Lakeside dining under a vine-strung pergola at one of the Peninsula's founding wineries, now Crittenden Restaurant under Head Chef Brunno Melo.
Known for Lakeside Pergola Dining RoomCrittenden Los Hermanos Wine RangeHead Chef Brunno MeloOne of the Peninsula's Founding Wineries
Photo · Peninsula Insider
Why we’d goThe room beside the still lake has been here longer than most of the Peninsula's celebrated cellar doors, Crittenden Restaurant earns its confidence.
Crittenden was there before most of the cellar doors that now define the Peninsula, and the restaurant at its heart is one of the most quietly excellent dining rooms on the plateau. The setting is distinctive: a still lake, a pergola strung with vines, and a sense of order that the newer estates are still working toward. Now operating as Crittenden Restaurant under Head Chef Brunno Melo, the kitchen runs a produce-forward menu that celebrates local growers without the preachy apparatus.
The wine list is a generous walk through the estate's own catalogue, Garry and Rollo Crittenden's pioneering range including Pinot Noir, Chardonnay, and the Spanish-leaning Los Hermanos wines, with smart additions from elsewhere. Order whatever fish the kitchen is running that week. Take the lake walk afterwards.
A reliable weekday lunch and one of the best mid-priced meals on the plateau. The room's best trick is that it still feels entirely unhurried, which, at this price point and this proximity to the weekend crowds, is a real achievement.
Part of Crittenden Estate
Worth knowing
If you only do one thing
Book the earlier sitting for lunch, order the fish and a glass of the Los Hermanos, and walk around the lake before you get back in the car.
Works well with
Crittenden Estate · Pier Street Fresh Seafood
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