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    Paseo: A California Bistro

    4.2 (136 reviews)

    Paseo: A California Bistro Photos

    PASEO: A CALIFORNIA BISTRO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Romantic
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Paseo: A California Bistro

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    Miso Glazed Black Cod
    Isabella R.

    My god, their new chef Sylvan is genuinely so good. He constantly changes the menu and keeps you on your toes. I have never continuously gotten hungrier throughout my meal. Their sommelier/Kevin recommended us one of the best wines I have ever had. Every bite was pure heaven and the host and waiters were extremely kind. You will be licking the plate. Ambiance is cozy, elegant, and charming. It's like a little getaway and perfect date Night, meeting with friends, or a family meal. Butternut squash ravioli: 5/5 perfectly melted in your mouth. I would describe it close to a soup dumpling. The flavors meshed perfectly and every bite was heaven. Miso cod: 5/5 perfectly light and fluffy, perfect level of umami without overpowering the miso taste. Perfectly complemented with the brocollini. Very healthy and light fish. Steak: 5/5 perfectly cooked with a 30 layer potato. Perfectly crunchy on top and soft and buttery on the inside. French onion dip: 5/5 extremely creamy and perfectly caramelizada onion dip. Potato chips were freshly baked to perfection. Best potato chip I have ever had. Crab cake: 5/5 sooo light and healthy and not overly fried like the rest of the places. The cucumber créame/slices are perfect company. Ceviche: 5/5 I loved the twist with the mango and the crunchy vegetables, the mini chips and sauce on the side were great. Desserts 5/5: I tried all 4, and all 4 will not disappoint. I will say my personal favorite was the chocolate lava cake but it is hard to chose from such a great selection. My family's opinion all varied because we could not decide. Dessert late: my entire family ordered one after we passed one around and tried it. Extremely delicious. If I could give this place 6 stars I would. Quality reminded me of a couple of Michelin stars I have been to. One in particular is PRESS.

    Mocha(specialty house pepper mocha, GET THIS!!), house made Parker roll
    Kellee T.

    I had never been to Paseo & my daughter brought me here for my birthday. I'd walked through the charming bricks in downtown Mill Valley many times & had been curious about this place for some time. It's covered in vines & decked out in Bistro lights, ADORABLE! We sat outside to take advantage of this & I'd say that was our one mistake. Mill Valley being what it is went from comfortable with heat lamps to shiver cold. We were there an excessive amount of time though. The food was phenomenal. My daughter as I said was treating me & feeling very grown up. She had never made a reservation before & the restaurant was a surprise. But she wanted to order everything and prolong the experience. She did pretty well. We both ordered drinks, their housemade bread which is amazing, & small plates. The staff probably thought we were done at that point & came to clean up but that is when we ordered our main dishes. I got the steak while she got the cod. My steak was cooked to perfection & I loved the accompanied scalloped potatoes. Do not miss the mocha, the bread, the steak. Service was a bit slow, especially being that it was a Tuesday night but they made up for it in the end.

    Butternut squash ravioli
    Melissa W.

    Great service and fantastic food. Loved it here and would come back. I felt like we were in a secret hideaway on a rainy night. We wound our way through a bricked passageway and found the front door. We were offered seating in front of the fire though we ended up sitting next to it so we could enjoy a comfy cushioned booth. Our server was chatty, helpful and attentive. We also had our water topped off regularly. No rush to eat and everything tasted great. I'm a bread snob so I usually ask if the bread is good. I'm a novice baker at home so I'm always curious what restaurant bread turns out like. I tried the Parker rolls with two butters and they were absolutely worth it. They were portioned in tiny rolls so you could enjoy more of the butter and wouldn't fill up so much by pacing yourself. This is going to sound like the beginning of a joke or innuendo but I mean this sincerely: The rolls were hot and moist with a good crumb. The spouse had duck and I got a bite and it was sooo good. I wish I'd asked for more of hers. I had the butternut squash ravioli, which was a little sweet and had a lot of textures going on with things like pepitas. Didn't have a lot of sauce to speak of, which was actually refreshing. I enjoyed the textures without a heavy sauce. We also shared a salad. I forget what it was but it was great and we enjoyed it. For dessert, the spouse had the apple tartine. Normally I'm the one who ends up picking the dessert but I feel bad about that and the only answer is always chocolate. I didn't have room for dessert and the spouse did and this was a good choice. It had a nice crunchy layer, a perfect texture of apple and a nice little spot of ice cream to assemble into a perfect bite. And indeed I did have a bite. Thanks for the perfect experience on a quiet, rainy night.

