Under-Study is absolutely breathtaking inside and out! The dark green outside and the interior make…read moreit very welcoming to all guests. I saw this cafe pop-up in several IG posts, so I knew I had to check it out. It doesn't have a Michelin star, but is run by a Michelin team --- so to me, tomato, toMAHto. I got 3 items, all exquisite: 1. Honeycomb Iced Latte - This drink is exactly what you would expect; a proper iced latte topped with a substantial amount of sugary honeycomb. A few swirls later, and my entire drink was sweetened just right. There's nothing like the taste of sugary honeycomb. 2. Everything Knot - This was my highlight of the visit. I am from NJ, so I'm a bit of a Bagel snob, and yet, connoisseur. The way this Knot was layered and crafted made all right in the world. It was topped with fried scallions, and stuffed with green onion cream cheese. The worked said it must've been meant for me...it was the last one of the day! 3) Pain au Chocolat - Visually stunning. The layers around the pastry make it crackly and so decadent. The downside? The actual chocolate! It was a skinny line of chocolate in my pastry, barely non-existent. Loved the pastry, the "au chocolat" part? Needs work. All in all, I was extremely pleased by Under-Study! I love trying "novel items", and I heard they have a Lobster Corn Dog?? Guess that will have to wait til' next time!

Overall? Totally worth the drive. Understudy feels like the kind of place that could only exist in…read morethe Napa Valley. Clean, curated interior, great energy, and the kind of pastry case that immediately makes you abandon any sense of restraint. Come hungry because the menu rewards excess. Some items stood out more than others, but honestly, everything ranged from good to excellent. The coffee was dialed in, the pastries felt intentional instead of trendy, and the whole experience had that rare combination of polish without pretension. Absolutely worth returning for Parking? Lot We had: Coffee (5/5): exactly what good cafe coffee should be. Balanced, flavorful, and structured enough to stand up to the sweeter pastries without getting lost. Smooth profile, clean finish, no bitterness Bacon Sampler (Benton's, Nueske's, Hill's, Candied) (5/5): sounds gimmicky until it hits the table. Then you realize someone actually thought this through. Each bacon had its own personality, but the candied bacon was the standout. Perfect balance of smoke, salt, fat, and sweetness Smoked Trout Rillettes (5/5): this was excellent. The smoked trout had real depth without becoming overpowering, and the creme fraiche completely changed the game by adding a cool, tangy richness that balanced everything out. Spread onto the bread, it created those perfect bites where texture and flavor all lock together at once Calistoga Crunch (5/5): absolute chaos visually, somehow beautiful anyway. It looked like something your toddler proudly makes during Christmas and you hang on the tree because you weirdly love it. But flavorwise, this thing was seriously dialed in! Sweet, crunchy, salty, textured, layered. Every component worked. One of the better cookies I've had in a long time Strawberry Tea Cake (5/5): dense in the way a good tea cake should be, but still light enough to avoid feeling heavy. The strawberry flavor came through naturally without turning artificial or overly sweet. Simple yet elegant, and incredibly easy to keep eating Pain au Chocolat (4/5): still good, but the weakest of the group. The pastry leaned a little brittle and slightly dry, lacking some of that buttery pull and softness you want from a great pain au chocolat. The chocolate itself was solid, and it was still enjoyable overall, just not something I'd specifically come back for

When we visit St Helena this is now our go to coffee and sandwich place. Close to the Main Street…read more Yummy food (love the open face Lox & Bagel). Coffee is a nice brew too. The staff is very helpful and friendly. Nice comfortable setting.

3.5 STARS *Walks in*…read more *Stop and stare* To some it may be a red flag to have people stop and stare at you but to me, it's kinda a green flag. When you stick out like a sore thumb, sometimes it's a sign that you've stepped into a local's place, not a tourist trap. Sam's General Store is named after the man who started the Gold Rush. They're an artisanal cafe serving specialty coffee and matcha drinks, pastries (from Starter Bakery), breakfast bites, salads, and sandwiches. Their OG location is in Calistoga and their St. Helena location opened in 2025. Online ordering available. D R I N K S * Iced Latte ($6) w/ oat milk (+85 cents) - Add vanilla cold foam + whipped cream (+$1) - Request half-caffeine I couldn't find a small business in Napa Valley that offers a Einspänner but Sam's offers the components so you can make one. The latte was smooth and roasty with the cold foam adding a creamy sweetness and the whipped cream an extra later of richness. Pretty solid. * Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte w/ strawberry foam, extra shot of matcha ($9.25) - Batched made, not hand-whisked - Cannot adjust sweetness It looks nothing like the layered drink on their website and IG. Also, the color was dull, so either the matcha was oxidized or it's poor quality. Sadly, it tasted like a Crumbl cookie in liquid form. Even with the extra shot of matcha, there was no matcha flavor and tasted like an incredibly sweet strawberry milk. I hate wasting money but we tossed it. * NY Lox & Bagel w/ gravlax salmon, cream cheese, pickled red onions, cucumbers & capers ($17) - Served open-faced, no mods available - Bagels are flown in weekly from NY but shop/brand is not specified Deliciously chewy, lightly toasted plain bagel layered with rich, creamy schmear and silky, buttery lox. The fresh tang and crunch from the pickled red onions and pickled cucumbers balanced everything perfectly, adding brightness to each bite. S E R V I C E Transactional - I ordered online and they were just finishing up my order when I arrived. A M B I A N C E Modern, cozy boutique vibe with ample seating. Even on a weekday, all the indoor seating was taken; looks to be a regular gathering place for locals. Front patio and sidewalk seating. Free WiFi. Overall, cute cafe...if you're visiting from a city with great matcha - stick with their coffee!

