Restaurant in Oakhurst, United States
Special-occasion dining that earns the reservation.
The Elderberry House is the strongest case for a destination dinner near Yosemite: a daily-changing five-course prix fixe, AAA 5 Diamond service, and wine pairings by the course. La Liste ranked it 77 points in 2026. Reservations are required; book two to three weeks ahead for weeknight tables, further out during peak Yosemite season. Sunday brunch runs 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
If you're weighing a special-occasion dinner near Yosemite, The Elderberry House is not competing with other Oakhurst restaurants — it's in a different category entirely. The closest regional comparison would be Single Thread Farm in Healdsburg or The French Laundry in Napa for the combination of farm-driven prix fixe menus and formal service in a destination setting. Here, that experience lands in the Sierra Nevada foothills, roughly an hour from Yosemite Valley, which makes it the most ambitious restaurant for a two-hour radius.
The case for booking is direct: AAA 5 Diamond recognition in 2025, a La Liste ranking of 77 points in 2026 (down slightly from 79 in 2025, worth monitoring), a daily-changing five-course prix fixe tied to seasonal California ingredients, and a service standard — starched white shirts, black suits, trained tableside anticipation , that is genuinely rare outside major urban dining rooms. Chef Ethan de Graaff leads the kitchen, and the menu format means the cooking reflects what is actually in season rather than a fixed card. For a food and wine traveler routing through the Sierra Nevada, this is the strongest reason to stop in Oakhurst rather than pass through.
The Sunday brunch deserves specific mention. Running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and requiring a reservation, it offers a five-course format with dishes drawn from local farm eggs, seared Maine scallops, and beef filet medallions, alongside complimentary freshly baked croissants and a glass of brut or sparkling cider. It's a legitimate alternative to dinner for travelers who prefer a daytime meal before or after a Yosemite visit. The communal atmosphere at brunch reads differently from the more formal dinner service, which may suit some guests better.
Wine pairing is built into the dinner experience: each course arrives with a bottle selected from the restaurant's cellar, making this effectively a paired tasting menu rather than an a la carte wine list situation. If you want to engage seriously with California wine alongside farm-to-table cooking, this format delivers that without requiring separate selections. The cooking program , where guests can learn from the kitchen team using local ingredients , is an additional reason to plan around a stay rather than a single meal. The Château du Sureau, the property with which The Elderberry House is associated, makes an overnight stay practical.
The setting matters to the experience. The restaurant looks out over gardens, and the architecture carries a European character unusual for a California mountain town. This is not a casual dinner backdrop. It reads intentionally formal, which aligns with the dress code expectations: jacket and tie for men is the comfortable standard, with slacks and a button-down as the practical minimum; a cocktail dress for women. Business casual is the official floor, but arriving underdressed will feel out of place given the room and the service register.
For context on where this fits in the broader fine dining landscape, see our full Oakhurst restaurants guide. Travelers combining this dinner with the wider region should also check our Oakhurst hotels guide, bars guide, and experiences guide.
Reservations are required for both dinner (served nightly) and Sunday brunch (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.). Booking difficulty is rated Easy relative to comparable prix fixe restaurants, but given the single seating format and the destination nature of the location, booking two to three weeks ahead is the practical standard. For holiday weekends or peak Yosemite season (late spring through early fall), extend that window. Walk-ins are not a realistic option here.
| Detail | The Elderberry House | Single Thread Farm | The French Laundry |
|---|---|---|---|
| Location | Oakhurst, CA (Yosemite foothills) | Healdsburg, CA | Yountville, CA (Napa) |
| Format | Prix fixe, daily-changing | Prix fixe, farm-driven | Prix fixe, tasting menu |
| Awards | AAA 5 Diamond, La Liste 77 | Michelin 3-Star | Michelin 3-Star |
| Sunday Brunch | Yes (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) | No | No |
| Booking Difficulty | Easy | Hard | Very Hard |
| Dress Code | Business casual (jacket preferred) | Smart casual | Jacket preferred |
| Wine Pairing | Included by course | Optional add-on | Optional add-on |
| Venue | Cuisine | Price | Booking Difficulty |
|---|---|---|---|
| The Elderberry House | American Cuisine | Easy | |
| Le Bernardin | French, Seafood | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Atomix | Modern Korean, Korean | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Lazy Bear | Progressive American, Contemporary | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Alinea | Progressive American, Creative | $$$$ | Unknown |
| Atelier Crenn | Modern French, Contemporary | $$$$ | Unknown |
Comparing your options in Oakhurst for this tier.
The Elderberry House is best suited to smaller parties given its formal, coursed prix fixe format. Reservations are required for all diners, so groups should book well in advance and confirm directly. The structured five-course dinner and two-hour Sunday brunch window (11 a.m. to 1 p.m.) make it less practical for large, flexible gatherings than a conventional restaurant.
The menu changes daily based on seasonal availability, so specific dishes aren't guaranteed — but the five-course dinner format means there's no à la carte ordering. Past menus have featured brioche-crusted halibut, spruce- and blackberry-braised wagyu short ribs, and roasted hazelnut panna cotta. Sunday brunch has included seared Maine scallops and beef filet medallions, plus complimentary croissants and a glass of brut or sparkling cider.
The official dress code is business casual, but the room skews formal: the venue recommends a jacket and tie for men, with slacks and a button-down as the acceptable minimum. Women are advised toward a cocktail dress. Given the AAA 5 Diamond rating and the white-glove service style, dressing toward the formal end of that range is the safer call.
Yes — it's one of the clearest cases for a special-occasion booking in the Yosemite region. The AAA 5 Diamond rating (2025), La Liste recognition (77 points in 2026), wine-paired five-course format, and formally trained waitstaff all point toward a venue built around ceremony. If you're celebrating something significant and want a full, unhurried evening, this is the right fit.
There are no direct competitors in Oakhurst at this price and format tier — the nearest comparable fine-dining options require a significantly longer drive toward Fresno or further into the Bay Area. If you're open to travelling, Lazy Bear in San Francisco operates a similar prix fixe format. For the Yosemite trip specifically, The Elderberry House is effectively the only option if a formal dinner is part of the plan.
Book at least two to three weeks out for a standard dinner reservation, and further ahead for weekends or holiday periods. The Sunday brunch window is narrow — 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. only — so those seats fill quickly. Reservations are required for both dinner and brunch; walk-ins are not a realistic option at a AAA 5 Diamond property operating a daily-changing prix fixe menu.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
