Ramekins Culinary School, Events & Inn

Ramekin’s recently hosted our wedding reception and they were amazing! The staff, the food, the service, plenty of parking, super helpful with any and all requests. The wine bar was perfectly set up to accommodate all our guests who arrived all at once! The menu was totally seasonal, filled with locally grown vegetables, bountiful cheese table, the beautiful patio was open with tables set around for our guests to enjoy the break between the rains. The staff were so helpful with our guests and any and every need. Chef Kyle’s menu was perfect! Victoria, Garnett, Jennifer and all the staff were amazing! Thank you for making our wedding reception totally perfect!

Ramekins hosted our daughter’s Rehearsal Dinner on December 30. The room was beautifully set. The roaring fire and bar were charming and the food and service was fantastic. I would highly recommend Ramekins and their amazing team.

I attended another class at Ramekins on Sunday and had a great time. Chef Jill is a treasure. All of the attendees seemed to be really enjoying themselves and it was an informative but relaxed class. I cooked the grilled salmon with nectarine salsa last night and my husband loved it. Thank you for another great class.

I got married at ramekins July 2015 and what a great experience!!! Everything was so beautiful and the staff was wonderful! We had a few communication issues along the way, but they were quickly resolved in a professional and timely manner. Along with my amazing wedding planner they made my dream wedding come true! The food and drinks were delicious! And the rooms were so large and comfortable… Not to mention they serve all the overnight guests coffee and breakfast in the morning… Lastly, the location is perfect… in walking distance to downtown and a lot of other hotels! Great, great, great!!! I can’t say enough positive things about ramekins! I love them!

My husband and I got married at Ramekins in May 2015 and could not have picked a better venue. Garnet and Yvette were such a pleasure to work with and they made sure that all of the details came together perfectly. Weeks later, people are still talking about how much fun the wedding was and how good the food and wine was. Also, it was a huge plus that we were able to stay at the Inn the night of the wedding. We couldn’t have asked for anything more!

Great venue for wedding! The courtyard where the ceremony was held was very pretty and beautifully decorated, simple but elegant. Weather was perfect and they even provided little umbrellas for those that get too much sun in their eyes.
Cocktail and appetizers were pretty tasty including mac & cheese arancini balls (deep fried), pulled pork slider, ahi tuna on chip and smoked duck.
The dining hall was setup with around 12 tables comfortably with 6 of us (can probably seat up to 10). Dinner was also quite tasty starting a fresh arugula and cheese salad with a little cheese/​quiche like bread pudding. Hubby had the vegetarian mushroom ravioli while I had steak.
Cupcakes and donuts were served along with tea and coffee and the wedding cake.
We also decided to stay in one of their 6 rooms upstairs. The rooms are generously sized with a large walk-​in closet and bathroom.
A little breakfast was served in the morning with fresh fruits, freshly baked mini French croissants and yogurt/​croissant.
I would definitely recommend the Ramekins if you want an intimate and beautiful wedding venue here in Sonoma!

Our friends got married here in April, and it was beautiful!
The venue is spectacular and the food was to-​die-​for! I don’t know how the planning and options play out for a wedding, but the ahi-​tuna wontons and leek mini quiches appetizers were great. The chicken and short rib entrees were also delicious.
The outdoor patio is very spacious and has beautiful additions like a fireplace, a fountain, a private table nook, and the prettiest wooden doors with overgrown ivy around.
The bride and groom mentioned they were staying at Ramekins, so it looks like there are rooms available too, which worked well for them and the wedding party after a long night of dancing, eating, drinking, and good times.

When our family was faced with a funeral that was not expected, right before Christmas we chose ramekins for the reception following. They were phenomenal. They handled absolutely everything and let us concentrate on the service. I cannot say enough about the professionalism, the catering, the quality of the food, Victoria took all the stress out of the day. It is also an absolutely beautiful venue.

