Cook St. Helena

We were told by locals to make sure and visit Cook while we were in town last week and it was hands down the best food we had all week even over some Michelin Star restaurants. Their homemade pasta was the best we have ever had! Highly recommend a reservation as it is very small and intimate, but made it that much better! We will for sure be back!!

Impressed, and smitten. Since We travelled throughout 4 regions in 4 months in Italy this year, I delayed visiting Italian eateries as long as possible. Now we arrived in St Helena at Cook, where the Spaghetti Vongole was done just right. Caesar salad a refreshing start and the Muneday and fantastic finish. Grazie e ce’vediamo.

Delicious food, friendly waiter, reasonable wait time. The fettuccine that was the daily special was the best I've had in my life. Very limited seating, and the layout means it's going to be pretty loud in there if there are other patrons. And it's a bit pricey for the portions. But overall a good experience.

It’s like we are sitting in an Italian restaurant in Europe! Great pasta and wine! Plus great atmosphere!

What makes for a great dining experience? Likely a combination of excellent food, wonderful service, and superb ambiance. While our appetizer and entrees at Cook were wonderful, the dining experience was marred by what appears to be their underlying philosophy—a revolving table business model. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary and made a dinner reservation for 5:30 pm. We brought a bottle of wine and paid the customary corkage fee. We ordered an appetizer and two quality entrees, the pasta arrabbiata and the gnocchi Gorgonzola—-both were delicious. Yet, while finishing our dinner and wine exactly at 6:35 pm, we’re told by our waiter: “the next reservation is ready for this table”. That is, within only an hour and five minutes, we were essentially kicked out despite ordering appetizers/entrees and paying the corkage fee to enjoy our wine. Sadly, the lady at the table next to us, a local resident, said “this happens here all the time” as we made our way out. For those of you who have dined extensively and internationally, the message should be clear. Caveat Emptor.

A fine Italian restaurant by any measure with surprisingly good calamari and affogato. Italian restaurants are a dome a dozen in this part of the world, but Cook is doing far better than most. The menu was neatly varied, and everything we ordered was excellent. The service was fine, but didn't really add anything to our experience, with similar notes for the ambiance. Would be happy to return on account of the food alone though, and would recommend for any food-focused types out there.

Server was friendly, knowledgeable and prompt. We had the mussels and homemade sausage appetizer. Mussels cooked perfectly, spicy sausage was a great addition to tasty sauce. I wanted to lick the bowl. We also had the risotto special which was Halibut on house risotto. Perfect sear on halibut. Risotto was outstanding- perfectly cooked and delicious. We also had the vegetable special which was brussel sprouts. These were ok but they are brussel sprout. Wine suggestion with dishes was appreciated. Restaurant is small so a little loud. Would definitely come again.

Cook is always incredible and this time was no different. Jeremy took GREAT care of us. Our favorite thing to do is order all different pasta dishes and share them with the table, it's the best way to do it because everything is so good. They had our table ready the moment we arrived. Start to finish we had the best experience. Thanks Cook!

Located in St Helena. FREE parking behind the building. We were on vacation in Napa in December 2024. We found this restaurant for early dinner at 4:00. It's located on the Main Street in St Helena. A few guest were leaving at the same time we arrived. They were very happy with their experience and recommended the Veal and Mushroom Risotto. It was delicious! We also had lite crispy calamari. The service was perfect. I definitely recommend this place and making reservations.

Food was world class - 5 stars. Also a great value, a real gem in St Helena. Our service was outstanding. A small family run restaurant with a personal touch. BYOB is a real plus.

Best Neuvaux Italian eatery around, detailed service, food presentation amazing and tastes are world class. We split a large boned steak Florentine, nicely crusty with spice and grilled medium rare. People walking by was amazed at the sliced presentation! Yummy! Brought a 15 year old Barolo to complement the dish. We will be back!

The food and service at Cook were exceptional! I would highly recommend d this restaurant. I had the seafood pasta and my companion had the eggplant. Both were delicious!

This is a small and very popular place, reservations a must. Despite having booked in advance, we were stuffed into a tiny table between the main entry door and a loudish group of four; there are several two-tops along the wall that would likely have been better. Food was very good - gnocchi with gorgonzola in particular - filling, but not as heavy as it *could* be. Service was slow-ish which was especially concerning since the vibe was not enjoyable and we wanted to get OUTTA there! If you want to try this place, pick a slow night.

