The thai tea drink alone deserves the five stars but the fact that the bartender was such a sweet…read moreperson and the service was great made it even better. They even have an amazing indoor ambiance full of board games, chairs, and booths, topped off with a beautiful outdoor patio AND the prices are REALLY good. All that combined just makes this one of the best bars in Sonoma. I'll definitely be coming back. Would give 10 stars if I was able!!!

When a woman on Sonoma Square tells you and your friends to go to Starling Bar, you listen…read more Starling Bar is the kind of place where, if I lived in Sonoma, I'd be there three times a week. It has the distinct feel of a neighborhood bar, staffed by people who know the locals and make excellent drinks. The bartenders are people who obviously know what they're doing: just one look behind the bar, and you can see that they have a rhythm and ease that speaks to a lot of experience. I had the Manhattan with Black Walnut bitters--the cognac-soaked cherry, imported from France, complemented my cocktail. The atmosphere is comfortable and easy, and people are friendly and having a great time. I liked the place so much that I bought two t-shirts. Until next time, Starling Bar--and hopefully we'll run into your cape-wearing fan again!

Situated in the lobby of the Fairmont Sonoma Inn, we enjoyed wonderful drinks and food from the…read moreMichelin rated Asante restaurant next door. We had the "Grown-up" Mac-N-Cheese (lobster and truffle), Tune tartare , hot wings and a good-sized (about 5" diameter) chocolate souffle. We thought we would save alittle with dinner at Auberge the night before and then lunch at French Laundry tomorrow, but we were wrong. Six cocktails and the three plates we shared came to $197 with a nice tip for Doris. Nice and casual, excellent appetizers from Sante! Very recommended!

We were booked for two nights at The Fairmont Sonoma Mission Inn. Since we got in after work on a…read moreFriday evening we ate, and of course drank at the Lobby Bar. Yes, it's called the Lobby Bar. After so many cocktails you'd swear it had a better name than the Lobby Bar. The nice thing is that they serve the same drinks at every Fairmont bar. I know the drink menu by heart so I was set. We had some Side Cars and the lovely cocktail called The White Lady. Our bartender was fantastic. She really made our visit. For food, we split the delicious most decadent Lobster Macaroni & Cheese. The noodles were those shell like ones. All of the bar food is made in the Michelin Star rated Sante Restaurant. The food was so fantastic. On top of the great drinks. After eating and drinking we went back to our room and found we didn't have an ice bucket. We also found that the ice machine was to far of a hike for us. We walked down to the Lobby Bar with our coffee pot and the sweet bartender filled it with ice for us no problem. On our two day visit we came in a few times and service was always exceptional. It's an easy way to also enjoy Sante as well.

This place is a cute, small craft cocktail bar on the square and is great for pre-dinner drinks! We…read moreloved the seasonal menu but felt that the cocktails we got were a bit on the sweeter side and missing a bit of "bite". Regardless, the drinks were still pretty delish and beautifully presented. The service was attentive too. Beware the bar can get quite noisy with the music pumping and crowds talking over each other to be able to hear. Overall, great tunes, decent drinks, solid pre-dinner or post-dinner spot.

Loved the interior. Had a little bit of a macabre, spooky feel. Great for a cocktail before/after a…read moreghost tour (or dinner). The bartenders were very knowledgeable and seemed to enjoy their craft. The cocktails we tried were all excellent, perfectly balanced and exactly what we ordered.

I'm not even a big tuna lover but do NOT skip the tuna dip with crème fraiche. It had delicately…read moresliced cucumbers and onions on it, my personal fav veggies to pair with my occasional tuna sandwich. Delicious! My partner got the patatas bravas with his salmon. So crispy and garlicky! And, the kitchen (plus our amazing server Gustavo!!) was kind enough to make a custom pesto cavatelli for me because I didn't want the cavatelli with morel mushrooms! I will be thinking about the texture of this pasta + the pistachio pesto for a long time. They kept the corn pudding of the original dish at the bottom and it was such a good combination of flavors. I got chicken added on top. I got an espresso martini with gin; pretty good, just wished there was a bit more espresso flavor. Probably would order one of their house cocktails instead next time. Lastly we had the stone fruit cobbler with ice cream and a pine nut/pistachio brittle. Unlike any other cobbler I've ever had. Perfection of different textures. Also, we had the duck fat fries on another day; they were delightfully crispy and lightly seasoned with garlic. The ranch it came with was so yummy and definitely dill-forward. I'd definitely come back! Thank you for your hospitality.

