it!

We have been fans of the Village Inn for many years. When Face To Face holds their annual restaurant fundraiser, the place is packed. Christmas is always beautiful there and sunset drinks on the patio, overlooking the Russian River, are priceless.
I understand a new chef is on the books and I noticed some improvement with the food but the prices are way too high for the quality and the portions. $ 24 for pasta and $ 36 for risotto anywhere that is not award-​winning is ridiculous.
My biggest qualm is the service. We had a large party in the bar and an older waitress, although friendly, was constantly forgetting requests and not once checked in on us. The restaurant was not at capacity so I cannot understand why she was M.I.A. for our entire dinner. The ice tea took ages, deserts were gone before the coffee even arrived, and it took twenty minutes to pay the bill. For the amount of money we spent that night, it would have been nice to have a little more attention.
The Village Inn is a historical landmark but they really need to modernize their service to keep up with their price increases.

Stayed at the inn. Super comfy room with a kitchen area, TV/​lounge area with comfy leather chairs, refrigerator and microwave as well as home made gluten free granola at breakfast. Kathy from the inn told me the put a level 1 outlet in specifically for EV charging so we started the day with full bellies and batteries!

Village Inn was our 2^nd stop during Restaurant Week. We had never been but the Restaurant Week menu looked very appetizing so off we went.
The hotel — restaurant in in the tiny village of Monte Rio. It’s off the main road (116, River rd) tucked in on the bank of the Russian River. Surrounded by huge redwoods, it is a lovely setting.
Inside and out the Village Inn reminded us of many similar places in the Poconos and Catskills, substitute pine trees for the redwoods :)
Have not had the regular dinner menu but the Restaurant Week offerings were all very good and well prepared.
Started with two different apps, Parsnip-​White Bean Soup, porcini Beignets, meyer lemon drizzle, pea shoot & almond gremolata. Also had the Un-​Retro «Clams Casino»
saffron poached Clams, trinity peppernata, house pork belly, fennel focaccia. Both were delicious and showed off the chefs skills.
Entrees were Pickling Brine Airline Chicken Breast, spiced cous-​cous, grilled fennel| housemade chorizo, frisée greens, harissa vinaigrette. Also Kitchari Spiced Boneless Lamb Shank, banyuls shallots, heirloom carrots, potato purée, mâche greens. The chicken had nice earth, savory flavors while the lamb shank was all comfort food. Both were very good.
Finished the meal with two different desserts, Local Mixed Apples & Tart Cherry Crisp, marshall farm honey gastrique, vanilla bean gelato. Other dessert was Carrot Cake Charlotte, maple royal Icing, candied walnuts, butterscotch mousse. Nice ending to dinner. We preferred the crisp but the carrot cake was a close second :).
Service was friendly and relaxed, just like the setting of this restaurant. BYO is allowed with a $ 15.00 corkage fee.
The reviews on the Village Inn are mixed for sure but the Restaurant Week Menu was for us a success.

My wife and I visited the Village Inn in Monte Rio on 12 March, during Restaurant Week in Sonoma County. Restaurant Week is a great opportunity for locals to visit eateries off the beaten path and to expand their list of go to restaurants.
The Village Inn is a tad difficult to find as it is tucked in the redwoods alongside the Russian River. But this location also gives the charming restaurant part of its pleasant appeal. We had an early dinner reservation and were seated along the windows with a nice view of the river.
We ordered from their prix fixe $ 29 Restaurant Week menu. We both opted for the Parsnip-​White Bean Soup as the starter and the Kitchari Spiced Boneless Lamb Shank for the main course. The soup was tasty and with a flavor that was hard to pin down — must have been the addition of the parsnips that tricked the taste buds.
The lamb shank was a different story — at least in my case. My wife enjoyed her lamb shank and commented on the tenderness of the meat. I was less pleased: the lamb shank was not boneless — the bone was about 30% of the portion. Another 15% was an outer layer of fat — not present on my wife’s serving. Finally, I did not like the Kitchari spice flavor. We both noted the accompanying Potato Purée was only slightly above room temperature — an oversight in the kitchen I assume. The gravy was tasty and I used it to slightly warm the potatoes.
The meal did end on a high note — dessert. My wife had the Carrot cake Charlotte and I opted for the Local Mixed Apples & Tart Cherry Crisp. My wife enjoyed her carrot cake and I devoured the crisp. The crisp was served warm and the combination of the sweet and, especially, tart cherries was perfect.
The service was most pleasant and relaxed as we had a bit of a chat with our server Sarah before ordering.

blech.
sure, it’s got the heritage of the movie but,
we went for New Years Eve… i wish they had thought about the food as much as the décor.
The lobster bisque was terrible. the smoked salmon was like something from Costco with mustard just spread on top. … absolutely a terrible meal.
so many better places to eat in the area.
the wine list was great.

Nice but not amazing. 3.5 star
We came here for my wife’s b-​day as we’re in the area and there really isn’t many good restaurants. We had a table reserved and they showed us our table very quickly. The restaurant is pretty cozy and the tables aren’t too big. The waiting staff were very friendly and brought out the bread soon after we sat down.
The bread was made pretty hard and not much was in the basket. We ordered the chicken liver pâté for starter, the flatiron steak and pork loin. The chicken liver pâté was served on a medium plate in a line with deep fried chips sticking out like sails on boats. It had nut and egg white as garnish and was very smooth. It was very savory and was quite similar to foie gras, we were very happy with it.
After a bit of wait, our tomato soup that was a part of the main dish came out and it was great as well, again it was smooth and had roasted cheese as a garnish which gave it a great texture.
After these 2 we were looking forward for the main dish. Both came out on large plates and both looked great. The pork loin came with some sweet potatoes and green beans and a pretty good sauce. The steak came with mashed potato with wasabi and sauteed mushroom. The potato which taste pretty good but could use a bit more wasabi per my taste but the mushroom was really good. The steak was well made and was quite decent. Unfortunately the pork was lacking in the taste department, with the sauce it was good and the outside was seared well, however the inside was quite bland and once the sauce runs out, you’re left with a cooked piece of tasteless meat.
Also, since they knew it was my wife’s birthday, they wrote a very nice message on the table but we were hoping for a small cake or some sweets. Unfortunately it never came, perhaps our expectation was too high.

Once again we had our company Christmas party here. As expected everything was amazing. The space looked beautiful and the service was awesome. The food was first rate and even the rainy weather just added ambiance.