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Bubbles & Brunch every Sunday 10am-3pm.
View menu - http://bit.ly/2jLH0g
Mon., Thu-Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 2:00 p.m.
Mon., Thu-Sat. 6:00 p.m. - 9:30 p.m.
Sun. 10:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
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I'd read a lot of fantastic things in Zagat (and on Yelp) about Étoile, and decided it would be a perfect spot for lunch al fresco. I'd been to Chandon and am not particularly in love with their bubbly, but the grounds and interior spaces are quite impressive.
There is a large dining room and a beautiful terrace perfect for those warm Napa days and nights. We sat outside and enjoyed the extremely picturesque views. We opted for what I call "yummies," which included oysters on the half shell, the house charcuterie, seared foie gras with roasted asian pear, and the roasted chestnut soup. We paired said "yummies" with the sparkling rosé, which was a fine compliment. The real standout was the house charcuterie. I'm still salivating thinking about the paté and nostrano salami.
Étoile is the perfect spot to enjoy a romantic lunch, and I'd gladly return to do it all over again.
I hate to be cheesy (can I be wine and cheesy?) but I have only one word to describe my meal at Etoile.. STELLAR. :P
My bf and I both had the heirloom tomato tasing menu here last summer, and.. wow. Needless to say we were not surprised to find out that they were recently awarded a Michelin star. They deserve it!
The grounds of the winery are pretty nice too, make sure to walk around either before or after your meal. Service was good. Highly recommended!
A lot of people posted details of their food on here but I'll spare you guys that and just post up some quality pics instead.
I ate at a 5 star French restaurant in Dallas last weekend and was inspired to review Etoile even though it's been years since I was there.
But WOW! I have yet to top that experience. Uchi in Austin is the only thing that has come remotely close. I wish I could remember the menu descpriptions- but too much time has passed. I can tell you that I can still remember the taste...
We were unprepared to pay dinner prices, so went for lunch and were still blown away. Presentation, service and food were all stellar. I will be back the next time I'm in Napa Valley.
Came here because they received one michelin star. i don't think the service is up to the standards of one star. i've been to many michelin star restaurants in san francisco and this restaurant just stumps me with weak service and ok food.
my family and i went here this past thanksgiving. the server wasn't michelin star quality or even just fine dining. i felt the service was like a chain restaurant, chevy's or something. we had wine pairing with our 5 course meal and each pairing wasn't explained and some were rushed and spilled on the linen. the 5 courses was delayed and 2 of the pairings were poured twice. i mean thanks for the extra champagne but don't really need it since the courses were full sized and not tasting style. i felt just too rushed. we had reservations at 6:30 and were done by 8:30 and were amongst the last at the restaurant?
had lunch at bottega and dinner at bistro jeanty the same weekend. both so much better. they should check out bottega's decor, table setting and service, that deserves a michelin star, not really for etoile. i don't see them having a star 2011. their champagne is very nice!
I am starting to wonder what a one Michelin star rating means. The meal I had here was OK, but with Bouchon, Bottega, Ad Hoc and Bistro Jeanty right across HWY 29, I don't see any reason to return here.
We had some oysters that seemed really fresh but they had so much sour orange and shallot I could hardly taste the oyster. My fish entree was OK but rather expensive and a little on the bland side. The decor and place settings were very institutional. The pot and the cup that my hot tea came in looked like something that you would see at a hotel conference center. The thing that really set me off was our waiter. The first thing he said was "I'm (name) and I'll be providing you with extraordinary service". I'll be the judge of that, Skippy. Don't tell me how great your service is going to be because it wasn't all that, cool breeze. With all the great places in the valley I feel like I squandered an opportunity to eat a fabulous meal on this place.
After one of the worst dinners the hubby and I have ever had, I thought it must be us, after all, Etoile had been given 4 stars on yelp --- but after thinking it over, no, it's not us. We know what we like (good food and good service) and Etoile lacked both.
Right from the get go it started -- the hostess tried to sit us at the first table right next to the stairs where EVERYONE would be walking by. Of course I would not have that -- so OK she then tries sitting us one table over!! What?? Is she trying to be funny?? Hubby asks about one of the MANY empty tables by the window -- oh, of course she says, walks us to one of the tables and walks away without saying another word - no enjoy your meal, nothing . . . hmmm.
