4 Best Restaurants in Yountville, Napa and Sonoma

A roadside stop 1¼ miles north of Yountville for specialty cocktails, casual lunches, and evening fine dining, Brix shares ownership with Kelleher Family Vineyards, whose Cabernet Sauvignon grapevines surround the restaurant on three sides. Pan-seared fish, house-made pasta, risotto, fried chicken locals adore, and juicy Brix burgers with smoked cheddar and bacon marmalade appear on the lunch and dinner menus, with king and queen cuts of prime rib the crowd-pleasers on Sunday night.

In a modern space radiating offhand elegance, the Bardessono's restaurant seduces with sophisticated flavors, many from fruits, vegetables, and herbs grown in the hotel's on-site culinary garden. Although the cuisine is ultimately modern American, the chef might incorporate other techniques and ingredients depending on the dish.

Regionally farmed fish and other foraged and cultivated Northern California ingredients go into seasonal plates, turned out in an open kitchen that faces a bar serving large-format cocktails and wines by up-and-coming producers and Wine Country mainstays. St. Helena–based designer Erin Martin supplied the mildly offbeat interiors, though most patrons dine on the Tuscan-theme courtyard patio in good weather.

Crystal chandeliers and fountains worthy of a French château supply the pizzazz at Restoration Hardware's street-side café, and the all-day menu's starters (charcuterie, crispy artichokes, burrata with charred peppers and sourdough), salads, and mains (from a burger modeled on one from Chicago's Au Cheval restaurant to whole grilled branzino) easily live up to it. The prosciutto is flown in from Italy, the greens are ever-so-fresh, and the plating impresses.