Always a solid choice. All the items on the menu are executed perfectly . Weight staff is well informed about each menu item. Extremely friendly warm service . We have been there many times have never had a disappointing meal . We continue to go back because we know that will enjoy whatever we order. We are locals with many choices of restaurants , COOK in St Helena, is a must for anyone visiting the valley.

Outstanding food! I spent the summer in Napa Valley and Cook was our weekly go-to. The cavatelli with Italian sausage is to die for. This summer the vegetable of the day was often summer squash. Lastly the clam pasta was spectacular. I highly recommend.

Consistently good but tonight's dinner was exceptional. The Fazz Bolognese was prepared perfectly. The bolognese was meaty yet so light without that heavy tomato taste. We ordered polenta side - very flavorful. The gnocchi - good as a shared dish even. The pork shoulder with a nod to local Mexican dishes had a carnitas feel and was perfect. Finally the risotto was packed with seafood.

What an absolutely lovely experience! When I arrived to see if they had availability for my mother and I, I was greeted with a heartwarming smile from Ashley. She offered two options including one that was right near the bar with a great view of the whole, beautiful ambience. we chose the burrata and the cavatelli. For a white wine, we had the Sauvignon Blanc and the white blend. Both were delicious. It was a wonderful experience. Have almost every meal here. We enjoyed a lot of laughs with Ashley. This place is fantastic!

We were over in St, Helena to see a concert and set a reservation at Cook, a restaurant we had always enjoyed but had not been to in several years. Happy to report Cook is as good as ever. Cook is small a handful of tables, a reservation is a must! The menu at Cook has several apps, pastas and a few entrees. Primarily Italian but there are also other dishes to choose from. We went the full Italian route. Started and shared the calamari which was crispy, tasty without a bit of oil. I had the fazzoletti (flat pasta sheets) Bolognese which was excellent. Wife had the Eggplant Parmigiana which was also a hit. Both were good sized portions. Cook has a nice wine list of New and Old World wine, we chose to bring our own, a tasty Nebbiolo which was great with the food. Service was friendly and laid back which made for a nice relaxing dinner. Hope to get back to Cook soon! PS: The concert featuring Petty Theft, a Tom Petty cover band was excellent!

There were 6 of us for dinner tonight. Everythingt we ordered was delicious. My veal scallopini with wild mushrooms and risotto was delicious but the veal was not as tender as it should be. Other dishes we tried were the mussels, pasta bolognese), short ribs, pasta with house made sausage. For dessert we had the panna cotta and the blueberry and white peach crisp. Everything was delicious. We will definitely come back.

Cook has been part of the Napa Valley restaurant scene for years now and it's an easy one to forget. Nestled in the heart of downtown St. Helena it's really a special spot. The space itself is narrow but charming and the food is some of the best you'll find in Napa especially if you're a pasta lover. Service wasn't exceptional, but not terrible. We also were one of the last tables at the end of the night but it took a bit for our server to come back for the check but the food more than made up for it. We'll definitely be back!

This little gem was recommended to us and it was a perfect date night spot. So cozy and cute. We started out with the burrata and cocktails. For dinner, both entrees were delicious but the short rib risotto was really special. The wine was perfect and the service phenomenal. St Helena is the cutest little town!

This part of the city is charming. I didn't get a reservation, because I didn't know what time I was going to be here again. It looks very cozy and classy here. It was so crowded when I got here today, and didn't even know if I was going to get in. It was packed, and loud in here. I said my all time favorite Italian dish is Pesto Lasagna. Something that's similar to Lasagna in a casserole form, is this. This is made out of a plant, they know what plant it is. I don't want to talk about this plant, they know why. What is an Aubergine? I'm familiar with this ingredient roasted, baked, grilled, stir fry, in stews, fermented, noodle soup, or tempura. This is an Aubergine Parmesan. I didn't know if it was going to be available, but I'm glad it was. This is a great way to start Summer in Napa. It have Tomato Sauce and Béchamel in it. The Tomato Sauce was bright, the breading was crunchy still, the Aubergine held its texture, it absorbed a lot of the Tomato Sauce, cheese was melted through, I liked the slithers of Basil, and had a lot of flavor. I was thinking this was going to be a 4.1 stars, but I give this 4.2 stars.

