Experiencing Napa Valley’s Press Restaurant

The new Press restaurant offers two dining experiences, an extravagant tasting menu and an easy-going a la carte menu. Diners who don’t have the time to invest several hours in a multi-course menu will still feel right at home at Press when they casually dine at the bar or on the patio. Whichever option you choose, you’re in for a tremendous culinary experience. 

Chef Philip Tessier

Philip Tessier is one of California’s most respected chefs. Not only has he trained at three of the world’s most famous three-Michelin star restaurants: Thomas Keller’s French Laundry and Per Se and Eric Ripert’s Le Bernardin, but Chef Tessier is also the first American chef to ever win a medal in the Bocuse d’Or, which is one of the culinary world’s most competitive cooking competitions.

Napa Valley’s Press Restaurant Tasting Menu

We visited  Press during peak tourist season, so we made sure to walk in with a reservation. Initially, we were seated on the patio at a table with bistro-style metal chairs, which would have been nice if we were looking for a more casual afternoon. But we sought out Press for their dedication to culinary artistry and the terroir-focused menu.

Don’t get us wrong, the patio has a great atmosphere, but we were prepared to go all in on the dinner-tasting menu and wine pairing (nearly $1,000 after tax and tip). The inside tables were all spoken for, so they offered us the bar area. 

This is where the team’s dedication to customer experience really shone through. When we were greeted by our waiter, we asked if there was any way we could be seated at a table in the dining room and enjoy the tasting menu and wine pairing. It took just about 20 mins (the time it takes to enjoy an aperitif cocktail at the bar) for the manager, JC, to come to our table and move us to the back of the restaurant and a forward-facing booth with an entire view of the restaurant. It was absolutely wonderful.

Our tasting menu experience began with a lemon sorbet palate cleanser. The icy lemon flavor was very refreshing and provided the perfect start to the rest of the menu.

What followed was just lovely. Golden Osetra caviar on a steamed white sesame bun, Kumamoto oyster with green strawberry mignonette and whipped sorrel, and chilled carrot-melon soup with spruce oil and a seeded pretzel. The plating was beautiful. True artistry on the plate. All of these dishes were absolutely phenomenal. 

For the mid-courses, we enjoyed ricotta gnudi, which was a parmesan consomme wrapped in a squash blossom – just delicious.  We were then served the halibut wrapped in Benton’s bacon. This was a nice dish, but, honestly, all we could taste was smoked bacon.

Next came the American Wagyu ribeye cap with saucisson en brioche and black truffle hollandaise. The meat was perfectly cooked and juicy with amazing flavor. 

And, finally, the desserts. We can’t forget the desserts. The curd with apple and walnut was presented with a ring of whipped cream and topped with edible lilac flowers, and the lemon custard with fresh coconut delectable. Both were quite good.

The Press Wine Program

You can’t talk about Press restaurant without talking about the wine list. Besides the technically precise California cuisine, Press has another claim to fame. The restaurant has the largest collection of Napa Valley wine in the world! The Press wine cellar is home to over 10,000 bottles of wine, 2,500 of which are unique to Napa Valley.

Current Press Wine Director Vincent Morrow, who achieved Master Sommelier status at 31 years old, is responsible for designing the wine pairings and cultivating the astonishing cellar list. While Morrow is happy to assist guests in discovering their new favorite Napa Valley Cabernet, he also has a soft spot for lesser-known varieties planted in Napa, which is reflected in the ever-evolving 245-page wine list.

Don’t be afraid to branch out and try an intriguing bottle of Napa Valley Cabernet Franc, Zinfandel, Friulano, or Vermentino. 

Final Thoughts

The level of skill and thought that goes into pulling together a tasting menu like this is astounding. Every little detail from the flatware – Press uses Revol flatware from France – to the synchronicity of the service to the wine pairings was so well thought out and executed. 

Overall, we would rate our experience at Press a 4.5 / 5. The only thing that threw us was the flavored froth or foam texture that accompanied many of the dishes. This duplicated presentation and taste blended those items together when some were so lovely they could have stood on their own. However, we were impressed with the presentation and experience in general. The service was a 10 – nearly flawless.