Bustling place. Two ladies next to us, lingering over their drinks, got politely but repeatedly asked to surrender their table. Which they did, no drama. Small space, high demand in downtown SR, so it's clear they need to maximize what they have through coordination, and in this particular case, coercion. But there's a note at the bottom of the menu warning diners arriving before 7 that they might be asked to relinquish their tables in timely fashion. Or words to that effect. As to the food, third time around, still underwhelming. Fries and fritto misto were great, but the tagliatelle was overcooked and mushy, as if it had been languishing in warm water for too long. Having been a prep cook back in the day, I can understand why pasta gets precooked, but at a certain point it loses so much texture that it just needs to be chucked. They graciously took it off the bill, which really wasn't necessary, and I opted for fish and chips, given that the fritto misto starter had been really good. Well, the fries were great, as I said before, and the truffle version probably even better, but I'm married to -- what? --a fungiphobe, so I couldn't go there. Regrettably. But the cod was still pink on the inside, which I've never seen in deep-fried fish before. I didn't even know that outcome was even possible. Long story short, we're big fans of the concept, a city-style restaurant in SR, but it's just too expensive and disappointing for what it presents. $33 for fish and chips? Seriously? read more

I enjoyed my meal, but portions are small and my friend didn't care for the small portion and overly creamy carbonara. Beignets were the best part. read more

Thankful to have a fantastic Italian restaurant with a creative menu that tastes as good as it sounds. Great atmosphere inside and loving the al fresco dining that's been the norm during the pandemic. Great wine pairings and a kids menu to boot! read more

So we arrived 5 minutes to the reservation time and had to track down the hostess that never told us there would be a wait for our table. After 15 we asked for a wine menu and then never came up to us again until she offered us a 2 top tiny table for a party of 3????? Again no asking for wine order after almost a half hoot we got sat by pushing tables together and we otdered finally our 12-13$ glasses of wine. 3 sips and gone. Food was good but small portions as well. Second glasses of wine were like 8 sips but still small. City prices for 1/2 the amount but fine once sat for the most part......won't go back read more

First time I've ever left a restaurant review... One star because of delicious food prepared carefully, nice vibe BUT REALLY bad customer service and hostess. We were rushed through our (birthday!) meal... and were approached five times about whether we wanted dessert (we were chatting, having a leisurely time-- who knew that was a problem in a fine dining establishment?)... and finally, after we ordered port, the hostess came up to us and said "no one likes to hear this, but another party has a reservation and has been waiting 15 minutes for your place." Sorry (I've worked in food & beverage), but it's not the customer's fault if you overbook... now they had two parties pissed at them: us and the one who was waiting! My friend and I got up and told the hostess we would not be returning, and that it would be a really good idea if she & her colleagues could find a better way to handle such situations. Too bad, the food was good & the place has potential! Our waitress, I must say, really was quite gracious and tried to make up for bad management... it just wasn't enough... Maybe after this place settles in & gets more experienced hosting staff, things will improve. read more

Came here as the place had decent reviews. We went for an important dinner to meet my fiancés family and we were not at all impressed with the food. Service was great but the food tasted terrible. The pasta was tasteless and reminded me of meals I had in prison. It wasn't inedible just nowhere near what I'd expect for a 20 plus dollar plate of pasta. Location shouldn't dictate the popularity of a restaurant but this is about all this place has going for them. read more

Won't be going back. Cannot comment one way or another about the food. My poor score relates to service. I walked in at 5:20 PM (the place opens at 5) to place a to-go order. I was not in a rush. Shockingly, I was told that they were not accepting any phone orders or walk-in to-go orders given how "busy" they were. This was a specific direction from the manager. There were people there, but certainly no crowded waiting area or line. I accept that this is their choice for customer service. But honestly, I would have been fine if they had told me the food would have taken an hour. Refusing to take my order entirely is another matter. For this reason, I plan to never return. read more

The absolute best restaurant in Marin County! The menu changes daily, the fish is super fresh, the homemade pasta is amazing, the appetizers are creative and tasty, and the service is STELLAR. Be sure to make a reservation. This tiny, tastefully decorated place is packed every night :D read more

The Kitchen Table - Appetizer with raw scallops and halibut, white beans and grapefruit - Italian Near Me - San Rafael, California

The food is good, so it's such a shame that this place is managed so poorly. We had to wait 40 minutes for a table, despite having a reservation, and then waited over an hour from the time we ordered until our food arrived. Worst of all, we were not even offered any sort of apology for any of it, which makes me think it's just the norm. It might be the norm, but it's definitely not acceptable. read more

