Simple food prepared to perfection. A perennial top restaurant pick.
“Cafe La Haye is one of those rare restaurants in which you know the moment you walk in the door, you’re going to have a good time…” Few restaurants capture that charm as well as Cafe La Haye. Reservations strongly recommended.
140 E Napa St.
Sonoma, CA 95476
Map, Reviews, Hours, Reservations
(707) 935-5994
MICHELIN Guide’s Point Of View:
For years, Cafe La Haye has been a standby off the square in downtown Sonoma. One bite of its luscious burrata, surrounded by Early Girl tomatoes and crispy squash blossoms in the summer, or vinaigrette-dressed pea shoots in spring, proves it hasn’t aged a day. The small, modern space is still charming, with large windows and lots of mirrors. Stunning local artwork for sale decorates the walls. The food spans cultural influences, including a delicate risotto with pine nuts in a cauliflower broth, or soy-sesame glazed halibut atop whipped potatoes and braised kale. A postage stamp-sized bar pours glasses of Sonoma chardonnay and cabernet, perfect with rich strozzapreti tossed with braised pork ragù, Grana Padano and toasted breadcrumbs.
Located just off Sonoma Plaza, Cafe La Haye offers an appealingly unfussy sophistication. The split-level dining room holds just a dozen or so tables, but its open kitchen, raftered ceiling and walls adorned with modern art create a vibrant energy that’s contagious.
Convivial owner Saul Gropman and chef Jeffrey Lloyd make a formidable team. Lloyd, former executive chef of restaurant Michael Mina, offers a seasonal menu that’s discreet in its complexity, featuring the sort of dishes that seem to get better with each bite. Wolfe Ranch quail is paired with a sauce of black olive and white wine, while petrale sole comes with a delicate porcini cream sauce.
Gropman’s wine list comprises a modest 100 bottles, but it’s a smart, well-focused selection that ranges from value choices such as Bedrock Zinfandel Sonoma Valley Old Vine 2010 ($47) to splurges such as Domaine de la Romanée-Conti La Tâche 2005 ($3,500).
Luke Allen Estates Agent
05:39 30 Dec 22
Hands down, the best meal we had in Sonoma.On our last night in Sonoma, we had dinner at Cafe La Haye. After 3 days, this was easily the best meal that we had while in town.Picky eaters beware, the menu is tight. In my opinion, fine dining restaurants know what they have perfected and therefor everything is usually excellent.Both of our wines were delicious. A Chardonnay for me from Three Sticks and a Stone Edge Farm Sauvignon Blanc for my better half.We shared the salad special, an arugula salad with herbed goat cheese, prosciutto, and cranberries. Really excellent.Main courses were the pork chop (excellent) and the risotto special with shrimp (very good).We are not usually ones to splurge on dessert but there were several interesting options, so we treated ourselves with the butterscotch pudding and the warm almond cake with salted caramel ice cream. Both were exemplary and well worth the extra calories.All of this was strung together by superb service from Ester, who was an absolute pleasure.If we’re back in Sonoma, Cafe La Haye is now a must for us!
Luke A.
20:51 29 Dec 22
Hands down, the best meal we had in Sonoma. On our last night in Sonoma, we had dinner at Cafe La Haye. After 3 days, this was easily the best meal that...
Jan Hyde
18:05 13 Dec 22
My husband and I had a wonderful dinner here while visiting Sonoma recently.We enjoyed the ambiance, the professional and attentive staff and the meal. And, of course, when you're in Sonoma Valley, you know the wine choices are going to be good!Hope to return!Have the pork chop! 🥰
Mel C.
14:59 13 Nov 22
My wife and I live in Napa. Cafe La Haye is one of our favorite restaurants for fine casual dining. They have a small menu with many daily specials which...
Morgan R.
09:05 11 Nov 22
This place is AWESOME!!! It is very quaint and small with exceptional service! The man who greeted us was very kind and our server was very personable and...
Jacob Hookom
17:36 05 Nov 22
Day after having dinner there, and still thinking about the shrimp cake appetizer and pork chop entree.
Hunt Bailie
23:17 12 Oct 22
Servers & owner are always so welcoming. Our favorite place in town to visit and recommend. Food is a 10 out of 10!
Lindsay B.
07:36 09 Sep 22
We started with the beef carpaccio which I would highly recommend getting. My husband had the steak and I had the pappardelle with scallops. Both were great...
American Angler
15:50 03 Sep 22
Went over to Sonoma to get some cheese from Vella, and drop off a turbo blower for a Cat 420 my boy RJ needed and spotted Cafe La Haye.I don't remember having ever eaten here but it looked like the kind of place I would enjoy, so in I went. When I saw heritage porkchops on the menu ..that was it, and they were cooked to a perfect medium rare as requested.5 stars
Jarrett Harrington
04:03 19 Aug 22
I had the pork chops and it may be the best pork chops I've ever had. 10/10 would recommend!
Cara S.
20:28 02 Aug 22
Best meal on our trip to wine country. A lot smaller inside that what I'd have thought, but not uncomfortably so. We started with the salad that was on...
Lauren Keen Aumond
13:49 30 Jul 22
Cafe La Haye was great! Small menu, so you may be forced to branch out a bit, but you'll be glad you did. Service was awesome and efficient!
Nathaniel K.
15:58 18 Jul 22
TLDR: Excellent Salmon, Surprisingly good beets!Let's get started with the most surprising thing in our dinner, with a general statement, not too wacky or...
