This is our go to Napa dinner spot during the week. We love sitting outside in the patio, under the trees. It’s awesome when the flowers are blooming and you sit beneath the flowers raining down. We highly recommend the shrimp dumplings, the fried rice and the mushroom dumplings. The history of the name is also super interesting!

In general the food was delicious! There's a focus on authenticity and it shows. Probably the only place in Napa to get high quality steamed pork buns or other other dim sum. It's a newer restaurant so there's still some things that are being worked out. Definitely will be returning in the future.

Three time we have enjoyed the food. Twice at the restaurant and once as takeout. We very much look forward to returning. The finest dim sum ever. Very fresh flavors. Entrees are unique. Regional Chinese food that is sensational. Fine dining at its best. The décor in the restaurant is exquisite. It is obvious that the owner and her team pay attention to every detail. It shows in the beauty of the restaurant and the quality of the food.

Food was amazing, beef chow fun, dumplings and the cucumber salad were all immaculate. The kids had a great time and the service was phenomenal Amin and Janet really took care of me and the fam. If you are thirsty try the pain killer it melts the problems away

Went for lunch on a Sunday. Definitely Napa's only authentic, upscale, Chinese cuisine and the only place to get dim sum in town! Delicious food and attentive, professional service from a well put together, diverse team. The ambience is soothing and convivial, especially in the outside patio. Plus there is live music on Friday nights!

This place is great!! The food is top notch Chinese which I hadn't realized I really missed until the first order arrived at the table. my dad grew up eating Chinese food a lot and EmpressM is more authentic than any Chinese food we have had in Los Angeles in the last 5 years. The portions are incredibly generous and the food is full of flavor. The staff was wonderful, they are all such team players, having each other's backs as they all make an effort to cover for each other while they are understaffed due to the pandemic. This place will be packed once they are fully staffed (in case anyone doesn't realize, hiring is really slow right now as no one wants to go back to work so not for lack of trying) but they have all come together to try to make it as much as a wonderful experience as they can (Amin especially) and they do! My parents and I were just looking for a low key night and had such a wonderful evening by surprise. This place is charming, delicious, the staff is great and it was one of the best meals we have had in a long time. Thank you Empress M for all the hard work and wonderful food! We are only way too happy to support a small business that works that hard to create a wonderful & delicious family dinner for us. Things we got and highly recommend: -Lettuce Cups -Har Gow Dumplings -Siu Mai Dumplings -Fried Shrimp -Beef Chow Fun -Seafood Roll

An amazing restaurant with great dishes and flavors! The owner was super friendly and even gave my brother a free beer. They also put a lot of effort into their building and design, I honestly can't wait to eat there in-person as soon as Lord Newsom permits it. Stay strong, Empress M. Wishing you guys luck in enduring these very difficult times for small business, you've earned my patronage!

I had a birthday party this past weekend and placed a catering order for a group of 15. I’ve had a lot of Chinese food over the years and Empress is def on my list of top 5 restaurants. Everything was prepared perfectly and it was all so well packaged when we went picked it up. If you have an event or just craving good Chinese food then this is the place to go in Napa.

I'm planning on dining at Empress M this evening with friends and am looking forward to it. I'll post my thoughts afterwards. When I am planning to visit a Napa restaurant, I always like to visit their website and review their offerings in the quiet of my home rather that the busy restaurant with a waiter standing by. Empress M had a good menu online but no mention at all about any alcohol. Four diners mentioned beer in passing but that is all I can find. Do they have a full bar? Beer? Wine? Chinese treats? Like many diners, wine or other libation with or before my meal is almost required. Wish I knew. Anyway. We'll find out .. I'm excited. (Five stars for now. We'll see) Edit: Post visit review .... I like the place. The people were friendly. It seems they are struggling with Covid and I'm sure all will improve with time and a return to normalcy. The food was good but I found it bland in general. The "Lanzhou Spicy Beef" wasn't spicy at at all. It needed some seasoning (as did most of the dishes) which wasn't provided. The plan is to return for Happy Hour Dim Sum and try a wider variety of dishes with the Din Sum offerings. I'm not giving up. PS. They did have a limited but satisfying wine list and a full bar.

This restaurant is fantastic. My partner and I had the egglplant entree, fried rice, and the spicy fish entree. There are plenty of vegetarian options. Our server, Lauren, was fantastic! Everything came out quickly, she gave us great recomendations, and her superb servive enhanced our experience.

I’m a vegetarian and eating Chinese is always so difficult because of a lack of vegetarian options. Here at Empress M the most incredible mushroom dumplings, the ear wood salad and the Dan Dan noodles with the beyond meat.

Shocked at just how good this place is! Will crave the soup and Mongolian beef for years to come. Excellent service. They said yes to all our requests.

Rice noodle clay pot and snow pea shoot dumplings were amazinggggg! Highly recommend. Quality food and service 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼

This place is a must for locals and/or visitors. The best Chinese food in Napa. And no tariffs! Decorated to simulate the last Empress’ digs. The staff will make you feel at home! Pricier than most Chinese restaurants, but everything could be from Top Chef! If cost is an issue, Happy Hour and lunch offer lower priced items, but the take out business is hopping. See you there!