Went last night at the recommendation of my cousins and got a last minute table. Truly one of the best meals we've had in the Bay Area. The food was delicious, the service was fantastic. We live in the East Bay but we will be back as often as we can actually get a table! We had two different pasta dishes, and ate every bite. Loved it! read more

Visited the kitchen table some days ago and i'm really impressed! The service was on the highest level! The dishes were so delicious, ah. ;) You really should try carbonara! read more

Saw this restaurant on check please and had to check it out myself. It was delicious! Great service and loved the knocchi with a zucchini pesto sauce. read more

I dined here last night and offer the following "mixed" review: I thought the food was very good so hat's off to the chef. I had a pasta dish and my friend had the seafood stew. We shared a very small salad ($11) and I ordered a glass of wine. The bill with a 20% tip came to $90. We were asked to leave after 1 hr and 30 minutes as other people were waiting for the table. I have never been asked to leave any establishment in order to accommodate another party! There were two food servers per table and this is a very small restaurant to begin with so we felt rushed as soon as we sat down. This also created the impression throughout our dining experience as customers and staff kept moving by us that we couldn't have a peaceful dining experience because there were so many people in a relatively small space constantly whirling by our table. I'm not sure how you fix this situation but when a restaurant is charging top dollar and the food portions aren't especially large, the customer is left with the impression that there isn't enough value in returning for another dining experience. read more

Thank you, Kitchen Table for serving amazingly delicious take out food! We ordered mixed green salad with figs and blue cheese, fried chicken with mashed potatoes, pasta with pork and beef sauce and a lemon tart for dessert. Every dish on point and exactly what we hoped it would be. We will be ordering again very soon! read more

Rude waitresses. They won't offer bar seating. They will fill up reservations in 10 min.

A great neighborhood restaurant. I only 4 or 5 blocks from my home so it's conveniently within walking distance. I have been there several times and the food is always great. If you like fried calamari and rock shrimp, start with the Fritto misto for an appetizer. I love the chicken saltimbocca and the petrale sole. Very reasonable wine list, well curated. read more

We found a snail in the salad :)))) It was pretty cute tho. Just a heads up . DONT ORDER SALAD LOL read more

Little disappointed based on the hype I've been hearing. I get it because this might be the greatest thing this side of San Rafael now has going but, in summary, there ain't nothing sexy about this place. Decor is dull and the handful of (vegetarian) dishes we ordered were basic and uninspired. Service was so-so too. Our server was lovely and attentive but couldn't answer many basic menu Q's (e.g. if pastas were gf; cooked w/ chick stock; types of mushrooms on dish...) without consulting the kitchen. And she dropped the check without asking if we wanted dessert. Maybe they had a party waiting but she could have offered to seat us at the available counter seats while we enjoyed dessert. No gluten free pastas for my friend. (How hard would it be to keep a stash of gf box pasta on hand so that everyone at the table can find a pasta?) And only one semi-vegetarian pasta (egg ravioli with a soft poached egg inside). Risotto was cooked with chicken stock so no-go there. The arugula & artichoke "salad" was fine and basic but the artichoke was undercooked. After a few tough leaves we gave up. I noticed that the kids menu had zero vegetarian options. I imagine that they could modify a dish but I get the feeling that restaurant overall is not a restaurant for a vegetarian. The place was packed with lots of folks who obviously enjoy it but it was a miss for me. read more

Fantastic meal here last night with my wife. Nice ambiance and an adult setting. We sat at the bar and watched all the meals get prepped. Started with a really nice cab from Paso Robles which was a nice departure from many of the unremarkable reds that are often served by the glass at so many restaurants these days. We had the ravioli uovo and brussel sprouts to start and I had the fettucine carbonara and my wife had the maitake mushroom and crispy polenta. Everything was so flavorful! They make their pasta fresh every day and you can tell. We watched all of the meals come out and so many of them looked great. We'll definitely be back and want to try the fried chicken, the halibut and one of their pizzas. Oh, their beignets looked and smelled phenomenal and were flying out of the kitchen. I could smell them before they even hit the counter. A real gem and you shouldn't miss it! read more

Five Star Brunch Experience. Stumbled upon this wonderful gem! Everything was amazingly delicious. We will most certainly be back for dinner. FYI, reservations needed for dinner. read more

Can't understand why are they so popular. Ordered hamachi crisp but it was fishy, that said, the fish is not fresh. And arugula with sweet corn was probably the best dish in our meal, coz my carbonara was the worse one I ever had. Plus service was very slow, had to wait for an hour for our food. Not going back. read more

food 5 stars; service was 5 stars for the second waiter; one star for the first; somehow we had two. loud obnoxious music with a thumping beat made conversation difficult; hard to hear the wait staff; seemed like a mis-guided attempt to be "hip" for a small neighborhood restaurant in San Rafael; not NYC or SF. When I mentioned the loud music I received a snide comment from the hostess which will likely preclude us patronizing this otherwise excellent restaurant in the future, which is too bad as we like to patronize our local establishments. read more

Great first experience! Shishito peppers? Saltimboca! Lovely new spot on the west end!

