The Matheson

We came here for our anniversary and were so touched by their hospitality. Although we booked at the last minute, they customize the course menu for us to be Pescatarian and changed the wine pairing.

The waiter Yvette was so sweet and flexible and she made all our requests possible. Their sommelier is super talented that the wine pairing was so perfectly matching.

Every dish had a little bit of surprise and was using seasonal/rare ingredients that made our experience much more fun and intriguing.

We recommend this place for all the aspects!

To me, The Matheson seems like four different experiences that co-exist under one roof. On the first floor, there are three distinct spaces - the bar area/wine wall, the chef’s counter, and the dining room. Then there is the rooftop bar (Roof 106) on the third floor which has its own listing on Google Maps, but often gets reviewed here as well. I think to really enjoy this place, you need to choose your space carefully.

We were at The Matheson from about 4 to 7 PM on a Tuesday, and this is how I would describe the different areas. The bar/wine wall quickly filled up with Gen Z and Millenials who were drinking cocktails, pouring from the wine wall, and ordering from the Happy Hour menu (the burger and the beef tartare seemed particularly popular). Very different from the chef’s counter which felt like the retirement home of the restaurant (basically old couples). The first floor dining room was mostly empty until about 6 PM when it started filling up quickly with a mixed crowd of all ages. The rooftop bar was mostly 20-something tourists and middle-aged hipsters until about 5 pm when it started getting loud when the locals started showing up. Just my impressions.

We had pre-dinner drinks at the rooftop bar and then had dinner at the chef’s counter. This is a review of the chef’s counter.

So just to clear up one thing - this is not a chef’s table or an interactive experience where the cooks are serving you the food. This is counter-style seating that looks directly at the open kitchen with waiters serving everything. The super-personable Chef Valette came over a few times to chat which was nice, but it’s more of a voyeuristic experience. With that said, the food was very good and generously portioned. The 3 course Spring Menu for $55 with accompanying wines for $28 is a very good deal right now. We ordered a la carte though and asked the sommelier to pair wines by the glass with our food and were not disappointed. If you enjoy wine, I would highly recommend that you ask for suggestions because they have lots of by-the-glass offerings, and you may find a wonderful combination that you would not have tried otherwise. As far as prices, given the restaurant is located right on the square in super-bougie Healdsburg, I thought it was reasonable. If you are price conscious, there is the Happy Hour menu (which actually looked pretty good) but it’s only available at the bar from 4-6 PM (daily). Overall, the service was friendly and professional, but then again, we were seated at 5 PM, so it was still relatively empty and quiet for most of the time we were there.

We ate at Valette (Chef Valette’s other Healdsburg restaurant) the night before and personally, we liked The Matheson better because of the bigger selection of wines and the open kitchen. But the food is great at both places. The Matheson is just a louder, livelier venue.

A very clean and professional restaurant with a fun tasting menu and an intriguing wall of wine. The open kitchen at the chefs counter was very entertaining and a uniquely welcoming open kitchen experience. The pairings were a little same note, but that’s a county problem not a restaurant problem.

Yes it’s as good as it looks!! We sat at the chefs table and enjoyed watching as each dish was prepared to chefs perfection.
Exceptional dining experience and we look forward to our next visit!!

What an awesome experience! This is fine dining in a classy yet casual atmosphere. From the moment we walked through the door, the service was incredible! And let me say that the food is worth every penny! We shared Matheson's version of a Caesar salad. So, so good! I ordered the skate, a delicious fish that came in a browned butter lemon caper sauce. It was cooked perfectly and was absolutely delicious. My husband ordered the lamb. He said it was the best lamb he's ever had. The whole experience was amazing. We will most definitely be returning soon!

A beautiful restaurant with great food and exceptional service. The wine wall has great options to choose from and is located behind the full service bar. I got the trout every time I went as it was the best I’ve ever had. It comes with an oyster sauce and an amazing take on mashed potatoes. My wife had the beef short rib which was phenomenal. We’ve had several desserts here and all of them received rave reviews as well. The wine list is extensive and the Sommelier is personable and knowledgeable, pairing your meal with the perfect wine. This restaurant does not have a Michelin star but I’m sure that will change sooner rather than later. You have many great options for fine dining in the area but this place is a must for those who appreciate an elevated experience.

Amazing place not cheap but worth it. Tired an amazing wine for $24 a glass and cheese and meat board. However I was expecting for 8$ more then once slice of cheese when I ordered one cheese option and one meat option paid $16 for that board that has one slice of cheese. But the cheese was so good, it was very yummy and it’s a very nice place! Paid $100 for that cheese board and two glasses of wine.

The service is clearly above and beyond. The staff was incredibly helpful and attentive. The food was great. While this won't become my favorite steak house it competes fairly well. The pumpkin soup was very impressive and robust. The most impressive item was pineapple sorbet dessert (can't remember the actual name). It felt like I was in Hawaii. Lastly the cocktails. They were healthy pours and crafted to perfection. My go to is always an old fashioned, and these won't disappoint. It was a great experience that has impressive value for special occasions.