    Duck breast

    Duck breast was reasonably well cooked and pretty tasty with the sauce. Wish the skin was a bit crispier. The vegetables were a bit bitter and perhaps not really my type.

    Morgan S.

    A lovely little restaurant in mill valley! We came here to celebrate a 50th wedding anniversary. We had the entire back room which was such a great touch. It was an intimate atmosphere that allowed for a great time. All of the food was phenomenal. I had the salmon and it was cooked to perfection. My go to drink of the night was the spicy marg! A perfect combo of sweet and spicy. The service was great throughout the whole night. The servers were all very knowledgeable! I can't wait to come back and try more of the menu.

    Thanksgiving Menu
    Emma S.

    My sons and I made reservations for Paseo on Thanksgiving Day. I'll admit, I've always wanted to try it - back to when it was El Paseo. The charming cobblestone alleyway that it's tucked into has so much character! It was a prix fixe menu, priced at $95 per person. The long and short of it was that the food was solid, the service was professional, but the value felt a little lacking. We were seated in the room to the left of the entrance and the other tables in the room were a son and his elderly mother, a couple who seemed to spend most of the meal on their phones and three men who may have been family members, but they were dressed like business associates. I'm not usually sensitive to the other guests, but we were seated at a center table and the atmosphere was so quiet and subdued that it made me more aware of time passing and how everyone seemed sedate. The food quality was good. The sunchoke soup was flavorful and quite rich. The turkey was honestly one of the best, most flavorful turkey dinners I've ever tasted. Not a dry mouthful in the meal. (Amazingly and to their credit, it was just as good reheated the next day!) The pumpkin lasagna was good, though so rich I wouldn't have been able to make my way through it! And my other son was happy with the Beef Tenderloin. Our desserts were tasty as well. My only actual complaint is about the value. I realize the cost of turkey has increased and I fully grant that they knew what they were doing with their preparation of the meat. There was just... something a bit basic about everything - from the interior decor which was mostly white walls and a large mirror on one side of the room which reads "Paseo." It just didn't feel warm. The service was professional, but a bit cursory. I felt a bit bad for the server actually. It seems they either don't carry Sprite or 7Up or had run out, so they were offering guests a lemon flavored housemade beverage that didn't seem to fit the bill. Same with root beer requests which brought a recommendation to try the sarsaparilla. On the one hand, I'd like to give them another chance, perhaps on a non-holiday occasion, when I can taste their regular menu, but on the other hand, with as many choices as we have in the Bay Area, I'm not sure I'll make it back.

    Cocktail
    Crystal M.

    Jewel of downtown Mill Valley! Enchanted passage way leads to this exceptional restaurant. Gorgeous, old world interior and whimsical court yards transport you to somewhere in Europe. Unique drinks and extensive wine selections can match beautifully with items on their menu. Enjoyed everything from the starter, especially the desserts were memorable!

    Leah S.

