I'm spending a Saturday in Napa just for the heck of it. The weather is beautiful. It's warm, it's sunny, it's a great day to be in Napa. I'm with friends and we are walking down main st in downtown Napa. Wine is in the minds of all of us and we see Carpe Diem Wine bar. We walk in, and it's a restaurant and wine bar. It just so happen to be happy hour!
We had already eaten and just wanted to relax with some wine and maybe apps. We decided to be seated outside in front of the restaurant to take advantage of the great weather. The service is great! Our server was very attentive and always checked up in us. I can't review the food since I didn't try any. So this is mainly on the experience. Happy hour was serving $3 and $5 glasses of wine. A good selection of white and reds. I had a shot of sweet potato soup from the appetizer menu. Hot sweet potato soup in a shot glass for $1.
We sat there with glasses of wine and good service and each others company. Such a great time. The inside of the restaurant had a nice modern and elegant look. A great place to go for dinner and drinks.
I came to this wine bar with my family when we were in the NorCal area. Interior/decor were nice, but I felt the tables were spaced too close together (something to keep in mind if you want a very personal or intimate meal). I also felt the restaurant was trying to appeal to a younger market (blasting Black Keys and Passion Pit). It was awkwardly filled to the brim with a much older crowd (40+). The service was great, but the food was not. For some reason none of the dishes I ordered were not seasoned properly. The Carpe Diem Salad was under dressed (and I'm someone who likes light dressing), the mushroom flat bread was too salty, and the crab squash blossoms were too sweet (not savory at all). I appreciate the "creativity" aspect, but it's nothing I can't find in LA.
Review Source:Really fun place! Delicious local wines, fun downtown atmosphere, and pretty good food. We were able to walk here from our B&B off of 1st street. This place is right by the canal. I got the bubbly flight, which was really refreshing. Recommend the Quack n Cheese and the Ostrich burger. Not a fan of the crab stuffed squash blossoms. Kind of tasted like shrimp tempura but not as delicious.
You must get a few glasses of wine if you go here!
An absolutely lovely spot in downtown Napa.  We stopped in for dinner last night and was pleasantly surprised by the innovative menu and blown away by the food.  We ordered the shrimp chowder (special), carpe diem salad, kangaroo tacos (special), smoked salmon pappardelle, and dark chocolate pot de crème.  The chowder was filled with shrimp and vegetables that it was more of a stew.  Delicious.  My husband was apprehensive about the kangaroo tacos, but they were well prepared, very tender and flavorful.  The pappardelle was to die for, one of the best pasta dish I've ever tasted.  The pot de crème was just perfect.  The service was excellent.  The staff was knowledgeable about the food as well as the wine.  Will definitely come again when we're in the area.
Review Source:Delicious food! The burrata was amazing! My girlfriend and I shared the burrata, steamed bun with duck. I had the pinot flight and she had the sparkling wine flight..... Very busy and the table next to us was loud as one of the servers was celebrating her birthday on her day off....She later gave us a piece of her birthday pie as she was concerned that her group was too loud haha!
Review Source:If I had my own chauffeur and unlimited gasoline supply for my car, I would, no doubt, visit Napa every week just to come here! So far, this restaurant tops my list! My husband and I went here for a dinner date while we were on our short Napa getaway. We started at the bar with wine samplers, $13 for 3. I'm not so much of a wine drinker but I loved the selection that I ordered. My husband, however, whom I would consider a wine snob, enjoyed his as well! Mine consisted of sparkling ones and his were mostly red. We had The "Big Deal" Board as our hors d'oeuvres, which included five different cheeses and charcuteries on a wooden wine box. For $30, I'd say it was so worth it. For entrées, we shared Quack and Cheese (Duck confit, caramelized onion, diced tomato and toasted bread crumbs) and Harissa Claypot (Grilled sumac and coriander crusted lamb tenderloin, currants, Israeli cous cous, zucchini, preserved lemon yogurt and toasted almonds). It's just heaven in every bite! The quality of food is impeccable and the taste is so exquisite. Was this place built by the gods or something? Because it seemed like everything is made to perfection! To end the night, we had salted caramel ice cream (3 scoops on a plate, each topped with their own version of twix). Every staff member that we got to interact with were also nice, so my experience here was just great overall. Can't wait to go back!
