A trip to "Basque" county without the travel! We love the outdoor Patio for early dinner in the spring or summer It's European classic feel brings us back for our favorite the rack of lamb. They serve escargot in garlic which goes well with a cold glass of wine while sitting with girlfriends outdoors. The bar with the red leather booths is a cozy place for conversation with a burger. Our large family has hosted several memorable events in their back dinning room, We've enjoyed milestone birthdays, with white table cloths and impeccable service. The last event was my mother's memorial. They took care of every detail after one phone call and we were allowed to enjoy the event. If you are a reluctant hostess, but want to gather family at a reasonable cost, I recommend you call them. read more

We come here several times a month and always bring our out of town guests here and I recommend it to everyone I meet. Everything said in 5 star reviews I have agreed with in the past. HOWEVER, the last few times we have been, the service has been so S L O W ! But last night I was extremely disappointed and frankly, felt completely betrayed. There was a 3% Service Charge added on top of my bill. When I asked the server why, he said the owner didn't want to raise prices so instead added this fee. How incredibly rude. Charge what you're going to charge and let me decide if I want to eat there. Don't slap an extra fee on the end with out my knowledge or consent. This is a terrible idea and bad business practice. read more

The food was delicious and the service were very good. It was too cold to sit outside so we sat at a booth in the bar area and it was loud. We will definitely go back but next time I will ask to for a table in the separate dining room. read more

My Special Angel Katrina and I had a very wonderful day we wrapped it up by dinning at Le Chalet. My Special Angel had the beef bourguignon I had the pasta with chicken. Both were perfectly cooked. Our server Linda was great. read more

Our graduation dinner for 8 was seated comfortably outside where a lone guitarist plunked away without distracting. Main dishes come with soup and salad, ancien style. Fresh vegetable soup was served from a tureen at the table, which allowed some to have seconds. Bread was fresh and tasty and plentiful, refilled upon request. The prawn special came with rice, veggies and a robust garden salad dressed with blue cheese. The burger/fries could have fed a family! Closed the place at 9 PM when one inebriated fellow diner approached the oldest man at the table to compliment his red bowtie and red seersucker jacket. Memorable. read more

This is truly amazing restaurant! I ordered escargo and lamb chops, and I was not aware, it comes with delicious soup and salad. This restaurant is a jewel, it has a great European ambiance. The waiter was amazing, and served the next wonderful dish the moment I finished the current one. I wish, I lived closer to this wonderful restaurant, then I would be the regular customer. Dear fellow Yelp users, I highly recommend you go there, and savor the delicious food, European ambiance, and wonderful service. read more

Great local Basque Restaurant!!! If you are hungry , go. If you just need a break from the city, go. If you are bored and just want to have a drink and sit in the bar, don't miss out on going to this place. They make you feel at home; the food is great; and it's family own in business for over 35 years with great food. Don't miss out on this jewel!!! read more

A really laid back neighborhood gym, Le Chalet Basque has an immensely rich menu and a unique atmosphere. There aren't many places around that can match the quaintness of this spot, and the food is better than you would probably expect. I definitely recommend the chicken cordon bleu, and I have to add that you don't have to try to eat it in one sitting! read more

I would not waste my time visiting this place again. The food was over priced and bland but the service was horrible. We were a party of 4 who had 2 bottles of wine with us and thought the corkage fee of $22 per bottle was fair for sure but charging us 1.00 for a ice bucket????REALLY ...thats a first. I dont know why our waiter provided such awful service to us as he was offering fresh pepper to every other table but ours. I did not catch his name but he had long black hair and just seamed aloof with our party. To be fair, the rest of the staff seemed very nice and the ambiance is nice. This is the first bad Basque restaurant we have ever been to so we will keep going to them...Just not Le Chalet. If you ignore this review and decide to bring your own nice bottle of white wine...dont forget your ice bucket. read more

Excellent food, service, and ambiance I have nothing negative to say. From the moment we came in until the moment we left it was a very nice dining experience. 1st time there. read more

