On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Tue-Sat. 5:30 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Loading...
Cafe La Haye is just off the central, most touristy, square in Sonoma. Yet even the side streets in this little bit of wine country has the feel of a destination for the visitor. Despite this, Cafe La Haye is a small gem. Maybe its the enthusiasm of the owner who greets each and every patron and checks up on things as your meal progresses. Likely, it's also the unpretentious sweetness of the place and the staff.
I gain a seat at the counter so as to watch the chefs at work in the tiny kitchen and begin my meal with three onion soup with ale and sour cream. This plate is nice enough but the taste of onion is hard to detect, perhaps being cut quite substantially by the ale. Nice enough but memorable.
On the other hand a mixed green salad with two colors of carrots, grapes, candied walnuts, mustard vinaigrette is perfectly balanced and lovely. Each component of the salad stands on its own, sings its own song, and yet integrates fully into the plate.
Filet mignon comes with a bernaise sauce, braised leeks in mustard sauce, a potato cake and green beans. A very nice, complex, plate and the steak was great.
My meal was somewhat rushed as one plate of food came from the kitchen immediately as the last plate left. Three courses in forty minutes. A bit too fast for me.
But overall Cafe La Haye is well worth the visit and the owner, Saul, makes sure that you will have a fine meal.
Sometimes I deeply regret not sending a dish back or making a formal complaint. This is definitely one of these moments.
We were there for a late dinner (8:45 seating) on a sat night.
2 appetizers: trout crepe and pan seared shrimp kabobs.
I could tell the ingredients were good (large and very succulent shrimp), but both dishes were too salty. I thought so, my wife thought so, and we overheard the same comments from the table next to us.
I had the beef (flat iron steak). It was good. Some sides (again, pretty salty, but the brussel sprouts were very interesting). Well cooked to order and tender. Because of this and the decent service, the place earns 2 stars.
My wife had the chipotle glazed pork and it was bad. When we first saw it, I was like "wow, it must be 2 inches thick w/ no char on the outside...can't possibly be cooked thru". Well it was cooked thru, but it was almost inedible. So tough, my wife simply gave up cutting. She trimmed off a bit, took a bite and then spat it out. I gave it a go. It was tough. The meat was white w/ a slight pink hue...the "chipotle" flavor was akin to a weird thai curry taste. We think the pork was boiled and then thrown into the smoker for a few minutes, because we tasted no smoke and didn't notice any glaze. The polenta side was ok.
we suspect that because we were in the last seating, some compromises were made in the prep.
Overall a disappointing experience.
Upon walking in we were immediately greeted by name and seated. Very nice.
Service was immediately friendly and efficient. We did the gnocchi, flat iron steak and pork tenderloin. The meat itself was of good quality and cooked properly and the apple crisp was delicious. Everything else (sides & sauces) was salty. Very very very salty. Bleh. I really should have said something, but I didn't. That's my mistake.
Ambiance was ok - small and cozy. That can be a bad thing though when the couple next to you spends their entire meal fighting. Thanks Mr & Mrs Miserable, you just reminded me how happy I am. But at the end of the day I'm here for the food and I just can't get over how salty it was.
Disappointingly average.
Guess I don't follow the masses.
We went to Cafe La Haye on a Friday evening for dinner. It is nice to find a good restaurant that is "off the plaza" for a change. The space is interesting as it is small with two levels of seating, upper overlooking the lower. We were placed in the "most obvious" location, which is in the middle of the dining room, on the second level. Great view of everyone and everything from that vantage point. Our server was very prompt, and capable, with a great smile and sense of humor. I like a server with a sense of humor.
We both requested the cauliflower soup, which was very rich and creamy. Excellent soup.
I ordered the chipotle pork chop, with polenta. The polenta was very good. The pork seemed to be missing the mark. Not a flavourful as I would think it would be, and I don't want to say it was tough, but it was a bit of a challenge to cut through.
My partner ordered the flat iron steak with demi glace, and brussel sprouts. Again, the steak was missing the flavor it should have. And, the brussel sprouts, which is your vegetable here, were micro-planed and caramelized, but they still rendered the bitterness of a brussel sprout, I don't like.
One of us ordered the "famous" butterscotch pudding. Ok, it's just pudding. I don't get the raves on this one.