Review Source:From the moment my husband and I walked in the door we knew Carpe Diem was for us. Alex, the wine sommelier, recommended a great bottle if Cabernet Franc to pair with our dish the "Big Board." Â The five year old aged Gouda was divine. Stephanie and her staff are awesome. We will definitely go back!
Review Source:Great place to grab a glass of wine and some delicious food. Â The wine list is extensive and the staff really knows their juice. Â The Ostrich Burger is a crowd favorite, but you must try the "Quack & Cheese" (macaroni and cheese with duck confit). Â Also, you can get a lot of wines that are of limited production. Â If you love something, ask the staff where you might find it. Â There are a lot of new wines to discover!
Review Source:Nice modern bistro in downtown napa with a decent happy hour. They offer beer at 1/2 off and 3 types of wines(white, sparkling, and red) for 6 bucks, although the muscadet was pretty bad. Â The mushroom flat bread was great. Â The ostrich burger although raved about by a few others was good, but probably a little over priced at 18 bucks. Â Service was good even though the bar was packed at around 5:30. Â Definitely worth a visit during HH if you find yourself in downtown napa.
Review Source:Booked in advance for a final two top night in Napa.
FOOD Honestly the food in this city was for the most part above average. This was not stellar by any means. It was tasty and fresh. The burrata cheese appetizer was delicious, served with a small portion of a tepanade / roasted red pepper coulis or something similar with wedges of grilled bread. For second course we share the pork lettuce bowls. Very nicely presented and season but might have done well with a side of hoisin sauce to be more authentic. Third item was the steamed duck buns - flavours were there, presentation was good. These are in between a bao bun and a steamed bun. For that amount of filling I'd have preferred a smaller size. Messy and not so nice looking once they were shared. I know - many mentioned the portion sizes here but I thought they were spot on if this is meant to be tapas style dining. Wine list was what was to be expected in a wine heavy area. Nice selection of beer too. We skipped dessert as usual.
SERVICE Was good enough. It was a very busy Saturday night and the server did have time for us. Water and wine filled and food came out in stages not all at once.
AMBIENCE This is where this place is lacking. Yes, the banquette tables are all the rage these days but are absolutely my biggest pet peeve. I'd prefer not to be less than 24" from the table next to mine. Do not have the servers moving items around with their rear ends while they attempt to squeeze between the groups. Might as well be communal tables - seriously. The chairs opposite the long banquette are solid hardwood with nary an upholstered seat - not at all comfortable for a nice lengthy meal. The washrooms are shared with an office building of some sort and are kind of in a secluded area outside of the place.
We had a couple of great meals at the Oxbow Market which required no reservations, excellent food and service and comfortable distance between the tables.
Just had a great time at Carpe Diem. Â We sampled the happy hour menu and relaxed on a Monday afternoon. Â Don't miss the truffled popcorn and the quack and mac. Â We had the happy hour servings but I would expect the full menu items would be just as good. Â Nice selection of by-the-glass wines.
Review Source:Extremely delicious food. Friendly staff. Great happy hour! My husband & I loved everything we ate here. We had the Harissa fries, duck mac & cheese, charcuterie & cheese, the soup shot & the ostrich burger. It was one of the best meals we've had in awhile. We will definitely visit this place again.
Review Source:Few bites we had were great. Service has been atrocious. Not that busy but can't seem to get any attention to order. Happy Hour is 4-6. Pretty sure we were here by 5:30. Ordered drinks right away while we took a look at the menu. Finally someone came by at 6:05. So sorry, too bad you have missed happy hour pricing we can't do anything for you. How do people rate this place so well with such awful service? Â You have lost a customer forever. So much else to try in downtown Napa - can't be bother with this place.
Review Source:Had a good experience here last Friday night in Napa.
The highlight was definitely the food. The lowlights: rushed service, small-ish portions and an early last call.
We ordered quite a few dishes and split everything four ways. Because portions are on the smaller side, this meant 2 bites per person of the seasonal chopped salad (which was delicious -- should have ordered one for myself! :). However, it also allowed us variety -- we split a total of six dishes, which was enough to make us content, but still have room to try two desserts (both of which were awesome!).
Of the dishes we tried -- I'd particularly recommend the seasonal chopped salad (though small), braised chicken empanadas, housemade burrata (a favorite at the table) and, as many others would agree, the ostrich burger!!!