This place. I’ve never been to a restaurant with quite this degree of incredible hospitality and kindness! Absolute next level people and service here.
I had a little situation (a damsel in distress kind of moment) I was dealing with, so I just popped in here to get some desserts to go. I explained my situation (rental car was sideswiped in a near by parking lot, my husband was waiting for the other driver to hopefully make an appearance) which was why I couldn’t dine in. They don’t typically do to go desserts, but they were SO incredibly helpful and accommodating. I was really amazed by the way they treated me. It really made me wish I had been a guest for dinner to get the whole experience, but I am certainly planning on it next time.
The desserts for the record were glorious, and it’s a stunning restaurant!! Thank you again for your generous hospitality-definitely made my unfortunate situation more memorable for the better!

Oooo man I showed up and ordered everything. Started by getting saucy on the roof because I showed up a little early for my reservation. Phenomenal cocktails. Once dinner started, wow. The sushi was out of control, the entrees did justice to flavor town and the desserts were so good I just kept ordering them. Not sure what mad scientists they have in the kitchen but they killed it with the desserts. The sommelier paired great wine with each phase of the meal. If you’re coming here get involved, order a bit of everything and enjoy the wine. Great evening.

I loved the Short Rib! It was super soft and well-cooked. The waiters were super nice and I enjoyed the meal. They have great bread and butter. There was a special for today which was a pizza! I highly recommend this place for everyone all ages. I hope you also enjoy your food here!

Do the wine wall. They have great selections to taste. We had dinner in the restaurant downstairs as liked the menu better but the atmosphere upstairs by the terrace is great and has a view to the town square. All in all menu was superb.

I really wanted this not to be as good as it was, because now I’ll want to be here every night it’s open.
We’ve popped in for dinner at Rooftop 106 twice and just laughed about how good it was, and how reasonable, before finally snagging a table downstairs for our anniversary dinner. Turns out my sister made a surprise swing through town and we thought we’d have to cancel, seeing as how insanely busy they always are, but honestly, they could not have been kinder about accommodating a party of 3 instead of 2. We felt terrible taking up prime real estate but Carl, our server, was so amazing and kind and his SA Charles was also fab- and we felt like family straightaway.
We started with the sushi- and it was all it’s cracked up to be- trying 2 rolls to share, and the corn soup as our starter. Something about the corn soup felt incredibly nostalgic to both my sis and I. I’ve rarely had a food evoke such a distinct memory like this.
We each had an entree and while each was superb, I won the plate war with the halibut. Again, I don’t know if it evoked some childhood memory or what, but we were all fighting over my last bites- the flavor combination of the charred veg, the pickled accoutrements and the hollandaise just made the incredible, clean, freshness of the fish explode and, honestly, had other people not been around, I probably would have picked up my plate to lick it clean.
(Other entree selections were the salmon and duck)
Dessert was also a stand-alone rockstar event. If you can’t do the whole dinner bit but can pop in after for dessert and drinks- highly recommend.
We’ve been fortunate enough to dine in Michelin starred kitchens all over the world, and I can’t say I’ve enjoyed any meal more. Kudos to Chef Valette and his incredibly talented team. We loved it so much, we sent a round of beers to the kitchen. We are so excited and lucky to have you in our burg!

One of our favorites! Celebrated my husband’s 30th by booking us a dinner here. He had the most perfect wagyu and I had a delightful cod dish. I mindlessly checked the “birthday” option while reserving online and our waiter went above and beyond by adding a candle to our dessert and hand-signing a birthday card. We felt very welcomed and taken care of. Thank you!

The hostess/manager upstairs is phenomenal. They were busy, we wanted to sit at the outdoor patio overlooking the square. She let us sit at the bar and kept communicating about a spot for us, found one. Drinks were strong. But delicious.

Pricey but great
We started with cocktails , both of which were great. The pisco sour did not smell or taste eggy at all.
We tried the marrow, stealhead, New York strip and all were done perfectly.
I would highly recommend .

The Matheson was a mixture of hopes, excitement and "come on, really?". Where The Matheson strikes gold is in their entrée dishes and where they fall is in their pricing and portions (not a surprise for Healdsburg). I was not impressed by the appetizers, one being a beet salad and the other ceviche (difficult to split with 4 other adults). I had the sole (see menu) which was very good with a variety of flavors like apple butter and chanterelle. The other dish, The American Wagyu beef, was like a flashback to mom's brisket. As for desert, 15$ for a dusting of chocolate. I left with a hankering for more. I am not sure if I feel scammed or completely mesmerized but I would only recommend because there are hardly any other places out there these days with great service and the will to try to be unique. Send a get well soon to your wallet from me.

Really good food! The sommelier was great and suggested a wine we'd never heard of before. It was a great choice! The duck and beef rib were fantastic! Fun take on the burrata with beets.

This meal was absolutely amazing start to finish! The staff was outstanding and really took the time to explain and ensure we were well looked after. When in Healdsburg you gotta try the Matheson. On to their sister restaurant Valette tonight!

UPDATE: Visited recently and the sushi chefs from my original post seem to be gone. 😑 The last experience was nonexistent for sushi which was disappointing. Food was good but heart was set on sushi.

Original post: We found some space at the sushi bar and stumbled on some of the freshest and best sushi I've had since I was last in Japan. Sushi chefs are gifted in the art and kind hearted people. The Happy Spoon starter was immaculate and delicious; a must have.