The other ordered the Callebaut chocolate silk cake. Now THIS was rich and very decadent. I would recommend the silk cake over the pudding any day.
Overall, the meal was a split. Soup and dessert were good, the main courses not impressive to me. I expected more from such grand reviews.
A too-short getaway to celebrate a birthday brought three Bay Area friends to Sonoma recently. With memories of a great dining experience a few years ago at Cafe La Haye, we booked our table in advance. A warm welcome greeted us at the door of the tiny entry way. While we waited for our table to be ready, we watched the dance of the chefs in the open kitchen. Six people moved around a space not much larger than a walk-in closet with nary a misstep.
We settled in with our individual choices of wine by the glass... each from a small local vintner, and each delicious. One friend made a meal of the tomato and corn soup and two starters: a salad and another dish with giant prawns on greens. The birthday girl decided on the quail as a main entree and cleaned her plate, including the bones of the quail. I started with a bread salad, thinking this would be the more traditional Italian version, but it was a very light variation. Heirloom tomatoes were paired with small amount of frisee, accompanied by six small toasted croutons. The server drizzled a refined, fancy olive oil over the mixture. I ordered my flat iron hangar steak rare, and rare it came, perfectly cooked, and very juicy. The only off note was the strong flavor of the puree of celery root, which over-powered the tastiness of the beef. The serving of the steak was actually so large that this steak-lover had to box up some slices and enjoyed a fab sandwich the next day. One never knows if a return visit can disappoint or rekindle a good dining memory. Cafe La Haye not only hit the mark in food, but surpassed it, and the excellent staff provided us a fine dining experience.
Every meal we've had at Cafe La Haye has been 5 star! My husband and I call this place "Lick your plate good". We've brought our foody friends here and they all agree. We love how they change their menu frequently, the fresh ingredients, innovation dishes with flavors that compliment each other to the tee. It's a cozy intimate restaurant so be sure to make reservations in advance!
Perhaps I am tired of this style of food? But when I come up to wine country I want more..not this mired in another era chow. Yes the food is ok, yes the staff is nice but...I can't put mu finger on it, I would never return here... so what to make of it? good American food. nice wine list. good space...whats not to love? I really don't know but I just don't.
in today's world of corporate restaurants there is something so special about individual concern and pride. when my wife megan and I wanted to celebrate our anniversary after a challenging year we knew we wanted to be somewhere special...where we knew we would enjoy great food as well as outstanding service and friendship. when you arrive at cafe la haye you will see the owner saul's bike out front and you know you will have a great time...thank you saul!
if you are ever within 50 miles of sonoma, a dinner at cafe la haye is a must!!!
There's no experience like it; Saul, the owner keeps his bike parked out front near the two outdoor tables, he greets you as you enter, checks on you during dinner and wishes you well as you depart. It's truly a special place. The food, staff and ambiance is impeccable. You can arrive as we did all dressed up, yet other locals arriving in tshirts and jeans fit right in.
What a delicious, artfully prepared meal! Everything we ordered was great, and the flavors highlighted the fresh ingredients.
I would recommed the Smoked Trout with Corn Fritters and Creme Fraice appetizer -- three of us shared it, and it was a perfect amount. The waitress told us it's her favorite, as she cleared the plate.
Two of us had the Pork Tenderloin with fresh spätzel noodles, peas, greens, and a sherry-cream sauce -- awesome! One of us had the quail with cornbread stuffing, also excellent.
There was still room for dessert -- the special was a peach crisp, pretty good, but the silken chocolate cake with pecan/walnut crust was a chocolate lovers' dream!!! Save room for it!!!
Cheerful waitstaff, nice ambience (a bit loud), it was fun looking into the kitchen, and all the paintings displayed were beautiful.
The husband and I had a delicious dinner at Cafe La Haye. The small but modern space was lovely. I especially liked seeing the exposed kitchen.
The food was amazing - fresh, high quality ingredients executed perfectly. The risotto was creamy, cheesy goodness and the pork loin was seared and seasoned to perfection. The fruit crisp that ended the meal had me in heaven. Crispy, strawberry-rhubarb goodness. It was the perfect start to our anniversary getaway.
