When the high school near me was renamed a few years back, they introduced a new logo as well. We might be the only ones, but my son and I find the new logo the equivalent of someone shrugging their shoulders and throwing their arms to their sides; sort of an "I guess so" gesture. I have a similar reaction to La Ginestra. I've come to La Ginestra multiple times, always in advance of a nearby show, for a cocktail or a glass of wine. Usually there's some food ordered to accompany the drinks. Most recently, meatballs and a Margarita pizza were shared between two of us, with neither of us making a single remark about the food either during or after consuming it. It was as good as it needed to be, no more-no less. A 3-star review, every avid yelper will tell you, is the most difficult to pen. Indeed, that is because it generally is a shoulder-shrug. I'm certain I'll come back to La Ginestra for drinks and might actually be the one recommending it. I'll probably also have something small to eat as an accompaniment but only because I'm already here drinking. I do observe that they do a solid restaurant business (I've only ever sat in the room that shares space with the bar) which says something, given the plethora of Italian restaurants in Marin. Based though on the food I've sampled? If I were actually choosing a restaurant to dine at - as opposed to a restaurant to drink at - I've not had anything here that would cause me to choose La Ginestra above even any of the other restaurants near to it. read more

Date night, and I told the mister to pick the spot. He surprised me with a drive to Mill Valley and an Italian gem called La Ginestra. RSVP definitely recommended! The service was warm and the menu had so many great options. We kicked things off with the burrata (always a winner) and the minestrone soup. No complaints so far -- we were excited for the mains. I ordered the special rigatoni with sausage in an alla vodka sauce, and the mister went with the classic spaghetti carbonara. Both dishes were a hit! If you're ever in the area, La Ginestra is definitely worth a stop. read more

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La Ginestra is one of our neighborhood go to spots. The service is great. The owner is incredibly gracious. And the food is always delicious. The Ginetra ravioli is my favorite. All the homemade pasta is great. read more

After a long day of doing the touristy things in SF, I was craving a bougie pizza (according to my kids). We were strolling around the area and walked into the restaurant and decided to order To-Go because we wanted to enjoy the beautiful night outside. I asked the nice lady at the cashier for recommendations for pizza and she suggested the Ginestra. Then I asked what dish I should get that they are most known for. She told me the ravioli is popular and luckily, they had enough for one more order that evening. Done. We ordered and were told to come back in 20 mins. Came back 20 mins later and waited another 10 mins for them to pack it. We left the restaurant and ate the pizza and raviolis in the open seating area a block down. We started with the ravioli. We took our first bite and everyone's eyes widen and we started doing the foodie happy dance (you know the one you do a little shimmy with your shoulders and shake your head side to side). It was so good! The ravioli was tender and had a generous amount of filling. The cream and tomato sauce complimented the ravioli well. The pizza also received a happy dance upon first bite. The crust was crispy and chewy and the toppings were portioned on the pizza well. Our foodie hearts were happy. Next time I'm in the area, definitely stopping again. Highly recommend. read more

La Ginestra - Ginestra pizza - Italian Near Me - Mill Valley, California

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We love La Ginestra for the food (the ravioli, the orecchiette the pizza, the salads), the service and the overall great meal without fussiness. The expression "a real gem" gets overused, but is also true in this case. read more

I love this place for a cozy family meal. They also welcome my service animals and allow into being a booth with the stroller out of the way. The lady at the front is very business and serious both you being on time but I understand and respect it allows everyone to have a great experienced and not feel rushed at dinner. Both waiters we have had have been excellent. Now to the food. Best Italian. Only improvement would be more vegetarian choice, eggplant roles all the time, and gluten free pizza and a gluten free eggplant parm if possible. Really love this place and the ravioli is my husband's favorite. read more

We had a wonderful dinner this evening at La Ginestra. The service was very good as it always is . The waiters are veterans and have been there for decades which is great ! The food was delicious . We started off with a kale salad and a warm Brussels sprout salad . Both were very good . For our main course I had the halibut special served with roasted potatoes and sautéd broccolini . My wife had their chicken Milanese served with Swiss chard and roasted potatoes! For desert we had their famous home made tiramisu, which we highly recommend! We love this family owned and run restaurant because the food is always delicious, the service is impeccable , and the Aversa Family is there to make sure you are totally satisfied with your dining experience . read more

I dont get out to much, but this is the place to go. Their carbonara pasta is amazing.

