Bar Terra

I was so looking forward to dining at Bar Terra, but I did not have the experience I was hoping for. To begin with, we were literally chastised by our server for arriving late even though we called to inform them and the restaurant was basically empty. It was 9:00 on a Saturday night. We were placed at a table directly next to the door and our server did not even attempt to hide her annoyance when we asked to be moved. She then told us we had to order immediately, and stood over us waiting until we did. Our cocktails took 20 minutes to arrive, and we were finished with our appetizers before they came. In addition, we were charged an «up charge» for ordering a drink without ice. The food was good, but I will not be back.

Had an amazing time with the bar manager, I can’t remember her name but the present moment which bothers me because I know she told us some great story about it and how her grandfather could never understand it!
She was Lebanese as is my dad which of course endeared us to her and we spoke of the heritage as much as we could.
We had some amazing meatballs which are every bit the Lebanese dish they are billed as and absolutely wonderful as well as a dessert I can’t recall the name of but it had something to do with Philo (sp?) dough style and honey and yogurt and was delish!
Great ambience also the bartender was from originally Chicago more recently Southern California and also was a delight to speak with…
Wonderful wines and also much knowledge in terms of food and beverage!

Love this hidden gem! The food is amazing! Ramen bowl is a must get along with the tempera mushrooms. The portions are very sharable. I really like that they have specials and offer you some choice from the Terra side.

Rock shrimp was pretty amazing, as was the mushroom soup. Black miso cod was really tasty. I didn’t try the steak as I don’t eat meat, but apparently it wasn’t great– not terrible but would not order again, says my SO.
I’d recommend Bar Terra as a cozy option with solid food choices.

A regular at both Terra and Bar Terra I was truly disappointed my last visit and walked out. My husband and I came in to a moody hostess who didn’t say hello. We asked for a table she didn’t look up from her computer to address us and mumbled 20 minutes, even though the room was ½ empty.
It amazes me that restaurants hire hostess’s to great and be polite and this one was was moody, no manners and not interested in anything around her. Wont be back with that service.

Great place! The food was absolutely excellent and the service was friendly and attentive. Their signature black cod was delicious and light. The chocolate mess dessert was a wonderful combination of fudge brownies, toasted marshmallows, brittle, salted caramel ice cream and chocolate pudding. Yum!

Small and quaint, low key dress. Simple menu far from next door Terra choices. Ramen? Really can be found here, right sized shoyu style broth. Egg, greens and ramen from San Jose. Can’t for wrong. You may need reservations, nothing is open after 6pm around town so make sure you can get it a spot.

Bar Terra was fabulous! I took my Mom there for her 65^th Birthday and we had a great meal. I told the waiter I was vegetarian and he told me the chef would make me a veggie plate. I agreed and it was some of the best food I’ve ever had. Pretty impressive when you don’t even know what you ordered and it turns out amazing. Our waiter was great and overall it was an awesome experience.

This is the best restaurant in the Napa Valley. The food is absolute perfection — interesting, delicious, creative, incredible. Bar Terra and its more sophisticated other half are unbelievably wonderful. Never had anything there that wasn’t outstanding. Ambience just lovely and service impeccable, too.
This time we had a cauliflower baba ganoush salad that was to die for, incredible corn soup, a fabulous pâté, and a clam and octopus entrée (the best I’ve ever eaten.) Their drinks are also wonderful, and they have a lovely wine list. Desserts superb too, but we were too full this time to imbibe.

