I didn't know what to expect driving up to this spot, which is tucked next to an older motel near the freeway. Entering through the back, I passed a fully stocked bar and chose a table in the adjoining dining room. It is spacious and comfortably arranged--no sitting elbow-to-elbow with strangers here! The service is exceptionally warm and accommodating. I arrived at 5:30 p.m. for their Wednesday prime rib special, but they were already sold out due to online pre-orders. Luckily, they offered me an end cut. It was the most tender prime rib I've ever tasted--melt-in-your-mouth, soft, full of flavor and absolutely amazing. The clam chowder was just as spectacular. It was rich, creamy, and loaded with large clams and thick bacon instead of being padded out with cheap potato filler. I left full and highly impressed. Even the leftovers I ate for lunch the next day were just as delicious 18 hours later. I will definitely be back. What a great gem hidden in San Rafael! read more

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We agree with all the other 5 star reviews. Food is a great value. Happy Hour, both food and drinks is likely the best in Marin. Keep in mind, it's not fancy décor or pretentious in any manner. Just a solid neighborhood Café that is attached to a motel. Pro Tip: The Prime Rib on Wednesday always runs out. It is wise to reserve your Wednesday table on Monday or Tuesday and indicate that you want the prime rib and indicate how many people in your party want it a portion reserved. That way, they will hold it for you. If you can't show, cancel so that they know to release your Prime Rib for others. Robbie at the bar and bar tables is solid. read more

Welcomed the minute you walk in. Directed to a seat and given a menu. Allen is a very professional young man. He always says, "glad you came back!" The theme is Italian, and the decor clearly makes a statement of Italy, as does the menu and wine list. We usually get soup and salad, but tonight we decided on the special offerings! My daughter got salmon with cheesy risotto and mushrooms and peas! It was amazing and full of flavor! I got the prime rib sandwich with arugula and horseradish aioli. It was so delicious a mouth full of flavor! The sour dough bun was soft and easy to eat, soaking up all the flavors in each bite! We will be back next month! Keep my white zen chilled! I'll be back! Thank you! read more

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Our first time here. WHY haven't I been here before?! Service 5 stars. Robbie was great! Food 5 stars. Beet arugula and goat cheese salad. Fettuccine Bolognese. Cioppino. SOOOO GOOOD!! Ambiance 4 stars. Great oldies in the background. I'd prefer dimmer lighting. 15 corkage fee. We definitely will be back!! read more

What a hidden gem! After seeing so many posts about it on my local Nextdoor site, we decided to give it a try. We went during happy hour. The happy hour menu has such a wide range of small plates, that we ended up over-ordering, wanting to try as much as we could! Can't wait to go back to try something from their dinner menu, especially their prime rib Wednesdays! read more

Cafe Villa is the kind of place you stumble upon and immediately want to keep to yourself--but it's too good not to share. From the moment you walk in, the atmosphere sets the tone: mellow jazz floating through the air, a seaside serenity that feels like a deep breath after a long day, just a 10-minute drive from the shore. The food? Absolutely on point. I started with the Bruschetta Classica--simple, fresh, and perfectly dressed with EVOO and a tangy balsamic glaze. The Margherita Flatbread was next: crisp edges, warm mozzarella, and just the right hit of basil. And those truffle fries--wow. Drizzled with malt aioli, they were rich, savory, and totally addictive. Drinks were equally memorable. The Cabernet had a lovely caramel finish that lingered in the best way. And the Prosecco--served in an adorable Lumina bottle straight from Italy--was bright, bubbly, and refreshing. Prices are beyond reasonable for the quality. The bartender was friendly, welcoming, and clearly takes pride in the space. I genuinely love this little haunt. It's rare to find a place with great taste, great vibes, and no pretense. Cafe Villa is a five-star standout. read more

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What a great little find next to the Villa Inn in San Rafael. As I was checking in to the inn, I noticed a flyer for happy Hour at the on-site restaurant. So we headed over at 5pm and had 2 glasses of wine ($6 a glass), bruschetta $6, arancini $8 and fried calamari ($8). All that served as our dinner. Our bartender was very welcoming and gave us some tips for exploring the area. We're going back for dinner tomorrow! read more

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Best happy hour in Marin!! Drinks, food, service (shoutout Robbie) and atmosphere are unbeatable. 10/10 recommend. read more

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Every dish (soup, salad, appetizers, main courses, dessert, cappuccino) was delicious and every staff member was friendly and helpful. This is a hidden gem. read more

Got there @5:10pm. PrimeRib sold out, but im the only person in the restaurant. May be great Prime Rib, But only for reserve ahead customers. Not Walk-Ins read more

We had a delightful evening at Cafe Villa. Delicious food and cocktails, friendly and efficient service. What a neighborhood jewel. I can't wait to go back. read more

After reading the reviews, I expected more from both the food and the ambiance. Both were very average.

