Top 10 Best Yountville Restaurants: Napa Valley 2024
Looking for the best restaurants in Yountville, CA? You can stop searching—this list will save you so much time! Whether you seek fine dining, Italian, Mexican, American, French, or an eclectic mix, we have the top picks for you.
Located in world-renowned Napa Valley wine country, the town of Yountville is just as famous for its restaurant scene and gastronomy as it is for its wines.
Sure, Yountville is named after the first person to plant grapes in Napa Valley, George C. Yount. And the town also honors him with a plaque and a statue. But right on the other side of Washington Street, there is a statue called The Chef by artist Lorenzo Mill, offering a nod to Yountville’s clear culinary credentials.
If you’re a food and wine lover like I am, this is the place to stay in Napa Valley. In the heart of Yountville, wine tasting rooms, restaurants, and art galleries commingle with a big dose of small town charm.
Bistro Jeanty, one of the best Yountville restaurants
My husband Mike and I have visited Yountville many times. We have dined at some of the restaurants below repeatedly over a couple of decades. One of my favorites is gone (Redd), but others have stood the test of time. And we always find a new restaurant to fall in love with whenever we return.
Chef Thomas Keller is king of the restaurateurs in Napa wine country, but some of the lesser known chefs and Yountville restaurants are just as worthy of your attention. Which ones? Read on!
Top 10 Best Yountville Restaurants
1. The French Laundry
Outdoor tables at the only 3-Michelin star restaurant in Yountville, The French Laundry
With three Michelin stars and many appearances on the World’s 50 Best Restaurants list (two at Number 1), Thomas Keller’s The French Laundry is the most famous restaurant in Napa Valley.
From its amazing food to its extensive wine list, The French Laundry far exceeds a slam-dunk selection as a top spot for a special occasion birthday dinner and rises to the ranks of lifetime bucket list must or full-on pilgrimage-type culinary journey.
Mike and I were lucky to nab a table while I attended culinary school. It truly was the epitome of haute cuisine—and the most expensive meal of our lives.
The restaurant offers a choice of two 9-course dinner menus. The Chef’s Tasting Menu contains meat and fish, whereas The Tasting of Vegetables is all vegetarian. Each meal takes about three hours to enjoy.
Oysters, lamb, and Wagyu often make appearances on the chef’s menu, as does Regiis Ova caviar, produced by Keller and Shaoching Bishop’s caviar company. If you fall in love with the “Royal Egg,” you’ll be happy to know that RO Restaurant and Lounge down the street offers a wide variety of caviar tastings.
The French Laundry: 6640 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599
2. Bouchon Bistro
Bouchon Bistro, where I first fell in love with gnocchi à la Parisienne
Bouchon Bistro, the sister restaurant of The French Laundry, bustles like a famous Parisian cafe.
At Bouchon, elevated versions of the traditional French fare found in neighborhood bistros take center stage. Dishes like steak frites, rotisserie chicken, croque madame, and my favorite, gnocchi à la Parisienne.
After my first meal at Bouchon, I loved the gnocchi à la Parisienne so much that I became obsessed with making it.
I bought the Bouchon cookbook and prepared the dish often. You may not have the same reaction, but I’d love to hear about it if you do!
Bouchon Bistro: 6534 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599
3. Bistro Jeanty
Sole meunière at Bistro Jeanty, one of my favorite Napa Valley restaurants
Chef Philippe Jeanty first came to the Yountville restaurant scene to open Chandon’s fine dining restaurant in 1977. After many awards and accolades, he opened his own eatery, Bistro Jeanty, in 1998.
It quickly became one of the most beloved Napa Valley restaurants and remains so today. Since I’m a big Francophile, it has also remained one of my favorite restaurants in Napa wine country too. I was happy we were able to return for dinner on our last trip to Yountville so I can say that definitively.
With a charming ambience, friendly service, and delicious food, Bistro Jeanty looks, feels, and tastes like the perfect bistro.
The menu lists regional French dishes from Normandy, Burgundy, Provence, Lyon, and of course the Parisian staples. On a cold day, you can’t beat the tomato soup with puff pastry.