This is the last restaurant in our Napa culinary tour of Summer 2013. If I had not seen the picture of the building on Unilocal; I would’ve probably been wondering where the building was. There was no discernible sign at the front of the restaurant; the restaurant is situated within an unassuming quaint brick building.
When you enter, you couldn’t be mistaken since you can see the Michelin star plaque on the wall. Bar Terra is on your right and Terra is on your left.
Terra is Bar Terra’s sister restaurant; fine dining setting with tasting menu option. Bar Terra is more casual setting with a bar (duh).
Since I have not dined at Terra, I could not compare with Bar Terra. But one thing is for sure; just like its building that is unassuming; Bar Terra’s offering is unassumingly excellent.
Here goes the story… As I mentioned earlier this restaurant was our last leg in our culinary tour; by that time we had been dining in many many finest restaurants in the area (including one where we thought we could’ve had our laundry done while dining ;)); so we had been ready to just say «meh, it’s good just like the rest of them». You could say we were jaded in a restaurant way…
So that’s one. Another one is the service started out «not optimal». Our waiter couldn’t keep track who’s ordering which when the food arrived.
But anyways, it was smooth and enjoyable sailing afterwards. All of our food were excellent. All the ingredients tasted fresh and were put to good use.
We ordered:
— grilled cauliflower
— roasted pedrons
— house pickles: kimchi
— spaghettini with roasted tomato for the kids; after the kids finish their spaghettini, some of the adults scavenged the remaining grilled tomatoes and were impressed by the quality of the tomatoes.
— fried buttermilk quail
— that night’s soup (forgot what it was)
— sake marinated black cod with ravioli in some sauce — excellent, got two thumbs up from one of the kids. Fish was perfectly marinated and succulent. Ravioli was refined; inside and out — the sauce was the air that it breathed.
— the brandt family strip; this one we ordered at the end because we were still hungry and wanted to try their other stuff on their menu. Steak was cooked to perfection; true to the beef quality and seasoned justly.
I said a bit about the service at the beginning; but to be fair, their service is very good considering one of us in the party were a bit impatient about getting their order put in early (read: hungry kids :)) and another was upset about the order mixup. But the waiters were still polite and professional.
All in all, Bar Terra is a gem in St. Helena.
p.s.
I am wondering about their Tokyo Ramen now… Whether it would be good or not. I got traumatized trying Japanese ramen not in a proper Ramen house in the past. I guess I might try that next time…,

Best meal of the trip.
So many unique choices that you could spend half an hour trying to narrow it down to what you want. Uni custard was so rich and flavorful — a really great preparation. Ramen bowl was good, but not stand out, wouldn’t order again if I returned. Lobster tortellini were so tasty we ordered seconds. You could return here 10 times and have 10 completely different meals, which is a good thing.
We were comped a few desserts by the kitchen out of pure kindness, and even though I felt like my stomach was going to rupture, each plate was clean when we were done.
Waiter/​bartender was an old pro. Quick with the wit and makes a mean martini.
Only complaint is that it’s a little tough to find. I don’t recall seeing a sign outside — it just looks like an office building.
Highly recommended for a splurge or a special occasion.

Dear baby Jesus,
Thank you for Bar Terra. Not only are they beautiful, they have a fine bartender who knows his drinks and customers. Genius. The ramen here is tender and made for angels. The broth is so good I want to swim in it. Please protect it and keep it safe until I return one day.
Blessed day!

The Prince of Taiwan and his boss/​wife have been aching to check out this place for some time now. Last time we had no idea they were only open for dinner service, so this time we came prepared with dinner reservations and a hunger for food that rivals the fattest person out there.
We had heard all about their ramen, which supposedly is the best in town, and possibly all of California. We were mighty pleased with the way the ramen tasted, only issue I had was that it kinda on the smaller side. Perfect fatty bites of pork, and a light, non-​greasy broth were the highlights of the dish. We also tried the hamachi tartare, the pork pâté, and the house made kim chi.
For kim chi fans out there who are not KOrean, this kim chi may be the best choice for you. Because they brine their kimchi without using oysters, anyone of us can enjoy this spicy dish. Of course, sitting next to us were two old cougars who kept on talking to themselves as to what this «kimchi» was, and I was tempted to tell them it was something totally random, like a Korean cream-​of-​someyunguy, but the wife didn’t let me.
Great place to chill and hang out in St Helena. Made me miss my favorite ramen places in Tokyo.