Cafe Villa offers fantastic food, generous portions and friendly service, all reasonably priced. We had a lovely meal and will return soon! read more

What a hidden gem! Not pretentious at all for Marin, and it's the best kept secret - not anymore thanks to Yelp. Sharing is caring, and I love sharing such amazing gems of a restaurant. Chef David is a rockstar - boy, can he cook! They have prime rib on Wednesdays and Saturdays (can also order a la carte). The servers are attentive, never an empty glass on our table. The bar is a fun hangout spot with happy hour drinks and bites. There are TV's to catch a game or two. The pappardelle with beef brisket ragu is phenomenal. The restaurant may need some signage out front, as people might think it's closed. It's located in a vintage motel with ample parking. There's also plenty of street parking for days when this place is packed. Can't wait to come back for live music, and superb dinners. 'Til we meet again ~ cheers and see you on Yelp (SYOY)! read more

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Cafe Villa! Warm and welcoming from your first step in the door. Superb flavors, generous portions, and family-friendly prices. Alan, our server, was gracious and attentive. Five Stars! Truffle fries were just amazing. Lamb chops and Crab Cioppino (one of the night's specials) were both prepared brilliantly and so delicious. So easy to drive past and miss this quiet gem off San Rafael's Lincoln Avenue, but worth the stop for a wonderful Italian meal! read more

Solid good menu. Family owned and nice to see them happily running a restaurant together. Out of the main action area.

Another shout out for Cafe Villa! Such a San Rafael gem in every way. In the last month I have been for two dinners and two happy hours. Best service, exceptional food and such a lovely chill ambiance. Don't miss the Wednesday nite prime rib special...incomparable...but the menu items are exceptional as well. Support this great local business...go for a holiday celebration!!! read more

We had a lovely meal at Cafe Villa last night. I had the butternut squash ravioli, which was delicious on a bed of spinach and garlic. My dining companion had the fisherman's stew, basically cioppino without crab, and it was also very good. Service was friendly and the restaurant was not very crowded. Definitely adding Cafe Villa into the dining rotation! read more

I have been to a lot of restaurants in Marin and all over the country. This is the first time I thoroughly enjoyed everything we ordered and we ordered a lot of appetizers, salad, main courses, and dessert. The cocktails are great! All the food is freshly made! Food presentation is also great! The restaurant is attached to the Villa Motel. I have driven past it many times not knowing what a treasure I was missing. Someone recommended it to me. I took a chance and now it's my favorite restaurant in Marin. And the prices are unbelievable for the quality you get. I don't think too many people know about it. It needs to be booked every night read more

Great food. Great Owners. Definitely a part of our regular dining rotation. Family friendly.

Great food, great service, great prices. A bit out of the way, but worth the trip. Prime rib on Wednesdays, but be sure to make a reservation. read more

Kind of a hidden gem, not exciting on the outside but very welcoming on the inside. The food is delicious, definitely worth another visit. Tried the salmon over risotto, a winner! read more

Do not go. I went here after reading reviews of other Italian places in Marin saying this place was better. Those people must be joking or bots. The atmosphere? Not good, but that's okay. The food? Reallllly not good. I think they may be reheating frozen food. I'm not expecting NYC level Italian, but this was gross. Waste of time and money. The servers were also just ambivalent to anything . Stay away. Don't believe other reviews. Truly read more

Delicious Italian dinner. Everything was fresh and the place was spotless and great friendly service. Everything from cocktails, mocktails, apps, salads dinner and dessert was outstanding. read more

Food is outstanding. Accommodated our large group in a private room. Service exceptional.

Disappointing. Three dishes sampled -- one pasta v good, one soup ok, one inedible. I don't recommend the sproouts.

My wife and I stopped here for lunch after a recommendation from her brother. I ordered the Prosciutto Panino and she had the Spaghetti California. I would venture to say my sandwich was one of the best I have had. I should have stopped at half as I was getting full but it was so tasty I had to finish it. It is served on a soft warm ciabtta roll and the flavors were amazing. The Spaghetti California was delicious and a very large serving that my wife was happy to bring home to have for dinner. Our server, Isla was amazing, friendly and attentive. The restaurant although in an older building was clean and fresh in appearance. We will definitely be going back. read more

I enjoy going to Cafe Villa for dinner or happy hour drinks and snacks. It's your neighborhood restaurant that servers good food. They've been open for over a year and have become a fixture to the Lincoln Ave area. The Italian food is Hearst and wonderful in the winter. The gravy on the pasta is tasty and the wine is good. I've been here several times, and would recommend a visit. The food is a little pricy but good. The restaurant is now open for lunch on Tuesday's as well. read more