The menu -- nothing really grabs you. Yes, I will admit I'm not a big foie gras or rabbit lover, but shouldn't the menu at least sound good? The hubby had the sturgeon over black Peruvian rice and the rabbit appetizer. The two inch rack of rabbit ribs almost made me cry. Really, not appetizing at all, just . . . sad looking. The sturgeon was very good - the black rice, not so much. My green salad with goat cheese, candied peanuts and paper thin squash and onions with vinaigrette was rather tasty (the waiter sorta made this up for me as there was no salad on the menu). The scallops with uni was just, bad. I know my scallops and uni and this dish just didn't come together. The coffee was not bad when paired with the crème brulee - which sadly, was just OK.
Our waiter was helpful and friendly enough, but his explanation of the menu - right side a la carte, left side six courses with wine pairing, etc. etc. seemed a bit hurried. The hostess got the evening off on the wrong track and the food drove us into the ground. The place is too dark and the staff works at being friendly - know what I mean? Yes I know I'm going against my fellow yelpers in giving Etoile two stars - but ya gotta say, what ya gotta say. Oh, the second star is for the bubblies which, of course, I love. And what's up with the weird shapped plates -- couldn't keep my fork IN the plate!
This was a special anniversary dinner for us and we made the trek from the Bay Area. I wanted to be dazzled and astounded, but, . . . Etoile was a disappointment.
We were excited to eat at Etoile since it just got a Michelin star for 2010. Got there for lunch on a Saturday and it was crowded, thank goodness for opentable reservation!
We were seated on a love seat with 2 little pillows that were food stained. There was no tasting menu. We started with some oysters on the half shells, they were topped with raw shallots and blood orange juice. The shallots were overpowering the oysters, so I scrapped off the shallots from the remainding oysters. I thought it was a waste of good oysters when they topped it with too much ingredients. Less is more here. I did get some bubbles to drink and it was good.
Our entrees came, I got the hand cut spaghettoni pasta with salsify and braised rabbit. The bf got pan roasted dorade with forbidden rice and lobster sauce. Let me tell you, they all sounded better on the menu than on our taste buds. My hand cut pasta was tough and overworked. The dorade was good but not spectacular.
Now about the service. Our waiter was a real character. He was practically going around looking for praises and people to boost his ego. He was telling the table across from us that he retire from corporate america so he knows how it is to be on the other side of the table, and then on to our next table and said that his grandfather was a neurologist and he lived all over the world growing up until he settled down in the area. Who cares that you have a well off family background??? We are here to have a good meal and enjoy the day with the people we want to be with!! He was just so full of himself it was annoying.
Overall, for the price you pay and the taste you get, I would recommend going to any other Yountville restaurants across the street and you'd have a much better experience. Well at least I've tried and now I know better. Come here for the wine not the food, after all it is a winery.
Ate there in early November and was pleasantly surprised! We were seated at a table in the back and were allowed to take our time while we enjoyed dinner. We ordered at 7:00 and left at 9:30.
Presentation was first class with each plate being both a work of art and delicious as well! I enjoyed the Choice New York strip as my main course and it was possibly the best steak I've had in the Napa Valley, including those served by that overpriced Chop House in downtown Napa. I topped it all off with a glass of '77 Warre port!
The Michelin star is well deserved!
Wonderful restaurant with a tasting menu that is so worth the trip to Napa. The wine pairings were nicely done. Came for a romantic dinner and were not disappointed in the least bit.
Great all around experience. First, it's nice to get to go someplace dressy! Second, while they only had one vegetarian option, they let the chef know that I was vegetarian and they made me a tasty amuse-bouche that was different from the regular one.
Portion size was perfect, service was friendly -- not stuffy, and the sparkling wine was of course fantastic.
A tip: Save room for dessert. There were five or six options and they ALL looked amazing. Wish we could have had two. And they give you mini truffles, macaroons and jellies with the bill.
One of the finest meals I have ever had. I try to get up here once a year and it is always such a treat.
Stellar service, tasty bubbly and scrumptious everything on the innovative menu.
I still savor the delectable flavor of the poached filet mignon. Me and mon ami Fabrice (yep, he's a Frenchman from Paris and yes he is a snob but he's the wittiest snob you would ever want to meet) almost licked our plates clean it was soooo good and the Frenchman is not easily impressed when it comes to vittles. I think it beats Chateau Les Crayeres by a long shot but the Frenchman might wish to debate me on it again. Oh well, good thing we have plenty of bubbly and Cohibas to keep the discourse interesting.
