The French Laundry

General Notes

The best restaurant that I've ever been to in every dimension, and it's not particularly close. There's a reason why the French Laundry has earned 3 Michelin stars every year for the last 20 years. This is the epitome of (French) fine dining.

First and foremost, the food is incredible. In the majority of dishes, the sauces were the part that stood out most to me -- they paired beautifully with the rest of the components and really brought the dish together (as you might expect from a French restaurant). Based on reviews that I had seen, I half-expected the food to be overly salty or overly heavy, but it didn't turn out to be at all. Each dish and the overall experience was really well balanced. There wasn't a particularly standout dish, and that's by design -- the whole end to end experience is carefully curated and everything is executed to perfection. I've gained a greater appreciation for what it means for a dish and experience to be "balanced".

The service and overall experience is amazing. Servers are super helpful + friendly, and the small details, attentiveness, and finishing touches make a huge difference. The servers will even take you to tour the kitchen at the end of your meal!

We sat inside, which felt a little bit cramped. The space isn't huge and I would have appreciated a bit more space. For a more special experience during summer months, garden seating or the "board room" is amazing for an extra charge. The garden is beautiful.

I'd definitely recommend coming in the morning to do their garden tour if you haven't already (at least, during the warmer months). It definitely gave me a much greater appreciation for their fresh produce (it's SO good).

Dining at the French Laundry is a truly special experience. It deserves every bit of hype it gets. It's extremely difficult to get a reservation (I tried for three months before I got one), although it's easier to book with larger groups. This is one of the few fine-dining restaurants that I would actually be very down to come back again, perhaps in a different season.

Dishes Tasted

• ★★★☆ mignardises -- an assortment of other miscellaneous desserts, including: creme brulee macarons, chocolate covered macadamia nuts, doughnuts, "cappuccino" (this was really good), and some chocolate truffles. The "cappuccino" was particularly standout, the rest were decent.
• ★★☆☆ K+M chocolate swiss roll -- caramelized hazelnuts and cocoa "sable".
• ★★★★ mascarpone cheese ice cream -- garden albion strawberries and sarawak black peppercorns. The strawberries are SO good, I had them in the garden earlier. Mascarpone ice cream pairs nicely with it.
• ★★★☆ jacobsen orchard double jewel peaches -- white verjus "gelee" and crystallized almonds
• ★★★☆ andante dairy etude cheese "gougere" -- with australian black winter truffle "fondue".
• ★★★★ herb roasted "prime rib" of elysian fields farm lamb -- "cassoulet" of summer pole beans, crispy garden broccoli "dumpling", alyssum blossoms and "whole grain mustard jus". Tender, juicy, and not heavy at all. Everything, especially the sauces, pair so nicely.
• ★★★★ devil's gulch ranch rabbit "ballotine" -- brentwood yellow corn kernels, roasted wild oregon chanterelle mushrooms, cured hakurei turnips and brown butter "gastrique". The brown butter gastrique sauce is excellent. Cooked perfectly, components pair together nicely. Remarkably tender
• ★★★☆ "bread and butter" -- laminated brioche and Hilary Haigh's Animal Farm Butter. This is some of the best better I've ever had, so luscious.
• ★★★★ sauteed fillet of norwegian halibut -- garden cherry tomatoes, roasted patty pan squash, fragrant basils and tomato vine "nage". The sauce is on-point and really brings together everything beautifully
• ★★★☆ hokkaido sea scallop "sashimi" -- white sesame seed "coulis", garden cucumbers, puffed tapioca, and aged ponzu "gel". The cucumber were remarkably intensely flavored
• ★★★☆ compressed summer melon salad -- feta cheese "panna cotta", english walnut-iberico jamon crumble, garden spearmint and australian finger lime dressing. Light and refreshing. The flavor of the melon is so intensely melon
• ★★★★ "oysters and pearls" -- "sabayon" of pearl tapioca with island creek oysters and regiis ova caviar. Creamy, just the right amount of tart, well balanced flavor.