Localis in Sacramento

An absolute pleasure from beginning to end. Everyone was a joy to talk to, the food was a lovely to behold and played a fine tune on your tongue. I would definitely come again and recommend this place to anyone looking for a fine dining expierence in a small venue.

We went for the chefs table 12 course menu with paired drinks, and it was incredible. The dishes were somewhat Thai inspired and everything was delicious. As it was the chefs table menu, the service was impeccable - no glasses were dry and service was well coordinated.

amazing food every time! ive dined here plenty of times and ordered out during covid. flavors, quality, and creativity always on point.

We LOVE this place. It’s our go to place whenever in Sacramento area. We enjoy the food and service.

My wife has all the pictures but holy moly it was fantastic! Every dish is the perfect size and the taste was divine on each dish. The menu is changed every month and each dish is well thought out. The staff were attentive and extremely helpful in recommendations. We highly recommend checking out localis! Get the 12 course tasting menu with wine pairing! You definitely won’t regret it! Also if you are a fan of old fashioned cocktails they do do an excellent one! Also when asked if you want truffle added on when they ask, DO IT! And I loved the humor of the added truffle expense on the receipt as the “truffle shuffle”. 10/10 on point!!Also as an edit: second time there and it was beyond fantastic as the last time. To the chef, if you see this, remember strawberry Scott. We’ll be there to see your Las Vegas menu!!!

We had our first experience at Localis last night and it wont be our last. Friends of ours invited us after they had told us how delicious and fun their experience was. The vibes were immaculate from the location of the restaurant, to the ambience of the interior and the thoroughness of the staff. We were immediately greeted by the Chef upon entrance. It was a relaxing and welcoming environment with an upscale feel, I think those two are sometimes hard to accomplish together. The food (inspired by the Chefs recent trip to Francewas better than I ever could have expected. Our group likes to eat but after 12 courses and drinks we were almost combusting at the end of our tasting (in the best way possible). A few of our friends did the alcoholic pairing while others chose the non-alcoholic pairing. We all unanimously agreed that the pairings were equally delicious and unique which is an awesome option for those who dont drink but still want to be included in the experience. Overall, we would 1000% recommend this restaurant to anyone in the Sacramento area or traveling through it!

I am grateful to have a place like this in the area that I live. It is fantastic and overall a winner. I like that it is located in an actual neighborhood. The space is nice, well thought out and reflects the personality and style of the owner. This restaurant is very detail oriented and the service is quite fantastic with a genuine generosity that is rare in this county and country.The food is complex, well thought out and beautiful. Many of the dishes were delicious. A few standouts on the 12 course tasting menu for me were the "Cherry and Roma tomatoes", "Jerk Octopus", "Squash wrapped wild king salmon" and the "Oxtail and Flannery beef tartare". These dishes were imaginative and had the best balance. I could taste the individual flavors on offer in each of the components and as a whole these dishes came together well.The meal my wife and I had went well but there were a few things that caught my attention that did weigh on my overall experience and are worth mentioning here. Dont get me wrong though, Localis is worth a visit and one can easily see the the love and attention to detail that is exceptional in Sacramento.First, we did the 12 course menu and at over 3.5 hours it was just too long for us. The timing was amazing and predictable at around 15 minutes between each course. This is longer than say Atelier Crenn in San Francisco where it seems that the food comes at you more rapid fire and you are out of there in between 2 and 2.5 hours for 2 people. We prefer that. We ended up taking the last course and the Petits Fours to go because we were just too full and too tired to continue which was a bit awkward.Second, As much as I like to know what I am eating I felt that the staff recitations were too long, barely understandable and referenced France and famous places that the chef visited and was honoring too much. In reality, if the food and drink are good my real interest in what I am eating wanes and I dont care all that much. After all if we really wanted the longer ingredient list we had the menu we could read. And, I felt compelled to read the menu because I couldnt understand what was being said by the staff. It felt like it was an exercise in name dropping, overly self important and it seemed as though they abruptly interrupted my conversation to perform. At one point the staff stood over me kind of close as if to say to me "stop talking, I want your attention so I can recite this not totally audible description to you". After a while I felt fatigued by it.Food wise the plates were beautiful but there were a few items that didnt quite hit the mark. The bagel chip in "Kossars Bagel" lacked flavor and the crunch texture was weird and unpleasant. I anticipated a huge bagel flavor in a tiny bagel chip but it wasnt there. I would have preferred a different version of the bagel part. It might seem picky but I think that bagel flavor was very important to the dish. The trout part of the dish was fantastic. "The Perfect Puff" was not perfect. It was heavy and hard to cut into instead of being light and flaky. The Peanut Butter cake bread was a beautiful plate but it was bit hard, not terribly flavorful and it had a weird aftertaste. There were also a few dishes that lacked complexity in flavor but were otherwise fine.We will be going back but we will make a few changes when we do. I will reserve a table for an earlier time. Most likely around 6pm for the 7 course menu (5-5:30 pm for the 12 course menu). I will also consider doing the wine pairings. The chef has an extensive wine cellar (not California only winesand the bottle he suggested was expensive but very good.

