When Cafe la Haye owner Saul Gropman announced his retirement in December 2024, Sonoma Valley gathered its pearls. The bespectacled host has been a welcoming presence in the intimate dining room since the restaurant opened in 1996 – a fixed point set in the County area where the Culinary situation is always in flux.
For almost the next year, the restaurant does not miss a beat. The dining room is still full of locals who are faithfully shown their pigs and Risotto. Inside, little has changed: The same art, the same menu and the same eclectic lobby that’s made it a neighborhood favorite for nearly three decades. And that is why it is being done why it works under the new owners and wife José López Nuñes and Marta Echeverría Bacab.
Chef José has spent almost 25 years in the kitchen of Pint, learning his craft under its chef de cuisine, John Mcreydolds. Although McReynolds left The Hague in 2007 and died in 2024, his birsto-classic sensibility and great energy still hover over the line like a pre-ecstasy saint.
“We thought about changing things, but the locals gave us the answer to keep the cafe what it is known for,” said Chef Andrew López-Echeverrrría, who now works with his father in the kitchen and as a host in the dining room.
Today, the restaurant is a strong family affair: Daughter Karen López-Echeverría works at the front as general manager, Marta manages the books, and her brother, Marco Echeverría, has worked in the kitchen for more than twenty years. Their simple familiarity brings warmth and continuity.
The special board reads like a greatest hits album – seasonal tweaks, very few shifts – and the refts wouldn’t have it any other way. Cafe La Haye is the kind of place where fresh pappardelle ($37) can be revolting. There is no need for constant updating of the already active item.
That doesn’t mean it has lost its cachet. Cafe La Haye Cafe’s quiet refusal to fall has itself become its signature. It’s comfort food for the pearl and platinum crowd who like what they like – and in Sonoma in the sona, that’s money in the bank.
The vibe
The 40-seat room has a modern, white look – a feel that feels UpScale without being found. Small High Class – Only Three Steps – Cool Steps Attack Bistro Bambette Bequring is perfect for a night out, or you’ll be shoulder to shoulder with the neighbors. Six tin-topped chairs give guests a direct view of the kitchen. Open-Beam Couilings and large windows keep the space light and airy, while modern canvases add pops of color without visual clutter. Timeless, with subtle 90s 90s flourishes in their origins.
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Cafe La Haye Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025 in Sonoma (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
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Cafe La Haye Wednesday, Oct. 29, 2025 in Sonoma (John Burgess / The Press Democrat)
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Food
Despite its diminutive size, the kitchen turns out great taste, relying on American classics taken as warm seed holes with warm pinaigrette ($36), Pan-Dreamenta (Dreamy Polenta ($34) and suffering ($22).
Beef Carpaccio ($19) is delicious, but the tangle of Arugula, red onion, cucumber and balsamic vinegar reduces the simplicity of the dish. Don’t miss the cheesecake ($12), light and airy with a drizzle of raspberry coulis.
A very popular dish
Grilled Pork Chop is a “can’t get off the menu” item, along with Daily Risotto and short ribs on puff pastry. Watch for classic dishes to be revisited on the menu, honoring the MCREYNOLDS era.
The price
Starters are sold at prices ranging from $18 to $22, while mains range from $27 to $58. Expect to pay around $80 to $90 per person, including wine.
Location
140 E. Napa St., Sonoma, 707-935-5994, Capahaye.com. Reservations are highly recommended.
