Bistro Don Giovanni
ITALIAN
4110 HOWARD LN, NAPA
This long-standing Italian restaurant is on the outskirts of town, and has one of the best outdoor settings around, with vineyard views and a dramatic fountain that sits at the center of it all. Beyond the scenery, the real reason we’ve been coming here for years is the food: every dish is a home run, especially the homemade pastas (get the rigatoni bolognese), gooey fig pizza, and caesar salad. 

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C Casa
MEXICAN
610 1ST ST, NAPA
Starting out as a stall at Napa’s Oxbow Public Market, C Casa opened this bright and airy standalone restaurant earlier this year, and it’s an ideal place for a tequila flight and tacos with a buzzy feel. The main events here are the towering plate-sized C Style, which comes filled with options like duck confit, heirloom potatoes, or (our favorite) wood-grilled mahi with pineapple.

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Bear at Stanly Ranch
AMERICAN
200 STANLY CROSSROAD, NAPA
Bear at Stanly Ranch, which is the all-day restaurant inside the brand new Auberge hotel property, makes a great place to stop for a relaxing lunch if you’re headed to Carneros for Pinot and Chardonnay tasting, or looking for a fancier experience for dinner and cocktails. Like all Auberge properties, people come here for the setting, service, and outstanding views, and this spot delivers on all fronts. 

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Los Agaves
MEXICAN
660 MAIN ST, NAPA
This Mexican spot on the waterfront can feel more like Miami than California Wine Country, with a big mural, flowers dropping from the ceiling, and a buzzing scene that’ll leave you wanting to hang out drinking margaritas all night. 

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Bounty Hunter Wine Bar & Smokin' BBQ
BBQ
975 1ST ST, NAPA
If you’ve had it with tasting menus and hoity-toity wine talk, head to Bounty Hunter for wine, whiskey, and mounds of flaming hot meat. If you want to start with a vegetable, order the kettle chips smothered in blue cheese sauce before moving on to the combo platter with ribs, brisket, and pork, which, in true Texas form, is big in taste and portion size.

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Ristorante Allegria
ITALIAN
1026 1ST ST, NAPA
If you’ve been hanging out in nearby Yountville and need a break from the fine dining scene, come to this downtown Napa institution known for Italian food and an idyllic patio. The building used to be a bank, so the main dining room is big, with high ceilings, huge windows, and lots of groups celebrating.

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Tarla Mediterranean Bar & Grill
MEDITERRANEAN
1480 1ST ST, NAPA
The patio at Tarla is a great place to relax after a day of wine tasting.There’s an open-air dining room with first-date potential written all over it, plus private dining rooms that feel like wine cellars if you’re with a larger group. Try the flaming saganaki and split the pan-roasted branzino—that way you’ll have room for the kebabs.  

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Oenotri
ITALIAN
1425 1ST ST, NAPA
This Italian spot feels more like San Francisco than Napa, and is known for a daily-changing menu of perfectly charred pizzas, fresh pastas, and stuff from the garden. Oenotri is usually busy, so either grab a spot at the bar or head to the gallery next door while you wait for a table. 

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Azzurro Pizzeria e Enoteca
PIZZA
1260 MAIN ST, NAPA
This place is a fixture at the end of restaurant row in downtown Napa, and was one of the first in town to nail thin crust pizzas, which are still some of the best around. We also come here for the manciatas (just baked dough with salad on top), homemade pastas, and the local craft beers on tap.  

Oxbow Public Market
AMERICAN
610 & 644 1ST ST, NAPA
If eating is your sport, the Oxbow Public Market is the field, with more than 20 food stalls in one place. It’s loud and seating can be a problem, but buckle in and get ready to eat. Start your day with Rebel Coffee and a breakfast burrito from C Casa before packing a picnic with charcuterie from Fatted Calf and the reuben from Loveski Deli. Or, you can slurp down oysters with a view at Hog Island, eat an excellent pie at Live Fire Pizza, grab a fleur de sel cupcake from Kara’s, and have a glass of sparkling at Bar Lucia.

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Grace's Table
FRENCH
1400 2ND ST, NAPA
Grace’s serves brunch daily, and while weekends are busy, this French/Italian/Californian spot is a more relaxed option during the week. It’s especially wonderful here when they throw open the garage door-like walls and give the whole place an inside/outside feel. Get things started with the sake martini and the fantastic iron skillet cornbread with lavender honey butter. The gnocchi, shrimp and white cheddar grits, and pulled pork shoulder tamales are also standouts.

Norman Rose Tavern
AMERICAN
1401 1ST ST, NAPA
If a sports bar fell in love with a wine bar, their kid would be Norman Rose Tavern. It feels fancier than you’d expect from a place that has two TVs behind the bar, with cushy leather banquets and high ceilings lined with colorful bottles, and the food is way better than your usual sports bar, which makes sense given the people behind Azzurro also run this place. You’ll find game-day classics with a spin, like a three-meat loaf with coffee barbecue glaze and disco fries topped with sausage and gravy. 

Tacos El Muchacho Alegre
MEXICAN
751 JACKSON ST, NAPA
There’s a big Mexican community in Napa, so you’ll find plenty of quality tacos, including the incredible Mexico City-style ones from the Tacos El Muchacho truck, permanently parked behind an auto body shop off Soscol Avenue. There are a few chairs and tables in the driveway, but let’s face it, you’re probably just going to eat your tacos standing in the street or in your car. 

Zuzu
SPANISH
829 MAIN ST, NAPA
Downtown Napa has absolutely exploded over the last few years, and Zuzu is one of our favorite restaurants in the area. Whether you dine indoors or out, this is one of the liveliest scenes along the waterfront, especially if you score one of the ledge seats out front. Tapas are the main event here, and it’s hard to leave without ordering a lot of them. Even if you’re not an anchovy fan, start with the boquerones, before adding honey-drizzled tempura eggplant, flounder ceviche, and a paella.

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Wilfred’s Lounge
HAWAIIAN
967 1ST ST, NAPA
The rooftop scene and prime waterfront location make Wilfred’s a win when you’re ready to wipe away those red wine teeth stains with tropical drinks. This Hawaiian spot calls itself a “modern tiki bar,” and serves strong cocktails and food that’s better than it needs to be. Try the Maximum Aloha, made with strawberry-infused rum and a coconut banana whip you’ll remember the next day, and order the kalua pork, spam sliders, and hula pie (if it’s on the menu) to share.

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La Taberna
SPANISH
815 MAIN ST, NAPA
This place is from the same folks behind Zuzu, and is a great spot for people-watching, cocktails, and some excellent pintxos. Go for the crispy pork belly, pig ears and mushroom empanada, or try the smoked cod and the setas a la plancha, served on a sweet corn puree. You’ll definitely need a glass of albariño to go with everything, and don’t leave without trying the burnt Basque cheesecake.