Madcap is by far the most tasty delicious flavorful restaurant experiences I have had in the Bay Area. It's a well deserved Michelin star restaurant and truly exceptional. Asparagus soup and chard Octopus were a good start to a wonderful evening meal. The first course Trout and Shima aji each had a wonderful fusion of Asia Pacific flavors. The entrees ricotta ravioli and cod were rich in flavor. The desserts were fantastic. Even though not all ingredients were listed on desert menu, one could taste the flavor of tropical fruit that conjured up memories from the continent. read more

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Superb taste, service and ambiance. Proud to have a quality tasting experience right here in Marin.

Delicious food and good service. Just a bit pricey. The staff is very friendly. I would recommend reservations.

Kind servers and staff. From tableware to the wine list to the bathroom every detail is ruthlessly punctilious and appointed with intention. But what it comes down to is the food. Just marvelous. One dish we had, a scallops entree, was so beautiful I wanted to shrink down and ski on its colorful surfaces. However good looking, no ingredient seems purely ornamental, and everything coheres in a gratifying way that only hints at the great variety of ideas expressed here. read more

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We had great time at Mad Cap. Every course was stunning in both presentation and the flavors evoked. The service was as quietly unobtrusive. Even the dishes used in each course were beautiful and unique. The whole experience was magic. read more

One of the best dinners this year so far! Everything was top notched! It's worth the drive from SF!

Madcap is a real gem in Marin County. If you enjoy great food, attentive and professional service, and a fun overall experience.... This is a great choice. I believe they only offer a tasting menu each night and that's what we had. Amazing ingredients prepared just perfectly. That's the headline. It's not inexpensive but I would argue for the $150 we spent per person, we've all had at least three $50 per person diners that were forgettable or worse. You'll remember this meal at Madcap for quite some time I expect. Hope you try it out. read more

This place was... BOMB! Everything from the atmosphere to the selection of wine to the wonderful food. What we liked the most was that delicious foam that they make you start with. Everything had an interesting broth/ soup element that I really liked. I would totally go back! read more

Madcap - Ready for a very stellar night! - New American Near Me - San Anselmo, California

Amazing location. the food was innovative and the service was spectacular. I really appreciate the dedication the staff has to their food. I loved how my boyfriend was celebrated so well by the desserts they provided. Everything was delicious and they gave so much bread :D read more

Stellar affordable high quality tasting menu in the north bay from one of my fave chefs Ron Seigel (formally of the Dining room at the Ritz in SF and 1st American to win Iron Chef in Japan). 4.5 stars Food: 4.5 Service: 4.5 Atmosphere: 4.5 Cost to worth it rating: 4.5 ($98 for 9 courses) Return worthiness: yes Eve award: best dashi broth, best soft egg Highlights: - Black cod: such a fall apart at the touch of a fork tender square of fish with a delicate teriyaki glaze for just enough flavor. Underneath was a circle of nori and warm sushi rice and on top a dollop of yuzu. Perfection. 5 stars. - Soft egg: a dream in a bowl. Beautiful dark orange yolk covered by cloud-like white foam with pistachios sprinkled in. The crispy oiled piece of fresh bread dipped in to break the yolk was like it was it's only purpose in life. 5 stars. - White dashi: this dish actually was a piece of fried fish paired with a shallow wide bowl of noodles, but the dashi was the star. Light with a subtle flavor balancing tightrope of being too salty or bland. The white noodles were delicate: tender and not gummy. The lone mini turnip looked like it was plucked right out of the ground iof a classic Mario video game. 5 stars. - Lobster shiso shot: leaning shot glass full of lobster bisque foam. Just rich enough and packed with lobster goodness. 4.5 stars - Wine pairing: nice variety starting with an excellent glass of bubbly moving into other smooth pours to complement the dishes. 4.5 stars - Lobster and short rib: surf and turf tasting menu supplement. 2 long pieces of lobster were delicately cooked so they were just orange past translucent. Piece of short rib was fine with a light gravy/jus. 4 stars - Rib eye: nice seared small piece of steak. 4 stars - Banana chocolate cake: slice of spongey cake with 2 layers and cream in between. I enjoyed the almond ice cream. 4 stars - Atmosphere: artsy room in front with velvety red booths and colorful modern art on the wall and a larger dining room on the other side of the wall. Upscale yet comfortable and with a bright personality--my fave type of fine dining atmosphere. Midlights: - Rabbit tortellini: was excited about this but the pasta was a bit thick and tough for me and broth didn't have much flavor. 3 stars - Aji sashimi: cut was fine but not amazing enough to sing on its own without any accompaniments. 3 stars Lowlights: - Bill desserts: gave us one each of a canelle, caramel, and chocolate with a knife to share for the 3 of us. Probably could've thrown in a few more as cutting a small square of chocolate is kind of silly. Also had to ask for my wine dessert pairing as it was omitted. Fantastic dining experience all around I highly recommend and would love to come back to. read more