Best Italian food in Northern Cal!..start w a Pizza or their home made Ravioli,then seafood or chicken, they never disappoint! .... Hostess always sweet and accommodating. Great place to go w friends. read more

If you have hearing issues the din can be disconcerting during the height of dinner service. The staff was polite and considerate and reseated us in the smaller room but the din was still overwhelming and I couldn't hear (and as a result participate in) the dialogue at our table. If you don;t have hearing issues it is a very pleasant place. read more

We love La Ginestra. We hav3 been going to this delicious, family owned and operated restaurant for at least 30 years. We do not even need to look at the menu. The ravioli's are the best ever and you can only get them at La Ginestra. Order them you will truly be amazed. read more

Does it get any better than family owned for 4 generations of Italians ? I mean this speaks for itself . But if you have never put their ravioli in your mouth , you truly haven't lived . This is hands down my favorite meal in mill valley . Warmest atmosphere- reminds me of my Ohio roots because the staff and owners actually talk to you . I have never had a below average dinner here . Just wish it was on DoorDash ! read more

Ambience is cozy and welcoming. Service was efficient without feeling overbearing in the slightest. I had the lasagne, garlic bread and tiramisu and everything was delicious. I don't know how I let it go so long between visits, but it definitely won't be that long again. read more

La Ginestra - Tiramisu - Italian Near Me - Mill Valley, California

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This is an old school Italian restaurant in Mill Valley that while the food was good the service staff & organization is awful! Bugging waiters to serve more water olive oil or bread is a chore but the worst part is the older lady at the check in is part of the "business prevention dept" literally turning customers away because she is confused it seems. The bathrooms are nice though. read more

I had an amazing dining experience at La Ginestra a few weeks ago. I arrived at 8:45 pm and they were taking last orders for the kitchen. Despite the late time, service was excellent and not rushed. We enjoyed two salads, two pastas and a lovely bottle of red wine. Excellent food and service all around! Given the positive experience, I returned on my own last night for dinner alone at the bar. The experience was completely different. The food and wine remain superb, but the service was HORRIBLE! The same bartender has been there for years and he's a grumpy person who seems to hate his job. When I asked him the difference between three different Italian wines he told me he doesn't know anything about Italian wines. WTF he works in an Italian restaurant and is the bartender and it's his job to know and be able to recommend wines. I was so put off by the bad service that I ate and left as quickly as possible and went somewhere else for a second glass of wine. The restaurants risks losing money that's made on alcohol with such poor service. If I go back, I will not eat at the bar. read more

Had delish veal Al fungi - albeit a SMALL portion - but the flavor was spot on. Minestrone tasty. Service a bit arrogant especially when I told the waiter that the menu online showed veal saltimbocca and it was the reason I came in. I suggested someone check that out. His reply: "we haven't had that dish for years". I again suggested some website/Yelp update - he looked as if I said he had 3 noses. - and walked off while I was still talking I guess constructive criticism is now insulting. The reason for 4 stars Food WAS good but don't trust on line menu read more

The ravioli did not disappoint. No wonder it's what La Ginestra is known for. Amazing orocchieta too. Much better than I ever imagined. I have seen this place for years from the outside, glad I finally tried it. Nothing trendy but really good old fashioned Italian place read more

My bf ordered the nightly special which was a pasta with andouille sausage. I ordered the Italian egg drop soup. I asked if it was a meat base. Our server told me it was vegetable. When our food came, my bf's pasta was missing the sausage. He asked the server who pointed to the red pepper flakes and told us the sausage is ground small. My soup tasted like a meat base but I can't be sure so I didn't ask again. The manager explained that the kitchen may have been confused about the pasta special and he took the plate and my bf's fork back to the kitchen. When he returned the pasta dish then had Italian sausage chunks in it similar to what you'd see on a pizza. He ate it. The bill came and we were charged for three soups. Maybe they were having an off night. I've been coming here not often for so long, but I will take a break. read more

Great food and wonderful friendly staff. We will return often. Love to see the restaurant open early at 4;30.

