Opinions FRENCH LAUNDRY Yountville

I was here for a private affair

If you’re reading this and thinking of going, stop thinking and just go. This is clearly a once in a lifetime meal.

Based on my experience, I have to say that the French Laundry was a captivating experience from the moment we stepped onto the property to when we departed about 3 hours later. Every interaction was handled with grace and poise and we felt that our time was carefully curated with exceptional attention to detail. As an example, they must have heard we were getting fuller towards the end of the meal and went ahead and served a reduced portion size while still maintaining the dish (and reducing the cost of the add-on we had requested). Service was cheerful without being overbearing, and we felt well-attended to. Factor in a tour of the kitchen and the grounds and we felt very welcome in their restaurant.

I won’t go into the individual courses as they change, albeit with classics that still grace the menu. Overall, they were delicious with none missing the mark. Often I feel like cream or heavy elements are over-used, but they had the right balance of elements. The 5 desert ending was spectacular and we ended up bringing a bounty back for midnight snacks (they’re clearly used to this and had a beautiful to-go box for their truffles). Overall, i would highly recommend for someone new to fine dining, or a Michelin regular. The best Michelin meal I’ve had this year (and just got back from Paris last week).

Special shout out to Nicole, Todd, Michael, who made our evening 100 percent fantastic. Oh...and the food was pretty good too! ???? Absolutely LOVE TFL. Thank you Chef!

Excellent services and menu

Still one of the best restaurants on the planet.

Such a treat! Delicious food, outstanding service, all made for an unforgettable experience!

An incredible experience. That’s well worth the value if you can afford it. The food was delicious and the service impeccable. It was kind of like going to watch professional sports in that everybody you saw was the best of the best and on the top of the game. No details were overlooked. No courtesy not given. It’s not somewhere that I would go regularly, but that’s not what three Michelin star restaurants are for. Amazing.

I was really excited about this meal. Five months trying to make a reservation and finally snagging a 430 dinner res and excited about it. And the food was very good, some items were excellent. But just not up to expectations. Also, The service was fine but not 3Stars. I’ve been to 2 Mich places that had better service. The wine pairing was basically a joke. $375 for 5 wines that averaged ~ $30 a bottle. Extra charge for coffee. Asked to see the kitchen and they spun us through with zero explanation of anything and had us out the back door in 10 seconds flat. I mean, what was the point of it all? All for $1,400 for two. Don’t mean to be one-sides, it was very good, it just was a bit of a letdown compared to other 2 and 3 star experiences and compared to the TFL hype.

this establishment gave me an extremely uneasy feeling last time I was here. like I was being watched & had to watch my back while exiting the restaurant.

The food was delicious! This would have been 5 stars were it not for the price. There were definitely dishes that were top-notch, but some just felt ok. We have had food at other similar-class restaurants that was better (especially Inn at Little Washington and Alinea), but it was for sure an experience and worth going to if it's been on your bucket list!

Amazing experience!! From the beautiful garden, you're ushered through a royal blue door to your table and brilliance happens. The staff was AMAZING!!! They facilitated this dining experience, I cannot say enough about the staff. They were extremely attentive.

Words cannot describe the dishes that were served. Beautiful designed! Please see my pictures to see the beauty.
They made the best asparagus that I've ever eaten in my life!

This restaurant experience is a once in a lifetime treat.

$700 a plate no thank you

Has been on 'my list to eat' since I bought the book back in early 2000. It didn't disappoint on any level. Flawless service, perfectly executed delicious food. Only wish I lived closer

with how difficult it was to make reservations and how expensive this place is (not to mention the THREE Michelin stars), we really expected to be wowed. my husband and I felt lucky to get a reservation via Tock to visit on our latest trip to Napa and came away feeling like TFL is wildly overrated. we came in with very high hopes and did not receive a warm welcome and were not assisted nor explained anything about the menu and/or wine list, we were handed a 180 page wine list and told to let them know what we want. we would have loved a cocktail to start but they don't offer any mixed drinks so we started with a glass of champagne and let them do wine pairings for us based on a budget we gave, which was equivalent to the price of the food. the food was good but we've had better food, service, and overall experiences at other restaurants with 1 Michelin star... by far. many of the dishes were forgettable and nothing spectacular, the oysters and pearls was my favorite but we ordered the supplemental dishes and they were placed in front of the wrong person. the wait staff seems generally unhappy and robotic. the atmosphere is non-existent, to the point of other reviews on here it feels like your grandparents living room and the tables are cramped together. I had asked our waiter where the bathroom was and he told me to follow him as he was clearing our plates and ended up forgetting and leading me into the kitchen when the bathroom was actually upstairs... another member of the staff caught that I was going the wrong way and redirected me. reading other reviews, it seems a kitchen tour is a part of everyone's experience but we weren't offered one. it's too expensive and too fussy of a reservation to get for this experience and we will be happy to save our money in the future. we spent a long weekend in Napa and it was our least favorite experience of the 4 restaurants we had dinner at and I don't really understand how they're holding onto 3 stars.

