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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The owners have been here for 40+ years. Very accommodating. Very Italian menu. Lots of pasta and salad. Great calamari and margherita pizza. I ordered seafood pasta. Beautiful bright space and we were put in the bar side. Nice and causal place to take family and friends. Average cost is $18-$26. read more

La Ginestra - Calamari Fritti - Italian Near Me - Mill Valley, California

All I had was pizza, so I can't say anything about the food. The pizza crust was nice & crispy. We had the Margarita Pizza- awesome We ran out of time to have a meal before heading East. read more

You know it's bad, when a customer sets up a Yelp account, for the only purpose of warning the public to PASS on a restaurant. In this case, it's La Ginestra in Mill Valley but n Throckmorton. The female, who answers the phone, and is related to the owners, is an absolute NUTJOB. I mean they need to remove her from answering the phones. Remove her from interacting with customers. And, remove her from being affiliated with the business all together. Although, my guess is, who would hire her with her visibly noticeable psychological and emotional issues. It's obvious they keep her on the payroll solely out of pity. She is by no means benefitting La Ginestra whatsoever. I've heard so much feedback from friends at the tennis club. All negative. And always about this one particular women. And then the issues our employees had a while back. And then us, this evening. I think it's safe to say we can't all be wrong... so there's that! Attempting to carry on a conversation with this women was a struggle. I was hung up on multiple times. When we did connect, she went zero to 60 effortlessly. And, all the while she was belligerent, hostile, and pugnacious. Her nonsensical rhetoric was exhausting. Her retorts curt. Someone get this women help, STAT. How does she do life is my question? And, who would ever want to be around that horrible energy. I'm soaking in a hot Epsom salt bath writing this, cleansing myself from the toxicity. Like I said, what a NUTJOB. So my friends, I encourage you to pass on La Ginestra, and please support places with much kinder staff, because there are so many to select from... just NOT this place! On a side note, I can't believe how many negative Yelp reviews La Ginestra has on their Yelp page. Just finished reading a few. It would seem, this women, does not have a fan club. p.s. I made a decision, moving forward, I'm going to share with the public all the wonderful places we visit, and to apps on the few bad ones we come across... starting with La Ginestra. It would seem appropriate since we are a restaurant 4-5 times a week. read more

By far and away the best Italian food in mill Valley which is saying something since we pretty much only have Italian food. The pasta La Ginestra is particularly awesome. read more

Oh I'm sooooo upset about having to rate this place 2 stars but I have to be honest.. I use to get take out from here all the time when I lived in MV. I was back in the city and thought I'd bring someone special there to grab a bite to take home....BIG MISTAKE :( I ordered the fettuccine Romano (as always) and was going to get the chicken w/ artichoke hearts and mushrooms (a fav of mine) and was informed they quit serving it w/ polenta....HUH?! Ok...the staff is very nice there and was quick to check if there was any in the kitchen (wait...you now do not serve polenta because of "healthy options") and I was informed "no, sorry, none" ok, so I scratch the chicken and opt solely for pasta....20min wait...picked up, went home; got it out and honestly, it was hardly worth unwrapping. It looked like a hard block of past not a bed of pasta! It was so thick and overcooked it was unedible. I tried to take a bite of the bread - hard as a rock :( I was really upset to taste a totally different taste to the pasta than before and was extremely let down. I love La Ginestra so much I have to give it another shot and just go there and dine in seeing as their take out is no longer an option for me. If food ever tastes like that it needs to be brought to the chefs attention! Only thing I can hope for is the hostess there DID in fact order the same pasta dish I had (she said I made her crave it...sigh) that it was the same experience and it was addressed and never happens again. read more

God, I love this restaurant. I've been going to La Ginestra for years and it never fails to disappoint. Although it's gotten a little bit more pricey recently it's still well worth with. Come to think of it, I don't think I've ever had a bad experience at La Ginestra. The service is also fantastic. Shout out's to Mark and Tim, as well as the bartender Jason, who makes one fine Martini. The menu doesn't change much, but their specials are always amazing. The salmon special I had the other night perfectly executed. And their main stays such as the veal piccata, and of course the Ravioli Ginestra, also know as Tino's Ravs, are always exceptional. It's just a terrific Italian restaurant, with outstanding service, that does food right. read more

