My wife and I had the occasion to stop by The Speakeasy a few days ago. We were just looking to have kind of hors d'oeuvres and a cocktail and just hang out together, because we found ourselves with a rare four-hour window where the kids were occupied and we could just do whatever we wanted. This was a nice way to spend a few hours. The space is neat. It's as small, somewhat dark ambiance with the windows blacked out. So, you do loose your sense of time a bit inside. That's actually nice as it feels like you went somewhere/somewhen else for a while. We had a Manhattan and a Kentucky Mule, and, additionally, we had three different shareable appetizers. First thought, we ordered and devoured a really exceptional cheese plate. I know cheese plates seem a little meh sometimes, but this was really good! I would absolutely order it again. In fact, I would definitely go there just to have the cheese plate again with a drink, a glass of wine. We also had the three tacos shareable. There were three tacos that were stunningly good. Lastly a dish with some little steak medallions and a shrimp. Each of these was about two bites and the flavor and texture was excellent. All three of the shareables and the drinks were exceptional. I have to call out that, with the cheese board, came a little loaf of bread. That bread was really good all on its own. I would definitely want to eat it. I can still taste it. It was really good, but my wife, she's gluten intolerant. They offered, because she couldn't eat the bread, they offered to also bring her out some gluten-free crackers, so she got to enjoy the cheese board just the same without the bread. They gave her the crackers, and do you know, they just gave her those extra. They didn't ask for something more. They didn't do anything. They just took care of her. I really appreciate that. I have to also give a shout out to the Jessica. I don't know how she did it, but she was taking care of the whole room of tables I think. Nice. We ordred all three shareables at the same time and she thoughtfully said, 'do you mind if I course these out for you?' We said yes and she did. I don't think anybody felt like they didn't have everything they needed, so a shout out to you, Jessica, really well done. We're grateful for the service and the high quality dining experience that you gave us on a moment's notice. I hope we can visit again soon. And, especially we want to check out The Boardroom soon. NOTE: This is in a kind of older looking strip mall. Don't be concerned about that at all! It threw us off a little at first and we did wonder when we pulled in though if we were in the right place. Happily, we were! read more

Tucked away in a Novato strip mall but out of site from the surrounding streets, odds of chancing upon The Speakeasy are slim. Attached to The Boardroom restaurant, The Speakeasy is a real find featuring a wonderfully robust appetizer menu, a full bar, and a daily happy hour menu that applies mostly to alcohol purchases. If you're looking for wine here, the bar offers a variety, with the house wines - excellently priced at $8-$9/glass - comprised fully of Rutherford grown grapes. Somebody here knows what's up. A friend who'd talked up The Speakeasy for years is besotted by the Marsala Sautéed Chicken Livers ($11) on the bar menu. Not ever a fan of liver, I avoided sampling his until we'd collectively polished off an order of Baked Goat Cheese ($10) and a trio of Pulled Pork Tacos ($13). He'd grown full and much liver remained which is when I learned that I do like chicken liver. Or rather, I like chicken liver as prepared at The Speakeasy. All of the above pretty much had me fan-girling out over this place but then this happened: We were done, requested our check, and were told that someone that evening had picked up the tab for the entire bar, something I've not experienced in my lifetime. I already liked The Speakeasy a whole lot before learning my food and drink were free of charge. Like changed to rabid fandom when this occurred. I know that I can't expect a full repeat of this experience but even if it's just chicken livers and Cabernet, that'll be enough. read more

Fun new beverage menu! I tried Papaya Don't Preach: papaya vodka, limoncello, prosecco, and papaya (!) cotton candy (that melts when you combine it with the liquid ingredients--fun!) The staff is always so friendly and welcoming--you feel like family. We enjoy having small bday parties with themes. Good times. read more

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Came here for happy hour and was pleasantly surprised. It's in a little strip mall, so very unassuming. It's connected to their restaurant The Boardroom. Walked in and grabbed a booth. Loved the vibe of a real speakeasy. Our server was great! She offered some recommendations she did not steer us wrong. We ordered the French onion soup wings to start. Great options! The escargot was good. It was drenched so you couldn't really tell what you were eating, but regardless the flavors were good. We opted to share the entree and we ordered the pork chop with the baked potato. It was ok, nothing special. I definitely enjoyed our appetizers more. Overall, this is cool spot with great service and definitely worth checking out. read more

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Love this place! We have tried almost the entire menu, but the Rigatoni is the best! (Strongly recommend the rigatoni) The cocktails are very good! The bartender "Jessica" is just the best! Changes up the cocktail menu seasonly ( Figgetboutit was her best drink IMO) Place is Warm and cozy with dimmed lighting. Two sections the "dinner tables" and the "Speakeasy"/ bar area. Have to open a bookshelf to get there. Cost: $$ - $$$ read more

