They lost the reservation I had made for Valentine's day, and wanted us to wait for a table on one of their busiest days of the year. Yeah, no. Never again. read more

Very elegant fancy place to go...foods are amazing,would recommend it for sure! My family enjoyed it here read more

Excellent service! Great teamwork among the wait staff. We were attended by no fewer than 5 people during our visit. Food came out pretty fast (20 minutes). We both loved the Due Ravioli (my husband ate half my dish). Two types of ravioli on one dish. You will not be disappointed. read more

Il Davide - Ambiance and scenery. Also us. - Italian Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Stopped by for dinner after cataract falls hike. Tried the burrata appetizer, Chilean sea bass, chicken parm and finished up with bread pudding. First off, the restaurant, service and live music was awesome. The dishes were all excellent!! Burrata was so creamy and paired nicely with that awesome fig jam, copa and the nicely toasted points of bread. The fish was executed perfectly with a nice light crust and moist meat. The saffron lemon cream sauce was a little tangy for me, but still good. The chicken parm was for me, the star. Chicken was so moist, crispy coating with plenty of cheese, flavorful marinara and fresh pasta in a cream sauce. I would get that every day!! Bread pudding was also excellent. Wasn't heavy like most bread puddings. And the creme anglaise sauce was killer. My only beef with this place is they charge extra to use a credit card. The price of the dishes were already on the high side and then they make you pay extra to use the card. I feel it's a cost of doing business. I was inclined to lower my tip to compensate. read more

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Came here on a work trip and was feeling seafood. I can see this being a great place to have a dinner date or to celebrate a special occasion. The waiter recommended the Seabass special that had saffron cream sauce and asparagus on top of polenta. The fish was so tender and flaky and the polenta looked almost like an English muffin. It was the perfect portion size and the sauce complemented the fish so well. Highly recommend. I also tried the custard leek appetizer. It looked like a tart with a savory leek filling. My server also thought this was one of the best things on the menu and I have to agree. For dessert, I had the lemon coconut tart, which tasted like a lemon flavored macaroon with that crème brûlée shell topping and lemon curd on the side. It had the texture of a coconut macaroon. The only recommendation I would have for this is to put more lemon flavor in the actual tart. I I would still highly recommend though. Overall, this place was well worth my money. Rarely do I recommend everything I ate, but I can confidently say that everything I had was excellent including the service. My server was top notch. read more

An easy 5 star review! *Very accommodating staff that worked as a team *Easy walking distance from nearby hotels *Excellent choices on the menu-very high quality and taste fantastic (Taste like grandmaw cooked it) Don't miss out on this! I highly recommend. Go see for yourself. read more

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I've been here several times and the mushroom ravioli is epic but last night I had the chicken parmigiana and it was fantastic! It's the perfect sauce you want in an Italian sauce and the chicken was quality. Delicious. I can't wait to go back! read more

I don't go out to eat anywhere anymore, prices are ridiculous, customer service is terrible, food is mediocre. I have friends who have been coming here for many years, they only do top tier food/travel so I finally made a reservation. BEST EXPERIENCE I HAVE HAD IN YEARS. Party of six and everyone ordered steak, crab, seafood plate, lasagna, drinks & desert. I am a very discerning person. All six of us were absolutely thrilled with our food. Il Davides is the best place to eat in Marin Country in my opinion. The portions were large and delicious, I swear I was in HEAVEN. The risotto was melt in your mouth fantastic. The seafood (prawns/scallops were cooked just right and tasted so good I couldn't believe it. What a great experience. This review is 100% honest and accurate. I just wish there was an Il Davides in Sonoma County. read more

I was really disappointed in this place. I heard great things so decided to take my family there for a dinner when my in laws were in town. I had the beet salad and I was not blow away. My girlfriend had a salmon and said it was just okay. The biggest issue was the waiting staff. I'm not sure if it was just because it was a busy night or what but we got ignored by our waiter the entire night. I had to chase her down to get a refill of water. read more