Delicious food, very attentive and knowledgeable service staff. Will definitely come back. The panna cotta is delectable and the pan seared salmon special exquisite. The spinach ravioli is the ne plus ultra of ravioli. Highly recommended. read more

This place is a find. It's not just the quaint appointments and ideal location in Mill Valley. It's not even the food -- which is truly spectacular, with great portions at reasonable prices. As great as the food and ambiance is, the staff make it that much better. Our family of five wandered into the restaurant with no reservations having just come into town. Lucia, the hostess, took pity on our clearly hungry kids and found us a table despite our lack of preparation. The wait staff took great care of us, including finding lemonade drinks for the kiddos. Honestly, the whole experience made our first night in Mill Valley truly special, and we're extremely appreciative of the staff at La Ginestra. We will be back! read more

Just recently revisited Mill Valley from New York. Ginestra has been a family favorite for decades. When we lived in MV it was our favorite. A normal oasis of delicious food and welcoming owners. It is still all that. I hope it never changes. read more

great place for a dinner date - the service and ambiance is great, the staff feel like family, and the food is tasty! we ordered the caesar salad, spaghetti bolognese, and orechiette pugliese, panna cotta, and cheesecake and would highly recommend them! will definitely go back when we're back in the area! read more

The food is always fresh and delicious, especially the ravioli. Pizza is really good and perfect for to-go. Waitstaff is always really knowledgeable and it's a great atmosphere. Best Italian in Marin and I love that it's been family owned for 50+ years. Perfect place for a casual weeknight dinner in the bar area or for a special occasion. Prices are more than fair too. read more

As a kid I would go here with my family, and we always loved the pizza. I returned twice recently and was glad. When our server came to the table, I told him that I'd heard that I heard the pizza had changed, and I was afraid it was no longer greasy and floppy. "Fear not dude." And lo and behold, it was just as greasy and floppy as before! It turned out that our server had been eating here even before I, and had been waiting here off and on for two decades. We reminisced about the original decor, gaudy fishing nets strewn across the ceiling, intermingled with dark red lanterns and sea matter. I bet there were big plastic lobsters in there. The funny thing is that I never thought of this place as a seafood restaurant. read more

I was told I had to eat here by a local, so, we stopped by Monday and they were closed. On Tuesday, the day we were leaving back home, we had to wait until dinner because they did not open until 5pm. I was really looking forward to ordering the Vitello Parmigiana (Veal Parmesan). We finally showed up but my stomach was bothering me because we needed to get home. So, I asked the waiter if they have white sauce and he said yes. So when the time came, I ordered my veal with white sauce and he said he couldn't do that. My wife said, his stomach hurts and the waiter said that he could not do that to the veal. WTH.... who is eating it? Who is ordering it? WOW!!! A place that offers pizzas and torn up placemats knows better than me what a dead calf deserves. read more

La Ginestra - Italian Near Me - Mill Valley, California

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The daily hand made spinach and cheese raviolis are excellent. I'm not sure if it's the thin sheets of pasta or the sauce that's half tomato and the other side cream, but these are the best I've had outside of Italy. The bartenders are great too. read more

La Ginestra is one of the best Italian restaurants in the county I think, always great food.

I wanted to love La Ginestra. Atmosphere: cozy and dark- which I like. Service: I sat for 5 minutes and 30 seconds without acknowledgment, while 5 employees were gathered in the service station talking. There were 2 other tables at 9:15, and they close at 10;00 I walked over and asked who my server was and a young girl came and asked what I wanted to order. No, "I'm sorry, or even a smile. She had the social graces of a pine cone. It felt like she was a high school student and this was her first job-not a gracious server in a nice restaurant. She poured my entire beer into the glass and left the empty bottle on the table all through dinner. She didn't pre- set table with a spoon for the spaghetti. Didn't ask if I would like another beer. She never checked back to see if I liked my meal. She never asked if I would like dessert or coffee. I asked for some garlic and when I got the bill they charged me $2. It would have been nice if the server would have mentioned that there would be a small charge. Would I go back? I suppose. Maybe in 2 years when she's graduated from high school. read more

Really great!!! Pleasant staff and delicious food. I love bresaola so this was truly a treat to see it on the menu. And it was sooooooo good! All of our entree's came out perfectly. Desserts too. Everything was wonderful! Only complaint... it is super loud in this restaurant. I could barely hear the people at the end of the table. But, the food more than made up for that so it is a minor complaint. I can't wait to go back for another plate of bresaola!!! Definitely will recommend it!!! read more

