Our dining experience at SingleThread on September 6, 2026, was seriously disappointing. For…read morecontext, our party of four had dined at The French Laundry two days earlier, which may have heightened our expectations. That dinner was exceptional and showed us what truly outstanding hospitality can feel like. By comparison, our experience at SingleThread fell far short of the standard we expected from a restaurant of this caliber.
The issues began as soon as we arrived. Despite several emails exchanged beforehand and repeated references to personalizing the experience, the staff initially got my name wrong. We were then directed to look through a small kitchen window without any explanation, context, or narrative about what we were seeing. After a few minutes, a small tea drink was served through the window, but we were then left standing in a cramped entry area for roughly 20 minutes with no meaningful interaction from the three people at the desk. During that time, we watched other parties arrive and be escorted elsewhere while no one checked in with us or explained the delay.
Eventually, someone from the dining room asked whether we would like to be seated. By that point, I was already frustrated. Once seated, our server quickly described several small dishes arranged on a flower-and-moss-covered faux log, then left before we had any meaningful sense of the menu, the number of courses, or the direction of the meal. When the sommelier arrived and asked us to choose wine or pairings, I felt unable to make an informed decision because I did not know what food was coming. I ultimately chose the wine pairing simply because it seemed like the safest option given the lack of information.
The service throughout the evening did not reflect what I would expect from a Michelin-starred restaurant. There was little storytelling, little hospitality, and very little sense that the experience was being guided with care. A server attempted to clear my plate while my fork and knife were still in my hands. Another server bumped a member of our party with a plate. Most concerning, the staff appeared to lose track of a guest's allergy and served me her plate instead. To be clear, we caught the mistake; the staff did not. That kind of lapse is difficult to overlook.
We also consistently had difficulty hearing the descriptions of the dishes as they were presented, which further diminished the sense of connection to the meal. At a restaurant centered so heavily on the progression, story, and precision of each course, that lack of clear communication mattered.
The food itself showed creativity, skill, and technique. There were several good courses, a few that felt unusual or less successful, and a couple of truly strong dishes, including the best duck I have had to date. Unfortunately, it was difficult to fully appreciate the food because the service failures were so distracting and so far below expectations.
The one clear positive of the evening was the sommelier. He was engaging, knowledgeable, and thoughtful in discussing each pairing and in making recommendations to other members of our party. His service stood apart from the rest of the experience.
We will not return. For us, the evening did not feel personal, polished, or worthy of the reputation attached to it. It felt like highly engineered cuisine paired with service that did not meet fine-dining standards. We left The French Laundry two nights earlier talking about every detail with admiration. We left SingleThread frustrated and deeply disappointed.