This is the best Fine Chinese cuisine around Napa area , the restaurant have so many unique Chinese culture and arts come from 1500 years before , it conveniented with the only woman emperor named Wuzetian in Chinese history. The Garden have purple bamboos even is very rare in China . I love it

Truly incredible flavors and dining experience! The hospitality was out of this world. Highly recommend.

The food is delicious! Their citrus chicken is phenomenal. I love the crispiness and flavor! Their concubine drink is delicious! Karida was a great waitress and bartender. One of the best Chinese food I’ve had.

This is BY FAR the best Asian food in Napa. Everywhere else is not even close. The people are so friendly also. When you’re craving Asian food this has to be the place to go. I prefer to go and eat at the restaurant vs takeout but either way, it’s solid.

LOVE IT! Will recommend this restaurant as the atmosphere’s quiet and relaxing, and foods? ASK ME 😍 Will definitely recommend!!

Food here was awesome and the service was quick. Definitely worth the trip.

This place was fun to go to. Kareoke people are so delightful. They have a black rum that is so fantastic- black seal. Nothing like. Rum buzz! And this one is so smooth. The ambience is comfortable and relaxed. I recommend this place on a Wednesday night for a good experience

We had a large group that was accommodated easily at a round. Very pleasant service.

The food was excellent. Not your average chinese restaurant. Well worth the little extra money. Service was excellent.

Highly recommend EMPRESS M. It has become my family's favorite for authentic Asian cuisine.

+6

We went to Empress M on a Sunday for dim sum. It had been a while since we ate there, and admittedly we usually ordered take-out. But our meal was wonderful. We ordered most of the dim sum menu, and while there's no pointing-at-the-cart experience here, that's fine, because everything we ate was freshly prepared, hot, and hadn't been riding around for an hour by the time it got to us. The soup dumplings are great, the siu mai was actually the best version of that dish I've eaten, and several other things were also really good. The service was kind and attentive. And the space itself is beautiful, clean, and nice to be in. It's really close to where we live, so I'm perhaps a late convert, but we really enjoyed our lunch and were sad to see that we were the only ones there. So take this as an assignment to go and try Empress M soon. We'll be back soon for dinner to try the more traditional family-style dishes.

The overall atmosphere was great. The staff were friendly and the food was great too. Overall dim sum selection was a little limited, but we enjoyed ourselves. The taste of what we had was delicious . We ordered quite a few dishes. We plan on coming back here and try out the dinner menu. Great place for dim sum in Napa.

The most authentic Cantonese dining experience in America, complete with a traditional Chinese-style ambience. I often come here when I feel homesick — it’s like taking a quick trip to Guangzhou without buying a plane ticket! The food is so good you’d swear you just flew to China. A perfect spot to enjoy a meal with family or friends — highly recommended!

Slightly off the beaten path lies a hidden jewel worthy of one extra right turn. We were looking for good Chinese food and found Empress M! The dining room is nicely appointed and the tables were space in a way to feel private but not secluded. The live music filled the air. We had the pineapple chicken, pot stickers and other dishes. Every plate came right out when it was done. One of the owners spoke and suggested we come back on karaoke night. How can we resist?

Absolutely loved the food . Had ordered Sichuan chicken and noodles . It was tasty and I throughly enjoyed it .

We go to Napa a few times a years, this time we tried the new Empress M and Single Thread, the last Michelin Star restaurant to try in Napa, plus our usual Buchon and Oxbow public market. To survive the foodies assault in Napa, and stand up against all the top restaurants in Napa is no easy task, and EM has undeniably staked her place as the upscale authentic Chinese restaurant in Napa and got us to return again before we left Napa. The food, whether dim sum, with lots of varieties, or banquet style abalone, by their Michelin Guide chef, is first class. The long and complete wine list includes even Screaming Eagle. The decors of E M are exquisite. The huge courtyard with an authentic gazebo reminds me of the traditional courtyards in China. It even has live performances on Fridays. Although the service side is still rough on the edges, return we shall.

Food was amazing. Very tasteful and not over seasoned. Duck was very good

Good food , loved the Bejing Duck and the Lamb Chops were also delicious. The place has some cool Chinese vibe.

Surprisingly good dim sum and other delights are found here. While Napa is a foodie town, Chinese cuisine is typically not on the list of top restaurants. Be that as it may, Empress M, is the only place to go for authentic Chinese food. We came for lunch and ordered dim sum, eggplant, and calamari. It was all very filling. The staff were friendly and attentive. Given that Silverado is a popular road for getting across town, you could easily miss the driveway into the restaurant. They've done a good job of providing a private courtyard for outdoor seating. Inside seating has lots of large round tables for large groups.

