Glen Ellen · Restaurant · $$
Glen Ellen Star
Worth the trip?
Worth considering.
Best as part of a Napa Valley day or night when its location and style fit the rest of the plan.
Our Take
Glen Ellen Star looks casual from the outside but cooks with far more ambition than the setting suggests, using its wood-fired oven as the center of an inventive Sonoma County menu.
It fills a specific lane in the guide and gives people another strong option beyond the obvious Wine Country names.
The 30-Second Decision
GO
Best as part of a Napa Valley day or night when its location and style fit the rest of the plan.
SKIP
If its particular style does not fit the day you are actually trying to plan.
BOOK
Sit where you can feel the energy of the kitchen and order across the menu instead of treating it as a pizza stop
OUR RANK
#7 in Worth the Drive.
The Move
What we'd actually do.
Sit where you can feel the energy of the kitchen and order across the menu instead of treating it as a pizza stop.
Why We Rank It
It fills a specific lane in the guide and gives people another strong option beyond the obvious Wine Country names.
What Makes It Different
Why Glen Ellen Star?
THE HOOK
The reason it stands out
Glen Ellen Star looks casual from the outside but cooks with far more ambition than the setting suggests, using its wood-fired oven as the center of an inventive Sonoma County menu.
THE EXPERIENCE
Why we'd choose it
It fills a specific lane in the guide and gives people another strong option beyond the obvious Wine Country names.
FOR LOCALS
Why it still matters
It broadens the guide with places that can still be useful even when they have not been the subject of a dedicated feature.
We'd Send You Here If...
You're going with friends
The experience works well when the point is spending time together rather than treating every stop like a formal tasting.
Maybe Skip It If...
It doesn't fit the day you're building.
A great Napa recommendation is still the wrong recommendation when its pace, location or experience doesn't match what you actually want.
Know Before You Go
Planning
Easy to work in
Experience
Special occasion
Price
$$
Make Your Next Move
Keep building the day.
Compare another winery, figure out dinner or decide where the night goes next.
KEEP TASTING
More Wineries
Compare this stop with the wineries we think are most worth your time across Napa Valley.
Explore →
EAT NEXT
Plan Your Dinner
Find the restaurants we'd actually choose when it's time to trade the tasting room for dinner.
Explore →
KEEP GOING
Going Out
Head into Cocktail Time for the bars, cocktails and late-night stops worth building the rest of the night around.
Explore →
Where We Rank It
The Basics
The practical stuff.
Area
Glen Ellen · Napa Valley
Type
Restaurant
Price
$$
Planning
Easy to work in