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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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

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

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

My SIL & BIL took us here today finally! They've been telling us this is their fave pasta spot next to their house. It was yummy. I enjoyed all the pasta dishes that they ordered in pics. Forgot to take a pic. The only thing I thought was OK was the special of the day. It was a duck risotto. The duck was Smokey which stood out, but I like my risotto style creamy. We came at 5 on a sat and there was a good amount of people already. As it got to 6ish it was pretty packed. They have outdoor seating as well with very strong heat lamps. read more

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Had a work dinner here on a Thursday night. Convenient parking structure just steps away. There is a second back room so it is bigger than it looks! The pasta was consistently good between all the dishes ordered. I preferred the pasta with the creamier sauces, but the gnocchi was pretty good too! But the ravioli might have been my winner for the night. Apps were pretty good, the leek quiche pastry app though was my favorite! Calamari really hit the spot as well. The berry bread pudding for dessert was amazing!! Def dont sleep on it! read more

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Wife and I were out for lunch, roaming around downtown San Rafael and off the main drags were a number of small restaurants. Among them was Il Davide (David's), so we took a sidewalk table and had a very pleasant time. Turns out that Il Davide has been there for 22 years. We can understand why. Yes it was lunch, but when I saw others drinking a Manhattan, I joined them. It was a Templeton Manhattan ($16)and was excellent. Great little small plates, salads, pastas, fish, meats...come on...it is Italian and very much so with the pasta hand made in house and the preparations done with excellent sauces. Yummmm. Wife had Torta de Porri ($12) which was garlic-infused custard, leek & mushroom tart with a sweet crust & truffle oil. She would not share. I went for calmari fritti ($17), thinking that fried calamari would be a simple appitizer kind of lunch and found myself attacking a mound of fried squid. It was soooo good. Two hours later we left...satisfied, and went home for a nap. Think about it. read more

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

Food and service is great. We were greeted by the owner. He is there helping his staff and running the place. Food is delicious. Sorry, we had just started eating our food. We will be coming again. Owner is attentive and interacts with everyone. We felt welcomed. 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

I honestly don't understand what the hype is all about... the service is ok, the drinks are standard and the food is average. Everything we ordered from the cheese, ravioli to veal was so so and expensive. With so many wonderful Italian options this one misses the mark. read more

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Came here with a friend. The ambiance is nice. There are indoor and outdoor seating. Staff were super friendly. My waiter was a character. He had jokes, stories, and even shared photos of his dogs. Started with the brussel sprouts. They were delicious!! I wanted seconds. My main course was the Linguine alla Vongole. It was just right in flavor and the amount of pasta and clams. Did not get a chance to take photos because I was too hungry. I would totally come back and I highly recommend this place. 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

Came here for dinner last night. We ordered the insulate della Davide, which had nice feta cheese, roasted walnuts, and a nice light dressing, overall wonderful. My son loves fresh gnocchi so he ordered the gnocchi di mango with the short rib sauce. The gnocchi was light and airy and the sauce had a nice beefy flavor with pieces of short rib that my son loved. I was going to order the papardelle ai tres funghi but another patron next to us suggested the ravioli with fungi instead. The ravioli was very tasty but the skins were a bit firm for my preference but still overall very good. For dessert, we shared the tiramisu- which was light and airy and had great flavor. The meal began with a nice selection of fresh breads with a ramekin of flavorful olive oil to dip the breads. Overall, great service, great food and nice ambiance. We will be back! read more

We had my 80th birthday party at Il Davide last Saturday in the private room. It could not have been nicer! The staff, including our waiter Francisco and the hostess Dina, were wonderful - so kind and helpful. Our food was prompt and delicious. Thank you Il Davide - we will be back! read more

Fantastic Italian food - made fresh and with high quality ingredients. Fantastic wine list, too!

You will not forget their bruschetta & mushroom ravioli! They are amazing. We love this restaurant so much that we held two family meals for our wedding here. We had a party of 27 immediate family members/wedding party for the rehearsal lunch in the private room. The restaurant even prepared floral decorations for us on the table. Another party of 25+ extended family came here for dinner after we highly recommended here. We love how this place has a parking structure right next to the restaurant - secure and also has elevators for the parking structure. The downside from the day was that we felt that we were charged for wine bottles that we did not drink. A lot of our guests do not drink for religious reasons so there was no way that 25 adults and 2 kids drank 8 bottles of wine during a lunch event. That would add up to each person drinking at least two glasses of wine, and we know that it did not happen. Our extended family that had dinner also stopped a waiter opening a wine bottle that they never ordered. We nonetheless still love and appreciate the restaurant. Highly recommend! read more