Excellent dining experience at The Empress. The food is flavorful, well-balanced, and clearly made with quality ingredients—nothing overly greasy or heavy. Dishes come out hot, fresh, and beautifully presented. Service is attentive and efficient without being intrusive, and the overall atmosphere is comfortable and welcoming. If you’re looking for a reliable Chinese restaurant that delivers on both taste and service, The Empress is a solid choice. Would happily return.

My mother organized a lunch from her husband‘s 80th birthday at Empress. Four large round tables were filled with delicious noodles, meat, dishes, vegan dishes, soups, and homemade desserts. Everything was tasty and disappeared quickly! The staff was so kind and thoughtful, providing cultural birthday hats, and a beautiful calligraphy scroll as gifts to the birthday boy. I can’t wait to visit Napa again and eat at this lovely restaurant.

I heard this is the best Chinese restaurant in Napa! The curry beef stew is absolutely incredible—definitely my favorite dish. I’ll be coming back on my next trip to Napa.

Just out boppin around with my old pal Crossbow Kickinstick lookin for a place to eat that we've never been to, and then we realized we've been to every single restaurant in Napa. So we decided to go to Old Lady Clambanger's place out by Silverado, and as we passed by the Empress M Chinese Restaurant we looked at each other and said you ever been there? Well, we found a place...and what a great place too. The food was simply Amazing! It's the best Chinese food north of the Golden Gate. 5 stars all day long. ☆☆☆☆☆

Terrific and creative Chinese food dishes with a beautiful outdoor seating area. The dim sum was great, green beans were great, craft beers too. I tried Hong Kong Chicken Feet, and they were good! I'd be happy to come back.

Napa needs a restaurant like this! Dim sum was delicious, Spicy Sichuan fish was sufficiently spicy but not numbing. Wow definitely love to try more dishes. As they are still quite new, I hope they would take some guidance from Chinese restaurateurs on how dishes should be serve, bowls vs plates, soup spoons, chopsticks etc. Waiters are totally clueless on what to put on the table. We see some tables that don't even have utensils when their food arrived.

I would definitely recommend Empress for a first date atmosphere! The food is very authentic, fresh, and service is impeccable. The scene setting is peaceful, ambient music is just right, and the furnishings are meticulously chosen.

We feel in love with the restaurant beautifully & artistically decorated by Thomas & Margaret kudos to them for doing such a fabulous job they have put their heart & soul , from the moment u enter the restaurant from outdoor dining to the inside of the restaurant & the bar area you will feel the vibe. I came with my husband to attend Yelp event since we had quite a bit of a drive almost 2 hr given the traffic nowadays from Bay Area we were hungry by the time we reached so thought of grabbing a quick bite at the bar. As soon as we got settled we ordered the drinks my husband went for Templeton Rye with soda which was graciously done by Thomas himself at the bar. I went for the cocktail Sunrise over HongKong the name itself intrigued me - Charbary Green Tea Vodka , St. Germain liqueur, pineapple juice, lemon juice , orange bitters & honey sugar syrup. Beautiful & refreshing cocktail I loved it. For bites we ordered the Dim Sum sampler & Har Gow. We loved them all I loved their mushroom dumpling this was very unique never seen at any other restaurant we have been so far.... We will definitely come back here with friends to enjoy the ambiance & amazing food.

Rick Sam

Excellent dining experience at The Empress. The food is flavorful, well-balanced, and clearly made with quality ingredients—nothing overly greasy or heavy. Dishes come out hot, fresh, and beautifully presented. Service is attentive and efficient without being intrusive, and the overall atmosphere is comfortable and welcoming. If you’re looking for a reliable Chinese restaurant that delivers on both taste and service, The Empress is a solid choice. Would happily return.

Ilaan Egeland -Mazzini

My mother organized a lunch from her husband‘s 80th birthday at Empress. Four large round tables were filled with delicious noodles, meat, dishes, vegan dishes, soups, and homemade desserts. Everything was tasty and disappeared quickly! The staff was so kind and thoughtful, providing cultural birthday hats, and a beautiful calligraphy scroll as gifts to the birthday boy. I can’t wait to visit Napa again and eat at this lovely restaurant.

Hannah Jin

I heard this is the best Chinese restaurant in Napa! The curry beef stew is absolutely incredible—definitely my favorite dish. I’ll be coming back on my next trip to Napa.

American Angler

Just out boppin around with my old pal Crossbow Kickinstick lookin for a place to eat that we've never been to, and then we realized we've been to every single restaurant in Napa. So we decided to go to Old Lady Clambanger's place out by Silverado, and as we passed by the Empress M Chinese Restaurant we looked at each other and said you ever been there? Well, we found a place...and what a great place too. The food was simply Amazing! It's the best Chinese food north of the Golden Gate. 5 stars all day long. ☆☆☆☆☆

Soumyodipta Mukerjee

Absolutely loved the food . Had ordered Sichuan chicken and noodles . It was tasty and I throughly enjoyed it .

Mike Harms

Terrific and creative Chinese food dishes with a beautiful outdoor seating area. The dim sum was great, green beans were great, craft beers too. I tried Hong Kong Chicken Feet, and they were good! I'd be happy to come back.

