Bistro Don Giovanni

This restaurant came highly recommend. We made a reservation, but showed up 1.5 hours early. They had a table available (near the bar where everyone comes in, so not the most desirable table), so we took it. We were greeted by the hostess and the owner Gio who was either posted near the front or mingling with guests throughout the night. See a lot of regulars is always a good sign in my mind, and this place clearly had a large number of regular guests!
We started with the carpaccio appetizer which was phenomenal! The mix of flavors with the razor thin sliced meat, the greens and the capers with just the right amount of seasoning and saltiness started the evening off perfectly. We also had the Fritto Misto which was calari, rock shrimp, fennel onions, green beans and a spicy aioli… it was very, very good!
The Pesto Genovese will silk pasta wad amazing… probably some of the best pesto sauce I have ever had! I might have preferred a slight bit more garlic to the dish, but for me, there is never enough garlic, so that may not be a fair assessment. However, It Was light, airy, simple and simply spectacular!
My girlfriend had the lobster ravioli dish which was also quite tasty! Good portion and lots of flavor!
Foe dessert, we had the «Bostini» Trifle… I won’t try to describe what all is in it (see the menu), but it is simply one of the most amazing, layered desserts we have ever had! My girlfriend is not a huge dessert person, but her eyes literally crossed as she took the first bite. (Hint: Make sure you have a toasted almond in your bite… the balance of flavors is flawless!)
The service was very, very good! Warm, friendly, welcoming and attentive! The one complaint (if any) is that when the pasta entrees were served (not by our server, but a floor assistant), we were not offered fresh grated cheese (as we noticed others were after us). My guess is that the floor assistant left that to our server, and our server assumed the assistant had offered and we declined. Easy mistake to make, but as cheese lovers, this might have made this a 5-​star review! Unilocal only allows even numbers, so the score is a 4-​star review, but really it’s probably closer to 4.5 stars!
We highly recommend Don Giovanni Bistro, and will definitely make this a regular stop when we visit Napa!

We visited this recommend restaurant for dinner after a nice day of wine tasting. Much to our surprise our experience faired much lower than our expectations. We were greeted with a warm smile from the host and was told our table would be about 30 mins. Perfect… gives us time to have a cocktail before dinner at the bar. After nearly 30 minutes of waiting for our table, several parties came in (large and smaller parties.) Obviously these guests were locals and were warmly greeted by the owner. After they were seated, the owner approached my wife and I and told us our table would be another hour unless we wanted to eat at the bar. I didn’t push back to much, I could tell his level of concern was very low.
The server Jaye (young Thai lady) was exceptional! Very attentive and ready to please. The food was good and the atmosphere was jumping. If you are NOT local, plan on being at the back of the line. The owner could use some lessons in hospitality to those from out of town! Good luck and plan on waiting for a table longer then what they may have expressed!

