My wife and I dined at The French Laundry for her birthday while we were in the Napa area.
Food: We both decided to get the Chef’s tasting menu and we supplemented the “Mac and Cheese” and added the “Steak & Salad”. Really wanted to keep the “Oysters and Pearls” since that was a staple of the restaurant since it opened in 1994. We asked about wine pairings and they sent over a sommelier who asked what we liked and he would base the pairings off our preferences which was nice. My wife opted for the non alcoholic pairings which I will post in a comment below since I’m at the picture maximum! The entire menu was delicious and by far had some of the best flavors and dishes I have had. My favorite dish had to be the Mac and Cheese since they bring truffles to your table and shave on a fresh boat load. My wife really enjoyed both fish courses. We both agreed it was the best food experience at a restaurant we have had to date. I missed a picture of the chocolate truffles but we loved selecting a couple out of the box and asked for the rest to take home.
Service: The staff at the restaurant really went above and beyond to ensure we enjoyed a great meal. Dishes were plated beautifully and placed and taken from us at the exact same time. Everyone was extremely friendly and we enjoyed getting to know them better and joked around a bit between courses. After dinner we received a tour of the kitchen, the grounds, the wine storage, and the humidor. I asked about having a cigar after dinner and they set us up in an outdoor area where I enjoyed a wonderful cigar that was for the 30th anniversary of the restaurant in 2024. When we left we received a signed copy of the menus we had along with the chocolate truffles and shortbread cookies.
Location: The grounds are beautiful and the kitchen is immaculate. If you’ve watched the bear you’ll instantly recognize the inspiration for the blue aprons and “Every second counts” below the clock (The French Laundry has “Sense of urgency” below theirs). The dining area was beautiful and intimate and the courtyard where I was able to enjoy a cigar was the perfect scenery as we were able to see into the kitchen and enjoy a warm summer night outside.
Closing thoughts: We had a spectacular dinner at The French Laundry and will definitely visit again for special occasions. Highly recommend it to anyone visiting the Napa area if you want to a supreme three star dining experience.
by ssgtsnake
12 Comments
[Here are the wine and zero proof wine/cocktail pairings we had with dinner.](https://imgur.com/a/MYf7XC3) Also happy to answer any questions if you have any!
The food at TFL is quite good but their wine service and pricing is just such a dissapointment
Looks like a beautiful meal. TFL seem to always hit the mark for excellent service on top of an excellent meal. Congratulations!
Looks great. I went to the French laundry years ago and it was an incredible experience. That said, the supplements are getting out of control.
I just want to go to a place and experience what chef believes is the best possible meal…at whatever price they set. I do not want to go somewhere and feel like (1) I missed out by not getting a supplement or (2) the supplement was not worth the up charge (and that I possibly missed a great dish that the supplement replaced!)
I get that supplements can be a big money maker in an often low margin industry, but it just leaves a sour taste in my mouth.
$465 for the cigar & spirits?! Holy shit
The best overall meal I’ve had. I didn’t understand the fuss about truffles until I had the mac and cheese.
$2500 (pre tip? I don’t understand the bill) with such a modest pairing is insane.
I love that Darling Syrah but the $450 price point for that pairing is insane.
That Darling Syrah is incredible! But that mark up
Great post. They are on my laundry list.
What room did you sit in?
My GOD those truffle shavings….beautiful