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Animo Sonoma Reviews
Thank you, everyone at Animo.
You were amazing every time. Turbot, duck, porterhouse... gonna miss them
Maybe the best meal I've eaten? The vibe of this
Maybe the best meal I've eaten? The vibe of this restaurant is so good. It's unpretentious, tiny, and feels like you're at home waiting for your friends to feed you from their awesome wood burning kitchen. I wish I'd captured pictures of the ambience because it really felt like you were being served magic! You can see the kitchen fridge when you walk in and during the dinner you see it get emptied as they bring out dish after delicious dish. It's pretty special to see the ingredients listed in their raw form and have it appear in front of you all alchemised. Everything we ate was so different and unique from anything I've eaten and the portions were amazing too. It's hard to pick standouts but I'd order everything again in a heartbeat. Unfortunately, we were so full we couldn't order dessert (basque cheesecake) but I'll take any excuse to come back. Service was 100. Food 100. Ambience 100
More photos from our excellent dining
More photos from our excellent dining experience!! make sure to enjoy their fresher than fresh oysters!!
Excellent restaurant.
Great food, great service. Chef Josh is an amazing restauranteur and operator.
Amazing food! The restaurant itself it so cute and cozy
Amazing food! The restaurant itself it so cute and cozy mixed with amazing food and wine selection. I would recommend anyone coming here, everything was absolutely delicious! The servers here were also so sweet and helpful. My partner and I came for a vacation and we came across this restaurant and we fell in love, come here cause it's amazing! 10/10 love it :)
Delicious! Get the fish, you won't regret it.
The mushroom appetizer was perfection
Small, cozy restaurant.
Difficult parking...not much at the actual restaurant. Allow extra time for finding a space. Very helpful, friendly service. We ordered the mushroom app, and it had awesome flavor. The shrimp app was tasty but super heavy on the garlic. We shared the duck. It was very good but a little overcooked...most of the pieces were medium or more. The sauce was tasty. It came with a salad (needed more dressing or something...very plain) and potatoes (they were delicious). All dishes were displayed in a beautiful way. We also enjoyed the matcha drink...interesting flavor. Would definitely recommend.
Easily one of the best new restaurants in Northern
Easily one of the best new restaurants in Northern California and a breath of fresh air in wine country. Worth a special trip -- Animo is a no brainer for a Michelin star. Service, ambience, wine list, and food were all top notch. Recommend any of the seafood appetizers, the turbot, kimchi fried rice, and Basque cheesecake. All were perfectly executed, inventive, and restrained. Staff were attentive, knowledgeable, and fun. Go eat at Animo!
10/14/2023 Sat.
I thoroughly enjoyed my meal at Animo. It was quite a drive about 2 hours one way from the peninsula. We always travel for food because there is nowhere else serves whole grilled turbot that I know of so we had to make the trip up just for that. We had our first grilled turbot at Elkano when we went to San Sebastián, Spain. We traveled an hour by bus one way to Getaria just for the grilled turbot so it's no brainer we did the same going to Animo. We arrived early and waited until 5pm before heading to the front door. The host Heidi said they had a little accident inside so we weren't seated until about 20 mins later. As soon as we walked up the ramp the wait staff already knew my name and invited us in. Service was warm and welcoming. The restaurant is small with one communal table and few two and four tops only. As soon as the customers settled down, the wait staff pretty much hopping from table to table tending everyone so it might seem a bit rush. We were there for the turbot so that's what we ordered. Heidi said there will be about 15-20 mins wait which was fine with us. In the mean time we ordered the grilled hen of woods mushrooms and clams for starters. I love mushrooms and hen of woods ($20) is one of my favorites. Seems that many restaurants offer this same appetizer except at Animo they served with a yuzu cream sauce, and an egg on top. It was super tasty and wish the portion can be a tad bigger. Manila Clams with Spanish chorizo, aioli, dipping sauce ($25) - The clam was super flavorful especially the saffron aioli that was drizzled on top of the clams. The accompanied toasts were also made perfect. I can eat half a dozen of the toasts! The grilled turbot ($140) finally came and it was big like how we had it at Getaria. The portion size was more than enough for 2-3 people. It was super meaty but the best part of the turbot isn't the meat but the fins, head, and tail! Brussels Sprouts ($14) - small portion for the price especially they came in leafs and not whole or halves. Basque Cheesecake ($16) - brought back memories from the time we had our first slice at La Viña in San Sebastián. Muri Sparkling Rose $55 bottle Overall a great meal albeit the high prices and rather small portions. I did some research beforehand so knew what to expect. Just know before you go and you will enjoy your meal there. Parking: there are 4 parking spaces at the back of the restaurant. Restaurant is located between McDonald and an auto repair shop. Front of the restaurant has one regular parking and one handicap parking.
