The ONLY and BEST bar in St. Helena, CA. It’s not a “dive bar”, its just a regular bar for regular folks. Ana’s Cantina is a local institution and a fantastic family owned bar where the people serving you are all related. On any given day, you may be lucky enough to get a drink from Ana herself, or from her beautiful daughters Roxy and Kat (or other members of the family). This is an essential stop off for people visiting town, or for locals who just need some refreshment after a long day in the vineyards. They give a lot to the local community and are all wonderful people. I personally recommend Ana’s Cantina to anyone who works, lives or is passing through downtown Saint Helena.

I only come here because it’s the only place in St. Helena open at night. If there were literally any other option, I’d happily go there instead.

This place is a masterclass in how not to run a bar. I was out with a friend ordered one beer, finished it, and then asked for a cocktail. The owner said he didn’t have the ingredients to make it (apparently a bar without bar supplies is a thing). While I was deciding on another drink, he decided for us: “No, I think you’re done. Time to call it a night,” followed by dramatically slamming his hands on the bar and walking off. We were both caught off guard as-well as the gentleman sitting right next to us.

This isn’t an isolated incident—I’ve seen him do this to multiple customers, seemingly when he doesn’t feel like making drinks and wants to be lazy. Hospitality at its finest !

The whole place feels like it’s being run out of obligation rather than passion. The bartenders (all family) look miserable, and customers are only here out of necessity, not desire. No one chooses this place—they end up here.

Either fix it, or do everyone a favor and sell it to someone who actually wants to run a bar.