Elk Cove Inn, a rare jewel located on the Mendocino coast of northern California offering ocean view accommodations, spa services and fabulous feasts.
Elk Cove Inn – a Rare Jewel of a Property Located on the Mendocino Coast of Northern California
ELK, CA – Elk Cove Inn & Spa is a unique bed and breakfast located on the dramatic Mendocino Coast featuring breathtaking views, farm-to-table cuisine, impeccable yet friendly service, and an elegant Day Spa. Located in Elk, off California’s scenic Highway 1 (and seventeen miles south of the storied Mendocino Village), the property is a refuge for anyone seeking to connect with nature and themselves (furry friends are welcome to join as well). Centered around a beautiful Craftsman-style mansion from the late 1800s, there are also a variety of suites and cliffside cottages to choose from. Exquisite dinners can be booked at their onsite restaurant, Sibo, and sumptuous daily breakfasts are included with the room. Lavish gardens that supply an ever-changing array of beautiful blooms, produce, and herbs for the restaurant, and the onsite chickens, rabbits, goats, and honeybees complete the charming experience.
Nestled in peaceful seclusion atop a bluff overlooking a mile of dramatic beachfront, the Elk Cove Inn’s Craftsman-style Mansion was built in 1893 by the L.E. White Lumber Company as the Mill Superintendent’s home. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, the area was a hotspot for logging, and the wood from this area wood helped to build San Francisco, and then rebuild the city after the Great Earthquake of 1906. In 1968, the house was converted into one of the first bed and breakfasts on the Mendocino Coast, and it has been welcoming visitors ever since.
With some of the most spectacular views on the coast, the Inn is surrounded by native trees, a creek, and the Pacific ocean, with private stairs leading from the property to the secluded driftwood-strewn beach below. Local shops and restaurants are within easy walking distance and guests can watch migrating whales and otters at play just steps from their room or from the Inn’s signature gazebo. Afterwards, they can relax in the hands of some of the North Coast’s finest professional therapists at the Inn’s European-style Day Spa.
One of the highlights of staying at Elk Cove Inn is discovering the French eclectic cuisine prepared by proprietor and Executive Chef Victor Passalacqua at the inn’s onsite restaurant, Sibo. Chef Victor has cooked alongside renowned chefs like Paul Bocuse, Edward Merard, and Ferran Adrià, and has worked in many countries and owned numerous restaurants, including Miami’s beloved Barrel Wine Cantine. His approachable European-style haute cuisine – and the inn’s justly famous sumptuous complimentary breakfasts – are an integral part of the magic that guests rave about, and return again and again to experience. Sibo is open Thursday through Monday from 6pm to 7:30pm and a Grab & Go menu is available Tuesdays and Wednesdays. The bounteous, complimentary breakfast, served daily in-room from 8:30 to 9:30 a.m., includes a dizzying array of choices, incorporating eggs from their own hens and produce from their gardens. Dinners can be enjoyed in the restaurant, on the ocean view terrace (weather permitting), or in-room. Reservations are required.
Chef Victor, who is also Co-Owner and Co-Proprietor of the property (along with wife Melissa), is taking farm-to-table to a new level by planting and harvesting his own vegetables, fruits, and herbs in the onsite gardens, as well as foraging for sea creatures, sea vegetables, and mushrooms. Melissa is a certified sommelier and is always happy to suggest the perfect wine from Elk Cove Inn’s curated wine list (featuring mostly local labels) to accompany Chef Victor’s stellar cuisine.
Rounding out the management team is Rakesh Taneja, Co-owner of the inn, who handles all offsite guest relations. “80% of our bookings are repeat visitors and we love them,” states Rakesh. “They always tell us it’s like visiting a good friend’s house, and we strive to create that experience with every guest.”
Elk Cove Inn & Spa is also the perfect getaway spot for those who love to travel with their dogs. “We have four dogs of our own and we know how hard it is to find an elegant escape that allows you to bring your pups,” says Melissa. “We don’t just allow dogs – we welcome them as part of our family.”
Twelve of the inn’s sixteen bespoke suites and rooms are dog-friendly, and guests can choose from an array of ocean view luxury suites, cliffside oceanfront cottages, affordable garden view rooms, carriage house rooms, or elegant rooms in the historic mansion. All accommodations are individual in décor. All rooms boast high-end European Sleep Works mattresses, robes, and buttery soft sheets and duvets by Comphy.
In addition, the inn is LGBTQ-friendly, and is also the perfect venue to host a wedding or private event. It’s available for full buy-outs as well, to host such gatherings as corporate retreats or family reunions.