It was too warm for us on our last visit for soup. But from our first bite of quenelles (pike dumplings) to sole meunière to coq au vin, our taste buds could not have been happier.
Bistro Jeanty: 6510 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599
4. Mustards Grill
Admiring the artichokes in the Mustards Grill garden before our lunch
The top of the Mustards Grill menu reads “Truck Stop Classics for 40 Years.” I’ve taken a lot of California road trips, and although from the outside it may faintly resemble a truck stop, I’ve never eaten at a truck stop anything like this.
I’m not sure how many passing truckers actually do stop here, but it is one of the restaurants Yountville, Napa Valley, locals love. Most of that credit goes to two-time James Beard award nominee Cindy Pawlcyn.
Pawlcyn is one the pioneers of wine country cuisine, focusing on the bounty of Napa Valley. Her commitment to incorporating fresh seasonal ingredients is evident in the garden she’s planted adjacent to Mustards Grill.
Some of the foods California is famous for, like Dungeness crab, avocados, and tuna, are featured prominently on the menu. There are also a fair amount of comfort foods like baby back ribs, meatloaf, and the most popular item, a Mongolian pork chop—yum!
Mustards Grill: 7399 St Helena Hwy, Napa, CA 94558
5. Bottega Napa Valley
Our burrata appetizer at Bottega Napa Valley
The late celebrity chef Michael Chiarello created the Italian restaurant Bottega with traditional family recipes—and added an inspired California twist.
I had eaten at Chiarello’s Coqueta in San Francisco, but until this last Napa Valley visit, I had missed Bottega. For anyone wondering if the restaurant is faltering after Chiarello’s death, I can assure you that it is going strong and that the food is superb.
Italian cheese fans, don’t miss the burrata starter with balsamic “caviar” pearls. The large raviolo with sage brown butter was also incredibly yummy. And although the tagliarini Bolognese was quite different from the ones I have had in Bologna, Italy, we enjoyed it immensely.
Not only does Bottega offer creative versions of food from Bologna, but also foods of Rome, Milan, Calabria, Tuscany, and Campania as well. This restaurant really knows Italian food!
Located in the stone buildings of V Marketplace, Bottega continues the aesthetic with two stone fireplaces outdoors. So, don’t be afraid of the cool nights, it was nice and cozy on the patio.
Bottega Napa Valley: V Marketplace, 6525 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599
6. La Calenda
If you’re looking for Mexican food in Napa Valley, try La Calenda’s patio for lunch.
La Calenda, yet another Thomas Keller restaurant, earned a bib gourmand from the Michelin Guide. That accolade recognizes a good restaurant at a good value, and that’s certainly the case here.
La Calenda is one of the few restaurants Yountville has for traditional Mexican cuisine. The majority of the menu items are dishes from Oaxaca, but other regions like Yucatan, Baja, and Veracruz are also represented.
Many of the ingredients are imported from Mexico, like the Mexican-grown corn used to make the tortillas.
But the authenticity doesn’t stop at the food. La Calenda works with Mexican artisans who craft the restaurant’s plates, cups, bowls, and glassware.
La Calenda: 6518 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599
7. Ad Hoc + Addendum
The Addendum in back of Ad Hoc is one of Napa’s best-kept secrets.
The last Thomas Keller restaurant we’re going to talk about today is Ad Hoc and its annex, Addendum. Ad Hoc serves a set American cuisine menu that changes daily.
Every menu I’ve seen is a 4-course family-style meal. The meals usually begin with a salad, which might include an addition of Keller’s Regiis Ova caviar. The entrée is the restaurant’s choice of the day, but there is the possibility of adding at least one other choice if you’re up for it. Then there’s typically a cheese and a dessert.
Every other Monday is reserved for Ad Hoc’s most famous dish: buttermilk fried chicken. But there’s another way to taste this signature dish.
If you’re visiting Yountville on a Friday or Saturday, lunch at the Addendum is the way to go! Located in the garden in back of Ad Hoc, the Addendum is one of the most casual spots on the block.
If you’re looking for the best restaurants in Yountville, Addendum is easy to miss. But now you’re in the know. Grab a bucket of chicken at a reasonable price and eat at a picnic table.