Nice place to have a reasonably priced breakfast, lunch, or snack and watch CIA students in action…read more Very spacious and good for large groups. We had a cappuccino, oat latte, carrot cake, and earl gray Madeleine for our breakfast. The CIA students were sweet and attentive. We got a mango cheesecake tart and Yuzu matcha cookie for treats for later, the cheesecake was decadently rich and the cookie was deliciously matcha forward.

Lack of clear pricing:…read more The menu fails to alert customers that there is a mandatory 20% service charge in addition to the tax on the food. I told the instructor, Mr. Wolff, that the cafe needs to add a big sign about the service charge. The cafe is supposed to teach students about running a business and clear pricing is important so customers don't feel like they are being cheated or overcharged. Loud: You can ask for the students to help you carry your food or drink onto the terrace outside if you'd like to avoid the noise inside the cafe and enjoy the great view of the vineyard and hills across the road. Coffee: I like the coffee here. It reminds me of good European coffee. Gluten-free: There are few options. Potato chips: The freshly made chips were excellent. You can't compare them to the ones in the grocery store!

This was for our 23rd wedding anniversary, so as a treat, I decided to invite my husband and close…read morefriends to lunch. While working in St. Helena, I could never find an opening in a reservation, so here was a great opportunity now that all of us are retired. Our friends live in Clear Lake while we live in Vallejo, so this is a central place to meet. It was the best decision I made because every year for the past several anniversaries, we've gone to Cache Creek to C2. Their food and service is excellent because my husband enjoys poker, but I thought a change of scenery would be nice. And it was! Firstly, it was very kind of the staff to present us with a greeting card signed by everyone -- how sweet and thoughtful! We will cherish that! Secondly, we were very impressed with how the food/wine was locally sourced. It was incredible to hear the story about Custom, the Bull, and taste the difference between the Highland beef compared to Angus. Our waitress was "Erica S." She was engaging, personable, and very informative. My husband and I would definitely like to return to return to experience the dinner menu! We and our guests had the following dishes: Artichoke appetizer Arbororio Biscuits & Gravy Two Cheeseburgers Three Bloody Mary's Farmstead Margarita When they found out it was our anniversary celebration, the house sent over four glasses of complimentary champagne and a dish of dessert -- again, very sweet and kind of them I now understand why so many crowds flock to this restaurant! It's well worth the wait! If you have not experienced a meal there, you must definitely go now!

I was really excited to try this restaurant for the first time, especially for Mother's Day, and…read morewhile the food itself was excellent, the overall experience was disappointing enough that I would not return. From the beginning, there seemed to be constant miscommunication between staff. We specifically booked an outdoor reservation and were seated inside instead. While mistakes happen, it set the tone for the rest of the evening. The bigger issue involved the wine and corkage fee. We purchased a bottle directly from the market associated with the restaurant and were told by the employee there that the corkage fee would be waived if we bought their wine. When we sat down, our server Sara told us that was not true and that we would still have to pay the fee. I explained what we had been told, and when she asked if I wanted a manager involved, I said yes. Before the manager even arrived or clarified the situation, the server opened our bottle of wine. In the silence and confusion, I reasonably assumed the fee issue had been resolved. Then the manager came over and told us we would still be charged and implied that nobody at the market would have told us otherwise. The way it was handled made my husband and I feel like we were being accused of making the whole thing up, which was especially upsetting on Mother's Day. At that point, the bottle was already opened, so we were essentially stuck paying the fee regardless. Between being seated incorrectly, the poor communication between employees, and how dismissive the situation felt, the service completely overshadowed what should have been a special meal. The rest of the service we felt ignored and there was minimal effort to accommodate. Great food alone is not enough to justify returning when the hospitality experience feels this frustrating and unprofessional.

