Great food. I have eaten here at least a dozen times, the service is always very good as well.

House sitting for the in laws. Nice little local restaurant we can walk to. Make a dinner reservation (we actually didn't have to, surprising for a saturday). Arrived to find a very tacky painting on the most proficient wall: dudes staring at the boobs and legs of pretty waitress. Already weird. Then someone is asking for a take out box, and when it comes it is styrofoam (bad, bad, bad!). Order drinks (wine and champagne). Both glasses arrive after quite a wait (restaurant almost empty, only two waiters), both dirty. Takes a while to see the waiter again, exchange drinks. My glass once again dirty! Clearly there is lipstick on it. Third time around, drink finally here. Still not sure glass is clean but what the heck... need a drink by now for sure! Service is slow. Everyone else at restaurant seems to be 60 years old or older. Wish we had the waitress. She seems on top of it and way nicer. Food is quite good. Wish I had ordered the lamb! Sauce is yummy! My pasta is OK. Then I overhear nice waitress talking about the rabbit special and wish our server had mentioned it. I guess this place is all about the meat and sauces... Maybe next time (but not too sure there will be a next time). Service is way too slow! I guess it is exactly what elderly people expect... nice slow patient service. Too slow for us! Dessert was Ok for ice cream, and when we asked what was different about the two coffee desert drinks the server had no idea. Once again we are left waiting, and waiting... while he asks. After desert we wait and wait again for our check. I give it 3 stars only because my companion's lamb tenderloin and potatoes were so tasty. Would need to be in despair to come back. But if I do, I will for sure order meat. read more

Local, friendly, delicious! Don't miss this neighborhood gem hidden on the east side of San Rafael! This is the perfect stop if you're headed to the Marin Civic Center to pay a ticket or see a show. The outdoor patio makes you feel like you're right in Basque country. Daily specials are always delicious. Go on Thursdays for the best paella this side of the Atlantic! Family owned with pride and attention to details. Amazing service, too! read more

Wonderful food. Very reasonable prices, especially when you consider you get a large bowl of soup and a large salad included in the price of the entrée. Try the beef stew when they have it has a special ... best I've ever had. All the entrées on the regular menu are also very good. The soups are fantastic, every single one. The Manhattan clam chowder on Friday's is one of the best I've ever had ... and I've had that particular soup all over the country. There's one male waiter who can be rude and does not always pay attention when you are ordering. (Don't know his name, but he is short to medium height, dark hair, heavier then the other waiters, with longer hair then the other male waiters which he fails to maintain appropriately. The best way to describe his appearance is "sloppy and scruffy.") All of the other male waiters, and the older female waitress, are wonderful. read more

It was good. I mean, I was looking for something slightly more special and interesting for my 34th birthday, but I'm an adventurous lass and picked the Chalet. First impression, the restaurant needs a decor lift. It's kind of 80s and feels like it brings in more elderly people than foodies. The food was good, although not memorable. The staff was wonderful and they had a very nice wine selection. All in all, it was a pleasant experience and I would go back to try other dishes, but they need to put some energy into the Chalet to become relevant. read more

As we passed by and my friend pointed out where the restaurant was, I couldn't pinpoint it because it just looks like one of the houses on the street. We went on a Wednesday around 6 and the place hadn't filled up yet. We had great service, the portions were of good size and left me feeling full. I had the shrimp gambus which the sauce is to die for.... wished I had tried some dessert. read more

Roger, the owner and head chef is a delightful person. The dishes bring comfort to your soul!

This Marin County destination serves up one of the best French Basque cuisines in the Bay Area. The food is authentic as well as the service and they have outdoor seating. You'll typically find the owner serving drinks from the bar or seating you at your table. read more

I have not much to add to what other people have said. However, I have been going there for 30 years. In my opinion, the food is great and the prices super-reasonable. I have probably dined there over 100 times and I never had a bad dinner. In addition, the service was always perfect. They have one waitress who has worked there many years. Its kinda spooky. However, she looks almost the same after so many years. read more

The food here is excellent, filling and always consistent. The Chicken Cordon Bleu and Lamb Shank plates are my all time favorites. I would kill for the recipe for the scalloped potatoes on the side as they melt in your mouth. They give new meaning to a full meal. Order it, but be forewarned. They will bring you soup, salad, and a plate of peppers, pate and salami, plus all the bread you can eat, plus your entree--all for a reasonable price. It's food comma paradise after every meal here. Big props to the waiters here!!! They have great personalities and are by far some of the best waiters I have ever encountered anywhere. Plus, you always get a big warm greeting from Roger when you walk in the door which makes you feel truly welcome. As for those that don't like the decor, I say don't change a thing. There's style in this place being a bit dated. read more

this is one of our favorite places. chicken cordon blue is to die for.

