Old trip: Stogies and steaks with a capitol view
New trick: Nightlife options and a pair of "wow" hotels

The seat of our state gov­ernment has long been known as an all-business, buttoned-up city—not the type of place where you go to unwind. Not so any longer. Maybe it’s our movie-star governor or the town’s buzzworthy new mayor (former NBA star Kevin Johnson)—or maybe it’s just that the citizens of California’s seventh-largest city finally demanded cool new places to sip, dine, shop, and chill. Either way, with a proliferation of plush lounges and wine bars, as well as top-shelf eateries and two new hotels that rank among the state’s best, it’s time to consider Sactown worthy of a weekend away.

STAY: Le Rivage, which opened last February as Sacramento’s first luxury riverfront hotel, aims to rival Napa’s finest. Let Arnold show you around the hotel’s Tuscan-inspired grounds—not that Arnold, but the agreeable bellman who’s at your beck and call, should you need an extra pillow for the already legendary beds. Just be sure to book a room on the river side, so you’ll score a view of the boats cruising up to the yacht club across the way, as well as the waterfront fire pits and bocce courts. If you’d rather be at the center of the action, check into the Citizen Hotel, Joie de Vivre’s new downtown property. With references to politics and scandal in cartoons and photographs on the walls, along with bold, art deco–style decor, it’s a tongue-in-cheek salute to the dynamic and salacious sides of politics.

DINE: If you’re bunking at the Citizen, you’re within walking distance of some of Sacramento’s new dining stars (including Grange, within the Citizen). Your first stop outside the hotel should be two-year-old Ella. All blond wood and flax linen chic, it’s one of the most beautifully designed restaurants in California (check out the ceiling made of hundreds of window shutters imported from eastern Europe). The food’s not bad, either: The signature dish of pappardelle with a poached egg, crispy prosciutto, and preserved lemon–butter sauce is the perfect combo of salt, tang, cream, and al dente texture. Another downtown spot that’s popular with politicos is Mason’s, just off the capitol park. Bigwigs hobnob on the gorgeous tented patio for happy hour, and the smart ones stay for an earthy but refined dinner (think crispy Sonoma duck confit or Atkins lamb shanks in red-wine sauce).

PLAY: Downtown’s biggest cultural defibrillator is the recently opened Cosmopolitan Building. Located in the renovated 1956 Woolworth Building, it’s home to the Cosmopolitan Cabaret, which hosts performances by the California Musical Theatre company (they’re putting on Forever Plaid this month). Upstairs, you’ll find the thumping, upscale Social nightclub, and on the street level, the outstanding Cosmo Café (the corned beef and cabbage puts most New York delis to shame). Now downtown has a one-stop venue for an urbane evening out.