Each Wednesday, I have the pleasure of tasting great food at Ramekins. The Rotary of Sonoma Valley, of which I am a member, meets there each week at noon and I look forward to not only the camaraderie of the group, the interesting speakers we have, and the break from my day, but I also admit that I look forward to the amazing lunch that I know the Ramekins staff will be serving. We’ve never had the same meal twice as far as I know, and their creativity is always a surprise. Last week we had these amazing pulled pork sandwiches with fresh cabbage slaw that was to die for. The staff are also above-​and-​beyond helpful and friendly without being too «in your face.» :) I can’t wait for next Wednesday! (And I should note that this review is my own and in no way endorsed by the Rotary of Sonoma Valley. :))

Learning how to cook great food
Can’t wait to come to the next event and learn some more things

My husband and I attended the «Art of Baking Bread» class by Michael Kalanty. It was a birthday gift to my bread-​making husband so he can refine and perfect the craft from one of the greats!
It was an amazing class! It was full with 20 students (some return students). We were provided with recipes, and the basic baking materials already measured out (like flour and salt). We were taught to use the scale to measure out live culture yeast and dry yeast.
Chef Kalanty taught us about the history of bread making (quick rundown), the difference between live-​culture yeast and dry yeast, and how it affects the texture of the bread. We were also taught how to identify bread textures. We were taught how to make no-​knead dough and the terms and history of French bread making techniques.
Chef Kalanty had the help of three Ramekins kitchen staff and they were prompt and friendly. Chef Kalanty also explained what types of ingredients can be added to the bread to change the flavor. I really enjoyed Chef Kalanty’s teaching style because he was funny, joyous, and extremely knowledgeable. He was approachable and made his way around the class room to be hands-​on and work with every 2 person team. He even provided us with a sample of his live-​culture yeast so that we can continue to make delicious bread at home.
All of that within 4 hours! We also were treated to eat our freshly baked bread with a mixed cheeses and dried fruits plate with a choice of white or red wine!
I definitely want to go back and take more classes. They advertised a pizza making class (with a regular indoor over AND the outdoor pizza brick oven) that will be coming up soon. What’s great is that these classes are open to the public and are more affordable ($ 75 a person) than nearby Graystone CIA in Angwin ($ 250+ per person). Be sure to sign up via their website because these classes fill up quick!
Thank you, Ramekins for allowing me to not just eat food but make delicious food.

This was one of the stops in my long procession of friends’ weddings (6 weddings in 2 months, folks! No joke.).
When I first heard that my buddy’s wedding was taking place at Ramekin Culinary School, I was a bit confused. That just sounds weird. But don’t be fooled by the name. Ramekin’s is SO much more than a cooking school. It wound up being the perfect setting for a wine country wedding.
The property is located just off the Sonoma square. They have plenty of free parking in their private lot. The ceremony took place in their gorgeous garden area. There was plenty of outdoor seating, Roman columns, flowers, trees, fountains, etc. It was like being in Europe. After everyone said their «I dos» we adjourned to their covered courtyard for a cocktail reception. They set up an outdoor bar where they poured sparkling wine and bourbon beverages (my kind of wedding!). Servers (perhaps they are also students of the school) passes around a variety of gourmet bites (most of them were quite tasty). After the bride’s father and best man finished their speeches, we moved indoors to their giant ballroom for the reception. It was perfectly designed for a wedding (for up to 150 people). They had a DJ set-​up, a large dance floor in the middle, and a dessert station (with mouthwatering cupcakes piled on top of one another).
As for the sit-​down supper, I’ll be honest — it wasn’t truly memorable. I had the beef (which I pre-​order months in advance), and it was pretty well done and flavorless. And the risotto starter with mushrooms was undercooked. But even though the dinner was nothing to write home about (which is surprising for a cooking school), this day wasn’t about the food — it was about the newlyweds. And I can’t think of a prettier/​more versatile venue in Sonoma to host a special occasion.
** Special props to whomever decided to set up the Fernet/​Digestif bar. I’ve never seen that at a wedding before, and it was a classy touch (especially, since the bride is Italian).

Two days after I posted my review of the inn, I received a phone call from Gabriella. She apologized profusely and informed me the GM had approved a full refund. I was amazed because I had been told the GM was on vacation and it would be weeks before they could be contacted. I guess that’s the power of Unilocal!
So after another week of double checking and phone calls, I finally received my refund in my account. About a week after my refund was processed, I received another email from Gabriella asking me if I would remove my original review. To me, that is lying and hiding the truth. Alas, I’m not completely shocked this establishment would attempt to buy my review.
Oh well, it didn’t work. Still not a fan of the integrity of this business, but at least they didn’t take money for ruining my experience of my best friend’s wedding, as they originally intended.

