Best Experience I've Ever Had at a Restaurant…read more Today is one of the most important days of my life--I got married. I chose to celebrate this special moment with my wife and my daughter at Melo's in Walnut Creek, and I will never forget how they treated us. From the moment we walked in, the staff went above and beyond. The service was not just professional--it was genuinely kind, warm, and full of heart. They made us feel like family. What truly touched me is that they refused to charge us for our meal. In a world where everything is business, this level of generosity and humanity is rare. It wasn't just about the food (which was amazing, by the way), it was about the way they made us feel on a day that means everything to me. To the entire team at Melo's: thank you for making our wedding day even more special. You didn't just serve us food--you gave us a memory we will carry for the rest of our lives. If you're thinking about where to eat in Walnut Creek, don't think twice. This place is not just a restaurant--it's a place with heart.

For family friendly Italian food, Melo's Italian Table is such a great spot :)…read more It can get a little cramped when it's busy, but honestly that kind of adds to the lively family dinner energy. The atmosphere feels warm, fun, and full of people having a really good meal together. Everything we've had has been absolutely delicious! My go to is always the lasagna!! Rich, comforting, flavorful, and exactly what you want Italian comfort food to taste like. My daughter absolutely loves the pizza... and honestly, so do I lol! The crust, the cheese, the flavors... so good!! :P This is the kind of place where the table gets quiet for a few minutes because everyone's too busy happily eating. Sauce on the plates, pizza crumbs everywhere, happy kid energy, and zero regrets ordering extra food. Nomnomnomnomnomnomnomnomnom!!!!

We had a delicious dinner and were especially impressed by the texture of the pasta, each dish was…read morecooked perfectly. Next time, we're definitely coming back to try one of the red sauces. Service was pleasant throughout, and the dining room had a lively, energetic vibe that made the whole experience even more enjoyable

I came here for lunch to try the meatball parm sandwich. I would give it a 8.5/10. The sandwich…read moreoverall is good, however it does need a little more sauce. The meatballs are thick which I like, but since theres a lack of sauce and the meatballs are a little more bland, the flavor gets lost. If they added a little more sauce or had sauce on the side, it would be a 10/10. For $16 and being able to sit down, I would say it's worth it! I came here last week for their truffle pasta. It was a good, but there was not a specific flavor that stood out. I would give it a 8/10. For me, I need something to pop if there aren't a lot of ingredients. However, it was still good and my girlfriend actually disagrees with me. She said she likes how it's classic, not overwhelming with flavor. We agreed how we would not get the garlic bread. Nothing special, the bread was good but definitely needed some marinara sauce on the side. Anyway, I say come over and try it out!

I was recently gifted some pasta shells and wanted to buy some sauce to go with it so Belotti…read moreBottega is the place to be! You can buy fresh varieties of pasta and lots of options of sauces (cook within 2-3 days though, it's fresh) to cook at home or eat there bistro style! There's a counter and a few bistro tables/chairs outside so limited seating. This time I bought the rabbit sugo (lightly orangey) and pesto (fresh and bright) and loved them both. My go to sauce is usually the boars sauce that goes with the agnolotti (sorry words, I lost you), but you can't go wrong. If you dine in, you must try the mushroom tagliatelle. There people there are super knowledgeable and helpful if you need to make a decision when there's too many good options. PS - double check address !! There's two Belottis :)

Stopped at Belotti bottega for a quick dinner before watching Hamnet at the Piedmont…read more Belotti the restaurant remains my favorite pasta place in the East Bay (or maybe the whole bay), and I'd been feeling some urgency about revisiting places like this because of my impending move. The salad and the pasta were excellent as I expected, though the pasta portion size was truly very small - maybe that's just because of the special we ordered? I feel like portions were bigger at the restaurant though, but maybe that's just my memory. Still a cute hip dinner option. Hamnet was a bit torturous.