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It was a dark and stormy night when we pulled into this little unassuming strip mall. It took quite a while to ferret out the entrance to the Speakeasy, which actually doubles for the door to their swanky restaurant, The Board Room. Once we made our way in, we were welcomed by the bartender who was friendly and extra accommodating -- I was recovering from a surgery and she kindly stashed my knee scooter. We had a few drinks and before long the bar started filling up with locals. The next time we came back to treat ourselves in The Board Room. White table cloths and rat pack portraits gave the place an old school clubby vibe. Martinis were excellent and dinner was classic American flair with some Italian flair. A solid contender and hidden gem we'll gladly come back to enjoy again and again. read more

The Speakeasy - Speakeasies Near Me - Novato, California

We have had the best dining experience at The Boardroom, but haven't spent much time in the Speakeasy (right through the bookcase from the restaurant). Myself and 35 friends celebrated my 65th birthday at the Speakeasy. Cocktails and Appetizer that went on for days. Munther, the owner, went above and beyond to insure my birthday was worth that high number. Jessica, our bartender handled everyone with ease and perfection. Our appetizers were everything from cheeseburger sliders, to vegetarian. There was truly something for everyone. All of it delicious. The moody bar with punched tin ceilings and low lighting was incredible. I can't recommend this place enough. Just go for cocktails, they stay for dinner. Through the bookcase. read more

So much fun visiting here. I told my friends about it they could not find the entrance. The food and drink here is terrific. Not that busy tonight. We get the table right away. Bartender was really friendly and gave us good recommendations for my cocktails. I like my fancy cocktails. It's casual atmosphere here. Nice experience like before. read more

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I stopped in here after work for happy hour appetizers. The bartender was amazing friendly kind and welcoming. As soon as I sat down she smiled and offered me something to drink and a menu. The food came out in 6 minutes and it was delicious. This portions were a little bit small but for $19 I should have got two!. The shrimp was great perfectly cooked seasoned and the sauces on top of it were great. The small medallions of steak were perfectly cooked and seasoned also I would recommend this place to anybody! read more

The Speakeasy - Surf and turf appetizer - Speakeasies Near Me - Novato, California

Our favorite hidden gem. For a more formal meal, there's the boardroom (which you have to walk through to get to the Speakeasy) This place is cozy, with an incredible staff and daily taco and soup specials (along with a host of regularly updated dishes.) read more

The Speakeasy - French Onion soup on the regular menu - Speakeasies Near Me - Novato, California

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Definitely a reliably great place to dine in northern Marin. The staff is great, the food is tasty, the vibe is cool, and the drinks are strong. I still miss Rickey's (the same owner) but I am grateful for this place! read more

The Speakeasy - Speakeasies Near Me - Novato, California

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Came here for an HH and it did not disappoint! First off, the ambiance is awesome but the area is small and filled up fast the last two times we came, so get there before 5:00 if possible. Wife and I get seats at the bar, and the bartender Jessica provides exceptional service and recommendations on drinks and food if you're undecided. First time we came we had tacos, the protein rotates, we had carne asada, they were very good. Wife had skinny margarita and I had a regular one, we were both pleased. We recently went back and had their potstickers and surf & turf apps, both recommended by Jessica, both apps had phenomenal flavor. Some of the best potstickers I've had in a while. The surf & turf was beyond good! Very tender steak medallion with pesto mash potatoes on top and a well seasoned and grilled prawn sitting ontop the potatoes. This place is consistently good! read more

The Speakeasy - Surf & turf app - Speakeasies Near Me - Novato, California

I've been wanting to check out their happy hour for a long time and finally had a chance to. My friend who I went with mentioned the happy hour starts earlier now which is great! The restaurant is hidden inside a shopping center and it's a little deceiving because there is not much on the outside. They turned the two doors into telephone booths which look neat. Once I stepped inside the restaurant it's like night and day. I instantly noticed the beautiful decor on the walls and ceiling. It has a nostalgic and Hollywood glamour ambiance from 50's & 60's. We shared a few dishes from the happy hour menu. Each one was delicious and the portion size is great to share with someone. We ordered surf and turf, the street taco of the day, and the fried chicken and waffles. To drink, I ordered a Cosmo and my friend had a margarita. My drink was delicious. It had a pretty pink color with a citrus garnish in the drink. The service was great. Our server was a very nice lady. She checked on us frequently which I appreciate. I will definitely be back for another happy hour. I also heard great things about their lunch. read more

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Great place to eat. The service was good, food was good and the price was on point. I'm going back for sure.

Great happy hour! Fabulous bartender who always remembers her customers and his rock solid at what she does.