This is the best neighborhood restaurant in Marin. Great food, great service, great drinks and always packed. Highly recommend. We come back a lot. And now they do online reservations! read more

We had an excellent meal. We ordered the mussels and clams appetizer, the best cioppino I have ever had, roasted sea bass and an ok lemon tart. The only downsides were the long wait to order due to the small wait staff (Cesar was great), the rock hard bread initially served and the 4% extra service fee that like all businesses playing this game, should be added to the pricing. Had I noticed the extra surcharge before making the reservation, I would have boycotted the business. read more

We searched Google for nearly an hour for a place worth eating. Came across the Google reviews for Il Davide, and didn't look back. Best decision of the weekend! Ambiance was pleasant, food was enjoyable and the server Nicholas, Nikolai, Nick was the cherry on top. He was extremely knowledgeable of the menu and provided some great dish insight. We had the best calamari, Lobster Risotto and dulce diverso...something other, just try it.You will not be disappointed. I will definitely be coming back! read more

I gave Il Davide a glowing review 7 years ago--and I'm delighted to say they still deserve every word, and more. Il Davide is more than a restaurant--it's a place where I feel welcome and cherished every time I walk through the door. The staff are consistently kind, friendly, and warm in a way that feels real, not rehearsed. They treat me like they're genuinely happy I'm there--and that alone is worth five stars. But then... the food. Oh, the food! The lasagna and the ossobuchi are just like my mamma used to make--rich, comforting, and made with love you can taste in every bite. This place is a little haven in Marin. I always leave with a happy belly and a warmer heart. Grazie, Il Davide. You're doing everything right. read more

I've been to this spot, at least four or five times while traveling for work. I love their fresh salads, fresh fish, and appetizers. They have a great wine menu and will allow you to sample, so that you can pick something that hits your pallet just right. The ambience is perfect for a date night, a lunch, or anytime to just sit at the bar with the friendly bartenders. The service was great and I will continue to go back whenever in San Rafael. read more

First time trying this place. Was hopeful due to their reviews. However we had a lot of issues throughout. There were four of us and they brought 2 ice waters and 2 room temp ones. No discussion, no asking first. Then the food came. They served us the entree and forgot the salad. Then when they admitted a mistake, we weren't given a credit. We were forced to then take the salads home with us. We got the capallini , which my husband liked, the paperdelle which had an odd taste so my son wasn't a fan, my mom and I shared the calamari which had a lovely sauce to it but it oddly came with penne that had a different sauce. Why? The corn ravioli was lackluster and not worth the pricey tag. Also note the menus at their entry are old. Their lunch sets are $29 not $21. Then to top it off, the check came incorrect and they charged us for an extra entree. The ladies at the front were super nice but this is a no return. read more

10/25/2023 Had a long and hard day at work so I wanted to go out for dinner. I made a reservation at this restaurant for myself and my boyfriend. It was pretty easy to find and parking was not hard to find at all. We had the best waiter! He was very friendly and accommodating. I ordered a glass of wine and my boyfriend ordered a shirley temple. We started with the bread and olive oil. Of course we asked for balsamic so we could mix the balsamic and the olive oil together. Best dip ever! We also ordered the Scampi Bruschetta as an appetizer. It was delicious I would order it again. For our entrees we ordered the following: Linguine Alla Vongole- I love a good linguine and clams pasta! It was a little bit salty for me but besides that it was delicious! Pappardelle con salsicca- My boyfriend ordered this pasta and loved it! I have to say after we moved to Richmond we have started exploring restaurants across the San Rafael bridge. Lots more to explore. read more

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The service was top notch. My waiter was super attentive and extremely knowledgeable on the dishes and how it was prepared. I would definitely recommend eating outside as the indoor dining is loud. The salad portions are large so I highly sharing a salad for an appetizer. The wine list is very deep but make sure you have a backup selected because your first choice might not be available as some of the wines are limited. I loved the pasta here, the mushroom with truffle sauce was delicious and the pasta are made locally so you can definitely taste a difference. read more

Il Davide - Wonderful wine!! - Italian Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Overall good food but a few other comments. Service speed was lacking. Believe server had too many tables inside and outside and couldn't handle . Bread was stale. Server didn't offer desert menu. read more

Best bartender in Marin! Food excellent, service great! Just a quality dining experience! Thank you!