This place is a classic. We have gone there for years and during Covid we ordered to-go which was delivered to our waiting car. The staff there are so nice and one waitress has been there for decades! She is a doll!! Recently we joined friends on a warm evening and ate in the patio. It was marvelous. I note that they no longer have the antipasto plate as a complimentary starter and that the prices are slightly higher, but that's to be expected after decades of dedication to fine family dining. Salad and soup and bread remain excellent. Might recommend you try the sand dabs and chicken Kiev, but all is really good! Plus there are some more unusual items like sweet breads and frog legs. Enjoy!! read more

I love the patio ambiance. And our server was spot on!! Martini was great. My dining companions did not care for the escargot. Soup and salad were very nice. My duck was a bit chewy. I would not order again. My biggest complaint was the vegetables. Horrible! Cooked to death. I wouldn't go back here for the food but the outside setting and staff are top notch. read more

I would like to thank the team at Le Chalet Basque for accommodating my spur of the moment wedding reception. We had a great time and everything was lovelier than I expected. My guests raved about their entrees. We even had a delicious veggie soup that was surprisingly good. The room was just large enough for the 48 guests. They had plenty to eat and drink. During the cocktail hour the my guests and I were given full rein of the restaurant. We even made friends with some regulars. Besides being accommodating and delicious, there was ample free parking, which I'm not used to in the Bay Area. Overall, everything was great. The only hiccup was that my friend called ahead to ask if we could keep our pavlova in the refrigerator. Patrick said it would be ok, but on the day the servers said they they could not let us get it from the fridge to serve. Eventually we got the pavlova and we were able to cut it, and start moving from the restaurant. I understand that the restaurant was really busy, so it's not a big deal, we just waited in our party room. The banquet menu on the website is accurate and affordable. They served us the house wine for $15/bottle. We were surprised by our bill at the end of the night because we expected the worst, since our planning was rushed. Thanks! read more

What a special little gem hidden in the outskirts of San Rafael. If you appreciate nice relaxed dining with fresh warm bread, soups, salad, and entree then this is a place for you. If you don't need that experience, you will probably still be happy pulling up to the bar or grabbing a small booth in the bar area. If you enjoy outdoor dining, they have a great patio as well. The soups are amazing and the menu has plenty of options for all palates. We just finished a great dining experience on the patio and the house white wine, potato leek soup and shrimp Louie salad hit the spot on a warm fall evening. read more

Le Chalet Basque - French Near Me - San Rafael, California

This place was awesome for the first dinner-date my wife and I have had in a loooooong while. It's a cute, cozy spot, slightly off the beaten path. The outdoor seating is lovely. And the menu is full of goodness. It seemed more French than Basque; regardless, it was worth the visit. She got the scampi prawns dish; I got the veal piccata. Both were excellent and good-sized dishes. AND they came with a yummy watercress soupe du jour and salad. Also, the little things: it was nice just to get out and have bread before dinner. Our server was attentive and friendly. We'll definitely be visiting again. read more

Perhaps it was an off night, but... the food was less than mediocre and the service was just bad. Not rushing back.

Very good service, soup was knock out, as was the sand dabs, and duck. Salad dressing on salad spot on. It was a super evening. thank you read more

I love Chalet Basque. Have been coming here for years and it will always a warm and delicious place in my heart. Not a lot changes here, but what's the classic saying? If it ain't broke don't fix it? Anyway, get the chicken cordon blue with extra sauce. And the half roasted chicken... and the frog legs.... And the sweet breads... and the duck... it's all good. Ask for Linda, she's been here for over 30 years and tells the greatest stories. read more

Great food, service and ambiance Reasonable prices, a favorite with locals Lovely place, good food, white table cloths, good wine list and friendly staff read more

Excellent service, exquisite food. A full house as would be expected on a Saturday night. We were accommodated in spite of making a reservation late in the day. I am delighted business is good. Our selections were excellent: French onion soup; 2 complete dinners, New York Steak & Salmon which included split pea soup, French bread, & salad. All delicious with enough to bring home. read more