When the moon hits your eye like a big pizza pie… I may not be Italian but sure do love the food. And Bistro Don Giovanni has some of the best. The Bistro is my personal favorite place to eat every single time I find my self in the, beautiful, Napa Valley. And, I find myself there a lot because it is less than an hour’s drive from my home. Each and every time a wine tasting is planned, I tell myself to try another restaurant. But it never happens. That is because of the delicious food, the incredibly beautiful restaurant and grounds, atmosphere and attention-​to-​every-​single-​detail, service.
My Favorites
Antipasti — Fritto Misto
Calamari, rock shrimp, fennel, onions, green beans and spicy aioli
Insalate
Caesar and/​or Beet and Haricot Vert
We all know Caesar. And it is one of the best.
The Beet Salad is a culinary delight. In my travels, I have found only one other restaurant with a variation of this unusual and delicious salad. Tri-​colored beets, haricot vert, avacado, fennel, roquefort vinaigrette. It is as beautiful to gaze upon as it is to eat.
Pizze
Margherita
Simple but well made. Tomato, basil, mozzarella di latte.
Primi
Spaghetti and Clams
Tomato, garlic, chilies, pinot grigio
Secondi
Great ones to choose from but really, that’s not going to happen… I cannot even finish the spaghetti and Clams, lol.
Dessert
Again, such great choices… but that is not happening either.
Cocktail Specials, Aperitifs, Digestivi, Wines by the Glass or Bottle, Beers and Beverages
OMG…so many to choose from. Depending upon my mood… maybe a mi margarita… partida blanco, cointreau, limoncello, lime juice. Can you say Mama Mia… sooooo good. Or not… wines by the glass or a bottle if you are going to linger… large selection. I love the featured wines from either Napa Valley, Italy or France… mostly.
You really must take a gander at the menu. You know you want to. I have barely touched on food items created at the Bistro.
Restaurant, atmosphere and grounds
Bistro Don Giovanni truly makes you feel like you are on an Italian vacation. It is located just north of Napa, off famous wine country, highway, 29. So easy to miss because by the time you might see the signage, you have passed it. Surrounded by trees, it is barely visible from the highway. You walk up to the grounds taking one of two paths. One puts you directly on the outdoor patio where you can dine most of the year and when it is chilly there are heat lamps. If you make reservations, you may request the popular patio will be lucky enough to be gazing onto the beautifully, manicured water feature, which will mesmerize, relax and entertain you. Before you eat or after you eat… go sit with your beverage at one of chairs surrounding the water. You deserve it. The Restaurant building is large. A few different rooms to choose from. All high ceiling-​ed, lots of glass, beautifully decorated –Italian style-​, fresh flowers every where. A beautiful bar where you may sit and enjoy the friendly bar tender. You may meet a local wine grower or wine drinker in the seat right next to you… lol. Feeling casual… eat and drink at Bar. They are coveted seats and are usually all taken by 7 p.m. every single day of the week.
Service
Simply stated… Outstanding, over-​the-​top, exceeds expectations every single visit. Friendly, attentive, knowledgeable servers. The same gentleman seems to be at the door every time we arrive… greeting everyone. He is the boss. And does it so well. You know the type… Italian man who is charming, smiling, and effortlessly making you laugh.
Are you hungry yet… Well, my hope is to have convinced you to give Bistro Don Giovanni a try. Please meet me there and have a little nosh and glass of wine the next time you are in the area.
Buon Appetito

Amazing food and service! Luis the server was great and I appreciate that I was on a business trip and eating alone but with
the company of the staff I didn’t once feel alone. Highly recommend this restaurant

excellent option.
service was above average
food fresh and serviced hot
as SF local, who had not tried the restaurant before, was treated like returning royality.
highly recommend

Hm. This wasn’t a bad Italian spot. But to put it simply, the food was bland. Americans may tend to oversalt/​overspice their food, but I still felt flavor was a little lacking.
After missing the turn for the restaurant two times in a row (off an obscure rd from St. Helena Highway), we finally made it to the parking lot. I was impressed by the exterior even at night.
Busy and loud inside, but service was quick and attentive. We ordered the petrale sole and lamb chop. The fish was tender but tasteless. The lamb chop, juicy but otherwise mediocre.
I’d maybe be back for lunch if I was in Napa and really craving Italian, but definitely not one of my top choices there.

I love eating here specially in the summer and early fall when the nearby vineyards are bursting with fruit, and the weather allows you to eat comfortably in the patio. Even on busy days I feel the staff makes you feel welcomed explaining their dishes to great detail, and the manager walks around the tables making sure everything is taken care of. The ambiance is vibrant and a little loud, but you can still carry on a conversation without a problem. The food is well seasoned, risottos cooked to al dente perfection and the pizzas are crispy and chewy with just the right amount of toppings. Even my kids feel well taken care of here as the manager engages with them and acknowledges their presence. Nice touch!

