Has anyone dined in the French Laundry Private Dining Room?

[Eugene Park]

Did a search of the SFBA board, and didn't see any reports on this particular subject. I'm about to confirm a reservation to dine in the Private Dining Room on the 2nd floor of the French Laundry, and am wondering if the experience is "enhanced" enough to justify the additional $110 cost ($350pp vs. $240pp for dining in the main area). I've eaten in the main area previously, and am hoping folks who might have tried both menus/experiences could chime in with whether the uplift in cost results in a noticeably better or different dining experience.

And if anyone is curious about details around the Private Dining Room, here's some quick info:

1) No corkage is allowed in the PDR. A sommelier will be personally assigned to the room to assist with wine pairings and the wine list.
2) Max capacity is 10. I wouldn't consider going this route if you're a party of less than 8.
3) There's an upfront deposit required to confirm the rez, and there is a room charge minimum based upon food.

Thanks for any info that folks can provide........

[Ruth Lafler]

We actually had a chowdown there way back when. I don't remember the upcharge being that big (more like $50). I think the menu is the same. The main advantage back then was that it was much easier to book the PDR -- that might not be quite so true under the current economic climate, but I think it's still probably difficult-to-impossible to get a "regular" reservation for a large party. I don't think the experience is that different, except, of course, that it's private. It's a nice room, but nothing special -- it was actually a bit cramped for our party of 12 (which is perhaps why they changed the max to 10).

Here was our report: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/24828

[Eugene Park]

Thanks Ruth!! I skimmed the first 1/3 of the thread, and will peruse the rest in detail later this evening.

Quick question. I noticed there was mention that the lunch cost was set at $350pp. Was wine priced separately, or was that included in the $350pp cost?

[Ruth Lafler]

It was included. The price was set by the organizers (not FL) to cover the cost of the meal plus a donation to chowhound. Here more info:

"The cost was set in advance at $350/person. This included a premium for the private room (which is how we got the reservation) and a donation to chowhound that I believe came to a little more than $50/person.

Melanie got hold of a copy of the wine list in advance and studied it carefully, narrowing the 50 pages down to a couple of dozen wines she thought would be both good and good values, so we could keep to a reasonable budget. Then after she saw the menu she consulted with the sommelier to make the final selections from the short list she had put together. The ten people who were partaking of wine shared 5 full bottles and a half bottle of dessert wine, which was enough to enjoy but not so much we couldn't drive home."

[a_and_w]

I've dined in the private dining room. As Ruth says, it's nice but nothing special. I think the official menu was the same, but we received an additional three or four dishes that weren't on the menu. One nice thing about the private room is that you can be a little more raucous than you would in the main dining room. We also got a tour of the kitchen, though I've heard of others getting the same treatment in the main room. I wish I could speak to the pricing, but I'm pretty sure their policies have changed since I was there.