For dessert, try the house-made Twix. Definitely on the sweeter side when paired with caramel ice cream, but great!
We had a 9:15pm reservation on a Friday night and it looked like we were actually the last table seated for the night. The dining room was already half empty, and we were hearing last calls for food and later wine before we even got to dessert. As a wine bar, I was definitely expecting they'd be open a bit later, or that there'd me more energy in the dining room in the 9:00 hour... but I guess this is Napa, not San Francisco. As a result, our server seemed interested in getting us in-and-out.
Our dinner for four, including two bottles of wine, came out to be about $55 per person (after tip).
I might return, but would like to check out some other places in downtown Napa.
If you want AWESOME food and GREAT wine with good ambiance, go to Carpe Diem. Â Owners Stephanie and Scotty Kendall have created something special here. Â Scotty is a culinary master in the kitchen while Stephanie and the entire staff is so friendly, you'll never want to leave. Â
Everything on the menu is great but I recommend the Wild Mushroom Flatbread with a bottle of Greywacke Sauv Blanc. Â It is an extremely tasty pairing!!!
You will not be disappointed after an evening spent at Carpe Diem!!!
I wasn't impressed. The reviews are stellar! Maybe I experienced an off night? The restaurant was busy so I was under the impression that I would be thrilled with the food.
The tables are so close to one another that I felt as though I was dining with the couple on my right. I kid you not, our elbows hit a few times.
The service was slow just to get drinks. The sangria was good. Had appetizers they were OK. My boyfriend and I decided to have our dinner elsewhere.
I really enjoyed Carpe Diem Wine Bar and was impressed by how reasonable their wine bottle prices were. Â We tried a Pinot Noir that we loved, and discovered that the price was only marked up from $38 (vineyard sales price) to $46. Â Really impressive for a restaurant. Â Our food and desserts were amazing. Â Came with a group of 4 and there was more than one something for everyone. Â Not too noisy, and food prices were reasonable. Â Will definitely come again if we're in the area.
Review Source:This place was highly recommended by our B&B hosts, and for good reason!
We came for a light dinner (missed happy hour, but looks like they run some good specials). The menu isn't terribly large, but so many items sounded good it was hard to narrow it down.
Quack n Cheese was so good it its own cute skillet. The blend of cheeses was perfect. You almost didn't need/couldn't taste the duck. My solution was to have them in separate bites. Don't let that discourage you by any means, I still highly recommend it.
Ostrich burger was juicy and not at all gamey, like a milder red meat. We weren't sure what to expect but it is definitely worth a try. We didn't add the egg/pancetta and I'm not sure if it really needs it. The accompanying truffle fries were good, though I wish there were more (that's me being greedy - the portion is appropriate)!
This was our first trip to Napa and we had so many recomendations but tried Carpe Diem on our first evening because the ad sounded interesting and it was close to our hotel. Â
They were very busy and we were anxious to eat and they suggested to sit at the bar.  What a great choice.  We were treated so well and served  nicely by a friendly bartender.  We ordered some small winery reds and were so impressed by the wine, a merlot from Yates.
We started with shots of heirloom tomato gazpacho, a delicious salad and crabmeat stuffed mushrooms. Â Every bite was awesome.
The owner Stephanie was so gracious and friendly and even the customers were so welcoming and warm. Â
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Thank you Carpe Diem for makingour first meal in Napa Valley memorable!
A great local place to meet friends after work for a drink and a snack or have a light bite before a show at the NVOH. The happy hour offers $5.00 white, red or bubbles and the menu offers truffle popcorn, daily flatbread  (the piggly-wiggly is my favorite), tacos, soup "shots", salads and many other yummies at a great price.  It does get quite crowded in the bar area, so get there early.
Review Source:OMG this is the place to go if you want the best food and wine in downtown Napa. Seriously, the food was beyond my expectations and the wine specials during happy hour really hit the spot.
I must say that this place really takes pride in their food and wine and I loved it. FYI there is an edge to this place...not afraid to take risks and show some attitude but it was totally up my ally. I remember this guy sitting next to me at the bar who was obviously a chef and discussing with the bartender about hand making their pasta. These guys were both littered with tattoos and hard core about food! How cool is that?