Make a reservation in advance, and don't let the price prevent you from indulging because you and your guest totally deserve it. What?! You can't find a willing, able and deserving guest to take with you? Then take ME silly. We can saddle up on Bessie; she LOVES Napa.
Salut et bon appetit mes poules!!
This place is easily summarized: great food, so-so service and poor pacing of the meal.
The vaulted ceiling of the room is curved and meant to provide a feeling of being in an oak wine cask. Very inventive. Even more inventive, at least these days, is that the tables are well spaced, although the lighting could be turned up a bit at least for my taste. I go with the six course autumn tasting menu, a testimony to over-the-top excess.
Poached lobster comes with uni, asian pears and pearl barley. The lobster, while served cool, has taste, the barley is firm and provides a nice foundation for the plate and the pear just the bit of sweetness necessary to bring everything together. Most memorable to me is that I find that I don't particularly care for uni, although it fits this plate of food perfectly.
A generous portion of seared skate wing comes with smoked bacon, burdock root and pickled mushrooms. Another winner. Already I have the sense that the chef knows how to juxtapose foods to build plates that hold interest without going overboard.
Pork belly comes with a slice of foie gras atop, both over a nice slice of brioche. Some persimmon and kohlrabi complete a heart-stopping dish that requires a dose of lipitor as your engage it. But the pork belly has a crispy texture that is perfectly set off by the foie gras. When I get home it's onto the lifecycle.
Roasted squab is perfectly seared and perfectly set off by some dates and sunflower seeds. The squab's skin has been provided a somewhat sweet glaze which brings everything together . Wondrous.
Medium rare, tasty, beef tenderloin has a disc of bone marrow atop and mushrooms and pureed legumes about. Again, perfect. And the serving sizes here are generous. I am about to burst.
The weakest part of the meal was the sweetest. A palate refreshing sorbet was sweet without tang or astringency. Chocolate pate with raspberry sauce was sweet for the sake of sweet and the accompanying pepper ice cream had no bite whatever from the spice.
So why only four stars? Well the sweets for one. But the pacing of the meal was off. Long waits between courses. And a service staff not quite up to the pretensions of the place. When asked if I wanted more bread, I declined. But I didn't wish for the butter to be taken while bread remained on my bread plate. The sorbet took forever to come and dessert had to be held whilst I finished that plate. My server was enthusiastic, yes, but accomplished, no. He was there and then gone, gone, gone.
But overall, the food was lovely and if you have substantial time for a slow meal that is well worth the price, then Etoile is worth a visit.
One of the most underrated restaurants in the Bay Area.
They just received one Michelin star, an honor which is well deserved and long overdue.
The food, service and atmosphere are perfect. Ask for a table outside on a sunny afternoon, and you'll see what I'm talking about. Also, the steak tartar is the best I've had.
Alright guys, I know I've been MIA for the last few months and have been a slacker on my reviews! I wanted 200 to be a good one and it's been a busy summer. But I'm back and I've got a ton of catching up to do!
Etoile:
What an experience! This is how you have to do it if you come up to Napa/Yountville for the day or weekend! Chandon itself is so picturesque and beautiful, you'll stop and take fifty pictures before you finally get to Etoile!
I was lucky to share this experience with three close friends so we were able to sample each of our FOUR courses for lunch. (with paired sparkling wines of course!)
Our first course included the following
House Charcuterie which included italian sausage,pâté, prosciutto di parma, and sopressata. Poached Lobster Tail Mille-Feuille wtih manilla clams, wood ear mushrooms, and béarnaise. A caramelized onion tart with applewood smoked trout, brooks cherries, and rocolla. And lastly the chilled tea smoked duck with apricots, tabbouleh, and garden mizuna.
(yeah i know! Fancy SHMANCY!)
They were all nothing short of FANTASTIC! A splendid array of amazing flavors that ended every savory bite with an "mmMMMmmm."
For my entree, I chose the Pan Seared Hawaiian Moi with forbidden rice, toy box tomatoes, and lobster sauce. The Moi was cooked very nicely with just the right about of moisture.
The service was excellent! The staff was very attentive and informative. The entire experience at Etoile was world-class! I highly recommend dining here and I guarantee that you will be thankful that you did!
I took my husband here for his birthday and it was divine.
