A year ago in December 2018, Restoration Hardware announced the opening of RH Yountville, a five-building compound in the wine country where food, wine, art and design are celebrated, set amid 100-year-old olive trees and new crystal chandeliers. It was an ambitious launch, as the company that began with kitschy novelties, such as garden gnomes, had expanded to include everything from luxury fixtures to hospitality. But would this brand and its restaurant resonate in Napa Valley, located on the same street as the famed French Laundry (thomaskeller.com/tfl), R+D Kitchen (rd-kitchen.com) and Ad Hoc (thomaskeller.com/adhoc)?
The answer is an unequivocal yes.
Similar to the six-story, 90,000-square-foot location in New York’s Meatpacking District, this location includes a gallery showcasing fixtures and furnishings, as well as a restaurant where guests are surrounded by a fantastical mix of nature and opulence. What sets Yountville apart are its two-story stone wine vault, an outdoor wine and barista bar, and two boutique design galleries, in different buildings.
Decomposed granite and bluestone pavers) you will also find garden courtyards with outdoor living rooms that can be reserved for wine tastings, French limestone fountains (also located in the restaurant), globally sourced antiques and artifacts, a 40-foot live-edge single-slab tasting table, and fireplaces.
In a stroke of marketing genius, most, if not all, of the furniture, decor and fixtures that surround you are part of the RH collection. So, in essence, you are drinking, dining and decompressing in a reimagined showroom.
The attention to detail and quality reflected throughout carry over to the restaurant. Be sure to try the burrata with heirloom tomatoes and Genovese basil pesto. The olive oil-brushed charred sourdough sourced from nearby Model Bakery (themodelbakery.com) is perfection. For main courses, the RH burger served with sharp American, pickles, onion and Dijonnaise; and the roasted half chicken with roasted garlic, olive oil potato puree and natural jus are among the most popular items.
Even the classic banana split is an elevated experience here, served in a deconstructed form—with toffee bits, crunchy chocolate sprinkles, dried coconut and chocolate syrup, all arranged on a wooden plank alongside the dessert dish with vanilla, chocolate and strawberry ice cream.
Afterward, take a stroll through the galleries for inspiration, or sit in one of the garden courtyards with a glass of wine and a fireplace nearby to truly appreciate what Restoration Hardware has created—an aspirational way of life made attainable, if only for a meal.