Cafe La Haye, well very good, is a bit over-hyped in my opinion. I've been to the El Dorado Kitchen, Girl & the Fig and Meritage (the oyster and martini bar) in Sonoma now, as well as a sprinkling of nearby places. Of these, I prefer El Dorado Kitchen, which is odd because it seems to be the most unrecognized of all while Cafe La Haye and Girl & the Fig receive lots of hype.
According to the winemaker we talked to at Loxton, El Dorado Kitchen was taken over by a former French Laundry chef. The quality of the food really shows. Everything is delicious, and while not cheap it's not as expensive as Cafe La Haye. Cafe La Haye is sturdy... we had a good steak, nice red wine, and a sinful wedge of chocolate tart with sea salt. Oh, and I almost forgot the radicchio salad, which was seared with fennel, pancetta and a fried egg. The vinaigrette was awesome. We asked what was in it... apple cider, apple cider vinegar (i think), a touch of balsamic. Mmmm. That was the highlight for me.
Bottom line for me... if you're willing to spend a bit, and want to throw another restaurant into the mix during a longer stay Cafe La Haye is very good (but not great). If you're there for a short weekend, go elsewhere, like El Dorado or Fig Cafe (in Glen Ellen, no corkage, better than Girl & the Fig in my opinion).
Great, friendly service and wonderful location right off the square.
Everyone in my party ordered the Hangar Steak and loved it. I wish I had. It looked delicious!
I went with the chicken. It was on the dry side and was a little too salty. The seasoning definitely overpowered. For dessert, I had the chocolate silk cake, but again - wish I had ordered what everyone else had - the lemon cheesecake.
The place is small, but makes well for intimate dining. For a Wednesday night, they had a decent size crowd. I may swing by if I'm in the area again with different people.
Cafe La Haye was just OK. The service started off great, but got progressively worse. Our server barely gave us the time of day. My biggest pet peeve is when I am sitting at dinner with friends and, because we are all female, we don't get the respect/attention deserved. I tend to dine out at least once a month with my girls and everywhere we go, the staff assumes that we're celebrating something. Why can't a group of girls get together for dinner to enjoy food and each others company?
There aren't many tables in this place, so I think that the servers are in a mad rush to turn over tables - at the expense of excellent service no less. Our server gave us no attention, eye contact, etc., but she did seem to "yuk it up" with the old couple sitting next to us. A note to all servers out there - DO NOT think that because you have a table of women who are in their 30s that we do not have the wallet to rack up a good sized bill.
Food was ok, nothing spectacular & was overpriced in my opinion. I ordered the grilled radicchio & spinach panzenella...the radicchio was WAY too bitter, I know that it is bitter by nature, that is why you are supposed to shock it in some ice water before you cook it...I guess they haven't got the memo on that. My entree was fine, hanger steak, but it did need more salt.
Overall, I would not recommend this restaurant to anyone traveling through wine country...
Nearly a month to the day delayed in reviewing this wonderful dinner spot, but Grace P had me covered. She couldn't have reviewed it better.
We had reservations for the first seating as we didn't want to mess around on a holiday weekend. The wait staff was 5 stars, the food was 5 stars, the ambiance was 5 stars & I also felt that the price was 5 stars. My belly left so happy. I was content for hours post meal.
The pork tenderloin with cherries is not to be missed. In fact, I loved it so much, I will get it again. The halibut was also amazing, but I am a huge fan of swine & La Haye's little piggy is at the top of my list. It was so succulent & the cherry pistachio stuffing...Mmmm. I may have made inappropriate moans of pleasure throughout this meal, but every patron was enjoying their meal with equal abandonment it seemed, so I most likely went unheard. The soup couldn't have been better. Our salads were also wonderful- fresh & full of flavor & if we had saved room for dessert, I'm sure it would have been 5 stars, too.
I will be bringing every in-towner & out-of-towner here. It is amazing food & within walking distance of the infamous Sonoma Square. What more could any foodie ask for?
4th of July
3 Brats (2 with fabulous handbags)
1 excellent meal
I invited Brat 1 to Sonoma to play and most of all to eat for the 4th of July. We required 1 thing: an exquisite meal at a chic establishment. Not overdone. Not stuffy. NOT overpriced.
Enter Cafe La Haye. I was wary that the staff would be uptight and pretentious (that p word that I just cannot tolerate!) but they could not have been nicer.