Update: 6/27/2022Chef changed the way the menu works here, so Im updating my review based on my experiences with the new concept. Used to be there was a regular menu and a tasting menu with courses. Now you just pick the 7 or 12 course tasting menu.When I first ate at Localis it was the best food Id ever had. It still is, but somehow its ... better? I didnt know this guy could *get* better. And yet, here we are.As the years have gone by and Ive kept eating here regularly, Ive come to understand why I like it so much compared to the other, also wonderful meals Ive had in our city. Its the creativity.Chef always has lots of fun and interesting stuff on his menu. You can read the descriptions of the dishes, even be familiar with some of the terms or preparations, but you can never quite know what the dish is going to look, taste, and smell like when it shows up because this guys brain just works differently from most of ours. Dude served me octopus and strawberries. I know, youre thinking thatd be gross, right? NOPE. This is a chef that just doesnt believe in rules. Or rather, like a lot of artists, hes learned his craft well enough to know what the rules are so he can break them in fun and creative ways.Look, youre gonna spend like $250-300 per person on dinner here if you get drinks or wine pairings. But if you love food and prize creativity, theres no other place in Sacramento thats going to get close to Localis.PS. For those not in the know, Chef Barnum-Dann was on TV recently (fun cooking competition show on Discovery Plus called "The Globe." Go check out his episode, it really showcases his creativity.---------------------------------You can get full anywhere, but food from Localis makes you happy you ate it. Every bite of every dish reveals a unique thought process and refined technique: evidence of hard work, practice, and dedication to craft. Its pricey, its fine dining, but its also really special; nice without being stuck up.Sit at the counter and chat with the chef if you can; hes a great guy.

In a word, perfection. During a tasting menu, particularly with many courses and a wine pairing, there is a dish or two that seems just ok, or a wine that doesn’t appeal to one’s palate. That did not happen last night. Course after course, wine after wine, every bite and sip delivered deliciousness. Beautiful presentation, combinations of amazing flavors and textures—-it was a dream come true. We loved it all! My husband and I really appreciated the ambience, the friendliness of the whole team, and the kind attention of the proprietor. The wine/cocktailpairings were perfect and the small pours much appreciated. We hope to return on our next trip to Sacramento!

It was a complete art experience. I would recommend not going with a calorie deficit and take good company. There was lots of time to chat and enjoy the experience. The pairings were amazing for most of the courses. Highly recommend!

The best meal Ive eaten! I treated my husband for his birthday, no disappointment, everything was perfect, just perfect. We both tried a few new things, challenged. ourselves - found some new favorites - just one of the best nights, meals, experiencs etc - just go there! Mmmm, mmmm, yummy

Sit at the bar in front of the chef if you can. Absolutely, fun experience. If you want to try something new and or are tired of the Kitchen Localis is a great choice.

#1 The food is phenomenal!#2 The chef is an all around great guy: interacts with the guests, laughs at himself, and you can tell he loves what he does.#3The staff simply bring and give hospitality. Warm energy exudes from them and they have smiles on their faces

Fantastic experience!! Food and plating was was superb. So many great flavors along with beautiful presentation. Service was excellent with a can do attitude from the entire team. Ashley was our lead server and made everything special. Great fresh made drink choices from the bartender.Chef Chris and his team have made presentation and flavors a priority. We will be back!

