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  • Benissimo Ristorante and Bar

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Reserve at Benissimo Ristorante and Bar

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Benissimo Ristorante and Bar
Benissimo Ristorante and Bar

Benissimo Ristorante and Bar Details

  • Dining Style: Fine Dining
  • Website: http://www.benissimos.com
  • Email: Info@benissimos.com
  • Phone: (415) 927-2316
  • Hours of Operation:

    Dinner: Monday - Sunday 4pm to 10pm
  • Payment Options: AMEX, Discover, MasterCard, Visa
  • Cuisine: Italian
  • Executive Chef: Tony
  • Dress Code: Smart Casual
  • Accepts Walk-Ins: Yes
  • Additional Details: Banquet/Private Rooms, Bar Dining, Counter Seating, Entertainment, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking Area, Non-Smoking Restaurant, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Personal wines welcome, Personal wines welcome (corkage fee applies), Private Room, Smoking Area, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine, Wine Bar
  • Catering: For take-out, parties, and catering, please call (415)927-2316.

Getting there

  • Cross Street: Corte Madera Avenue
  • Parking: Street Parking
A word from Benissimo Ristorante and Bar
Benissimo Ristorante and Bar was established in 1987 and is located in beautiful downtown Corte Madera. Our regular customers love the new remodeled dining room and full bar area. They also enjoy the new menu which offers the best quality and fairest price. You will also find our happy hour, early… special, and daily specials in our menu choices.
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PACIFIC SUN : December 1995
(WORD OF MOUTH - One of the most pleasurable surprises of the year was my discovery of Benissimo Ristorante at 18 Tamalpais Drive in Corte Madera,.......one visit will make you realize that this is the best Italian restaurant in Marin, and one of the best in Bay Area.)
Charles Martell-Mill Valley