But who even cares when the food is this good? Fresh, bright and refreshing - you don't leave here with that heavy tired feeling after a stick to your ribs coma meal that are much more common.
They prepare the food in such a way that it is the best version of itself, paired with everyday flavors that are unlikely bed fellows.
Brat 1 was kind enough to let me sample the pork tenderloin masterpiece on her plate. Stuffed with cherries alongside savory cornbread pudding with snap peas. There was nothing to elevate this dish. Succulent, sweet, tangy - it has it all. The cornbread is crisp on the outside, cheesy and moist on the inside with a touch of honey flavor.
Brat 2, that's me - Got hold of the best halibut interpretation yet. Lightly pan seared with lemony fresh flavor, served atop green pea risotto garnished with a walnut basil puree. Sophisticated & simple.
Few restaurants grasp that essential ingredient, simplicity. Food doesn't need 50 flavors pulling your taste-buds in every direction. Give me flavors that work together to make one overall outstanding burst and you've done something that not just any place can do. That's why you'll love Cafe La Haye and remain loyal.
Brat 3?, She charmed the entire restaurant while producing lovely artwork and looking fabulous.
Love this place! Have eaten there many many times. The service is always good, competent & friendly. Great wine selection, the food is seasonal and delicious. Whenever my husband says where is your first choice in Sonoma - this is it!
Saul the owner is the heart of the restaurant and keeps not on ly the quality tops, but also makes everyone who enters feel welcome.
DEEEEELICIOUS. Yummy yummy yummy.
Can you tell? I am a 5-year old at a candy store again.
Cream of cauliflower soup....simple but full of flavor.
Roasted pork tenderloin with cherry-pistachio stuffing, savory corn bread pudding, snap peas & fresh cherry pan sauce - quite possibly the best pork I have ever had in my life. So tender and juicy. Salivary glands....stop it!!!
Roasted marinated natural 'Angus' hanger steak with twice baked potato-bacon pie - though not usually a hanger steak fan, but holy culinary gods, this hanger steak was so good. What the heck did they marinate this in?? And folks...TWICE BAKED POTATO-BACON PIE. How can you say no to that?
Unfortunately, we were totally overstuffed to enjoy the dessert, but I would definitely come back here again. Food was fantastic, the service was excellent with an A++, and a nice hole-in-the wall feel.
Great atmosphere, right off the plaza, good service, great food. Norm is a good chef, nothing too original but it's really good. We had the pate which was pretty good but had whole pieces of raw bacon.. eh. And then the pork chop which was very good and lamb papadelle. Good food.
It was OK, nothing memorable. My pasta dish was nice, had the perfect amount of red pepper in it. Jenn's risotto was OK. The dessert was not good- almond cake which tasted like a corn muffin which I think it was. I am probably being too hard on them because we had some great meals in the Bay Area before coming here.
The food is good. My experience this past Saturday makes me shutter. The open kitchen is in full view of most of the diners. Ther was a chef and two assistants. My dinner companion and I watched the salad maker rub his mustach and nose with the back of his hand three times during the hour we were there. He did not wash his hands and used them to mix the salads. The forth time we even had the sound effects from his trying to clear his nostrils and using the back of his hand to help with the task. His hands went back in the food..
The second complaint was the arrogant service and the rush to make us order. We had an 8:45 reservation and planned to have a relaxed dinner. Our server wanted to know the entire dinner order. We ordered the appetizers and informed her that we hadn't decided on the entree. She appeared every three minutes while we were eating and talking. She would interrupt and ask us if we had decided on the main course. The fifth time I informed her that I did not like the constant interruptions. She answered that the kitchen closes at 9:00 pm. I was upset that they listed the 8:45 reservation time on Opentable.
My three sisters and I spent 4 days in the town of Sonoma. This restaurant came highly recommended by friends and it did not disappoint. The place is small. I mean maybe 15 tables. This means you need reservations to eat there, don't try and show up without. The place is noisy, so don't go if you want a romantic, quiet dinner. So for my sisters and me, it was perfect because we tend to be loud. LOL We enjoyed a wonderful meal. We all tried something different, from quail (very tasty according to W) , to pork tenderloin (me) that was to die for. The chicken dish A. had was very pounded thin and seasoned with lemon and lightly breaded...kinda like a chicken piccata-only better. G. had the fish which was also very tasty. I would definitely go back when I'm in the area again. They take credit cards but would only split up to 2 cards.
