Much of the produce is actually grown by the French Laundry, which maintains a 5-acre garden across the street from the restaurant in addition to other farming property near by. The menu is structured to go from lighter dishes to heavier ones, in addition to not using the same ingredient more than once (aside from salt, etc.), so we opened with a salad course and moved on to fish courses and then meat courses. We started with some small, cheese-filled gougÃ¨res (essentially savory cream puffs) and with sesame tuile “ice cream cones” filled with green onion creme fraiche and topped with salmon tartar.Īfter the salmon, we started on the actual tasting menu. These are small, bite-sized snacks that are intended to awaken the palate. I didn’t make that mistake this time, so I can share a peek at the wonderful meal I had there – and make sure I remember it myself! This post is photo heavy, so be patient if the page takes a moment to load.Ī meal at the French Laundry opens with an amuse bouche or two.

I ate at the restaurant once before, back in 2004, and one of the things I regret about that memorable visit was that I didn’t take any pictures. The tasting menu changes daily and never features the same ingredient more than once, as it is structured to surprise you with new tastes as you are served each course. The restaurant belongs to Chef Thomas Keller, who has been serving a beautiful nine course tasting menu there since 1994, when he bought the building (formerly an actual French Lanudry, but operated previously as a restaurant) and opened his restaurant. The French Laundry is one of the most iconic restaurants in the Napa Valley and one of the best restaurants in the world, with three Michelin stars to prove it.

French laundry ca