Restaurant Review: Folia Kitchen & Bar at Appellation Healdsburg
Introduction
Folia Kitchen & Bar at the Appellation Healdsburg offers a refined yet approachable dining experience set within the intimate boutique hotel in Healdsburg’s vibrant wine country. Housed in a property that celebrates regional viticulture and hospitality, Folia draws on the estate’s thoughtful design and the town’s culinary heritage to create a convivial gathering place for guests and locals alike.
The kitchen focuses on modern American cuisine rooted in Sonoma County’s seasonal bounty, pairing market-driven produce, sustainable seafood, and locally sourced meats with inventive preparations and rustic finesse. Folia embodies the terroir of Sonoma County—its land, flavors, and seasonal cadence—uniting culinary heritage with inspired ingredient-driven creativity. Central to Folia’s menus is live-oak cooking: an open-hearth wood grill that imparts distinct oak-ember character to our meats, seafood, and vegetables. The menu emphasizes shareable plates, wood-fired elements, and a curated wine list showcasing nearby producers, delivering a warm, terroir-forward tasting experience that complements the hotel’s wine-centric ethos.
Atmosphere and Vibes
Folia Kitchen & Bar serves a relaxed, contemporary dining experience with a quietly confident energy. New visitors can expect a neighborhood spot that balances approachable comfort with modern polish—ideal for a casual date night, small celebration, or an unhurried meal after work. Service is attentive without being intrusive, and the overall pace leans toward convivial rather than rushed.
The interior pairs warm, natural materials with clean, modern lines: oak tables, soft leather seating, and woven accents sit beneath a mix of pendant and recessed lighting that creates an intimate, amber-hued glow. Large windows let in daylight while greenery and curated art add texture and a lived-in, welcoming feel. The open kitchen or visible pass (when present) contributes a lively backdrop, connecting the dining room to the craft of the food.
Culinarily, Folia’s approach is ingredient-led and seasonal, focusing on straightforward, well-executed dishes that highlight fresh produce and thoughtful pairings. Cocktails and an approachable wine list complement the menu rather than overpower it, reinforcing the restaurant’s ethos of quality without pretense. Overall, expect modern American comfort with refined touches and a quietly sophisticated atmosphere.
The Menu
Folia Kitchen and Bar presents a modern, ingredient-led menu that balances refined technique with approachable flavors. The kitchen emphasizes seasonal produce, ocean-fresh seafood and carefully sourced proteins, plated with restrained elegance. Dishes tend toward clean lines and bright accents—herbs, citrus, and lightly pickled elements—so that texture and purity of flavor take center stage.
Although the restaurant operates for breakfast, lunch and dinner, the evening service is its primary focus. Dinner is offered as a three-course prix fixe menu priced at $85. À la carte sides and snacks are available, and a streamlined dinner selection is offered in the bar and lounge. Since we came as a party of six, we opted for the three course menu - the three-course option is designed as a tasting-style progression: starter, main, and dessert. It’s available as a prix fixe for diners seeking a composed evening without the decision fatigue of à la carte ordering.
Cocktails blend classic structure with modern twists using top spirits, house syrups/tinctures, and seasonal ingredients—fresh herbs, preserved fruits, bespoke bitters. The rotating signatures include a citrus-forward “Garden Negroni” with botanical gin and herb vermouth; a smoky Old Fashioned with barrel-aged whiskey and citrus-smoke rinse; and bright seasonal spritzes with aperitifs, sparkle, and herb garnishes. Thoughtful low- and no-ABV options—shrub-based, seed-to-spice infusions, and aromatic nonalcoholic aperitifs—receive equal balance.
Folia’s concise, food-forward wine list favors Old World producers and select New World terroir-driven bottles: crisp, mineral whites and rosés—Chablis, unoaked Chardonnay, Albariño, Vermentino, Provençal rosé—for seafood and light starters; aromatic whites (Riesling, Grüner Veltliner) for spicy/acidic dishes; reds from medium-bodied Pinot Noir and Gamay to structured Bordeaux blends and Syrah for roasted meats and mushrooms. A modest sparkling/Champagne selection serves aperitifs and celebrations, with a couple late-harvest/fortified finishers. Several wines are by the glass, and staff offer curated single-pairings or progressive flights for the three-course menu.