What a wonderful place for a family dinner. It was our first time eating here. I ate the duck confit special and my husband had the lamb stew special. The dinner comes with soup and salad that were yummy. The entire meal was perfect, just perfectly balanced. It was truly extraordinary. It has been so long since I have been able to say that about a restaurant recently. I am so happy this place is around. read more

We came here twice already. Their Provence rose was very nice. I had the sole the first time and the tripe the second time. Both excellent. The soup that comes with the main course was so tasty as well. The bread was very nice, it had a touch of garlic or you could pick the cheese bread. The salad was OK. The service is nice, our waiter, both times, was Hispanic, not French though. On a warm night you can sit outside and you do not hear the traffic noise. The other diners were very quiet so it was a lovely experience. We have eaten inside as well, on a cold night, and it was very old-school and cozy. We will be back. read more

A cozy, warm-hearted family-run restaurant serving some of the most delightful, richly flavoured home-style regional cuisine. It is far enough from the main street to prevent unintentional visits by accidental tourists, but is frequented by devoted regulars near and afar, and is almost always packed. It is also one of the most family friendly restaurants, as it serves equally excellent food in small portions. Adult portions are very generous, just as your aunt in the old country would worry about you being too skinny and piles another heap of food on your plate. It truly is a trip to anoter country in another time. read more

Great outdoor seating. Mostly retired people there when I went. Dog friendly patio which made my friend, dog and me happy. The food was good but not great. Service was quick. Nice atmosphere. read more

Had a wonderful meal with good friends at Chalet Basque. Recommend the Chalet Basque Salad, prawns appetizer, French Onion soup, Gambras Biscaynes, filet minion, chicken with mushrooms, paella and of course some Spanish Legaris wine. Great service. read more

This is our family's favorite special occasion restaurant. We have been going here a few times each year for over thirty years. It feels like you have been transported to a cafe in a small French village. The service is friendly and professional and the food is always good. read more

This place dominates all Basque eateries. Their Sweetbreads were perfectly cooked.

The food here was pleasantly wonderful. I had the sole and it was very good and full of flavor. The young gentleman who served us was great and attentive. It was my first time trying Escargots Bordelaise and they were great, the pate was delightful and the Charcuterie Plate was great. It's a cute little restaurant, and great traditional Basque food and a nice bar area if your waiting for someone or just want a drink. read more

Absolutely delicious! our first time here but definitely not our last. From the bread to the salad .. French onion soup .. And the mains .. we enjoyed every bite. Was weary of the location .. But the setting is charming and intimate. Overall delightful! Can't wait to be back read more

Terrible service and food. What a disappointment. Service was rushed and no one could even seat us when we arrived. What a shame!

I met a friend at Le Chalet Basque. From the street it looked like the only place around to grab dinner. Inside it looked like the best place to have dinner. My friend had the clams and a Caesar salad, I had the frog legs. The frog legs were buttery and pretty much on point. My friends clams were the best she's had since she's been on the west coast so she said. I wouldn't know, not a fan of clams. I tried the salad. The dressing was good. Overall between the decor, our attentive waitress and food I give this a 5 star rating. read more

I thought that the food was OK, maybe I ordered the wrong item, chicken. It was sort of pink around the bone. Also, I wanted 5:00 reservations and Yelp would only let me click on for 5:30. They do open at 5:00. Our waitress made the meal, she was superb!! Thanks Linda! read more

We hadn't eaten at this restaurant in 30 years, but found it enchanting and the owner was super helpful and accommodating on a busy night. The food was great. It is now our go-to restaurant when we are attending an event at Marin Center. Chris and Tara, Novato read more

The food I had here was rotten, I ordered a salad and the beans used were likely past their expiration date. Very disappointed. Atmosphere is quasi-fancy, high prices, semi-expensive looking decor, poor quality food. Also, not in the greatest part of town. read more

My boyfriend and I love this place! He is Basque and has been dining here since his childhood. They offer consistently delicious food and awesome service. We most recently had dinner on NYE and it's was packed with a lot of demanding customers. The food and waitstaff was still outstanding as ever! read more

love the bread and the duck confit! amazing place. very cozy.

