Great local spot. Friendly and warm vibe, and a reasonably priced wine list (for Marin). Recent favorites are the pork tortellini and maiale Milanese -- both way more impressive that what you'd expect at your average neighborhood Italian joint. That said, the arancini was waaayyyy too salty last time we went and our server disappeared for 25 minutes between courses with no explanation despite a half-empty dining room. read more

I came to Cucina Sa in San Anselmo for a holiday work party. Our reservation was upstairs in a separate area of the restaurant, which felt more intimate. There weren't traditional tables--guests either stood or sat along the upholstered burgundy benches lining the wood-trimmed walls on two sides, with the rest of the space being standing room only. The food was excellent. I especially loved the calamari, Brussels sprouts, and mushroom pizza. Everything we tried was flavorful, and I'd definitely come back to explore more of the menu. The ambiance was warm and inviting, and I can see why this spot is so popular. The restaurant appears to have two distinct sides--one for dining and another for the bar and drinks--and they also offer outdoor seating, which would be great on warmer evenings. Overall, a lovely experience and a place I'd happily return to. read more

We were looking for a place for afternoon cocktails and small bites, and came across Cucina SA as the perfect spot. Great outdoor seating but it was drizzling so we sat indoors by the windows. Cucina has a great airy feel with lots of bar chair seating. All of the small bites were delicious and the cocktails well prepared. Our server was friendly and answered our many questions on the food. Definitely would return! read more

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Should you find yourself looking to dine in San Anselmo there's a handful of places I'd recommend and it surprises me not at all that several feature Italian fare. It's not so much that I'm crazy for Italian but rather, that Marin has a lopsided number of Italian restaurants. Cucina SA is one of the better ones. My party of 3 dined here al fresco, on an evening when it proved too cold to be sitting outside, even with the heat lamps provided. So be careful about succumbing to that temptation and know that there's more than one indoor dining room, so don't be scared off (as I was) by the noise in the first dining room you enter. Aside from freezing though, I was quite impressed here with both my meal and the service. Even with two heat lamps upon us, blankets were brought to our table (I later wished for beanies and mittens) but the quality of the food had me briefly forgetting the loss of feeling in my fingers. "Healthy Fries" (delicately fried green beans, delicious) were shared by our table over wine before we settled into our equally mesmerizing entrees: Linguine con Vongole, a pizza with an overly-exuberant amount of arugula, and my order, a sublime, meatless ravioli dish featuring fresh tomatoes. We closed things out with a shared Tiramisu and something warm to drink, paid the bill (about $200 all in) and skedaddled. I'm always pleased to realize that we have more good restaurants in San Anselmo than I used to believe. Cucina SA is one. read more

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This spot in San Anselmo is fantastic!! I've been many times. Never had a bad meal and always wonderful. They make delicious salads, wonderful cocktails (Negroni snob here and I love theirs!). Their main server Tony is also top notch. I love this place! read more

Cucina sa - Insalata di Cavolo Nero and a Negroni - Italian Near Me - San Anselmo, California

I've been eating here since its iterations of a few owners, forever as San Anselmo is my town. But this is my first time eating here with these owners and it's pretty good. I can only speak of the burger but the menu looks tempting and it was hard to decide but I never turn down a good burger. I liked it. Cooked well, good flavor from the condiments and the unusual cheese choice which I can't remember at the moment... Service is excellent- very attentive and on point. I'll go back to try the pizza and pats which I saw at other tables and was jealous. ;) we sat outside on a beautiful day and the interior is pretty as well. read more

Comfort food at its best! Great environment, food always a hit. I especially love the beet salad with salmon and chicken ravioli. Drinks are creative and fun- love Cucina Cosmo! Great wait staff- service is always amazing. So lucky to have this in my backyard read more

Cucina sa - Fun drink at bar - Italian Near Me - San Anselmo, California

I stopped in for a snack and cocktail during happy hour. $10 specials were the perfect pre-dinner situation. The kitchen is limited to what is on the happy hour menu but you can sip and nibble until the kitchen fully opens at 5 pm. The service was great. Drinks were tasty and complimented the small plates. Don't skip the Buffalo cauliflower! It was crunchy, spicy, and tangy with that blue cheese sauce. This dish will have you eating all your veggies. The patio was lovely to sit and people watch. Our dog enjoyed a pup bowl of water too. There's something for everyone. read more