The service is great, not stuffy and everything was beautifully plated. We each had the four course menu and each dish was far beyond expectations. I had the heirloom tomato salad, then the pan seared salmon on top of fava beans, so YUM! and the New York prime,, yes!! yes! yes! Finally I had the cheese course with blue cheese, sherry grapes and honeycomb. wow... I'm still kind of speechless. They also gave us a free amuse bouche of the beef tar tare, which I have to say made my toes curl!!!
Etoile I love you and I am writing home about you!!!!!!!!!!!!
Have been here multiple times over the years. Never had a bad meal or a bad experience here. Be prepared though: this is a dining experience, not a quick in-and-out deal. Our typical dinner here has taken 2-3 hours. I suspect they could get the food out faster if you asked them to, but part of the experience eating food like this is relaxing and savoring it. Also the restaurant and grounds are beautiful so it is a lovely place to dine.
That said, it is pricey if you are not used to this type of restarant. It is not French Laundry or Fleur De Lys expensive, but can still run into the $150+ per person range for dinner (depending on if you do a tasting menu or order a la carte, etc.). You can, however, enjoy lunch here (and the same quality of food) for less.
Sevice is impeccable. The food: heavenly. Desserts: Good. Here I've felt a little let down on occasion, but that is probably just because I'm so full by this point.
This is a special occasion (birthday, anniversary, once or twice a year) kind of place for most folks, but well worth the trip and worth the price.
As for dress code: Being in wine country (heavy tourist traffic) I've seen everything from very dressed up here (sequins on ladies and suits on men at night) to jeans and polo shirts (no, I'm not kidding). Like most places, in the evening people tend to be more dressed up, more casual during the day.
We've also a noted a trend that the "drinkers" and large dinner groups (that get very loud) tend to come in later in the evening. So if you are looking for a quiet, romantic evening I'd suggest going early rather than later. That's been our experience anyway.
My family has a tradition of holding a Thanksgiving meal with family and friends at Etoile (and its predecessors) for almost 20 years. The past couple years, the value and experience had slipped, but this year was superb! The quality of the food, the service and the overall experience was top notch. One of our party was so happy with his duck that he bought a bottle of wine for the kitchen. New reviews, Michelin star etc. don't usually impress me much, but well earned here!
Went here for lunch after a long day of wine tasting (not really, but it was about time to eat). The menu is pretty simple. Since it's a winery, it's obvious that there is a fairly large wine list complete with sparkling wines available. For my meal, I was going to order the free range chicken, but it was sold out. Instead, I had the pork chop. It was very pretty. It's amazing how nice a single pork chop can be made to look. Even though the pork was sliced and fanned out, it was the pork that was still attached to the bone that was really tasty. There was peas and carrots and shallots (I think) and some sauces. It was all really good and filling. I also tried the beef tenderloin. Very good.
The bread that they give was fresh and a little crusty. The butter was fluffy and something on top of it that gave it a seasoned taste.
The price was pretty average at $30 for the beef tenderloin, $28 for the pork chop, $25 for the moi and $20 for the lobster tail. A bottle of sparkling wine, $35.
The bill was around $250 and it fed 5 of us.
Worth it!
We did all of the champagne pairings for our meal and we were not let down. Amazing and gracious service. Not overly stuffy esp. surprising for Napa -- we even got a free amuse bouche to start off with since the kitchen was backed up.
YUM
I highly recommend their cheese course for dessert, and I'm a sweets person normally!
It's probably going to set you back about 80-100 pp if you do it right and I say its worth it.
I am surprised to read so many reviews about the service, I guess for some the patience required for a European paced meal was not acceptable. However when eating a nice meal paired with good wine I prefer to take my time and enjoy! The service we had for our lunch was excellent. We made a reservation using Open Table and were seated a great indoor table right by the window as soon as we arrived (and we were running late). We started with the butternut squash soup and shrimp salad, both delicious! I loved the pears and gingerbread in the soup (sounds odd, but it was amazing). For my main I had the hand made pasta, which was amazing! The portion was not teeny tiny like some restaurants, still a good amount so I felt satisfied. My boyfriend had the smoked salmon which he said was great. For dessert I had the special warm chocolate gooey cake, which I am still dreaming about! It was not overly rich or sweet, just the perfect taste and texture, and delicious with the vanilla sorbet. Overall an excellent experience, I look forward to trying dinner here sometime!
