Locally-sourced food, incomparable ambiance and creative seasonal dishes — these are all qualities that the top North Bay dining experiences have to offer. Our restaurant picks fall somewhere on the spectrum of romantic date night restaurants to hip eateries for meeting up with friends and other loved ones (including kiddos). So let’s get to it.
These are our North Bay Best Dinner picks for 2023, selected by our editors — look for our readers’ choice winner, selected by our audience.
Featured Photo: Farmhouse Inn
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777 Bridgeway, Sausalito
415.332.7771
Deep and tufted red banquettes frame a room that opens on one side to a streetside patio where locals and tourists flock for a la minute Italian cuisine and great people-watching. Grab a Negroni from Tony at the bar while seated on a cushy stool, then shift to a table for a plate of vitello tonnato or a mista salad with fresh herbs sourced from the hillside garden. The pappardelle with braised lamb and pork ragu and the in-season seafood are musts.
Southern Marin
Sausalito – Mill Valley – Tiburon – Belvedere
621 Bridgeway, Sausalito
415.331.5225
Multiple generations of the Ancona family create an authentic Italian eatery featuring dishes like arrosticini which is a find outside of Abruzzo, handmade pastas, and seasonal antipasti that has showcased the cuisine of the Campania region for more than 20 years. Enjoy indoor or outdoor seating, especially popular on a sunny day.
47 Caledonia St, Sausalito
This downtown favorite serves up more than just popular dishes like pad Thai and vegetarian Siamese rolls, the menu runs deeper into regional Thai flavors with offerings like a fermented tea leaf salad and soft shell crab curry.
300 Valley St #207, Sausalito
Novato’s Aurora has a counterpart in southern Marin. Traditional Italian food, a full bar, and friendly service make it a great option for families and sports fans, who can keep up-to-date on the game via flat-screen TV. The location on the south side of town is a boon, too, when a quieter meal is called for.
Organic, wheat-free and peanut-free menu selections are a boon to many who stop in for the reliably fresh veggie dishes and sustainably-sourced seafood at Mill Valley’s Harmony. Local favorites, the signature beef and signature chicken, are part of their takeout menu and the fried rice includes slivers of BBQ pork for added richness.
35 Main St, Tiburon
Executive chef Renzo Azzarello serves Sicilian seafood and homemade pastas with a Californian touch. The seasonal menu incorporates fresh and organic produce, local naturally grown meat and poultry from small farms. The restaurant complies with Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch, so all the seafood is sustainable. A recent expansion tripled the size of the patio to accommodate more diners. In 2014, diners voted Luna Blu one of the Top 100 Neighborhood Gem restaurants in America.
37 Caledonia St, Sausalito
Authentic Florentine cooking with an eye on local and seasonal means fresh fare all year long. The extensive artisan pasta selection includes vegan and vegetarian options and a breakfast menu includes frittatas and English muffin sandwiches. Live music on weekend evenings and at Sunday brunch lifts everyone’s spirits.
588 Bridgeway, Sausalito
Sausalito’s oldest seafood house has its own boat, berthed at Pier 47, that fishes seasonally and is approved for salmon and Dungeness crab, resulting in fresh catches year-round. The menu at both the Sausalito and Fisherman’s Wharf locations were revamped by chef (and Mill Valley’s own) Gordon Drysdale in accordance with the environmentally responsible Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program and regularly features whole crab, chowder and grilled fish.
1001 Bridgeway, Ste B1, Sausalito
From the owners of My Thai in San Rafael and Fairfax comes Sausalito’s own Thai spot. The nautical-themed restaurant offers Bangkok street favorites like sriracha wings, pad thai and barbecued meats.
615 Strawberry Village, Mill Valley
At this tucked away spot in the back of Strawberry Village, the kee mao noodles, pad thai, and fresh rolls stuffed with beets and herbs have a dedicated following as does the extensive bar menu (try the Amazing Mai Tai).
3001 Bridgeway, Ste. H, Sausalito
Fresh ingredients, free-range chicken and traditional dishes like mu shu pork and Hong Kong street style noodles fulfill the Chinese food craving with a nice atmosphere for dining in or takeout for a night at home.
Pedro and Maria Ulloa (formerly of San Rafael’s Arrivederci) serve dishes like veal saltimbocca and handmade pappardelle alla Abruzzese (gluten-free pasta is available) at lunch and dinner with tiramisu or key lime pie for dessert. The heated patio is shaded from the lights in the nearby parking lot.