Came here for wine and some small plates. Of course, small plates here meant the equivalent of regular sized entrees in NY. The wine selection is excellent though I did wish they had more wines to offer by the glass. The food is good but wasn't tremendous. I liked the atmosphere a lot and definitely thought its a great little spot for both romantic dates and casual outings.
Review Source:Happy hour wines and food in the middle of Napa? Yes please!!! The happy hour food selection was top notch high end stuff at reasonable prices. My hubby and I ended up over doing the food just because it was all so good!
Happy Hour menu: <a href="http://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/carpe-diem-wine-bar-napa?select=ZN1PsHVDFmIQMJYDo1EGjA#7OpvBKZJLmLC9pL716BwvA">http://www.yelp.com/biz_…</a>
*Wild mushroom pizza - great white truffle taste
*Quack n Cheese - creamy rich goodness
*Lamb meatballs
*Ostrich burger with egg and pancetta - Not actually on the happy hour menu. Ostrich meat is so tender! egg and pancetta were a bit overkill, especially after all the other food we got. I'd say get both if you aren't eating much else. Came with Parmesean fries.
All washed down with their happy hour white and red wines.
Loved this place. Â
Great menu with decent variety, although not huge. Â We made a last minute reservation and got right in on a Friday night. Â It was basically full.
I got the goat cheese dip, which I highly recommend. Â Also the flatbread pizza was good, I couldn't eat it all though. Â Good choice of wines for us, we are not super wine snobs. Â
they have a chardonnay port on their dessert menu that is one of the most unique wines i've ever had, highly recommend trying it.
service was a bit slow, but fine for us.
On our last stop of bar hopping we ended up at Carpe Diem. We arrived just as a 4 top was leaving the bar and jumped on those seats. The vibe was a little more refined than Fagiani's but still a fun place to be. I really liked how straight forward their bar menu was and thought they offered reasonable prices.
I ordered their house fries ($6) and will admit they were pretty damn good. The hook for me was they toss their fries with HARISSA!!!, garlic and Parmesan cheese. The combination was so satisfying. It was salty, spicy, crunchy, tangy, bits of heaven. I seriously am going to make my fries with harissa going forward. It amazes me how straight forward it was and honestly I think that's why it worked.
The portion were great and paired well with my beer, I want to say it was Chant Tiem. It was a light beer with a surprisingly pleasant fruity smell and taste.
Overall Thoughts
You have to order the House Fries!!!!
Definitely one of my favorite wine bars in napa!! The atmosphere is so relaxing and just has a great vibe to it. The waitresses/bartenders are super entertaining and are really good at their job. We got the harissa fries and those were sooooo good!! (but spicy) Definitely recommend getting those especially during happy hour prices! Happy hour there is pretty cheap and is also really good.
You should definitely stop by if you are in town and downtown napa is really pretty to walk around especially at night because the bridges are so nicely lit!!
OMG!! This place is sooo good!
It was NYE night and I made dinner reservations for two. The place is pretty small but the quality of food was very impressive.
Our night consisted the truffle fries, PEI mussels, beet/ fennel soup ( soup of the night), charcuterie/ cheese plate, and for desert since I was too full to bite into the desert menu, I decided to get a side of salted caramel ice cream! YUMMY! Also, i topped everything off with a glass of champagne ( lightweight) to celebrate the New Year.
My first visit to Napa and this place was no disappointment! Can't wait to go back and enjoy the amazing food again but hoping  for summer weather. January in Napa is very, very cold. Brrrr......
My coworker and I were in Napa on a Monday night and stumbled upon this little gem of a wine bar/restaurant downtown. Â We sat at the bar and had Nick as our bartender, he was super friendly and really great at recommending wines that we would like. Â Everyone in there this night seemed to be a regular and lived in the area, they were all super friendly and gave us some advice on their favorite vineyards to go visit.
Nick recommended the Azur Rose and I loved it (we ended up ordering it for our client lunch the next day)! Â We also ordered the house made Burrata which was AMAZING as well as some of the other cheeses on the menu (we really liked the Seascape and the Lamb Chopper). Â My next glass of wine was the Syrah from Andrew Murray Vineyards which was also great! Â I plan on visiting that vineyard in a few weeks when I'm in Santa Ynez Valley! Â
After sitting and chatting for awhile we noticed the couple next to us order these wonderful smelling sticky buns. Â We inquired about them and ended up ordering them (Braised short rib steam buns). Â We both loved them and would recommend that they're a must try if you're there. Â
The chef and his wife (owners) have a great place here. Â I love his style of food on the menu and the friendly atmosphere of the place. Â I will recommend this place to friends and family visiting Napa!