A fabulous special occaision restaurant with delightful entrees accompanied by (what else) flutes of sparkling goodness by Domain Chandon. I adore this place.
Try - if you can - to save room for dessert - the pastry chef here know what she's doing!
Make a reservation for sure.
Some serious Mastcard spendage for meh food and seniors serving. Server needed a walker. Nice grounds.
Went here a couple Sundays ago for my girlfriend's birthday. The restaurant ambiance was great and it wasn't crowded at all (lunchtime). We got a sweet table near a huge sliding door, so it was nice & airy. I had the sea bass, chocolate cake & ice cream, and a bottle of white wine which were all very tasty. We also shared 1/2 dozen oysters, and these were fan-freakin-tastic. The waitress sprinkled something fancy on them, but we all speculate it was probably just calamansi juice =)
We dined for almost 3 hours - which isn't a big deal because we were enjoying each other's company, but we DID get a little irked after noticing the lag-time. I think after the oysters were served it took almost an hour to get the meals.
We pretty much skipped the tasting room all together. The crowd appeared super snooty. I love the bubbly at Chandon and also chopping it up w/ Jeremy (one of their employees). But sometimes this place has an err about it that's not always inviting.
My wife and I thought nothing would be finer than the combination of sparkling wine, wine country, great food and spending time together on New Year's Eve.
We opted for the very heftily expensive tasting and wine pairing menu $255 each + tax and tip!!!
Well, it only happens once a year and my midwest wife has never been to Napa. We were greeted with a savory first course of oyster, quail egg and oscetra. Nicely paired with a 12 yr old sparkling wine. Anyhow, I could go on with a blow by blow for the evening dining, but one course really stood out as one of the best pairings I have had in my life.
Eat your heart out all you foodies that didn't bite into this course
Seared diver scallop
Braised and seared pork belly
Little salad with (I believe) ponzu dressing
Sea urchin (not the stuff that tastes like a beaten up tongue, but the delicious stuff)
I think it was paired with a sparkling pinot noir.
WOW!!!
Very cool evening, very attentive service, great, great wines. Good DJ and band, too. Generous staff that, although working on New Year's Eve, wanted to make sure we had a great time. And we did!
We made a late lunch reservation at Etoile so we could sit outside and sip bubbles while celebrating the good life in Napa. Many times I have done this ... and each time I am dazzled with the beautiful environment and great cuisine.
Since we spent most of the day tasting wines, we ordered some food to help us from getting too wasted. Substance is good. The lentil salad was delicious and my friends had the butter poached lobster and the halibut fish of the day. My vegetarian husband was not as happy since they did not have any entree choices for him. He suffered quietly and waited until we got back to our room and he made himself a gourmet vegetarian sandwich.
My daughter loved the big grassy field and she played and sang songs while we enjoyed our afternoon.
Since I am a member of the wine club, it was nice to get a 20% discount. What a deal.
Of course I'll be back again and again. This place is one of the best finds in Napa. And judging by the 11 limos out front, lots of other people know this too.
Food their was unique. Order their lobster and melon dish! Service was good. Atmosphere was not as sophisticated as it should have been, since their lounge was so chic.
Had lunch here this past Monday and it was delicious. My friend had the foie gras which she was fawning over along with the pasta with duck which she also loved. I had the salmon which was fantastic. The service was outstanding, Ryan was our server. Dining room was also lovely.
The restaurant was quaint enough and has a little patio area where we were able to sit outside for our lunch. However, looking at the menu, it didn't really have that many choices. When our waiter came and took our orders, we thought we ordered the entree but turns out we just ordered appetizers. We told him that if we were still hungry, we'd order more later. The dish presentation was very nice. I ordered the lobster on top of a bed of fresh spring salad drizzled over with some sauce that was quite tasty. Hubby ordered the scallop melon dish which the scallop was miniscule at best but the presentation of the melons were nice. After seeing our dishes, we decided to go ahead and order one entree and see if we could get it within half hr or so but our waiter was a bit huffy with us. He mentioned that that was why he had asked us in the beginning if that was all bc all we ordered were appetizers. Whatever the case may be, I think we have the right to order what we want at any time. So we just said forget it and wanted the check. I definitely have no urge to go back there.