741 E Blithedale Ave #775b, Mill Valley
The best way for Marinites to eat in the city without going to the city, Local Kitchens offers lunchtime heavy hitters from San Francisco and across the Bay Area like Nopalito, Square Pie Guys, Proposition Chicken, The Melt and Boba Guys right in Mill Valley and Novato. The micro food hall’s Mill Valley location has undergone a recent renovation to accommodate more seating so the space is looking better than ever.
106 Throckmorton Ave, Mill Valley
Corner Bar is downtown Mill Valley’s first cocktail lounge… ever! Bring a date or simply come to unwind in Corner Bar’s sleek interior, which features two bars and plenty of lounge/window seating overlooking the town square. A menu of Mediterranean bites, crafted by chef Michael Siegel of Playa and Floodwater, complements Corner Bar’s artfully crafted cocktails. No reservations required. Just go already!
15 Shoreline Highway, Mill Valley
Marin’s OG steakhouse with lodge-style dining room and bustling bar boasts a smoker out back that turns out epic chicken wings and barbecue baby back ribs in equal measure. A classic wedge salad is the perfect entree to a 12-ounce rib eye or filet mignon but some return just for the sesame-crusted ahi tuna salad.
5 Main Street, Tiburon
Michael Mina landed his first restaurant in Marin, with a bar-lounge upstairs and seated restaurant downstairs and the same views of San Francisco from both decks. Favorites like Mina’s ahi tuna tartare and lobster pot pie pair nicely with an aptly named City Lights cocktail, shot of tequila or zero-proof Forget Me Not with cucumber and tonic.
226 Shoreline Highway, Tam Junction, Mill Valley
Thirty taps pull a rotating assortment of mostly Californian, small batch beer, kombucha and cider, perfect for pairing with a classic margarita pizza or a Romeo pizza with grass-fed meatballs. Take your brew to the expansive back garden to enjoy at a picnic table but bring a jacket for those chilly afternoons by the bay.
601 Murray Circle, Sausalito
No one wants to say goodbye to a favorite haunt, but the transformation at Cavallo Point’s new signature restaurant Sula is turning heads. Long known as Murray Circle, Executive Chef Michael Garcia remains at the helm of Sula; standout menu items include Lobster Velouté, Wagyu Filet of Beef, and Pan Seared Scallops. Try to save room for dessert — the Sticky Toffee topped with orange zest ice cream is a winner. It’s big enough to share, but that doesn’t mean you’ll want to.
114–116 Main St, Belvedere
Chef Massimo Covello is back at the stoves, cooking up California fresh fare which tilts southern Italian. The heart of the menu is the house-made pasta program, such as chicken liver-stewed mezzalune pasta in a mushroom sauce or pappardelle with an eight-hour beef ragu. A crudi menu — halibut with mango chutney, carpaccio with rolled beef, arugula, and trule oil– is listed alongside dishes that have carried over from the previous menu such as roasted half chicken a jus with herbs and broccolini. Seasonal cocktails from returning lead bar tender, José Valdiviezo, like a spritz with house-made limoncello or a white Negroni with gin made on the Amalfi Coast, lean into Old World flavor. Enjoy one, or a glass from the extensive list of Italian wines, when the enoteca opens at 4 p.m. The Servino brothers, who also run Cae Acri down the street, will continue the dinner program at that location, too.
17 Throckmorton Ave., Mill Valley
The bistro along ‘el paseo’ exudes the same charm as its predecessors with a French-inflected menu from executive chef Sylvain Montassier. That translates into dishes of tuna tartare with chicharron and shiitakes, squid ink linguini with local crab and mussels or a Devil’s Gulch pork chop with crispy spaetzle and cabbage. Sip a classic cocktail in the Paseo bar or savor chocolate fondant with salted caramel ganache in one of the inviting exposed brick and wood dining rooms.
196 Donahue St., Sausalito
Flip your coin to green to begin the flow of 17 cuts of meat from an all-you-can-eat Brazilian steakhouse with all the steak, lamb, pork and salmon that carnivores can handle. For vegetarians and pescatarians, a gourmet salad bar sports 55 offerings — everything from sushi and ceviche to more traditional green salads — and can be ordered separately. A full bar and 200+ wine selections round out the offerings.
562 Bridgeway, Sausalito
Perched above The Trident on Sausalitoʼs expansive waterfront, the restaurantʼs interior design from Petalumaʼs Maureen Kelsey includes stone table tops, velvet chairs, hand-woven wall coverings, and glass accents in an understated palette. The tasting-menu-format restaurant from chef Aiki Terashima (The French Laundry, Morimoto Napa) leans international with dishes like spicy kimchi and tofu stew and truled mushroom paté, with an expansive wine and cocktail list from cocktail consultant Zach Taylor (3 Proof, Hawthorn).