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We stopped in on Halloween just before 9 PM and sat at the end of the bar. When we left around 9:45, we accidentally left a beautiful velvet jacket on the seat. I realized it later that night and immediately called -- they were closed, so I left a detailed message. I called again the next afternoon. No response to either call. When I stopped by around 3:30 PM, the hostess said she was "just listening" to my messages, took a quick look, and said the jacket was nowhere to be found. The restaurant had closed less than an hour after we left -- so how could it just vanish? We went back again that evening and spoke with the manager, even showed him a photo of the jacket. Same dismissive attitude, same lack of concern. If you leave anything behind here, don't expect to get it back -- or for anyone to care. Disappointing experience from a place we'd enjoyed many times before. If I could give zero stars, I would. read more

Popped into this spot for a dinner reservation at 5pm, really great happy hour going on so had a couple drinks and a snack at the bar before we were seated in the dining room. The mini calzones were teriffic (3 little fried pockets of mushroom / cheese / pepperoni - served with a nice portion of marinara sauce for some dipping action. After snacks, we went to the dining room and ordered from the dinner menu 1. Bruschetta on toast - super fresh tomatoes, nicely toasted bread, 2pcs - 5/5 2. Frito Misto - battered fried shrimp (3), calamari (smaller pieces) onions 4/5 3. Spaghetti Carbonara - superb carbonara here (5/5) 4. Bone in Pork Chop - nice tender pork chop served with apple sauce, pickled cabbage, mashed potatoes, great portion (5/5) Every one of the staff there were super nice and attentive, really appreciate it and will return to try more of their pastas read more

4 for dinner w/reso. seated promptly, greeted warmly, served graciously. Food was delish. My pork chop was as perfect as perfect can be. Our server Erasmo was excellent as was the food on all four dinner plates - returned to the kitchen spotless!! read more

Wonderful meal and service...until it wasn't. Three friends out for dinner. We had cocktails first-- my Paloma was delicious--followed by two starters, the burrata and the "healthy fries" special. Both were amazing. For our mains. I had the Pesce picatta with risotto and my friends had the prawns and a pizza--all were excellent and all enjoyed our meals. We were upsold a carafe of wine with dinner instead of the 3 glasses we ordered but no problem, it was Friday! To end we ordered the panna cotta to share which was light and lemony and the perfect ending to our evening. Our server was lovely and, except for having to ask for spoons for our dessert that had been delivered by someone other than him, our service was flawless. But then... as we'd paid (our tab plus tip was well over $300) and were enjoying the last of our wine and conversation, another gentleman appeared, said "excuse me ladies, we need the table," picked up our half-full wine and water glasses and quickly disappeared around the corner. We were speechless--a rare event for my friends and I. What a way to ruin a lovely evening and ensure that we won't be back. read more

The food at Cucina is perfectly solid Italian, but ultimately, given the price tag, the meal isn't quite on par with the overall upscale setting. The service is excellent and the space is charming but the kale salad and zucchini appetizer both fell short. While Parmesan is always welcome, the flavors are fairly one dimensional and rely solely on salt to get the job done. Though the cuisine wasn't a smash, the experience itself was appealing. read more

Cucina sa - Kale Salad - Italian Near Me - San Anselmo, California

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I've only been to Cucina a handful of times and thought it was a nice place. I decide to take my girlfriend and kids there on TUESDAY early afternoon and unfortunately we left completely dissatisfied. The food was great but the service was odd. The older women that was taking care of us was short, moody, overall seemed irritated that we were there. Then we ended our time with her harshly throwing a wine bottle in the recycling which scared everyone in the bar. The whole experience was jarring. I will definitely not be returning or recommending this place at this time read more

I attended a semi-private dinner for around 30 people on Saturday, February 28. There was a fixed menu which included an alcoholic cocktail and a non-alcoholic drink. When the guests arrived servers took orders for the alcoholic drinks and then delivered them. Then they took the order for the non-alcoholic drinks and subsequently served those. Unfortunately, the drinks that were supposed to contain no alcohol actually did have alcohol. I have not had an alcoholic drink in 18 years and I drank some of the alcohol, as did my 4 year old daughter, 9 year old nephew, a few other under age kids, and another gentleman that hasn't had alcohol in 40 years. After the server was alerted to the situation the staff admitted that the drinks did indeed contain alcohol. The server was apologetic and replaced the drinks, but that was it. The owner, Donna, was present in the restaurant and never approached anyone in our party. No apology, no explanation, nothing. It was never mentioned again, even when my wife settled the bill. Nothing. This happened at 6p.m. and our party was there until after 9 p.m., giving the owner and staff ample time to figure out what happened and to deal with the situation. Instead Donna decided not to take any action in hopes that we wouldn't say anything. My interactions with Donna via email were equally disappointing and lackluster, but I won't write about those here as they don't pertain to the restaurant experience. All I can say is to double check your non-alcoholic drinks if you don't want to serve alcohol to your kids or people you love who struggle with alcohol addiction. read more

Food done so well. Server took many photos for my date. Very accommodating. The service and food it well done without being fussy.

