Thomas Keller's The French Laundry reopens for dine-in with one table per dining room at $850 per person

Chef and restaurateur Thomas Keller last week announced the limited reopening of The French Laundry in Yountville, Calif., which is offering Chef’s Tasting menus of up to $850 per-person at one of three indoor tables.

Yountville is in Napa County, which is one of the counties in California that was given the green light to partially reopen for indoor dining last week at 25% capacity.

French Laundry guests can also book an outdoor table on the restaurant’s patio for pre-pandemic rate of $350 per person — which, of course, must be paid for in advance to book through Tock. For the $850 per person seats (for parties of up to eight), the restaurant will have one table in each of the three dining rooms, which restaurant officials promised on Instagram would be “a fully immersive and privatized experience.”

Last month, the Thomas Keller Restaurant Group announced the permanent closure of TAK Room and a location of Bouchon Bakery at the Hudson Yards complex in New York City.

Keller’s Per Se restaurant in New York City is closed as the group awaits the return of indoor dining there. A note on the website indicates the closure is temporary.

The signature French Laundry was also closed temporarily but reopened for outdoor dining in July.

The tasting menu at The French Laundry changes daily, but a recent menu included the opening choice of Oysters and Pearls, a sabayon of pearl tapioca with Island Creek oysters and Regiis Ova Caviar; or Royal Ossetra Caviar with Dungeness crab salad, Kanzuri mayonnaise and golden pineapple chiffon (for a $60 supplement).

Related:Thomas Keller sues insurance company over coronavirus business interruption claim for his restaurants

That was followed by cucumber gazpacho with avocado mousse and “compressed cucumber blossoms;” or “liver and onions” with foie gras rouelle, sweet onion gelée, figs and English thyme (for a $30 supplement).

Sweet butter-poached lobster with potato puree was followed by the option of ris de veau with caramelized cauliflower beignet, sunflower sprouts and caper velouté; or mac and cheese with truffles ($125 supplement).

Then comes herb-roasted lamb or Japanese wagyu poêlé ($100 supplement), followed by gougère with cheese and truffle fondue and an assortments of desserts.

Also in Yountville, La Calenda — a Mexican concept within the Keller group of restaurants — reopened for limited indoor dining, as well as dining on the patio. Unlike The French Laundry, La Calenda is also offering takeout.

Contact Lisa Jennings at [email protected]

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