Diners' Choice: Neighborhood gem restaurants in Marin

OpenTable

Updated October 05, 2024

Looking for the best restaurants that are the best neighborhood gems in Marin? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Valenti & Co. Ristorante

4.9

4.9 (826)

$31 to $50

Italian

San Anselmo

About the restaurant

Welcome to Valenti & Co, Northern Italian Restaurant and Wine Bar in San Anselmo. Farm-fresh Italian Cuisine, thoughtfully sourced local ingredients and wines.

Top review

Michaelvip

Dined 7 days ago

We went to Valenti with our friend. Cristiano pleasantly greeted us and seated us at a table for four. . Duilio said he just received a shipment of fresh matsutake mushrooms. He said he would cook something for us if we would like. We started with the delicious home grown tomatoes in their panzanella salad and the radicchio and apple salad. We then enjoyed one order of their fabulous costletto and three orders of fettuccini with matsutake mushrooms. The pastas were out of this world because of the quality and fresh matsutake button mushrooms. After we were stuffed, we still enjoyed the home made gelato with fresh slices of strawberries and raspberries. Overall, it was a 12/10 dinner experience. The matsutake mushrooms ate very seasonal and if they don’t have a supply Duilio would make other home made pasta dishes! You would not be disappointed with ANY meal at Valenti!

Sushi Ran

4.8

4.8 (2286)

$31 to $50

Sushi

Sausalito

About the restaurant

WE ARE OPEN FOR TAKEOUT FROM 5:00PM - 9:30PM. LET US JOYFULLY NOURISH YOUR BODY AS WELL AS YOUR SPIRIT.

Sushi Ran is a longstanding Japanese restaurant located in Sausalito, California that specializes in sushi. The restaurant prepares menu items utilizing fresh fish delivered from Tokyo daily and features a casual, family friendly dining atmosphere.

Sushi Ran serves lunch and dinner daily and features an extensive menu offering of moriawase, maki, nigri and sashimi, vegetables, soup, cool plates and hot plates. Cool and hot plate options at the restaurant include Hokkaido scallop crudo, miso Wagyu beef, big eye tuna tartare, asari clam, braised beef tongue and organic chicken. Nigri and sashimi options featured at Sushi Ran include tuna, yellowtail, white fish, beef, mackerel, eel salmon, shellfish, caviar, toro tataki and more.

Top review

Jenny

Dined 6 days ago

This was absolutely delicious and fresh. Sushi was amazing, tempura was so crispy and light. We had a nice, quiet table. Service was great. We had a lovely night, I highly recommend this place.

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Popular dish

Salmon Citrus

Popular dish

Miso Glazed Black Cod

Popular dish

Seaweed Salad

Marché Restaurant

4.8

4.8 (1676)

$31 to $50

Farm-to-table

Ross

About the restaurant

Marché is situated in the quaint town of Ross in the heart of beautiful Marin County. We are named for the farmer's markets of southern France where chefs and restauranteurs visit seeking inspiration and ingredients for the meals they will serve each day. We are a French/Italian inspired, California contemporary farm-to-fork restaurant and feature produce, meat and seafood from local purveyors to help us create our delicious seasonal dishes. We have a diverse wine and beer selection sourced from local and international small production wineries to accompany your meal.

Dining is available inside the cozy dining room and on our charming open-air patio.

Reservations are recommended. For parties of 7 or more people, please contact the restaurant by emailing info@marchemarin.com or by calling 415-925-9200. We look forward to seeing you!

Top review

Arthurvip

Dined 5 days ago

Food was really creative and delicious. Service was great. And the prices were not that high. It was a bit noisy outside, but we ate inside, and it was very quiet.

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Popular dish

Roasted Whole Cauliflower

The Speakeasy/Boardroom Novato

4.8

4.8 (17)

$31 to $50

American

Novato

About the restaurant

Situated in Novato, The Boardroom harks back to the Old Chicago Restaurants, serving as a favorite spot for locals to dine, drink, and socialize. Our menu, crafted from the freshest ingredients, promises to introduce bold and inspiring flavors to your palate. Join us today.

Top review

Alana

Dined on Sep 28, 2024

This is a little gem here in Novato! Really enjoy going there. There's a piano man, which is really nice. Food is yummy, there are also some nice little touches at the table, I won't tell though. It's a small place. Makes for a good night out.

Amélie Café and Wine Bar

4.7

4.7 (43)

$30 and under

French

Fairfax

About the restaurant

the Marin edition of Amelie
with large patio, enjoy our baked organic French goods: croissant baguette tarte
our french chef prepares a farm to table brunch, lunch and dinner
and a wine list curated by French sommelier and winemaker offering many options by the glass and bottle with a focus on French wine

Top review

Gerardvip

Dined today

Enjoyed the delicious family-style roasted chicken dinner - vegetables, mac+cheese, green salad, warm bread, french fries. Enough for family of 3-4. Had also ordered the ravioli which was an excellent surprise. Dessert was the warm & tasty tart tartin. Glasses of wine were perfect. Service was attentive and friendly. A most enjoyable outdoor midweek meal.

Piazza D'Angelo

4.6

4.6 (2045)

$31 to $50

Italian

Mill Valley

About the restaurant

Piazza D’Angelo is a family run Italian trattoria located in the heart of downtown Mill Valley. With a bustling bar scene and a natural light-soaked dining room, Piazza D'Angelo evokes a Southern Italian dining experience with a unique sense of home comfort.