Don Giovanni has been one of the most mentioned and recommended restaurants I’ve heard of in Napa — based on pictures of delicious Italian food, I knew I would love this place. Unfortunately, it was a bit underwhelming — service was slow, it felt like a tourist trap, the food was mediocre at best, and the cocktails were not good.
* Caprese — 2 stars: Caprese was dry, tomatoes were not that ripe.
* Fritto Misto — 3 stars: Meh, standard.
* Pizza Pepperoni — 3 stars: looks better than it tastes
* Madilli Pesto — 4 stars: A little too limp but the best dish of the night
* Strozzapreti — 3.5 stars: Pretty good.
* Scotch Pudding — 4 stars
SKIP all of the cocktails.
Wines are way overpriced.

Good food.
Kind of in a weird tucked away location.
Service was really great — our waiter was super friendly but not at all annoying.
The food was also good — we shared some appetizers (bruschetta was the best) and had pizzas for dinner with some wine. Everything was really great and everyone had a fantastic time.

Ambience — the host was super cheerful when we entered. We were seated immediately. The restaurant feels like a typical bumbling Italian restaurant — décor, table, et al.
Food — The spicy chicken was ‘fantastico’. Mandilli (restaurant special) pasta was good as well. The house cab was okay. The tiramisu is excellent! It probably was one of the best I have had.
I would definitely go back to this restaurant next time I am in Napa valley.

This place is just too loud, but the food, every dish here, is delicious, hearty, and perfectly seasoned. Come early to get out early and avoid the din.
We had delicate lemony fritto misto, beet salad, broccoli soup, apple salad, spaghetti with clams, gnocchi, and the special duck confit risotto. We also had a bottle of Chianti. Lunch for 4 was 197.91 — The prices are not any more or less expensive than other restaurants in Napa. The servers are hustling and work really hard to make sure you get what you want and need.
My only complaint has to do with ambiance. The tables are packed in so tightly that the busser and server reached over from behind my left side throughout the meal to pick up or deliver plates. Picture me with my face in the right arm pit of the hard working person trying to do their job. It was just awkward and gross. If they removed 3 tables, that would open up space for servers to move about for efficiently. My other comment is that because the place is so packed at lunch and dinner, the acoustics are such that you can not hear or be heard when chatting with people at your own table. During my last visit, when I needed to say something important, I cupped my hands to make a megaphone and shouted across the table. Could there be a way to insulate the ceiling to absorb some of the sound pollution?

Nice décor and ambiance, but busy and a little loud inside. I love that they take all your silverware between courses.
The salads we shared were excellent, as were the ravioli dishes, the fish special and the very authentic gazpacho soup. Other items were good too, but these stood out.
Very classy service from David C., the bussers and the person who brought us desert, whom I believe was the owner.

Amazing experience all around. Amazing «vibe» here in general; open, airy, high ceilings, great service, most of the food was great… most :)
This is a couple weeks later so I’m trying to remember exactly what we had. I think calamari as a starter? That was good. Then I had a type of chopped salad which, again, was good. My only «meh» thing was the sausage risotto. The funny thing, I was telling my friend that risotto seems like such an easy dish to make but it’s not… you can make it too ‘hard’ or too mushy really easy and it’s hard to find that sweet spot. Mine was a touch hard but still pretty good otherwise. Then we had the chocolate layers in the cup for dessert, which was great.
Now… service. It’s funny that I remember the service more than the food, which isn’t taking away from the food but it’s saying how great the service was. We had the waiter with the lighter hair and a little mustache, younger guy… amazing attitude and service on so many levels (as well as his support team). (I wish I could remember his name.) He was great all the way though, very attentive without being too much, like some waiters can be. Also, my friend was going through some things in her personal life and she got a little emotional with our conversation as he walked up… and he read that and quietly backed out without being obvious that he was doing so, «checking on the order,» as to make her feel awkward. Kudos. I think we ended up tipping 35% :)
All in all… honestly, just come here, you won’t want to leave, it’s amazing all around.

Service was great, food was really good… The rigatoni was great, I liked the risotto but my wife found it a little rich.
Bruschetta before the meal was really fresh and flavorful. The sorbet for desert and a cappuccino and espresso to top it off… All really good.
Service was fantastic.
The only negative was that the location is a little too close to the highway for the outdoor seating, but not enough to ruin the experience.

