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Photo courtesy of Auberge du Soleil
Wine Country may be big on wine, but it’s also a food lover’s haven, chock full of fine dining establishments that highlight the flavors and ingredients of Napa Valley, Sonoma County, and beyond. Of course, if you’re looking for the crème de la crème of Wine Country restaurants, there’s only one name to look out for: Michelin.
Known as the gold standard of dining, when you dine at a Michelin-starred restaurant, you can expect incredible food, impeccable service, and an all-around elevated experience. Ready to make your foodie dreams come true? Here are the 2024 Michelin-starred restaurants in Napa Valley and Sonoma County to experience at least once in your lifetime.
Three Michelin Stars ✽ ✽ ✽ – Chef Thomas Keller’s iconic The French Laundry restaurant, situated in Napa’s culinary capital of Yountville, remains a Michelin darling year after year, and for good reason. Here, you’ll find meticulously crafted French cuisine that is as beautiful as it is delicious, with a daily-changing menu focused on hyper seasonal ingredients from local farms and purveyors. Choose from one of two tasting menus offered daily: the Chef’s Tasting Menu and the Tasting of Vegetables. Regardless of which menu you decide upon, you can expect one insanely memorable meal. After all, this world-renowned restaurant has held Three Michelin Stars since 2007, so you know they’re doing something, we mean everything, right.
6640 Washington Street, Yountville, CA 94599, (707) 944-2380
Three Michelin Stars ✽ ✽ ✽ — SingleThread is the vision of owners Kyle and Katina Connaughton, who spent years researching and fine tuning every detail of their farm, restaurant, and inn concept before opening in 2016. Heavily influenced by their time in Japan, the beautiful 55-seat Healdsburg restaurant offers a one-of-a-kind dining experience in Wine Country, where the seasonal bounty of Sonoma County is seamlessly intertwined with the flavors and cooking techniques of Japan. The 10-course tasting menu, which features vegetables, fruit, herbs, flowers, and honey from their nearby farm, is truly a treat for the senses, taking you on a culinary journey that showcases food as a true art form.
131 North Street, Healdsburg, CA 95448, (707) 723-4646
Photos courtesy of Harbor House
Two Michelin Stars ✽ ✽ — Perched above the Pacific Ocean along the Mendocino Coast, the 25-seat Harbor House Restaurant at the ultra-private Harbor House Inn is a dining destination to remember. The redwood-clad dining room, complete with a vaulted ceiling and wall of windows highlighting views of the crashing waves and rugged coastline, creates the perfect setting for enjoying the delectable land and sea-influenced cuisine. The tasting menu, crafted by rising star Chef Matthew Kammerer, is both impeccable and seasonal, featuring dishes that showcase local, often foraged ingredients from the surrounding area. And, because the offerings are constantly evolving with the seasons, you can look forward to something truly special and unique with each visit.
5600 South Highway 1, Elk, CA 95432, (707) 877-3203
Indulge in Napa Valley’s top Cabernet and food pairing Experience.
One Michelin Star ✽ — The acclaimed chef of Auro, Rogelio Garcia, has not only earned the restaurant a Michelin star for two consecutive years (the two years Auro has been open), but he was also a finalist for the coveted James Beard Award for Best Chef in California. Get a taste of Chef Garcia’s culinary expertise during Auro’s seven-course tasting menu, with optional wine pairings. Sommelier Derek Stevenson expertly selects each wine from Auro’s collection of over 475 labels to compliment dishes like 10-day dry-aged Japanese kapanachi and Perigord black truffle gnocchi. Dessert is just as memorable, thanks to offerings like coffee whipped ganache and cara cara orange peel anglaise. Also noteworthy: the Wine Series Dinner, a celebration of both land and sea that pairs seven courses with a different featured winery each month.
400 Silverado Trail N, Calistoga, CA 94515, (707) 709-2160
Photos courtesy of Auberge du Soleil
One Michelin Star ✽ — Founded over 40 years ago, the restaurant at Auberge du Soleil was one of the first fine dining establishments in Napa Valley, paving the way for elevated Wine Country cuisine. Since then, Auberge du Soleil has maintained its culinary legacy—and held its Michelin Star status for 18 consecutive years—by offering colorful dishes influenced by the vibrant seasonal produce of Napa Valley, served alongside top-notch hospitality and picture-perfect panoramic views. While the six-course Chef’s Tasting dinner menu is a treat for discerning palates, the restaurant is all about creating a customized experience for its guests; Those looking for an abbreviated, yet no less tasty experience will adore the three or four-course prix fixe lunch and dinner menus available, as well as wine pairings customized to each individual’s tastes and preferences.
180 Rutherford Hill Road, Rutherford, CA 94573, (800) 348-5406
One Michelin Star ✽ — After establishing Kenzo Estate Winery, owners Natsuko and Kenzo Tsujimoto launched their signature restaurant in downtown Napa, where their exquisitely executed Kaiseki menu celebrates the umami-packed flavors of Japan. Using fresh ingredients flown in daily from Japan, as well as produce and proteins from local farms, Kenzo’s seasonal menus manage to be both traditional and inventive, taking diners on a transformative journey through high-end Japanese cuisine. Completing the experience is the intimate and minimalist dining room, where select seating at the chef’s counter allows you to observe the intricacies of the techniques and presentations that go into each course.
1339 Pearl Street, Napa, CA 94559, (707) 294-2049
One Michelin Star ✽ — Perhaps PRESS earned its name from its impressive, 10,000 bottle wine collection. It wouldn’t be a surprise, as the restaurant has the largest collection of Napa Valley wine in the entire world. PRESS is also one of only two restaurants in the world with a regional wine list to receive a Grand Award from Wine Spectator. With three sommeliers on staff, you’re in the best hands possible when it comes to wine pairings to go with their globally-inspired menu. Speaking of the menu, it showcases an ever-changing selection of meat, pasta, and seafood-centric dishes, each highlighting Napa’s best local and seasonal ingredients, of course, to round out the restaurant’s beautiful ode to California.
587 St. Helena Highway, St. Helena, CA 94574, (707) 967-0550