Chris #520REVS Wanstrath

Food was amazing. Very tasteful and not over seasoned. Duck was very good

Valerie Ho

Napa needs a restaurant like this! Dim sum was delicious, Spicy Sichuan fish was sufficiently spicy but not numbing. Wow definitely love to try more dishes. As they are still quite new, I hope they would take some guidance from Chinese restaurateurs on how dishes should be serve, bowls vs plates, soup spoons, chopsticks etc. Waiters are totally clueless on what to put on the table. We see some tables that don't even have utensils when their food arrived.

Anh Tinh

I would definitely recommend Empress for a first date atmosphere! The food is very authentic, fresh, and service is impeccable. The scene setting is peaceful, ambient music is just right, and the furnishings are meticulously chosen.

Open Christmas and they were in the weeds. The food was delicious! They were hustling with a smile and the stress was there but they did a great job. We aren’t from Napa and some of the locals should be ashamed how they spoke to those folks and behaved on Christmas!!! Empress M - go and enjoy the food and friendly staff!

One of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Napa! I’ve usually only gotten takeout although their courtyard is very nice. The beef chow fun is soooo good!

The food was really good! Everything tasted fresh and had a lot of flavor. You can tell the kitchen put effort into it. I liked every dish we tried specially the walnut shrimp and the lamb was delicious would definitely order again.

Spent a Wonderful evening dining at Empress M! It was exceptional. My favorites were the Spring Rolls and 4 count dumplings. However the duck, sweet and sour pork and fried rice were all wonderful. I’ve already been twice in one week. The ambience was magnificent. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Deborah McDaniel

Spent a Wonderful evening dining at Empress M! It was exceptional. My favorites were the Spring Rolls and 4 count dumplings. However the duck, sweet and sour pork and fried rice were all wonderful. I’ve already been twice in one week. The ambience was magnificent. I HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

Fun Skate

Open Christmas and they were in the weeds. The food was delicious! They were hustling with a smile and the stress was there but they did a great job. We aren’t from Napa and some of the locals should be ashamed how they spoke to those folks and behaved on Christmas!!! Empress M - go and enjoy the food and friendly staff!

Kevin N

One of my favorite Chinese restaurants in Napa! I’ve usually only gotten takeout although their courtyard is very nice. The beef chow fun is soooo good!

Ying Bacon

The most authentic Cantonese dining experience in America, complete with a traditional Chinese-style ambience. I often come here when I feel homesick — it’s like taking a quick trip to Guangzhou without buying a plane ticket! The food is so good you’d swear you just flew to China. A perfect spot to enjoy a meal with family or friends — highly recommended!

Really solid dim sum at a reasonable price point. Super attentive service in a lovely setting. Definitely "on the list" when the dim sum itch needs to be scratched. Don't pass up on Empress M.

Ordered Pork Fried Rice and steamed beef shirt ribs. Food was of average quality and freshness although fried rice was above average the short ribs were a disspointment. The short ribs came in what supposed to be a barbecue sauce of sorts all I could taste was star anise and cornstarch.

Very excited to FINALLY have great Chinese food in Napa. The food was great, the beer on tap was perfect and the service was friendly even though they were under staffed like most restaurants right now. You can tell they have gone to great lengths to provide top-notch authentic Chinese cuisine.

This place could be a gem once everything opens. Outside and inside is beautiful. Owners are so nice. I especially liked the potstickers, spring rolls and sesame balls. Can't wait sit down & have their amazing beer. Let's keep this open guys.

Normally I would give three stars, but I’m giving an extra star because they are just starting out. The food was really greasy for me. Although we missed out on the experience/ambience since we didn’t dine in, we’ve had dim sum at a fraction of the price that was similar in taste. We may try again when we can dine in? Maybe..

On the expensive side but well executed food. I usually try a places happy hour first. Tried one of their dim sum options and "spicy" wings. They decided to give and charge me for the full order of wings rather than happy hour. Very attentive and pleasant staff otherwise. I'm not confident in getting what I order though - so probably won't be back. 3.5 stars, gave the 4 cuz I haven't had anything else on the menu and their flavors are quite fresh.

The food is expensive but it's certainly worth the price. The Uighur chicken is my personal favorite, but you'd be hard pressed to find a disappointing option. However, the quality is a little inconsistent. One dish in particular, the sautéed string beans, have been very good with some orders and very bad with others. The beans were sometimes under or overdone and one time they tasted like an entirely different kind of bean. These issues are largely just due to this being a new establishment, so hopefully they will be fixed soon.

We were quickly seated when we arrived, and chose to sit outside in the courtyard. There was a little bit of street noise, the tables and chairs are a little dated, but overall was very lovely. The cocktails were decent, a tad too sweet for my personal taste. Appetizers were all great, we had pot stickers and calamari. Our entrees were a generous portion and decent quality. I could have done with a little less sauce on the Mongolian beef. Service was excellent, our waiter was attentive and efficient. And both the people who ran our food were polite and friendly. I think with a little polish, this place could easily earn 5 stars. Still very much wish a visit.