Marin Scope: (A charming, reliable neighborhood Italian trattoria)Continued
Foodspotting photos
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Awards voted by OpenTable diners
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Overall
  • Diners' Choice WinnerBest Service
  • Diners' Choice WinnerItalian
Diner Reviews
  • "Benissimo is consistently good. Can't beat the early bird special that includes four courses at $20.95. Family owned and a gem in the neighborhood. It's a definite draw."
    Dined on 4/7/2014
  • "We have driven by here thousands of time, but had never tried the restaurant until it appeared on our Open Table available restaurants in Marin this weekend. The place was packed and we were greeted by the owner at the door. Our waiter was very nice (he was from NE Italy). The salads were excellent and my farfalle with scampi was very tasty, as were the other pasta dished our group ordered. Will definitely be going back again."
    Dined on 4/5/2014
  • "Had a wonderful experience. Such as friendly intimate restaurant with great decor and ambiance."
    Dined on 4/5/2014
  • "Good food but portions seem to have been reduced. Very slow service."
    Dined on 4/5/2014
  • "We love the consistency of food, service, and atmosphere at this neighborhood gem, and are especially happy to have a late evening alternative to Chinese or take-out. I almost always opt for the salmon and am never disappointed. My husband loves the pizza, calamari, ciopino, and many of the meat dishes. The service is efficient but not intrusive and the bread is amazing."
    Dined on 3/27/2014
  • "They had a lovely vocalist the evening we went. TV's were on at either end--hopefully a function of March Madness and not on a nightly basis."
    Dined on 3/27/2014
  • "Love, love, love this place and I rarely think to go there. Had an awesome dinner there on Tuesday night. Absolutely delicious food, great service and the Mario, the owner is on top of EVERYTHING. Nice to see a family run business doing so such a great job making people happy! Cudos to them! Highly recommend this place and virtually anything on the menu!"
    Dined on 3/25/2014
  • "Imagine an Italian restaurant owned and staffed by Italians. The paparadelle is fresh the combinations are inventive. The waiters speak Italian. I love this place! But don't tell anyone cause it's hard enough to get a reservation already."
    Dined on 3/22/2014
  • "Friendly service, good waiters, great Italian food, nice atmosphere. Has live music (not loud) on some nights. We were leaving around 9 pm on Sat. night when the guitar player was arriving...sorry we missed him."
    Dined on 3/15/2014
  • "We have eaten here several times and it is always great....Waiters are great -- understand what you want, i.e, not in a hurry or a quiet table. I enjoyed a delicious salmon dinner there last week."
    Dined on 2/28/2014
  • "A great menu perfectly prepared. Good portions. Attentive service. Tables close together, but well worth the snugness for the food. Pricing reasonable. They even have an early dinner menu at $20.95 for appetizer, pasta, entree, and desert."
    Dined on 2/28/2014
  • "Completely packed and they were 200% prepared. Food was excellent, cooked to perfection. Menu was perfect with enough choices. Service was delightful, respectful, attentive and did not rush you. NO skimpy drinks. Had a great dinner!"
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "my wife and I went to Benissimo's for valentines day dinner. We were seated promptly and the wait staff started out very well. we ordered off the special menu which was great. but then course after course came, and in the end we rushed through dinner in 70 minutes. This was not quite the experience we were hoping for , for our first time at this restaurant. The food was very good, but they mixed up our orders - and in the end my wife never got the entre she had ordered. a mixed experience, and we will have to think twice before we go back."
    Dined on 2/14/2014
  • "Excellent food. Waiter came in late, unfortunately. However, he was excellent as the night wore on. However, the cappuccino was lukewarm and the dessert was only okay. We however enjoyed the restaurant!"
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "I've been going to this incredible restaurant for 16 yrs., and throughout these years it has gone through a couple remodels; every remodel has been better than the last! I love their bar, and they make the best Cosmos. I have never been disappointed in their food, always consistent."
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "This is a very unassuming but excellent restaurant. We went there for my wife's birthday and they took great care of us. Food was excellent and service was great. Definitely a place to add to our list of favorites."
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "The food and service were amazing as usual. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting or just passing thru corte madera."
    Dined on 2/15/2014
  • "A friend of mine brought me here a couple of years ago. I remembered this place because of the food and friendly service. The live band (1 person) just ads to thr ambience of the whole dining package. Albeit, the noise level from other diners and the bar area was a little loud. But, the service,food snd great company cancels any negative out. I and or we will be back. A hidden treasure in Marin County. Thanks for a wonderful dining experience, again."
    Dined on 2/13/2014
  • "Our reserved booth was waiting for us. Attentive server Travis described the daily specials after checking for bar requests. Bread and garlickey dipping oil arrived promptly. The wild salmon with picatta sauce is my personal favorite and is always exceptional... as it was tonight again. The potato and veggie sides are to die for! My friend ordered the Kobe burger, which was large and done to perfection. A mound of potato wedges made a satisfying meal. An after-dinner drink capped a wonderfully delicious dining experience. We'll be back again and again!"
    Dined on 2/2/2014
  • "We dined at Bennissimo for the first time this past Saturday. As 20+ year Marin residents, we thought we had found all the great Italian restaurants. We very pleased to find a hidden gem in Bennissimo which has delicious food, excellent service and a wonderful ambiance. Although we liked the restaurant very much and will go back, we found it got rather loud at about 6:30 p.m. when a large party was seated near us. In the future, we plan to be seated no later than 5:00 pm."
    Dined on 2/1/2014
  • "Excellent! I have eaten their nearly once a week for well over 20 years with never a bad or even average dining experience. My sons now in their 30's also continue to frequent your restaurant with the same enthusiasm. This restaurant is genuinely a local gem."
    Dined on 1/31/2014
  • "We have been dining at Benissimo for many years. Sometimes it's great, sometimes not so much. Our dinner Saturday night was the best ever and the service exceptional. I do think the linguini vongole is the best in the Bay Area!"
    Dined on 1/25/2014
  • "We went here for one of our weekly date nights, and everything was really nice. It sits in a cute spot between Corte Madera and Larkspur. The ambiance is really nice and comfortable....we sat at one of the booths against the wall. There is nice bar, it is not at all noisy. They had a person playing keyboard on Thursday night, which is also great for the ambiance. Our food was fabulous. I had the roasted chicken breast and it was unbelievably tasty and juicy. I wish I could make mine like that at home. The owner is very warm and welcoming. We even took my parents there last week again and had a fantastic dinner. Everybody's food was great, and they have a terrific deal Monday through Thursday for a pre-fix 3 course dinner with dessert."
