One of my favorite 1-michelin starred restaurants, this is my second visit and I will definitely come back for more. This is the BEST place to have foie gras. From the first time I came here and had their foie gras, it has been outlawed and then inlawed. I was worried it would alter the integrity of the taste but NOPE. This time, foie gras came in 3 forms: pâté, seared, and truffled. Oh my goodness, if I was on my death bed — this would be my last meal. That creamy foie gras truffle covered in pistachio is one of the best things that has touched my almost three-decade old tongue. Can you tell which dish you have to get when you come here? Reasons for the 4 star rating: — I ordered the scallop for an appetizer and literally, only ONE scallop was in the dish. Even 2⁄3 Michelin star restaurants serve 2 – 3 scallops … I regret ordering it. — There was too much sea salt in a lot of the dishes. It ruins the flavor of the dish and I was scraping off the salt on almost every dish that came out. The flavor and quality of the food is wonderful, don’t ruin it with something I have plenty of from Costco! — The rabbit dish was better in my memory than what we had — it’s hard to make a great rabbit dish and I was a bit disappointed at how dry the rabbit thigh was and they covered it in a strong mustard sauce. — My husband got the wine pairing and the sommelier was mediocre at pairing the dishes. Some of the wines did NOT go well with the dishes. My mom also ordered a pinot noir and I’ve had $ 5 pinot’s better than the one she got :( If it weren’t for the foie gras and excellent service, this place would have been downgraded to 3 stars. But GOGETTHEFOIEGRAS! tl;dr — get the foie gras.
Elizabeth M.
Classificação do local: 5 San Francisco, CA
Went for a birthday dinner on Saturday last. I am a lucky girl. I have dined at very good restaurants — some truly great restaurants — and this was truly great. They go, and the menu goes, a few clicks higher than most others. We did the chef’s menu with wine pairings. tarted with the crab and green soup — a very refreshing dish. Next I had the trio of foie gras. The torchon was life changing. It was one of those what I call: «Momofuku moments» — when you have some dish so good you were physically shaken by it. Entrée was Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit — very fine. Desert was an apricot soufflé. Out of this world. Wine was fantastic. Wine guy talked too fast and too much — he was in too much of a hurry. Everything was perfect, even the chatty wine guy.
Vicki S.
Classificação do local: 4 Brooklyn, NY
The menu was intriguing and the food fantastic. The one negative, my dessert(apricot mousse) was a bit disappointing, but others in my party were happy with their dessert choices. All ingredients are locally grown/sourced. But be prepared to spend a fair amount of money — this is a Michelin restaurant. I am not saying it is not worth it, but the cheapest dinner will be $ 79/per person for 3 courses, without tax or tip or drinks. If you are going there you need to be aware of the pricing, that is if you care about such things. We went on a Sunday night and it was quiet. The staff was very helpful and informative. The Farmhouse Inn is the sort of place to go for an anniversary dinner or to propose.
Brad D.
Classificação do local: 3 Santa Rosa, CA
We have our friends to thank who bought us a gift certificate to dine here. Given an absolutely horrendous experience about 10 years ago, our group vowed to never come back(after getting a letter in the mail from the owner saying they didn’t need locals business to survive, so go away). So with a nice gift certificate in hand, we made a reservation and went. The experience is nice, not rushed – almost to the point of feeling ignored at times, but just barely. We ordered the 4 course meal with wine pairings, and the meal timing was very nicely paced(one of my pet peeves is tasting menu assembly line of constant food with no relaxing time in between). The sommelier picked interesting wines to pair with each course that were thoughtful and explained nicely. The food was exquisite – the octopus that folks mention here is just perfect. The downside is I could hear the discussions in the back room – a bit too loud. I heard the somm scold our server for serving the amuse bouche wine instead of her. There were times where we were left alone for just a bit too long without checking in, etc. It just felt off – I am glad they gave us time between courses, but it was not consistent. A great special occasion spot for sure. And the experience redeemed itself from the last time we ate there(again, one of the worst dining experiences in my entire life). I would go back.
Eater S.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
Had a nice dinner here. Service was spotty, and somewhat amateur/inconsistent. Food was really good. Wine wasn’t so good. For a Michelin dinner, the price was a reasonable value, but this isn’t French Laundry, nowhere close. Overall, I don’t have any problem recommending this restaurant as a nice place for a dinner in the area, though I do think it’s a bit over-hyped and doesn’t quite meet Michelin standards.
Gunther D.
Classificação do local: 5 Sacramento, CA
We have been coming here since 2012, having our wedding dinner and been back every year celebrating our anniversary. Staff friendly, knowledgeable about the food and wine, and make you feel like a king. But the best part, even above excellent service, is the amazing food. Layers of flavor and nearly sad when they take your empty plate away, but the joy soon returns as the next course is served. Thank you all at the Farmhouse Inn creating a memory each and every time we visit.
Lisa B.
Classificação do local: 5 Laguna Beach, CA
A wonderful warm and inviting atmosphere. Delicious food and great wine list. Staff is professional and friendly. A fantastic special occasion experience!