This funny little Bistro has been a standard in Marin forever. You driving down Highway 101 you turn off the Civic Center built by Frank Lloyd Wright and you head east like you're going toward the bay and China Camp and there it is about a mile off of the freeway in the middle of a neighborhood with other businesses around. But there it's been for as long as I can remember and I've been here since the late sixties. Back then most people didn't know what fast food was so you had to rely on a family that was Basque that knew it was and I brought it to the neighborhood. I understand that it's changed hands a couple times but I'm interested to see how this evening will fare. For some reason in my long-term memory I seem to recall the escargot and the rack of lamb which might be on my menu tonight for me to explore. Coming through the front door I was immediately greeted by Patrick. He introduced himself and I actually came an hour early hoping that they had a table available and he hook me right up and I was very happy and pleased by his attentiveness. The bar was full to the hilt and the dining room was filling up quickly because it's Valentine night. The place was festive clean decorated but not in a bad way for the holidays nice little flowers on the table a lot of red around people wear red ties. Red napkins little decorations not Gotti at all. Marike was our waitress. She quickly came to the table and greeted us handed us our menus major a fresh bottle of water was placed up on the table and gave us some time to look over the menu. While we were choosing our meals she checked in a couple times to make sure that we were doing okay. She seemed very sincere and happy to be there which was really nice to see. After looking at the menu for a period of time we decided to have the Valentine dinner which included a soup that was incredible it was potato leek soup with Watercress and it was incredibly delicious. They did a nice touch screen salad with blue cheese vinaigrette that also came with the mail. And then we shared two different plates I got a rack of lamb and I have them split it for me so I could give my girlfriend have the rack of lamb and she ordered the beef bourguignon. This is the only way I can describe it. When the waitress came up to our table to clear the plates she said did you enjoy it and I pointed at the plates. It looked like we licked them clean we actually use bread to soak up the juices and gravy in the sauces because they were so point. The lamb was done today medium rare like I requested perfectly and the beef bugging you fell apart with a fork and not a drop of that gravy was left at the end of the mail both dishes were to return and enjoy one more time again in the near future. So here's the quick check off list. The outside was quaint and inviting and looks like a great place to come for lunch time they have tables outside and I'm sure that's the way of the summertime you want to eat in the evenings as well. The inside was decorated Tastefully and the staff was all present and accounted for and working very very hard and they were aiming to please every customer the walkthrough door I was completely satisfied with their service. And the last item the food. It was all I hoped it would be period after having been away from the restaurant for so long I was hoping that it would turn out the way that it did and I was not disappointed. read more

Le Chalet Basque - French Near Me - San Rafael, California

rounding up to five stars for the amazing service. authentic French restaurant (not sure it would be technically called a bistro or brasserie) with a wonderful outdoor patio frogs legs, escargot, pate, onion soup and yummy, garlic-y butter everywhere. the frogs legs were especially delicious. also loved the shrimp scampi but I was overwhelmed by the service quality. we had a reservation with a big group (12) and knew we wouldn't be there until close to closing time. they asked us to pre-order, which was totally okay and made sense. but once we got there, the waiters kept encouraging us to modify the orders if we wanted. we never felt rushed, the waiters were friendly and helpful even though we were clearly there past their usual closing time a great place to stop on the way back through SF or east bay after a day in Napa or a destination from anywhere. highly recommended! read more

It takes a lot for me to give a 5 star rating, and I have to say, they have wowed me. I've had the pleasure of dining here on a few occasions with friends and have enjoyed everything about the experiences. I've enjoyed watching the interactions the co- owner, Patrick( who helps tend the bar) has with the patrons. He treats everyone with a genuine kindness, and makes everyone feel as if they are visiting his home. The food is stellar! It's not easy to produce meal After meal and make it taste as if it were the only dish prepared in the kitchen. Everything I've tasted has been an stellar example of European dishes. I would wager to say, they hit it out of the park. I would recommend trying the daily special as I've never been disappointed. On my last experience I ordered the beef bourguignon; the meat was so tender, I could cut it with a spoon. Braised to perfection. We also had the steamed clams as a starter and enjoyed soaking up the delicious, garlicky broth with the crusty French bread brought to our table. I never walk away disappointed. If you're in Marin, and in the mood for a really great meal, I highly recommend this gem. read more

