$$$$ItalianDowntownMon-Thu 11:30-14:30, 17:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 11:30-14:30, 17:00-21:30; Sun 11:30-20:30
Oenotri's daily-changing southern Italian menu follows Napa Valley farm deliveries, with a wood-fired oven producing charred pies and house charcuterie.
OrderAsk the server what came in from the farms that day and order whatever they are most excited about.
TipThe menu changes daily based on availability. Go on a Thursday or Friday when the farmers market has just restocked the kitchen.
$$$$CalifornianDowntownWed-Sun 12:00-22:00
Compline holds North America's Best Wine List (World of Fine Wine 2024-2025) and matches it with a serious California kitchen behind the Archer Hotel.
OrderCalifornia-seasonal plates, Wine-paired small plates
TipWednesday through Sunday for lunch and dinner. The adjacent wine shop has the same bottle access.
$$$$GlobalDowntownDaily 09:00-15:00, 17:00-21:00
Grace's Table earns a Michelin Bib Gourmand with all-day brunch from 09:00, serving food from France, Italy and the Americas with cornbread and honey butter.
OrderWarm cornbread with lavender honey butter, duck confit hash.
TipWeekday mornings are the time to go without a wait. Weekends queue up before the kitchen opens at 09:00.
$$$$BBQRadThu-Mon 11:30-19:30
Darryl Bell's Kansas City-influenced BBQ in a Quonset hut in the Rail Arts District. Among the most acclaimed BBQ operations in Northern California.
OrderKansas City burnt ends, Smoked ribs, Brisket
TipCloses at 19:30 and can sell out by 17:00 on weekends. Order online for pickup if you want to be sure.
$$$$FrenchRiverfrontDaily 11:30-14:30, 17:00-21:00; Sat-Sun brunch 10:00-14:30
Angele on Main Street has a riverside terrace. The cooking is French country brasserie: proper onion soup, steak frites and a Burgundy-and-Napa wine list.
OrderFrench onion soup and the daily fish special.
TipThe riverside patio is the most pleasant outdoor table in downtown Napa on a warm evening.
$$$$VietnameseDowntownDaily dinner 16:00-21:00; Sat-Sun brunch 11:30-15:00
Charles Phan's Vietnamese institution arrived in Napa in 2023, bringing the spicy, sweet and citrusy balance that made the Ferry Building original famous.
OrderChicken clay pot, Cellophane noodles, Daikon rice cakes
TipHappy hour at the bar daily 15:00-17:00 is the most affordable way to experience the kitchen.
$$$$SpanishDowntownDaily 12:00-22:00
ZuZu is the Spanish tapas room at Main Street's riverfront end, serving small plates, paella and a gin programme seven days a week to locals and visitors.
OrderPaella and the seasonal tapas specials.
TipThe latenight menu after 22:00 is one of the few genuinely late options in Napa.
$$$$AmericanDowntownTue-Sun 17:00-21:30
Torc on Main Street pairs a 15-page wine list with contemporary American cooking. Sleek and social, it is popular with winemakers on their off nights.
OrderSeasonal American plates, Local produce-led menu
TipThe bar programme and happy hour are a good way into Torc without committing to a full dinner.
$$$$JapaneseRiverfrontMon-Thu 12:00-15:00, 17:00-21:00; Fri 12:00-15:00, 17:00-22:00; Sat 12:00-22:00; Sun 12:00-21:00
Morimoto Napa delivers modern Japanese cooking with American scale in a glass riverfront building, drawing on the Iron Chef's Japanese-American idiom.
OrderTuna tartare, Wagyu gyoza, Chef's tasting menu
TipThe full sushi bar counter is the best seat in the house for watching the kitchen in action.
$$$$ItalianDowntownMon-Wed 17:00-21:00; Thu 12:00-21:00; Fri-Sat 12:00-21:30; Sun 12:00-21:00
A16 brings wood-fired Neapolitan pizza and an Italian wine programme from San Francisco to downtown Napa, opened in 2023 and settled into local rotation.
OrderNeapolitan pizza, Southern Italian pasta, Antipasti
TipThursday through Sunday the kitchen runs lunch, which is quieter and easier to book than dinner.
$$$$MexicanDowntownMon-Thu 15:00-22:30; Fri-Sun 11:30-23:30
Chispa is Napa's tequila and mezcal bar, pairing a raw seafood programme of oysters and aguachile with agave-spirit flights. The room runs late on weekends.
OrderRaw seafood tower, Tequila cocktails, Agave-forward bar bites
TipThe best bar in Napa for a pre-dinner drink or a late cocktail on weekends.
$$$$MediterraneanDowntownMon-Fri 11:00-21:30 (Fri to 22:00); Sat-Sun 10:00-22:00 (Sun to 21:30)
Tarla builds Turkish and Greek dishes from organic local produce. Meze and the grill anchor the week; shakshuka and Turkish eggs join the weekend brunch menu.
OrderMezze platter, Turkish flatbreads, Grilled lamb
TipThe daily happy hour 15:00-18:00 cuts prices on meze and wine significantly.
$$$$AmericanDowntownMon 11:30-20:00; Wed-Thu 11:30-20:00; Fri 11:00-21:00; Sat-Sun 09:00-21:00 (Sun to 20:00); closed Tue
Croccante brought Detroit-style pizza to Napa in 2022. Thick-cut slices with a proprietary cheese blend and caramelised crusts built a loyal local following.
OrderDetroit-style pizza, Weekend brunch pizza, Housemade pasta
TipSaturday and Sunday brunch 09:00-14:00 is the best time to experience the full Croccante menu.
$$$$ItalianDowntownDaily 11:30-23:00
Scala Osteria serves southern Italian food for sharing on First Street with a long bar and late-night hours. One of the few Napa kitchens open past 22:00.
OrderSouthern Italian shared plates, Fresh pasta, Seafood
TipThe 10:00-11:00 late-night industry menu is popular with restaurant workers across the city.
$$$$BBQDowntownTue-Thu 11:00-20:00; Fri-Sat 11:00-21:00; Sun 11:00-20:00; closed Mon
Bounty Hunter pairs an 1880s Old West building with BBQ and 400 wine bottles covering small Napa producers. Smoked meats from a wood smoker in the back.
OrderSmoked BBQ, Beer can chicken, 400 wine bottles
TipGood for a casual wine-and-BBQ combination that most wine-country restaurants won't offer you.