By Zoe Boyd
For 10 years, Robin Wolf worked at bars and restaurants in Manhattan.
“The thing that I got to do was control the music,” Wolf said. “That really empowered me to create the environment that I wanted to have.”
Now Wolf is the owner of Highwater, a retro-inspired, music-themed bar located in downtown San Luis Obispo, where she gets to choose the music every night.
“You can serve the most amazing food or cocktails, but music does help to create that experience and vibe that I hope will bring people back,” Wolf said.
Born in San Luis Obispo, Wolf said she always knew her hometown would call back to her. Wolf and her husband, Matt Hanson — a former Cal Poly music major — have worked in the hospitality industry for close to 30 years and have always dreamed of having a spot to call their own, she said.
Wolf was a competitive mixologist in various U.S. cities and in Mexico for about 12 years. In 2019, she was named the winner of the Tales of the Cocktail Official Cocktail Competition in New Orleans.
In 2011, Wolf and Hanson moved back to San Luis Obispo.
Video by Brady Caskey
When the space on Broad Street opened up, where local bar and restaurant Sidecar operated before it moved a few blocks away, Wolf knew the space was her chance.
“Music has always been a huge part of both of our lives,” she said. “There’s seldom a moment that goes by where we are not listening to something. We wanted to create a place that we wanted to hang out in.”
Since the restaurant’s opening in the spring of 2022, Wolf and Hanson’s experience in the industry have combined with their love of retro aesthetics, resulting in the spot that is Highwater.
“It boils down to, what we love is cocktails, eats and tunes,” she said.
The Eats
Highwater’s menu changes seasonally and its fall menu includes crowd favorites such as pork belly mac and cheese. A lot of ingredients used at the restaurant are sourced locally, including pressed cider from See Canyon Fruit Ranch.
“My style of cocktails is very culinary,” Wolf said. “I like to use as many fresh ingredients as possible. We are so lucky here on the Central Coast.”
Utilizing San Luis Obispo’s local culinary offerings are an important part of Highwater’s vision to Wolf.
“We want to use the amazing bounty that’s offered right outside our door…if it grows together it goes together, so things that grow in the same season naturally go together,” Wolf said.
The Vibes
Recycled vinyl covers as menus, paintings of iconic music artists on the walls and a bright, luminous orange and yellow color scheme are some of the elements Highwater uses to convey their retro and music-oriented theme.
Most of Highwater’s glassware is sourced from vintage and thrift stores.
“We wanted to give them a second life, and it adds to the overall vibe of the establishment,” Wolf said.
Wolf said everyone who dines at Highwater is welcome.
“We are not a place where you have to wear a tie, but we are a place where you can wear those awesome velvet bell bottoms you just picked up at a vintage store and not feel out of place,” Wolf said.
Featured image by Brady Caskey