Ian V.
Classificação do local: 5 San Francisco, CA
Great food, great staff, but the design of the restaurant is seriously old school with weird murals circling the dining room and the carpet a heavy dark pattern direct from the 1990s
Stephen T.
Classificação do local: 3 Belvedere Tiburon, CA
I certainly have no complaints about anything. The staff are great the location is fantastic. We had 4 dishes with wine pairing(I would give the wine pairing 4 stars) I just felt that out of the 4 dishes I had, only 1 of them was stand out. I tried to tell myself it was what I ordered but all of the dishes should be Michelin standard. I would have to try a number of other places before coming back here.
Lori P.
Classificação do local: 5 Alameda, CA
Great customer service!!!
Roo R.
Classificação do local: 5 Los Angeles, CA
Refinement at its most refined state. Nothing here is really inventive or adventurous, however everything is the absolute best version of itself – anywhere. You wont find a single fault, and every bite is worth every cent. From each individual bite to the dish as a whole – the balance never shifts. The food we had here set bar that every other restaurant will try to reach.
Yod S.
Classificação do local: 5 Roseville, CA
If you take friends out a lot, you need this place in your arsenal. Believe me. You need to have that one place to go where you have a 90% or greater chance that anyone(who’s not vegan or under a similarly restrictive dietary regimen) will throughly enjoy themselves. This is not true at Benu, Panisse, or most of the truly wonderful places this area has to offer. The food is spectacular… If you live to be amazed and frankly, a bit mystified by your meals. This won’t happen here. Your guest will enjoy every dish without needing the explanation. Protip: if your waiter tells you that the chef cried while breaking down xyz ingredient, ORDERTHEDISHIT’S IN.
Allie P.
Classificação do local: 5 Kentfield, CA
A serene setting, excellent attention to detail and a true exploration of flavors sums this place up. The seasonal salad was a perfect start to the meal the perfectly cooked chared octopus was a nice progression, followed by the elk which was highlighted perfectly with sea salt and pear curry. Honestly the best preparation of the game meat I have ever had. A true artist is this chef– not afraid to play with texture, explore unique combinations of flavor and excellent detail to presentation.
Jamie M.
Classificação do local: 5 Honolulu, HI
OMG. This is one of the best meals that I have had ever! Our server was also very attentive, and the staff in the front was very nice. You have the option of ordering a 3 or 4 course meal. For an additional cost, you can also order the wine pairings. We opted for the 3 course meal, and we ordered a bottle of a local wine. The first thing that we had was some sort of savory cappuccino with some sort of parsley topping. I don’t really recall exactly what it was, except that it was delicious. I ended up ordering chicken for my entrée, and it was perfectly cooked. It was seared and crunchy on the outside but very tender on the inside. I normally would not order chicken at such a nice restaurant, but the waiter ensured me that it was not a throwaway dish. And it wasn’t. My fiancé ordered elk for the first time. It was prepared very rare. It was also excellent. I had never eaten elk before, but if it tastes like that, it definitely will not be my last time trying it. We both opted for the pumpkin pie, and it was much different than we were expecting. It was fluffy filling in a bowl that was topped with different types of gelatin and pomegranate seeds. The pomegranate was a really interesting finish to this light but tasty dessert. It was very creative and something that I could have never imagined. It was great. Dinner for two came to around $ 300. But it was totally worth it! If I am ever in Sonoma again, you better believe this will be part of my itinerary.
Andrew K.
Classificação do local: 4 Washington, DC
Four stars. Service — 4 stars. Superb. Atmosphere — 4 stars. Comfortable, intimate. Food — 4.5 stars. Well deserved Michelin star.
Christina G.
Classificação do local: 1 Walnut Creek, CA
They say the customer is always right… well, not at Farmhouse Inn. What is the Latin for«Condescending and Rude»? You’ll get that joke in a little bit. Let me start off by saying the food here is delicious. The highlights were the green garden gazpacho, the duck egg pasta, the lamb chops with a delicious herby couscous on the side, and the rabbit three ways(signature dish). The apricot soufflé was unfortunately under, but the kitchen happily replaced it with a chocolate dessert that pleased my date. If Unilocal was just for food reviews, I would give Farmhouse Inn a four-star rating. So why am I giving it one star? Because we had a one-star experience from the restaurant’s maitre’d. To set the scene, my boyfriend and I came here to celebrate our six-month anniversary. When we told the maitre’d of our special occasion(at least it was«special» to us), he scoffed and said that six months was«not an anniversary,» stating that the word derived from the Latin word meaning«year.» I was taken aback. Was I really being challenged on this? I couldn’t believe this man, supposedly the face and voice of the restaurant, was diminishing and mocking our reason to celebrate. Trying to hide my feelings, I replied playfully, «Then we are celebrating our semi-anniversary.» He seemed unimpressed, and we never received our«gift» that this restaurant provides to guests celebrating a special occasion(a menu pre-printed with the diners’ names on it). Seriously, if I knew that would have been the payoff, I wouldn’t have even tried to share any personal information with this maitre’d. My boyfriend and I are not pretentious people, but we are educated and we don’t need to be lectured on the etymology of a word, or told that we don’t have a legitimate«anniversary celebration,» at least according to the Oxford English Dictionary of Offensive Maitre’Ds. To be clear, the rest of the staff was attentive and checked on us regularly with professionalism and a welcoming attitude. When I think back on the food and wait staff at Farmhouse Inn, I remember my(semi)anniversary celebration fondly. But when I think of the man who greeted us at the restaurant and set the tone for our meal, I am saddened, angered, and disappointed.
