Normally we aren't in St Helena long enough to goof off but this last Napa outing we booked a…read morehotel there because we didn't want to go home yet and everything else was booked closer to Napa. As a Hyatt member was able to use points instead of selling my Audi to pay for a one night stay. So the next morning, where to go? After a quick breakfast we ended up at The Saint for cocktails. At first we didn't think it was open since it was early and no one was in there. Upon entry it is clear this isn't a dive bar. A few high tops as you enter to the left and a nice long bar with and table against the right wall. This building takes you back to 1890 or so when it was originally a bank. I wonder how many times it was robbed at gun point and the bad boys rode off on horses with the cash??? Many of the light fixtures are original from the same time. It has a bank vault as every good bank should. But since this is a bar the vault is more a private area with seating. Since we just had a late breakfast we only had drinks. Not sure but I'm pretty sure Andrea had a Lemon Drop and I know for sure I had tequila and lime. While we were there a few high tops filled up with Chardonnay drinking ladies getting away from the family (kids and partners) for the day. And a couple of different couples being tourist. I know, I know technically we are tourist but we've spent so much time here over the years we don't feel like tourist and back in the day not long ago many people thought we lived there. Our bartender was great about explaining the details about the bank building and it's history along with a tour. Next time we are in St. Helena we will definitely be back. Actually may make a special trip from Napa just to go there.

What a great find in St. Helena! We discovered The Saint…read morejust passing by during our latest trip to the Napa Valley last month. It looked like a nice place, and we decided we would return the following day for a visit. We came in for some drinks and to enjoy the swanky interior. Dark, sexy vibes, very nicely done. It was on the emptier side when we visited, partly because it was earlier in the afternoon, and partly because people were elsewhere watching the final rounds of the World Cup, but that was fine with us, because we got out lovely bartender basically all to ourselves. Unfortunately, I can't remember his name, but he was terrific, friendly, engaging, and down-to-earth. He made us some great drinks (lemon drop for me, tequila & lime for my partner - we're such one trick ponies), and later showed us around the place. There is a lot of history in the building. It used to be a bank back in the day (and by 'back in the day' I mean the 1800's), and it still has the original vault. Beyond the vault door, there is a speakeasy-style dining room that would be absolutely perfect for a private event. We didn't try any food this time, they only had light bites on offer at that time of the day, but the dinner menu looks promising, and I look forward to having a full meal here upon our next visit. Downtown St. Helena is a bit out of the way of our usual stops in Napa, but I would make a special trip for this spot again.

I absolutely adore this place mainly for the sticky pig ears and bone marrow! It was very…read moredelicious, the ambiance of the place is very intimate perfect for the perfect date night. I even sat in some nice comfortable seats by the fire place. The service was quick and fast and the employees were very attentive. I've been to this place twice and each time I was not disappointed. Any time im in the area goose & gander is the first place on my mind 9/10! don't let the name like "sticky pig ears" bother you, it is absolutely a must have.

Dining on the patio, we shared small plates, mostly good:…read more --the Wood~Grilled Cauliflower with vadouvan aioli, lemon Vinaigrette, herb Salad was the standout. Tasty combination. --the fried olives & pistachios was interesting, but the pistachios were in the shell and coated with paprika and other spices making a mess on our fingers --corn croquettes & piquillo pepper coulis, the croquettes themselves were bland, but the coulis was flavorful dipping sauce --the wet chicken wings with Korean gochujang were okay

I celebrated my birthday at PRESS, and the entire experience was perfection. The Cabernet…read morerecommended to me at the bar before we were seated was honestly one of the best I've ever had. The ambiance is romantic yet modern, and the service was top-tier. I absolutely loved every dish we tried, but my favorites were actually the starters, the caviar pretzel and the Chips & Dip, which were crispy salmon skin chips with an avocado dip. I would absolutely come back to Napa just to dine at PRESS again.

Service - 5 stars Ambiance - 5 stars (loved the playlist)…read moreFood- 1 star Blows my mind that this is a Michelin restaurant because the food is mediocre at best. Don't let the pretty presentation fool you - the food was nothing to rave about and there were dishes I could not stomach eating. Caviar with what's supposed to be yogurt but tastes like cheese underneath. Gross. I was so mad. Their "pork" terrine that looked more like elevated spam with shaved truffles...Inedible. The sumac cured halibut fish was pungent smelling. Inedible. Lobster chawanmushi - thinnest layer of steamed egg and the curry did not pair well as it overpowered the lobster. Disappointing. 21 day tomahawk was the best thing served. The side dishes however were really horrible. Sometimes simple is best and this place just over complicates ingredients that don't pair. Aguachile salad was just charred and fried, super oily broccolini. Not worth $800 for two. I do not recommend.