Rip off. The $28 pasta was supposed to come with soup. We were charged on top. Good food, bad service and ripped off. read more

Il Davide - Rip off. - Italian Near Me - San Rafael, California

Amazing, amazing, amazing. Love the truffle raviolis and the Caesar salad with Salmon. You have to go to Il Davide!

I came here with a friend and it's been so long since I've been here. Love the atmosphere! The food was amazing and service was great. Definitely going back read more

Amazing food! Pesto gnocchi is always my go to order! Service is great even when busy and doesn't feel crowded when it is! Only downside is that they don't offer delivery and only pickup. read more

Date of Visit: 9/24/2023 After our day hike at the Point Reyes National Seashore, we visited Il Davide Italian restaurant located in San Rafael. We called about 30 min prior to our visit, and made a reservation for 2. We sat in the indoor dining area right away. The waiter served us bread with Bread Dipping Oil. 2020 Leviathan Red Blend $20 Ordered a glass of the 2020 Leviathan Red Blend, which was produced in the area of Sonoma and Napa, sourcing from Moon Mountain and Coobsville. This is a blend of 56% Cabernet Sauvignon, 15% Merlot, 13% Petite Sirah, 7% Syrah, 5% Petite Verdot, and 4% Cabernet Franc. With aromas of plum, black cherry, cocoa, and some spices of white pepper and cardamom. The wine has bright and persistent acidity with intense tannin. Hemingway Daiquiri $14 I ordered a glass of Hemingway Daiquiri. This is a cherry blended rum with grapefruit and lime juice. Sweet and sour taste of the cocktail and with brandied cherry garnish. Scampi Bruschetta $16 We got the Scampi Bruschetta for appetizer, with rock prawns and shrimp with a classic garlic and butter scampi sauce on sourdough toast. Very buttery taste. Pollo Alla Parmigiana Il Davide $30 I got the famous friend chicken breast with mozzarella and tomato sauce. On the side there is Baked trofie pasta. Tagliarini Alla Scampi $27 We also got the rock Shrimp and gulf prawns tagliarini, which taste similar to the appetizer. We originally ordered the clams linguini but the waitress told us they were out of clams, and we wanted something with white sauce, so switched to this one. Tiramisu $9 Love the tiramisu with caramel and chocolate sauce on the side. Fluffy and creamy taste of the tiramisu, and the waitress gave us two glasses of port on the side to go with the tiramisu, which was fantastic! read more