    After following the career of the brilliant Chef Brandon, we were thrilled to hear he found his new home at Paseo. We got a reservation as soon as we could and were excited to experience the food and ambiance of the Chef's new restaurant in Mill Valley. Our dinner reservation was on a weekend close to their official opening, and we were seated promptly in the room in the back with the gorgeous copper fireplace. On first blush, the interior is warm and inviting, with an unmistakable California flair. I felt a little like I was transported to Carmel with the wonderful indoors/outdoors vibe to the courtyard and the bar across the walkway from the main restaurant. Alexandra was our server for the evening, and she was friendly, helpful, and attentive. We started with some non-alcoholic cocktails, I ordered the First Blush ($9) and he ordered the Cucumber Collins ($7). For our meals, he ordered the Market Greens Salad ($16) and the Llano Seco Pork Loin ($36), and I started with the Beet salad ($14) and the Local Rockfish ($30) for my entree. The drinks were beautifully prepared and super flavorful, and I appreciated them having a variety of fun non-alcoholic drink options. Our salads arrived and were gorgeously plated. My beet salad was absolutely packed with flavor and had a wonderful texture combo of crunchy and soft, with the salty/tart/sweet mix of beets over a cloud of local goat cheese. Hubby loved his salad as well, and we both remarked at the freshness of the pears alongside the toasty hazelnuts. The entrees were also beautiful to look at and smelled even better. My rockfish was perfectly cooked and was served with a dazzling saffron sauce. I completely admit, I asked Alexandra for a spoon, because I didn't want to lose a single drop of that sauce! Since I cook mostly plant-based at home, hubby was thrilled with his pork loin, which was cooked just the way he likes it, and was an ample portion. For dessert, we ordered the PB Mascarpone Crunch Bar ($14) and the Chocolate Indulgence ($14) and thought they were both amazing. I do have to say, the chocolate indulgence won out over the crunch bar, but they were both decadent, delicious, and beautifully made. Overall, we were really pleased with our dining experience at Paseo. Though we did not order off their cocktails or wine menu, we did note they had a great selection of local wines and mixed drinks, and their bar area was fun, vivacious, and modern. Huge kudos to Chef Brandon and the rest of the team at Paseo for hitting it out of the park with their gorgeous new restaurant home in Mill Valley! Wishing them all the best with Paseo, and we are looking forward to dining here again soon.

    Scallops
    Sophia S.

    Phenomenal restaurant. Everything was exceptional. The ambience and staff is fabulous. Maia, was our server, she was so kind and welcoming. Highly recommend this gem of a restaurant.

    Lamb 3-ways
    Steven H.

    What to order: Chocolate Lave Cake dessert TLDR; solid dishes but overpriced for standard fare I don't think any of us were blown away by our meals here, so it seemed expensive for an interchangeable experience. The venue is nice and was quiet and friendly enough to have conversations so we had a lovely time but were pretty shocked when the bill came especially since we didn't even all order alcohol.

    Crab Eggs Benedict
    Mary M.

    What a charming and welcoming little brunch spot. Service is Once you go past the entrance and walk back, you will find the bar on the far right and dining entrance on the far left. With house made everything you will love every bite.

    Thursday night Jazz!

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    Great food and drink a must hit when in Mill Valley. It's an upscale vibe w/o the San Fran price tab - just loved it!

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    Celebrated an anniversary with family in the private wine cellar room. Everything was lovely from start to finish. Wonderful experience.

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    This one is very easy to review, not many words needed. OVERPRICED. PRETENTIOUS. NOT WORTH IT. We are not coming back. Good luck.

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    Page 1 of 4

    Ask the Community - Paseo: A California Bistro

    Can the restaurant accommodate Wheelchairs?

    Our bar, outside patio, and both dining rooms are wheelchair accessible.

    Is there a child menu or option and will there be a special menu for Mother's Day?

    What are the hours for brunch?

    Normally we are open for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 10:00am to 2:00pm, but we are currently revamping our property and menu offerings. Please stay tuned for an update from us on social media, and we hope to serve you again shortly!

    View All 5 Questions

    You might also consider

    Corner Bar

    Corner Bar

    4.2
    (67 reviews)
    0.1 mi

    Came here on a staycation weekend and the food, service, and drinks were amazing! We stayed outside…read moreas we brought our pup with us (super dog friendly!) and even for being outside on a FIFA game night, our server was still super attentive (I forgot her name but she was such a friendly young lady!) All of the food and drinks were amazing. The orange creamsicle (?) drink ESPECIALLY was so good. Would definitely make the 1+ hr drive back out there again.