Full disclosure -- I think Ron Siegel is one of the best chefs in the country and I have been following him around since he was at Charles Nob Hill in San Francisco. His new restaurant in San Anselmo has great atmosphere, the space is lively, the art is cool and the plates and bowls are stunning. But let's talk about why you should go to Madcap; it's the food stupid. Oh yeah, the food. The corn soup tastes like there is a full ear of sweet California corn in every spoon-full. And who knew that I needed pine nut crumble in my soup to make it unforgettable? The texture and sweetness that crumble added really elevated the dish. Speaking of elevated, the rabbit tortellini (or was it tortaloni?) was spectacular. I am a rabbit fan but this might have been the best version of that protein that I have ever had. Just awesome. And I am eating this in Marin? What???? We did the full tasting menu with wine pairings by fabulous waiter/sommelier Jack, who made our meal fun along with each delicious dish. Literally everything was great and the cost for two was about what I usually pay for a single meal in the City (or NY or LA or Chicago) for a lesser experience and lesser food. Let's just say it was a great deal for what you get. The fact is, Ron Siegel could cook anywhere in the world and he is trying to bring the best food possible to little old San Anselmo for a price normal folks can actually handle. What can I say? Well, thanks chef! comes to mind. Go to Madcap, ask for Jack, get the tasting menu (or just the soup and tortellini) and some tasty wine and then say "thanks chef." You won't be sorry. And then you can say "thanks Mark." FullSizeRender.jpg read more

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Living in Marin county for a few years I hadn't heard about the MadCap.. when my friend recommended I just needed to try!! Couldn't be more pleased, food was divine, environment was welcoming. My husband and I had a wonderful experience and would recommend to anyone. read more

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I remember Madcap as pretty expensive, but it's a small plate kinda place in sweet little San Anselmo. Everything is well plated and a quaint setting, but to be honest, there's a ton of other places like this N of SF that Madcap has for the diner with a healthy amount of expendable resources. read more

One of the better restaurants in Marin, but we do not plan to go back. Food was okay, my favorite was the little shot of clam foam at the begining. Each dish took about 30 seconds to eat (if you're taking your time) & 15min between servings & theres not much in regards to distractions except each-others company (the waiter sure wasn't going to stop & socialize). One person is not allowed to order a la carte while the other orders the tasting menu, not sure why. They did provide a pescatarian option for us. The fish subs were sort of bland sashimi. Good quality fish, just not much effort or thought went into it. What can we put out the fastest? Not cooking a fish & putting a few drops of a tasteless sauce next to it sure is easy. We did feel that we ate very healthy in the end. Server seemed like he didn't enjoy his job & was very aloof. Any time we tried to get his attention, instead of making eye contact, or saying anything, he'd blatantly ignore us, finish with his task, then come address us. I just hate when people pretend not to see you & walk past you when you're right there trying to get their attention. Granted, he did his job & he did it efficiently, we just felt like we were bothering him. When placing the dishes in front of us (other servers), it consisted of a very quick description of the dish. Other tasting menu's I've done, there was a sense of pride that went into it & presenting the dish was part of the experience, but not here. We still tipped appropriately, though. Almost $60.... And finally, apparently the intake valve for their AC is next to the neighboring restaurant's break area in the back alley, so every 10-15 min, we had the pleasure of having cigarette smoke smells waft in our face. read more

I love this place. Right amount of high end food with a very comfortable atmosphere. I've been here 3 times in the past 6 months.

Madcap is amazing. We went for dinner at only their second week of service, and ordered the full tasting menu, and the staff helped pair wines with each dish as well. The meal was exceptional; the menu progressed from light, Asian-inspired fish dishes, to heartier fare like their ribeye. To top it all off, chef closed with a magical dessert -- a chocolate sesame cake praline with rice milk sherbet. The blend of sweet, and nutty, and fresh was truly unique and very well done. Best of all, despite the beautiful decor and well executed service, Madcap is a local, family business. In fact, when we ate there the whole family was at the restaurant. The husband and wife team are chef and front of house, respectively, and their daughter was waiting tables. With so much of Marin changing as folks flee the city and move north, it's great when the small town feel so many of us love is reflected in a business. read more

Madcap - New American Near Me - San Anselmo, California

Had a wonderful birthday dinner here. The food and service were amazing and they even helped curate wine over our meal. Highly recommend.

