So disappointed by our experience here. Maybe we built it up too much before our trip but the service was just lackluster. I think they have become comfortable being a 3-star. The flavors seemed off that night as well. It might have been because we were there on Easter but we have had better experiences with Michelin 1-star restaurants in Europe.
Larry G.
No doubt is one of the best, the oyster and pearl is the best! The service is definitely top of the line! You have to experience this place! Also very nice landscape.
Bridget DiMambro ..
Go to Hells Kitchen or Le Cirque. This restaurant sucks! Thank God we didn't pay. We were at a party of 8 and we all didn't think the food was all that great. The food was too rich and I threw up at 2 am cause of the excessive use of truffles.
Mary Cascino
this establishment gave me an extremely uneasy feeling last time I was here. like I was being watched & had to watch my back while exiting the restaurant.
Matt V.
Attention. To. Detail. Over the past couple of years I've heard my wife talk about wanting to go to The French Laundry, so this year I surprised her with a very early birthday surprise up in Napa! After coordinating with two other couples and booking reservations, I got an email asking for any special occasions or dietary restrictions. I informed them of the birthday celebration and the fact that we had someone who was gluten free. When we got there they knew our party and wished my wife a happy birthday and brought us to our seats. When we looked at the menu we all noticed that they printed "Happy Birthday (wife's name)" on the top of the menu, which we got to keep after the dinner. A few at our table got the wine pairings which are tailored to how much you'd like to spend and the sommelier did not miss. Each meal was an experience and at one point someone in our party was obsessed with how good the asparagus tasted. They also substituted every gluten item for our party member that was gluten free so they got to enjoy every course, which was a worry in the back of my mind that was put to ease. At the end they invited us down to the kitchen and we got to (briefly) see the chefs at work. Then at the end, each couple got their own menu, wine list of the pairings we had and some goodies for a late night or morning snack. My wife got her own happy birthday chocolate bar from Thomas Keller as well! This was all of our first times at The French Laundry and I don't believe it will be our last either. Amazing experience with great friends and we will be back!
Maria D.
This place is straight up amazing! The French Laundry in Napa is run by the super talented and really nice chef Thomas Keller. You'll have your mind blown by the incredible tasting menus he puts together. Every single dish is like a little work of art - creative and using top-notch seasonal ingredients. You can tell Keller and his crew put so much thought and effort into making each bite insanely delicious. The whole experience is just delightful from the cozy, elegant setting to the staff who treat you like royalty. Keller himself offered to have a photo taken with our gang. Yes, it costs a fortune to eat here, but it's worth every penny to get such an out-of-this-world meal. The French Laundry has to be on every foodie's bucket list! Kudos to the entire team at The French Laundry!
Jon Markman
The food was delicious! This would have been 5 stars were it not for the price. There were definitely dishes that were top-notch, but some just felt ok. We have had food at other similar-class restaurants that was better (especially Inn at Little Washington and Alinea), but it was for sure an experience and worth going to if it's been on your bucket list!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oysters and Pearls
N RDBS
Amazing experience!! From the beautiful garden, you're ushered through a royal blue door to your table and brilliance happens. The staff was AMAZING!!! They facilitated this dining experience, I cannot say enough about the staff. They were extremely attentive.Words cannot describe the dishes that were served. Beautiful designed! Please see my pictures to see the beauty.They made the best asparagus that I've ever eaten in my life!This restaurant experience is a once in a lifetime treat.Vegetarian options: Half the menu is Vegetarian option and the other side includes meats.Dietary restrictions: Gluten-free diet was provided
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Georgie “peacelove&carebearstares” Robinson
$700 a plate no thank
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Vincent Metayer
What an amazing place. The courtyard is beautiful, and you can see right into the wine cellars from the outside. The food was amazing, but honestly we weren't prepared for it. Expect to be eating for 5 or so hours, it's a very long tasting menu, about a quarter of the way through I was full, so I skipped a few courses, and had a few bites here & there. Next time I would skip the daytime activities and have this be the only event of the day. My absolute favorite part was upon leaving we received little biscuits in a tin with the logo. A very enjoyable experience!