I have been a fan for over 10 years. Being a local restaurant employee this was the only place my boss was ok with me dining at and not be mad. Service- Great! Food - so delicious. It's a small place so make sure you have reservations. It's a local favorite!
Revised & updated: November 28, 2007
New owners. New cooks, new waiters. New menu in Autumn 2007. The good old French brasserie menu is gone. New food is Cali-style comfort .
I raved about this restaurant in 2005 & 2006. The food used to be extrodinary. Now it is merely competent. But the magic is gone.
The Zagat 2008 books gives a score of 26 out of 30 for food. I disagree with that high of a score. My score using Zagat criteria is 19.
Cafe La Haye loses one star from me ere on Yelp*. The "Reserve" wine list panders to wealthy tourists. 26 bottles priced from $100 to $625. An insult to working class locals who made the original Cafe La Haye a financial success.
My prediction: the new ultra-precious Cafe La Haye will close by 2009.
The wine list is absurdly priced. The food was good but not worth fussing over. If you can't get a reservation don't sweat it. You can get comparable food just about anywhere else.
The ambiance is okay. It can be cramped and noisy. One major plus is that they did play some good jazz on the stereo. Most places play mediocre "dinner music" I was happy to hear a few real jazz tunes with my meal.
This place would impress many foodies but I don't like the phony nature of the place. Its nothing unique. I really don't like brown nosing wait staff...Its annoying to me.
My biggest pet peeve about this place is that they have overpriced wine and absolutely no class beers.
If I am going to have a specific dish I ought to be able to pair it with a beer of good quality. It seems wine country dining is slowly starting to accept beer and food pairing.
I'd gladly pay 10-15$ for a beer to go with my dinner but all they offer is horrible stuff.
Bottom line, another nice euro/cal food place but not worth fussing over. Yes its good. The reviews don't lie. But don't feel shortchanged if you can't get a reservation.
Wow! What a gem of a place. Cozy & spacious at the same time. Good vibe from the minute we we're dropped off from our cab for our 8pm reservation. I was being entertained on a business outing and our hosts really hit the mark by choosing this bistro like spot. Their organic green salad is crisp with complimentary tastes from the veggies & dressing - one of the best salads I've ever had. My hanger steak dish was tasty as was the fruit crisp for desert. Our waitress was wonderful, making spot on recommendations through the evening, particularly the Maris Spillane Cab. ( where can I find this retailed? it's good!) Loved the art work on display from a local artist. I've been telling all my friends about Cafe La Haye. I'll be returning.
Great service, down-to-earth staff, and most importantly-- great food! We started with the Hog Island Oysters, which are SAFE during the winter! We had the parpadelle (pasta) with pancetta, pan seared chicken breast (the meat was so flavorful and the skin very crispy), and double dessert: pear tart and meyer lemon sorbet. DELICIOUS
There's a lot of great restaurants in the downtown Sonoma area, but the one at the top of my list is Cafe La Haye. I'm reluctant to let the secret out on how awesome this place is, because the limited seating combined with higher demand would make the reservations process alot more difficult going forward.
Food: 5 stars. Everything we tried was so damn good here. Even the diners around us were swooning over their food. For starters, the house smoked trout (topped with spring green beans and brown butter almond dressing) and the grilled spice rubbed prawns (over 'Oak Hill Farms' bi-color corn and Black Prince tomatoes) are winners. The trout definitely contains the smoky buttery flavor and the green beans are nice and crisp. The prawns were perfectly seasoned and blended well with the seaonsal (summer) sides. For entrees, we tried the roasted pork tenderloin (with cherry-pistachio stuffing, savory corn bread pudding, snap peas and fresh cherry pan sauce) and the roasted marinated natural Angus hanger steak (with twice baked potato bacon pie). The steak was perfectly cooked and I loved the potato pie with the little specks of bacon. The pork tenderloin was AMAZING. I can't stop thinking about it. What a perfect little dish. I love you, don't ever change. For desserts, we tried the warm almond cake (with pineapple caramel and whipped cream) and the meyer lemon cheesecake (with berry coulis). Mmmmmmm, good. The desserts topped off what was essentially a perfect meal in my books. Every dish was flawless.