There are things you have to close the book on, open a completely different one and just start rewriting everything so it's better. This is what we like to call, "Shitty First Drafts"
Well I'm on my second draft. Better this time. In fact, fuck it--this is my book now. No second draft; this is the best one. I can't possibly think of anything better to write about.
One of my friends came up from LA and after finding out that it would be a gorgeous weekend, I asked if he liked wine tasting. No...he doesn't like still wines. BUT he likes sparkling wines! And since my knowledge of different sparkling wine vineyards is limited to nil, I promised I'd take him here.
Making reservations here was the single greatest decision I've ever made besides adopting my cat from a shelter. And that one time...um, wait, moving on.
We ordered the crab beignets to share, and also the risotto and braised pork to share as well. I'm sorry, but I can't even imagine how I'm going to explain just how absolutely fabulous these three dishes were. It's like you put it in your mouth, stare up at the person sitting next to you and you have this deer in headlights look like, "WTF WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN ALL MY LIFE FOOD?!"
The bread and shallot butter was phenomenal, the palette cleanser was delicious, the service superb, the dessert amazing, and I left feeling like I cheated them out of thousands of dollars because that is what this is worth. Normally I'm a lot better at articulating my feelings about the experience I had at restaurants/places. Usually it's because I end up lit and unable to stand at the end of it, but oh no. This place is classy. It's beautiful. It's brilliant. It's worth only having one glass of wine and then taking your drunken shenanigans over somewhere else.
The last time I came here I didn't finish my food. I didn't have the appetite for it--this time, I finished mine AND his. We were sharing..but still. And I finished his dessert. :|
The recession pulling a little tighter on everyone's pocketbook, but I'd say this would be the best money you'd ever think to spend that little extra cash you've put away for a rainy day on. Except it's sunny.
Whatever. You're worth it. (Therapy suggests that rationalizations are bad, but in this case I think it's okay.)
We love visiting Domaine Chandon. Yes, it's a large commercial vineyard, but the atmosphere and landscape is excellent. More importantly, Etoile Restaurant is a solid place. The portions are small, but the taste is good to great. Their dayboat scallops are tasty, tenderloin is okay to good, and their fish dishes are generally great. And of course, their wine and sparkling wine is excellent.
We've tried their tasting menu, which is great, and going a la carte is good too, especially if you want to eat light during your tour of Napa.
Such a fine dining experience!!! Everything from ambience, service, wine, food and presentation...everything was top notch and upscale. Wasn't too stuffy either... the crowd was very mixed, from older to younger professionals.
My husband decided with the 5 course tasting menu and I went with the 3 course.
Items that stood out--poached sea bream with mussels. The presentation of the dish was so unique. The sea bream was nestled on top of a layer of what looked like sea foam, seaweed and a few mussels on the side. Looked like it was scooped out from the ocean (but in a good way).
I ordered the beef tenderloin with beef marrow. Just perfect and heavenly. Meat was tender and the combination of the sauces complimented the meat.
For dessert I had the molten lava chocolate gooey cake. The cake practically melted and oozed on my plate. chocolate fanatics will die for this dessert!
My one and only gripe: there was a very loud and obnoxious table nearby and they got very tipsy. The group just got worse over time and got louder and louder. Luckily by the time their dinner wrapped up, most of the patrons were gone. but honestly, the maitre de should have moved them somewhere else or just politely tell them to shut the hell up.
2+ Hours to get there (traffic was a mess). Expectations were rather high. Beautiful grounds, lush gardens surrounded by topiary. The restaurant is tastefully appointed, but the Salon room is a bit more 'casual' than the rest of the restaurant, and I really did not care for the several LCD TVs running a continuous loop of champagne bubbles. No shortage of mirrors either. Anyway, on to the food...
BABY GREENS
FUYU PERSIMMON - TRUFFLE HONEY - POMEGRANATE
BUTTERNUT SQUASH SOUP
BLEU D'AUVERGNE - CHESTNUTS
MUSHROOM RISOTTO
RED MUSTARD - PARMEGIANO-REGGIANO
FOURME D'AMBERT
BLUE VIENED PASTURIZED COW'S MILK - FROMAGE DU LIVRADOIS
AUVERGNE, FRANCE - CALIFORNIA ORANGE BLOSSOM HONEYCOMB
MOCHA CHOCOLATE CAKE
PASSIONFRUIT - ESPRESSO ICE CREAM
The salad and soup were quite tasty, but things went downhill from there. The risotto was undercooked tto the point of being inedible. Everyone that ordered it returned it. The cheese plate was a small piece of cheese and a crouton (not impressed). The mocha cake was unremarkable.