Has been on 'my list to eat' since I bought the book back in early 2000. It didn't disappoint on any level. Flawless service, perfectly executed delicious food. Only wish I lived
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Alexa Weicker Horton
with how difficult it was to make reservations and how expensive this place is (not to mention the THREE Michelin stars), we really expected to be wowed. my husband and I felt lucky to get a reservation via Tock to visit on our latest trip to Napa and came away feeling like TFL is wildly overrated. we came in with very high hopes and did not receive a warm welcome and were not assisted nor explained anything about the menu and/or wine list, we were handed a 180 page wine list and told to let them know what we want. we would have loved a cocktail to start but they don't offer any mixed drinks so we started with a glass of champagne and let them do wine pairings for us based on a budget we gave, which was equivalent to the price of the food. the food was good but we've had better food, service, and overall experiences at other restaurants with 1 Michelin star... by far. many of the dishes were forgettable and nothing spectacular, the oysters and pearls was my favorite but we ordered the supplemental dishes and they were placed in front of the wrong person. the wait staff seems generally unhappy and robotic. the atmosphere is non-existent, to the point of other reviews on here it feels like your grandparents living room and the tables are cramped together. I had asked our waiter where the bathroom was and he told me to follow him as he was clearing our plates and ended up forgetting and leading me into the kitchen when the bathroom was actually upstairs... another member of the staff caught that I was going the wrong way and redirected me. reading other reviews, it seems a kitchen tour is a part of everyone's experience but we weren't offered one. it's too expensive and too fussy of a reservation to get for this experience and we will be happy to save our money in the future. we spent a long weekend in Napa and it was our least favorite experience of the 4 restaurants we had dinner at and I don't really understand how they're holding onto 3 stars.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Benjamin Burch
Great experience at the French Laundry. It was everything we expected. We were there in early February. The truffle risotto was my favorite dish followed closely by oysters & pearls. The only dish I didn’t care for was a smoked dish and I don’t care for Smokey flavors, but I’m sure others would enjoy it. Desserts were great. The staff was great and the fireplace in the room was a nice touch. It was a lot of food so do pace yourself! My only critique would be a more reasonably priced bourbon selection. With so many good bourbons available there should be something under a couple hundred dollars for a drink. It’s definitely something you should experience once though- you won’t regret it and won’t forget the experience. Thanks for a great dining experience and we hope to come back.
Xavier M.
Truly great French style cuisine restaurant. Just perfect as never overwhelming yet consistent and properly delicious. It might not look like it it but there is SO MUCH work put in every dish. And here is the beauty of it. Fancy but never haughty. This statement applies to service as well. Worth being in the Top 50 list of the best restaurants in the world. We, as French, absolutely loved it.
Nellie N.
One of the best dining experiences we have had in the valley. Food was exceptional and the atmosphere was a true delight. The Champagne experience was so much fun. Chef stopping to joke and spend a good deal of time at our table a couple times throughout the night was unforgettable. Chef remembered one of our party members who had done some simple grunt work for a day there several years earlier and treated us like we were the nightly VIPs even though there were actual Hollywood VIPs just a couple tables away who did not get as much personal attention as little ol' us got. Unforgettable once in a lifetime experience
So disappointed by our experience here. Maybe we built it up too much before our trip but the service was just lackluster. I think they have become comfortable being a 3-star. The flavors seemed off that night as well. It might have been because we were there on Easter but we have had better experiences with Michelin 1-star restaurants in Europe.
No doubt is one of the best, the oyster and pearl is the best! The service is definitely top of the line! You have to experience this place! Also very nice landscape.
Go to Hells Kitchen or Le Cirque. This restaurant sucks! Thank God we didn't pay. We were at a party of 8 and we all didn't think the food was all that great. The food was too rich and I threw up at 2 am cause of the excessive use of truffles.
this establishment gave me an extremely uneasy feeling last time I was here. like I was being watched & had to watch my back while exiting the restaurant.
Attention. To. Detail. Over the past couple of years I've heard my wife talk about wanting to go to The French Laundry, so this year I surprised her with a very early birthday surprise up in Napa! After coordinating with two other couples and booking reservations, I got an email asking for any special occasions or dietary restrictions. I informed them of the birthday celebration and the fact that we had someone who was gluten free. When we got there they knew our party and wished my wife a happy birthday and brought us to our seats. When we looked at the menu we all noticed that they printed "Happy Birthday (wife's name)" on the top of the menu, which we got to keep after the dinner. A few at our table got the wine pairings which are tailored to how much you'd like to spend and the sommelier did not miss. Each meal was an experience and at one point someone in our party was obsessed with how good the asparagus tasted. They also substituted every gluten item for our party member that was gluten free so they got to enjoy every course, which was a worry in the back of my mind that was put to ease. At the end they invited us down to the kitchen and we got to (briefly) see the chefs at work. Then at the end, each couple got their own menu, wine list of the pairings we had and some goodies for a late night or morning snack. My wife got her own happy birthday chocolate bar from Thomas Keller as well! This was all of our first times at The French Laundry and I don't believe it will be our last either. Amazing experience with great friends and we will be back!
