Restaurant in Healdsburg, United States
Plant-based cooking backed by a serious wine list.
Little Saint is Healdsburg's most serious plant-based restaurant, ranked on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list in both 2024 and 2025. With a 925-selection wine list, a cuisine price point under $40, and a kitchen that earns its OAD ranking on technique rather than novelty, it delivers well above what the price suggests. Book it as a wine-led lunch or dinner if plant-forward cooking is your intention, not your fallback.
With 925 wine selections, a 4,400-bottle inventory, and two consecutive years on Opinionated About Dining's Casual North America list (ranked #476 in 2025, up from #510 in 2024), Little Saint is the most serious plant-based dining operation in Healdsburg — and arguably in Sonoma County. At a cuisine price point under $40 for a typical two-course meal, it also delivers that seriousness at a fraction of what comparable ambition costs elsewhere in wine country. If you've been once, this is the place to go deeper: into the wine list, into the seasonal produce, and into what chef Baruch Ellsworth's kitchen does with farm-sourced vegetables at a technical level that most omnivore restaurants in this price tier don't match.
The editorial angle here matters: Little Saint is not a restaurant you visit to see what plant-based cooking can approximate. It's a restaurant where the farm-to-table sourcing is the cooking — not a constraint around it. The kitchen works within a vegan framework but the output is evaluated against all casual fine-dining in North America by OAD's panel, a list that includes meat-forward kitchens at every price point. Ranking #476 in that company is a credential, not a participation trophy.
Chef Baruch Ellsworth leads the kitchen, with ownership by Laurie Ubben and Jeff Ubben providing the resources to support a wine program that Wine Director Laurel Livezey has built to a depth that most dedicated wine restaurants don't reach. A 925-selection list with a $30 corkage fee and strength across France, California, and Burgundy specifically tells you something: this is a program built for serious wine drinkers, not a list added to satisfy a permit. The $$ wine pricing tier means you can find bottles across a wide range without being forced into triple-digit territory.
If you visited once and had a good meal, come back with a wine-focused agenda. Ask for Laurel Livezey or the sommeliers , Nathan Sneller, Stephanie Berrios, or Kiana Enos Vanthong , and let them work with the food. The pairing between a kitchen cooking entirely with vegetables and a list strong in French and Burgundian wines is a more interesting conversation than most wine-dinner pairings in this region.
Little Saint is open Monday, Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, 8 am to 9 pm. It is closed Tuesday and Wednesday. The all-day format means you can eat here for lunch or dinner without a separate booking window , useful if your Healdsburg schedule is flexible. Booking is direct; this is not a hard reservation to secure with reasonable advance planning. Typical two-course meal pricing sits under $40 before wine and tip, making it one of the more accessible quality options on the Healdsburg dining circuit.
| Venue | Cuisine | Price (meal) | Booking Difficulty | Leading For |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Little Saint | Plant-Based / Farm to Table | $ | Easy | Wine-serious diners, plant-based cooking at full commitment |
| Single Thread Farm | Progressive Japanese | $$$$ | Hard | Full tasting menu experience, maximum service polish |
| Barndiva | New American / Californian | $$$ | Moderate | Garden setting, broader menu range |
| Dry Creek Kitchen | American | $$$ | Moderate | Classic wine-country dining, meat-forward menu |
| Bravas Bar de Tapas | Tapas | $$ | Easy | Casual group eating, shared plates |
Book Little Saint if you want technically grounded plant-based cooking at a price point that removes the risk of disappointment, paired with a wine list deep enough to keep a serious drinker occupied across multiple visits. It is a good fit for solo diners , the all-day format and casual positioning make it lower-pressure than a formal dinner service , and for couples who want a wine-led lunch without committing to the $$$$ tier that Single Thread Farm requires. It is less suited to groups expecting a red-meat-forward wine-country dinner, who would be better served by Dry Creek Kitchen or Barndiva.
For context on how Little Saint fits into the wider plant-based category, Planta Queen in Toronto operates at a comparable ambition level in a different market. Within California, the farm-to-table commitment here is more focused than what you find at casual wine-country spots, and the OAD ranking places it credibly alongside kitchens like Lazy Bear in San Francisco in terms of the seriousness with which the cooking is taken , though the formats and price tiers are entirely different.
For your full Healdsburg planning, see our full Healdsburg restaurants guide, our Healdsburg hotels guide, our Healdsburg bars guide, our Healdsburg wineries guide, and our Healdsburg experiences guide.
For plant-based cooking specifically, there is no direct peer in Healdsburg , Little Saint holds that category alone. For comparable casual quality with a strong wine program, Barndiva is the closest match in ambiance and price positioning (though at $$$). If you want the most technically ambitious meal in Healdsburg regardless of format, Single Thread Farm is the answer, but expect to spend four times as much and book weeks in advance. For a lower-stakes casual evening, Bravas Bar de Tapas is easy to book and good for groups.
Booking is easy relative to Healdsburg's more competitive tables. A few days' notice is generally sufficient for weekday lunch or dinner. Weekend dinner slots , particularly Friday and Saturday evening , fill faster, so 5 to 7 days out is a reasonable buffer. You do not need to plan weeks ahead the way you would for Single Thread Farm or The French Laundry in Napa.
Specific menu items are not available in our data, so we won't speculate. What the data confirms: this is a farm-to-table vegan kitchen with OAD recognition, which means the produce sourcing and technique are the draws. Ask the kitchen what's current from the farm , that question will get you the leading of what chef Baruch Ellsworth's team is working with. On the wine side, lean on the sommelier team (Laurel Livezey, Nathan Sneller, Stephanie Berrios, or Kiana Enos Vanthong) for a pairing recommendation; a 925-selection list is leading navigated with guidance.