Excellent service--friendly, kind, and really nice relaxed vibes with an upscale-but-not-pretentious feel as reflected even in the interior decoration.They called they day before to check further on any allergies and what the occasion was. I loved the seating we got as my spouse and I were more introverted people :).Every dish was so tasty that it was so hard to pick a favorite. I did not know food could be that tasty! "Trust us to feed you well" has such an impact.Im excited to go back soon. I hope to come here at least once a year--though the menu changes so regularly!UPDATE: Ive been two times now; on my second time, I feel that -- their pickled vegetables and transformation of them into sorbets, foam, puree, pickled--always appreciable. Any seafood, poultry, or meat is cooked **EXCELLENTLY** and Im always in love. If I had to be very critical, I would say that anything *baked*; whether its bread, churro, stroopwafel, cake...doesnt leave me impressed. But Im still in love and counting on my third time.Also I made a mistake of having sparkling water and got way too full. :(

Simply put- one of the best dinner experiences we’ve had!We were lucky enough to get Valentine’s Day dinner reservations for the chefs table seating & from the moment we walked in, we were impressed with everything.Staff: very friendly, attentive, 10/10! Every single person made us feel at home and everyone seemed to be happy to be there which is a hard find!Chef Chris & his team were all amazing at there craft. He explained every dish & the whole team was synchronized when putting each dish out. Chris gave a great explanation of each dish & informed us of how he came upon creating each dish etc.We’ve ate at a lot of “good restaurants” but this was something else. Each dish that came out, we caught ourselves saying “this is the best so and so I’ve ever had” my favorite was the octopus. I’ve never had anything like it- cooked with perfection!To me Localis is an experience & not just “dinner”. It is pricey if you’re looking for just dinner but if you do ever want to have a 12 course dinner experience from an Amazing chef & his team, Localis is probably the best place to do it in Sacramento.Will definitely be back again in future! Thank you to the whole staff!

Well, that was amazing. They put together a whole show for you. The chef breaks down all of the things that youre eating, which is great because I have no idea what all the great ingredients are.

First time here. Culinary excellence with exquisite pairings! Twelve course tasting was too much for me, but I enjoyed it all!

We spent the final hours of 2021 at Localis doing the 12-course tasting at the chefs counter and got to ring in the New Year with a great chef and team. We have done six Michelin-starred tastings in California and Europe since the summer, and this experience surpassed nearly all of them. The pacing was by far the best of the year (no lulls, extremely even pacing all night, even on a holidayand the staff was lovely as always.We loved Localis in its old form and love this iteration even more. Get in while you still can, sit at the chefs counter, and enjoy an incredible meal!

We had a great experience at Localis. My husband surprised me with a wine and dine experience to celebrate being together for 15 years. As soon as we sat down, we were greeted with a congrats glass of white wine which was super unexpected. We ate the seven course meal plan and each dish had a wonderful taste of the season’s freshest flavors. Although the dishes were small and not going to lie we left still hungry, the experience was well worth it!! They even sent us home with two little mini cakes to continue celebrating our anniversary. Overall this was an every once in a while splurge for a special occasion (at least for usbut definitely one we would invest in again!!! Compliments to the chef and staff for being so great and attentive to our experience!! It definitely was a good one!! P.S. if you’re a foodie…the chef won “The Globe”…a Food Network tv show. Cheers! 😁

Chef Chris 12-course Tasting Menu was exceptional! Each subsequent dish tasted even better than the last. It was difficult to choose a favorite! Chef took us on a journey that reflected the tastes from his many memorable travel experiences. It was a wonderful way to celebrate my birthday!!!

Food was excellent and the servers were attentive, pleasant, and informative without being overly so. Great restaurant!

Hands down the best meal Ive had in Sacramento. 12 courses, perfectly portioned, so well seasoned. And the plates were beautiful. We will definitely be back!

Im pregnant and communicated it to the staff ahead of time when asked about dietary restrictions. When we started our dinner, we quickly realized that the courses did not accommodate my dietary restrictions. A waitress even tried to convince me to eat uncooked/cured fish and said lots of pregnant woman eat it uncooked. It definitely was an experience...

5 course dinner with wine pairing was succulent. Perfect quantity and every bite was enjoyable. We reserved at 5pm to enjoy the quiet part of the evening. A treat for our senses as romantic dinner midtown Sac. Even parking was easy on a Friday Eve. Staff was very attentive and very knowledgeable.

This was a truly magical dining experience. My wife and had had the 12 course tasting menu with the non alcoholic pairings.each dish was amazing and took us on a world tour of sweet and savory. It was the amazing detail that went into the beverage crafting to pair with each and every dish that tree l truly blessed us away. A table next CV to us switched from the alcohol pairing when they saw the amazing beverages we were presented with.This was only one second dining experience at Localis, but we will be back and be brining our friends as well!

What an amazing experience. All the food was amazing! We did the 12 courts tasting with wine and everything was done to perfection, plus Chef Chris had amazing stories to go with each tantalizing course. Equals or exceeds French Laundry! The staff was on point, the food was extraordinary and the experience was one for the books. Dont hesitate to experience it yourself. You will not be dissaponted!

