Barndiva — Restaurant in Healdsburg

My mom and I visited Healdsburg for the 1st time for her birthday, and Barndiva was our first dinner. It had been recommended by friends so I had high hopes. Unfortunately, expectations were far from met. It took a minute for us to get greeted at the door, which was fine but not ideal for such a nice place. Once we were sat it took so long for our waitress to come over I thought she might not know we were there. I will say, our waitress was incredibly nice, but also incredibly inattentive. I am a millennial and do not like to complain or bother because I worked in the service industry for a long time. Even by my standards, it was not acceptable. The original plan was to get a glass of white wine with apps and a glass of red with entrees. However, our apps came before the white wine did and then literally everything came all at once. There was no pacing or coursing at all. We got goat cheese croquettes, garden salad, heirloom tomato salad, and bucatini and they all came literally at the same time maybe 5 minutes after ordering. The heirloom tomato salad advertises "whipped burrata" which was absolutely non-existent and the whole thing was flavorless, even for tomato lovers like us. The pasta was super flavorful, rich, and delicious but a portion large enough for a 2 year old only, not a single grown adult, let alone for sharing. And it was $30. The croquettes were great and the garden salad was good too, just kind of standard. Since everything was rushed and served at once, we opted out of the red wine and had no chance to order it anyway. The restaurant knew we were there to celebrate a birthday but did not offer dessert or anything at all. After all that, we waited for the check for at least 20 minutes. Overall, this place has a good reputation and we were super excited and then super let us down. It seems maybe a bit out of date? Or like they prioritized other tables or guest experience over us? This was our least favorite meal experience in...

Came to Barndiva with high expectations; left disappointed.

I was expecting a first-class dining experience, but that was not to be. The food and service were just OK, if that. A simple question to the waiter about a particular bottle of Cabernet led to a nearly comic interlude in which he immediately summoned the sommelier, who boasted he would find us the ideal wine for our meal, once we decided on the entrees, then disappeared.

The starters arrived -- croquettes in some kind of savory honey glaze that were ok (a cheese ball is a cheese ball), a salad nicoise with mackerel that was good but so small a portion a mouse would have walked away hungry -- but the sommelier did not.

Then he showed up, we told him our entrees (duck and trout) and he effusively recommended a wine to pair (a Bruno Clair Marsanny), and we said, sure. Then he disappeared again. He came by a few minutes later and told us they were still searching for the bottle.

The Marsanny finally arrived along with another server, who was officious nearly to the point of satire, and proffered the bottle like he was about to pour a Chateau Le Tour. He poured and... Meh. Honestly, I've had $50 bottles of pinot noir far superior to this apparently well hidden $130 burgundy.

Then the food arrived a minute later. My duck was good, but not $48 good. My friend's trout dish was similar -- adequate but hardly outstanding. And that was it -- just bird and fish, with no accompaniment. (The only side offered on the menu was mashed potatoes, hidden below the desserts.)

The desert (a wine and chocolate combo -- essentially a rich mousse in the shape of a candy bar) was excellent. And the waiter comped us each a glass of a Sauterne-like dessert wine for their wine screw up. But for $350, we could have done a LOT better.

Sorry Barndiva, not going back. And to the Michelin guide folks who just gave them a star: What in god's name were...

The Barndiva Team,

Our Wedding Day, May 24, 2014 - Barndiva, Healdsburg, CA.

Let us say that your incredible team delivered nothing short of excellence on our most special day! We are also in the upscale restaurant industry and can appreciate how difficult it is to take such good care of 200+ guests on any day, albeit a wedding day. From our first intimate brunch at Barndiva, through the many fabulous dinners that followed, to our most important day, we have felt the love and care you have for your guests. The tasteful, brilliant design of your restaurant and art gallery, as well as the way you make everything flow together, creates a truly amazing guest experience.

OMG your Chef Ryan is the best! He and his team delivered a dining experience that exceeded expectations! Wow, what fabulous work, we THANK YOU!!!

The team - Lukka, Liberty, Fatimah, Dawid and Mariola did so much with such love to assure us a wonderful time. Everyone performed their individual tasks and brought their talents in unique and special ways - we are still so appreciate of this many months later! We have only one regret - we wish you had just told us the day we chose to have our wedding at Barndiva, that every detail, every last touch would be attended to. We just didn’t realize that we had nothing to worry about! We actually could relax (as much as possible) and enjoy our wedding day. When we arrived the day before the wedding, we were greeted so warmly, with such enthusiasm by your fabulous team. Our friends and family, and we, were so impressed.

You are all truly sophisticated, yet down-to-earth, beautiful, bright people who we are truly honored to know and call friends, and to have shared a once-in-a-lifetime event with!

Our most heartfelt thank you and appreciation!!

Cheers,

Natalie &...