I loved the dishes we cooked in the «all pumpkin» class but was a little put off by how they divided the room into who cooked what dish… essentially everyone picked a number and you chose your dish based on what number you had in the lineup, so you were not guaranteed to be cooking with those that you came with. Also, Ramekins had changed the start time of our class from 10am to 11am, yet did not inform us, so we ended up arriving an hour early. I think in the future I would just use the recipes listed under each course as a starting point towards finding a similar recipe on line to simply cook myself.

We selected Ramekins for our wedding (8-​23-​2014) and everything was perfect!
The outdoor space is gorgeous and the whole venue feels intimate with great attention to detail. We rented out the Inn for Friday and Saturday which I would highly recommend. It truly felt like home for the weekend. The rooms were very spacious and allowed us more time to hang out with our family and bridal party.
Selecting Ramekins made the wedding planning process easy — we got to have the rustic winery feel with amazing food without having to worry about noise restrictions, tons of rentals (tables, cutlery, glassware, etc) and getting licensed bartenders. They also include so many special touches — parasols for the outdoor ceremony, shabby chic tables, water /​lemon aid service before the ceremony…
Going in, I was unsure about having to select vendors from their list, but in the end, everyone was top notch and knew the venue so well. We could rest easy knowing they could give us informed recommendations around setup and timelines. AMS (Skip) was awesome for music and Courtney Cargile Events made the day run smoothly.
We got so many compliments on the food. Most brides and grooms don’t get the chance to enjoy food and drinks, but we were treated like royalty. There was always someone filling our glasses or making sure we got bites — appetizers, saving us dessert, etc.
Also, the proximity to the square made it possible for guests to walk from their hotels and walk to an after party, which made everything very convenient.

We just held our wedding at Ramekins and WOW!!! The team is amazing. I could not be happier with the day and that is largely due to the Ramekins all stars! Garnet, Susan, Lisa and staff helped us throughout the entire weekend and for many many months in advance of the wedding. Also, the food is so good! Our guests were really impressed and had so much fun!

My husband and I had our wedding and reception at Ramekins (and our rehearsal dinner at their neighboring property — The General’s Daughter), and could not have been more pleased. From the moment we met Yvette during our introduction and tour to our last experience with Sarah, who helped us remove our décor items the next day, we were impressed.
Ramekins is a delightful property that feels homey and intimate — and super sophisticated and worldly at the same time. We chose to have our wedding indoors (to avoid the heat of August and the faint traffic noise of the street) and the cocktail hour and dinner outdoors. We couldn’t have been happier with that decision. Our guests were treated to an intimate and special ceremony, and then enjoyed apps and cocktails on the grand patio. The arbor was a perfect spot to take our family portraits (and treat guests to watching that unfold!), and dining under the canopy and watching the bistro lights grow stronger as the sun dipped was magical. They lit the outdoor fireplaces into the night, so those who didn’t feel like dancing could have casual conversations outside.
And we’d be remiss if we didn’t mention the food. Oh, the food! There are few weddings where we’ve remembered the food fondly, and we can’t imagine anyone didn’t leave completely satisfied and happily so.
From a practical perspective, we definitely feel that our budget was respected and used very wisely here as well. There are many places that charge multiples for using their venue — and without so much as a fork or chair — and without the charm, amazing serving staff and accomplished chefs that Ramekins has to offer their brides and grooms. We would recommend Ramekins again and again — and can’t wait to take a class there next!
Thank you to Yvette, Garnet and team!

I LOVE this venue for cooking classes — my favorite in the Sonoma area. Last year I took the spring-​themed demonstration class. Although I am an experienced cook, I learned a ton. Chef MacFarland was kind, funny, and talented. This class was expensive, but it was one of the best meals I have ever eaten… on par with a tasting menu at a high-​end restaurant. The class wasn’t just about eating the food, but the full experience, which made it worth the money. It’s also fun to explore the venue and I like the old kitchen equipment that’s on display. I will definitely sign up for more classes here.