We visited The Charter Oak on Sunday Aug 30 for an early dinner. We sat outside and atmosphere was…read moreterrific. The food was fantastic. We had the signature burger, grilled fig over goat cheese special and the house bread. Not only was the food great but the service was exceptional. The manager Alejandra was so inviting taking time to give us recommendations for wineries to visit. And Zach our server was just as great. Providing us his knowledge of the local winery scene and making several recommendations of his own. Kudos to the team at The Charter Oak.

Every once in a while you just walk into the place that screams... "You're going to love it here."…read more Well, The Charter Oak Restaurant is one of those places. I asked "Where can I get a good burger" at multiple wineries and everyone pointed me here. Now I know why! As we walked in, (we were lucky as we did not have reservations for lunch but came early) the atmosphere, venue, electricity in the air was amazing. They also have a lovely outside seating area, which seems to the hot spot. It was exactly how all the people described it and the overall atmosphere was amazing with that giant open flaming cooking area at the end and in the middle. I had the perfect seat to watch it and the amazing Chef Marshall preparing food. A lovely young lady ( am am embarrassed that I did not write down names) came by and got us started with menus, silverware and a drink order. Then our amazing waiter (same thing on the name) came over to explain more. Both my wife and I already knew that we were having the burger. (Pretty rare and special for her to have a burger.) Not much to say other than they were AMAZING! Two patties (rather large) on a bun with special sauce and cheese. These weren't just good, they were really, really good. Cooked perfectly (medium) and served with the most amazing hand cut fries. This place definately set a new bar... and it's really high! Through the whole meal, I got to watch Chef Marshall at the grill. Lunch and a show, how perfect was this day? My wife and I are looking forward to coming back soon, and we will... this time for dinner [and we will have reservation.] KUDOs to the team at The Charter Oak Restaurant

Lovely brunch following a couple of tastings in the area. Savannah was fantastic. Great…read morerecommendations and very attentive. The grounds are beautiful. Sunday brunch at 2:30 was quiet. This was our first visit but will not be our last.

What truly set the evening apart was the service of Madison Baker Crosby, who leads the front of…read morehouse at Forum Restaurant Meadowood. We had genuinely engaging conversations with Madison and Chris throughout the night, which honestly primed me to appreciate the cuisine even more. The oysters were local and tasted like they'd been pulled out of the ocean about five minutes earlier! The steak arrived fast and to perfection. It felt like pure opulence. Considering it was well past closing after a long weekend, the standards never slipped for a second. Highly recommended

We absolutely love this winery! Not only is it beautiful, but the wines are delicious! They offer a…read moregreat variety, and every year there seems to be a surprise wine that gets better and better. We discovered this gem through the Winter Passport program, and we fell in love with it so much that we decided to become members. The staff is also wonderful always friendly, welcoming, and polite. Definitely a 10/10! We highly recommend this winery and can't wait to keep coming back!

We did the tour and learned a lot about the history of Charles Krug and tasted out of the barrel,…read morewhich was a different experience. This also included a charcuterie board. Emilie (wine ambassador) was pleasant and answered our questions. Their wine was one of our favorites. Afterwards we ate brick oven pizza and enjoyed it outside.

This was my 2nd trip to Rutherford Grill; though, I've been to other Hillstone restaurants many…read moretimes. The ambiance is like other Hillstone restaurants (Houston's, in particular). Dimmer lighting. Mostly booth seating. Organized and professional service. I haven't had any issues booking dinner here. The restaurant is a pretty good size, and there's ample parking. - cheeseburger: I've always been a big fan of the cheeseburger. This time it tasted a bit different though. The sauce in it was tangier than I'm used to. It was still good though. Served with fries, and the fries are nice & crispy. - knife and fork barbecue ribs: these are my favorite ribs, and I love that they're truly "knife and fork" ribs. No need to get your hands all messy eating these things. I'm always torn between ordering this and the cheeseburger. I love them so. The coleslaw and fries that are served with the ribs are a nice complement. - ruby red trout in a lemon butter sauce with crispy rock shrimp: these rock shrimp steal the show here. They're amazing. They have this delightful seasoned salt and are perfectly crispy. The trout itself is fine, but not great. It has a salmon-y flavor to it. - potatoes colcannon: these are delicious. Basically cheesy mashed potatoes with some veggies mixed in. So good. And you can actually substitute your side(s) on the other dishes with this.