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Of note, this is a review for their catering and day-of-coordination services for our June 2024 wedding at Marin Art & Garden Center. THE BEST CATERER, DAY-OF-COORDINATOR, AND STAFF YOU COULD WISH FOR!!!! David is an expert in the wedding catering business and has catered over 200 weddings. He is very professional, highly knowledgable, and easy to work with. He was very transparent about pricing, staffing needs, and expectations. David works closely with a rentals/linen company to get you affordable pricing. He walked us through every step of the way. If we could do it over again, we'd still choose IL DAVIDE! Day-of-coordinator: In addition to catering services, we hired Sara Gray, who is their exclusive coordinator. We chatted over the phone a few times to discuss our vision and timeline before meeting in person to tour the venue together. She created a timeline for us (about 2 weeks out from the wedding) and was the point of contact for all vendors and staff day-of. She also helps with design/decor set up. After the wedding ceremony, she arranged to have drinks and appetizers brought to us, so we could have a private moment together. Sara is so sweet, very communicative, and organized. We are so thankful to have had her guidance to make our big day run smoothly. Food: 10/10 delicious Italian food made with care! Our guests raved about all the food, from the hors d'oeuvres during cocktail hours, to the drinks, to dinner. The drinks were delicious and refreshing (our signatures were a basil gimlet, paloma, and old fashioned). Some favorites from the hors d'oeuvres were the ahi tuna tartare, prosciutto-wrapped shrimp, and polenta caper bites. For dinner, we chose buffet style, which kept the food warm and fresh and allowed people to try everything. David ensures everyone gets their plate of food within about 30 mins. Multiple guests raved about the truffle mushroom ravioli, and people even came back for seconds (which then ran out!). Salmon w/ cream sauce and balsamic braised beef were perfectly cooked. Service: All the catering staff and bartenders were on point! Our guests commented how nice and professional everyone was. David ensures there's at least 1-2 staff dedicated to just filling water! They kept everyone's glasses full of drink and hydration :) This shows just how thoughtful he is about his guests and ensuring a good experience. Again, I cannot recommend David, Sara, and his staff enough if you are catering any event! read more

Great service. Great ambience. Loved the Bolognese. Now the positives are out of the way, the spaghetti and meatballs was aggressively so-so. The meatballs were delicious, but the marinara sauce could've been better, a little sweet for my taste . The Lasagna is a hard pass for me. Not a huge fan of the starter bread either. All in all, if I had came here and only ordered the Bolognese and a coke (my usual order) I would've walked away a very happy customer. PS a note to management I think you should improve the quality of bread you serve, it goes a long way, also softening the butter would be a huge plus. Definitely would try again. read more

We stumbled across this restaurant and came in on a random Wednesday, we were surprised to see that it was still pretty busy! At least 60% of the tables are filled, which is a good sign in my book. We got the salmon, lamb ribs, and truffle mushroom ravioli. Everything was sooo good, definitely one of our favorite dinners from our weekend trip up here. We had a great time here and would definitely come back if we were in the San Rafael area ! read more

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Exceptional as always! We live in Sonoma county and don't get the opportunity to eat here as often as we'd like, but when we do, we go all out. I can't say enough about the food. The menu makes it difficult to decide. Always fantastic! Having grown up in an Italian family, we know real Italian food. Il Davide is a step back in time to my childhood memories of what nonni made. SO GOOD!! Service is prompt, on point and David is always there to talk and check in with how our meal was. Just love this personal service!! Highly recommend Il Davide!! You won't be disappointed. read more

We had the petrale sole and the scampi, both good but the petrale is just the BEST!, the sauce is to die for. Next time I will get the Salmon, also very delicious. the clam chowder is only on fridays or we would go more often, our favorite soup ever. A truly good restaurant, with great people, a wonderful owner Davide, and a lovely place to dine for lunch or dinner. read more

First of all I needed to ask for another server because the first one was extremely rude to me and my family. The second wasn't too much better though. My risotto was more like a stew and the menu price was $28 but when I placed my order the waiter said it was $38. The waiter was totally disrespectful to me when I told him I would split the bill with another person but he didn't do and brought the bill for just one person to pay. How hard is for people to do what they are supposed to do. I don't recommend this place. Not coming back at all read more

The food was excellent. However, the menu on Yelp is out of date. Pricing for the meal I purchased was double the published rates for online orders on Yelp. I had them customize my entree. They did a great job and the food was delicious. read more

I can't remember having a better birthday party than last night at il Davide! My children asked me to pick my favorite place to celebrate my 92nd birthday, and I of course chose il Davide. The food and service is always excellent, but last night the staff went all out to make my day extra special. I love you all! read more