This place is straight up amazing! The French Laundry in Napa is run by the super talented and really nice chef Thomas Keller. You'll have your mind blown by the incredible tasting menus he puts together. Every single dish is like a little work of art - creative and using top-notch seasonal ingredients. You can tell Keller and his crew put so much thought and effort into making each bite insanely delicious. The whole experience is just delightful from the cozy, elegant setting to the staff who treat you like royalty. Keller himself offered to have a photo taken with our gang. Yes, it costs a fortune to eat here, but it's worth every penny to get such an out-of-this-world meal. The French Laundry has to be on every foodie's bucket list! Kudos to the entire team at The French Laundry!
The food was delicious! This would have been 5 stars were it not for the price. There were definitely dishes that were top-notch, but some just felt ok. We have had food at other similar-class restaurants that was better (especially Inn at Little Washington and Alinea), but it was for sure an experience and worth going to if it's been on your bucket list!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Oysters and Pearls
Amazing experience!! From the beautiful garden, you're ushered through a royal blue door to your table and brilliance happens. The staff was AMAZING!!! They facilitated this dining experience, I cannot say enough about the staff. They were extremely attentive.Words cannot describe the dishes that were served. Beautiful designed! Please see my pictures to see the beauty.They made the best asparagus that I've ever eaten in my life!This restaurant experience is a once in a lifetime treat.Vegetarian options: Half the menu is Vegetarian option and the other side includes meats.Dietary restrictions: Gluten-free diet was provided
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
$700 a plate no thank
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
What an amazing place. The courtyard is beautiful, and you can see right into the wine cellars from the outside. The food was amazing, but honestly we weren't prepared for it. Expect to be eating for 5 or so hours, it's a very long tasting menu, about a quarter of the way through I was full, so I skipped a few courses, and had a few bites here & there. Next time I would skip the daytime activities and have this be the only event of the day. My absolute favorite part was upon leaving we received little biscuits in a tin with the logo. A very enjoyable experience!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
Has been on 'my list to eat' since I bought the book back in early 2000. It didn't disappoint on any level. Flawless service, perfectly executed delicious food. Only wish I lived
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
with how difficult it was to make reservations and how expensive this place is (not to mention the THREE Michelin stars), we really expected to be wowed. my husband and I felt lucky to get a reservation via Tock to visit on our latest trip to Napa and came away feeling like TFL is wildly overrated. we came in with very high hopes and did not receive a warm welcome and were not assisted nor explained anything about the menu and/or wine list, we were handed a 180 page wine list and told to let them know what we want. we would have loved a cocktail to start but they don't offer any mixed drinks so we started with a glass of champagne and let them do wine pairings for us based on a budget we gave, which was equivalent to the price of the food. the food was good but we've had better food, service, and overall experiences at other restaurants with 1 Michelin star... by far. many of the dishes were forgettable and nothing spectacular, the oysters and pearls was my favorite but we ordered the supplemental dishes and they were placed in front of the wrong person. the wait staff seems generally unhappy and robotic. the atmosphere is non-existent, to the point of other reviews on here it feels like your grandparents living room and the tables are cramped together. I had asked our waiter where the bathroom was and he told me to follow him as he was clearing our plates and ended up forgetting and leading me into the kitchen when the bathroom was actually upstairs... another member of the staff caught that I was going the wrong way and redirected me. reading other reviews, it seems a kitchen tour is a part of everyone's experience but we weren't offered one. it's too expensive and too fussy of a reservation to get for this experience and we will be happy to save our money in the future. we spent a long weekend in Napa and it was our least favorite experience of the 4 restaurants we had dinner at and I don't really understand how they're holding onto 3 stars.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 4
Service: 1
Great experience at the French Laundry. It was everything we expected. We were there in early February. The truffle risotto was my favorite dish followed closely by oysters & pearls. The only dish I didn’t care for was a smoked dish and I don’t care for Smokey flavors, but I’m sure others would enjoy it. Desserts were great. The staff was great and the fireplace in the room was a nice touch. It was a lot of food so do pace yourself! My only critique would be a more reasonably priced bourbon selection. With so many good bourbons available there should be something under a couple hundred dollars for a drink. It’s definitely something you should experience once though- you won’t regret it and won’t forget the experience. Thanks for a great dining experience and we hope to come back.
Truly great French style cuisine restaurant. Just perfect as never overwhelming yet consistent and properly delicious. It might not look like it it but there is SO MUCH work put in every dish. And here is the beauty of it. Fancy but never haughty. This statement applies to service as well. Worth being in the Top 50 list of the best restaurants in the world. We, as French, absolutely loved it.
One of the best dining experiences we have had in the valley. Food was exceptional and the atmosphere was a true delight. The Champagne experience was so much fun. Chef stopping to joke and spend a good deal of time at our table a couple times throughout the night was unforgettable. Chef remembered one of our party members who had done some simple grunt work for a day there several years earlier and treated us like we were the nightly VIPs even though there were actual Hollywood VIPs just a couple tables away who did not get as much personal attention as little ol' us got. Unforgettable once in a lifetime experience