I had only been here years ago, and we rediscovered it and boy oh boy this place does not disappoint at all. The cannoli is so yummy, along with the special flat breads they make, yummy! read more

Not sure why it's taken me so long to write this but the food here keeps getting better and better. If your looking for a family that cares, quality food. Try Tino's ravioli. Hands down the best. read more

Outstanding food and welcoming service. The food is traditional, not inventive, but that's not a complaint. It's exceptionally well made, well executed. I've been coming here once a week for a few years now with my daughter (it's her favorite - the freshly made pasta in particular). Lucia, the daughter of the original founder Maria, is the hostess. I saw a couple of comments on here from people that had a bad experience with her. I'm sorry to hear that happened, but in the 100+ times I've been here now she's been nothing but wonderful, friendly, and caring to us. I highly recommend this restaurant, you won't be disappointed. The food is outstanding, the staff very friendly. read more

Was there recently- the service was very prompt, always had wine and appetizers going while the whole group showed up. The ravioli are to die for, very rich and decadent! Their service and attentiveness to a large group (12-14) was amazing! read more

Last visit there, the Hostess stated that there were reservations for all of the empty tables. Following which she offered a small table for my companion and I which we accepted. An hour later, those tables were still empty and we were still sitting at the cramped little table. We finished our meal and the hostess sweetly thanked us, probably hoping that we didn't remember that she hadn't seated us in the still empty "reserved" tables.. The moral of the story for this writer is that the service sets the standard for the food. read more

When we arrived, the owner immediately said hello and took us to a very accessible table (I use a wheelchair for mobility) in the bar/dining area. Our server, a nice gentleman, greeted us and asked about drinks, which we ordered. On to the food - I had the Cannellonn, my wife had the seafood stew. Our friends ordered similar dishes. The food was yummy! Now, the problem - the noise level was almost unbearable! OK, it may be that we were all in our 70's, but we had to actually yell to each other to be heard! There are no state building codes foe maximum decibel levels in a public space, but my goodness, no wonder my Kaiser audiologist told me that most of his senior patients don't go to restaurants, because they can't hear others inbthere party because the ambient noise level is too loud. I would strongly suggest to the owners of LA Ginestra and all other restaurant owners that they should consider creating at least a small section of their restaurant dining area with sound deadening material on the walls and ceiling and add carpet to the floor!. That's not too burdensome a cost, but will assure that their senior customers have a quieter area to sit and enjoy their meal. Other than that, LA Ginestra was great (except they no longer serve Calamari Steak, which was a wonderful replacement for abalone steaks!). read more

Visited and stayed in Mill as part of a trip exploring norcal. We found La Ginestra while wandering aimlessly through town and were pretty excited. We walk in and are asked if we have reservations, we didn't and I expected to be turned away but a table used for to go orders was hastily cleared and readied for us (everything in Mill closes early so I was starting to worry we would need to leave town for a late dinner!) The food was amazing, delicious real deal Italian and the wine was good too. The spumoni stole the show. Highly recommend going and making reservations ahead of time read more

Being a true foodie, I know great food. I'm from AZ and with what the Covid-19 pandemic has done to most eateries is just plain sad. There were 5 in our party, We ordered a couple appetizers, the crunchy Brussels sprouts, the calamari. Utterly delicious. The entries did not disappoint, fresh, delicious. The service was amazing as well. read more

Service was not good. I was five minutes late and the hostess told my friend if I didn't show up we would have to leave because they were totally booked. The waiter was kind of rude and abrupt. He told us the specials.... Of which there were 29 of them and he said it so fast we didn't know what was a appetizer or an entree. Food delivered very fast as was the check. Wanting to turn the table. The food was blah. No taste. I have been wanting to go to this place for years. Heard such great things about it. But I won't be back read more

Amazing food and genuine service, met every expectation and never disappoints Service and food 5 star read more

