The French Laundry, Fine dining restaurant in Yountville, California, United States
The French Laundry is a fine dining restaurant in Yountville, California, serving two daily tasting menus with nine courses each. Dishes change with the seasons and rely on ingredients from nearby farms and producers in the Napa Valley.
The building opened in 1900 as a saloon and later operated as a steam laundry before gaining recognition on the National Register of Historic Places in 1978. Thomas Keller purchased the property in 1994 and reopened it as a restaurant that quickly earned international recognition.
The restaurant follows a philosophy of serving small portions across multiple courses, allowing guests to taste many preparations in one meal. Each table receives personalized attention from a team of servers who coordinate timing and presentation throughout the evening.
Reservations open months in advance and are released online or by phone each day at midnight, with tables filling quickly. The meal lasts roughly three to four hours, and guests are expected to dress appropriately, with jackets suggested for men.
A garden covering roughly 1.2 hectares (3 acres) sits across the street and supplies fresh vegetables and herbs picked daily for the changing menus. The kitchen works closely with this garden, allowing many ingredients to be harvested just hours before preparation.
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