We went with friends there last night for dinner! We were seated outside and the folding chairs were uncomfortable and it was a little chilly! I asked them to turn on a heater near by which they did and they left the other heater off! Conserving energy! We had to wait for staff to take our order which was ok as it was busy! I was surprised and shocked to hear we had to order appetizers and dinner at same time? What? Never been to a restaurant with this policy? And we had cocktails! The food was good but the service was marginal and seats were as i mentioned uncomfortable! Once we finished meal they kept watching our table as they had others waiting! The table across was there before us but they did not bother or watch them! So the person who seats people stated -it's the worst part of my job -but we need to seat people! So we decided no dessert and we're out of here! So, if you want to enjoy your meal -get good service-and not be watched-and seat on comfortable chairs -not folding chairs-go somewhere else! They charge enough for food -but who wants to eat their appetizer along with their main meal! read more

ANAZING FOOD! Best fish I've ever had! My wife and I were in San Rafael for a anniversary weekend getaway and stayed in San Rafael to hike in Point Reyes. We found the Kitchen Table thru Yelp and we're amazed at how good the food was! Service was great and it was in a easy to find location. If we're in the area again we will be eating dinner there again! read more

Food was delicious but we were forced to order all of our food at once including appetizers because "the kitchen prefers it". You should accommodate what the customers prefer. Felt rushed and literally kicked us out after 90 minutes even though we were surrounded by other tables of 4 that had been there longer. read more

Yes Yes Yes! Finally, we found a place in Marin with amazing food! Sat at the counter and watched all the plates come out. Everything looked great, and everything we had was perfect. Friendly attentive staff, chatted with the owner while he was making food and he was nice as pie. Speaking of dessert, s'mores dessert was delicious! read more

Great food: gnocchi, crab pizza, peach salad - and the most delish buttermilk panna cotta! We sat at the chefs counter - the kitchen team was very friendly! The hostess and server were equally friendly and chatty. This may be our new fav go-to. Delish food, fun wine list and enough food variety to please our 13 yr old, and my husband and me at the same time. Fabulous addition to the area - from quality of menu, wine list, service and value. Wish there were more places like TKT popping up! read more

Don't bother ......Arrivederci two blocks away is way better,,,,Plus they got one of our orders wrong...the worst Carbonara I have ever had.... read more

I never knew such gem was in San Rafael. Loved the outside seating. Octopus was great as well as wine selection. Happy Friday evening fun with blocked off road in front. Perfect way to enjoy the last warmth of the season. read more

The atmosphere was really cool... Great decoration. However the food was bland and boring at best .. I feel like I could have received the same meal at Denny's 52.00 later... Our server was really nice and really slow, but when she did arrive at the table it was with a smile. Most likely won't return. read more

Terrible main courses. The mushroom polenta appetizer and cinnamon desserts are incredibly great. But their main courses are terrible. I ordered branzini, my favorite fish, and they didn't do a thing to it. It was bland and average, overcooked, and really a waste of a great fish. Also overpriced. My wife ordered the fried chicken that they claimed would be all dark meat. It was in fact all white meat that was so overcooked and dry it was inedible. This restaurant tries to claim it is the best in the area. But until they get their main dishes together, it is average and overpriced and over hyped. read more

Initially, they were headed for a 2-star review. Our table was not ready when we arrived for our reservation and they offered us wine while we waited that wasn't delivered until we got our table 20 minutes late. It also took sooooo long to get our food...HOWEVER, the restaurant realized that their busy night set our night back and did their best to make up for it. We received a free pour of wine and a free dessert. The food itself was delicious! The walu fish and pork chop entrees were impressive and the panna cotta dessert was to die for! I'll probably return on a weekday night when they are not so busy and I can get a decent reservation time (this one was at 8:30 pm on a Friday). read more

Quite disappointing after a 5-star home run dinner there in the summer. We waited over an hour this time for our dinner. Service was decent, but somewhat condescending.... is there an attitude or arrogance included in the price? Fish special (petrale sole) was gross --- ok maybe a bad order on our part --- but hollandaise sauce on top was off-tasting and the 'black rice' in small little scoops was way too salty. Experiment gone wrong? Halibut special was good but shouldn't take 60 minutes per to prepare. Pasta and steak are great here but don't believe the hype. Since I have lived and traveled all over Italy from Padova to Palermo I might be hard to impress but am not a snob.... price$ are high and quality just cosi'-cosi'. read more

Amazing meal with great service and delicious wine and it wasn't. Easy expensive but was crazy good!