Il Davide - The restaurant even provided cute floral decor for our private rehearsal lunch! - Italian Near Me - San Rafael, California

I hadn't been here for many years and it was really good. Great ambiance, excellent service, and super delicious food. read more

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Had an absolutely amazing experience here with a party of 11. I wasn't able to make a reservation for a party that large online but called in and was told it was no problem. Arrived and we were seated promptly. The service was fantastic with our server being very attentive throughout our meal and very kind when my niece accidentally spilled her drink on the table. The food was delicious, everyone loved the appetizers, bread and their entrees. Desserts were very tasty as well. read more

4 dinners, each differrent, all cooked erfectly. The wait staff was superb, Allowed us to socialize uniterupted both before and after dinner. Although they were busy, we were not rushed. The prices were not cheap but the meals were affordable. Big bonus was there was non significant noise level. It was like having dinner at home. We will return soon. read more

We had a wonderful dinner last night. Food was amazing and our waiter Brian was just a delight so friendly. Keep up the good work love this place. Lois A read more

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

In town for the Mill Valley Film Festival. Our group wanted a bite to eat after our screening. So we strolled on by. It was about 5pm and the inside was starting to fill up. We wanted the patio and got the last table. 1 app 3 entrees later cost $100+. I had the clans which was tasty. Someone in our party accidentally ordered a meal with meat and they switched it out without incident. Fast and friendly service! Ambiance was nice and everyone enjoyed their food. Quite happy with the meal and this restaurant. read more

Back in the area again and decided to come back to II Davide. My husband pretty much ordered the same meal as last time, the beet salad and the chicken parmigiana. I went with a little gems salad with salmon. We were both disappointed in the food. He needed a sharp knife to cut his chicken and my salmon was very over cooked. My salad was NOT little gems lettuce and it was missing some of the ingredients it said on the menu. The service was outstanding and they didn't charge me for my glass of wine. I think we just hit it at a bad time. read more

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Il David's was a discovery made on our way to Lido's Italian film festival. Early dinner was so wonderful, the owner, David, stopped by our outdoor table and visited, he was very kind and personable. We loved the atmosphere there so much that we decided to return for coffee and dessert after the show. The staff was wonderful!! They made our experience at Il Davide so warm and inviting... the food was authentic, comforting and delicious. I would highly recommend this hidden gem of San Raphael. Cin Cin! read more

The food was delicious and the service was great! We had the Meza plate as an app. I had an app for entre of 3 shrimp in a delicious sauce. I think it's an entre but they made a smaller portion for me. read more

Superb birthday dinner, party of 6. Love the menu, delighted by the variety of small plates, plenty to share and everything delicious. Portions are very generous, prices very fair, service friendly and we were well taken care of. It was quite busy on a Thursday night, and a bit noisy. A five * reliable dining experience. read more

This restaurant is at the top of the list for amazing meals and ambiance in Marin County. The food here is always prepared to perfection and so tasty! I would highly recommend the Orecchiette Alla Davide. Such savory flavors and textures that make this such a great dish. Pretty much never had a bad meal here and the management and staff are always friendly accommodating. Always a prime choice for a special occasion or just a nice night out for a great meal. read more

Been eating here over 20 years and had another great meal here last night to celebrate a friends 60th birthday. Service is excellent, attentive, personable, gold. Food is always delicious and consistently good- the hallmark of excellence. Highly recommend! I also think the prices are very fair, especially compared to other places where in my opinion the food isn't as good. I live in town but would travel here for the food and atmosphere. Like I said, always good. read more

I've eaten at the bar a handful of times and the food and service have always been solid.

Amazing food. My families go to place for a nice meal. The service is phenomenal. I would highly recommend. read more

This place is really special! Every time I come here the quality is 10/10. The service is 10/10. The ambiance is beautiful! The food is unbelievable! It is so good! The sauce on the trophie pasta on the chicken parmigiana is the best sauce I've ever had! The desserts are delicious! The tiramisu was so rich and creamy! The fig jam with the toast and burrata was incredible! read more