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A good Italian restaurant for the area. Friendly, lively, decent menu and full bar with music on the 1st and 3rd Fridays at 6:30p. We had awesome truffle fries (wonderfully crispy and light) and the pappardelle with braised short ribs others raved about. Very good, well prepared and a good sized dish to share - it comes in a small and large portion. We got the large. It was a cold night and the restaurant was also cold. We kept our jackets on the entire meal. Bar area was very noisy, which spilled into the dining area. It was a busy night and our dish took well over 25 minutes to come. Glad we had the fries! So I would not promote it as a romantic spot, yet. Maybe as the weather warms up. It still has a bit of a coffee shop feel attached to a motel. But I would go back and try it again. read more

Cafe Villa - Cold inside. Tablecloths would help. - Italian Near Me - San Rafael, California

Greatest happy hour in the area and also a super amazing hidden gem kind of restaurant. I've always had great service at the bar.

Great beer chinook place more people should try outside San Rafael. Excellent Italian food, wine list and deserts. Staff is attentive and quality and portions are so generous . Second chef since they opened equally as wonderful. Wonderful prices too. Don't let the location fool you! It's the charm frankly of it being next to a motel. read more

Food is amazing, bartender is great. Happy-hour prices are phenomenal and they have happy-hour on Saturdays with half-off options on food. Can't beat the prices. Let's get some younger people in this hidden gem of a spot. read more

OK this place has re-opened, the food is very good and the drinks are strong, the only down fall is, it's next to a dive hotel, They did a very nice job remodeling. The bartender is awesome and super friendly. I will definitely be back to try more food. I think the bartender was super tired and mistakenly charge my card for the full bill and took the $20 in cash as a tip I guess? Was a split bill, But it was straightened out right away. read more

Cafe Villa - Italian Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Cafe Villa is such an amazing restaurant.. The place is so unassuming, quiet, lovely background music that you can still hear each other talk.. It's just so relaxing and the food and service is outstanding, I just love this place.. Plenty of parking, easy access from the freeway.. read more

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I never expected to write a five star review for any restaurant connected to the Villa Inn, but here we go. We checked this place out after seeing the surprisingly high Yelp rating. The food is like a marriage of old school family Italian (from this East Coaster's point of view) with the bright fresh flavors of California cuisine. Our favorite was the beef ragu pappardelle. The chicken parmigiana was also good--and even better as leftovers the next day. The fettuccine Alfredo that came with it was light and authentic--not the heavy, gloppy American pretender. The venue itself is best described as unpretentious. We just picked up takeout, but it was very busy on a Saturday night. The parking lot was overflowing. I agree with another reviewer that if Cafe Villa wants to be more competitive, it should: 1) change the name. Even something plain like Trattoria Villa would convey its particular appeal more. I personally would take "Villa" out to distance it from associations with the motel, but if it's a family business, they might be attached to "Villa." 2) Polish the interior decorating to be either more stylish and updated or go full-on old school family Italian bistro. 3) Get a new sign that suits and advertises the restaurant better. Still, given how popular this unpretentious restaurant is in its first few months, they probably don't need my advice! As long as they keep up the high quality cuisine at affordable (especially for Marin) prices. read more

Delicious cafe under the radar. Must have passed this place a hundred times and never knew there was a restaurant! Great service, quiet atmosphere, fresh food. Salad was great. Grouper delicious, served with mashed squash and sautéed spinach. Large wine list, several beers. Even offered my kid complementary ice cream for behaving well. Will be back! read more

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I think they have a different chef than a year ago. And the staff too. Go to the bar for a wine or beer and get the sliders! read more

We love Cafe Villa! From the outside it can look a little questionable, being bundled in with a motel on Lincoln Ave, but it's a fantastic restaurant with great food and friendly service. Try the squash soup and ask for croutons, it's awesome. read more

Great food and service. Off the beaten track in terms of location but aren't those spots so wonderful to find and enjoy!

As some of the other reviewers have stated, I too live in the neighborhood, just across the freeway. Two of my neighbors and I went to happy hour on a Thursday and got there just a little before they opened. We came in and stated we new we were early. The bartender didn't say a word. We sat at the bar and when he was ready he asked what we'd like. I got wine and the other two got cocktails, a paper plane, which she loved and a margarita which she did not love. We ordered the brussel sprouts, spicy praws, calamari and the antipasti plate. Nothing stood out except the antipasti plate, which we laughed at when it arrived. Long bread sticks broken to look like there was more, I kid you not, three small pieces of cheese, 3 bites. The bartender never once smiled or seemed happy. If you go for happy hour you will need to bring your own happy because the bartender does not provide any. read more