You almost suffer from an embarrassment of riches when you try to decide where to dine in downtown Napa. It seems like every highly acclaimed chef has an outpost in the epicenter of California’s premier wine region. 

In this crowded field, there is one restaurant that we found stood out among the rest: Morimoto Napa. While many of the other restaurants in Napa are busy crafting new ways of delivering wine country cuisine, Chef Morimoto continues to do what he does best: high-end sushi experiences and thoughtfully curated Japanese cuisine.

Not only is this one of the only Japanese restaurants in Napa Valley, it’s also one of the most highly rated dining experiences in town.

Keep reading to discover what we loved about this downtown Napa dining destination.

Chef Masaharu Morimoto is an absolute legend in the culinary world. As a chef, Morimoto gained worldwide acclaim on the Japanese cooking show Iron Chef – the show would later come to the United States via the Food Network. Iron Chef pitted the world’s best chefs against each other in a battle of impromptu cooking, and Morimoto was a favorite for signature fusion of traditional Japanese flavors with contemporary techniques and ingredients, a style that continues to define his cuisine.

The first Morimoto restaurant opened in Philadelphia in 2001, and the runaway success of this high-end sushi and omakase restaurant propelled Morimoto to further expand the brand around the world, including to the downtown Napa location where we dined this fall.

Atmosphere & Location

Morimoto Napa is located in the heart of downtown Napa, and is within walking distance of many of the area’s boutique hotels. The atmosphere here is lively, and the bar is frequently buzzing, particularly on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday evenings. A quick note about the bar: Chef Morimoto’s restaurant is the only place in Napa with a full selection of sake and Japanese whiskey in Napa Valley.

The expansive open-kitchen concept allows you to watch the chefs and sushi chefs work their magic, while you sip sake at your table. If you want the full sushi experience, we recommend you sit at the omakase bar.

If the weather allows, you can also enjoy patio dining next to the Napa River.

Food

When you dine at Morimoto, you have the choice of ordering a la carte or going all in with the omakase menu. It’s almost impossible to resist a multi-course tasting menu from a celebrated chef like Morimoto in the heart of Napa Valley, so we had to go with that option.

The tasting menu gives you the option to add on a supplemental wine or sake pairing, as well as an extravagant A5 Wagyu and caviar supplement. What’s not to like about that?!

The plating and presentation at Morimoto is exquisite. We dined with a group, and everyone in the party had the omakase menu with both the wine and saki pairing. The food came out at a nice pace, and the selection of sake and wines was excellent. If you go with this pairing, expect to enjoy Morimoto’s own signature sake, as well as local sparkling wine powerhouse Schramsberg, a dry Riesling from Mosel, and a few Napa Valley and Carneros wines like Cuvaison and Hill Family Estate. 

They even have an exclusive bottling of estate-grown Napa Valley Cabernet Sauvignon from the legendary Grgich Hills. 

Menu highlights included:

• Fresh amberjack plated roe and shaved vegetables
• Nigiri with fatty tuna, salmon, hamachi, makrel
• Savory mushroom dumplings
• Braised black cod with miso
• Snake Rivers Farm Rib-eye

Corkage

The restaurant charges $40 per bottle, with a 2 bottle limit. Having said that, we found there was a nice selection of wines and sakes on the menu. Morimoto has something for every palate. 

FAQs

Is Morimoto a Michelin-star restaurant?

Morimoto restaurant in downtown Napa does not have a Michelin star, but if you enjoy visiting this style of fine dining restaurant, you will not be disappointed. We found the food and service to rival any of the Michelin-level restaurants we have visited.

What is the dress code at Morimoto Napa?

The dress code at this downtown Napa restaurant is upscale casual, which means you will find a mix of jeans and dress shirts or polos for men, women in sundresses or jeans and blazers, and everything in between. This is the kind of restaurant where you won’t feel out of place dressing up, but it isn’t necessary. Sneakers and sandals are okay, too.

Final Thoughts

Chef Morimoto’s restaurant in Napa provided a fantastic dining experience for our group. It was easy to give this spot a perfect five-star review. The staff and the service was amazing, and the food was off the charts. We cannot wait to return to this Napa hotspot.