Just finished a 4 course dinner. It was mostly delicious successes and just one failure…read more The burrata salad was fresh, flavorful. The cheese portion was kind'a skimpy. The Parker house rolls looked a lot more impressive than they tasted. Over salted on top. Airy texture inside but weirdly chewy in a Wonder bread goopy way. Not a pleasing mouth feel. After just 15 minutes on our table they were stale. Bambie ordered salmon. Nice hunk, probably 7 ounces. Pink and fleshy. Moist. Gently cooked. Sides were garden fresh vegetables. I ate the 1/2 chicken. Airline cut. It was a little pullet, maybe 6 ounces. Cooked well. The spicy red sauce that was under the bird was outstanding. I'd be perfectly happy to have a plate of spaghetti with this sauce. The crunchy fingerling potatoes were fun at first, but as the meal went on I couldn't finish them. They were too oily and too salty. Dessert was the recommended cheesecake. Righteous. The exterior of the big slice had a mild Crème brûlée texture and the cake itself was a heavenly cloud. The poached strawberries were the perfect accompaniment. So, is this a 5 star meal & experience? No. i put it in the casual sort'a fine dining box. Last night I ate at The Girl and the Fig on the Sonoma town square. That meal was much more delicious for significantly less money. Tourists who are overly impressed with Michael Mina will be happy here. Locals like me who grew up eating at Sondra Bernstein's several restaurants over the years will be even happier.

This is a great bar in the lobby at the fairmont Sonoma mission inn. They have a nice variety of…read morenapa/sonoma wines by the glass. I was debating between 2 different sav blanc and our server was so kind to offer me a taste. The burger here is amazing! They also have a reverse happy hour from 9-10 pm Monday thru Thursday.

Excellent dinner at our first night at Fairmont Sonoma! Cheese platter was so generous and fried…read morechicken was delicious. Waitstaff was wonderful.

Wow! I came back years later, and I'm still incredibly impressed by this restaurant. The girl & the…read morefig has truly mastered its sauces, elevating the dishes from great to excellent. Our waiter, Willie, was very knowledgeable about the menu, seemed genuinely happy to be there, and provided excellent service throughout the night. My only caveat was the radish appetizer. I was surprised that it was literally chopped raw radishes served with butter. Thankfully, Willie brought us an aioli that significantly improved the flavor, but the dish still felt underwhelming compared to everything else. Steak au poivre: One of the best dishes I've had all year. It was fantastic, memorable, and the extra sauce was also delicious with the sourdough. Flounder: Buttery, citrusy goodness. It was cooked to perfection, and the sauce took it to the next level.

We had a group lunch here with friends recently, and everyone enjoyed their meal. We sat on the…read moreback patio, which is shaded and has fans. Our table ordered everything from burgers to fish for lunch, and everyone enjoyed their meal. While they were quite busy, the service was friendly and prompt. The chocolate chip cookies were EXCELLENT.

We stopped here for lunch in between wineries on our Sonoma County wine‑tasting tour, and it turned…read moreout to be one of the highlights of our day. The entire staff was so nice, friendly, and genuinely attentive you could feel the hospitality the moment we walked in. We sat at the bar, and the bartender deserves a special shout‑out. He took amazing care of us. On his recommendation, we ordered the burgers, and they were honestly the best, juiciest, most delicious burgers we've ever had! Everyone we encountered in town had that same warm, welcoming energy. It made our quick lunch stop feel like a real experience, not just a meal. We left saying we have to come back and spend more time in downtown Sonoma this place and its people made a lasting impression.