Central Marin
Corte Madera – Larkspur – Kentfield – Ross – Fairfax – San Anselmo – San Rafael
809 4th St, San Rafael
Open seven days a week for lunch and dinner, Bay Thai Cuisine is a go-to for authentic Thai lovers. Whether getting take-out or dining in, make sure to bring cash as they don’t take card.
18 Tamalpais Dr, Corte Madera
Though the menu remains largely the same (that tea leaf salad! Those bao!) at the new location down the street from the original, the addition of a grill boosts the menu with dishes like kalbi ribs or smoked salmon collars. A long bar on one side of the room serves wine and beer and the front windows slide open for easy access to a large patio.
2201 Larkspur Landing Cir, Larkspur
Buvette du Marais has arrived at the Marin Country Mart. The owners of Le Marais Bakery in Mill Valley have expanded their ventures with this new bakery and soon-to-be full-service restaurant in Central Marin.
1 G St, San Rafael
Cafe Arrivederci has been located in the heart of San Rafael for the past 27 years. Chef Tito is proud to serve fresh homemade pastas and dishes from all over Italy. Visit the expansive dining room, full bar, garden patio and private rooms for parties and events.
765 Center Blvd, Fairfax
Fairfax Brewing Company is Marin’s newest restaurant and brewery, opening its revamped location on September 9. With beers on tap like the Sleeping Lady Hazy IPA and the Fuego Fuerte Mexican Lager, as well as a diverse array of munchables like poke tacos, a crispy chicken sandwich, lumpia and Thai noodle salad, there truly is something on this menu for everyone.
35 Broadway, Fairfax
Fradelizio’s combines of authentic Italian cuisine and a Californian atmosphere with dishes made using fresh and local ingredients. There’s even a gluten free and vegan menu for those that are worried about missing out.
850 College Ave, Kentfield
Jared Rogers, the former executive chef of Picco, heads up the kitchen, partnering with restaurateur Dustin Sullivan on this 110-seat space. Look for well-executed California cuisine with weekly specials like Prime Rib on Mondays and fried chicken on Sundays, plus killer cocktails – the Sunburn and Easy Money are local favorites.
227 3rd St, San Rafael
Serving up traditional and innovative Himalayan style cuisine with natural and local ingredients for high quality, delicious cuisine.
901 A St, San Rafael
The large selection of innovative and classic Tuscan dishes and house-made pasta has kept locals coming back for years. Ingredients are organic and locally sourced where possible, and there’s a vast selection of both Italian and California wines by the glass.
3751 Redwood Hwy, San Rafael
Family owned and operated since 1985, La Toscana completed an extensive interior and exterior renovation, transforming an already popular San Rafael gathering spot into a place for any occasion. The menu features daily specials and classics like gnocchi and carbonara and an ample selection of wine.
555 E. Francisco Blvd, Ste. 22, San Rafael
Of course you come for the namesake bowl of hearty soup with clear broth, beef, noodles and vegetables at this Best of the County winner. But the family-style favorite tucked behind a carpet store on an industrial stretch of Francisco Boulevard beckons with beautiful plates of pork chops with broken steamed rice and fried eggs as well as the fresh spring and imperial rolls.
610 3rd St, San Rafael
Royal Thai focuses on quality, fresh, and delectable food. Using fresh veggies from local markets, their large variety of vegetarian options are popular choices for everyone.
286 Magnolia Ave, Larkspur
This Californian Italian restaurant already found in San Francisco Duboce Triangle has opened a branch on the main street of Larkspur in the space where Roma Antica once occupied. The Rustic is owned by Chez Panisse alum Zoti Ali Turap, and serves mostly Italian dishes as well as Mediterranean specialities like vegetable tagine.
2165 Francisco Blvd E, Unit C, San Rafael
Monica Chang’s sliver of a cafe at the southern end of San Rafael specializes in Korean food with dishes such as bibimbap, kimbap and bulgogi. The breakfast and lunch café also makes more familiar fare such as tofu protein rice bowls, banh mi sandwiches and breakfast burritos with eggs and kimchi fried rice.
534 4th St, San Rafael
Thai Smile brings a small slice of Thailand to San Rafael with its traditional style of cooking and Thai decor. Call to dine in for lunch, dinner, or take out and bring the tastes of Thailand home.
881 Fourth St, San Rafael
Vin Antico, “where passion meets the plate,” serves seasonal market-inspired cuisine like stone-oven-baked flatbreads, handmade pastas and organic salads, all innovatively prepared. The kitchen is open to the dining room and there’s a full bar with artisan cocktails. Black sesame-crusted tuna is classic, even better with an Il Capo negroni.
