Team C&J
This Restaurant Is Permanently Closed.
Restaurant Rating
Cost Rating
Food Type
Farm to Table
131 North St, Healdsburg, CA 95448
Let’s be honest: when you book a reservation at SingleThread, you know you’re about to drop some serious cash. This isn’t a casual night out where you order a few appetizers and a bottle of wine without a second thought. It’s a dining event—one you prepare for, anticipate, and, eventually, pay for with the kind of sigh usually reserved for tax season.
Our group of six came to SingleThread with high expectations. Three Michelin stars, rave reviews, and a farm-to-table ethos that promised fresh, seasonal flavors straight from the restaurant’s own farm. We were excited, curious, and slightly nervous about what the final bill might look like. The meal itself was impressive. The food was artfully presented and undeniably delicious. The service was polished and professional, and the wine selection was extensive enough to make any sommelier swoon.
But when the check arrived—averaging to roughly $ 2500 per couple, including tax, tip, and wine- you do look back at the evening and ask yourself if the entire experience was worth it. So, was it a good meal? Absolutely. Was it worth the price? That’s where things get tricky.
Chef Kyle Connaughton is the driving force behind SingleThread, and his culinary pedigree is hard to match. He spent years working in Japan, absorbing the precision and seasonality of Japanese cuisine, before heading to England to work at The Fat Duck with Heston Blumenthal. Connaughton’s food reflects this global experience, blending Japanese techniques with Sonoma’s seasonal bounty.
The chef and his wife, Katina, are the ultimate farm-to-table power couple. Katina oversees the five-acre farm that supplies much of the restaurant’s produce, ensuring the menu is constantly evolving with the seasons. If there’s a perfect tomato to be had in Sonoma, you can bet it’s on your plate at SingleThread.
Connaughton’s approach is meticulous, and it shows in every dish. Each plate is more than just food; it’s a carefully constructed narrative about place, time, and ingredients. The problem is that while the story is compelling, the price of admission is high—maybe too high for what ultimately feels like a very elegant, very expensive dinner.
The food at SingleThread is undeniably well-executed. The tasting menu is seasonal and heavily influenced by Japanese cuisine, with a California twist. Fresh vegetables from their farm make their way into every course, along with high-quality proteins and delicate sauces that require the precision of a surgeon to plate.
Everything arrives beautifully presented. The meal begins with an elaborate arrangement of small bites, each more intricate than the last. There’s an obvious emphasis on balance—between textures, flavors, and temperatures. The dishes move seamlessly from light and refreshing to rich and savory, never lingering too long in one place.
If you appreciate culinary artistry, you’ll find a lot to admire here. Each dish feels like it was designed for a cookbook cover. But while the flavors were excellent, nothing left us daydreaming about it the next day. It was all very good—but for the price, we were hoping for something unforgettable.
Now let’s get to the part that had us all raising our eyebrows: the cost.
SingleThread isn’t shy about its pricing. The tasting menu costs $425 per person, which aligns with almost all 3 Star Michelin restaurants. Add in wine pairings, tax, and tip, and you’re easily looking at around $ 2500 per couple. For context, that’s roughly the cost of a weekend in Sonoma, complete with wine tours, nice dinners, and a plush hotel room.
We opted to try all three wine pairings to get the full experience:
We had high hopes for the premium pairing, considering it costs more than many tasting menus at other Michelin-starred restaurants. The wines were good—great, even—but did they feel worth $1500? Not really. If you’re deciding between the pairings, we’d recommend skipping the top-tier option unless you really want to splurge. The regular pairing was just as enjoyable, and the reserve pairing struck a nice balance between price and quality.
The ambiance at SingleThread is one of its strongest points. The restaurant sits in downtown Healdsburg, a charming wine country town that feels like Napa’s quieter, less touristy cousin. From the moment you walk in, you get a sense that you’re somewhere special.
The dining room strikes a balance between casual and elegant. Soft lighting, warm wood tones, and carefully curated floral arrangements create a welcoming, serene atmosphere. The open kitchen adds a sense of theater to the meal, letting you watch the chefs assemble dishes with laser-like focus.
It’s the kind of place where conversations remain at a pleasant murmur, and you never feel rushed. The staff moves through the room with the grace of a well-rehearsed ballet. There’s a certain hush that falls over the room when each course arrives, like everyone is collectively acknowledging the amount of effort that went into plating that single radish slice.
The vibe is sophisticated without being stiff. You can wear a nice pair of jeans without getting side-eye from the staff, but if you want to dress up, you’ll fit right in. It’s a restaurant that knows it’s fancy but tries to pretend it isn’t.
If you love wine, SingleThread has you covered. The list is extensive, with a heavy focus on Sonoma producers alongside a solid selection of international options. The sommelier was knowledgeable, friendly, and happy to geek out about obscure producers when we asked.
That said, the wine pricing is where things start to feel less hospitable. Bottle markups here are significant, which isn’t surprising for a Michelin-starred restaurant, but it still stings when you recognize a wine you bought for $60 at a tasting room being listed for $200.
The wine pairings, as mentioned, were solid but overpriced. The $1500 pairing included some impressive bottles, but unless you have an expense account or a burning desire to sample ultra-rare wines, it’s hard to justify. We all agreed that bringing your own bottle next time would be the smarter move.
Speaking of bringing your own wine, let’s talk about the corkage fee. SingleThread charges $150 per bottle, with a limit of two bottles per reservation. However, if you buy a bottle from their list, they waive one corkage fee.
Is $150 steep? Yes. But considering the markup on their wine list, it’s still a better deal than ordering off the menu. If you have a favorite bottle you’ve been saving, bring it along. Just make sure it’s something special enough to complement the meal—you don’t want to pay $150 to uncork a grocery store Chardonnay.
Service at SingleThread was as polished as you’d expect from a three-Michelin-star restaurant. The staff was friendly, attentive, and knowledgeable without being pretentious. Plates were delivered with synchronized precision, and every course was introduced with just the right amount of detail—enough to be informative, but not so much that you felt like you were attending a lecture.
SingleThread is an impressive restaurant. The food is beautiful, the service impeccable, and the setting inviting. Chef Kyle Connaughton’s commitment to seasonal, farm-driven cuisine is evident in every dish, and the entire experience feels thoughtful and intentional.
But here’s the thing: at $2500 per couple, you’re paying for more than just food—you’re paying for a story, an experience, and a name. And while we enjoyed the meal, it didn’t quite live up to the price tag.
Would we recommend SingleThread? If money isn’t a concern, absolutely. It’s a lovely way to spend an evening in Healdsburg. But if you’re looking for a dining experience that delivers true value, you might find yourself wishing you’d spent that money on a long weekend in wine country instead.
But we will say, if you are in the area, we would recommend Cyrus. You will spend the same amount of money. But will leave wanting more, and wanting to come back. And if you do decide to go? Bring your own wine. Trust us on this one.
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