Thomas C K.
Classificação do local: 4 Santa Rosa, CA
To summarize our visit: the food is outstanding but not exotic or very adventurous, similar food as you get in other restaurants but better prepared. The atmosphere is elegant but a bit«hoity toity»… When we arrived we waited quite some time at the receptions as the Maitre d’ seated several guests, poured their water and chatted with them. Numerous waiters and attendants and people carrying wine bottles passed around us but nobody paid attention to us… rather unusual and our greeting upon arrival was not so warm nor welcoming. Well, after a while the Maitre d’ seated us eventually. When our waiter arrived and handed my wife the black napkin he asked me(why) if I knew why he was giving her a black one and for myself the white napkin… We were somewhat dumb-struck by this comment but… Service overall was friendly and attentive but the spacing of our meal could have been more accelerated. Anyway, on to our meals. We tried to order some obligatory cocktails but discovered that they only offered beer and wine — disappointing. We ordered the 3 course menu and decided on a bottle of Pinot Noir rather than going with the wine pairings. It turned out that our wine was not available and the waiter immediately recommended a wine that turned out to be 52% more expensive — we declined and picked another bottle. Living in wine country ourselves we would not expect anything else, but in this case the restaurant seemed to be quite focused on their wine pairings as there were lots of discussion and explanations going on at the tables around us by the Sommelier who came — to us — across as a bit pretentious — I had the feeling that there was some amount of high pressure selling. My choices were the Coconut Tuna Ceviche(coconut milk, cilantro, jalapeño, sesame seeds nori crusted avocado) — outstanding and just the right amount of crunch and the crusted avocado was delicious. The Duck Foie Gras($ 10 supplement) in butter brioche, pruneaux red wine earlgrey reduction was one of our favorites — we have always enjoyed a good foie gras. My main course of Halibut was good, the meat was moist and flaky. My wife ordered the Seared Atlantic Scallops(oxtail, black trumpet mushroom marmalade, pink peppercorn citrus, radish salad), the Beef(we can’t remember the name but it was a Texas Kobe style)) which was properly prepared and my wife very much enjoyed it, for desert she got the Chocolate Soufflé(Kahlua crème anglaise). Note: all portions are small. We feel that the quality of the food rates a 5 star but for invention only a 3 star — as I said, well prepared food and better than many other places but to us not esoteric enough — an older high quality restaurant aimed at a certain demographic. The service we rate as 3 star given our«surprises»(I believe some other reviewers took exception to some of the«strange» comments by some of the employees. So, overall a 4 star — consider that this meal with only one bottle of wine did cost us about $ 330.
Rew C.
Classificação do local: 5 Santa Rosa, CA
I’m not going to write a book because I’m not that self important. I took a close friend here for his birthday and we had a blast. I brought a nice White Burgundy and also bought a bottle of red from the list. Elegant surroundings and delicious exquisite food preparations. The price — VERYEXPENSIVE — but once in awhile you have to splurge for those that you care about. I think the bill ended up being $ 340 with tip. I ran very high end restaurants for many years and I felt this was on par with those. The service was very good — not painfully formal as we did it — but more California formal — appropriate and on top of their game. You can’t worry about cash when you walk through the door in my opinion. One of the nicest places in the North Bay /Sonoma County. A true delight.
Julia P.
Classificação do local: 4 San Francisco, CA
Came here for anniversary dinner and was not disappointed. The ambiance is a rustic country type feel(obviously) and the waitstaff was completely at your service. Everything was well made and french and they deserve their Michelin star. I will say that the Rabbit Rabbit Rabbit, was not as amazing or eye opening as I expected but this was probably because my expectations were a little unrealistic… plus I’m not a huge rabbit meat fan(and I had had some a week prior too). Don’t get me wrong, it was good and I would recommend getting it since it’s something they pride themself on — but subjectively it was not as much my taste. Would come again maybe for a day spa trip or weekend getaway.
Donna Y.
Classificação do local: 5 Clarksville, MD
We came here after a long day of Sonoma drinking and boy am I glad we did. It was one of my favorite experiences in California. Everything we ordered was flavorful and delicious but the dungenes crab with squid ink orzo really stood out to me. The crab was juicy and fresh and(i am drooling as I’m typing this) the squid ink … Don’t knock it until you try it … Was unbelievably delicious. The food was amazing… the service was impeccable. it’s must go to place when in the area.