Awesome Food BUT … I just edited my review from two stars to four. Here’s why: they have some of the best Chinese food I’ve ever had, anywhere! And the restaurant has a great atmosphere. The issue is with food delivery and it’s a significant issue. We’ve been ordering takeout from Empress M for a while and find that now we have to specifically request that when food deliveries are made, that they either tape the containers closed or staple the bag closed. They used to do this with every order. The idea of having food we’re going to consume delivered in a bag or container that’s accessible to anyone handling it is just gross. Tonight, as we always do now, we specifically asked during ordering for this to happen. For the second time in a row, we received our food in an open bag with open containers. I would have preferred talking to the manager directly to let them know this keeps happening but they haven’t been answering their phones for the last couple days. I love the food here so I’m bummed but it looks like we’re going to have to order our Chinese food delivery elsewhere from now on.

We were seated in a quiet and beautiful room. The service was excellent. We enjoyed everything we ate! Portions were generous as well. I think they could use some more parking, however. We really enjoyed the music outside but it definitely catered to our age group (in our fifties) and most of the clientele were younger. The sesame balls must be tried! We can't wait to go back!!

We went for dinner. No problem having our reservation honored. Pricing on menu was very fair in my opinion. Menu was varied. Waitstaff was timely, efficient ,and well informed. Staff was also attentive. Food was tasty, but not especially outstanding. It was good but not great. Wine and bar choices were good. Ambience is outstanding for a Chinese Restaurant. Murals, and other decorations abound. Dining area was a little cold.

Beautiful ambiance, outdoor patio dining, wonderful cocktails, tasty dim sum and 5-star food choices. The cuisine was amazing. Hats off to the servers as well. This place is a “must eat” while in Napa!

+6

Empress M is a food-lover's place. It's authentic enough to convince you that at the core it hasn't been westernized yet you aren't asking about a spice you never tasted before. I believe the balance is just right. The BBQ pork bun was heavenly and so was the sesame seed chewy balls. Based on this, I would presume the dimsum lineup would be fabulous. I was just a bit disappointed with the Peking duck, not seaparting the skin and meat when they served it. The bun was fluffy though. Chowfun was also done really well although a bit on the blander side but definitely enjoyable with the soft beef. Overall this is a great Chinese restaurant with love and care for food at the center. Great price point too. Will return!

Was here around 730 pm on a Wednesday night and I was one of two customers in the whole place. I took a seat at the bar and was helped by the awesome and friendly bartender. I had the soup dumplings and impossible wontons off the dim sum menu and both were fantastic. The Sunrise Over Hong Kong was okay, didn’t pack as much of a flavor punch as I would’ve hoped. My food and service experience here was great, I even got a free dessert. My only complaint is the place was absolutely freezing. The AC was on blast and the doors to the patio were wide open. It was super uncomfortable and I don’t know how the employees could stand it. Otherwise, I’d return for the food.

Delicious dim sum, what more could you need? One of the better Chinese food spots in Napa. The portions are medium size compared to the BayArea, but everything tasted really good. More photos @vin.foodjournal

Wook Chung

Empress M is a food-lover's place. It's authentic enough to convince you that at the core it hasn't been westernized yet you aren't asking about a spice you never tasted before. I believe the balance is just right. The BBQ pork bun was heavenly and so was the sesame seed chewy balls. Based on this, I would presume the dimsum lineup would be fabulous. I was just a bit disappointed with the Peking duck, not seaparting the skin and meat when they served it. The bun was fluffy though. Chowfun was also done really well although a bit on the blander side but definitely enjoyable with the soft beef. Overall this is a great Chinese restaurant with love and care for food at the center. Great price point too. Will return!

Stormtrooper 24

Was here around 730 pm on a Wednesday night and I was one of two customers in the whole place. I took a seat at the bar and was helped by the awesome and friendly bartender. I had the soup dumplings and impossible wontons off the dim sum menu and both were fantastic. The Sunrise Over Hong Kong was okay, didn’t pack as much of a flavor punch as I would’ve hoped. My food and service experience here was great, I even got a free dessert. My only complaint is the place was absolutely freezing. The AC was on blast and the doors to the patio were wide open. It was super uncomfortable and I don’t know how the employees could stand it. Otherwise, I’d return for the food.

Vincent Gano

Delicious dim sum, what more could you need? One of the better Chinese food spots in Napa. The portions are medium size compared to the BayArea, but everything tasted really good. More photos @vin.foodjournal

The food is really good, very helpful American waitress. The only down side is the very rude 2 chinese lady that taking the order and always yelling coming out from the kitchen bringing out the foods. It really makes the atmosphere negative.

Eka Wangsa

The food is really good, very helpful American waitress. The only down side is the very rude 2 chinese lady that taking the order and always yelling coming out from the kitchen bringing out the foods. It really makes the atmosphere negative.