The bartender here is amazing!
5 women all with different palates and he satisfied them all.
As the DD I asked for something non-​alcoholic and he surprised me with a ginger beer and summery citrusy drink with a good amount of fizz.
My other friend requested for a minty and gingery concoction and was pleasantly surprised.
Other friend ordered something with berries.
And other friend ordered a cucumber collins.
No skimping on alcohol here and lots of finesse.
There was a round two and I was surprised with another on the house non-​alcoholic drink with a great citrus kick and even a little taste of the citrus.
What a great place and amazing service!

Living in St. Helena makes us a bit spoiled in regard to excellent dining options. Especially, with the opening of a few new restaurants as of late. But, Chef Hiro and his wife (and pastry chef) Lissa have the best food in town — Period!
It has been since February that we last enjoyed their food and after last night we will not be waiting as long… We will be going once a week from here on out!
I got thier email on Tuesday about the Froie Gras Ramin. Since California is banning it on July 1, Chef Hiro has decided to put his culinary magic on this interesting and delicious bowl of heaven. Amazing!
We started our meal off with the Yellow Fin Tartare with a quail egg on top served with crispy toasted French bread… Excellent!
Chef Lissa ended our evening with the salted chocolate cake… Oh my! Amazing!
Oh yeah, the cocktails were out of this world too… I had a Negroni and my partner Tom had a Manhattan neat. Our server Karen was outstanding. Very knowledgable and knew the wine list like the back of her hand. We got a half bottle of Stoney Hill’s Riesling — Yum!
This is a must-​go if you’re in St. Helena. Terra is off the main street, tucked around the corner next to Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen.
Run, don’t walk for your Froie Gras Ramin before its too late! ;)

Not just a bar — this somewhat more casual half of Terra is still upscale and romantic. They have a separate menu of bar bites, plus you can order anything off the menu from next door al la carte — perfect if you don’t want the full experience.
Our service experience was excellent — friendly, fast, flexible and accommodating.
Cocktails are serious and well-​crafted here. And the food, with one exception, was phenomenal. That one exception would be the House Kimchi, which was a bowl of your basic kimchi — nothing wrong with it, but nothing compared to the rest of the meal.
Duck Liver Mousse and the Tartare of the Day (Yellowtail in our case) both came in little jam jars accompanied by crisp crostini, and would have been the high point of the meal, except for the amazing foie gras tortelloni (two pieces) we got from the main menu. That was the real highlight. Or maybe it was the jidori chicken egg with asparagus and sesame. We finished with the Apricot and Almond Cream Bisteeya — a selection of beautiful flavors and textures.
In the end, not quite as casual an experience as might have been expected from the name, but the flavors and service left me wanting to come back to Terra for the full treatment sooner rather than later.

We needed a place for the bday dinner that wouldn’t be eclipsed by the fab lunch at Angele. Despite the dangerous half-​hour drive home after dinner with wine, we opted for Bar Terra as the only safe bet to top lunch. It was a safe bet, to say the least.
With a glass of sake at the bar, we indulged in duck liver mousse on crispy toasts, spicy, house-​made kimchi and roasted padron peppers with pecorino cheese. Perfect assortment that paired richness against lean crispness and salty cheese.
Dinner was even better. Lightly poached abalone in a rich escargot butter with mushrooms and fennel was incredible followed by a huge Hokkaido Scallop on a Stew of Tripe with Rancho Gordo Beans. I was so engrossed in my own dishes that I barely noticed the others. But I’m glad that I looked up long enough to sample the silky tuna Sashimi with Fava Beans and the decadent croquette of pig trotter with lobster salad and remoulade.
Not usually big desert fans, we dove in at Terra. Apple almond tart with cinnamon toast ice cream, fromage blanc cheesecake with cabernet berry compote and Chocolate mousseline with chocolate bourbon ice cream and huckleberry sauce gave me the sugar buzz I needed to navigate the trail back to Napa.
Service was perfect. No question, this is the best food in the Valley.