Another spot in at Helena with five stars. Only open certain nights. Weekdays. The staff are all long serving and know how to give personal touch. The kitchen is open and very active. Everything is well prepared and visually impressive. The menu has a rolling set of specials. The wines are all top notch. Highly recommend getting there early to sit at bar or make reservations.

The food as usual was phenomenal! I have never had a bad meal at Cook in the 20 years I have been dining there. I am actually this is the first review I have written. Then again, maybe not. You have to keep some secrets. This little hole in the wall with seating for maybe 20 guests is AMAZING! You must make reservations to eat there. Otherwise, you are doing yourself a disservice and probably won't be dining there as they fill up quickly and patron stay awhile! The bar isn't the reason to dine there, it's the food! A small menu with not a ton of choices to be confused by. Regardless, everything offered is made with the utmost care. The staff are busy and focused on making your experience the best. Tip, I love to sit at the bar and enjoy food service there. The specials and some of the faces change but this little gem is often overlooked and under appreciated in my book! Cheers!

Being a long time customer since the opening of the restaurant. I always love the food and the elegant atmosphere. I felt like this was my "food escape" in Napa Valley. A cozy lunch / dinner at the bar, was my tradition. Unfortunately, lately, like everywhere with Napa Valley's restaurants, prices went up. Cook is no exception Fact: the waiter suggested the day's specials. I picked a fish risotto, it sounded delicious. The dish was good indeed but the price was "astronomical". The most expensive risotto I paid in my life. When dishes are so expensive, the waiter should share the prices before. Too bad. I won't go back. Sorry

Really good food and excellent service. Highly recommended. We had a some nice wines by the glass, a very well done Caesar salad and tasty pasta. Everything was great!

I love this place. My mom and I took an afternoon drive up Cook just for the gnocchi. We've had great gnocchi is Tuscany, but the gnocchi at Cook's just might be the best we've ever had. I remember watching an episode of Triple D. Guy Fieri said if gnocchi is done right, it's light, fluffy, pillowy, and melts in your mouth. Well these jams hit all of the above. My mom even got an order to go. At lunch, they give you the option to add a protein. We both went with the sausage. It had just the right amount of spice and added the salt. The waiter was attentive and personable. I'll definitely be back. I love this place.

Came back here for lunch. Didn't have reservations and sat at the bar. Took a while to place order. Ordered pasta and taste good.

This was a standout meal in every way. The pasta was made in house that morning, hand rolled on the marble bar top. The brussel sprouts roasted to perfection, crispy and tasty without being over seasoned. I ordered the amatriciana, which I've also had in Rome, and this was in a league of its own. The bolognese was also delicious, the tomatoes were so fresh. I don't want to leave out the chopped salad. I could eat it everyday. Our waitress Dee was perfect and made us feel like regulars. We're looking forward to trying EVERYTHING.

A must visit. One of the best meals I've ever had start to finish. So fresh. You can taste the passion. From our table we could see the chef grabbing fresh tomatoes to cook with. Entrees were incredible but the dessert out of this world.

In a valley full of big names and high end restaurants, Cook still stands out as one of the best. Nothing flashy about it. Not for folks who want to brag about where they went or insta their dinnerplate (not that it's unworthy of pictures). Just excellent food, attentive service, simple but lovely interior with beautiful mercury glass pendants over the marble bar and a selection of cookbooks on the upper shelf artfully arranged by color. You often see at least one or two people dining by themselves at the bar which I think is a compliment to the clientele and the restaurant. Come quickly and clean your plate at Cook!

We really enjoyed each of our dishes at Cook! The pastas were flavorful and the cavatelli all'arrabbiata had the right amount of spice. The risotto with fish was such a wonderful pairing and very warming to my soul. I love me a good risotto. :) our toddler enjoyed their minestrone soup as well! They are only open on weekdays so I defintely recommend going if you're in Saint Helena during the week. Great service and nice ambiance!