Service: 5 stars. The servers here are really sweet. We came for my sister's birthday and her seat was against the wall facing the rest of the restaurant. One of the servers brought out the dessert with a candle on top, but walked out backwards so my sister could not see it. And that's when they completely won me over.
Atmosphere: 4 stars. The only thing I'm going to knock is the size of the restaurant, which makes it difficult to get reservations for parties greater than 2. Otherwise, the restaurant is a nice embodiment of Sonoma, with its art displays and modern country feel. The crowd is an even mix of age ranges, but all are generally friendly and talkative (the food is the #1 topic).
Hits: Roasted pork tenderloin, roasted marinated hanger steak, house smoked trout, grilled spice rubbed prawns, warm almond cake, meyer lemon cheesecake.
Misses: Limited seating.
If You Like This Place, You'd Probably Like: Zuni Cafe, Bay Wolf, Chez Panisse.
Loved this place! It is so well managed and lovingly tended. Everything we ordered was wonderful, from a cold fresh corn soup, hanger steak, chicken cooked under a brick accompanied by the most wonderful cheesy flan-type dish, to the fresh berry cobbler for dessert. Highly recommended.
Excellent food in a casually elegant setting. If you can snag the highly coveted outside spots, you're in luck.
Their pork was so tender it was falling off the bone, and the salmon was grilled to perfection. The sauces were light and flavorful, and I'm a huge fan of them not overdoing it in that regard. Highly competent and friendly service.
The place is busy and a good reason for it too. We reserved it through http://www.opentable.com and it was worth it.
Located in the heart of Sonoma and frequented by locals, thats a good proof.
Salad of endive, bosc pear, pomegranate & caramelized walnuts with buttermilk bleu is delicious, wakes up your taste buds. Make sure to check out the soup of the day, they have some creative things there.
Red wine braised flat iron pot roast over horseradish mashed potatoes is tender and flavorful. Make sure to check out their pasta special, they make it to the perfection.
I highly recommend this place, but make sure you reserve in advance and best is online.
Perfect end to a perfect day. Cafe La Haye is the exact restaurant I expected out of the cute town of Sonoma. Located just off the Town Square (where we were lucky enough to find plenty of parking on a Thursday evening), it was a great tiny space- very romantic.
The host was nice enough to make accommodations to seat us a bit early. Lucky for us that the table was open since there is not much space for waiting around.
The waitress was attentive and knowledgeable. The specials were listed on the chalk board and I had both the appetizer (carrot soup) and the fish special. My husband was leaning towards something rather standard (hanger steak) and asked her opinion. She was kind enough to guide us to a better alternative meat item- the pork tenderloin. It was fantastic. The fish was lacking a bit of something but overall was good enough to devour the whole plate.
We were sort of wined and dined out afterwards and chose to forgo dessert. Next time.
'This ain't no tired-ass French Laundry,' eloquently stated by our good friend David Harris who insists on visiting Cafe la Haye every time he's in from NY. And he's right. Cafe la Haye's menu is simple, fresh, and innovative. I like to start with a glass of sparkling (NV Gosset 'Grand Rose' Brut) to reinvigorate the otherwise wine saturated buds before diving into either the Robert Foley Charbono or better yet, Saul's own Blue Farm Pinot. We've been fortunate enough to buy several cases of the Blue Farm from Saul and have enjoyed it immensely.
The carnivores in our traveling wine country caravan always go for the seared lavender filet mignon with gorgonzola-potato gratin. While I, unafflicted by their tiny cow addiction, am free to roam the menu from the daily fresh fish to the daily risotto or pasta special. We often share one of the cobblers for desert along with an incredible espresso. Start to finish, Cafe la Haye is my favorite dining experience in California.
I ate here for a second time last night and for a second time I had a perfect dinning experience, which never happens, at least not to me...
The food is off the charts delicious and fresh- all of it. The service is great and the atomosphere is charming, cozy, and perfect for an intimate dinner.
The prices are quite reasonable for what they are offering.
I just wish that I lived closer because I'd be here every week.