My review of the food is admittedly somewhat limited - I
My review of the food is admittedly somewhat limited - I was able to snag the only available table at 5pm and there were just 2 of us in our party, so we ordered just 3 of the apps. The crudo, the mushrooms and the prawns were all fantastically prepared and presented. I did not care for the seating situation - there is one 2-top and a couple of 4-tops, so if you're just a couple you have to expect to be seated at a communal table. The service needs a lot - I mean a lot - of work. We had two servers apparently unaware of each other because they each went through the drill of explaining the menu and suggesting their recommended dishes to us. I would have preferred for them to offer to answer any questions we might have and then leave it to us to choose our dishes. The one thing I really appreciated was that we were given 2.5 hours at the table before they let us know they needed it for the next reservation - at a place this tiny I could easily imagine them being less generous in that way. Most of the other diners there on our weeknight visit had dined here several times previously as they liked to mention loud and often, basking in all their glory and privilege LOL. This place is SO incredibly pricey I can't figure out who it's for - the communal seating and overall appearance is not at a level for a special occasion, yet it's too small to easily accommodate wealthy locals who have $200+ (before wine) to drop on a regular dinner out.
Animo - fabulous restaurant
This is a fantastic restaurant . Food is inventive with complex fabulous tastes. The dishes are to share. Whole turbot, a fish flown in from Spain, was incredible. The manila clams are a super small plate. Every dish tastes great and presented well. The staff is friendly, professional and helpful. This is my favorite Sonoma restaurant . The dining area is not large so one must make a reservation.
This place was outstanding -- one of the best meals I have
This place was outstanding -- one of the best meals I have had in years. The ambience is warm and inviting, the food is unique and incredible, and the service and kitchen staff make you feel like you're in their living room (I guess you kind of are). I've been twice now with different groups, and they knocked it out of the park both times. My favourite restaurant in Sonoma.
Amazing food and very personable service! Every dish was
Amazing food and very personable service! Every dish was unique! We had a fantastic tasting experience!Thank you, team Animo, for this memorable experience!
What a fantastic experience and memorable birthday meal.
Highly recommended.Low key location, with an open, wood burning dream kitchen (zero smoke noticed by us btw)We were warmly greeted by Heidi and her staff, the experience was great from the start.Delicious appetizers and shared plates, but the Summer Flounder and Flannery Beef Ribeye stole the show! Everything felt simple, yet perfect, and every dish was a delight. Thanks Chef Joshua, Heidi and the Animo team, we can't wait to come back!
Wonderful evening to celebrate Valentine's Day! The service
Wonderful evening to celebrate Valentine's Day! The service was incredible and the staff was very knowledgeable. We liked how the reservations were spaced out so every table had time to enjoy their meal. Creative food and it was all prepared to perfection. It is a bit of an investment, but if you can work it into your budget, it is so worth it! Thank you to the entire staff for making our evening so special!
Animo is a true gem in Sonoma.
It's always refreshing to see husband and wife rolling up their sleeves and truly putting their heart and soul into the food they put out and the service. You get this here with the owners. Food is delicious! Don't miss a chance to go! So happy we came! Perfect recommendation from our guide at Promontory!
We scored a last minute, weeknight reservation and could
We scored a last minute, weeknight reservation and could not be more pleased with our overall experience. We were greeted by Heidy who took fantastic care of us for the duration of our visit, making us feel welcome as if we were dining at an old friend's house. We adored the homey ambiance and the open kitchen. It was entertaining to see Chef Joshua and his team in action. Their passion for their craft was on full display!Onto the food, we enjoyed the grilled hen of woods mushrooms which were to die for. I would eat them over and over again if I could. We also enjoyed the gambas al ajillo (prawns) and while the flavor was excellent, we thought the price point for the portion size didn't quite deliver.For our entree, we shared the iberico pork pluma and it did not disappoint! Kudos to Chef Joshua for this delicious dish. The kimchi fried rice was also great and was a generous portion size.Heidy provided excellent service throughout and even delivered a hand written thank you card at the end of our meal. Her kindness and genuine care made the experience memorable. Our only regret is that we did not get to try the basque cheesecake - we were simply too full after the wonderful meal. I cannot wait to visit Animo again!
Had a random opportunity for a mini "date night" and we
Had a random opportunity for a mini "date night" and we have been wanting to try Animo. By some miracle there was a reservation open. We've been blessed to have some incredible meals in incredible places and I will admit that it takes a lot to impress me. This quick on-a-whim-date-night was one of the best meals I have ever had in my life. Every detail was perfect and the food was both familiar and completely unexpected. You've gotta go! Heidy (wife-front of the house) provided amazing service and Joshua (husband-chef) is a master of his craft. Everything is family style. We started with roasted mushrooms w/soft each yoke surrounded by a smooth mushroom pudding (I don't know what it was called) and champagne. For our main course we ordered skirt steak w/a sabayon bearnaise, fried rice with spicy kimchi and sautéed spinach with lemon and shallots. Spicy. Salty. Smokey. Tart. And the textures were out of this world. Can't wait to go back and try more dishes. *I didn't take a picture because I was too busy enjoying. Lovely people and hard workers. I recommend going with the local crowd mid-week:-)
I wanted to love this place and was so excited to go.
