Cindy Pawlcyn, James Beard award-winning cookbook author, Chef and Owner of Napa’s beloved Mustards Grill, and co-creator of many renowned Bay Area restaurants, has done it again!  Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen, located in charming downtown St. Helena in the Napa Valley, combines the sophistication of a dinner house with the flair of a jazz club to create the perfect upscale eatery and neighborhood hang-out. 

As with all of Pawlcyn’s endeavors, the food is delicious and heartfelt, the service is unpretentious and warm, and the atmosphere is festive and comfortable. In Pawlcyn’s words, this is “a local joint – hip, casual, not fussy. The food we serve is from our hearts, what we make at home and most like to cook.”

The dishes, inspired by Northern California’s farms, orchards and ocean, are comforting and familiar but with Cindy’s unique twists. The menu reflects her and Executive Chef Pablo Jacinto’s wide ranging culinary experience and passions, with rustic and fun variations of home inspired cooking. 

The cool zinc bar, with its warm wood floors and cozy banquettes, serves up classic and hip house cocktails alike.  It is the perfect place to power-lunch with colleagues, unwind with friends or enjoy coffee and dessert after a movie at the nearby Cameo.   The wine list features a wide variety of food-friendly wines, mostly from the Napa Valley but also reflective of Cindy’s global tastes, available in both full and half bottles.

Whether you are enjoying dinner in the main dining room, hosting a party amidst the rustic elegance of the upstairs loft or meeting colleagues for drinks on the outside patio under our 100 year old fig tree, Cindy’s Backstreet Kitchen features a town and country ambiance that will draw you back again and again!