For the uninitiated, French Laundry is one of the best restaurants in the world. I got a chance to try the tasting menu. I had a vegetarian, or to be precise, a lacto-vegetarian (milk and cheese but not eggs) meal here.

The restaurant looks nondescript from the outside, and it is easy to miss it while driving.

Front view of a simple, understated restaurant exterior, partially obscured by trees and landscaping, providing a low-key, easily overlooked entrance to French Laundry

It was an 8-10 course meal, depending on how you count a course. Portion sizes were small but delicious. And there was a gap of about 15-20 mins before each serving. So, a commitment of 3-4 hours for the full course.

Meal at French Laundry
Meal at French Laundry
Meal at French Laundry
Meal at French Laundry
Meal at French Laundry
Meal at French Laundry
Meal at French Laundry
Meal at French Laundry
Meal at French Laundry
Meal at French Laundry
Meal at French Laundry

It would be a wrong question to ask whether the food was worth the time and money. The right question would be “Was the experience worth the time and money?”, I would say, “Definitely”. Being vegetarian, I was skeptical but was delighted beyond my expectations.