The bucatini is my fave to go pasta. I also recently discovered the vongole sauce that you can get-…read moreadd a little lemon and parsley. Wowzers. You really can't go wrong with this place. It can get pricey, but that's quality these days, folks.

I can't recommend Mill Valley Pasta enough! I'm obsessed. The pasta is fresh, homemade, and so…read moregood. I had an Italian great aunt who would make pasta dishes that made you feel like you were standing in a tiny kitchen in Genoa while your family members were cooking pots of pasta and the most amazing sauces. The pasta and sauces from Mill Valley Pasta literally gives me the same feels. I have never felt nostalgic before eating pasta, but holy moly, I was almost teary while eating my porcini pasta with short rib sauce that made me think I had died and gone to food heaven. I bought multiple pastas and the baked lobster risotto which I cannot wait to try. I wanted to buy everything in the shop because everything looked amazing. The owner is also one of the nicest humans ever and very helpful with helping you decide what to purchase. Everyone needs to check out Mill Valley Pasta, you won't be disappointed.

I booked the family-style Pasta Table for my birthday, and it was SUCH a good call. I'm honestly…read moresurprised more people aren't talking about this!? Amelia made everything super easy from the start: she sent a menu survey ahead of time, was really accommodating with a time and headcount change, and was overall just great to work with. The dinner itself was amazing. The space feels semi-private (tucked behind the pasta case), which made it perfect for our group of 9. The table itself was gorgeously set with candles, flowers, and all the little details that made it feel really special. They even customized the menus to say "Happy Birthday Taylor," which was such a fun touch. The food was incredible, and there was SO much of it, no one left hungry. The wine was flowing, the vibes were perfect, and our servers were great. It felt special without being stuffy at all. They also sent us home with fresh pasta, which was the cherry on top. Everyone had the best time, and I would 100% do this again. Heads up, this is only available at the Mission location. I literally live one block from the Clement location, but this was SOOO worth the trip.

Dropped in here by chance, butc what good fortune!…read more The place was bustling, but it turned out a big group was just leaving, so we ended up seated quickly. Service was outstanding, and pacing was perfect. We started with a salad and the cheesy bread (amazing!), and then tried two pasta dishes - the kabocha squash pillows, and pasta with vodka sauce. Both were delicious and well prepared. We finished with an incredible panna cotta that was finished with caramel and cacao nibs. Everyone loved it! Would definitely go beach here!

I love supporting small businesses, I discovered this hole in the wall with friendly staff and…read moreamazing pizza. Definitely my go-to spot.

I ordered a half pepperoni, half combination pizza and it was delicious--10/10. The crust was soft…read morebut still had a nice crunch, and the toppings and flavor were on point. I also ordered a pasta with vodka sauce. It wasn't bad, but it was a little bland and not my favorite compared to the pizza. Overall, I'd definitely order the pizza again and would recommend it.

A real hidden gem that I wish I had discovered much sooner, Tavola Rustica is a family friendly…read moreplace with great food and a very convenient location. It's a pretty small spot, but if you make a reservation, you should not have a problem being seated. We were there during a regular weekend time for lunch, and there were two servers covering the entire restaurant. They appeared to share duties and both were equally attentive and helpful to us as we enjoyed our meal. They quickly brought kids, menus and coloring supplies as well as let us place in order for the kids first. We were very surprised that the Shirley Temple came in a very large glass. The bread was nice and warm and very fresh and the butter was room temperature, which is always the best. We loved the covered outdoor seating, which is a great way to get fresh air and still be protected from the elements. There were so many things on the menu that we wanted to try that we will definitely be back. Parking can be a challenge in downtown Larkspur, but we had arrived early and were able to secure parking, reasonably within walking distance. Overall, the experience was really great and definitely worth the value. We all enjoyed our food, though we did have to send back one of the pizzas because the sausage was raw in the middle. They were very professional about it and remade the pizza very quickly. We enjoyed the food, the service, and the ambience. Highly recommend for anyone in the area.