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The best dining experience we've had in years. We eat here every once in a great while - we won't make it so long in the future. Service was top notch, all four different meals were delicious. Servings were so large we skipped the appetizers. All entrees include soup AND salad. Decor is simple, but clean - looks freshly painted. I liked the spring in the chair backs. Outside dining is available. The full bar has that "neighborhood" feel. Parking is free. Less than 5 minutes from Hwy 101, behind the Civic Center. read more

The restaurant is in a very distant location from Rte 101. Unfortunately there is hardly ever any parking and you have to park on the street. I have diner here on several occasions, and every time my menu 1st choice is not available. For a more upscale restaurant, I would expect them to have their main items especially the Filet, available. It seems they are always short staffed, so expect to wait at least 15 minutes after seating to have your server arrive. The meals they can provide are excellent, it's just why have a menu if you are out of items frequently, especially for an early dinner when they just open. The servers are excellent, they can not help the management issues with the menu. Since my wife loves this place, we will be back... but I'm not looking forward to being disappointed again! read more

Le Chalet Basque - French Near Me - San Rafael, California

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Such a cute date spot, with sweet staff and delicious food. The serving sizes are honestly a little overwhelming as far as quantity, so if you have any big eaters in your party, know that this will fill them right up! We didn't have a reservation on a Saturday night and managed to get seats pretty easily. Disappointingly, the outdoor seats (where the live music is) were filled, but that was expected after seeing the other reviews. I ordered the duck (breast and leg) and he ordered the rack of lamb. We also shared the escargot, although this was an unnecessary snack. The entrees come with a soup and side, which are both a little underwhelming and too filling. I didn't expect the entrees to be so large! The duck had a wonderful orange glaze (you can also request a pepper sauce) and my boyfriend and I thoroughly enjoyed the buttery potatoes on the side of our entrees. The rack of lamb was cooked perfectly! While we enjoyed our meal... As kind as the waitstaff were, it took over an hour for our entree to get to us after our soup and salad. And even when we were done, it took us another 30-40 minutes to try to flag down someone to give us dessert menus. By the time we received them, we just wanted to go home, and even then we couldn't get anyone to give us our check until 15-20 minutes later. It's a great neighborhood gem, but we managed to watch a Giants game from start to finish on the TV behind the bar and then some. We were in no rush to finish our food and leave, but even this was a little ridiculous. read more

Good to excellent food served by highly attentive and knowledgeable waiters and waitresses.

Love this restaurant - Patrick's such a great owner !!!- been coming for 10 years and have never had a bad meal

Was coming back to the Bay from China Camp direction and stumbled upon this French restaurant. It was getting dark and we saw the light strings around the restaurant shining from afar. We saw the restaurant sign and decided to stop there for dinner. Our server, Linda, was very welcoming and attentive. She really knows the menu and the dishes well, so she offered detailed descriptions of several of the dishes. She is very friendly and quite talkative. We started off with the potato and leek soup. I didn't think I'd like this, but it turned out very well. The texture is a lightly thick. It's a nice soup to warm up your stomach, lining it for the upcoming dishes. The bread and pâté maison were amazing. The bread was warm and fluffy. The pâté had a fairly strong scent and flavor. I like my pâté strong, so I was satisfied with this. It was also very creamy, so it spread very well on the bread. They also give butter to add to the bread if you would like. Next came the salad with balsamic dressing, which was very refreshing. The vegetables were fresh. There was just the right amount of balsamic dressing. They tossed it well so that every leaf was coated lightly with the dressing. I didn't like how they only gave one slice of tomato with the salad. That is too little. Also, it was one slice no matter the size of the slice, so if you get the ends... For the main dish, we had scampi a la plancha, entrecôte béarnaise, and steamed clams with linguini. The shrimp in the scampi a la plancha was grilled just right. I really enjoyed the sour tang; they seasoned this dish very well. The entrecôte béarnaise was tender. The steamed clams with linguini cooked with white wine. I was very satisfied with this dish as the white wine was quite strong; you could smell it and inhale it with each bite. Sooo delicious. We ended the dinner with spumoni for dessert. Spumoni consists of pistachio, chocolate, and cherry. I don't like spumoni, but tried it anyway. It definitely did not change my mind. read more