Don't believe the hype. I'd heard over and over how this was the BEST restaurant in Sonoma, and we were having a hell of a time even getting reservations. On our gabillionth trip to Sonoma, we thought we'd just walk by and check it out. As for the "coveted" outdoor tables? When we were there that was overflow seating. As in, zero availability for a table all night, an hour and a half wait for the bar, or we can seat you right now outside. It was a BEAUTIFUL night and we were thrilled to sit outside, annoying motorcycle revvers be damned!
We started with a cocktail and then had a yummy and interesting goat cheese starter. It was served almond crusted, with green beans and a picholine olive relish, on a little bed of frisee. It was a nice big hunk of goat cheese and the flavors were amazing (and unexpected) together. Our server (the maitre'd I believe) was great. I asked him to recommend a wine for my red wine braised pork shank, and the Pinot he brought me was right on the mark. Ditto for my fella's Cab that he paired with the quail. But the mains. Hmmm. They were alright. When my pork arrived, I expected the red sauce to be huge and bold, but it was totally light and fresh, which surprised me. The sides were plentiful and good --- Brussels sprouts, green beans, white beans and squash. I've never seen so many "sides" on a plate before! But the pork was just okay. The quail with mushroom & pine nut stuffing was good --- better than the pork, but even that I only took one bite of.
Now I'm not saying it was bad by any stretch of the imagination, it just didn't live up to all I had heard about it. Which is why (perhaps unfairly) I'm only giving it three stars right now. It probably deserves four, but I'll have to try it again sometime to know for sure. Bottom line --- if they're booked when you're there, you'll enjoy your dinner at The Girl and The Fig just as much. As for top restaurant in Sonoma, I'm going with the General's Daughter. Sure the portions are slight, but hot DAMN the food is fantastic.
We booked a table at Cafe La Haye when we went to stay in Glen Ellen for the weekend. The food was gorgeous. It was the perfect place on a warm, mid-summer night. Excellent, fresh food.
Went here last time we were in Sonoma. Loved it. We had resos since it's not a huge place. I had the chicken which was a little fatty for my liking. My husband had the pork loin which was superb. Good wine list although I'd go here for the food before I'd go here for the wine. We split dessert; meyer lemon cheesecake. Delicious. My next visit is already planned.
Service was excellent. Nice menu. I had the fish special which was a little bit too salty and oily. I also had the smoked trout appetizer which did not have alot of flavor. The chocolate pot de creme dessert was outstanding however, but just a little on the small side! Overall, a nice little dinner stop if you are already in Sonoma.
Cafe La Haye was a mixed bag for us. It has great food but the ambiance and service leaves much to be desired. It has a down home feel, which would have been fine except we were expecting a fine dining experience. (It was our anniversary). The food had some incredible high points but it also had some low points. Highlights: The pan seared foie gras with pomegranate gastrique was delicious and a textural dream. The filet mignon with braised short ribs was so tender you could cut it with a butter knife and the winter greens served alongside paired perfectly. Low points: The pumpkin parfait desert was utterly bland and forgettable. And the seafood lasagna with mussels and lobster sounded like it couldn't go wrong, but the broth was too light and didn't go well with the large noodles. It would have been better as a seafood brodo with crusty bread, rather than a pasta. All in all though, we were glad to have gone there, and may try it again for lunch for a more casual occasion. For a cafe: AMAZING. For a fancy restaurant: no, not so much.
This is my favorite restaurant in Sonoma and we've managed to go for dinner several times. Definitely make a reservation beforehand- they're on opentable (the credit card policy is annoying). Good service and a nice atmosphere. The menu changes regularly so you'll always get something fresh and local. Out of all the times we've eaten there, we've only had one miss. I figure everyone's allowed to have an off night at this price point. Pretty good wine list- considering the area it should probably be better.
Sonoma, CA
Category: American (New)
Sonoma, CA
Category: American (New)
Sonoma, CA
Category: Portuguese
Sonoma, CA
Category: American (New)
Sonoma, CA
Category: Meat Shops
Be it Napa, Sonoma, Healdsburg or elsewhere…
My mission is to try all Top 100 restaurants…
My thoughts on San Francisco Chronicle Restaurant…
Hubby and I just got back from our Sonoma/Napa…
Some of my favorite dining destinations of all…
My favorite places to take my wife for…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