It is a good thing that we were drinking heavily, because the wine lubricated the evening. At these prices, I expected a lot more from the food, and the service. Alas, I do not think I would go through the trouble and the expense to come back.
Tip: When you charge $32 for a plate of risotto, be sure to cook it first.
When I told one of my friends that I had gone to Etoile for lunch, she replied with, "OMG, that's so exciting! Nick took Jessica there on Newlyweds!"
Uh...right. Well I guess if it's good enough for celebutards, then it's good enough for me.
This is a great place to go to start off a day of wine tasting in the Napa Valley. We had lunch here over the weekend and were quite impressed with the quality of food and service.
I ordered the Salmon with white corn, mint, and yuzu. It was delicious. The fish was cooked to perfection and was placed neatly on the corn/mint/yuzu mixture. A great light lunch with an interesting mixture of flavors.
My dining companions had the Petrale Sole, scallops, heirloom tomato, and dungenous crab dishes, and were all equally pleased.
The desserts were absolute heaven! I had the white and dark chocolate mousse, which was both decadent and airy. Other top choices were the cappucino sorbet, gooey chocolate cake, and strawberry sorbet.
This an excellent place for everyone to order their own dish and then share with their companions, because each dish is wonderful and unique in its own way.
And the wine - how could I forget the wine? We ordered the Rose and the Riche sparkling wines, and they complimented our food choices very well. We were impressed enough with it that afterward, we waltzed down to the winery's tasting room and bought four bottles
Whether or not you're an MTV fan, this is a beautiful winery/restaurant to kickoff a lazy and indulgent afternoon of drinking.
Disclaimer: This is a review for the Etoile restaurant at Domain Chandon not the winery itself.
The best part about my dinner at Etoile was the waiters haircut. Words do not do this set of hair justice but if I had to describe it, I would say one word... Volume! Imagine a white dude with a 5 inch afro that didn't have a single curl in it. It was like a perfect set of hair only three times bigger that normal hair floating above this guy as he walked around the restaurant.
Now imagine the worst dinner you've ever had for $95 a plate and your at Etoile. Just to clarify, not the worst meal I've ever had just the worst one for 95 dollars.
With so many great restaurants in Yountville, I can't recommend this place to anyone however the winery looks fabulous.
I went with a friend of mine to Napa to pick out some wine for a wedding. On the way, we decided to stop by this place for a late lunch. I can't say much about the ambiance since we were sitting outside, however, the one thing that bothered me the whole time was that multiple bees kept on trying to eat our meals. Note to self: never eat outside of this restaurant again!
Apart from the bees, the waiter gave excellent service and was very attentive. He also knew quite a bit about the meals that he brought out. Since it was a light lunch, we only ordered 2 dishes:
1) Dayboat Scallops - w/braised pork belly, gobo root, royalzee plums, and uni
2) Seared Blue Fin Tuna - w/squash blossom, chive custard, haricot verts
What I didn't realize was that this place was definitely a culinary meal as the portions were small and the presentation was wonderful. However, the food that came out was already cold by the time it got to us. I did get to try a little of the scallops, pork belly, and uni but my dish (seared blue-fin tuna) I can probably comment in more detail. The prices are expensive...plan on spending $200 for a full meal.
So the reason that I ordered the blue-fin tuna is because it is difficult to find this type of fish. The place where you can find it is usually in a high-priced Japanese sushi restaurant. The tuna was seared a little too much...the right way to sear is just slightly on each side so that a majority of it is raw. In this case, the tuna was cooked almost all the way through. However, the chive custard and haricot verts were delicious but still could not make up for the lack of raw taste that I was looking for in the over-seared tuna.
I'd like to try this place again in the future and give it another chance. Next time I will definitely dine inside. Darn bees!
Hmm....where to start?