The quality and finesse of French Laundry without the pretentiousness. The restaurant has been completely remodeled and is very comfortable. The staff is friendly and super smart. Enjoyed the 7-course tasting menu - just the right amount of food. Every item had a cool story that went along with the presentation. Savored every bite! Sat at 5:00; finished at 7:30. Its pricey, but you are paying for an incredible overall experience.

Localis is worth going out of your way for. The restaurant decor is comfortable, and the staff very friendly. The menu is Michelin star caliber food and presentation. The one very unique thing is the drink pairings. They did a great job with the wine, but my wife in the past has dabbled in making her own sodas... they have a non-alcoholic drink pairing option and its amazing. The fennel soda... if you added Vodka would be one of the best drinks of all time. The octopus dish is all that and from beginning to end the whole menu was amazing. The desserts also satisfied a chocolate lover and fruit lover.This was a treat and we hope to visit again! -Michael

Excellent dining experience!!! We enjoyed every course of the 7-course tasting menu from the lobster brioche (incredible!to the Salmon "lox." Weve eaten at several Michelin-starred restaurants and this is comparable in both taste and quality. We sat at the Chefs Counter which was really fun and we were lucky to get to interact with Chef Chris and watch him work his magic. Overall, an amazing meal with very friendly wait staff.

Jessica and the Localis staff are great. We had an issue with a pick up order and they went above and beyond to make it up to us. We had their "very early spring" chef tasting menu at home and it was amazing. My first time having scallops and they melted in my mouth. Each course was fresh and carefully thought out. Were eager to try dining in person when possible!

We ordered their Puerto Rican inspired tasting menu and it was excellent! Obviously, its very difficult to do togo food for an upscale restaurant, but they certainly did a great job.The staff was friendly and had our food ready to pick up right on time. This included their house-made ice creams that had been liquid nitrogen flash frozen to survive the drive home.The food was phenomenal and the accompanying wine pairing was spot on. Everything was even well plated in their respective togo containers.We cant wait to enjoy another tasting menu in the future!

My fiance proposed to me here and we went back for our grad school graduation. I love that they change the menu every other week. The food is absolutely fantastic, innovative and yet welcoming. The staff are really lovely and warm.

Came here for our birthday dinner while visiting some wineries around the area from Texas. Ordered the 7 course tasting menu and was not disappointed. Each dish was presented well, delicious and balanced. Chef was extremely friendly and engaging with customers. The wait staff was attentive and knowledgeable. Very impressed. All plates were returned empty. Thank you for the experience. If we are in the area again, we will be back. Excellent restaurant.

Loved it, such a balanced tasting menu and great service! Took my bf for his bday and he loved it. I did the wine pairing and I highly recommend it.

Came here for our birthday dinner while visiting some wineries around the area from Texas. Ordered the 7 course tasting menu and was not disappointed. Each dish was presented well, delicious and balanced. Chef was extremely friendly and engaging with customers. The wait staff was attentive and knowledgeable. Very impressed. All plates were returned empty. Thank you for the experience. If we are in the area again, we will be back. Excellent restaurant.

Great dining experience. Pricey though.You are greeted by an open kitchen where you can watch the chef preparing meals while you wait to be seated. They have bar seating next to the kitchen at which you can watch all the food prep, or table seating with almost all tables having a view of the street life through the large glass walls.The cocktail menu has some eclectic twists on classic drinks. The wine menu is large. The food menu has a chefs pairing, without without wine, or you can order a la carte. While the food is creative and well balanced, the wine pairings are with local, organic wines that are less traditional. We liked the food, but the wines were mediocre.The chef/owner came by our table to explain the thought behind some of the dishes which was thoughtful and interesting. That certainly added to the evening. The staff were all pleasant and knowledgeable.Overall a great choice for some fine dining.

A classic fine dining restaurant. Amazing food. The chefs tasting menu was too good to be true. They cater to specific food needs such as vegetarian, vegan etc. The restaurant was very accommodating when we had move our appointment to a later time. The taste of food was the best you could ever find. The dishes were unique and presentation was out of the blue. Its expensive but totally worth it if you want a unique, well rounded fine dining experience. The place is pretty packed and noisy on a normal weekend. The cocktails were not bad either. Highly recommend to go here to celebrate special days/moments.

Make a reservation and plan for a long and memorable dinner. We had a 7:15pm seating and ordered the 7 course tasting menu with wine pairing, we wrapped up dessert just after 10pm. There are no words to describe what an incredible experience the dinner was. By the time we got to dessert I forgot to snap a photo! This was our second time in and we will definitely be back any time we have something to celebrate.