The service was amazing, Great drinks and atmosphere. Food was tasty. Come for the fun. And old school movies on the Telly.... read more

The Speakeasy - Espresso martinis are the best! - Speakeasies Near Me - Novato, California

We had a great time at the speakeasy/boardroom. We order happy hours cosmo and old fashion. Tai made them so delicious. She was the bartender and was so great with service. We met nice and friendly people, the place wasn't packed so we were able to get a seat at the bar. read more

The Speakeasy - Happy Hour Cosmo. - Speakeasies Near Me - Novato, California

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Best. Place. Ever!!! Great staff and a great place to get a specialty drink or enjoy some really great food! The owner Munther is maniacally detailed in his approach to the menu, decor and service. You often see his business supporting a lot of local events which I appreciate. Just to be clear, this location has evolved over the years so if you haven't been here in awhile it will look different. It is currently attached to "The Board Room" which is a nice fine dining steakhouse type of place. The ambiance evokes images and feelings of yesteryears icons like Marilyn, Aubrey, etc. The steaks and other selections on the menu are delicious! The service is top notch too! When you enter through the board room you have to walk through a speakeasy style bookcase that is opened for you. The concept is pretty cool. When entering the speakeasy the Decor is equally classy with fine decorating touches and dark lighting. Very on brand for the name. I love coming here and it's a favorite for a lot of locals. read more

The Speakeasy - Speakeasies Near Me - Novato, California

Amazing food, cocktails, service, and atmosphere. Us there is a live piano player who is amazing!

Went to just get cocktails, and it was beautiful! My husband and I sat at the bar and our bartender was awesome. She made our cocktails with love and care. We haven't been since opening and got confused about the doors outside because it was different than before but we figured it out with some embarrassment haha. This place is beautiful and definitely a 10/10. Please have this place on your radar, it's definitely worth going to! read more

Very unassuming location. It's part of The Board Room restaurant. They slide a door open and you walk into The Speakeasy. We happened to be there during happy hour. Don't recall our waitresses name, but she was a tatted up mom of 4 and she was awesome! Exceptional service. Drinks were strong and tasty. The food? Loved their french onion soup! Honestly, one of the better ones I've had. It's all about the broth. Pork chop was delicious. As were the brussels sprouts and the baked potato. Worth checking out. read more

Food was great; service was exceptional: server went out of here way to meet our needs

Enjoyed a great experience on Halloween night with the bar, all decked out with ghosts and cemetery theme and the bartenders dressed up in costume. I enjoyed one of those specialty cocktails, and some snack chips. read more

Honestly, best bartender. Yelp is wanting me to say more. All I've got is Honesty, best bartender.

The outside is not much, but inside, you have a fun atmosphere. The drinks are very unique and fun. Great tastes. Food is good. It is basic bar food. But good. I like the wine selection. I had some sparkling. Service was prompt. We were waiting for our dinner table so had a drink while waiting. It was not what I expected from a Speakeasy. This is more of a bar with a "speakeasy" name. read more

This place is great! Excellent cocktails, weird ass AMC porn with Hugh Grant, great conversation. I made the mistake of showing the bartender a picture of my daughter and her response was "wow your wife must be hot". NGL that one hurt. 10/10, would recommend. read more

The Speakeasy - R-dubs in da house. - Speakeasies Near Me - Novato, California

This place is hidden gem ... great apps at Happy Hour but the best thing about Speakeasy is Jessica the bartender extraordinaire!!!!!

Atmosphere is perfect for a Speakeasy themed bar. Absolutely wonderful gorgeous bartenders who will make you feel at home and comfortable. The food is amazing and service is impeccable! Highly recommend. Steven read more

Complete crap all the way around. Terrible food, but companied by terrible service. Incompetent staff, followed by a since you don't belong.

Let me preface this by saying the hostess and the bartender were nice. A note to the owners-- I am told that your television (the central focus of your bar/speakeasy) can only be tuned into AMC or Turner Movie Classics. Watching a white man paint himself in blackface and perform a minstrel show during my drinks and dinner was not what I had in mind for a nice evening out. As though I needed another reminder that I was the ONLY person of color dining in your establishment this evening. I encourage you to remember you are serving an ever growing diverse market in Marin, CA and viewing blackface performances is a very unpleasant reminder of the nastiness this country has seen and done. Reconsider serving your audience better please. read more

