Little Saint — Restaurant in Healdsburg

TL;DR: Food was fantastic, service was awful, follow-up with management was the final nail in the coffin. We will not return and cannot recommend Little Saint to anyone.

The full story: My partner is vegan, I eat vegan 5 out of 7 days a week, we live in Sonoma county, and we routinely do weekly dinners out at restaurants of similar quality and price point. I'd venture we are exactly the demographic Little Saint is targeting.

Made a reservation. Were seated quickly upon arrival. Initial drink order took 30 minutes from the time we were seated until we had a drink. Ordered the prix fixe/chef's menu to really experience the full breadth of the kitchen's talents. 20 minutes after our food order, our server came by to cheerfully ask how the first course was. We hadn't had a first course, and we waited longer. In a completely inexplicable turn of events, our server removed my partner's half-finished cocktail after we told her we didn't need another round. We were so unprepared for her to remove it that we didn't even notice until she was too far away to stop. Just because we don't want another round doesn't mean we don't want to finish the drink we ordered!

Food was great, every course. Kitchen deserves credit.

Our service was delivered by at least 5 different people (water, bussing, random check-ins from expeditors?, hosts?, bar?), none of whom appeared to coordinate with one another. Our server was disorganized and virtually absent. At the conclusion of the meal, we asked our server for two small items to be boxed to take home and for the check. Our items never came back and by the time we actually got a check (from someone other than our server) we were just relieved to finally pay and GTFO of there. Our dinner took over two hours, half of which was waiting for food, drinks, or the check. We paid in full and left an 18% gratuity. Total was $200+ for two people.

Our drive home was a discussion entirely about the bad service and not about the food and that is the real shame of it. We didn't need a Singlethread, Matheson, or French Laundry service, we just needed competent service and we would be repeat customers.

The final nail in the coffin: I hate writing online reviews and I am generally understanding of the challenges incumbent in starting a business. I called Little Saint and left a message that our experience was terrible and I would appreciate speaking to management in the next week so I could relay my experience and they could use my feedback as they saw fit. I was clear that I wanted to deliver my feedback privately (not in a public online review) and was not interested in any compensation or favors. I simply wanted them to hear my bad experience, use it to improve, make me want to return, and be a long term success. I got a call from a hostess the next day who asked me for my email so management could follow up. Following that call, I've received no communication from Little Saint (5+ weeks) and I am sadly now writing a bad google review for a place I desperately hoped...

Vegan, farm-linked restaurant with a cool vibe (5/5 green stars) First thing I’ll say for Little Saint, is that it’s worth dropping in even if you’re not having a meal. There’s a wine shop and a delicatessen that contains some plant-based cheeses and meats that you may not find anywhere else within a large radius. I think they have a chest of vegan ice creams too! We ended up there when there was a limited menu – during happy hour, I think. Like the photos of the restaurant, my memories of it are a little hazy. Walking in is a bit like entering a dream, with misty light streaming in from high windows, large rugs, vivid paintings, and mismatched furniture. One set of tables and chairs looks like it came from a high-end British tea room while another would be at home in a farmhouse. Then there were two very different bars with two very different styles of bar stool, and in the middle of it all was the sofa we that landed on. We had the vegan cheese plate and some kind of nonalcoholic cocktail. Then I passed out for an unknown amount of time and when I came to, it was time to go to the deli check out the vegan cheeses that we’d just eaten. Or had I eaten them? It’s all really hazy… But I do remember being happy to have discovered the NY-based Rebel Cheese because of Little Saint. So wander in to find some cool products that you may have been aware of – vegan cheeses and meats but also snacks like 12 Tides – an organic kelp snack in compostable packaging.

I’m giving Little Saint 5/5 Green Stars for social and environmental impact. That score is based on the following: • Vegan restaurant. Adopting a plant-based diet is the top thing you can do to mitigate climate change, deforestation, animal cruelty, and food scarcity. • Ingredients are largely sourced from their farm: “Little Saint Farm, an 8-acre property just two and a half miles away. The farm employs minimal-tillage practices to nurture rich, healthy soil, promoting biodiversity and yielding produce bursting with nutrition and flavor.” • On diversity: “Our commitment extends to featuring and supporting marginalized groups across all sectors.” • Wine is mostly local, serving to “highlight producers committed to reducing their environmental impact through a blend of traditional farming methods and innovative solutions.” Cocktails utilize “imperfect produce and items typically considered waste, transforming them into exceptional flavors.” • Similar for coffee: “The espresso we chose as our mainstay comes from Saint Frank Coffee in San Francisco, a company that sources from small growers and co-ops in East Africa, South and Central America.” Saint Frank publishes prices paid for coffee – and they are usually 3x the commodity market price. • As mentioned, the deli/store features products from progressive companies that produce sustainable, vegan foods, usually with...

Unparalleled Culinary Experience with Heartwarming Hospitality that Ended in Tears!

We had an unforgettable anniversary celebration at Little Saint in Healdsburg, CA. This restaurant truly defines culinary excellence and pushes boundaries with its elevated vegan dishes and boutique live events. The setting is chic and relaxed, and the impressive wine collection adds to the experience.

In the captivating realm of Sonoma, where culinary excellence is both revered and reinvented, a multitude of tantalizing restaurants await to ignite your senses. Little Saint rightfully owns the Vegan domain of excellence amongst it peers. But Little Saint has something the others don’t.

What sets Little Saint apart is their exceptional hospitality. From the moment we made a last-minute reservation and mentioned that it was our anniversary, the team discussed our special occasion, and Laurel went above and beyond. They surprised us with crystal dessert wine glasses during our final course, crystal is the traditional gift for a 15 year anniversary. This was such a thoughtful gesture and left us feeling humbled.

But it didn't end there; after enjoying our complimentary wine, Laurel presented us with a gift of two crystal wine glasses to keep. This act of kindness brought tears to our eyes and made our night truly special.

The Little Saint family knows how to create an experience that money can't buy. The team's culture is united around kindness and enhancing clients' experiences with profound thoughtfulness. It's evident that they genuinely care about their guests. Leadership is certainly doing something right by helping to create an environment like this.

In addition to the impeccable service, the food was incredible—exciting our senses with every bite. Little Saint stands at the intersection of culinary excellence and heartfelt hospitality, making it a must-visit spot in Sonoma.

I am deeply thankful for the exceptional night we had at Little Saint. It's a restaurant that not only challenges culinary norms but also warms your heart with its kindness. If you're looking for an unparalleled dining experience, Little Saint is the...