A great addition to San Rafael's slowly improving dining scene! (Really, people, do we need another 3 brew pubs?!? haha) This feels like a restaurant in the city -- sleek, sophisticated, great food, stylish decor. Crowded with lines out the door - make reservations. The pork riblet appetizers - wow. Pasta on one visit was just ok, then the second time it was phenomenal. All other courses have been bang on, excellent. Service is efficient, friendly and unobtrusive. Welcome to Marin, TKT!! read more

Chef Alex and Master Somm, Nunzio - welcome to San Rafael. We'll be back for sure. We were here on Saturday, 1/12. There was a mix up of our reservation, which was somehow marked us as "not coming". Scott accommodated us, and sat us down at the bar, which we actually preferred because we can watch the live cooking show! We started with the beet and ricotta salad, which was refreshing, and tasty. Then my boyfriend had the grilled bavette steak, which was cooked to perfection. The veal demi added flavor, and elevated the steak to another level. Fries are heavenly, didn't even need ketchup. (I love ketchup). I had the linguini with clams. Clams were plentiful, fresh and huge! I love linguini with a simple garlic & wine sauce. The tomatoes added a tiny bit of acid to the flavor. And the pasta itself is house made, fresh and served al dente! I love pasta (who doesn't?), and this dish deserves a perfect 10. Wine list is extensive and paired expertly with the food. Pricing is reasonable. We didn't try their dessert because we're on a sugar reset, but we're looking forward to it after our no sugar reset is complete. This quickly has become another of our go-to restaurant. So many more dishes to try, the pasta, the pizza, and the seasonal entrees. I can't wait when they do brunch as well. There's new hope in the restaurant scene in southern Marin! read more

Welcome to the hood! Chef- owner Alexander Alioto and his father and master sommelier, Nunzio Alioto, have a winner. It's been open only about six weeks but the place has been packed every evening I've driven by from my nearby home. Solo for the evening, I recently dropped by in a roaring gale and pounding rain, expecting to be shut out. Nearly drenched in the 50 yard sprint from my car to the Kitchen Table, I was pleasantly relieved to find a seat at the kitchen counter. I began with some tasty grilled maitake mushrooms with a mushroom demi jus, served on a square on perfectly crisped polenta. A lovely combo of umami shrooms and a rich creamy polenta. For my entree, I had the grilled hawaiian walu, a firm lemony fish I've never had before, flaky as halibut and almost as firm as swordfish. Outstanding! It was served with a sublime zucchini terrine, thin slices shaped into a round with melted cheese. Feeling short of my daily greens allotment, I also had a side of spinach and beet greens sauted with shallots, which was as delicious as it was refreshingly simple. Reminded me of some of Marcella Hazan's recipes and cooking, where she puts a very few, very fresh ingredients, in a way that brings out something new and fresh. Though i was pretty content when i finished the main course, I couldn't resist sampling the lemon tart, (I love any dessert organized around lemon or lime!) served with cream whipped with fresh mint. It was like discovering lemon tart for the first time! The mint-whipped cream/lemon tart combo was a whole new experience. Chef Alexander learned his Italian cooking chops in Italy and worked at French Laundry before launching a couple of restaurants in the city (see the IJ review for more info), finally deciding he wanted something smaller and simpler near where he lives. Service is warm and attentive. Welcome to the hood! (I also heard tell that his pasta and pizza dishes are the highlights of the menu. But pasta and pizza aren't allowed on my food regimen) read more

I have been waiting for the day that the previous Confucius restaurant would reopen, and wow was the wait worth it! I made a reservation for two and we were seated at the counter. This gave us a preview of how meticulous Alex and team are with their craft. We started off with the calamari (DELICIOUS) and for entre got the risotto w seafood and my boyfriend got the spaghetti w meatballs. It was great to hear Alex's story with the risotto as it made it more special. I don't want to ruin it, you should ask him. Best risotto I've ever had!! The wine selection was superb as well. Can't wait to come back! Our server was wonderful and very attentive. See you all soon! Can't wait to try the s'mores dessert!!! PS I would post a photo but I started eating so quickly because it was all so good:) read more

Amazing new restaurant in San Rafael. Frito Misto, Hamachi, Chicken saltamboca we're all amazing! Service great!