All I could say is WOW! We were in Napa for a 4-day weekend trip. We planned to come on the Friday we were in town. I was very excited to try Cook because everything looked amazing from the photos on Yelp. We ordered: Mussels Papardelle with rabbit Cavatelle Short rib Originally, we wanted to order the bolognese, but they sold out and we definitely had sad faces. Our awesome waiter suggested that we try the cavatelle instead, so we went with that. She was nice enough to bring out a side of the homemade ricotta for us to put on top of the cavatelle to have a similar experience as the bolognese (the bolognese is topped with their fresh ricotta). This pasta dish was soo good and the ricotta just made it exceptional. Let me just tell you, all of the dishes were off the charts good. They do their craft well here and you taste the love that is put into every dish. With us eager to try the bolognese, I made another reservation to dine on Monday for lunch. We ordered: Mussels Fettuccine bolognese Spaghetti with clams and shrimp Once again, we were very impressed with all of the dishes. Really just lost for words at this point because this restaurant has become my favorite spot to dine in the Napa Valley area. Service was great (and friendly) for both dining experiences. One of the staff also gave us a pro tip of asking the chef to use the bolognese sauce on top of the eggplant parm instead of the regular tomato sauce. We will definitely try that next time. We cannot wait until we can come back! It is THAT good!

Great place for dinner while in Napa! We stayed in St Helena so this was very close to our hotel and conveniently located. The food was great!

Such a great energy and ambiance, the food is amazing and the service is awesome! This is a must stop when visiting the Napa area. It's a quaint and welcoming place. Daniel the bartender was amazing. He gave us great recommendations wine pairing suggestions. The food was out of this world and we cannot wait to come back!!

We stumbled upon this lovely gem after an afternoon of wine tasting up the road. We were greeted warmly and invited to sit at the bar. We shared the eggplant Parmesan and it was fantastic: perfect for a cold rainy day. Will definitely return!

Had lunch today at Cook and once again and as always it was incredible. The barrata was so yummy and the burger and Caesar salad were delicious!!! Service was great! I will tell you if you're visiting St. Helena..it's a MUST stop!!!!! I'll be back soon

Book a reservation before coming here! When we went, it was busy. The restaurant was cozy with a casual-upscale vibe. For the appetizer, we got the bruschetta and prosciutto. The cheese was creamy and the pesto was amazing as well. We got the special pasta with Marsala sauce, mushroom varieties, and house sausage with fettuccine. It was delicious, the sauce having a smooth, slightly creamy texture and the bites of mushroom / sausage was a delight. Service was great as well. Definitely recommend trying this place out when visiting St Helena!

Service and the consistency of the food is as you would expect from an awesome restaurant!

Our party of four was seated in a cute table by the window. Greeted quickly by our server and drink ordered taken and specials given. We ordered the calamari as an appetizer. Entrees were the shrimp risotto, chicken fettuccine with creamy pesto, gnocchi, and fazzoletti bolognese. The risotto and gnocchi were superb!! Highly recommend! Small place, make reservations. Great service and food.

Excellent menu. Food excellent. I am local and I have eaten there year after year. Reservation during season is helpful. Poor cell phone reception (thank god).

We love visiting Cook when we are in town, the fresh pasta is great, the service is kind and quick, and the small Italian family restaurant vibe is our fav. The panna cotta is a go to dessert, their specials are always great and the wine selection lovely!

My bf and I found this place while on a mini weekend getaway. There were some reviews that said a reservation isn't required, which is technically true but I would still recommend it. We didn't have to wait long, but customers with reservations were given (arguably better) tables instead of bar seating, which tbh looked more comfortable and had more elbow room. Not a deal breaker, but just something to be mindful of. Food. OMG, the food is so good here! There's bread (with olive oil and balsamic vinegar, tsk) available upon request. For mains, he and I shared the gnocchi carbonara (it came highly recommended by some guests sitting nearby) and the cavatelli all'arrabbiata. Both were so good and complimented each other well since one was creamy and the other was slightly spicy. We also had a side of polenta since we don't see it often on menus. Finally, dessert was panna cotta with seasonal fruit. My only regret is that the restaurant isn't closer to where I live :( Street parking was relatively easy to come by (it was even free at that time of night). Noise level was much louder than I would have liked, so much so that it was even difficult to hear my bf sitting right next to me sometimes. Service was fine but it was difficult to get their attention most of the time (even though we were sitting at the bar), and I also noticed what felt like a different "level" of service that didn't match what other customers sitting close by were experiencing. So... five stars for the food, but four for the overall experience.

it is so loud in this restaurant that it is uncomfortable to sit there. the food was mediocre as was the service. we had a dairy free person and a vegetarian among the four of us. each of us had a different meal and none of it was good enough to take home.

