My husband & I dined at Willi's Wine Bar our first night in Wine Country.

As tapas lovers, we were very excited about this place.

We started out with the 3 cheeses with wine pairing. That was very nice. Worth noting though, that cheese "wedges" are extremely small, even for a tapas item. But each kind was delicious and the wine each was paired with fit well. The cheese is served with ramekins of honey and chopped figs, as well as toasted raisin bread and flat bread.

From there we shared the following:

Dungeness crab tacos (3 are served): My husband & I had different opinions on these. He thought they were boring and could not taste the crab. I got a couple of large pieces of crab and felt that the mint and melon in them were a nice touch.

Ahi Tuna Tartare: This came as a small stack of ahi tuna with bagel crisp type waifers on the side. Again my husband & I differed on our opinions of this dish. He loved it. I felt it was average, having had numerous dishes of ahi tuna. Also worth noting is the fact that it is COVERED in caviar - this fact is not mentioned in the listing on the menu, and if I had known we would NOT have ordered this dish.

Duck BBQ: This was WONDERFUL!!!! This was our favorite dish. Being from the South, we are BBQ "experts" and this was some of the best we have had. It was extremely flavorful and tender served on a bed of creamy cheese polenta. Definitely a must have!

Roasted Prawns: This dish was a major disappointment. We did not even eat half of it. The prawns were overcooked to the point of being mushy, they also were served heads and tenticles still on - which made for a very unappetizing dish.

Our waitress was AWFUL. We are a pretty laid back, fun loving couple but there were many times we sat waiting for a drink for quite awhile and would look outside and see our waitress standing and talking to a table (of what seemed to be her aquaintances) for over ten minutes. Several times we asked the hostess about the status of the drinks we'd been waiting for for way too long.

Also worth mentioning, they did not bring the tapas out all together, but one at a time, often with a good amount of time lapsing between another serving.

I will say though, that the hostess was very sweet and friendly.

They do have a large outdoor patio area.

We would not return here.

We stopped at Willi's for an impromptu lunch, it was the first listing our GPS told us about so off we went. Were we blown away - by far the best meal in during our stay in wine country. The wine and cheese pairings were impeccable. The staff were knowledgable and friendly. We sat on the patio which was very upscale and lovely, the interior is also quite an intimate and romantic. The truffled fries are a MUST, simply amazing. The lamb shops, the salads, the appetizers, everything blew us away. This is an absolute must stop if you're anywhere remotely close to Santa Rosa. My mouth is still watering!

I've been to Willi's three times in recent months, once in the evening for a weekend dinner (while staying at the nearby Hilton Sonoma Wine Country), and twice mid-afternoon on my way driving north/south to the Sonoma coast. I wish there were a place just like this near me here in silicon valley. I definitely plan on making it a destination eating stop on our next trip north next month.

Willi's offers gourmet tapas-sized bites which you can pair with 2-ounze, 5-ounze or larger portions of several dozen different quality wines they offer and can counsel you on. I really like the idea of being able to try several different food items shared between two people, each properly paired, creative and well-presented (2 dishes are plenty for one person unless he's really big, or even just one of the richer dishes is fine if you want a light lunch or snack). Examples I had are Ahi tuna tartare with lemon, chilies and pine nuts; beet and goat cheese ravioli with chard, parsnips, hazelnuts, and white truffle essence (filling); a scrumptious mac and 4-cheese with onions; and even roasted bone marrow with crisps and fig jam! Desserts (also offered with dessert wine pairings) are outstanding (e.g., lemon panna cotta)

I also really appreciate being able to get gourmet food at weird hours, like 2 or 3 in the afternoon which is when I've been driving in that area heading north or south and ready for food (they are closed Tuesdays). There is even pleasant patio seating for a nice day, or a comfortable bar at which you can also get food, that works nicely for solo diners too. Very few gourmet places are open for anything except sandwiches or burgers that time of day.

Our evening experience had a different feel from the daytime stops, more crowded, louder, service a little slower, but still very nice overall. It's not cheap: we spent about $30-40 per person, including wine pairings, could easily spend more, with most tapas running between 9 and 11 dollars a piece. But it's worth it and not outrageous compared with other area offerings, considering quality and originality of food and style.

It also offers very easy access on/off Highway 101 in north Santa Rosa (but you have to know it's there to find it, can't see it from the freeway just driving by)

We had dinner at Willis Wine Bar on November 4. The atmosphere is very casual.

This restaurant is tapas style. However they have a slightly different twist. At a tapas restaurant they usually let you casually order one or two items at a time. That way if you are hungry or full, you can choose to order more or not. At this restaurant they ask you to order all of your choices at once. Then they bring them out one at a time. So you really have no idea how many plates to order.

The food is very good.
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The “Five Spice Pork Belly Pot Stickers” and “Dungeness Crab "Tacos"” are both excellent.
“Willi's Truffled French Fries with Truffle Aioli & Parmesan” is good for a while. But with most French fries they can drain on you. Because of the salt in them. It might be best to share with 4 people. And not 2 people.
The “Grilled American Kobe Skirt Steak” is a little fatty, and I would recommend skipping.

The biggest down point about this restaurant is the wait staff. We had a girl with short dark hair. Watch out if you have her. She never came over to ask how the food was. Come over to refill our drinks. I had to waive her over to order a second French press of coffee for my girlfriend. Not a very good waitress.

Overall the food is very good. The price was very good. But ask to avoid this specific waitress. People deserve better when they go out to eat on vacation.