It is impossible to imagine my wedding reception without singing praises to David, Ellen, & their team. From the initial tasting while shopping around for what food we wanted to the final execution of our wedding day, this was one of the best and easiest experiences of my wedding planning. The taste and quality of the food alone should sway everyone to work with Il Davide. When it came down to logistics of creating a kitchen at our venue, David reassured us that everything would work out along with the timing of our schedule of events. Ellen is a queen at planning, setting up and making sure all things worked out seamlessly and relieved any stress I had during the planning process. The day of my wedding, I was carefree while their entire team were the most gracious and fun hosts. It was a one stop shop working with Il Davide (food, bar service, linens, chairs...basically anything I needed) and David was amazing with communicating with us every step of the way and answering all of our questions with honesty. My guests could not stop raving about the amazing food they had (proclaiming it was the best food at a wedding they've ever had) & they loved the friendliness and professionalism of the staff. If you want amazing service that comes stress free, do not hesitate in reaching out to this great family business. read more

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David Hayden catered our wedding and did an amazing job! The food was absolutely incredible and our guests are still talking about it. The staff was attentive and professional. We couldn't have asked for better catering--highly recommend! Gina and Mark Michna read more

The service was great, the ambiance was nice, and they had a great menu. I just wish the portion size was bigger for the price. read more

Il Davide - Tasty but too small portion for me. - Italian Near Me - San Rafael, California

David Haydon catered our June 2025 wedding at the Marin Art and Garden Center, and hiring him was hands down the best decision we made in the entire wedding planning process. 1. The Food In terms of "most important things to us" when planning our wedding, we didn't initially anticipate the food being something our guest would remember the most. We were wrong, it absolutely was. After our tasting with David, we realized just how special the meal would be. Throughout the night, people came up to us raving about it. A few standout comments: - "I went back for thirds of the mushroom ravioli -- and I don't even like mushrooms." - "This is the best Caesar salad I've had in Marin." - "What the hell is in this butterscotch pudding? I can't stop eating it." From start to finish, the menu was thoughtful, beautifully executed, and genuinely memorable. 2. The Hospitality One of the first things David told us was that he runs his catering staff like he runs his restaurant: with white-tablecloth-level service. And he meant it. As one example: multiple staffs member were assigned solely to ensure no water glasses were empty all night. Every member of the team was warm, professional, and impressively attentive -- whether someone needed a fresh fork, a full wine glass, or an off-menu drink. It was seamless and elevated the entire guest experience. 3. The Chef David himself is a force. He brings experience, professionalism, and heart to everything he does. Throughout the planning process, he was clear and transparent -- helping us make choices that were both cost-effective and guest-friendly. On the day of, he wasn't just calling the shots -- he was in the trenches with his team, delivering plates and swapping dishes. And most importantly, David genuinely loves what he does. His passion shows in how he treats his clients, his staff, and all the other vendors. In short: David and his team are nothing short of phenomenal. Work with him. You'll be glad you did. read more

Amazing, authentic Italian food here! Came here with a big party for a birthday and staff was super accommodating and kind. They could have been a bit more attentive as we had to keep asking for the same things, but it was a busy night. For apps we got the brassato, torta di porri, calamari and polpette. All were delicious but I liked the brassato the most as it highlighted their tasty braised short rib and polenta! All the specials they had that night sounded amazing and I tried the lobster risotto and lamb shank. Plenty of Lobster meat and the lamb was super tender and fell right if the bone. Good portion sizes. Ambiance is lively and high energy. Overall, a great spot to dine if you are looking for a nicer meal for a special occasion, a night out or date night! read more

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This is the best restaurant in Marin. I don't think there is a close competitor really. Phenomenal food each time I have been there. The Chicken Parm is next level. Also don't skip put on dessert, they have some great options. Also the service has always been top notch. A great spot! read more

Great overall experience. The food was thoughtfully prepared and full of flavor, the service was attentive without being overbearing, and the ambiance was elegant and inviting. It is on the expensive side, which may not be for everyone, but it's a solid choice for a special occasion. read more

The food was very good and the service was outstanding. The price was a bit high (spent around $40 person).