Calistoga Restaurants Cheat Sheet

Fine dining, comfort food, breakfast, and specialties.

No need to wade through thousands of user reviews to find Calistoga’s top stops for a meal or a cuppa joe. Narrow your search with this handy cheat sheet.

Truly Special

Auro Napa Valley tasting menu’s hiramasa and pluots with aguachile (chile water).

Auro Napa Valley
Four Seasons Napa Valley’s fine-dining restaurant Calistoga’s only one with a Michelin-star; multicourse tasting menu of executive chef Rogelio Garcia (lead photo) is the reason why. Modern American $$$$

Lovina
Chefs with San Francisco and Wine Country cred run this beloved downtown restaurant, keeping locals and tourists happy with eclectic fare and weekend brunch. American $$$

Solbar
The Solage resort’s casual-elegant restaurant serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner, all with a seasonal farm-to-table focus, and there’s a bar menu of sushi and small bites. American $$$

Among Calistoga’s Best

Bricco Osteria
Instant-hit family-owned Cal-Italian farm-to-table cuisine opened in 2023 in a downtown storefront. Italian $$$ 

Twin ovens turn out wood-fired pizzas at Fleetwood Calistoga.

Fleetwood Calistoga
A high-pedigree Bay Area chef helms Calistoga Motor Lodge and Spa’s hangout for casual cuisine (pizza, roast chicken, a popular burger), much of it from two wood-fired ovens. Mediterranean $$–$$$

House of Better
Laid-back restaurant at Dr. Wilkinson’s Backyard Resort and Mineral Spring serves healthful Southwest-inspired cuisine. Modern American $$

Alfresco brunch at House of Better.

Mangia Mi
Voluminous antipasto offerings, from-scratch pasta dishes, New Haven–style pizza, chicken Parm, and other Italian–American favorites are prepared in casual restaurant’s open kitchen. Italian $$–$$$

Poolside Picobar at Solage.

Picobar
For the Solage resort’s poolside restaurant, Solbar executive chef Gustavo Rios draws on his Mexican and Northern Californian roots. Modern Mexican $$$

Worth Checking Out

Buster’s Southern Barbecue & Bakery
Tri-tip, pulled pork, and beef ribs are this roadside stand’s specialty; the sides include cornbread muffins. American $$

Buster’s serves up southern-style barbecue and weekend jazz, “Calistoga Restaurants Cheat Sheet.”

Café Sarafornia
Local diner (lead photo) serves breakfast all day—which here means until 2:30; the place closes after that—with sandwiches, burgers, hot dogs, salads, and pasta dishes for lunch. American $

Retro feel at Café Sarafornia.

Calistoga Inn Restaurant & Brewery
Brews and brew-friendly cuisine at riverside restaurant with large patio and beer garden; seasonal apps often among the best bites. American $$$

Palm-shaded beer garden, microbrews made on-site at Calistoga Inn.

Evangeline
California take on a New Orleans bistro; if the weather’s nice, dine on the outdoor patio. American $$$

Creole influences enliven the fare at Evangeline.

Sam’s Social Club
Smart-looking spot at Indian Springs Calistoga open from early morning until bar closes, with various menus.  American $$

Patio at Sam’s Social Club.

TRUSS Restaurant + Bar
Casual-chic fine dining with a Napa Valley view at Four Seasons resort; designer cocktails, too. American $$$

Focal-point beams at Four Seasons Napa Valley’s TRUSS Restaurant + Bar.

Cuppa Joe

Bella Bakery
Full range of baked goods at downtown fave, good for breakfast, lunch, or a pit-stop for sweets; coffee is made with care. American $

Calistoga Roastery
Coffee stop roasts its own beans and serves breakfast (tasty egg sandwiches) and lunch (wraps and sandwiches); smoothies, including blueberry cheesecake (!) are a major sideline. American $

Sam’s General Store
Coffees and pastries served inside original 1862 cottage erected by Calistoga founder Sam Brannan. American $


Itinerary

48 Perfect Hours in Calistoga

More Napa Valley Itineraries

3 Historic Napa Valley Wineries Day Trip
3 St. Helena Wineries with a Personal Touch

See Also

Calistoga Lodgings Cheat Sheet

This story first appeared online in 2017; it was most recently updated in 2024. Lead photo of executive chef Rogelio Garcia courtesy of Four Seasons Napa Valley.

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