We celebrated our daughter’s birthday last Saturday at Localis. The food & service was great! Between the 4 of us we got two 5 course tasting menus, lamb chops & a pasta dish. All were delicious! We also had the grilled octopus as an appetizer and it was Devine!!! I wish the restaurant had better ambiance.

What a hidden jewel!!!This is a must visit if your ever in Sacramento. As I’m traveling out of town my taste buds needed some authentic California food and stumbled across this place. I’m so glad I did. If you are looking for fine dining and a beautiful atmosphere you have just found it!Chris the owner created each and every dish and was there with his team to make sure every dish was perfect and I can say he was very easy on the eyes as well.......When you walk in you are greeted with smiling faces. I was asked if I had a reservation, so I do expect they get busy at times so don’t hesitate to make them if you have a larger party. I had a chance to sit up close and personal. The team work so will together to make sure the food came out in sync and the flavor burst in your mouth.... each bite was a surprise to my taste buds. With each new course I sat back ,closed my eyes and savored the flavors, that was just amazing! I couldn’t make it to dessert, I was to full after the main course. This gives me a reason to go back and visit again.I would give them a 10 if it was available and this will not be my last time visiting.Thank you Localis for a dinner to remember!!A Texas Girl.... Queen

We celebrated our daughter’s birthday last Saturday at Localis. The food & service was great! Between the 4 of us we got two 5 course tasting menus, lamb chops & a pasta dish. All were delicious! We also had the grilled octopus as an appetizer and it was Devine!!! I wish the restaurant had better ambiance!

The food here is AMAZING, full stop. You can order dishes a la carte, but do yourself a favor and go with the tasting menu. Each dish is some of the highest quality - and skill - weve seen in food. If youre a resident of Sacramento or just visiting, go to Localis!

It is flipping unbelievable. We all did the tasting menu and each course surpassed my expectations. The courses continued to surprise me with fun and creative pairings and profiles. NAILED IT.

Exceptional food with a genuine hometown, local hotspot, compassion for each and every guest.Not only were we greeted with attention to our special occasion, but even the head chef stopped to say goodbye with the same attention to detail when we left 2+ hours later. During busy hours the high tables and bar seating can become a thoroughfare of both waitstaff and patrons, but the close proximity and interactivity of the open kitchen is mostly worth the constant motion.As expected, the dishes were all delicious and seasonally appropriate, but happily each dish was also uniquely different. No two dishes seemed in any way repedative. It was a great experience.

There was high expectations because everyone was raving about the restaurant. The prices skew on the higher end. Because of that, my expectations are very high.Food was good but there are some areas of improvement that could be made.First, the mushroom bacon carbonara was way too salty. I am not sure if the mushroom bacon was saltier than normal. But the dish was not spot on.Second. We were seated under the air conditioning unit and it dripped water on two of us.Starters were very good. Jerk chicken and the salmon special were good but also a bit salty.

Localis is incredible. Everything from the wine selection to the staff to the food is top notch. The chef pushes the boundaries to surprise your palette with each course. I highly recommend coming hungry so you can order as much as possible. I’ve also never seen a staff so friendly and welcoming - they remembered us even after it had been a year of visiting.

Food was amazing!!! We had our company holiday Party here today. Staff was wonderful! Chef was amazing!! They even accommodated my gluten allergy. Highly recommend this place!!!

Some of the freshest, well balanced, seasonal eats available in the Sacramento region. Consistently making fantastic dishes that truly use the best local produce our area has to offer. A must visit Sacramento restaurant.

I stopped in as a friend of one of the members of the crew here at Localis.First off, the atmosphere is really nice; it has a combination of urban eating with the architecture and an air of freshness with the flora peppered throughout the restaurant. The kitchen is open and located on the bar, so you get to see the inspired chefs at work.I was treated as I entered with a "bite", which tasted like breaded chicken with an astoundingly small egg on top. It tasted pretty good! I also ordered a side of Mac and Cheese, which contains no pasta but rather gnocchi which is made into small fingers that are placed in a dish with Oaxaca cheese, garnished with sprouts and mushrooms. It also says that it has gremolata in it, but it appears finely blended with the cheese to give it a kick. It was a very hearty side.The servers are attentive and always ready to serve, almost eerily when you think that you need them.Overall, the place is definitely a little pricey for the common crowd. I came in to break a 20 and ended up spending about that much for the light fare. But the food is worth the price and the service is nothing more than inviting and prompt.