Kristin Dunlap Schantz is the only person in the world who knows the recipe for the Swiss Hotel’s signature cocktail, the Glarifee.
The closely guarded family formula — a twist on an Irish coffee — has been passed down through generations, with only one custodian at a time. Dunlap Schantz inherited the recipe from her grandmother, along with a responsibility that carries a whiff of legend, the kind reserved for the Colonel’s 11 herbs and spices. If you’re hoping she might reveal even a hint of what’s in it, think again. Her father, mother and even her husband don’t know the ingredients.
The Glarifee is just one of many well-loved traditions at Sonoma’s Swiss Hotel, one of Wine Country’s last truly historic restaurants. The 175-year-old building, constructed in 1850 for the brother of Gen. Mariano Vallejo, is designated California State Parks Commission Historic Landmark No. 496. And with an unbroken chain of family ownership since 1935, the Swiss — as locals call it — still serves many of the same recipes that have long defined its menu.
For Dunlap Schantz, the place isn’t just historic. It’s home.
A fifth-generation Sonoman, she grew up at the Swiss, celebrating birthdays, graduations, weddings and funerals with her extended family in one of the rambling complex’s private dining rooms. Her father, Tom Dunlap, owns the restaurant with his sister, Teddi Respini. But Dunlap Schantz is the restaurant’s day-to-day presence — an Energizer Bunny who zips from room to room, checking details and greeting employees by name. Many, after decades on staff, feel like family, too.
Where everybody knows your name, or at least your dog’s
Legacy is everything to Dunlap Schantz, who represents five generations of Sonomans who have welcomed patrons to the Swiss as if it were their home — and every guest a member of the family.
“Everyone who comes through the doors is an extension of our family. That’s our legacy to Sonoma,” she said.
With staff members who have worked at the restaurant for more than 30 years, including her chef, greeting guests by name is an important protocol.
“And if we don’t know your name, we probably know your dog’s name,” Dunlap Schantz said of the front patio, where well-behaved dogs often sit alongside their owners. At the bar, she added, the staff will almost certainly remember your drink. “And we never forget a face.”
The vibe
Like many restaurants surrounding the centuries-old Sonoma Plaza, the Swiss Hotel conceals its true size behind a modest façade. Step inside and the place keeps unfolding: a maze of rooms and patios stretching across nearly half an acre behind the historic building.
Most recognizable are the handful of coveted sidewalk patio tables out front — prime territory for people-watching on the plaza with a Glarifee in hand. Inside, the restaurant opens onto a large dining room and an oasis-like covered patio where locals linger over drinks and plates of pasta. Farther back, additional outdoor spaces are tucked into the property, including a cellar room used for private dinners and a sprawling event area shaded by old trees.
The main dining room leans toward date-night elegance, with white tablecloths, neatly folded napkins and polished glassware beneath hazy black-and-white family photos lining the walls. Out on the patio, red-and-white checkered tablecloths give the space a relaxed, jeans-and-T-shirt feel.
The bar is another world entirely — low ceilings, dark wood paneling and stools that have hosted decades of characters, including a relative of Ernest Hemingway who, according to legend, gave the Glarifee its name, alongside World War II-era female pilots, local winemakers and politicians.
For generations, the Swiss has been the kind of place where deals were brokered, friendships cemented and locals marked life’s milestones. If the walls could talk, they would tell the story of Sonoma’s evolution from rural hamlet to polished Wine Country destination.
But history alone doesn’t keep the place buzzing night after night.
For all its nostalgia, the restaurant endures because diners return for its hearty lineup of Italian and Swiss classics, such as polenta, robust meatballs, a chophouse-style wedge salad, eggplant Parmesan, pot roast and seafood pappardelle.
In a town where chef-driven dishes topped with edible flowers and foams are the norm, the Swiss has stuck to what it does best: generous portions, strong drinks and a room full of regulars who treat the place like their second dining room.
Fun fact
The Glarifee’s name is a mashup of “glazed Irish coffee.” Creamy and sweet, with a deceptively potent dose of Irish whiskey, the drink is strong enough that two might leave you under the table — something this reporter learned the hard way. Consider it Sonoma County’s sneakiest cocktail.
“Everyone calls it something different — glacé, glacier, colofee, giraffe,” Dunlap Schantz said. Her grandmother once mixed the drink in a bathtub before transferring it, jug by jug, to the bar. (Don’t worry: It’s no longer made in a bathtub.)
Most popular dishes
Pizzas, fried calamari and rigatoni Bolognese.
The name
The Swiss Hotel was originally called the Tocino Hotel. Generations ago, when the original Swiss Hotel across Sonoma Plaza burned down, the family salvaged the old sign and hung it above their door. Just like that, the Swiss Hotel was reborn.
The price
Appetizers $14–$20; salads $12–$16; pizzas $23–$30; entrées $18–$42; desserts $8–$11. Portions are generous, so expect leftovers.
The deals
No corkage fee on Wednesdays.
The place
Open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturday, with lunch only on Sunday. Closed Monday. 18 W. Spain St., Sonoma, 707-938-2884, swisshotelsonoma.com