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I can't believe it's taken me this long to review this favorite spot! From the ownership down, the staff and food here are always stellar. I've been fortunate enough to know Nick and Ben by name and they're only two of the engaging, service-oriented individuals who've made Il Davide an institution in San Rafael. On this most recent occasion, we were served by Ed and Angelica delivered most of the food to the table with poise. The Arancini was incredible - a light, crunchy exterior and creamy risotto inside, with a tangy, spicy tomato sauce to accompany it. I'd never tried this small plate before, but it's an instant favorite. The heat from the tomato sauce was the perfect level for my palate - not overwhelming the dish, but adding depth and interest. The Pollo alla Parmigiana il Davide was quite honestly the best I've tried - anywhere, ever. Every aspect of this dish was a delight, from the succulent chicken to the fresh, delicate pasta that accompanied it, the rich cheese and that tomato sauce again, which provided that balancing acidity. My friend was equally pleased with his Due Ravioli dish, enjoying the pancetta in the one and the tenderness of the short rib in the other flavor. Their tiramisu did not disappoint either and my cappuccino had an admirable amount of foam. Ed was attentive and patient as we kept getting lost in conversation and took a few promptings before we were ready to order. He wasn't above cracking a joke or two to keep us entertained either. The friend who joined me there had been to an event that was held at the restaurant years ago, but this was actually his first chance to dine here. We'll both be back! read more

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Went for my birthday dinner! But the waiter did not make the night very cool because he made weird comments the entire dinner. Don't remember his name but he was a middle aged asian guy with spiky hair. He kept asking for our phone to take our photos but it was more of a demand to give him the phone rather than a question. He asked if there was any allergies for the table and I told him just nuts and his response was "I guess I'll have to get another waiter for you" and that made me very uncomfortable. He got two orders wrong and we didn't realize it until it came out and we didn't want to ask. He told my friend if he didn't want his dish (the wrong dish) that he would eat it instead. I get he might have been trying to be funny but it was not coming off as that. The food is always great! However, the first round of bread was not fresh. Also got to try the bees knees drink which was pretty ok but I wish had more lemon. Not the birthday dinner I wished for but at least the food was still good. read more

Il Davide - Italian Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Great food, great ambiance and it's quite an institution in San Rafael. Both lunch and dinner are great.

Came to Il Davide to celebrate Joann's birthday at her request. Ellen called a week or so ahead to reserve a table. When she and I arrived, Joann and our other friend were already seated with water and a plate of bread and oil. The bread was good but we all thought it probably would've been better if there had been balsamic vinegar at the table as well. We then ordered our dishes and then chatted as we waited for our food to come out. I ordered the Tagliarini all Scampi ($26) which is not on the to go menu (in case someone was looking for it). The flavor was definitely there and I enjoyed my food. It seemed a bit pricey but we're supporting a locally owned small business so it was fine. Joann also really enjoyed her Ravioli di Zucca (butternut squash ravioli) though for $25, she only had a few pieces. I think the letdown of the night seemed to be the Papparelle ai Tre Funghi ($24) which was dry and bland. After the entrees we had dessert. I had the blackberry Cabernet sorbet which was decadent! The berry flavor bursted through with the distinguishable Cabernet as well. All in all, we all had a good time chatting and eating. Our waiter was extremely busy but when he would come by our table, he was very personable and upbeat. He earns the restaurant a star right there! There is street parking outside but we chose to park in the parking structure right behind Il Davide. In retrospect, we'd park on the street instead. The parking lot was a bit creepy and when we went into the elevator (take the stairs!) there was clothes and burnt tar/rubber on the floor. They also have a single stall restroom which was clean and well stocked. You do have to go down a little hallway to get to it and if you're waiting for it to free up, you'll probably be in the way when the person comes out. read more

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The food and service were top notch! Came here on a date, and the server was attentive to all of our needs. They were busy, but it was worth the wait. For the future, we will likely make reservations beforehand. The ambiance was perfect for socializing, not too loud, but not uncomfortably quiet. Establishment was clean and had impeccable etiquette, thank you! read more

I had heard that Il Davide was the best place to get Italian in our area, and it did not disappoint. For me, what really makes a great Italian spot is the incredible, warm- make you feel like you're in an Italian grandmother's kitchen- type of service. And of course the food. This place had both. Our server was warm, attentive and had great suggestions for us. I had the veal piccata and my husband had the gnocchi, and we loved both dishes. I love that they have a great variety of wines and in all price ranges. We landed on a delicious bottle of Nero d'Avola for around $50- they didn't have the year we ordered but gave us the pricier bottle for the original price. My only suggestion is to not make the mistake that I did filling up on the bread because the dessert menu looked incredible. I can't wait to come back. read more

Il Davide - Vttello Piccata in front, Oxtail Gnocchi in back - Italian Near Me - San Rafael, California

I've never had a bad meal at Il Davide. Always the service is respectful and attentive. Even when busy you never go unnoticed or pushed. And every one at the table raves about their choices. read more

I love the Mushroom Ravioli as always! So delicious. This is a great restaurant! Fancy and delicious. Great customer service.