Home Destinations USA California California Wine Country Restaurants Pilar

Pilar Review

Read our California Wine Country restaurant reviews. Or post your own.

Pilar

$$-$$$, American, Napa

User Rating: ***** 4.8

Fodor's Review:

A small, stylish yet subdued dining room is one of the hottest dining destinations in downtown Napa, the project of celebrity chef Pilar Sanchez and husband chef Didier Lenders. French and Latin flavors rev up California favorites. Rack of lamb is a hearty choice; the lighter steamed mussels with romesco (a thick combination of red pepper, tomato, almonds, and garlic) sauce and Spanish chorizo hint at Pilar's Spanish and Mexican heritage. California wines line up alongside their Continental counterparts on the unusual wine list.

Member Reviews & Ratings:

Pilar is a "pillar" of gastronomy in downtown Napa

Posted by Peter from Palo Alto, CA on 6/26/06

A cool and unassuming exterior and plain but classy interior mask the excellent experience to be had at Pilar. While the ambiance could use some music, the atmosphere is relaxed and friendly. The staff was helpful and flexible, and the waitress understood the menu and recommended excellent choices. The clientele looked more like locals "in the know". Every choice looked great and ours (soft-shell crab and oyster appetizers, Halibut and Chicken entrees), were fantastic. The deserts were mouthwatering; the souflee was worth the wait but could have used another 5 mins in the oven, the bread pudding was staggering. The wine list was very limited so corkage may be a good investment. We eat-out in restaurants all the time, all around the world, and we highly recommend Pilar.

FOOD: 5.0

ATMOSPHERE: 4.0

SERVICE: 5.0

VALUE: 5.0

RATING: 4.8