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Love this place! It's the best French restaurant in Marin! This review is long overdue! read more

Le Chalet Basque - Just waiting on our food - French Near Me - San Rafael, California

We wanted to like this place so much because of its good reviews and uniqueness. The You Tube video interview of the current owner and his father's history with the restaurant made us want to try it and support this local gem. We were so disappointed to have had a terrible dinner experience starting at 6:50 p.m. on July 15, 2023 (We arrived 10 minutes early). This is the first bad restaurant I have bothered to write. It was over 90 degrees F. in San Rafael today and the restaurant had no air conditioning or even a fan in the room where we were seated. It was uncomfortably hot and humid inside this nearly full restaurant during the entire meal ... but that wasn't the worst of it. We ordered and the bread and soup came promptly. But it took 45 minutes (!) for the next course (salad) to be served and that was only after I had to get up and chase down the server just outside the kitchen. But the salads still didn't come, so I had to get up and this time chased down the busboy as he was going out to serve the outside patio. He finally brought our salads a few minutes later. I asked him "How long had the salads been sitting in the kitchen?" and he said, "Oh no, they just came out..." That was 45 minutes after the soup bowls were cleared. After the salad, it was another 35 minutes for the entrees to be served, and again I had to get up after 25 minutes to inquire when we would be served. The server never looked in our direction to see my raised hand or wave. When three of the four entrees were served, we asked why the service took so long (it was now 8:45 pm after our 6:50 pm arrival) he said there was "miscommunication" in the kitchen: apparently they hadn't prepared the side dish (potatoes au gratin) that was supposed to be served and the kitchen supposedly held everything up for that. We finally got three of the four entrees (one of which had the wrong side dish) and the fourth entrée took another 10 minutes to come out of the kitchen. What made it worse is that two couples that were seated next to us arrived just before us, got their soup just before us and had finished their entrees and chatting before we were served our salad, much less our entrees. The food was OK-to-fine, not as unique as we had been led to hope for and frankly too salty for our tastes. When the final entrée was served the server brought out two bowls of French fries. We asked what those were for. That's when we got the explanation about the side dish mix up and that Patrick the Chef wanted to make things right. Then the server brought out one order of the au gratin. The server said the owner offered us an after dinner drink but we didn't want to stay any longer in the heat and humidity. Poorly, poorly handled! If they had just been honest with us and let us know they didn't have the right side dishes and told us they could substitute fries or rice, that would have been fine. When they left, the two couples next to us who had been watching our frustration said "you've been more than tolerant." Recommend against patronizing this restaurant for its poor service and inability to solve a simple, common problem in a satisfactory, common sense way. read more

This has been our favorite restaurant for years, so I cannot believe we have not written a review yet. This place is so magical, where do I even start? It's such a cute, cozy, welcoming environment. Everyone greets you with a smile and it's always a joy just to walk in. It has a real European bistro feel to it and always feels special. Roger was the founder/owner--a very special soul to our family and community. He knew all of his regulars and always wanted to talk about food, cooking. We were just patrons and he shared recipes with me and taught me how to make the perfect dessert. Patrick, Roger's son, is the new owner. He is truly his father's son, very hands on and helpful--always thrilled to see/greet guests and accommodate in any and every way. They are both treasures and bring a new level of magic to an already incredible place. Linda is an amazing server. She is very professional, thorough, quick and friendly. She always has a fun story or "fun fact" to tell you and she's quite witty. The food. The food is amazing. We have probably tried everything on the menu but you truly can't beat their chicken cordon bleu...it's one of a kind. -I will note....this is the kind of place you come for date night or to have a truly exceptional experience--this is NOT fast food. They cater and do large parties and banquets. We have our company Holiday party there every year and it's always a huge success!! We love everything about this lovely little place. If you are in the area, you must stop in--you'll be treated like family! read more

