Words by Johanna Harlow
A weekend in Yountville isn’t meant to be action-packed. With one main street bordered by restaurants, tasting rooms, boutique hotels, spas, a Panama hat shop and not much else, this is the kind of destination best savored at a slower pace. Wine, dine and expect the sublime in one of America’s most sophisticated small towns.
Cycle or Stroll
As you roll into town, get the lay of the land with a quick stroll. It’s only a breezy 20-minute walk from one end of tree-lined Washington Street to the other. As you scope things out, appreciate Yountville’s abundance of sculptures by taking the free self-guided art walk available online at townofyountville.com/238/art-walk.
Prefer cycling to strolling? Pick up a cruiser or e-bike at Napa Valley Bike Tours & Rentals or, if you’re checking into North Block Hotel, commandeer one of its complimentary bicycles to coast through downtown and the surrounding neighborhoods. For a more rustic route, take Yount Mill Road out of town and zip along verdant vineyards, the Napa River and surrounding hillsides dotted with grazing cows.
Cover Photo: Far Niente / Food Photo: Courtesy of David Escalante - RO Restaurant & Lounge
Remarkable Restaurants
Ready for the town’s renowned restaurant scene? We’re sure you’ve already heard of a little place called The French Laundry, but the area is overflowing with outstanding options. Beyond his legendary three-Michelin-star restaurant, Chef Thomas Keller has opened several more eateries around town, including RO Restaurant & Lounge, a partnership with his chef de cuisine, Jeffery Hayashi. This Asian-inspired dining destination delights in bringing the artful and unexpected to your table. Take the creamy uni on fresh brioche from the bakery down the road. Or the wagyu flat iron steak with shio koji marinade and cherry tomatoes, a sweet and savory synergy with bright acidity. Or caviar on ice cream. It shouldn’t work, but it does, the light saltiness of the cheesecake-like ice cream harmonizing with the miso caramel and pop of royal-grade caviar.
My favorite meal comes from Bottega Napa Valley, an Italian spot with an inviting interior in shades of amber and copper and a big sunny patio. Lunch starts strong with pesce crudo, the fish of the day stunningly presented atop a block of pink Himalayan salt and crowned with flowers and microgreens. Another highlight: the Sophia Loren pasta, celebrating the icon’s 80th birthday. It comes with tomatoes prepared three ways, including a robust sauce reduced down with chicken bones to impart a remarkable depth of flavor. “I describe the sauce like Sophia Loren herself—timeless, bold and full of character,” describes Chef Alex Espinoza.
Photo: Courtesy of Bottega Napa Valley
Drawn to all that glitters? Make your reservations at RH Restaurant, a wonderland of chandeliers in a greenhouse-like space brimming with olive trees. Seekers of all things cozy should head to Ciccio for wood-fired pizzas, rustic charm and rigatoni. Meanwhile, admirers of seafood will savor vermilion rockfish highlighted by aromatic laksa soup or lobster tail and chitarra pasta adorned with Early Girl tomatoes and basil at The Restaurant at North Block. If you want to let the chef show off, opt for the Valley to Coast Tasting Menu.
For those staying at North Block, slip into siesta mode back in your room, laze by the pool or curl up on patio furniture at the hotel’s European-style central courtyard. With contemporary décor of warm earthy tones, plus a patio or balcony in every room, and stellar staff, it’s easy to see how North Block earned its two Michelin keys.
Photo: Courtesy of Douglas Friedman
Cue the Cabernet
What’s wine country without a tasting or two? Expect high-caliber wines across the board at Stewart Cellars, which received recognition for three of its offerings in Wine Spectator’s Best of the Best list of California cabernets this year. There’s something for everyone, from the bold GSM blend with brambleberry notes and elegant tannins to the bright sauvignon blanc with characteristics of lemon and lime. Winemaker Blair Guthrie admits that he avoided working with this white wine since his country of origin, New Zealand, is drowning in the stuff—but Sonoma County’s approach to the varietal won him over. “I’m trying to express the California sunshine so you get those more tropical notes on it,” he says. “But I very much picked this wine early to also try and express those beautiful herbaceous notes that you get in New Zealand sauvignon blanc.”
Prefer to be in view of the vines? A 10-minute drive to nearby Oakville will take you to historic Far Niente. As you turn off the main road, a corridor of bowing trees ushers you to the tasting area. Your table, idyllically situated beside a pond and a pergola, seems straight from a Thomas Kinkade painting. “We let the weather be the expression,” our steward Scott Cook says as he pours a ruby red cabernet and pinpoints 2016, 2018 and 2021 as exceptional years for the varietal.
Photo: Courtesy of Nickel & Nickel
At its sister property, Nickel & Nickel, let the cabernet have its say with a tasting exploring five variations of one varietal. You’ll learn what gives each its distinct character on a porch overlooking the mountains or in the historic Gleason Barn. The barn dates back to 1770 and was transported from New Hampshire before being rebuilt piece-by-piece. It’s one of the oldest (if not the oldest) buildings in California, and you can feel the weight of history in its hand-hewn beams.
Museum Meanderings
Just outside of town, you’ll also find the Napa Valley Museum of Art & Culture. Opened earlier this year, The MAC is currently still showing its interactive inaugural exhibition Julia Child: A Recipe for Life through March 8, 2026. Dedicated to the chef, author and TV personality who adapted hundreds of complex French recipes for American home cooks, the exhibit embraces all the senses. You’ll walk among huge pictures from Julia’s life, open pots to catch a whiff of her most popular recipes and peek into kitchen cabinets to watch clips from Julia’s cooking shows, her voice’s distinctive warble greeting you like an old friend.
Photo: Courtesy of Johanna Harlow
Windows in the gallery’s wall allow you to watch a class at the teaching kitchen of Under-Study café next door. If Julia’s journey inspires you, tie on an apron and join them. But if that sounds like too much fuss, don’t worry. In laid-back Yountville, slowing down and savoring your stay is always on the menu.