I came for the first time to this restaurant it was really nice I had lunch with my god daughter we had calamari to begin let me tell you something the calimari was so fresh and good the oil they use is very clean. I had a pesto pasta and she had risotto.

Tucked behind a beautiful garden and rows of grape vines in Napa Valley, is this quaint little restaurant named Bistro Don Giovanni.
My family and I arrived around 11:15 on a Saturday morning and there were people already waiting for the restaurant to open. They open at 11:30, so we just sat around the garden and took in the beautiful sights. We made reservations because we had a large group so we weren’t too worried about getting a seat but I would recommend coming early if you want to secure yourself a seat, people do line up to eat here. By the time they opened the place was almost packed.
Once we were seated our waiter helped us right away. He was attentive and patient with us. They have a pretty decent menu of selections but they all sounded delicious so we took awhile to order. Once we decided it took probably about 15 – 20 mins for our orders to arrive (we were a party of 7) so it wasn’t too bad. I ended up ordering the Paperdelle pasta that had lamb, eggplant, onions, and tomatoes. It was tasty and the lamb was cooked to my liking. My mom order the prosciutto pizza which was rich in flavor was well. I could only finish one slice, that’s how rich the cheese was for me. For dessert I ordered the butterscotch pudding. Simple but delicious at the same time. It had a surprising kick to it as well.
Tip: Be sure to order their famous bread! Not sure what it is exactly, I think it may be a focaccia but it has sage and olive oil inside. The bread is so soft and full of flavor. They are so addicting, we ended up asking for another plate. They make is fresh as well, when we were walking into the restaurant I saw someone make it fresh to order.
Parking is free because they have their own parking lot but it fills up quickly.

I love Bistro Don Giovanni, now let me tell you why!
I haven’t Unilocaled in a while but I had such a good experience I had to write a review while this was fresh in my mind.
I came here for a birthday for the first time. My family has a routine of which restaurants we eat at while in Napa so I never had the opportunity to come here. But when you do Napa with non-​family you get to choose where to eat! A little digging around Unilocal and I found this place and I’m so happy we decided here.
The ambiance is typical Napa. Beautiful fountains and relaxed atmosphere (flowing wine certainly helps contribute to a laid back experience). We sat outside so we got to watch the fountain and experience the beautiful weather while we ate. I’m sure that helped add to the good experience.
The food is pretty authentic Italian. We order the bruschetta and fritto misto to begin with. I think we all enjoyed the bruschetta more than the fritto misto but I’m a sucker for calamari so I really enjoyed both. I ate the risotto with scallops. Everything was cooked perfectly. As someone who has tried and failed to cook this dish at home, I really appreciate how easily this dish could have gone wrong, so props to the chef!
How can you talk about a Napa restaurant and not mention the drinks. I had an Italian greyhound instead of going for the wine list. It was really great and really strong, so thanks bartender for not skimping out on us!
The only complaint I have is that the hostess didn’t hear me while I was chasing after her. We were originally sitting inside and I was trying to ask her to seat us outside since there was extra seating. But I totally understand in such a busy environment it’s really easy to rush to help the next person!
Thank you Bistro Don Giovanni for a great experience. I’ll be sure to add this to my family’s Napa rotation, which is saying a lot trust me!

Just had lunch at Don Giovanni last Thursday, with seven friends. It was my second time there and I was looking forward to a repeat performance of the excellent service and thoughtfully prepared food I had enjoyed on the previous performance. We had a lovely server — attentive and knowledgeable. We were seated out on the patio, with a beautiful view of the garden and fountain.
To share, we ordered the exquisite Pear Pizza with gorgonzola — $ 16 and Beet & Haricot Vert Salad — $ 12.
I ordered the Spaghetti with Clams, $ 24, which was delicious.
All of the wine pairings were superb as well.
Great atmosphere, top quality food, wine and service. Don Giovanni is a «go to» for Italian in wine country