    We had such a great experience at Corner Bar and will absolutely be back…read more Our server, Sydney, really made the visit stand out. She was super accommodating and attentive without being overbearing. Once we told her what we liked, she immediately knew what to recommend and guided us through the menu perfectly. You can tell she knows her stuff. We came specifically for happy hour (we're definitely HH aficionados) and made it our mission to try everything on the menu. While the chips & dip were good, they're something you can find elsewhere, so not necessarily a standout. Everything else, though? OUTSTANDING! The hummus, whipped feta, and muhamarra were next-level--easily some of the best we've had. The CN burger sliders were also a hit--we had one each and they were so yummy that next time my husband is already planning on getting two. The drinks were on point. The espresso martinis absolutely fueled our afternoon in the best way, and we also tried the creamsicle cocktail and the shrimp Za'atar from the regular menu--both were super delicious in their own way. The ambiance was great, and the bartender was clearly on top of things, which always adds to the overall vibe. One thing worth noting: happy hour is now only offered Monday-Thursday, but Sydney was kind enough to honor it for us on Saturday since the website hadn't been updated yet. That level of service really sealed the deal for us. Overall, a fantastic experience from start to finish--great food, great drinks, and even better service. Easy five stars.

    Photos
    The velvet and leather upholstered lounge area boasts whimsical art, tongue-in-cheek lighting details, and open views of the town square.
    The velvet and leather upholstered lounge area boasts whimsical art, tongue-in-cheek lighting details, and open views of the town square.
    Corner Burger with spiced fries
    Corner Burger with spiced fries
    King Salmon Tartare on crispy potato latkes with lemon, cucumber, creme fraiche, dill

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    King Salmon Tartare on crispy potato latkes with lemon, cucumber, creme fraiche, dill
    The Rock & Rye

    The Rock & Rye

    3.7
    (29 reviews)
    0.1 mi
    $$

    Listen, just to be clear, Rock n Rye is not a regular restaurant, it fills so many gaps. A way to…read moreeat and have awesome beverage before the show at Sweetwater....check! A way to get your Peet's coffee on from 7am to closing....check! A way to escape some of super-expensive places in MV....check! I love camping here with a Peet's latté and my computer or book or magazine any time of day! Yah, they have big screens on too! Love it!

    Great outdoor dining in Mill Valley! They have outdoor heaters and retractable rooftops, so it's…read moreperfect on a sunny or even rainy day! Ambiance: casual Service: attentive and nice! Food: Everything was so good!! Steelhead salmon tostada with veggies- not too sure why I thought it would be poke style salmon! It's fully cooked salmon, super flavorful with the veggies Grilled cheese with burrata!!! - never had a burrata grilled cheese so this was up there. Very cheesy and delicious. Nola burger - bun was soft, meat was cooked to medium rare, loved the sauce it came with and crispy shallots. Also the fries were perfection! Little gem salad with anchovy - had to get some greens in my meal. Can't go wrong with this! Baked eggs in purgatory spicy tomato sauce with chickpeas- classic brunch item! Dessert: Mixed berry with cream cheese gelato was heavenly! Fruits complimented the cream cheese gelato. So delish!! They also have a great cocktail selection!

