Cherylynn N.
Yelp
Nothing quite says, flex like caviar and bubbly...from world renowned chef, Thomas Keller. But, I'm not here for that. I'm here for the dog-friendly patio. And, that uni toast!
To my surprise, RO Restaurant & Lounge was dead on an early Saturday evening, tho customers started trickling in later on.
Can't help but think if this was on The Row in Silicon Valley, it would be poppin' with rented lambos revving their engines in the background.
Starting as a pop-up caviar lounge in 2021, TK transformed this into a brick & mortar restaurant in May 2024. Indoor and outdoor seating available (dog-friendly). Rezzies on Resy.
M E N U
Menu showcases Keller's own brand of caviar. Food menu is heavily Japanese and Hawaiian influenced. HH specials: Wednesday - Sunday, 4 pm - 6 pm.
Although they bill themselves as a "restaurant", IMO, this is def more than a lounge with small bites than a place for a full sit down meal. Full bar.
D R I N K S
* Belvedere Vodka, shaken w/ a lemon twist ($19): https://tinyurl.com/mvstfe25
It's a champagne bar so understandably, they were limited in their vodka selection. The shaken belvedere was fine.
F O O D
* 1/2 Dozen Oysters w/ yuzu kosho mignonette ($32) // 4 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/y7s3fwv8\
Steep pricing aside, the oysters were solid. Properly shucked, clean and mildly briny.
* Japanese Hamachi w/ white kimchi, finger lime, preserved Japanese melons ($22) // 3 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/mw3kt6wx
Sounded better on paper, there was more gelée than hamachi that was cut too finely.
* Hokkaido Uni Toast w/ bouchon brioche, tare ($21) // 5 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/a7ws2883
The buttery crispy soft brioche against the creamy, umami-rich hokkaido uni was sublime. The perfect luxe bite.
* Foie Blanc w/ caramelized apple, salted licorice cream, taiyaki ($25) // 3.5 Stars https://tinyurl.com/3s49mp35
The chicken pâté was deliciously rich and velvety smooth but the accompanying taiyaki was like dry, dense cornbread.
* Bigeye Tuna & Ora King Salmon Chirashi w/ koshihikari rice, smoked trout roe, nori ($30) // 4.5 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/2ry46upj
- Charged regular price vs $15 HH price
Solid bura chirashi - the sushi rice was well-seasoned with either black or red vinegar, properly sticky and ever so slightly warm. Scattered on top were colorful cubes of fresh tuna and buttery salmon with salty pops from the trout roe.
* Pork Katsu Sando w/ katsu sauce ($19) // 2 Stars: https://tinyurl.com/39wx7cbv
- Charged regular price vs $9 HH price
The heavy hand of tangy katsu sauce rendered the pork katsu soggy with stale bread that broke apart when biting into.
* BBQ Mochi: Hawaiian Butter Mochi w/ Marshall's farm wildflower honey ($5) // 1 Star: https://tinyurl.com/2hf3596d
Really wanted the kakigōri (Japanese shaved ice) but they only had matcha flavor and I can't have caffeine late so we went with this. This too was stale...like stale cake with no chewy mochi texture.
S E R V I C E
Slow start, after waiting 10-15 minutes in a near empty lounge, I had to flag someone to order drinks while two other tables who arrived after us were helped first. Most of the 6-7 staff we interacted with were kind (especially the manager) but we had no assigned server which was confusing. There was one staff with unwelcoming vibes and treated us like an inconvenience. Figured she was having a bad day until I saw how differently she treated the table next to us.
Otherwise, prompt drink and food service.
A M B I A N C E
Cozy, sophisticated indoor dining area with bar but the patio is where it's at with lush greenery, trees, calming water features, and fireplace.
Live jazz on Fridays and Saturdays starting at 7 pm.
P A R K I N G
They have their own private lot in back.
Overall, it was a very mixed experience with highs and lows. Nonetheless, if you're looking to ball out in Yountville with caviar and bubbly, RO seems like the place to do it!