1238 4th St, San Rafael
Named for the founder’s wife (“Yet” refers to the moon, “Wah” to brightness), this beloved downtown mainstay has a traditional Chinese menu and daily dim sum. Live music is sometimes on offer in the Kung Fu Lounge and a gluten-free menu is available.
180 Bellam Blvd, San Rafael
Marin families flock to Yu Shang for its family-style service and the Japanese and Chinese-American-inclusive menu. That means platters of Mongolian beef and Moo Goo Gai Pan are right at home next to plates of salmon teriyaki and pork tonkatsu.
198 Sir Francis Drake Boulevard, San Anselmo
The one-Michelin rating earned by the restaurant is reflected in each dish on the 11-course tasting menu that reflects chef Ron Siegel’s passion for Japanese flavors. Once seated in the small dining room, sit back and enjoy treats like Santa Barbara sea urchin with white ponzu, somen with shrimp hasami or duck breast with black truffle and caramelized sunchokes.
510 San Anselmo Ave, San Anselmo
Families flock here for the fresh pastas (bombolotti al sugo, gnocchi a la bava) and pizzas. But the wide bar and upstairs lounge makes it easier than ever to share a plate of carpaccio di zucchini or petrale sole served piccata style.
726 San Anselmo Avenue, San Anselmo
A perennial go-to for locals since it opened in 2013, The Baan Thai Cuisine serves all the curries, stir-fried noodles, and spicy soups and salads you would expect at a traditional Thai restaurant, but the elevated execution, beautiful presentation and excellent service sets it apart. Among the fan favorites are the crispy, sweet corn cakes; Thai samosas filled with taro, sweet potato, pumpkin and corn; spicy drunken noodles; and yellow curry. Make sure to try their in-house specialty tom yum and tom kha wheat beers.
23 Broadway, Fairfax
Now with its own heated parklet and open-air back patio strung with market lights, Stillwater provides an upscale atmosphere filled with warm, rustic tones. The music always creates a good vibe and the menu matches their eclectic taste. You’ll find items like fish (or roasted sweet potato) tacos with pineapple salsa, a fried chicken sandwich on a poppyseed bun, a cheeseburger 3.0, and a little gems and avocado salad with a sweet and sour vinaigrette that puts other leafy meals to shame. Also of note — in an otherwise dated bar scene (hello, hippy Fairfax), this little restaurant serves up craft beer, specialty cocktails — their “No Voodoo” drink with mezcal, green chartreuse, fernet, lime and lemongrass hits all the flavor profiles — and has a walk-up wine window.
After 15 years at Sausalito’s Osteria Divino, chef Elena Fabbri, who grew up in the restaurant business in Tuscany, decided that focaccia sandwiches with porchetta would be her niche, launching a catering company that highlighted the dish in 2017. (Her husband, Gustavo Mutul, runs Pibil, serving Mexican and Italian pork tacos and sandwiches at the San Rafael Sunday farmers’ market.) Cooked on the in-house rotisserie, pork belly is cut right at the ribs to remove the loin. It’s a one-two punch that makes Fabbri’s porchetta juicy, crispy, irresisitible. Fabbri’s full-service restaurant, which opened last spring, leans into Tuscan flavors with a complete menu of antipasti, primi and secondi. The porchetta — on a sandwich at lunch, with eggs at brunch, with Brussels sprouts and roasted squash at dinner – is destination dining-worthy.
A sit-down restaurant in downtown San Rafael blends owner Manivone Vongsouthi’s Thai/Lao heritage in dishes of nam kao todd with homemade Lao sausage and plates of papaya salad studded with Thai green eggplant. Large plates of kap piet sem and kao prik sem feature house made noodles and Vongsouthi makes all the curry pastes in house, too, and garlic lovers will swoon over plates of garlic fish. There’s even Lao beer.
Chef de cuisine David Sypnicki changes the menu of burgers, sandwiches and small plates at the Italian trattoria adjacent to Villa Inn to meet the season. Pappardelle with braised beef and kale and local rock cod with spicy tomato-fennel broth are signatures and the short-rib and brisket burger is not to be missed — try one with a house made limoncello or a Nonna Joe with whiskey, sweet vermouth and Campari.
Into the former Marche aux Fleurs space comes Marché from owners Darren and Alicia Banks. Their focus on seasonal ingredients in plates of avocado toast with Urfa chile, shishito peppers with togarashi, house-made gnocchi with shiitakes, and corn and duck confit with green lentils is Californian all the way, and the Tuesday night tradition of fried chicken with cornbread and cole slaw remains intact.
Northern Marin
Novato
7416 Redwood Blvd, Novato
This cozy eatery offers an array of Italian and American dishes, including a long list of pastas; try the house-made ravioli cooked up by chef Edgar DeLon.
