Introduction

Sonoma's dining scene, centered on and around its historic plaza, ranges from a Michelin three-star newcomer to decades-old local institutions. We checked eight restaurants below, all confirmed currently operating within the town itself — several well-known spots turned out to have closed and are excluded here.

the girl & the fig

French and Provençal-inspired wine-country cuisine on Sonoma Plaza, open since 1997, known for an all-Rhône-varietal wine list.

Cafe La Haye

A New American bistro founded in

1996. Worth a continuity note: it changed ownership in late 2025, with the new owners — a longtime employee and his wife — keeping the menu, staff, and decor unchanged.

El Dorado Kitchen

Elevated California wine-country cuisine inside the El Dorado Hotel on the plaza, which underwent a renovation completed in

LaSalette Restaurant

A New Portuguese restaurant near the plaza, open since

Della Santina's

A traditional Tuscan trattoria family-owned since 1990, known for rotisserie meats and handmade pasta.

Enclos

A fine-dining French and California restaurant that opened in December 2024 and earned three Michelin stars in the 2026 guide.

Swiss Hotel

A historic wine-country dining institution on the plaza, known for wood-fired pizza and housemade pasta.

Valley Bar + Bottle

A California home-cooking restaurant, wine bar, and bottle shop hybrid, occupying the building that formerly housed the long-running Harvest Moon Cafe.

Restaurants We Excluded

Harvest Moon Cafe closed in 2019 after 13 years, with its space now occupied by Valley Bar + Bottle. Rin's Thai Restaurant has also closed, with Enclos now in its former space. The General's Daughter, a historic restaurant that had already stopped operating as a dining venue years earlier, is now fully closed pending a contested redevelopment proposal.

Practical Tips

• Enclos is worth booking ahead given its recent three-star Michelin recognition.

• Cafe La Haye's 2025 ownership change didn't affect its menu or character — no need to worry it's different from what longtime visitors remember.

• Double-check any source recommending Harvest Moon Cafe, Rin's Thai, or The General's Daughter — none currently operate under those names or concepts.

Sources and Verification Notes

Each restaurant's operating status, address, and character were checked against its own site and cross-checked against Yelp or local press. Cafe La Haye's 2025 ownership transition, along with the closures of Harvest Moon Cafe, Rin's Thai, and The General's Daughter, were each independently confirmed before being noted or excluded.