Enjoy a variety of fresh pastas, wood-fired pizzas, antipasti, as well as fresh fish, prime meats and our signature tiramisu.

We offer two patios for al fresco dining, a wood-burning pizza oven, a full service bar, and private dining spaces for your social or business gathering.

Named after the restaurant's location right on the piazza of downtown Mill Valley, Piazza D'Angelo is an ode to Southern Italian trattorias - family owned, rustic neighborhood restaurants that serve fresh, unassuming, locally-sourced delicious food.

Grazie!

Top review

Richvip

Dined on Sep 19, 2024

We have been coming here for 24 years and love it!

La Toscana Ristorante

4.6

4.6 (1515)

$30 and under

Italian

San Rafael

About the restaurant

We are centrally located off Hwy. 101 in San Rafael, across for the famous Frank Lloyd Wright Marin Civic Center. La Toscana is a family owned and operated Italian restaurant and bar located in Marin County. It was established in 1985 by Paolo Mori, his wife, Marilyn, and Michele Quilici. The owners all grew up in Lucca, Italy and immigrated to the U.S. in the late 1950s. They wanted to create an atmosphere that reminded them of home – a place where locals would gather to eat, meet friends and family and celebrate with food and wine as every Italian family does. Chef and co— owner Giovanni Racanello joined La Toscana in 1986. Paolo and Marilyn’s daughter, Laura Mori Riella, and youngest son, Michael Mori, joined the La Toscana team in 1992 and 2002, respectively. Paolo loved to make people feel welcome and, just like all the Moris, enjoyed his food and wine and loved to see others do the same. This is the proud tradition that La Toscana carries on.

Top review

Eduardo

Dined 4 days ago

My first time at this restaurant. I am very picky when it comes to Italian food and I felt I hit a homerun with "La Toscana". Place is well located, very centric to San Rafael with good parking space. I arrive there at a peek hour and it took me 15 seconds to find parking inside the restaurants parking lot. More importantly both the service and the food were superb! I wished I remembered the waiters name as I would have given him kudos here. The pappardelle with wild boar is a must try, please. The restaurant is big enough to fit good sized groups and it also has a large bar area with TV's. Try it, you won't regret it!

Chalet Basque

4.6

4.6 (1060)

$31 to $50

Basque

San Rafael

About the restaurant

The Chalet Basque restaurant is a family style restaurant serving dishes inspired by the Basque regions of France and Spain. Located in San Rafael, California, the owner and proud staff would like to invite you to come join us for our delicious cuisine, full bar and outdoor patio. In keeping with traditional Basque culture, our restaurant has an old school, comfy feel. We serve hearty Basque dishes and make a different fresh soup each day. Dishes such as escargot, frog legs and rack of lamb keep us anchored to our deep Basque and French roots. While our vegetarian plate, and similar dishes, show our influence by Northern California. Join us for a romantic first date, a night out with the guys, a relaxing end to a stressful day at work or a wedding rehearsal and everything in between. Our restaurant is also available for Banquets and parties upon reservation.

Top review

Dana

Dined on Sep 7, 2024

Been going here since the 60's as a child. Not much has changed - it's as good as it always has been .. consistent over time is a winner. Food was fabulous. Reasonable prices on cocktails and wine. Excellent Cosmo! Duck l'orange was delish! Service absolutely spot on, quick, kind and professional.

The Lighthouse Bar & Grill

4.4

4.4 (457)

$30 and under

American

Mill Valley

About the restaurant

It all started in 1992, when Annette and Gerner Andresen opened the Lighthouse Café in Sausalito in its present form. The Andresens, both born in Denmark, had recently immigrated to the U.S., and along with them they brought the Scandinavian flair for simplicity, good quality and tasty food. The café has over the years become famous for its breakfast and lunch, with American classics like good old-fashioned burgers and a great selection of omelets, along with Scandinavian classics like Danish Meatballs or Norwegian Salmon. Now with four restaurants, The Bar & Grill offers Brunch Lunch & Dinner.

Top review

Laird

Dined 5 days ago

Loved it ~ the ambiance, food and service were outstanding. The only negative was the loud music. In a small dining room, the amplification of the sound system was overwhelming, which distorted the music to the point that it was annoying.

Perry's Novato

4.4

4.4 (606)

$30 and under

American

Novato

About the restaurant

Perry's in Novato is following the same combination of all-American favorite fare and comfortable, welcoming service that Perry’s first made a San Francisco hallmark in 1969. The décor is warm – featuring the trademark blue and white checked table cloths and a rich mahogany bar.

Perry’s is known today, as much as ever, for its classic American food, its warm personable service and its fun, bustling bar. Perry’s traditional yet innovative menu includes a wide variety of sandwiches, salads, pastas, steaks and grilled fresh fish.

Top review

Mary

Dined 2 days ago

We had a staff lunch at Perry's in Novato yesterday. It was delicious! Three of the four of us got the grilled salmon, each with a different vegetable and everyone declared how delicious their meal was. The fourth got crab cakes and greens along with sweet potato fries for the table. It was perfect, delicious, with a generous amount of salad for an appetizer dish. The two crab cakes were moist, crispy and delicious, too. Our server was skilled, knowledgeable, kind and had a good sense of humor, too! Lunch on Tuesday wasn't packed, although we had a reservation. There wasn't any difficulty hearing each other, either, as the noise level was very reasonable. It was an altogether delightful lunch!

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