Oozing with eco-chic, Spoonbar is a sprawling fishbowl of a space with room for nearly 250 — meaning elbow-rubbing is purely optional and being seen is the scene. Scott Beattie gets a top-shelf bar space for his lineup of properly concocted cocktails. In the kitchen, toque Rudy Mihal aims his knives squarely at a seasonal Cal-Mediterranean menu of skewers, small plates and destination-worthy bricked chicken.
The dining room (as well as the hotel) makes heavy use of reclaimed materials — from a former gym floor to recycled cafeteria-style bar seats and sustainable woods setting standards for eco-chic. Setting its sights on younger travelers and locals, the dining room includes an oyster and raw bar and communal tables for large groups, with prices in line with its demographic. Meaning not exactly cheap, but not breaking the bank either.
Those familiar with Beattie’s seasonally-inspired cocktails (first-inspired at nearby Cyrus) will feel right at home perusing his epic menus that read more like a J. Peterman catalog than a cocktail menu. Drinks range from a thrifty $6.50 for “classics” to around $9 for top-shelf specialty drinks. Compared with precious sips costing $14 and up around the square, his smaller sips seem like a bargain. The wine program includes several wines on tap.
Chef Rudy Mihal reigns over a Cal-Mediterranean small plates menu that, like him, refuses to be pinned down. Don’t miss the brick chicken with its crispy skin and couscous.
Mere blocks from its luxe-sibling, the Hotel Healdsburg, the h2h hopes to attract urban-minded travelers who appreciate its minimalist decor and amenities. Comparatively, room prices for h2hotel range from around $215 to $415 and up during peak season where Hotel Healdsburg can range from $565 and up per night (though insiders say you can sometimes get cheaper deals), with 2-night minimums during high season.
A big plus: Spoonbar is frequently open on holidays.
Spoonbar at the h2hotel: 219 Healdsburg Ave, Healdsburg, 707 922-5251