Food is delish. Service is amazing. The bar is super cute. Everyone that works there was so nice! I got the chicken raviolis and it was amazing my boyfriend got one of their pizzas and he said it was the best pizza he's ever had. The dessert was also very special read more

Cucina sa - Italian Near Me - San Anselmo, California

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i can't say enough: great food, great service but the wait was a little long. we had a young one in our party and it was difficult to wait 35 minutes to get served. our food server was very nice and let us know it was coming, which we appreciated. it was not too loud, but a festive feel in the air. i can easily recommend Cucina the next time you are in town! read more

The food here is consistently delicious, service is friendly, and any atmosphere you'd like available (outdoor, bar area, intimate inside seating). I particularly like the caprese and the tartare. read more

I was contacted by the owners that told me they always get 4 stars and I should change my review. I am doing so at their request. I like the restaurant and meeting nice people when sitting at the bar. The pizza is good but on 2 occasions they got the order wrong. I ate it anyway. This is not 4-star service but I am giving them 4 stars because they want it. Here ya go - 4 stars. read more

Great food! Wonderful drinks! However, myself and my girlfriend were the only people of color and the hostess was Very cold to us. Our server was lovely, kind and gracious! read more

Love the atmosphere and the service is always terrific. Each unique seating area - inside and outside - works well. Food generally solid - pastas and almond cake/other desserts especially good - but can be a bit uneven depending on the night. On a recent not crowded night a couple things - arancini and side veggies - came out lukewarm. Still, a neighborhood favorite. read more

Delicious options for the whole family from their kale salad and pastas to the gigantic calzones! Everyone will be happy, and they also have a fun cocktail menu and a patio to boot. read more

After living in Venice Italy, I do not hesitate to give this an excellent review. Lovely Details, charming restaurant, warm and agile staff! This is a wonderful place to eat, sure to charm you. The food is really really good. read more

5 stars if you want to wait over 45 minutes to receive your meal (while only 5 other tables had patrons); 5 stars if you don't want sugar or cinnamon on your Italian donuts; 5 stars if you cannot detect goat cheese in your goat cheese and salmon scrambled eggs; 5 stars if you like raw eggs in your soggy burnt on the outside and uncooked in the center French toast! But if those are things you don't care for when you go out to dine, then you're better off going to the grocery store to buy your own ingredients, go to your own kitchen and prepare yourself a nice delicious homemade brunch. In full transparency, our meal was ultimately comped. Thinking Cucina's brunch is not quite ready for prime time... Comforts, just down the street, was happy to serve us a decent meal. read more

Great spot to sit outside and enjoy a nice night. The food is also excellent. The other night we had the gnocchi and ravioli (with peas) and both were fantastic. I also really loved the bruschetta and really want to try more dishes as I've been meaning to try this place for a long time. Will definitely be back! read more

I can't believe I've lived in Marin for as long as I have and never been here before! Such a fun and lively spot. The bruschetta, soup and pastas were all amazing! The wine list is quite extensive as well with Italian and local options. It was pretty busy on a Friday night and our server was efficient and professional. I cannot wait to come back. read more

Cucina sa - Italian Near Me - San Anselmo, California

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Great service and menu. Solid cocktails. Kind of expensive for portion sizes. We enjoyed eating outside on the porch with some local community stirrings in the vicinity on a Saturday night. read more

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We tried this place for brunch. From the moment we walked in it was terrible. We waited an unusually long period for drinks. When the solo waiter returned, we had some questions about the menu due to dietary restrictions. Both the waiter and the kitchen staff did not know the answers to any of our questions regarding the food menu. We had a direct view of the kitchen from our table and could hear the conversation about our food questions between the waiter and kitchen staff. After listening to their conversation where neither of them knew the answers, we watched the kitchen staff sneeze multiple times in the food prep area. At that point we opted to pay for our drinks and leave. The waiter was also not friendly or welcoming. read more

My husband & I used to be regulars at this restaurant until we moved out of Fairfax and further north so it's been a while since I have been here. I went last night for dinner with my sister and we had a fantastic meal. The server was very attentive and patient. He was great answering our questions and held one of the appetizers she had ordered to keep it warm until I arrived. Very nice. The only thing is that now that I'm vegetarian, there weren't a lot of pasta options and I ended up with a margarita pizza. It was yummy so no complaints, but I would love it if some restaurants in Marin would start to make more of an effort for vegetarians and vegans, especially since more and more people are going at least partially plant based. I have to say that it is the running joke for me with my friends that when we go out to eat, I have the choice of a mushroom dish as an entree unless I decide to do salads or apps. There are so many other things to do for plant based appetites than mushrooms and butternut squash. And I feel like Italian should be one of those restaurants that can really do a nice job with non-meat dishes. Okay, that being said, we had a great time, the apps and wine were delicious and the dessert, Tartuffo, was as delicious as I had remembered. read more