Our party was 3. The food was very good , the service from Gwen was great ! So we started with the mussels which were very good. I also had the minestrone soup omg ! So good I highly recommend. My girlfriend and aunt have the seafood pasta in spicy white wine sauce. Very good sauce. I had a spicy pasta dish which I can not remember the name. But it was very good. The bread is good as well. Oh and the blackberry & peach crisps are wonderful. Mmmm so good. I recommend this place , we will be back . Note : if you bring your children to dinner awesome. If you bring them to dinner and they yell and scream the whole time. Stop !! Ruining everyone else's meal and take them the hell home !!!!!

Was pleasantly impressed with this place. The menu is outstanding and the tastes are even better. We shared the burrata, calamari, and risotto special and each dish was very fresh and had excellent taste. The outdoor dining area is also very cozy, especially considering it was a makeshift area. I would definitely check this place out if you're in the area.

We sat at the bar. Great service, fabulous food, lovely place! Highly recommend the Caesar salad, spicy shrimp pasta and the lasagna was fantastic! Can't wait to come back!

Really nice Italian food! Small but well thought out menu. The calamari was delicious and so was the dipping sauce that came with it. I got the spaghetti alle vongole for my entre. The portion was nice and it came was a lot of clams. The sauce was also really good and they gave you bread to soak up the remaining sauce at the end. We also had an affogato for dessert which was delicious! Would go back!

Cozy romantic restaurant with great service, ambiance and incredible food. All of the food we ate was amazing- homemade pasta dishes and burrata were delicious. I normally don't order the bolognese when it's on the menu, but it is a MUST try here. Hands down the best bolognese dish I've ever had- it's made with a different kind of pasta which is thick and folded over (fazzoletti bolognese). The special pasta of the night was a fettuccine with chicken in a light sauce and was so good. I can't wait to come back to Napa and will definitely come back to Cook!

Amazing dinner experience. Delicious food, friendly and attentive service, local vibe. Small place, so make reservations. Highly recommend.

I give them 2 stars Because I don't think their food is good as their reviews. I'm just confused!?! The calamari she suggested was ok again not great! What the heck?!? The service was great but not excellent and their food was just ok. The big question is ... would I come back here???? Absolutely not.. I know better now after I tried this place.

The pasta here was really good, but there wasn't enough noodles! The fried calamari and linguine al vongole were delicious. Yummmmm!

Top 3 Italian restaurant in Napa County. I'll drive from Napa to St. Helena just to eat here. BEST EGGPLANT parm I've ever had my in life.

Pure deliciousness!! We had a great meal after wine tasting and it was early enough that there was no wait time to be seated. Beware it's a small place and only service dogs are allowed. Sadly we were starving so I didn't take any pictures of our food as it was devoured the second it was served.

My wife and I had dinner here a couple of weeks ago. We had reservations and were seated promptly when we arrived. The small dining room was packed. I good sign! And we found out why. The food was delicious. I had a pasta dish and my wife had the eggplant parm. Both were excellent. The pasta is made in house as was their fresh and tasty red sauce. We also had Manhattans which were also good. The service was great as well.

3.5 stars because chef owner went out of his way to accommodate. The place is very small inside. They had a small table for 2 set up in the narrow walkway sandwiched between the wall and bar seats. Not great for distancing despite the maitre d' citing infrequent foot traffic. Best seats inside was a table by the window which were occupied by 2 women who reminded the staff that distancing was necessary if we asked if we could sit at the end of the bar near her. We opted to wait an additional 30 mins for the parking lot "patio. After dinner, we noticed 2 men sitting at the end of the bar we were eyeing while the 2 women were sit sitting. They were not 6 feet apart. The ladies left together, didn't know the men either. The patio is a nicely laid out flooring with better distancing. We saw at least 8 customers traveling to the patio from the inside during our meal. I was glad we declined to accept the table inside. We shared a Caesar salad which was heavily salted and lots of cheese. It was OK, no anchovies. Hubby liked his fried petrale filets over risotto with figs. It was the best fish of the night. My spaghetti (al dente) vongole was OK. Good amount of clams. They ran out of fettuccine for the vongole. Disappointingly, we wanted to order the fried calamari but they sold out. Our wait staff was superb. She ran the back all by herself and the assistant was nice and checked our water glasses. Most folks had their masks in hand except for the 30ish couple. She had her mask on but he walked into the patio area without one, oblivious that there is a pandemic.

Recommended by Laura @ Spring Mountain Vineyards. Specifically, the eggplant parm, which I had and it was delicious. Hubby had the halibut/risotto special and it was also heavenly. Stephanie, our waitress. was amazing and had some great recommendations/connections for some wineries. Great evening.