We were married in Sonoma on ¹¹⁄₉ (at St. Francis Church) and had our reception at Ramekins Culinary School. We had the most amazing time at our wedding and all our guests loved Ramekins!
We started looking for reception venues back in October of 2012 and went to several places in Napa and Sonoma. Ramekins was our last stop and honestly we both fell in love with the place. The owners have all kinds of beautiful antique furniture and décor that really makes the place feel special. You feel like you are transported to Europe!
On our first visit, Susan, the Sales Manager, gave us our tour and went over everything. She is such a nice person and she was also part of the reason we chose Ramekins. We really felt we could trust her and we wouldn’t just be another wedding or event, she cared about what we wanted and liked. The venue was just what we wanted, something with character that didn’t feel like a typical ballroom. It really feels special and there are so many great places for photos.
The whole planning process was wonderful, the menu tasting was a lot of fun and the food is delicious!!! Susan, Garnet, Gabrielle and the whole team were always so helpful whenever we had questions or concerns. We worked with Susan to put together the perfect menu and she was always so friendly and quick to respond. Garnet, the Onsite Production Manager, was super helpful in the last few weeks in working with us and our coordinator to make sure all the details were perfect. We also rented out all 6 rooms the night of the wedding and 2 of the rooms the night of the rehearsal. Gabrielle, the Operations Manager, worked with us and allowed us to check in early and was really great to follow up with us on anything we needed.
The Inn is really cute and I liked the little communal breakfast area. They also have really delicious granola that they make in house, one of the front desk staff even gave us a little bag to take home after we told him how much we liked it. It was so nice to have all the rooms booked so we had the whole place to ourselves! The front desk and inn staff were amazing as well. Robert worked during the morning/​afternoon shift and he went way above and beyond to make sure if we need anything from snacks, water or champagne or just anything in general. He also helped my Dad set up a last minute breakfast reservation for a pretty large group on Sunday after the wedding. My Dad really appreciated his help. The night staff was also very friendly and all our family made comments on how wonderful everyone truly was (sorry I didn’t catch their names).
The wedding itself was way beyond anything I could imagine. The cocktail hour was on their cute patio and we setup the reception indoors. We had 65 guests and it was just perfect. The food was AMAZING!!! Literally all our guests commented on how delicious and well prepared the food was. The staff and service were stellar! Everyone was friendly and people constantly checked on my Husband and me if we needed anything at all.
This was our menu (seriously so good):
Cocktail Hour: Seared Ahi Tostadas, Mini Black Bean Empenadas, Pulled Pork BBQ Slider with Fennel Slaw, Curried Chicken Wonton Cups
Starter: Mixed Organic Greens with Shaved Jack Cheese, Candied Walnuts and Sherry Vinegrette
Main: Roasted Filet with Spinach and bacon OR Butter Poached Halibut with Potatoes OR Wild Mushroom Ravioli with a Cream Sauce and Arugula
Late Night Snack: Taco bar with chicken adobo and carne asada
Everything was setup just perfectly, the staff was awesome and the food was fabulous! All our family and friends commented on how classy and beautiful the venue and whole reception was. If you are looking for something that has great food, wonderful service and staff this is it!
The Day after our wedding we got to meet the chef while we were leaving. He talked to us and checked if everything was okay. He was super friendly and said they were glad to be part of our big day. The staff all really care about making your day special.
My husband and I look forward to returning to take a cooking class. Ramekins gave us a gift certificate for a free class :) Also, my mom wants to return and plan a girls weekend and stay at the inn and take a class as well. Such a special place! Huge thanks to the whole team at Ramekins.

We had our wedding here on Oct 12, 2013 and it was wonderful! We had a small wedding with just about 50 guests. The venue can accommodate a much larger guest count and we were concerned that it would feel empty with our small number of guests, but it turned out to be just perfect with the way we arranged the room.
We did a family style food service and our guests raved about the delicious food. The Polenta Cakes, which are served as hor d’oeuvres, are the best! Our main entrée selection included Salmon and Short Ribs. The Salmon was served with orange and olive compote, which is very unique and flavorful. We couldn’t be more pleased with the menu at our wedding. Our wine selection was great, of course representing Sonoma’s best. It’s worth noting that our bartender kept all our guests happy, making specialty cocktails to their liking.
The overall service at Ramekins is best in class. Yvette and Garnet were extremely helpful and always pleasant during the planning phase leading up to our wedding day. The front desk staff is very pleasant and went above and beyond to help make our stay amazing.
At this time of year, the venue is just amazing without much need for additional flowers or décor. Ramekins is lush and rustic all at once.
If you are a bride, I would highly recommend getting ready the day of at Ramekins. The room is plenty big enough for you and your bridesmaids to enjoy.
I rarely give a 5-​star rating, but I just can’t rave enough about Ramekins! You won’t be disappointed if you are considering Ramekins for your special event.