I've patronized this bar twice before. The first time, we ordered mixed drinks and some appetizers that I don't recall. However, I remember both being good. The second time I came here, my brother and I both got beers. The beers were good and our server was very courteous. However, my brother and I noticed that they were playing the 1998 film Life Is Beautiful. I won't give too many details about the film because I think that it is a movie that everyone should watch. However, I will say that it is a gut wrenching depiction of a relationship between a father and son during the Holocaust. While we were there, the emotional climax of the movie was happening on screen (again I wont spoil the plot of the movie but if you have seen it you know what I'm talking about). This made my brother and I's experience somewhat uncomfortable and strange. Id like to reinforce that this review is not meant to criticize the staff of this bar. They were all very nice and attentive. However, I feel like the choice of movie was rather strange. 4 out of 5 stars. read more

I got to the parking lot of this bar and was disappointed to find it nestled in a little strip mall along with Chinese and Mexican takeout, a liquor store, and a gun shop. Hardly the ambience one would hope for to create an atmosphere of sophistication. Which makes stepping through the doors and entering this other world of an establishment all the more enchanting. We found the Speakeasy doors locked, so we entered in through the adjacent Board Room restaurant. I didn't see a bar, so let the host know I was just here for a drink, and lo and behold, she smiled and rolled open a floor to ceiling bookshelf and beckoned us toward a secret little room. Dark lighting cast shadows on the walls, bottles gleamed like jewels and little apothecary jars of potions and toppings decorated the walls. An old black and white movie played on a large TV that hung over the bar, jovial customers laughed and drank, and a comfortable bartender put us at ease as she worked her magic. My drink was as different as it was good, some kind of tart coconut libation with an abundance of toppings. We ordered the escargot to share and had three or four decadent butter and garlic filled bites each before surrendering it to our memory. This is the type of experience you wake up from and wonder if it might've been a dream and if tomorrow the whole place will have vanished from that little strip mall without a trace. Worth a trip. read more

Enjoyed this delicious restaurant in Novato last night. Great service. Intimate tables. Brought our own wine for a corkage fee only. Enjoyed pita and brie and mushrooms appetizers. Both delicious. Shared a huge delicious paella. Others at our table had the pork chop, a house favorite. Really enjoyed the wedge and Caesar salad. Great meal in an intimate restaurant. read more

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I feel seen. I feel appreciated. I feel taken care of. I love how the owner ALWAYS fixes things and is not offended by my experiences. I will continue to patronize his restaurants, even when the staff drops the ball, he is great food and great experience to this community and I am grateful for him and his visions. We are all human after all and we all make mistakes. It's what you do after the mistake that makes the difference. A good man he is. Thank you! Thank you! Thank you! :) read more

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Not local, traveling. We stopped at this place after driving from SFO to stay in a Novato hotel close by. Walked into the bar Tues night 5/13, returned tonight 5/16, b/c it was such a positive experience! Warmly greeted both nights, sat @ the bar to dine. Both nights the bar attendants were super efficient, friendly, & attentive!!! Huge menu choices with bar menus or dining room menu. First night my hubby had the smoked pork chop (which I sampled: smoky & tender. Accompanied by amazing brussel sprouts/roasted potatoes. I had the lamb pasta, also delish! 2nd visit, excellent burger & Ceasar salad & soup de jour: NE clam chowder. All amazing!!! Highly recommend b/c of the welcoming greeting, variety of menu, & excellent service & food. If I lived here, I'd stop in weekly!!! Thank you ladies!!! A pleasure to meet both of you!!! read more

My first visit to Speakeasy actually was very good. Cozy restaurant with a hidden door , no windows and a warm atmosphere. Large variety of cocktails and beers . I ordered a burger which was very good. Nice friendly hostesses that helped me to chose food and drink . Highly recommended. read more

This place is consistently amazing! The food is incredible, and they have daily specials too. The bartender, Annie, is attentive, kind and fun. We frequent this place, and have never been disappointed. Great atmosphere, comfortable, clean, and friendly. read more

I was shocked to find such a neat place in Novato and in a very ambiguous shopping center. I loved it and totally understand why they called it "The Soeakeasy". We were a group of six, celebrating my cousins birthday. It's a lovely place inside and they had a pianist on the Saturday night that we went! We ordered many of the appetizers which were delicious: burrata, peppers, calamari, and delicious focaccia bread! I ordered the Caesar salad as my entree and that was underwhelming, but I was okay because I had gotten full with the bread and appetizers. Would I come back? Totally! I just would order appetizers or try something else. read more

The Speakeasy - Speakeasies Near Me - Novato, California

To the lady GM: I want to tell you how much we appreciate you! You are so kind & really hospitable. You are a gem! There's no one else out there that has desame personality as you! It makes a big difference.. thank you for being you!... read more

The Speakeasy - Speakeasies Near Me - Novato, California

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Very disappointing prequel to our amazing dinner at The Boardroom next door. The atmosphere in The Speakeasy was exceptional. However, bar service was slow and we had to choke down the not-so-well-made cocktails. I do want to give this place another chance sometime, as it might have just been an "off night". read more