I love Model Bakery! Can't go wrong with anything from here…read more We were staying nearby for a few days. So of course we came here for breakfast. I love stopping here when we're in Napa Valley. There's another location at Oxbow Market too. I was going to order at the kiosk but the line was so short, I opted to order in person. I had the sausage breakfast sandwich and a latte. Both were delicious! The sausage breakfast sandwich is on their homemade English muffins which is perfectly made with the slight tang, crunchy crust, and the right chew. Highly recommend!

If I was a pastry fiend, this review would likely be quite different, but as a salad lover, I can't…read morerecommend Model Bakery in the slightest. I was excited to see a kale salad on their menu, especially one with strong fixings such as squash and goat cheese; sadly, the ingredients were entirely AWOL. In the pre-mix photo, it appears like a relatively decent helping, but after mixing, it became a mountain of kale with the other ingredients having been a facade in the initial viewing. Classic shrinkflation by which a $20 salad (yikes!) is padded by a heap of greenery. Furthermore, the squash was undercooked and disappointing even in the few bites of it I had. I believe that the salad could be adjusted to be a satisfying meal (goat cheese is never a wrong choice), but right now it's a miss, for both the stomach and the wallet.

Oh My Goodness!! We were walking around exploring when we looked across the street!…read more After crossing the street, we stood in line impatiently awaiting to spoil ourselves with pastries and coffee. We ordered the Oatmeal Everything Cookies. Oooooh so delicious!! Crispy edges and soft and chewy middle. It consists of oats, walnuts, pecans, pistachios, coconut, cherries, and raisins. It was so good, I had to ask about the ingredients!! We also had their seasonal pumpkin spice cake with burnt butter cream frosting! It was so moist and delicious! The Cardamom Vanilla Latte was also good. After our snack, we went back in line and ordered a dozen to-go pastries to take home!!! Station is a gas station! So, it's a gas station with gourmet treats! Not your typical gas station foodies!! They offer pastries, sandwiches, salads, pizza, and a nice coffee drink choices. They also sell souvenirs as well. I am sure I am missing something. Overall, a great experience!! The young ladies working were both energetic and friendly!! They were very helpful and patient while we were picking out our to go treats. We are looking forward to our next trip.....

This is officially my second-ever gas station review -- the first was for fish tacos, and now here…read moreI am writing about an $11 Tropical Kale smoothie. On our drive back from Calistoga to Berkeley, my bestie and I needed a quick snack, and this stop in St. Helena was perfectly timed. She's been here plenty of times; it was my first visit. I went the smoothie route (solid, refreshing, did the job), but I couldn't help noticing that most people were walking out with pizza. That seemed to be the move. The place had a steady flow of locals and road-trippers, which is always a good sign when you're pulling off the highway. It was quick, easy, and exactly what we needed in the moment. Will I be back? Probably not, but this might be perfect for you.

The service was phenomenal and the chicken and waffles were incredible. Highly recommend.read more

Stumbled upon this place while walking downtown St Helena and was very pleased with the find…read more The menu is extensive. We were seated promptly outside. Great weather. To drink I had the mimosa flight which was great ($25). To eat I had the snack burger which was absolutely delicious! Had bacon and avocado. Yum. I chose seasoned fries as my side, a little salty. Dog friendly! Will definitely be back!

I've been visiting Sam's General store multiple times now and felt due for a well deserved review!…read more This coffee shop/cafe is so cute and has a nice outdoor patio seating, as well as some seats inside if it's cold. The employees are all friendly and have always answered any questions I have about the menu. My favorite menu item is the iced strawberry matcha - I have tried to find one as good elsewhere and have not been successful! I have gotten lattes a couple of times which are good as well. They do have breakfast items - like bagels and toast. These are good as well but nothing too special to note. Overall - I will always come back when I am in town to get my favorite strawberry matcha drink!

Great place to hang out in this spring and summer there's great outdoor seating. Coffee and food is…read moreexcellent as well. There's just a few of you go inside there's room for a few to sit.

This gelato is of the caliber of other amazing, true gelato places, such as Grom in Italy. The…read morechocolate is my favorite, but you absolutely can't go wrong with any of them. Such a cute shop with lots of other things too enjoy as well such as fresh made cookies and some beautiful chocolates.

My sister & I were in town on Thur 4/2. We decided to stop in for a scoop of gelato. After trying a…read morefew different flavors, I ended up getting a scoop of Espresso Chip $6 and my sister got a scoop of Key Lime $6 Both were good, but the key lime was a bit too tangy for me.