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    The Rock & Rye
    Fried brussel sprouts
    Fried brussel sprouts
    Front

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    Front
    The Bungalow Kitchen

    The Bungalow Kitchen

    4.1
    (1k reviews)
    5.5 mi
    $$$

    What a treat…read more.. Hadn't been to the location since it was Guaymas - what a transition. Same beautiful views, upscale interior that goes with the casual like atmosphere. Outside seating was relaxing and the views complimented the evening. Nice to see staff members with smiles on their faces, don't always see that at a restaurant! Fharid was the server, ever attentive, but just enough! What's important...the food! Romaine Caesar Salad - just enough of the flavorful dressing to compliment the salad. Roasted Half Chicken - tender and absolutely delicious. Portions were very filling. A wonderful homemade peach mint chutney enhanced the flavor option if you so wished. I love chutney, wished I could buy a bottle to take home! Dark Chocolate Cake - words can't describe how good it was! Dark chocolate cake, sour cherries, fresh whipped cream - a piece of chocolate art. Hated to destroy the dessert, but I did! It was decided I should meet the baker. She came out and I thanked her again for the beautiful and flavorful surprise. The Bungalow Kitchen: Great evening, wonderful food, atmosphere is superb, lucky to live nearby.

    WARNING! As of June 2026, this is no longer a Michael Mina…read morerestaurant. The view is amazing! The decor is comfortable with lots of light. All of the employees are helpful and pleasant. The Manager Peter really appears to be on point. My dry aged bone in New York strip had real dry aged flavor. It was a little under seasoned and with no salt and pepper on the table I just ate it. My GF really enjoyed her filet. The one thing we both said was that both of our mains and both of our sides were served on the cool side. They were at the temperature that most meals are at when we are at the end. The corn side was served on the cob; ridiculous. JUST DON'T! The menu is small. All of the employees were instructed to tell EVERYONE that they just added 12 new items to the menu. Which means that they threw out Michael Mina's menu and replaced it with their own. Was this a nice night out? Yes Was this a great meal? No Is this a destination restaurant? No If I was in the neighborhood would I go there again? Yes definitely. Valet parking is $15. Can you find nearby parking and walk? Sure. Corkage fee $45.

    Photos
    The Bungalow Kitchen
    The Bungalow Kitchen
    The Bungalow Kitchen

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    Hook Fish at Proof Lab Beer Garden

    Hook Fish at Proof Lab Beer Garden

    4.2
    (725 reviews)
    2.1 mi
    $$

    I had Fish Hook before in San Francisco and got to try this location and the food is amazing!…read more I got the oysters, the ling cod fish plate, and black cod tacos and my favorite is definitely the ling cod plate. The ling cod is one of my favorite fish they have there and the rice and the tomatoes on the plates are delicious!!! I wish the staff here are more friendly and the food can come out a little slow, especially on the weekends. The staff mentioned that we would have to wait for 30-45minutes for the fish and chips so I didn't get it and I wish I could if I didn't have to wait that long. But overall I really enjoyed coming here for fresh fish options and a great place to come with friends!

    I can't comment on the food because I never got the chance to eat it. After waiting in line,…read morereviewing the menu, and finding options that worked with a temporary diet I'm on, I placed my order. Only when it came time to pay was I told they couldn't enter my order because I didn't already have a table. Apparently you're expected to secure a seat before ordering, and there was a wait. I don't understand this policy. One of the advantages of counter-service restaurants is that you order first, then find a table while your food is being prepared. That keeps things moving. Requiring people to occupy a table before they can even place an order seems like it would make everyone's meal take longer and reduce table turnover, which seems counterintuitive and inefficient. The bigger problem is that this wasn't obvious to a first-time customer. I had no reason to think that this restaurant operated differently than virtually every other casual counter-service restaurant I've been to in my life. You only find out after you've already waited in line and are ready to pay. To make matters more confusing, my husband had eaten here before and simply ordered first and found a table afterward, just like he would anywhere else. He had never encountered this policy. If it's only enforced during busy periods, that's exactly when customers should be clearly informed before they spend time waiting in line. I'm sure Hook Fish is popular with regulars who already know how the system works. For a first-time customer, though, the experience was confusing and frustrating. I live nearby, but this was such a poor first impression that I won't be back.

    Photos
    View from outside (Sept 2024)
    View from outside (Sept 2024)
    Ceviche
    Ceviche
    Apple cider, dry

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    Apple cider, dry

    Paseo: A California Bistro - newamerican - Updated August 2026

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