Andrew Means
02:20 07 Jul 22
Best restaurant in Sonoma. Tucked away just off the square this cute little bistro was delicious, great wine list, and impeccable service.
Miranda W.
09:52 29 Jun 22
Favorite go to spot on the Square, fabulous service and food.
Sherrie Perkovich
08:08 21 Jun 22
Sal and his staff are always top notch. As is the food. It's nice that they feature local Sonoma wineries too. Highly recommend
Matt McDonnell
16:26 27 May 22
Cafe La Haye gets a solid 4 stars. The food is good to very good, but not quite excellent. The service is warm and welcoming, but not at all personal.In an industry where restaurants are focusing on health, customer service and creativity, Cafe La Haye seems to be over-leveraging its reputation from yesterday.I would recommend eating here with friends or family that enjoy good food, but may be apprehensive about creative menus.
Tammy D.
20:04 12 May 22
Nice ambiance, pork chop was delicious, chicken was ok, ahi was good but I didn't like the sauce. Service was great, expensive though.
Olivia Kienzel
20:27 18 Apr 22
Just as top-notch as ever, from the service to the fine, inventive food made with such care and fresh ingredients.
Jeff H
15:58 01 Apr 22
Hidden gem a few doors off the main square. My favorite high end restaurant in Sonoma. Get the pot de crème for desert and thank me later.
Carmen G. Butts
00:56 15 Mar 22
The food is consistently excellent. The pork chop is perfection.
Bobby L.
01:35 14 Mar 22
A little late for our reservation, so they were expecting us and sat us quickly. We didn't go crazy with drinks this time since we came from a bar nearby,...
Sandee L.
20:04 06 Feb 22
We celebrated my friend's birthday during our weekend getaway at Cafe La Haye.I walked in and the host asked right away "Sandee for 2?" Nice. Seated right...
Elizbeth Hardesty
22:54 28 Dec 21
Absolutely Lovely. The Staff, The Cook's and The Owners are Top Notch. A Must try if you're in town, you won't be leaving without their desserts. Delightfully Scrumptious!
Nuala Kelly
04:42 02 Dec 21
The food and the manager were wonderful. Unfortunately our waitress didn't get any of our cues.We asked her to bring a chiller for our wine and was told it had to stay at the bar. So she kept filling us when we didn't want it. The end result was not good. We preferred to pour our own
Chare Brown
15:17 12 Nov 21
Food was really good. The little gem sale was amazing. Pork chop was cooked to perfection. The restaurant is quaint but there was ample space for social distancing. Be sure to make reservations a few weeks in advance. Staff were friendly and well attentive.
Chare B.
07:06 12 Nov 21
Food was really good. The little gem sale was amazing. Pork chop was cooked to perfection. The restaurant is quaint but there was ample space for social...
David E.
18:12 31 Oct 21
Fantastic place to for a romantic dinner. The best salmon in town, though it is not always on the menu. My wife, who is vegetarian, loves the risotto. I...
baharak kh
02:06 23 Oct 21
They had an amazing food here, their main food and dessert was SO good!!
Christina V.
14:48 17 Oct 21
Very good meal. Had the pork chop, fried eggplant, and burrata salad. Super flavorful. Service was fantastic. Very small place.
Lori Corwin
05:15 07 Oct 21
A wonderful evening. Everything that we ordered was delicious and perfectly prepared.Thank you Cafe La Haye!
Anette N.
16:11 01 Oct 21
Excellent food, excellent service, excellent ambiance. It's a place to have dinner and should not be missed. The manager appeared to be more interested in...
Claudia P.
12:41 26 Sep 21
Thoroughly enjoyed another memorable meal at Cafe La Haye. Every bite was perfect, and the service was awesome. Delicious starters were mushroom-sherry...
R D.
10:40 23 Sep 21
First thoughts upon receiving my starter: looks plain but wow this is fucking delicious!Everything I ordered was a daily menu addition, and I even got...
Thomas B.
14:46 27 Jun 21
Elegant and delicious. Delightful staff. Best meal we've had in a long time. Not sure where the negativity is coming from in the other reviews. Our experience was fantastic.
Bruno S.
12:37 17 Jun 21
Outstanding experience on a Wed night! Service was impeccable and the meal was heavenly. We ordered salmon and quail - both were full flavored and presented...
Art G.
09:16 27 May 21
This has been our GO-To restaurant for over 20 years. While the popularity is well deserved we have had a small issue in getting a reservation. Fear not...
Valerie Ho
16:22 23 Apr 21
Really tasty food in an unassuming restaurant. Excellent service, attentive but also gives enough time in between check-ins for privacy. Most delicious sole and filet mignon was melt-in-the-mouth good. We were gently nudged towards the yuzu cheesecake which was refreshing.
Michael R.
19:17 18 Apr 21
Such a great place to come for dinner! The ambience is so quaint with such a small kitchen inside and a small patio outside. It's such a small home cooked...
Michaelle R.
09:12 18 Apr 21
Quaint high-end restaurant in downtown sonoma. Owner was very hands-on and present at all times making sure guests were happy and it was a very intimate and...
Mark Briscoe
06:46 01 Sep 20
Expensive but worth it
Kathleen M
01:50 12 Jul 20
Quaint, bright dinner spot with local American fare. Good wine selection too. Food was fresh and very delicious, uncomplicated. Dessert so good too
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