Here are just some things I wish I had known before I booked:To start, there is no signage and the parking is bad- its between a McDonalds and a culdesac with only 2 spots of their own so parking is confusing and was tough to find. Not a big deal but signage would be helpful. After figuring that out, we arrived about 15 minutes early and were not very politely ushered out the door to wait- it is a small place so there is no waiting room inside, fair enough- but it was freezing and the way we were pushed out wasnt friendly or welcoming. They have 2 heat lamps too- but they were moved to a side and not on...it was weird and unfortunate. I just feel like if you know people will be cold outside waiting then a greeting with a splash of something and some heat lamps seems like an easy fix to me. It wasn't a great start.Once they let us in (after the other party of 2 that had a 7pm res but was late..weird way to seat people) it was fine. The owner who had initially greeted us was nicer after that. Not warm- but better. Its communal dining so dont book for a romantic or intimate experience, but we were seated with fun people so that worked out great. The food was good. Not exceptional or anything, but good. The sugar snap peas were great and the fried rice was great. The rest was good. For red wine drinkers- There are only 2 red wines offered by the glass also..they were super yummy choices so it was fine but if Pinot or Tempranillo isn't your thing you should plan on buying bottle. Great bottle list, but expensive. It's way more casual than I anticipated based on the price so def feel comfortable going in jeans. I felt super overdressed for our date night being in a dress.Overall, it was fine. I won't be going back just beacuse of the hospitality and ambiance not meeting the price point. But again, the food was good.
We spent the weekend in Sonoma, and we got very lucky to
We spent the weekend in Sonoma, and we got very lucky to snag a spot on a saturday night right at opening time. The interior was well decorated, with firewood and a stove on one side, and a wall full of apples on the other. Very cool. Be warned the prices are expensive. Was it worth it? Hell yea it was. Heidi was our server, and she printed out personalized menus for us. She also did an excellent job providing a description of our options for the evening. The food was phenomenal. Crudo was a yellowtail sashimi that tasted heavenly when coated with truffle. Diver scallop and the ocean broth paired perfectly. The dry aged ribeye is to die for. The amino salad was so good my wife still raves about it a few days later. The only thing I was slightly disappointed by was the amino fried rice. Don't get me wrong - it was good. But perhaps too many good ingredients in it is a bad thing? All in all, I will def make another reservation the next time I plan on heading to Sonoma.
Joshua and Heidy have to be the hardest working couple in
Joshua and Heidy have to be the hardest working couple in the restaurant biz. their passion comes through in this excellent dinner.our second visit. had the boquerones, radicchio salad and lamb with broccolini and kimchi fried rice.all prepared to perfection. all dishes made to share.can't wait for our ret visit.
Connect with users posting reservations for Animo Sonoma
AppointmentTrader is a community-driven platform where users can exchange their reservations or leverage their personal relationships with Animo Sonoma. Buyers can make informed decisions using automated seller ratings, which reflect past transactions and reliability.
Each posting on AppointmentTrader shows you which user submitted it and along with that provides a trackrecord of that user which indicates how much experience
the user has and how many percent of their transactions resulted in them issuing a refund.
If there is no user posting that fits your schedule, you can bid on your preferred time.
Let's say Peter has a great morning and decides to take his three friends to Animo Sonoma at 6 PM the same day.
He checks the restaurant's website and sees that no reservations are available. He then looks at the Animo Sonoma page on AppointmentTrader, but finds that there are no user postings either.
That's where the community-driven bid process comes in.
Peter can place a bid on AppointmentTrader, which serves as a reward for any community member who chooses to work on securing the reservation. AT then notifies experienced users who may be able to help.
Step-by-Step Process
1.) Setting a Reward (Bid)
* AppointmentTrader uses historical data to recommend a reasonable reward amount for securing a reservation - let's say $100.
* Peter really wants to go, so he increases the bid (or reward) to $200.
* At this stage, the reservation does not exist yet.
2.) A Community User Picks Up the Bid
* DistinguishedTree58, an experienced AT user, has a strong track record of successfully securing reservations and low refund requests, they receive a notification about Peter's bid.
* DistinguishedTree58 picks up the bid, meaning they will now work on securing the reservation.
* Peter can now talk to DistinguishedTree58 for any questions Peter may have as DistinguishedTree58 user fills the bid.
3.) Finding the Reservation
* DistinguishedTree58 now uses their connections at Animo Sonoma to secure the table.
* If they successfully get the 6 PM table for four, Peter receives a confirmation that the reservation has been secured.
* If DistinguishedTree58 fails to secure the reservation, the bid is returned to the pool so another user can try.
4.) Payment & Protection
* Once the reservation is secured, DistinguishedTree58 receives the $200 reward which is credited to DistinguishedTree58's AT balance, where users manage their own funds and can withdraw via available payout options such as bank transfer, PayPal, or Zelle.
* Peter can now enjoy the dinner with his friends at Animo Sonoma!
* As with all transactions on AT, disputes and no-show fees are handled through the platform's community-driven resolution system. Users with a strong track record are incentivized to fulfill bids successfully, and community members can report issues to maintain trust in the marketplace.