The food is horribly overpriced. It's also pretty bland/plain. I gave it 3 stars because the staff was super courteous, and the music was nice. Got the Xiao long bao, pot stickers, and shrimp wonton. Go if you're looking for some good music while you eat, but don't keep your hopes high on food quality or quantity.

Food was excellent but somewhat expensive. Service was excellent. Dined in the outside patio. It was noisy due to close proximity of Silverado Trail, which is a main artery in the Napa Valley. Inside dining recommended. Inside is beautifully decorated. Full bar available.

I would give this place 4-5 for the food, which was a really welcome treat in Napa. Dim Sum was great (although potstickers cold), calamari awesome, spicy fish, mapo tofu, yum, I’ll go back for the food. But the service and experience is weird, like the owner is not around. Our actual waiter was great, but the rest of staff has no idea what they are doing. Weirdly, they don’t set the tables and we were served dim sum potstickers like two seconds after we ordered (preprepared?) with no chopsticks or dipping sauce, just sitting there. Server (not our waiter) just dropped it. How do we eat it?! And it was not hot. Then they showed up with an entree (mapo tofu) before we had been served our other dim sum and appetizers! And no plates. Just dump and run. And also weird was the room. It’s a very nice sit down tablecloth dining room, they clearly put in effort and money, but they had Amazon boxes piled on one table and the table next to us had a box of take out containers sitting next to them on the floor. Very sloppy. And the take out window is in the middle of the dining room. So take out flying by and outside all the time. They put a lot of effort into this dining room, it’s very nice and great crowd, but then why have tables not set and boxes everywhere? Where is the owner seeing he is wasting that effort and money if he does not follow through? It’s like they are still in COVID take out mode and not ready for a formal sit down crowd. I will go back. It’s the best Asian food I have had in Napa. But I really hope they work on service and get the room ready. They need Gordon Ramsey for that.

Pan fried Onion beef is kinda salty. Peking duck, clay pot seafood vermicelli and chicken combo fried rice are average. If you’re sensitive to MSG, you definitely fee thirty after. If you’re looking for authentic Chinese cruise, this is not the one you’re looking for. Price is not matched with food quality.

My wife and I made reservations for 6:45pm on Christmas Day. There was no host when we arrived so we walked in looking for someone to help us. We could see all the tables in the various rooms had guests at them with the exception of one table for about 12 people. While waiting, one of the staff members yelled at another staff member as they walked past us. Neither was happy. After a 15 minute wait we were seated in one of the smaller dining areas at a table for two. We soon realized they were understaffed as water, tea, ordering took significant time. The "entertainment" in the dining area (15' large screen taking up much of the wall) was a BBC documentary of African animals killing other animals, such as leopards killing and eating gazelles, something that looked like a hyena killing and eating a young seal, plus more. It appeared to be in a loop as some of the video was in slow motion and repeated. Needless to say, not the best thing to watch while eating. When asked to turn it off, the request was ignored. Service was unacceptable given how long we had to wait and how many times we needed to get the attention of our servers for simple things, like forks and tea. The food was excellent, although priced higher than all other Chinese food locations in the area. We'll return someday but not in the room we dined.

Adam Littlefield

My wife and I made reservations for 6:45pm on Christmas Day. There was no host when we arrived so we walked in looking for someone to help us. We could see all the tables in the various rooms had guests at them with the exception of one table for about 12 people. While waiting, one of the staff members yelled at another staff member as they walked past us. Neither was happy. After a 15 minute wait we were seated in one of the smaller dining areas at a table for two. We soon realized they were understaffed as water, tea, ordering took significant time. The "entertainment" in the dining area (15' large screen taking up much of the wall) was a BBC documentary of African animals killing other animals, such as leopards killing and eating gazelles, something that looked like a hyena killing and eating a young seal, plus more. It appeared to be in a loop as some of the video was in slow motion and repeated. Needless to say, not the best thing to watch while eating. When asked to turn it off, the request was ignored. Service was unacceptable given how long we had to wait and how many times we needed to get the attention of our servers for simple things, like forks and tea. The food was excellent, although priced higher than all other Chinese food locations in the area. We'll return someday but not in the room we dined.

I've only been there for happy hour. And I take him three friends and two out of three got sick. There are alcohol is so cheap that it just rips up your stomach. When I asked for crown whiskey they don't even have that I asked for Makers Mark they don't have that. Tried to go back for one of their meals the menus confusing the prices ridiculous for what you get. I don't believe I will be back. And I certainly will not recommend it after two of my friends out of three got sick. But I will say that the food that I got during happy hour I did enjoy.

I've heard nothing but great things about this place, everybody loves it.maybe they were having an off night when I visited but it was not so great... at all. The noodles were mushy and did not taste fresh, the potstickers literally came out within seconds of us ordering them and were hard like they had been under a heatlamp for way too long, the food was waaay overpriced, i can go on but I don't want to bash this place since it's new and everyone has an off night. All in all it was not a great dining experience, but I will give it 1 more chance

Saw this new place driving on Silverado Trail and decided to stop by and ended up getting takeout. We ordered the Empress Vegetarian Delight and the Empress Deluxe. The food was very dissappointing. First of all, we did not get what we ordered. The Empress Deluxe didn’t come with the included BBQ pork bun and we received chickenless “chicken” chow mein instead of fried rice. Second, dishes were lackluster and reminiscient of frozen storebought chinese food. The spring rolls were mushy and the veggie dumplings listed on the menu as savoy dumplings were mushy and tasted like curry (bleh). We will not be going back to try their regular dim sum menu.

