Photo via Google, Rui JinDeetjen's Big Sur Inn
- Hours
- Today: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM, 5:30 – 8:30 PM
- Getting there
- On Highway One in a redwood canyon, easy to miss from the road — look for the small sign and gravel turnoff
Why it’s in the log
Deetjen's is a scatter of small redwood buildings built in the 1930s by a Norwegian immigrant, Helmuth Deetjen, tucked into a canyon that the highway barely acknowledges as it passes. Rooms have no televisions or air conditioning, thin walls, and no two are quite alike — it's rustic by design, not by neglect.
The restaurant is the better-known half for people who aren't staying the night: a low-ceilinged, candlelit dining room serving breakfast and dinner, with an eggs Benedict that has a genuine local following separate from the inn's overnight guests.
Worth booking a room for the setting alone if a night in Big Sur is on the itinerary — but the restaurant works fine as a stop on its own for anyone driving Highway One.
What people said recently
From Google reviews · see all 376 ↗
“This place is so rustic and quaint. It is a refreshing change from the city's hustle and bustle. The drive here will take you through a variety of awe-inspiring views of the ocean and cliffs. The room is clean, and I slept peacefully. The…”
“Great location, beautiful scenery and cozy rooms. Staff is mad cool, kind without doing too much. Lost a star for having ants all over the room though”
“I stumbled upon this awesome breakfast location while camping along hwy 1. The smell of freshly cooked bacon drew my attention. Upon entry, I literally stepped into Narnia! The atmosphere, aroma and decor shifted my mind instantly. I was…”
