Honestly, incredible! We come up to St Helena all the time but hadn't been to Cook yet. Our server was adorable and helpful, the food was incredible, the vibe perfect. We loved it!
Matt
consistently great food and great service with a very friendly atmosphere for both locals and tourists
Steve
This is an exceptional value in St. Helena without sacrificing the quality. The food was second to none. We'll definitely be back!
Dave
Cook's a nice, busy little spot on historic Main St. with a good long reputation, lovely old ambience, convivial vibe, interesting small producer wine list. I hadn't been in a a while and decided it was an ideal choice for after a movie matinee steps from the Cameo. We wanted to love it but came away pretty disappointed with a grade C only because the pricey pasta entrees we had were so underwhelming: underseasoned housemade pasta, puny mussells, dry fish, soggy eggplant, lackluster marinara. Added salt and pepperoncino perked things up greatly. Service was quick, friendly and efficient, lovely setting, stemware, wine, classy printed menus. But I wanted to go back and remind the kitchen folks how to correctly salt pasta water, roast eggplant al dente, not overcook fish, don't even bother with puny mussells. For a respected chef who knows pasta well these oversights are perplexing. At those prices with a wine and food savvy clientelle you need to nail it! (And, maybe bring your own bread from the closeby Model Bakery?) Oh- Pear/prosciutto salad? outstanding!! Dinner for two including a negroni, modest bottle of local wine, shared dessert, tip- $250+. So, maybe the best bet at Cook is to just grab stools at the marble bar for apps and explore cool wines.
Joe
If you live anywhere near Saint Helena in Napa Valley, and like to eat, you were very, very lucky. We have two restaurants right close together that are small quiet and offer nearly perfect food COOK'S and CHARLIES.. since this is about COOK'S, my wife and I are fortunate enough to travel extensively. We've actually never found a better Caesar salad. The cavatelli is a perfect pasta. I can't ever remember having a bad dish there in over 20 years again. We're just lucky. Tourists try to get a weekday table. Because COOK'S is designed for locals and closed on the weekends. Thank you, JUDE. (THE OWNER)
Bob
A cute little restaurant. My friend and I had lunch there. The waiters were very friendly. The food was great. I especially liked their gelato. They had a cherry chip that was fantastic.
Cali
Spectacular food by a talented and welcoming chef who takes pride in fresh ingredients and colorful delicious dishes
Olivia
Great meal after day of wine tasting. Recommend the mussels, and the freshly made pasta dishes. Service was welcoming and made knowledgeable wine pairings with our meal.
Julie
My husband and I dined at 5:00 p.m. on 12/26/25. We arrived on time and was seated right away. Terrific waiter-very attentive and checked on us through out the meal. The seafood special pasta was outstanding! We also had 2 desserts that were delicious and served promptly. A bit noisy sitting by the kitchen, but we thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas atmosphere, along with the food. We will definitely return next time we visit St. Helena.
Bobbie
Food was great. Service was too. Restaurant is rather small. There was 2 of us, and I have a small service dog. They sat us at a very small 2 seater right AT the door. When there was a commotion at the front (lots of people coming in), my barked once. A man then appeared from the back threatening to throw us out if she barked again. She did not of course. Anyway, a very unsettling experience for our last night in St Helena.
We shared a few items for dinner and left the glasses of wine selection to our waiter. He did a great job and even put us on to an Italian sweet desert wine which paired perfectly with our sundae. Floor team is great and things move smoothly, even though it's a little cramped. Watching the kitchen team pour out terrific pastas an braised pork shoulder underscored why Cook has been around feeding us for soooo long. Get in here!
Chris
The Bolognese was amazing, and the prosciutto salad was great. Jude is a gracious host(owner)
Joan
Another superb experience at Cook. Sat at the counter. You always get a genuine and warm welcome. I had the soup of the day which was delicious and filling like a stew. Superb wine selection and for dessert a Biscotti with a glass of Ben Rye, an amazing Italian vin santo! Always lovely to connect with fellow diners at the counter.
Otto
What makes for a great dining experience? Likely a combination of excellent food, wonderful service, and superb ambiance. While our appetizer and entrees at Cook were wonderful, the dining experience was marred by what appears to be their underlying philosophy—a revolving table business model. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary and made a dinner reservation for 5:30 pm. We brought a bottle of wine and paid the customary corkage fee. We ordered an appetizer and two quality entrees, the pasta arrabbiata and the gnocchi Gorgonzola—-both were delicious. Yet, while finishing our dinner and wine exactly at 6:35 pm, we're told by our waiter: “the next reservation is ready for this table”. That is, within only an hour and five minutes, we were essentially kicked out despite ordering appetizers/entrees and paying the corkage fee to enjoy our wine. Sadly, the lady at the table next to us, a local resident, said “this happens here all the time” as we made our way out. For those of you who have dined extensively and internationally, the message should be clear. Caveat Emptor.
Kelly
The prosciutto, pear and arugula was simple but absolutely delicious. The pasta was amazing. We loved that Cook was small and very personal in your interactions with the staff. Everything was delicious. A must go! So glad we were able to get reservations!