Dim sum was good, flavorful. Entrées were pricey and “meh” on flavor. Roast duck looked good in the photos but was a little on the dry side. I’d go back for their dim sum but not really anything else.

We enter and the front door is propped open (it’s 46 degrees outside) and the hostess is sitting directly in front of a huge space heater. The rest of the restaurant is freezing cold. It was like this the first time we came, but we thought maybe that was a fluke. Apparently not. Sat through half the meal with my coat on. I had to order hot tea just to keep from freezing. Didn’t feel hot air coming out of the vents so I’m not sure they turned it on. The service was terrible. I know that it’s hard to get servers right now but there were three tables (including us) in the whole dining area (plus people in a closed off party room but they had their own servers). The Mongolian beef is $36 and doesn’t come with rice! Whoa! Is this morrimoto?!? Also, on that subject - would you cut the beef smaller? Can’t fit huge slices in your mouth. Chow fun didn’t have any flavor. Nobody at the table thought so. Overall a disappointing meal and experience given the prices.

Great food, nice service. BUUUTT, never stay open until posted time, twice came at 8pm and the entrance gate is locked and chained. If you want to be home early, change your posted hours of service or be open. The food is really good but very overpriced and you can’t get a cup of soup, it’s enough for 4-6ppl. It shouldnt cost $80 for one person to eat soup, entree and two drinks. But hey, it’s Napa..right?!

Food was not good, 35$ for an entree of rubber chicken and a cooked bag of frozen vegetables. Has a lot of potential especially being in Napa but will never go back. You can have all gender bathrooms and a cool story about a woman empress but you gotta have good food

Disappointing rather than the "unique experience" the web site mentions. My son's fried rice with shrimp was great with the exception of the flavorless shrimp. My husband ordered the Mongolian lamb chops they were terrible. All fat with almost no meat at all, looked more like a short rib than lamb. I ordered the Lanzhou Spicy Beef which was supposed to be a ribeye. The sauce was great but the beef was tough and flavorless. I love a good ribeye and this was anything but...We were excited and looking forward to trying out this new place and wanting to support a new business in our community. Maybe last night was an off night and I hope to see this restaurant improve and succeed.

Our second visit after our first being a week after they opened and being a disaster on service and quality but the setting is so inviting we opted the give them another try after being open for almost a year, but alas nothing has improved, with our waiter setting a 3 dipping sauce container without identifying the contents, ie; spicy hot, soy, ginger other?, the wraps were tasteless and cold, the meat came in large pieces without a knife to cut, and the steamed rices both pork fried and white were cool, our order of string beans never did show up, except on the bill which had to be adjusted by our waiter, all in all a very expensive poor experience. We will not be returning.

the decor and ambience are ok. but the food is overpriced and mediocre. the duck was not cut well and served with bun not wrappers.

Half the staff was missing and there was no bartender. We asked when reserving if we should preorder the duck and were told that wasn’t necessary only to be told they were out of Duck when we ordered. We had an early reservation for 5:30. The food was good but the disappointment was high. Our waitress Dale was wonderful and did everything she could make our meal enjoyable.

BEWARE of HAPPY HOUR at Empress M!!!! In short, their pot stickers are hard as rock and not consumable. They've been sitting under the heat lamp since breakfast. Last but most important, my wife and I ordered a Chardonnay off the happy hour menu and the bartender gave us two options. Hours later, the bartender stated that he made a mistake and had to charge us $25 for each glass for Rombauer Chardonnay. That is a huge difference from the $8 chardonnay on their happy hour menu versus the $25 glass he stated was on the happy hour menu. I'm not sure if this guy lacked the training or customer service experience but his mistake should not be paid by the consumer. There are MANY Happy Hour spots in Napa! If you don't want the worse experience ever, I suggest you avoid Empress M for Happy Hour at the least. I'm a local who lives a block away and have been going here since they opened. I'd rather drive miles to a restaurant that has fresh food and a honest staff than ever go back here.

Had dinner last night, patio was closed due to private event so restaurant was very limited. Dim sum was very tasty, also order fried rice and eggplant which were both very tasty. We also ordered the Peking duck. All 3 entrees arrived warm, the Peking duck wasn’t even warm, obviously this is an item that needs to be hot. I noted to the waitress the temp was cold-after this they came over and took the dish without apology, less than 5 mins later the plate came back with barely an apology but the mgr indicated the food was very hot. Upon trying again the duck tasted as if it had been microwaved. Needless to say will not be returning.

