BEST Yountville Restaurants | Local Wally's Napa Tourist Guide
Where to eat in Yountville? Local Wally knows the BEST restaurants in Napa and Yountville, from cheap eats to 5 star dining, eat where the locals do!
Best Places to Eat in yountville
Napa's Best Yountville Dining Guide
Looking for the best places to eat in Yountville? That perhaps is one of the easiest tasks as Yountville is the epicenter of the Napa food explosion, the center of attention for some of the best restaurants in the valley. There are so many Michelin stars that they could line the sidewalks with them and everywhere you turn seems to be another Thomas Keller restaurant.
A quaint yet elegant town, the main strip is less than a mile long. Take the time to stroll the shops at V Marketplace before or after your meal, visit the gardens in front of The French Laundry, stop in to taste at one of the dozen or so wineries. There's so much to enjoy in Yountville that it nearly deserves its own day to explore.
Remember to make those reservations as soon as you can as these are very popular restaurants and fill up fast.
How to Get a Thomas Keller Experience… on a budget!
While it's true that Yountville is home to many of the finest (and most expensive) restaurants in the valley, that doesn't mean you should avoid it if you're doing Napa on a budget. In fact, you can sample some delicious food made by famous chef Thomas Keller - you know, The French Laundry guy where dinner can set you back $500 per person. That’s not cheap eats, but you can go to Bouchon Bakery for fresh pastries in the morning, for lunch try some Thomas Keller fried chicken at his Addendum take out shack, or have a feast of gourmet tacos for dinner at La Calenda. Heck, you can even dine “on a budget” at the Bouchon Bistro, one of Napa’s essential dining spots, where you can still find a handful of entrees under $30 such as mussels with frites, sauteed gnocci, or a Croque Madame (aka fancy ham and cheese sandwich) with fries. You know it’s going to good if it’s at a Thomas Keller restaurant.
AVG. PRICE PER ENTREE: CHEAP EATS $ (<$20), MODERATE $$ ($20 - $30), EXPENSIVE $$$ ($30+), EXTRAVAGANT $$$$ ($50+)
Ad Hoc Restaurant
Thomas Keller's "Family Style" Restaurant - Extravagant $$$$
A different menu every day based on what's fresh and available, Ad Hoc is Thomas Keller's "more affordable" restaurant. One menu fits all, everyone gets the same thing and everything is served up family style. Some days it's standard fare such as steak and fries or fried chicken, other times it's more adventurous like soft shelled crab or pork belly with scallops. Check the menu in the morning to make sure it's something you want.
All dinners come with a salad, entree, some cheese, and a dessert, and there is typically an "add on" dish that is always enticing though rarely required due to their typically large portion sizes.
Bistro Jeanty
Michelin Star - French Farmhouse Cuisine - Moderate $$
Some of my favorite memories of Paris is eating in the bistros. Casual yet romantic, they offered great food at a reasonable price. Bistro Jeanty is as close as you're going to get to that experience without going to Paris. With the communal table in front and the romantic fireplace dining in back and the rush of delicious food flowing out of the kitchen, you half expect to see the Eiffel Tower out the window. Bonjuor indeed!
Start your dinner with their famous tomato soup in puff pastry, try some classics like escargot or foie gras, or go easy with a great steak and frites. Remember that scene in Julie & Julia where Merryl Streep fawns over the Petrale Sole with lemon caper butter sauce? Try it, it's on the menu.
Bottega Ristorante Napa Valley
Celebrity Chef Michael Chiarello's Restaurant - Expensive $$$
Some of you might remember Michael Chiarello from FoodTV but none of you should confuse him with the current crop of celebrity "chefs" who are better at telling food stories than actually cooking. Michael lives in Napa and knows his way around the kitchen. In fact, on any given day you might see him standing outside of Bottega in his chef whites looking, well, just like he does on TV.