Such a cute little spot tucked away in the redwoods of Larkspur. I am in love with this area, it…read morefeels like I'm back in summer camp with the towering trees and the ease of stargazing in the night sky, there's little light pollution in the. My husband and I decided to give this spot a try after getting many rave reviews not only on yelp but on Eater SF (or maybe it was SFGate?). Anyway, we arrived around an hour before close, most places in this area close at 9pm btw. We were greeted by the host who walked in from near the kitchen area. We decided to sit outdoors since the weather was pleasant. We found a table for two near the projector showing a muted black and white film on the brick wall. The chairs had blankets over them just in case it gets chilly at night. It was very thoughtful. I decided to order their special 3 course meal including a white wine ($45!). It was like they had their own restaurant week specials like SF but I don't believe that exists in Marin. The 3 course meal included a beet salad, pasta (it was the screw shaped kind) with Bolognese and a tiramisu which was my fav of all 3. The white wine was a bit on the sweet side. My husband had the pappardelle pasta with oxtail. That was a treat! I liked his dish more than mine but all of it was so much we had to take half home! The complimentary focaccia really pushed us over the edge. I would definitely come back to try their pizzas!

Delicious, fresh pasta, great sauce, quality meat…read more Best for lunch. Very European. There's style here. A real treat.

$25 lasagna. Having never been there before, I went with the signature house dish. Thinking I was…read moregoing all-in is also part of why I'll probably shy away from returning. When the dish landed, I was initially impressed. But after the first bite, it felt a bit like the Wizard of Oz: impressive presentation hiding something less substantial underneath. Their lasagna is a sort of deconstructionist take on the classic dish. The noodles are cooked and layered almost naked between barely any pockets of filling. There were a few tidbits of meat, maybe sauce and no cheese within the layers themselves. The noodles are then baked, cut, plated, and topped with what I'd guess was about a 6 oz ladle of their bolognese, finished with finely pre-grated parmesan. The first bite was overwhelmingly pasta-forward. It took me a moment to understand how the dish had been assembled against my expectations. Once I cut into it and spread everything out, it became clear this wasn't the kind of lasagna I think of when ordering lasagna. It didn't check the familiar boxes - a rich ragù, maybe a creamy béchamel, or the sharp, salty depth of cheeses layered throughout. The dish lacked the complexity and savory comfort I was craving and expecting. Another miss was the homemade flatbread (which I went back and paid cash for, so it wasn't included in the total). Traditional Italian flatbread is a yeast-free bread made with flour, olive oil or lard, salt, and water or milk, then rolled thin and cooked until crisp yet chewy. This version tasted like flour, lard, and water. It wasn't crisp or chewy. As soon as I started chewing, it turned into an unappetizing doughy mass in my mouth. After the first quarter-piece, I didn't eat anymore. As for everything else, I arrived around 7:15 on a Saturday night, and the inside was packed with a small line to the door. The outdoor tables weren't full, but it was summer in San Francisco, more people were jockeying for seats inside than out. But I wasn't too concerned and I got there around 7, so all that is on me. There were a few specials written on a chalkboard, and the cashier was awesome while explaining those. They were incredibly patient. I apologized for holding up the line, and in a very Italian way, they assured me it was my right to make sure I ordered exactly what I wanted. That interaction honestly stood out as one of the better parts of the experience. I grabbed a table just as one opened up, helped myself to water a few times from the station, and my food arrived in about 20 minutes which wasn't bad considering how busy they were. There's been a bit of internal conflict with this review. I usually don't like judging a restaurant based on a single dish, especially a restaurant with so many positive reviews. But I also don't spend as much time in that part of the city anymore, and there are simply too many other places I still want to try. Unfortunately, while there was some good-looking food on other tables, if a restaurant's claim of lasagna as its signature dish doesn't hold up, the first visit just didn't do enough to pull me back for a second chance.