Fun and relaxing place with a flare of earlier days and old time restaurant. The food is very good and the service is excellent and personable. They have a very nice outdoors courtyard where you can enjoy the flowers and a glass of wine. I have been to this place for both department Christmas parties, business luncheons and personal. If you haven't tried it - you should. read more

Seriously, anyone who gives this place less than 4 stars is bizarro! This place has GREAT food for the price. Was just there for the 2nd time this past Sunday and it did not disappoint. Best Chicken Cordon Bleu I've ever had anywhere anytime. The rest of the family had the prix fixe menu with Salmon (delish!) or Steak (also DELISH!) and the sole is equally awesome. It is a bit noisy as there are usually large groups of people but, shoot, that's the way it would be if you were actually in the Basque region! Goes without saying one of the best parts of the restaurant is the waitress Linda who has worked there for years. Very sweet, friendly and attentive despite being over run with an abundance of patrons. We're looking forward to reading her books that reminisce about the many places she has waited or bartended and learning more of the history of this particular institution. She is a gem. read more

Linda!!! Our family enjoyed a great meal. Delicious bomestyle food at reasonable prices. Linda, our server, added much to our enjoyment of the meal, with her thoughtful and attentive service and good sense of humor. Recommended from a prior generation, this food was as good as recomended, if not better. Highly recommend either shrimp plate or the veal. Thank you again for a wonderful meal! read more

Overall pretty disappointing experience. I would've given it one star but at the end of our dinner the nicest woman EVER (Susan, I think) ran our credit card and was super helpful. The food however was okay, at best. We ordered the frog legs, escargot, rack of lamb, cordon bleu chicken, soup and salad. We shared the chocolate mousse for desert. Frog legs lacked flavor, rack of lamb was cold and the accompanying side dishes were small and underwhelming. The salad was drowning in dressing to the point of being inedible. The escargot however was delicious as was the chicken but everything else was just...Meh. The most frustrating part was the service. It was bad, as in really REALLY bad. Upon arriving we were seated outdoors on their lovely patio and then subsequently ignored. We had to flag our waiter down to order drinks, bring us water, take our order and even had to have another server bring us our bill. Our waiter must've have known he was providing subpar service because he actually mentioned several times how busy they were. There was a concert happening next door and many of the patrons were trying to make it to show, so there was a very rushed vibe. All fine and good, we were understanding but then the restaurant cleared out and our service got even worse! Literally there were three table on the patio and maybe a handful of tables inside and not a single server/bus-person in sight. I ordered a second glass of wine, never came. I ordered more hot water, never came. Our food came out at different times so by the time all the entrees arrived some had gotten cold. Someone came over to check on us (not our server) to see how our dinner's were but we were almost completely done. At end of our meal the server came over to explain how "busy" they were and apologized, very insincerely, about the poor service. We were polite, but obviously unamused. He took our desert order and then disappeared, as in we never really saw him again. I left the table to ask someone for our check after we'd been sitting there for almost thirty minutes. I had to flag down yet another person to pay our. Our reservation was for 7:00 and it was after 10:00 when we finally left. To sum it up food was okay, service was absolutely horrible, and the ambiance could definitely use updating. We drove forty-five minute from the east bay to dine here and were sad to have wasted our gas. Most definitely will NOT be returning. read more

I have been coming to this restaurant for more than a decade since 2002. The place is great specially if you are bringing visitors who are not from Marin. It has quiet ambience and the food is great! My only complaint is that the menu has not changed for the past decade. It seems that the food is fixed in time! The daily specials are also rotated regularly. But nonetheless the place has good food and perfect atmosphere to entertain friends with fairly reasonable pricing. read more

I absolutely LOVE this restaurant!! Everything about it is excellent. The food, the prices, the staff, and especially the owner, ROGER!! He's an absolute gem, quite the charmer :) This is where you want to go if you want to feel right at home. A real family style restaurant. read more

One of my favorite restaurants in Marin. The food is consistently good and the service is excellent! Great place to go for lunch by yourself, with a friend, or dinner for a large group. You won't be disappointed! read more

I choose this restaurant because of it's 4 stars out of 141+ reviews, usually wouldn't consider because of low count of reviews, but, thought I'll give it a try. A total disappointment. Service was horrible, I was flabbergasted when the waiter served our soup from a stainless salad bowl. I should have taken a photo of it, It was so disgusting, I will never recommend this place to any of my friends. Total turn off. We will never come back to this restaurant ever. read more