Good, reliable food and wonderful ambiance. Nice outdoor seating and ample inside seating . Full bar, excellent staff, a well established family business in San Rafael. You might think you are in Europe.... read more

Phenomenal. The food was amazing (though I would have preferred a bit more salt). They brought bread, then a potato/pea/ham soup (my guess, I didn't ask what it was), a salad and then our main dish. I ordered the sole which came with the best side of rice I've ever tasted. I allowed the server to suggest a wine for my dish and it, too, was delicious and perfect with my fish. All of the service was top notch. At tentative, involved and yet not at all in our faces. Overall, this was an experience to remember. read more

I love this place. Was a random visit on our way to sonoma. This place has great frogs and excellent escargot. Such a hidden gem. Love the service and the food. Quite cozy ambience to enjoy a day out. read more

What a great little restaurant! Tucked away, you feel like you're dining in Europe. Great food with substantial portion sizes, and very friendly and hard working staff. We love it here and frequently purchase gift certificates so friends and family can experience this place! read more

Had a steak there for lunch. I asked waiter if they added tenderizer cuz I am sensitive to this ingredient; he said they did not. Once I tasted it I knew they did, especially after a 4 hour migraine. Keep it natural, no need for additives. read more

Rack of Lamb? How can that *not* evoke a drool response? Well, it should. They do it very well here. Not only were the 5 meaty little ribs tender, a toothless person could gum them without second thoughts. The seasonings were simple and perfect. The portion size was generous. The price, well, after all it IS rack of lamb. Due to our own hellish dietary restrictions, we had to forego many things that came with our dinner (e.g. no fresh bread and butter, potato au gratin, tomatoes and cheese on our salad, even the chef's lovely red wine glaze), but it was comforting that everything we did ask for was provided. The soup of the day was a tomato based clam chowder, they substituted a most excellent onion soup, sans croute and cheese (normally a substitution upcharge), but not for us. Sound boring? Not at all. And after all that, the server had the audacity to ask us if we had room for dessert. [grimace] The patio dining was our choice that evening. Surrounded by lush greenery and flowers, wrought iron fencing, tables shaded by large umbrellas, it was a very pleasant al fresco environment. Although it became a bit nippy sitting outside after the sun went down, I can imagine in a month or so, it will be perfectly delightful. They do have heaters. Bring a wrap. This is a special, date night kind of place that still maintains a casual attitude. read more

I made a reservation at Le Chalet Basque for Valentine's Day but, because of a scheduling mix up on my part, we reached the restaurant earlier than planned. The staff was obviously super busy as the restaurant was packed choc full. However Patrick was extremely gracious & took the time to explain that we couldn't be seated at a table & offered us the option of dining at the bar. My husband & I sat at the far end of the bar & were extremely well taken care of by Richard (bartender). We ended up having a wonderful time despite the change of plan. The food was outstanding, the watercress soup delicious, the escargots reminded us of our time in Paris & the duck confit was delectable! The service was spectacular. We're definitely coming back! read more

I have been eating at Chalet Basque for over 30 years and always loved it until last night. Two of us had the new york and one had the lamb chops. We were very surprised and disappointed. The steak was maybe 1/4 -1/2 inch at best and same with the lamb chops and close to $40. They seriously looked like they had been cut in half. I have never seen a steak like that except at a breakfast place that serve steak and eggs. The potatoes were OK but there were literally maybe 6 or 7 pieces of thin mini vegetables. The salad was a few pieces of lettuce and 1/2 a slice of tomato. I don't know if it was a off night or what. I do know it is not anything like the restaurant I loved for so many years. I could see the high prices for the way the food used to be but not now. Adding a small business fee at the end finished me off. So disappointed!! read more