Really disappointed with our experience. We drove an extra 20 minutes deeper into Napa specifically…read moreto come here because the restaurant sounded amazing and we were really looking forward to trying it. Unfortunately, when we arrived, we were told that my stepdad couldn't be served because he was wearing a tank top and needed to have a shirt with sleeves. We completely understand having a dress code, but it would have been nice to know this beforehand, especially after making the extra drive. It was also around 70° outside, so a tank top didn't seem unreasonable for the weather. Because of the dress code, we ended up having to leave without ever getting to experience the food, drinks, or service. That's honestly the most disappointing part because the place sounded like somewhere we would have really enjoyed. I would strongly recommend making the dress code much more visible to guests before they make the drive. We left feeling like the entire trip was a waste, and unfortunately, we won't be coming back.

Beautiful scenery, fantastic service, delicious food…read more We had a fantastic lunch here. Amazing summer weather on the balcony. Gorgeous wine country views. Service was cordial and kind and warm without being stuffy. The meal was well paced. Cocktails were delicious and beautiful. Portions were generous. Every bite and component of their new American fusion menu was delicious. Desserts were great too, without being too rich and heavy. Their local Chardonnay was very enjoyable. Refreshing and with the signature Chardonnay buttery ness but without being too Oakey. Worth a visit for lovely lunch. No question.

Auberge du Soleil is a fine-dining restaurant that sits on a hillside in Rutherford located in Napa…read moreValley. It has one Michelin Star and is located at the same place as the hotel which was granted three Michelin Keys (meaning it's an extraordinary stay). I made reservations as soon as they were open for the date that I wanted which I recommend. As I got closer to the date I checked the website again and all the reservations were booked. The property has amazing panoramic views of the vineyards from the outdoor patio as well as terraces on the other floors. There was both indoor and outdoor seating but I recommend making a reservation outside to enjoy the views during your meal. We started a meal with a half glass each of their champagne but it cost $66 which I thought was significantly overpriced. At that point I would've just ordered a bottle of wine for about the same price. We ordered the six course chef's tasting menu ($245 per person) and also added the ossetra caviar full set ($225). The caviar came with crème fraiche, soft bread, and other accompaniments and was great. For the tasting menu, I particularly liked the sautéed diver scallop, wolfe ranch quail, and roasted local lamb. Even though it didn't look like a lot of food, most of the courses were meat-heavy and we left pretty satisfied at the end. The service was great, the views were amazing, and we were given some personal touches/messages for our special occasion. It's definitely a luxurious experience and the price matches that, but this is a wonderful place to celebrate any special occasion.

Had an incredible time at Beringer this afternoon! The wine tasing was phenomenal, and Jorge was an…read moreincredible guide! He was super helpful in recommending wines to my group (go for the rose and dessert wine!). The background Jorge provided on the history of the property and the cave was super informative - it's clear he and the rest of the staff have an incredible passion for wine. Jose and Stephanie were also super helpful and informative to talk to. Vibes were also strong. Great place for photos!

This place is a blast! We got the $45 tickets and were a little late to our reservation, but they…read morestill accommodate us. We got our stickers at the front and our welcome pour there too, then were given tokens to redeem at other spots on the property. This was a really cool way to do a self guided tour! It was hot out, but the garden areas had plenty of shade. There was lots of covered seating! The guys working in the backyard area were fun, quick, and awesome. Water jug always full, line moving quickly. We realized we could spend our wine tokens on frozen wine slushies, and they had a NA slushy for our driver too. They also had some snacks to purchase, so we got truffle potato chips. Lots of self serve water. The wine was lovely but I did not bring any home with me. Loved their Sav Blanc and Pinot Noir!

Anytime I go to Napa it's my first stop. The quality of the food and service is second to none.read more

Just returned from a trip from Napa valley and did a tasting at Heitz. Our wine assistant suggested…read morethis restaurant. My husband at first went in to check out the place. He came back and said you're going to love this restaurant. We ate here twice at what a delight First night Chris was our server, he we wonderful. Immediately when seated you are offered water, then your server greets you We had the heriloom tomato salad with buratta to start and the cheese burger on the potato bun . For a side dish my husband had potato salad and I did potatos. The best ever They make there own ketchup The second night I had the chicken over beans and greens, and my husband had a salad green and added chicken The inside is country quaint. We can't wait to return