Had the pleasure of dining here last night with my husband and my cousin for the first time. My cousin who lives in Marin, had been here several times and said she'd like to return, so we happily obliged! To start with, we got a place to park right across the street, which I'm told at dinner time can be a challenge, but typical of Mill Valley. Our reservation, made on "Resy", (not available on Open Table, sadly) was for 6pm. At that time on entry, the restaurant was quiet and fairly empty, which always pleases us. Too many noisy places these days and you can't hear yourself speak! Anyway, our waiter got us our menus and brought waters and bread. Nice fresh sourdough, but not warmed. I wish more places would provide dark bread as well, which we prefer. My husband ordered a wonderful and hearty linguini with mixed seafood. It's was hot and plentiful-had to bring half of it home! We shared a great crisp Caesar salad as well. All three of us shared an order of Squash Blossoms-very nice flavor, but small. I have had better and would not order these again. I ordered the scallops with risotto. Sadly, the waiter got my order confused and brought a seafood on risotto dish. I had my heart set on the scallops so he immediately reordered it. It took awhile, but was well worth the wait. It was hot, cooked properly and delicious! My cousin had the veal scallopini with steamed chard & fingerling potatoes which she had asked not be on her plate. She said it was perfect as well. We finished our meal with decaf lattes and biscotti. We were beyond full by then! It did begin to fill up with later diners and did get noisier. It was good food, good service and a nice venue. Prices are not cheap, but fine for the value of food received. They could improve the table lighting though. It gets a bit dark in the entire restaurant. They have booths and tables for larger parties as well. We will be happy to return to this tasty place again! read more

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I count myself lucky to be able to frequent this restaurant. It is by far my favorite restaurant and all of Marin county bar none. I have been going there since they opened 50 years ago. They are amazing! read more

Please, owners of La Ginestra, tell me why you are charging $12 (plus tip of course) for the meatball appetizer? 2 golfball size meatballs, served in a small bowl (literally 3 inches in diameter, with a puddle of watery red sauce...no garnish, no toast to accompany, nada. How do you justify charging $6 per meatball? I go out to eat ALL the time, nationwide, and I don't think I have ever been presented with such a pathetic dish. read more

La Ginestra is a true Mill Valley gem! Absolutely delicious food, excellent wait staff, and the sense that everyone there knows what they're doing. There's also a sense of professionalism that exists. read more

My friend and I usually see each other about once a month, and our visit concludes over an early dinner. We have two favorite places with La Ginestra being one of them. It's a no-brainer. We recently had another great meal at La Ginestra. We ordered as follows: Shared brussels sprouts appetizer, shared carbonara, one order of veal piccata, and one order of grilled salmon. Our meal was proceeding as planned until we got to the carbonara. This was the first time we'd ordered it. We each took a bite then collectively moaned and said simultaneously, "oh my God, this is SO good!" The sauce was so creamy and light, unlike any other carbonara I've ordered elsewhere. As we continued eating quietly, I thought to myself, "I don't want to eat my entree, I want to order another carbonara..." As we were approaching the bottom of the bowl, I verbalized what I had been thinking, and my friend exclaimed, "me too!" We called the server over to the table and told him that we wanted to take home our entrees and order another carbonara to eat now. After completing our second shared carbonara, we took our respective entrees home and enjoyed them the next day. This is my favorite "go-to" restaurant. I ALWAYS have a great meal, in great ambiance, great service, and true hospitality. read more

i can't agree more . the hostess was completely unwelcoming the service was terrible. the drinks were terrible the foo was sub par and cold. But I could take all that if the hostess had been more accommodating less rigid less rude. Will not be trying it again this was not an Off night read more

NEVER again... They just lost one of their top 10 customers. The owners sister has NO business answering the phone. Her social skills, are non-existent. She simply wanted to argue with the customer. She would not let me speak. She wouldn't let me finish explaining. I don't know how many times I had to say, may I please finish and I'm sure all your questions will be answered. They screwed up, yet AGAIN, with another one of our orders. Why not simply apologize, and correct. It was not normal her level of aggression. We will NEVER be back. I just sent an email blast to all our employees, that we are black listing this restaurant. Why would anyone ever support such bad behavior. I am posting a YELP review of inform our community. I am also posting on Instagram, and Facebook. That was insane. What a nut job she was... YIKES!!!! read more

i ordered to go a veg pizza with pepperoni and it was so good one of the best pizzas I've ever had. I decided to wait at bar for my food to go and the bartender is really super unfriendly and not very good at communicating and it's almost like he doesn't want to serve you. he doesn't like his job. don't go to the bar get a table. I will be back for pizza but not the bar. read more

Amazing. We didn't have reservations and they squeezed us in. The best calamari I've ever had! Service was excellent, food was incredible. Highly recommend!! We'll be back! read more

Outstanding food and staff. Local gem, looking forward to enjoying many meals here for years

Food here is just OK but not worth the price. Pizza w bland crust. Decent cocktails. Would not go rushing back.