Three-Course Menu
The seasonal menu feels like a reasonable deal for $85. Like most Charlie Palmer restaurants, the focus is on New American cuisine, highlighting seasonal, locally sourced ingredients.
The starters showcase textural contrasts and seasonal accents. Expect compositions such as chilled shellfish with herb oil and citrus gel, roasted beet and whipped chèvre with toasted grains, or a composed salad with charred vegetables and fermented dressing. Portions are thoughtful—large enough to satisfy, calibrated to leave room for a composed main.
Mains focus on a concise set of proteins and a vegetarian option, often including a simply roasted fish with beurre blanc and seasonal vegetables, a dry-aged steak or braised short rib finished with pan jus, and a composed grain bowl or mushroom ragout for non-meat diners. Sides are purposefully integrated: root vegetable purées, glazed baby carrots, or delicate potato preparations that complement rather than overwhelm.
Desserts are modern and texturally aware—tart-sweet fruit preparations, airy mousses, or a refined chocolate composition paired with salt and crunch. Palates are reset with palate-cleansing elements like sorbet or citrus granité when appropriate.
We started with a lovely bread basket. The complimentary bread basket was another highlight — a mix of assorted breads served with soft butter sprinkled with sea salt flakes. For our appetizer, we shared the savory bread pudding, which was excellent — tender, richly flavored, and topped with finely shaved cheese. Start with the complimentary housemade bread and a generous scoop of butter taken from the basketball-sized mound at the serving station; the brioche is outstanding. If you’re particularly snacky, the ‘Nduja Croquettes are light, crispy bites with a pleasant peppercorn kick. We also ordered the fries + aioli, which shone as a waffle fry — crispy, well seasoned, and great for sharing.
Up next, for my first course, I had the Manila clam pasta — a well-balanced plate with an intriguing sauce that was both buttery and slightly tart, studded with bits of bacon. Delicious and distinctive, it was pleasantly different from what I expected. Others at my table enjoyed the beet and mandarin salad and the koginut squash pasta; both were nicely executed, though the beets leaned a touch sour, you could tell the components were sourced directly from the farm and incredibly fresh.
Next, for my second course, the bavette steak was fantastic, and the roasted carrots provided such a strong supporting cast — sweet, crunchy, and perfectly caramelized. The roasted duck breast was also fantastic, and provided such a great aroma with the candied citrus.
Lastly, for dessert, our table of five ordered the double chocolate bar, sticky toffee pudding, Nassim’s cheesecake, and lemon tart to share. The standout for me was absolutely the sticky toffee pudding — creamy, well balanced, and beautifully presented. I finished with an Americano that was smooth, satisfying, and a neat complement to the desserts.
Service
Service at Folia Kitchen & Bar at the Appellation Healdsburg was outstanding—attentive, polished, and effortlessly intuitive. Our amazing server struck the perfect balance between being present and unobtrusive, arriving promptly with each course and checking in thoughtfully without interrupting conversation. Small details did not go unnoticed: water refills and wine top-offs were timely, menu questions were answered with genuine knowledge, and familiar preferences were remembered throughout the meal. The result was a seamless dining experience where hospitality elevated the cuisine, leaving us thoroughly cared for and free to savor every moment.
Curated For Class?
As Charlie Palmer’s son, chef Reed Palmer has certainly put his own spin on dishes that continue the legacy of bringing New American cuisine to the forefront, with an emphasis on honest ingredients, simple cooking techniques and local flair. Overall, the experience was fantastic from start to finish. Great ambience, attentive service, and a fair price point for a three-course dinner.
Tip: Valet parking is available for just $11 -- very reasonable, especially since there's also street parking nearby. You can text the valet when you're ready to leave, and they'll have your car waiting.
Folia Bar & Kitchen
101 Dovetail Lane, Healdsburg, 707-723-2130,
Dinner served from 5-9 p.m. Wednesday to Sunday. Lounge menu available from 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily.
Curated for Class Final Score | 39.5/50
A refreshing and delicious spin on New American cuisine, with just a few months, Folia Bar & Kitchen will no doubt be aiming for its 1st Michelin star, provided they continue to innovate, improve and drive towards excellency.
Service: 8/10
Atmosphere: 8/10
Food Quality: 8/10
Mastery of Taste(s): 7.5/10
Value for Money: 8/10