Bold Italian cuisine, creative modern plating, a rustic dining room and roaring stone fireplace on the patio, Bottega has become one of my favorite restaurants in Napa, it has yet to disappoint me.
Bouchon Bistro
Thomas Keller's French Bistro - Extravagant $$$$
Thomas Keller's Bouchon Bistro is like a French brasserie, a bit fancier than Bistro Jeanty, a bit livelier, a bit noisier. Of course the food is pure Keller, classic dishes done with a finesse using the highest quality ingredients. The roasted chicken is a standout and whatever you get make sure some fries come with it as Keller is serious about making the best french fries. Oysters and seafood at the raw bar, caviar, you can easily spend a small fortune here. On the opposite end they have surprisingly affordable house wines by the carafe and a Croque Madame (grilled ham and cheese topped with an egg and sauce) that is less than $30, a bargain.
Is The French Laundry Worth It?
Rated One of the Best Restaurants in the World - Ultra Extravagant $$$$$$
Spending $310 per person for a meal, $100+ for a half bottle of wine, $150 corkage fee and a waiting list that has the restaurant booked months in advance, The French Laundry isn't for everyone. But there is no denying that it is the Holy Grail for food lovers, a once in a lifetime experience that only a lucky few experience.
Is it Worth It? Read my review and check out my photos.
Rated one of the top 3 restaurants in the world, it's unlike anything you've ever experienced. Thomas Keller will take you on a 10+ course tasting menu, small plates of some of his finest creations, so beautiful that it looks like art. You take a bite, you savor it, you marvel at the flavors and complexities, the nuances and the artistry, and just when you think you want more here comes another plate of something else, equally enchanting and exquisite.
Now if your idea of a culinary delight is The Claim Jumper ("wow, that's one big ass potato!"), then don't go. If your car payment is overdue, don't go. In fact, if you have any reservations about dropping at least a thousand bucks for two for dinner (after wine and tip), seriously don't go. But for those who do go, I envy you.
Mustards Grill
Modern "Truck Stop" Diner - California Cuisine - Moderate $$
If Cindy Pawlcyn didn't actually invent California cuisine she certainly was one of the first to take well loved standards and elevate them to new levels. As the sign out front says, Everything is Delicious, the standouts being the Mongolian pork chop, hanger steak with red wine onions and watercress dip, and insanely good baby back ribs.
The quintessential Napa restaurant, Mustards Grill has been delighting locals, winery workers, tourists and foodies for over 30 years and is my pick for the restaurant to dine at if you only have one night in Napa. Fun and lively, Mustards Grill will deliver a memorable meal and experience.
RH Kitchen
Wait - RH as in Restoration Hardware? - Moderate $$
What happens when Restoration Hardware takes over one of Napa’s most beautiful historic buildings to showcase their elegant lifestyle? You get RH Kitchen, a wonderfully unique dining experience featuring classic California Cuisine that stands up to the best of Napa dining. OK, so a burger and fries will set you back around $35 but yes it’s worth it, oh yes!
Open for Breakfast, Brunch, Lunch and Dinner, with wine tasting options as well in the historic Ma(i)sonry building from 1904. Look, this place is just amazing, even if you are popping in for a glass of wine.
AVG. PRICE PER ENTREE: CHEAP EATS $ (<$20), MODERATE $$ ($20 - $30), EXPENSIVE $$$ ($30+), EXTRAVAGANT $$$$ ($50+)
Addendum
Seasonal restaurant open only from Spring through Fall, Addendum is Thomas Keller's food shack serving his famous fried chicken and BBQ ribs. Take out or dine on picnic tables. Cheap Eats $
Ciccio
Ciccio's is a local favorite, tiny eatery specializing in wood fired pizza and Italian fare. Housed in an old market, wooden floors and rustic charm, a simple menu done with a fresh twist. Cheap $
R+D Kitchen
Yes, it's a chain and owned by the same people who own the classic Rutherford Grill. But the food somehow transcends the chain stigma and has become a local favorite. Moderate $$