Honestly, incredible! We come up to St Helena all the time but hadn't been to Cook yet. Our server was adorable and helpful, the food was incredible, the vibe perfect. We loved it!
consistently great food and great service with a very friendly atmosphere for both locals and tourists
This is an exceptional value in St. Helena without sacrificing the quality. The food was second to none. We'll definitely be back!
Cook's a nice, busy little spot on historic Main St. with a good long reputation, lovely old ambience, convivial vibe, interesting small producer wine list. I hadn't been in a a while and decided it was an ideal choice for after a movie matinee steps from the Cameo. We wanted to love it but came away pretty disappointed with a grade C only because the pricey pasta entrees we had were so underwhelming: underseasoned housemade pasta, puny mussells, dry fish, soggy eggplant, lackluster marinara. Added salt and pepperoncino perked things up greatly. Service was quick, friendly and efficient, lovely setting, stemware, wine, classy printed menus. But I wanted to go back and remind the kitchen folks how to correctly salt pasta water, roast eggplant al dente, not overcook fish, don't even bother with puny mussells. For a respected chef who knows pasta well these oversights are perplexing. At those prices with a wine and food savvy clientelle you need to nail it! (And, maybe bring your own bread from the closeby Model Bakery?) Oh- Pear/prosciutto salad? outstanding!! Dinner for two including a negroni, modest bottle of local wine, shared dessert, tip- $250+. So, maybe the best bet at Cook is to just grab stools at the marble bar for apps and explore cool wines.
If you live anywhere near Saint Helena in Napa Valley, and like to eat, you were very, very lucky. We have two restaurants right close together that are small quiet and offer nearly perfect food COOK'S and CHARLIES.. since this is about COOK'S, my wife and I are fortunate enough to travel extensively. We've actually never found a better Caesar salad. The cavatelli is a perfect pasta. I can't ever remember having a bad dish there in over 20 years again. We're just lucky. Tourists try to get a weekday table. Because COOK'S is designed for locals and closed on the weekends. Thank you, JUDE. (THE OWNER)
A cute little restaurant. My friend and I had lunch there. The waiters were very friendly. The food was great. I especially liked their gelato. They had a cherry chip that was fantastic.
Spectacular food by a talented and welcoming chef who takes pride in fresh ingredients and colorful delicious dishes
Great meal after day of wine tasting. Recommend the mussels, and the freshly made pasta dishes. Service was welcoming and made knowledgeable wine pairings with our meal.
My husband and I dined at 5:00 p.m. on 12/26/25. We arrived on time and was seated right away. Terrific waiter-very attentive and checked on us through out the meal. The seafood special pasta was outstanding! We also had 2 desserts that were delicious and served promptly. A bit noisy sitting by the kitchen, but we thoroughly enjoyed the Christmas atmosphere, along with the food. We will definitely return next time we visit St. Helena.
Food was great. Service was too. Restaurant is rather small. There was 2 of us, and I have a small service dog. They sat us at a very small 2 seater right AT the door. When there was a commotion at the front (lots of people coming in), my barked once. A man then appeared from the back threatening to throw us out if she barked again. She did not of course. Anyway, a very unsettling experience for our last night in St Helena.
Restaurantji Recommends
We shared a few items for dinner and left the glasses of wine selection to our waiter. He did a great job and even put us on to an Italian sweet desert wine which paired perfectly with our sundae. Floor team is great and things move smoothly, even though it's a little cramped. Watching the kitchen team pour out terrific pastas an braised pork shoulder underscored why Cook has been around feeding us for soooo long. Get in here!
The Bolognese was amazing, and the prosciutto salad was great. Jude is a gracious host(owner)
Another superb experience at Cook. Sat at the counter. You always get a genuine and warm welcome. I had the soup of the day which was delicious and filling like a stew. Superb wine selection and for dessert a Biscotti with a glass of Ben Rye, an amazing Italian vin santo! Always lovely to connect with fellow diners at the counter.
What makes for a great dining experience? Likely a combination of excellent food, wonderful service, and superb ambiance. While our appetizer and entrees at Cook were wonderful, the dining experience was marred by what appears to be their underlying philosophy—a revolving table business model. We were celebrating our wedding anniversary and made a dinner reservation for 5:30 pm. We brought a bottle of wine and paid the customary corkage fee. We ordered an appetizer and two quality entrees, the pasta arrabbiata and the gnocchi Gorgonzola—-both were delicious. Yet, while finishing our dinner and wine exactly at 6:35 pm, we're told by our waiter: “the next reservation is ready for this table”. That is, within only an hour and five minutes, we were essentially kicked out despite ordering appetizers/entrees and paying the corkage fee to enjoy our wine. Sadly, the lady at the table next to us, a local resident, said “this happens here all the time” as we made our way out. For those of you who have dined extensively and internationally, the message should be clear. Caveat Emptor.
The prosciutto, pear and arugula was simple but absolutely delicious. The pasta was amazing. We loved that Cook was small and very personal in your interactions with the staff. Everything was delicious. A must go! So glad we were able to get reservations!
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