The evening we went out was very understaffed. Only one server for the whole restaurant. Good was of a very poor quality. Chicken undercooked with low levels of accompanying vegetables. A depressing experience. My glass of wine cost $24. It was supposed to be the empress M quality pinot. It tasted like it was from some $8 bottle. Total bill for 2 was $136. Never again.

Terrible food and terrible service. Despite making a reservation for 6:45 pm, our meal didn't arrive until 8 pm. The waitress attributed the delay to a busy service, but the restaurant wasn't fully occupied, and only a few tables were being served. Additionally, the Mongolian beef was excessively salty, adding to our overall dissatisfaction

Our 2nd time. The first time they only had takeout. It was poor quality but, being new and under Covid restrictions we thought we would give it another try. We were very disappointed in the food. Eighty dollars for what seemed like frozen food. Flavorless soup. The place was also empty. A sure sign this place is doomed. I spoke to our waiter and he said there not doing well. He provided good service but, the food quality just didn't meet our requirements. Years back there we’re several Chinese restaurants. Today Napa seems to be lacking of good Chinese food.

We went during the week, they were not busy. My husband ordered a pineapple pork dish. It came right out of the kitchen. After waiting for 10 minutes he started eating; the waiter assured me the see bass would be there momentarily. 15 minutes later my sea bass appeared (perhaps they caught it and prepared it - was not that fresh). They did replace the clumped cold rice with another portion of cold rice. The waiter did not reappear for another 20 minutes with the check. We spent over$100 on this meal. What a disappointment.

One of the worst experiences ever I know it’s the busy season but to be seated on not talked by any staff for over 1 and 15 minutes with no menu or water given is absurd and should be criminal shame on the staff and the owners , this place is not welcoming and just plain rude take your money elsewhere plenty other good spots in Napa

This is the third time I had bad service here. I hadn't. gone back for almost 2 years because the last time I was there I got our appetizers and then the server told us the cooks had left without making our main dishes we ordered at the same time. This time the beer was warm, not chilled but warm. I went to the bar because the bartender was our server and asked for a Mai Tai. That never came until I walked back to the bar 15 minutes later. The Beef Curry...$48.00 was 3/4 meat 1/4 fat and not very tasty.

In short: Weird vibes, overpriced, never going back. This restaurant is the worst. The hostess had an air pod in, the manager came by and was talking about the owner having a senator there from China and boasted about the price of the dinner and tip, music in some rooms but not others, clearly hearing the manager aggressively yell at his staff, storage right next to dinner tables, the place looks run down and for the price point not worth it for the food, atmosphere or service. I wouldn't even think it's worth it at a third of the price. Please don't go here, save yourself the trouble and go somewhere else. Also be warned most dishes are spicy but do not say on the menu, not at all kid/family friendly.

How this place is getting 4 stars is beyond me. Maybe it was an off night, but it wasn't busy. I've been wanting to give them a try for a long time. My family and I finally made it last week. The only thing that deserves the 4 star rating was the service. Our server was very nice and attentive. The place it's self was nice and clean. The patio looked really nice but there was live music and at the time I wanted to enjoy my dinner and be able to talk to my family. I knew from the time we got the pot stickers it was going to go downhill from there. They were rubbery and barely lukewarm, the soup dumplings didn't have any broth, the Shumai was rubbery, honestly just thinking about the rest of the items we ordered it just makes my stomach roil just like it did that evening. Overpriced and I can't even say mediocre at best. We will NEVER go there again. We don't mind paying $$$ for a good meal, but I wouldn't eat it if it were free.

We ordered $200. of food on door dash. Unfortunately when the food arrived many of the items were still raw and none of it was warm. Pork shouldn’t be eaten raw!! I had paid for a direct delivery so it wasn’t that it took too long to get to our house. We had to cook everything before we could eat it. Once it was cooked through it was good but for that much money it should be ready to eat when it arrives.

The portions are small compared to other places. The decor is nicely done but the chairs which I took a picture of is very hard to sit for any length of time. The service was slow and the chicken plate alone was $37 for this portion. Way overpriced and for the food you see it was bland no flavor and a total over $109 for this sub par experience

Robert H

The portions are small compared to other places. The decor is nicely done but the chairs which I took a picture of is very hard to sit for any length of time. The service was slow and the chicken plate alone was $37 for this portion. Way overpriced and for the food you see it was bland no flavor and a total over $109 for this sub par experience

We came here at 4:30pm as the first group of customers. Ordered and waited for 2 hours. Nothing on the table. I had to chase the waitress to ask about my order. I was told my order was never placed. No apology was made. She said” you can just leave”without looking into my eyes. This is a family gathering night on Christmas Eve. Never had any terrible experience like this. I don’t know how this restaurant can operate.

Ru Zhang

We came here at 4:30pm as the first group of customers. Ordered and waited for 2 hours. Nothing on the table. I had to chase the waitress to ask about my order. I was told my order was never placed. No apology was made. She said” you can just leave”without looking into my eyes. This is a family gathering night on Christmas Eve. Never had any terrible experience like this. I don’t know how this restaurant can operate.