Great experience at the French Laundry. It was everything we expected. We were there in early February. The truffle risotto was my favorite dish followed closely by oysters & pearls. The only dish I didn’t care for was a smoked dish and I don’t care for Smokey flavors, but I’m sure others would enjoy it. Desserts were great. The staff was great and the fireplace in the room was a nice touch. It was a lot of food so do pace yourself! My only critique would be a more reasonably priced bourbon selection. With so many good bourbons available there should be something under a couple hundred dollars for a drink. It’s definitely something you should experience once though- you won’t regret it and won’t forget the experience. Thanks for a great dining experience and we hope to come back.

What an amazing place. The courtyard is beautiful, and you can see right into the wine cellars from the outside. The food was amazing, but honestly we weren't prepared for it. Expect to be eating for 5 or so hours, it's a very long tasting menu, about a quarter of the way through I was full, so I skipped a few courses, and had a few bites here & there. Next time I would skip the daytime activities and have this be the only event of the day. My absolute favorite part was upon leaving we received little biscuits in a tin with the logo. A very enjoyable experience!

Once in a lifetime experience beginning the door. Food, atmosphere and service are extraordinary. ????????????????????????

six of us got seated at a table that I my back were literally against the wall. The table next to us was a couple with a baby. The baby was crying during the our whole time there. The noise level was so high. It was a very unpleasant night for us.

What great things can be said, that hasn't already been said. Amazing food, gread atmosphere. Staff. Willing to assist with any question or request.
Definitely something that is worth doing. Will go again at some point..

Brent and Jose were the absolute best!

Is this the place where Newsome and Clinton ate baby fetuses during the lockdown?

The presentations were impressive, although there is room for improvement in the service considering the price.

I could write a thousand words about our experience...
From the second we arrived to the moment we left, it was perfect.
Thank you, Chef Keller & Team, for inspiring our budding chef, you all went out of your way to make our evening so special and one he will never forget.
A class act.

Exceeds every expectation.

I booked my wife the quintessential "life experience" reservation at The French Laundry. After talking and being advised and negotiating with Julia and Kimberly (concierges) for the better part of two weeks, I hesitantly reserved (PAID for) a four-top to guarantee a party of two. We advised them the situation, so they knew ahead of time, they would only be preparing meals for TWO guests. (BUYING a four top to guarantee a seating. ABSOLUTELY ridiculous. Who always goes out as a four top to the most expensive restaurant in America? OPEN more two tops). One of the biggest regrets of my life and my wife's. After years of being accustomed to Michelin stars, whilst treating your customers (the reason for a restaurant) like afterthoughts, this restaurant has cast customers aside in favor of their reputation and payroll. My wife was charged $145 extra for Wagyu beef (size of a saltine cracker), and at no point, was advised of the upcharge. Again, they paid for and DID NOT receive, an additional meal for two. So, why the upcharge? You received an additional $780 dollars that was not allocated to labor, food, wine, dishwashing, place settings, time, or your garden. Service was above average, but the children (chefs) in the kitchen were laughing about the whole situation (Thomas Keller was obviously nowhere to be found, as he clearly is coasting on the past merits of this restaurant.) Just because you CAN charge an amount that leaves the customer not only disappointed, but REGRETFUL, doesn't mean you SHOULD. I have written this same letter on paper and mailed it, but I don't believe for a second anyone will read it, apologize, or explain. All at the French Laundry should take a moment, think about what WAS, or SHOULD be with your reputation, and re-evaluate. I have been a line cook most of my life. I told my wife she should go to the French Laundry without me, and I cannot believe what a disappointment. The staff were impatient with my wife about having to remove silverware for two people. That is UNACCEPTABLE at The French Laundry. Also, she was served a potato after specifically advising the staff she could have no starches. Absolutely pathetic.

Cuisine exquise, cadre sympa, bon service. Un excellent restaurant à Yountville.