    Dined on 1/16/2014
  • "The restaurant was very crowded and we were concerned the service would suffer but it absolutely did not!"
    Dined on 1/17/2014
  • "A very nice setting, good service, great food. I will definitely go back and I would recommend for an evening out."
    Dined on 1/10/2014
  • "Excellent Menu (many many choices); first rate preparation; adequate (the way I like it) service - Our conversations were not interrupted every few minutes. First rate food servers get the answer to the question by observing rather than interrupting. The boss walks the length of the restaurant looking at the tables, checking to see that everything is going well for his guests. We dined at 6:30 (a bit too early) just in time to get the noise from the happy hour crowd. Happy hour ended at 6:30 and within 10 minutes or so, the bar crowd had retired to a table and the noise level went down to very acceptable. In short: If you love Italian food, variety on the menu, and uninterrupted conversation during your meal, this is the place for you."
    Dined on 12/18/2013
  • "We had a great time at Benissimo for my mom's 77th birthday. Grandma and 11 year old daughter all loved their meals. Pasta is a favorite for us here, always with a different appetizer. My daughter devoured her tortelloni...not a speck left on the plate. I really enjoyed that polenta appetizer. We'll definitely be back."
    Dined on 11/25/2013
  • "Excellent classic Italian food - great quality and great service. Definitely going back next time I am in town."
    Dined on 11/18/2013
  • "We had great expectations of this place, and initially our dining experience began well. Our drinks, appetizer and salads all arrived promptly and were good. As we awaited our entree, the restaurant became busier and our waiter forgot about us. We wanted to order another drink & glass of wine, but he kept running by us and not acknowledging the fact that we had no food or drinks on our table for about 15-20 minutes. Event the owner walked by repeatedly and never stopped to see if we needed anything. Entree finally arrived, one was incorrect dish and we had to wait another 15 for the correct one.The waiter admitted his mistake and gave a complimentary glass of wine, admirable but the dinner was ruined at that point."
    Dined on 11/16/2013
  • "Bennissimo's is a wonderful restaurant, owned by 2 brothers who are so friendly. At least one of them is there every night and will often make sure to greet you. Excellent food. Go!"
    Dined on 11/9/2013
  • "The Benissimo is what a neighborhood restaurant should be: welcoming, informal, reliably good food. We go there fairly often and have never been disappointed. Not always perfect but usually very good. I particularly like their short ribs, their thin crust pizza is excellent, and they pour a generous glass of wine. Just to be a bit critical, their minestrone is bland and has too much potato, and last night our food was luke warm….but overall a very pleasant place to eat, drink and socialize."
    Dined on 11/9/2013
  • "Very noisy restaurant. Food was very good. Unfortunately, waiters brought out main course when we still eating salads. From there on we felt like we we're being rushed."
    Dined on 11/1/2013
  • "Food and service is ok. But, charging an extra $4 for substituting potatoes for vegetables is quite disappointing and not customary any where else since potatoes are cheaper."
    Dined on 10/17/2013
  • "We had a good meal and service was fine and timely. Owner is friendly and either greets you or says goodbye, or both."
    Dined on 10/17/2013
  • "This has been one of our favorites for years, so I was glad to see it back on Open Table. What we really enjoy about this restaurant is that the overall experience is consistently good and our entire family always leaves satisfied. They offer a wide range of menu options, everything from simple but delicious pizzas and salads to signature entrees like Lamb Osobuco and Chicken Marsala. They have upgraded their wine list, and offer great classic Chiantis through to more adventurous options. They have made significant improvements over the past year to the bar area and offer a great happy hour experience and it is one of my favorite places to sneak away to watch some of my favorite sports teams on the large, flat panel TVs."
    Dined on 10/12/2013
  • "It was great place to celebrate my 25th anniversary. The food was delicious. Had the Cippino and it was the best I've had in a long time."
    Dined on 10/12/2013
More reviews ›
  • Happy Hour All Night - Mondays
    Monday 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM›
    At Benissimo, we know Mondays can be tough. That's why we offer Happy Hour at the bar all night long! Enjoy appetizers such as steamed mussels or meatballs over Ciabatta bread, and half price on select wines, Moretti beer, and well cocktails. Excludes Tax and Tip. Diners must be seated at the bar. Regular Happy Hour is 4pm - 6:30pm every night. Special valid Feb 24, 2014 - May 19, 2014 on Mondays from 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM. Offer valid February 24, 2014 - May 19, 2014
  • Corkage Free - Tuesdays
    Tuesday 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM›
    Tuesday is the night to bring your closest friends and best bottle of wine to Benissimo! There will be no corkage fee applied to any of the wine bottles you choose to bring in for the evening. Excludes Tax and Tip. Promotion happens every Tuesday night from 4pm to 10pm (excludes major holidays). Special valid Feb 25, 2014 - May 20, 2014 on Tuesdays from 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM. Offer valid February 25, 2014 - May 20, 2014
  • Martini Night - Wednesdays
    Wednesday 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM›
    Cosmo? Manhattan? Bombay up with olives? Grey Goose up with a twist? Pick your drink! Because it's Martini Night at Benissimo! We offer $6 for any well martini or $8 for any top-shelf brand all night long at the bar. Excludes Tax and Tip. Must be seated at the bar. Every Wednesday night (excludes major holidays). Special valid Feb 26, 2014 - May 21, 2014 on Wednesdays from 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM. Offer valid February 26, 2014 - May 21, 2014
  • Live Music - Thursdays
    Thursday 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM›
    At Benissimo, we work hard to try to create the perfect atmosphere for our guests. That's why we offer free live music every Thursday night. Come and enjoy our musician's beautiful renditions of popular songs while you enjoy a delicious meal. Includes Tax and Tip. Music begins approx. 7pm until 9pm. Cancellations can, but rarely, occur. Special valid Feb 27, 2014 - May 22, 2014 on Thursdays from 7:00 PM - 9:00 PM. Offer valid February 27, 2014 - May 22, 2014
  • Early Bird Special - Sundays
    Sunday 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM›
    Have you ever wanted a four-course meal without the price tag of one, at any time of night? If so, Benissimo has the offer for you- Early Special all night on Sundays! Enjoy a limited selection of salad, pasta, entree, and a dessert all for $20.95!. Excludes Tax and Tip. Regular Early Special is Mon-Thurs from 4pm to 7pm. Excludes major holidays. Special valid Mar 2, 2014 - Jun 1, 2014 on Sundays from 4:00 PM - 10:00 PM. Offer valid March 2, 2014 - June 1, 2014
  • See all 5 deals and offers
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Diners' Choice Awards
  • Marin Winners
  • Best Overall
  • Best Service
  • Italian
  • Neighborhood Gem
Learn more ›