Absolutely some of the best Italian food in the Bay Area! I think there food rivals some of the food I had in Italy--if not better. Not only is the food delicious but the staff is personable and reminds me of an osteria in Italy because they know each of their customers and talk to them about life and how they're doing. The owner came out and talked with us for a long time and treated us to homemade tiramisu which was the best I've ever had hands down! I highly recommend the ravioli. I get it each time and each time I'm always amazed at how good it is. Definitely one of my new favorite restaurants! read more

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I started going to La Ginestra in 2000. Since then, the restaurant has kept its wonderful family business spirit yet has evolved and improved throughout the year. The bar area has been renovated and is a great place to hang around waiting for your table. The owner is a wonderful manager and many of the waiters have been there for years which is a testimony of a great place to work. The elderly mother comes on Saturday evenings and chat with old time customers. The dishes are constantly good and so flavorful. The wine list is really special and Tino knows his wines. He has some highly allocated wine and some great finds that is worth the try. Try La Ginestra one evening and I guarantee you will never regret it! read more

We love La Ginestra. The food, ambiance and service are great and consistent. They always have seasonal specials and the menu is packed with favorites for my wife and I and our two little boys. The pastas are just perfect. Best to book ahead for the main dining room. The bar area is also good for last minute pop ins, but the TV can be a distraction if you have kids. read more

I have been going to this place with my family for many years but tonight was the last: the front lady has probably turned into the rudest in Marin, unfriendly and aggressive when we mentioned that $18 for a kids plate of spaghetti with butter is starting to be outrageous! Food has become average, disappointing! Save time and money go somewhere else. read more

The owner has got to be the rudest in Marin. The prices are ridiculous and the service sucks. It was my Uncles 92st bday and they would not let us bring the cake in. The food sucks!!! Vasco or Beer Works!! read more

Love La Ginestra Italian Restaurant! I had been going there since 1975 when I lived in Marin. Now I go every time I'm back in town visiting. They have the best homemade Cheese Ravioli. read more

Not only is the food the most delicious, freshest and superbly presented, but the owners are there for you and I truly feel I am with family whenever I eat here. I may be with others or alone dining, but this is what I call authentic Italian Cuisine and I have been coming here for a decade. Brava & Bravo to La Ginestra for consistently prepared food and marvelous service ~ read more

There is a reason that most of the 5-star reviews start out "I've been going to this place for years..." If you haven't gone here for years, there is no reason to start now. They don't need your patronage and they don't want it. Piazza d'Angelo and Vasco (nearby restaurants) have much better food, much better service, and much better atmospheres. The first visit I thought maybe I had hit an off-night--the salad had old greens and was expensive, for example; the pasta, well, I can make it better (not a high bar). We were tolerated but not welcomed. The second time (yep, fool me twice--shame on me) there was no improvement. I do not have the energy today to go into it all: I'll just say, don't bother. read more

I'm not quite sure what happened here. This restaurant used to have good food. While service was efficient and friendly the food was some of the worst I've had since being subjected to a certain chef in a can. The garlic bread came burned and without any herbs. The Caesar salad arrived with a dressing that was more like a vinaigrette than a true Caesar dressing. Further I couldn't find an iota of garlic (or lemon or Worcestershire sauce) in the dressing. The romaine seemed to be from all over the head rather than just the heart. Instead of a quality parmesan I think they used a skim mozzarella. Not quite what I was expecting. The veal in the Saltimbocca was so far past its prime it was no longer veal. Pizza La Ginestra came overloaded with mushrooms. Every bite the only flavor you could taste was mushroom. It's a pity as once you cleared the mushrooms the individual meats had nice flavor. The other downside was the sauce, which was rather weak and couldn't stand up to any of the ingredients. To add insult to injury I ordered the Tiramisu. Instead of the multi layered dessert that I was expecting I received three tiny lady fingers in a single layer. It didn't taste like the lady fingers were soaked in anything. They also had the least amount of marscapone I've ever seen on the dish. NB: If you order a pasta dish don't expect to be able to change the sauce. On a previous visit with some friends they ordered the most expensive pasta and wanted the sauce from a cheaper dish. This was a no-go. read more