Came here on the rec of a local and I'm glad we did! It was the perfect meal for our group of three…read moreto easily share, even with a gluten allergy. We ordered oysters, deviled eggs, and a ceasar salad to start, then got the steak and broccoli for a main course. I loved the oysters, steak, chimichurri that came on it, crispy potatoes, and deviled eggs. These might have actually been some of the best crispy potatoes I've ever had, they did them pretty perfectly. The Caesar salad was a little mayo heavy in some bites and anchovy heavy in others, dressing could have been mixed a little better, but it was still good for the most part and a good portion too. I was glad we got the broccoli to have another vegetable, but didn't love the sauce on it. It didn't really go with what we were eating, and just felt like it could've been rounded out a little more. We lucked out, didn't have a reservation but they had a spot for us on the outdoor patio, which ended up being the perfect spot to dine on a nice warm evening. It was quaint and felt like someone's backyard, highly recommend sitting back here when the weather is good.

Great atmosphere in beautiful outdoors. Nice Bar and dining…read moreas well. Dog friendly with menu. Food prep good

We had dinner at Layla with a party of six, and while the food was excellent, the service was…read moredisappointing enough that it overshadowed the entire evening. The biggest issue was that a mandatory 20% gratuity was automatically added to our bill. If you're going to require guests to pay a 20% tip regardless of the experience, the service should at least meet that standard. Unfortunately, it didn't. Our server, Chloe, seemed far more occupied with spending time in the kitchen or attending to guests seated outside than checking on our table. We were dining inside, where the restaurant was nearly empty, yet she would disappear for 10-15 minutes at a time, leaving us with no way to ask for refills, order additional drinks, or get simple questions answered. To make matters worse, our wine glasses arrived visibly dirty. We pointed it out, but they were never replaced. That's a basic service expectation at any restaurant, especially one at this price point. She also volunteered recommendations for her "favorite" dishes, despite us never asking for suggestions--and they happened to be among the most expensive items on the menu. It felt more like upselling than genuine hospitality. The kitchen deserves credit because the food was genuinely very good. But great food can't make up for inattentive service, especially when guests have no choice but to pay a mandatory 20% gratuity. If Layla is going to automatically add a 20% tip, then they should ensure the service earns it--not simply collect it regardless of how poor the experience is.

We have been looking for a great pizza here in town and have had many disappointing pies. Finally a…read moretrue pizza place, among other dishes. The crust has a nice flavor and usually a crunch and a bit chewy. All the ingredients are quality and their sauce is delicious, best I've had here in Cali. They have a happy friendly staff. It's a nice family atmosphere, with a nice patio area. Also a separate Bar for the older crowd, always a fun group and cozy space. Definitely, will recommend to all friends and family.

Came here for dinner with a group of friends so I had the chance to try a few menu items…read more We started with drinks and a friend recommended the pina colada. It was very refreshing and well balanced. We got the mozzarella sticks and the bread with ricotta whip. Unfortunately they ran out of their focaccia bread, so they gave us a sesame bread, which was alright. The mozzarella sticks were very good with a great crisp, and I liked the cheese they used. We got 3 pizzas to share, a pepperoni, arrabiatta, and the potato pie. The potato pie was my favorite. It had blue and golden potatoes and the onion and bacon rounded out the flavor well. The pepperoni was solid and the arrabiatta was the groups overall favorite. We asked for a ranch for each person, not realizing they came in larger portions in bowls, so we were very happy as a ranch loving table, but something to keep in mind. One ranch portion can definitely be shared between two people. An overall nice spot to come for a casual dinner with friends and/or family.

Coming in for years.. Mike is the Best.....always a goal when visiting to make this a must go there…read moreagain

Incredibly hostile bar staff, would not serve out of state IDs including active military for some…read morereason (which she failed to explain). We were very disappointed as we were hoping to have a nice night out before a local wedding. I'm not sure if it was xenophobia (members of our party were from England) or if we looked young (all over 30, as shown on our identification). Wish we could've gone, but they're very unusual and don't want customers in their otherwise pretty empty bar.