Yes, with the right framing. The cuisine price point is low (under $40 for two courses), but the wine program is where the spend and the occasion-worthy depth lives. A special dinner here works leading if you treat the wine list as the centrepiece and let the kitchen's plant-based cooking play the supporting role , rather than expecting the formal service architecture of a $$$$ restaurant. For a milestone that requires white-glove ceremony, Single Thread Farm is the correct call. For a celebration where substance and a serious wine conversation matter more than formality, Little Saint delivers above its price tier.
Yes. The all-day format (8 am to 9 pm on open days) and casual positioning make solo dining here direct. You can come in for lunch without the social overhead of a formal dinner setting. The wine program is an asset for solo diners who want to eat at the bar or a small table and work through a glass with a sommelier , the staff depth (three sommeliers plus a wine director) means you're likely to have a genuine conversation about the list even on a busy service.
Both service periods run under the same kitchen and menu framework, given the all-day format. Lunch is the lower-pressure option if you want a quieter room and more time with the wine staff. Dinner on a Friday or Saturday will be busier and more animated. If you're visiting Healdsburg for wine tasting, a Little Saint lunch is a logical midday anchor , it keeps the price point low (under $40 for food) and leaves room for wine spending either on the list or at tasting rooms. See our Healdsburg wineries guide for pairing the day around it.
Specific group booking policies and capacity data are not confirmed in our records. Given the casual positioning and the absence of a formal private dining mention, groups of 4 to 6 should be manageable with advance notice. For larger parties, contact the restaurant directly to confirm availability , the general manager is Natalia Faustino. Groups specifically looking for a private dining room format would be better served by checking Barndiva or Dry Creek Kitchen, which have more established event infrastructure.
The menu is entirely vegan , if that's new information, factor it into your decision before booking. This is not a restaurant that hedges on that commitment. The cuisine price is under $40 for a typical two-course meal, so your bill will rise primarily with wine; budget accordingly if you plan to engage the list seriously. The OAD Casual North America ranking (#476 in 2025) is the clearest trust signal: this kitchen is evaluated against a broad competitive set and holds its position. First-timers should note the Tuesday and Wednesday closure , check the hours before planning your Healdsburg itinerary.
| Venue | Awards | Price | Value |
|---|---|---|---|
| Little Saint | Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #476 (2025); WINE: Wine Strengths: France, California, Burgundy Pricing: $$ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Corkage Fee: $30 Selections: 925 Inventory: 4,400 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: Farm to Table, Vegan Pricing: $ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Lunch and Dinner STAFF: People Laurel Livezey:Sommelier Wine Director: Laurel Livezey Sommelier: Nathan Sneller, Stephanie Berrios, Kiana Enos Vanthong Chef: Baruch Ellsworth General Manager: Natalia Faustino Owner: Laurie Ubben, Jeff Ubben; Opinionated About Dining Casual in North America Ranked #510 (2024) | — | |
| Single Thread Farm | Michelin 3 Star, World's 50 Best | $$$$ | — |
| Barndiva | $$$ | — | |
| Bravas Bar de Tapas | — | ||
| Dry Creek Kitchen | $$$ | — | |
| The Matheson | $$$$ | — |
How Little Saint stacks up against the competition.
Single Thread Farm is the obvious step up in formality and price, but it is a very different format — tasting menu, not all-day casual. Barndiva and Dry Creek Kitchen both offer produce-driven menus in Healdsburg, though neither matches Little Saint's wine depth at 925 selections. If budget is the priority, Bravas Bar de Tapas is the more relaxed, lower-spend option in the same neighborhood.
Book at least one to two weeks out for weekday slots; weekend tables in Healdsburg's high season fill faster. The all-day format (8 am to 9 pm Thursday through Monday) gives you more timing flexibility than a dinner-only venue, which helps. Closed Tuesday and Wednesday, so plan around that.
The kitchen runs a farm-to-table vegan format, so the menu tracks seasonal produce closely — specific dishes are not fixed. Focus your attention on the wine list: 925 selections with particular depth in France, California, and Burgundy, at a $$ price point that represents fair value for wine country. Corkage is $30 if you bring your own bottle.
Yes, with the right expectations set. It is an OAD Casual North America-ranked restaurant (no. 476 in 2025), not a white-tablecloth occasion venue — Single Thread Farm is the choice if you need that register. Little Saint suits occasions where the food and wine are the point, not the room or the ceremony. The wine program, led by sommelier director Laurel Livezey, is a genuine asset for a celebratory meal.
The all-day casual format and cuisine price point (under $40 for a typical two-course meal) make it an easy solo call. There is no pressure to pace through a tasting menu or fill a table. Arriving at off-peak hours during the 8 am to 9 pm window on a weekday gives you the most relaxed experience.
Both run off the same all-day operation, so this is more about preference than a quality split. Lunch works well if you are touring Sonoma wine country and want a plant-based anchor meal without committing to an evening. Dinner lets you lean into the wine list more naturally, with sommelier support from a three-person team.
Nothing in the available data specifies a private dining room or group booking policy, so check the venue's official channels before assuming large-party availability. The casual all-day format suggests reasonable flexibility for small groups, but Healdsburg restaurants at this profile can be tight on weekend evening covers. Book early and confirm group size when reserving.
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