The food here is very good as well as the drinks they make. I tend to lean towards their pasta dishes when eating here. I personally think it's priced right for what you get. Staff is super nice and energetic. This is a perfect place for a date night if you are looking for somewhere to go. Just make sure to make a reservation on the busy nights of the week. read more

Food with amazing, but the service was disappointing I do like that outdoor saving as an option.

A client who lives in Marin County offered to take me to dinner after a long day of meetings. I am staying by the water in Sausalito, so the drive was easy, but oh my goodness... I may be used to authentic Italian and excellent service, coming from the South where rudeness is not tolerated, but this place had neither. My host was quite embarrassed and kept saying, "I am sorry I talked this place up, I think they are having an off night." Perhaps, but would that explain the owner's EXTREME rudeness when approached by my dining guests about the quality of two of our dishes? She was terrible. Would it explain that the wait staff dropped out sub-par dishes and never checked back, so we had to get up from the table to find them? I can only imagine the 4 and 5 star reviews are locals who have little other choice than to suck it up. read more

After driving back from Point Reyes we stopped by this hidden gem for Italian food. We ordered the creamy and soft gnocchi and shredded pork sugo with a sauce that tasted like a marinara vodka sauce. The perfect ending to a great meal was the dessert with fluffy sweet and tangy foam with sweet strawberries at the bottom of the glass. Well be back next time we pass through. Thank you cucina for a wonderful dining experience for date night. It gets busy so be sure to make a reservation. Parking is available on the street but fills up quickly. Price of meal was around 100 including a glass of wine. read more

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We have taken so many of our friends visiting from San Francisco and much farther away here, not just for the great Italian food but also for the lively atmosphere. We tend to eat out on Thur-Sat and always run into someone here on those nights. San Anselmo is a small town but cucina feels like a hidden big city gem. read more

One of my absolute favorite spots in Marin for fun vibes, great food, cocktails, and wines... I'm drooling just thinking about it! They just started a happy hour this week (fun!) but they are also open for lunch and dinner. My favorite dishes are the zucchini carpaccio (so good I taught myself how to make it - still not as good as they do), the meatballs, the pizzas, the lemon cream ravioli... okay now I'm really drooling! It's great for groups or just a dinner date. In the summer their front patio is a lovely place to hang with friends into the evening, let the kids play across the street in the town park and your well-behaved dogs are welcome to sit at your feet... drooling of course. read more

Great food and atmosphere. We sat inside and loved our seating. Wait staff were attentive and informed.

I've been wanting to try this place for the past few years- I don't know why it hasn't happened until tonight. I took my brother and my best friend; the food, hands down, has been some of the best food I've had in marin county. The service was impeccable, there was an array of choices (we all have dietary restrictions of some kind), and the staff was so friendly and welcoming. Can't wait to come back. Oh, and the cocktails... ummm. Had too many. They're so delicious. Definitely recommend. read more

Wow! This place is a fantastic hidden gem. It's much larger than it looks from the outside. I've walked past it countless times on my way to my favorite liquor store across the street (Ludwig's) and never knew about this world class restaurant. Our server, Emily was fantastic. Very hospitable and pleasant. Incredible service! We arrived at 6pm right before it became busy and our food came out quickly. Our party of four enjoyed all appetizers and entrees ordered. The drinks were very smooth and well made. The desserts were just the right sweetness. Overall, a great experience. This might just be my new favorite Italian restaurant in Marin. read more

It's been a few years since we lived a few blocks from Cucina, but it still is a delight. We started our summer dinner with Aperol spritzes, cool, crisp and fresh. The Brussels Sprouts chips were crisp, with a refreshing sweet and slightly spicy glaze. Yum. We split a Caesar salad-- we enjoyed it, but heads-up that it is anchovy-forward. We lived it but that might not appeal to some (and there are so many other delicious things on the menu!) My partner had a pasta (mushroom cream sauce and pork tortellini)- very rich. I enjoyed the lighter petrale sole with a springtime fresh veg risotto. All so good -- but the surprise star of the night was the almond cake, delicious simplicity, moist, an excellent crumb, and berries. Plus, the service was superb. read more

Cucina sa - Menu June 2024 - Italian Near Me - San Anselmo, California