1 star for the waitstaff. They have been always been very attentive. 1 star for the house made ravioli. They are delicious. I haven't been impressed with anything else I've tried there. It's always felt lackluster and over priced. read more

A Mill Valley icon. So sad....food is terrible. Stale bread served. Bland unremarkable food did not taste fresh. And rice served with entrees in an Italian restaurant? What is up with that? Pros: cute location in downtown Milk Valley Con: pricy bland foid read more

over-rated, too expensive, they just don't care. I live here and have tried several times. Much better service, food, wine around the corner or at Vasco's. read more

I have no clue why there are bad reviews on here! I have been going to La G for yeeeeears and the food is always on point, the wait staff is friendly, attentive, knowledgable about all items on the menu and I have never had a bad experience. I moved to the city from Marin 16 years ago but when I come to Mill Valley I always go and get the raviolis & Sal's salad. Spinach, ricotta & mozzarella ravioli with a tomato & cream sauce, holy balls it's so good! Ignore the bad reviews (people are haters) and check this spot out, it's been around for 50 years for a reason! read more

La Ginestra - Spinach, ricotta & mozzarella raviolis. Divine!!!! - Italian Near Me - Mill Valley, California

How terrible can one meal be? Visit Ginestra and find out for yourself. Just simply bad food and pathetic service? No, the ambiance really seals the deal. Loud, obnoxious old men with too young and spray tanned trophy wives made the visit somewhat of a sociology class... or i needed a coping mechanism to get through the meal. Everyone know this place was good in the 70's and 80's, but times have changed. I no longer like hot dogs topped with mac and cheese and ketchup either. read more

My wife and I been coming here for over 40 years, and we still eat here once or twice a month. The quality of the food is high, and never varies. My own favorites are the Cesar salad -- my personal favorite in the Bay Area -- the house ravioli and the ravioli Bolognese with meatballs. The house wine is also very good. The tiramisu isn't always available; but when it is, it's heavenly. The ambience is just what you would expect from a family owned business: friendly, a little loud when the place is full, but quite happy. Maria, the owner, is always there chatting with family and friends. There are two other Italian restaurants close by, and their food is quite good. But if you like superbly-prepared traditional Italian cooking in a traditional setting, La Ginestra is the best. read more

Great service. Wonderful dishes and quiet lounge when waiting for a table. Wine list is really special. High end wines as you would expect mixed with real finds a reasonable prices. Owner has access to hard to get wines and never gauges on the price. read more

This is the place to go for good homemade Italian. Order the raviolis and you will forget what appears to be a steep price. So worth it. Also, order a cannoli here! You won't regret it. read more

Value! The Aversa's are a treasure. Time tested, fresh and quality foods, old school attention to detail and clean! The best gnocchi ever, all the pasta's are made fresh. It's a Marin classic, in the vein of Marin Joe's but far more romantic. Don't miss it. read more

Love the homemade raviolis and my boyfriend swears by the meatballs. The chicken parmigana was also excellent. It is a great place for family and friends, and when the dining room gets a bit crowded you can always eat in the bar. It is surprisingly good! read more

I LOVE La Ginestra. When I was a little girl and my family lived on Mt. Tam, we used to drive all the way down the mountain to pick up pizza from La Ginestra. I have these really vivid memories of driving back up with my dad, and the whole car smelling like pizza. And not just any pizza. The BEST pizza. I also have these very vivid memories of standing outside the restaurant with my little brother, giggling at the fountain, which is a naked boy *peeing*. I mean, can you really expect two little kids not to giggle at that? He's peeeeeeeeeeing! Eeeeeewwwwhehehehehe!!!! However, the acoustics make it hard for me to have a convo with my g'ma, so it loses one star. read more

I have been here many times in the past five years with family and have never been disappointed! The staff is incredibly gracious and are very knowledgeable about the food and the wine they are serving. I strongly recommend the house ravioli. read more

La Ginestra is amazing. I am sick of people giving them crap about Sweet Water. Its called business. If so many people care about Sweet Water why is it having problems anyway. Yes- the female host can be bitchy, and the service is more true to its European roots than we are used to; however, the food is fabulous. Everything is great, especially their pizzas and eggplant parmesans. If you are polite to the waitstaff and host they are generally polite in return. Some people mention that it isn't authentic, however, every region in Italy has its own cuisine. Tastes very similar to what my Nona made when she was around and she was definitely authentic. read more