Ad Hoc + Addendum: 6476 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599
8. R+D Kitchen Yountville
The koi pond and outdoor bar at R+D Kitchen Yountville
R+D Kitchen is a great restaurant in Yountville for couples, as most of the indoor tables are for two people.
While the restaurant accommodates families, it encourages an adult-only atmosphere. It even enforces a dress code of no flip flops, no tank tops, nor similar fashion faux pas (details are on their website.) However, the food is not so high-brow.
The salads, sandwiches, and mostly meat and fish entrees are well presented. But with popular dishes like Thai beef noodles, fried chicken salad, and Cubano sandwiches, this is not haute cuisine.
I like the vibe on the large outdoor patio. It’s a bright spot with lots of big yellow umbrellas, a koi pond, and a bar serving wine and specialty cocktails.
R+D Kitchen: 6795 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599
9. RH Yountville Restaurant
RH Yountville Restaurant, one of the most unique-looking restaurants in Napa Valley
Did you know Restoration Hardware changed its name to RH? It did, but in Napa Valley, RH Yountville is not just your typical RH furniture store.
RH Yountville is a conglomeration of design studios, art galleries, a restaurant, and the historic Ma(i)sonry building, a two-story wine vault currently under restoration.
The design emphasis provides a unique dining experience as the RH Yountville Restaurant is a genuine feast for the eyes. The indoor-outdoor restaurant is adorned with huge crystal chandeliers, live olive trees, and fancy fountains.
For lunch, the truffled grilled cheese sandwich and lobster rolls are both great choices. Popular dinner items include broiled salmon and a petit filet mignon.
RH Yountville Restaurant: 6725 Washington St, Yountville, CA 94599
10. Brix Napa Valley
The Kelleher Family Vineyard behind Brix Restaurant in Napa Valley provides a wonderful ambience.
Technically, the address for the farm-to-table restaurant Brix is not in Yountville. But since you can easily walk to it from other restaurants on this list, I wanted to include it.
Another clarification: In case you are familiar with the food scene in San Francisco, Brix is not related to BIX SF. The similarity of names is simply a source of common confusion.
Brix is related to the Kelleher Family Vineyard. Actually, it is more than related. Brix connects to the tasting room, and the vineyards are in the back of the restaurant. Between the vines and the extensive garden, Brix oozes with rustic charm.
The menu is a diverse mix of innovative dishes using garden and local ingredients. Some of the favorites: Dungeness crab fondue, braised short rib with panzanella, and Alaskan halibut in lobster broth. The Sunday prime rib dinner plate is a delicious bargain!
Brix Napa Valley: 7377 St Helena Hwy, Napa, CA 94558
When Eating at Yountville Restaurants, Stay in Yountville
Our Top Pick: The Cottages of Napa Valley
The Cottages of Napa Valley, our favorite place to stay in Yountville
On our last trip to Napa Valley, we knew we wanted to focus on restaurants in Yountville. We didn’t want a long drive after dinners, so we stayed in Yountville at The Cottages of Napa Valley.
The Cottages are a true hidden gem in Yountville, Napa Valley. We could not have made a better choice!
The grounds are gorgeous and peaceful with tall trees and blooming flowers.
We had everything we needed in our spacious cottage.
The cottages are cute as can be, while also being spacious and comfortable. In addition to a plush king bed, we had a large bathroom with separate shower and soaking tub. There was also a couch, coffee table, gas fireplace, music system, kitchenette, outdoor porch swing, and more.
We had everything we could want and then some—including breakfast! We enjoyed farm-fresh eggs, ham and cheese, and a different selection of scrumptious Bouchon Bakery baked goods every morning.
In fact, in our article about Yountville wine tasting, I mentioned I loved our stay at The Cottages so much that I could easily live there. For more details, read Best Yountville Wineries and Tasting Rooms.
Which brings up one more wonderful feature about The Cottages: They are not just conveniently located close to the best restaurants in Yountville, they are a great hub for visiting the wineries as well!
The Cottages of Napa Valley: 1012 Darms Ln, Napa, CA 94558
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