We arrived at 5:30 and were given our table until 7:30. They changed that to 7:15, which was fine. The food was okay but not great (3*), and our server was fine(4*), but the maitre d' started hovering over us well before 7. We were shoved out the door rudely. It ruined our evening. Plus the men (even the men!) say that the mens' room stank of urine. read more

Can I do less than one star? The service was fine, the patio was cute, the bar looked decent. The food though. Where to start. Mussels in a watery liquid populated with raw garlic. Soup that might be appreciated by folks who hate flavor and are dentally challenged. Salad straight out of a bag. Then our entrees. The lamb shank was bland, served with a side of cabbage and carrots fresh from the freezer... but the duck my husband ordered... I've never experienced in my life a dish that managed to be at once both painfully salty and entirely lacking in flavor. Utterly inedible. When we gave up any pretense of being able to consume this stuff, we overhear a server proudly telling the table next to us that the menu has not changed since it opened in the 70s. Suddenly it all made sense. Folks: there is a time and place for nostalgia. In the decor, sure. But unfortunately I suspect our food had likewise been preserved in an occasionally functioning freezer since the decade of my birth. No one wants anything that old. No. One. Do yourself a favor and do not give in to curiosity about the cute place on the road to China Camp. You will spend a night desperately trying to scrape the salty layer of hell from your mouth while your limbs inflate as you wonder how anyone could imagine that this comes anywhere near any approximation of decent food. Gordon Ramsey, if you are listening: this place is in dire need of help. read more

I took my husband to this restaurant that we have frequented in the past for his birthday on Feb, 20, 2018. I told the nice (long time waitress) Linda that it was his Birthday. A new waitress slimmer stature, tattoos and dark hair took her place to wait on us. I could sense there was something wrong as she gave him attention however was dismissive towards me as if she had a cady attitude towards my presence. We ate and the food was great as usual and at the end the waitress asked if my husband wanted desert and he stated Birthday desert "spumoni ice cream" and the waitress asked if it was really his birthday? He replied it was and asked her if she wanted to check his ID? The waitress bought out his ice cream with a candle and stated that she hoped he would enjoy his supposed birthday ice cream. At approximately the same time a family sitting adjacent to us had an individual celebrating a birthday and Linda came out with our waitress and they both sang to her happy birthday but omitted singing to my husband. I took note of this social indiscretion. Our dark haired waitress came by and asked my husband if he liked his birthday spumoni and his supposed birthday. He became perturbed by their lack of acknowledgement of his special day so I elected to pay the bill but not tip her because her service was unacceptable. Why would u try to humiliate an old time customer by snubbing him-everyone deserves equal proper treatment at a restaurant institution! He was older and stated to me "I guess they don't celebrate birthdays by singing to older people around here. This is the new mi lineal attitude of not giving respect thru salutation because it is giving their illusion of power away! This is what is lacking in business today- making the customer feel special thru outstanding service! As a result of this I don't believe we will be returning any time soon! read more

I have driven by this place a hundred times to head to China Camp, but finally went there with my wife to check it out as a bit of a celebration. We sat outside, they let us bring the dogs, and everything was pretty literally perfect. Service was impeccable- like you thought it and she was there, but not obtrusive at all. One of my pet peeves about waitstaff is when they don't glance at your table when they are doing other things- that certainly wasn't a problem here. She was there when we wanted her, but inconspicuous the rest of the time. Heck, maybe she was watching us on video or something from inside the service was so good- I'll take it if it works like that! The food was great- escargot that had just the right amounts of butter and garlic, and they give you the requisite bread to sop up the leftover goodness. Prices seemed pretty reasonable- basically mid-priced. Don't remember what we spent, but I do remember the bottle of Zinfandel was reasonably priced. We'll be back, hopefully regularly. I'm curious to just check out the bar sometime- read more

I brought my mother-in-law here last year when she was visiting from France. I'd read something about Le Chalet Basque in a magazine and thought it would be a great place to bring someone. I certainly made the right choice because not only was the food good but their hospitality is superb. Mom felt right at home with the waiter speaking to her in French and being very attentive to her. Not surprisingly, this year when visiting, the first place she asked to be taken to for dinner was this one! She'd remembered the name of the place (and for having just turned 90 that's pretty impressive) so we happily brought her back. Once again the serving staff was gracious, speaking to her in French, and serving her food that pleased her immensely. This place is a little jewel in Marin. I recommend it to anyone who is looking for some home style cooking, with a staff that is always attentive and the surroundings very homey. read more