I love this place, its quickly become one of my usual hang outs after work for happy hour. I must admit I have never been in the restaurant side, so I wont begin to critique it.
Any of the hostesses are incredibly welcoming, its also nice when one of the owners [Stephanie] are there to greet as well. I love the bar, open yet you don't feel like everyone around is listening in on your conversation. The wine list is superb, the beers on tap are always interesting and the food...yum.
Starting with my fave, TRUFFLE popcorn with Marcona Almonds or the most amazing french fries drizzled in truffle oil....cant go wrong. The ostrich burger and flat bread are always a good choices. One of the most unique finds are the chefs choice tacos. Last night they were this goat and slaw mix, Ive had stroganoff tacos in the past, none of which have been a let down.
As with any establishment there are 'off' nights, slow starts and all sorts of obstacles which prevent stellar experiences but I have to say that Carpe Diem has put their best foot forward and they are dedicated to providing nothing but excellent service, experiences and food.
Bravo team, bravo!
Maybe I missed something, but there is NO WAY this is a 4.5 star restaurant. And there is definitely no way this is a 4.5 restaurant in Napa.
It wasn't terrible. But come on, this is Napa. You have to be excellent if you want to be well-regarded. This was not excellent. Here were our issues:
- We made a reservation for 8:30PM during the off-season. We ended up having to wait until 9PM for our table.
- They seem confused about what they want their restaurant to be. We ordered three dishes and a dessert and shared:
1. Mussels. This dish was BOLD flavor, but the lemongrass totally overpowers the flavor. It's also such a bold dish that it's nearly impossible to pair with wine well. So overall, a decent dish, but a terrible dish for a wine bar, which is their identity. Once we ate the mussels, everything else had zero flavor by comparison. A terrible dish to start the meal.
2. Wild Boar meatballs. Tough. Chewy. Pieces of cartilage. Unappetizing. Unoriginal sauce flavors, to boot.
3. Ostrich burger. The highlight of the meal. This one is actually a real gem. Unfortunately I was still feeling weird about the texture of those meatballs, making it hard to enjoy another meat dish of any kind.
4. Homemade Twix dessert. Pretty good. Very sweet. Not outstanding.
In a nutshell, this is a solid restaurant, and if it were in any major city, it would do just fine. Unfortunately for it, it's located in Napa, and they are WAY out of their league.
Carpe diem? Carpe vino here! Add in some good eats while you're at it.
A friend brought us here on our last trip to Napa for a post-dinner glass of wine. What a find! This cute, fun little wine bar where we were lucky enough to meet Steph, the owner. Talk about a lucky gal. She has a wine palatte and married a chef. That is a match made in heaven and, as a customer, we got the benefit.
Steph suggested a bottle of wine for our little group to split. It was a lovely choice and we had no trouble polishing it off. Of course, if you know us, we had to have a snack as well. Carpe good eats! The Morrocan spiced almonds, house fries with herbs, parmesan, and aioli, and stuffed mushrooms were just what we needed to go with the wine. Steph gave us the scoop, too. The Quack is back! We were way to hungry to eat more (shocking, I know!), but the duck confit and cheese sounds so yummy. Next time I will seize the quack.
As you know, food, wine, and atmosphere are essential. However, service is what puts a place over the top. Steph has it all here. Do yourself a favor and stop in to see her when you are in Napa.
What a great find while we were in Napa. I'm glad we made a reservation because they were quite crowded even on a Monday night.
They had a nice wine list and even a decent selection by the glass. For food we had...
-Truffle popcorn with marcona almonds- we downed that in about 5 minutes after it hit our table. Wow!
-Barrota- we get this pretty much everywhere that has it and this was fabulous. It was super creamy and served with a delicious grilled bread and side of tapenade.
-Charcuterie- this was so tasty. The pork rillette was so flavorful.
-Quack and Cheese- this was mac 'n cheese with duck. And yes, it was even better than it sounds.
- Twix- A dessert worth the calories. I was so tempted to lick the plate.
A wine bar with excellent food. A must stop while you are in Napa!
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