So this place is really expensive. You will spend a ridiculous amount of money on a meal. But, it will be one of the best meals of your life! This is a great place for a romantic meal or if you want to show some out of town'ers the wine country. We were dressed nice casual to business casual for lunch (nice sweater, slacks, and heels on me....khaki's and button down shirt on my husband) but there were a some couples present at other tables who were really dressed up (suit and evening wear). I felt like they were slightly overdressed for lunch but I think it's just a personal preference, It didn't seem like any one of us felt out of place. The ambiance is ok to nice. Not French Laundry nice (which is down the street) but pretty nice. This was the only area that I thought could use some improvement. I can't really put my finger on it but the ambiance in the dining room seemed kinda dated or maybe it was just kinda boring or maybe it was the fact that there were quite a few empty tables. I think I wanted warm and cozy elegant, and this place is simply elegant. Anyway, take a look at the pics of the dining room and you'll see what I mean. Maybe it's just a personal style thing.
The views of the oak trees are nice. Oh, there are outside tables also. I think it'd be great to be outside for appetizers and drinks and then maybe move inside.
This place is located on the Domaine Chandon property which is beautiful. Oak trees, babbling brook, foot bridge....you get the point. Domaine specializes in very good champagne and has a nice tasting room and a more casual eating area. Etoile has a seperate entrance but is basically attached to the main building.
The servers are amazingly charming. I am not all that "cultured" and was worried that I would be made to feel like a dork but this was definately not the case. Our male waiter (I forget his name) was so sweet. He was attentive but he did not hover. The minute I needed something I'd look up and he'd just appear. Then magically he'd disappear and leave us to enjoy our meal and conversation. Our guests that we went with only spoke Spanish. Imagine their delight when upon realizing this, our waiter (a white guy) began conversing with them in perfect Spanish. It was all too perfect. Again we were all charmed.
Onto the food. Our waiter let us know that the fish delivery had literally just been made minutes ago and so we all opted for the fish. OMG, YUM! We had Salmon and another fish...Halibut I think. The portions were not huge but you felt satisfied and everything was so flavorful. We opted to have the waiter decide on champagne pairings for each dish since we didn't know anything about wine or champagne. Although we spent a pretty penny on alcohol, it just added to the meal so much. By dessert we were just having such a good time and were so impressed with the food that we ordered one of everything. I think we split 6 desserts among the 5 of us.
Bottom line: every plate was licked clean and we all walked out with smiles on our faces even though our pockets were empty.
It was a nice time.
PS: We dined here in January 09
If you look on my profile you'll notice my last meal would be at Etoile! It was one of the best meals of my life! Everything was absolutely perfect and delicious!
To start, the restaurant it beautiful, very modern and chic. The service was impeccable from start to finish and the food, oh my, the food! My bf and I both had the pre fixe menu with wine pairing. To start I had a wonderful sunflower seed puree soup, or something along those lines, that was savory and smooth. For my entree I had the venison, which I love and love even more when it cooked just so. It was fabulous! For dessert I had a fruit crepe, I cant remember exactly what the fruit was but it was very good.
The whole dining experience was just so lovely. It was a wonderful meal and a wonderful night. One last note, its not cheap, the night we went they had special Mustard Festival pricing for the pre fixe menu so we lucked out, but the regular menu certainly does not look cheap...but I think its worth it!
*Check out the photos.*
Went to Etoile for a lunch while on our Honeymoon. Phenominal and that's not just because we were Newlyweds. The fish dish I had was FABULOUS! The service, EXCELLENT! The restaurant itself was magnificent. Recommended.
Beautiful spot in the wine country, in a lovely setting with excellent service. This is a formal restaurant, we decided not to have the chef tasting menu but tried the al a carte menu instead and had an absolutely lovely meal.
The I had duck breast with lentils and duck confit under neath that absolutely ROCKED my world! Fantastic!
Desserts all at $11 a piece were all worth it.
Try this place out & enjoy the setting, just be sure you have the wallet to cover the bill. Not a place for kids or those looking for just steak and potatoes.
4 stars as it is a stone's throw from The French Laundry and it only offers drinks from the vine. So forget about a Gin and Tonic or Martini, and the wine list is limited compared to other restaurants in the Valley.
I liked this place. It just kind of fit with me at the moment. Very, very nice, but still relaxed enough tfor me not to be annoyed by any ridiculousness pretense. Food was good, as was the wine of course. A very nice time and worth the coin. Oh yeah. I went for lunch. I wonder if dinnertime is more stuffy.
I love how the heavy machinery is working at the production facilities over to the right of where we were sitting.
Yountville, CA
Category: Italian
Yountville, CA
Category: Wineries
St. Helena, CA
Category: Steakhouses
Yountville, CA
Category: French
Yountville, CA
Category: American (New)
