Wappo Bar and Bistro

06/13/2007 Posted by activities

Was pleasently surprised, with my group of 19 that the waitstaff were able to pull off the service they did and the kitchen produced a very nice lunch. We were there on a weekday afternoon, so the restaurant was not packed, though the weather had everyone wanting to sit on the sizable and beautiful patio. Give it a try in fair weather and I think you will enjoy it.

Pros: patio, menu, staff

Cons: inside dining area very cramped

12/19/2006 Posted by sobremesa

Calistoga is great precisely because it's not as pretentious and pricey as Napa, but this means that restaurant choices are limited. Wappo looked like our best option for a "gourmet" meal. The food was okay -- everything was on the cold side, but passable, UNTIL we had desert and found a shard of very sharp glass! We told the waiter, who was apologetic and took our desert off our bill. However, the manager of the restaurant never came to apologize and I think we deserved more than a desert! If we had swallowed the glass, which we almost did, we would have seriously cut our throats and ended up in the ER. In any case, I would not recommend a restaurant in which glass ends up dangerously in the food. Be safe and go elsewhere!

04/19/2004 Posted by rgiovanetti

We arrived early for our 8pm reservation and were asked to leave and return at 8 - fair enough, the restaurant was busy and cramped. When we returned we stood for 10 minutes at the hostess station, being jostled by passing guests, before the hostess acknowledged us. We waited at the bar, constantly bumped by passing wait-staff, (not their fault - there really isn't room to sit at "the bar") for 30 minutes without being offered a beverage until we flagged down a waiter for a glass of water. The hostess finally apologized (somewhat insincerely) for the wait and offered us, not a beverage of our choosing, but a glass of champagne. We were seated at 9pm. Dinner: The waitress and busboy were polite and quick if not polished or engaging. The Baccalao Fritters were OK. The Fideos Rousejats was mediocre. The Lamb Special was good. We left before dessert.

Pros: decent wine list

Cons: , mediocre food

08/01/2003 Posted by anxphiler

My husband and I spent the weekend in Napa recently, and given the glowing reviews of this place, we decided to give it a try. What a disappointment! We were seated in a terrible location (the busboys ran into my husband's shoulder everytime they walked by), and when we asked to move, we were given a really hard time about it. The menu selections seemed fine, but both of our dishes came very undercooked. When I sent mine back, it disappeared for about 20 minutes, and we never did see it return (because we left in frustration). Overall, we found the waitstaff snooty and unhelpful (if you weren't ordering wine, you apparently weren't worth serving), the food poorly prepared, and the atmosphere unappealing. There are really only two positive things I can say for this restaurant: (1) the outdoor seating is fairly nice and (2) we got our money back.

02/03/2003 Posted by leighniles_citysearch

We had dinner at Wappo on a recent stay in Calistoga, and were blown away. The service wasn't fantastic, but the meal more than made up for it. To start we had the green corn soup, which was so rich and tasty, perfect. We also split the endive, pear, walnut salad which was delicious. I had the special grouper fish, wrapped in a banana leaf, with pineapple salsa. The fish melted in my mouth. Amazing. My boyfriend had the steak which he loved. Others with us had the osso bucco--they couldn't stop raving about it. Wine selection was nice, too.

09/29/2002 Posted by JLG

Wappo has become an up-valley staple for dining. The food is worldly & ecclectic and always presented well. The service is pleasant, even when there is a serious wait for your table. The food takes quite a while to arrive, so make sure to devour the great bread & dipping oil that is presented after you order.

Pros: Outdoor dining, World-fusion cuisine, Group dining room

Cons: Long time to get food

09/23/2002 Posted by elliebagherian

Nothing but good things to say about this restaurant. We took some friends who are visiting from Europe and we were all equally impressed and pleased by the friendly and prompt service, the delectable food, and of course the outdoor patio which made it a truly enjoyable dining experience. Everything we tried on the menu was very tasty...but you can't go wrong with the Osso Bucco. Make sure you leave room for the Chocolate Ice-cream sandwich with caramelized bananas...HEAVEN!!!