We are making plans to meet my sister and her family in Napa for lunch on a Saturday in a few weeks. We are meeting midway between their home and my Daughter so want Napa itself not St Helena or Yountville. No sushi and a couple of the young people are picky eaters so nothing to fancy. Would love some suggestions.
Thanks
Angele’s in downtown Napa is great.
Angele’s in downtown Napa is great but probably too fancy for your picky folks.
Try Napkins - awesome food and on the lower end price wise.
Double post. Cc has been sluggish tonight.
Celadon, Morimoto, and Bounty Hunter are a few of my family’s favorites for sit down service, but not too fancy.
For a more casual atmosphere, you could head to the Oxbow Public Market. It is an indoor collection of shops and quick service restaurants (some counter service, some with table service).
Bistro Don Giovanni is on the northern fringes of town, and is right off of highway 29.
Forgot to mention we will probably be 8 people. I’m loving the suggestions. I think definitely will want someplace I can make a reservation. We’ve been to Oxbow but it’s not what we are looking for this time. I haven’t seen my sister since last summer so want to be able to visit.
We live about an hour from Napa (in Walnut Creek), go up there fairly regularly, and just stayed at the Napa River Inn last month for a weekend getaway. Although Angele was on the hotel property, we opted to eat at Celadon instead. It was very good. It is also on this same hotel’s property, a stone’s throw from Angele. We had a great casual lunch at Hog Island Oyster Company, located inside the Oxbow Public Market. I don’t eat oysters but they have the best grilled cheese sandwich you will ever eat! We had dinner our 2nd night at Bistro Don Giovanni. Ate there twice now. My favorite Italian restaurant in Napa BUT it is very noisy. We have eaten at all of LVKris’ other recommendations and they are good as well.
If you want a downtown Napa restaurant I highly recommend Cole’s Chop House for dinner. My #1 for a Napa restaurant but depends if you want/like chops, steaks, and fish.
A great place for breakfast or lunch is the Boon Fly Cafe, just outside Napa, towards Sonoma.
Our “go to” restaurants when out of town guests come visit is Redd in Yountville and Tra Vigne in St. Helena.
Also in St. Helena, only have eaten dinner there once but it was really memorable, is The Restaurant at Meadowood Resort. Brunch also incredible.
Most people have heard of French Laundry in Yountville. It is extremely difficult to make reservations in the “window” that is allowed. It is also very pricey. Dinner for 2 with a nice wine can set you back a grand in round numbers.
@jshain, do you recommend the Napa River Inn? I like to go up north of the GG Bridge for a getaway from time to time.
Cardinal Fang—
The location is great. Short walk to downtown. We had a nice corner room with 2 windows. We had free parking. Good restaurants on the property (Celadon) or a short distance (Morimoto) and a separate night club. We got a really good room rate for a standard King room (around $230 per night). If I had paid the normal $300 to $350 or more, I would have been a little disappointed.
There is a brand new hotel in the center of downtown, on 1st St, that just opened in November 2017. It is the Archer Hotel. It looks really hip inside. The room rate was about what we paid at Napa River Inn but parking not included. They said they were only at about 25-50% capacity so you could probably get a good rate there.
Best meal I’ve ever eaten…Brixx. Is it still there?
@jshain I’ve had wonderful meals at Tra Vigne going back almost 30 years, but didn’t it close a few years ago?
Also – re The French Laundry, @jshain is right about its prices. It would take a very nice wine to get you to $1,000 for two, but if you were doing a party of 8 I think they charge more, and there’s little chance you would get out at less than $500/person. However, it’s the only restaurant in that super-premium category I have ever spent my own money on more than once. And not felt ripped-off in the least. And if you want time to talk . . . a meal there can easily occupy four hours, and give you plenty to talk about.
Thumper, Brix is still there, as well as Mustard’s Grill, next door.
JHS, I will have to check on Tra Vigne. I heard it failed a routine inspection about a month ago. Possible that it closed temporarily while they worked it out? I think you might be thinking of Miramonte, which did close. Redd had an issue a couple years ago also. A woman got very ill on undercooked scallops. Ate their twice since they got that terrible press and it is, without question, still one of the best Napa Valley restaurants. My wife said the scallops were the best she’s ever eaten. She did not have the scallops immediately after this woman got sick eating them!
We used to love Catahoula, at the Mount View Hotel in Calistoga. The restaurant is no longer there.
JHS— you are correct about Tra Vigne. It closed in December. Maybe related to that inspection (obviously more than a month ago). Bummer…
Edit: Tra Vigne Pizzeria is still open.
There is a Westin next to the Oxbow market on the other side of the river. Very spacious suites, and only a short walk to downtown across the bridge.
I think OP is looking for something more like Napkis… not French Laundry. And Morimoto is out because it is a sushi restaurant.
Gott’s Roadside, next door to Oxbow Market. Haven’t eaten at that location but the one in Walnut Creek where I live is good. They do burgers, sandwiches, salads, etc.
Obviously my sister and I aren’t on same page as she suggested Bouchon or Bottega in Yountville.
@BunsenBurner and @jshain We went to Gott’s in St Helena last summer when we were visiting. I had a great chicken sandwich. Looking for a step up from that. I sent my sister and daughter links for Napkins, Bistro Don Giovanni, Celadon and Boon fly cafe.
My D wants me to look at The Farmstead at Long Meadow Ranch.
My sister is in Marin and my D lives in Vacaville.
Lol - that is not same page definitely. Thumper mentioned Brix - it is very nice but on the expensive side.
Boon Fly cafe is a bit in the boonies if we are talking downtown Napa. 
And I was not into their lunch food that much…
My S and her H and a couple of her kids are food people. Her other kid is a picky simple eater as is my D. I’m clarifying who in her family is joining is. She was thinking a “nice” lunch where I was thinking a good lunch or brunch. I also would like a place where we can talk or at least take a walk after if the weather permits. I picked Napa proper as it’s an easier drive. We have a drive up on Thursday of 6 hours, a drive Friday to Oakland for a food tasting, a drive Saturday for lunch and our drive of 6 ish hours home on Sunday. A lot of car time.
I highly recommend the Boon Fly Cafe. It is located on the property of the Carneros Inn. Look for the Red building because there is no intersection, just a smallish low sign and inconspicuous driveway. The restaurant does not take reservations for breakfast and lunch— only dinner. It is a very popular eatery and it is not very large. If you decide to eat there, I would suggest going at a “less popular” hour but even typically less popular times are busy in a world renowned touristy area. I had their Green Eggs and Ham. It was massive and delicious!
Edit: I have not eaten at The Farmstead but our foodie friends have and they really enjoyed it. Keep in mind that this is not an inexpensive restaurant. Lunch can cost what dinner costs in a more upscale restaurant.