I like the fact that Terra has a little sister joint carved out of the former. It’s less formal, and provides a convenient post drinking establishment. I mean you just walk across the entrance way and boom, you’re in Bar Terra. Had a great cocktail in the form of a Jack Rose; Le Compte Calvados, Lime, Grenadine, Allspice Dram. Excellent. of course it didn’t stop there. I double fisted with a new dessert wine from one Dr Loosen: a Beernauselese Riesling, which was also excellent. Ive since seen Loosen’s wines at other places like Alexanders and Quince in SF. Thank you Bar Terra for introducing me to some wonderful alcohol. Great laid back vibe with quality libations and bites plus very friendly staff to boot.

Had dinner here again tonight with friends. Fabulous service and outstanding food.
The special soup — ramen — was outrageously good. It had such a rich and complexly flavored broth (beats the broth at Morimoto and Go Fish), beautifully tender and flavorful pork trotters and jowl, spinach, leeks, fresh hand-​made ramen noodles, ½ soft boiled quail egg and micro-​greens. Three of us had it and we all raved.
My husband started with the yellow fin tartare with a raw quail egg and garlic/​onion flavored home-​made pita chips. My taste was very fresh and well-​balanced … yummy.
My friend and I had the fried rock shrimp salad with the vinaigrette and the chive mustard sauce. I had my dressing and sauce on the side — that way, the shrimp don’t lose their crispiness. Equally as delicious as the first time I had it.
My friend had the braised lamb shoulder with white polenta and beets. While I skipped a taste of the beets, the meat was perfectly rich and tender and the polenta had a lovely buttery creaminess yet true corn flavor.
My husband really enjoyed the special seafood entrée — two Hokkaido scallops, perfectly seared. A delicate, yet filling dish.
Finished with good decaf cappuccinos.

I was delighted at the news of the renovation of a restaurant I have greatly enjoyed in the past. In Malcolm’s review (1÷23÷11) it sounded as if the entire restaurant is entirely a bar now. In fact, the bar is to the right and the «formal» dining room to the left.
The atmosphere is warm and inviting, though it felt quite claustrophobic to have a group of 6 mingling behind our seats at the bar.
Upon receiving our drinks, one was their version of a bloody marry (good flavor, but not very strong), the other a gin and tonic. The tonic was so predominant it was difficult to taste the gin and the tonic had an unpleasant flavor. My friend asked to have the drink remade, and our server simply added more to the drink (both gin & tonic) not bothering to take more precision the second time.
In ordering a few items off the menu, horribly wrinkled white napkins were placed on the bar in front of us as place mats. Our drinks were placed to the side, then returned to the napkin. Mine in front of my friend, hers in front of me (keep in mind she had just re-​ordered her drink).
When our food came, the waiter spilled half the crostinis on my lap, then proceeded to crawl under my bar chair to retrieve the fallen items (seriously encroaching on my space), and then did not bother to bring more from the kitchen. When we finally were able to get the attention of our waiter to request more, she brought out pita. Confused, we asked what it was for (thinking perhaps it were for another table?) — she thought it was the crostini.
We had planned to stay for dinner but started with an order of two appetizers — a small bowl of truffled fingerling potatoes (the truffle flavor was entirely undetectable) and were quite dry (we requested a side of aioli) and we also tried their version of a tuna tartar (which came with a raw quail egg and really seemed to serve little other purpose than novelty to the dish).
The portions were incredibly small (even for an appetizer) and our bill for these two dishes plus two drinks was around $ 50 but the waiter had to review our bill to clarify what we had actually ordered (really??).
We were finally so frustrated with the poor service and left for dinner at Market. Needless to say, I am completely underwhelmed. But, I will try back after a month or so and see if the wrinkles iron out a bit…