7089 Redwood Blvd, Novato
For authentic Chinese cuisine in Novato, China Palace has a variety of tastes and dishes and uses high-quality, fresh ingredients. Stop by for dine-in or take-out when craving your favorite noodle dish.
In the evenings from Sunday through Wednesday, LaVier Cuisine from Chef Guillermo Lara operates as a popup within Novato’s Toast restaurant. Delicious Latin fusion fills the large space in the Hamilton Marketplace. Tacos, ceviche, camarones and plantains complement homey curries and Thai influence. Pasta and plate entrees round out the sophisticated menu, with plenty of options for a range of diets.
Not just serving up Vietnamese classics on their lunch and dinner menus — though they do serve great pho, banh mi, vermicelli noodle bowls and so much more — La Maison de la Reine also offers 15 kinds of boba and milk tea, including some dairy-free options. And vegetarians have plenty of options to choose from, making this restaurant a great stop in Downtown Novato.
West Marin
Stinson Beach – Point Reyes – Marshall – Tomales – Lagunitas-Forest Knolls
1 Beach Ave., Dillon Beach
Highlighting the extensive bounty of the North Bay’s local food shed, Coastal Kitchen at Dillon Beach Resort serves up a curated menu ranging from fish and chips with tarragon remoulade to pulled pork sandwiches with cabbage-fennel slaw, seasonal veggie plates with tzatziki and hummus, and perfectly crispy fries. They also have a kids menu featuring items that coax “the magic word” from anyone’s lips — read: the “Mac and Cheese Please” dish. Located on a mile-long private beach, the restaurant has nearly panoramic views of sand dunes and waves. Fair warning: a pre- or post-dinner walk may be in order.
7282 Sir Francis Drake Blvd, Lagunitas
We love the mozzarella-topped quesadilla/pizza/naan cultural mashup that emerges from the tandoor fragrant with fenugreek, chaat masala and fresh coriander leaves and the lamb wrap infused with masala and tamarind chutney, a plentiful repast to be enjoyed on the sunny patio. The gluten-free onion fritters are a must for first-timers, while experienced eaters will savor the mushroom makhani and malai kofta — they’re mild and slightly sweet.
625 San Geronimo Valley Drive, San Geronimo
Guided by a family ethos for locally sourced and ethically produced food, owners Andrew and Susi Giacomini and chef Alejandro Cano serve food and cocktails all day at a restaurant and bar near downtown Woodacre just off Sir Francis Drake Boulevard. That means Stemple Creek eggs in a breakfast dish of steak and eggs and Pt. Reyes Farmstead Cheese Company toma on a lunch order of grilled cheese. Dinner is served three nights a week in a spacious room with a fireplace or on the shaded back patio.
Sonoma County
6751 McKinley St suite 130, Sebastopol
Chef/owner Jake Rand, who also owns nearby Sushi Kosho, is making a case for seafood as a reason to head north at his latest spot at The Barlow. Sit at the marble bar or at one of the French-style bistro tables to experience Randʼs hi-lo menu that spans the global seafood cannon. Crispy oysters bedeck a heap of impossible to stop eating duck fat fries, Spanish octopus is grilled “a la plancha” with shiitake dressing and black garlic aioli, bluefin tuna arrives square-shaped, topped with crispy capers and yuzu aioli. Pair your meal with a glass of wine from the mostly French list.
6 Petaluma Blvd, Petaluma
It’s only the freshest ingredients at this charming bistro in Petaluma’s historic mill building near the river. With a seasonal menu that highlights local agricultural producers, Wild Goat Bistro keeps a current and delicious selection of meat, produce and wine. Dinner picks can range from Neapolitan pizzas to mouthwatering short ribs and beautifully crafted salads.
Mendocino
961 Ukiah St., Mendocino
Known far and wide for their wood-fired brick oven breads, Cafe Beaujolais provides a complimentary breadbasket that is anything but an afterthought — and should not be skipped. Elegant yet relaxed, this California French culinary destination serves simple yet innovative dishes including lamb barbacoa quesadillas with tomatillo salsa, customizable Beaujolais bowls, garlicky kale pizza (all pizzas are available until 5pm, for an early dinner), smash burgers and plenty of vegetarian and vegan options. Due to Covid, dinner is take-out only, but their garden out back is available for those who want to nestle into a quiet, sun-soaked spot to enjoy their meal.
More Local Favorites in the North Bay
Who’s writing these?
Meet our always-hungry team of foodies who compiled this list.
Please let us know if we’ve missed your favorite eat@localgetaways.com.