One of the few restaurants each year that truly reinvigorate my love for fine dining. Catch almost every day this year was with innovative, delicious and delightful. For $98 the nine-course tasting menu (there are no hidden courses) is one of the best values in the bay area and a good reason to step outside of the San Francisco Peninsula. The flavors are strong but highly refined, the presentation is beautiful without being too fussy and the portions feel generous for fine dining without leaving you stuffed. Highlights include the very rich clam shots, the slow cooked eggs, the hazelnut torte, the ribeye, the urchin (a la carte) and the octopus a la carte. Not a single dish let us down. The downtown area is quaint and the whole area is provided good reason to step outside the typical haunts of Marin County, so we'll worth a special trip. read more

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Excellent. The chef deserves his Michelin star. Well thought through and expertly created tasting menu. A couple of slight misses, but overall a splendid meal. Wine prices are a bit steep, but there is a good selection of lesser known producers read more

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Last night I finally got to try the delicious food at Madcap, Chef Ron Siegel's Michelin-star Restaurant in San Anselmo. Besides the delectable food and wonderful service (provided by Sander and a very hospitable and professional team), I fell madly in love with their artisan-made ceramics... Just beautiful! Had the chef's tasting menu and every bite was delightful--complex yet bright and airy, creative and novel yet familiar. Some of my favorites (though I loved them all) were the Octopus and somen, the warm egg in candy cap essence with pistachio crumble, the rabbit tortelloni in mushroom miso with parmesan, and the rib eye. Our reservation was right at 5:30pm so we had one side of the restaurant to ourselves for a little while. Loved the intimate, elegant, yet casual setting. I highly recommend this place and can't wait to return. Bravo, Chef Siegel and Madcap team! read more

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Came here on opening weekend and welcomed to a beautiful and cozy room with a delicious meal. Went for the Chef's tasting menu. Even though the courses were not listed, we knew that Ron would deliver on all. And he did - every dish was perfect. I don't eat salmon (just don't like the taste); guess what, I liked the salmon here, ate it all. The Tasting Menu is very reasonably priced and we all left very full. If you are looking for a SF caliber restaurant in Central Marin, check out MadCap read more

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Chef has definitely upped his game since the original opening! Enjoyed the variety of seafood and the use of seasonal ingredients like the corn soup and stone fruit. I did find the salmon to be a bit dry, I wonder whether poaching in olive oil might work better than pan searing. It might also be nice to offer an optional upgrade of the ribeye to A5 wagyu for a supplemental charge, or perhaps hangar steak instead of ribeye. The cannele and mignardises were a nice touch. read more

I'm still dreaming about this food... it was amazing... 9 course tasting menu is the way to go! read more

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Good food and kind service. Most dishes are good, a couple are great, a couple are forgettable. Service is kind and relaxed, not stuffy and formal. Food felt light and delicate, but spaced well to leave you full at the end. I have had better food and service at a similar price point, but I tend to prefer a fattier and more rich cuisine than this, so it could be preferential. Come here if you want good food with artful presentation in a casual atmosphere. read more

We enjoy MadCap every Christmas season as our reward for a great year! Amazing small courses of the best California offers!

We kinda stumble on Madcap while antiquing in the area. Oh man, am I glad we did! Apparently it has recently opened and may still be kinda unknown. The decor looks cool and beautiful. All of the plates, bowls and dishes are so beautiful, simple and have an organic quality. My dinner mate is a picky eater and not brave enough for the tasting menu. Bummer, but another reason to return. As mentioned before, the Corn Soup with pine nut crumble is like eating sweet corn on the cob, it's so creamy, incredible. As is the Avocado Shrimp roll, so fresh and flavorful. Then we had the Rabbit Tortelloni and Salad with apples and pistachios. The rabbit was mind blowing. The salad was really good but the rabbit, holy cow...Don't skip it! Next we had the Roasted Chicken with mushrooms and the Center Cut Rib Eye with heirloom tomatoes , both fantastic. The steak was perfectly cooked and the vegetables excellent. The chicken was the best I've ever had, anywhere. Finally Shiso Panna Cotta with huckleberry and a tiny piece of cheesecake. I love anything with shiso! The food was excellently paired with two beautiful wines. Sorry I don't have the details. All of the servers were very good but it seemed like they might have been one or maybe two servers short. They were all very busy but we waited a bit to order, to get a few things and needed to ask for the check. If I had one food adjustment, it's about the incredible sesame bread with terrific butter. Either warm the bread or warm up the butter. The cold bread was very difficult to spread on the fresh bread. But that bread is special, love the toasted sesame seeds. A wonderful surprise and memorable meal. Do yourself a favor and go. I look forward to returning! read more

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Who'd thought there would be such a great restaurant in San Anselmo. It's a great value for a 1star Michelin restaurant. The food is awesome, the service is great, and it's a reasonable price for the offerings. You have a choice of the prix fixe or just do a la carte. The prix fixe is a great option for the first time because you can try multiple options. Once you get the feel of what you like on the menu, then come back for the a la carte menu. Trust me, you'll want to make a trip here more than once. The chef is great at satisfying your request. We saw other reviewers talk about how great the lobster was, so we wanted to try it. Even though lobster wasn't on the menu. We added lobster as a supplement to the risotto dish. It was amazing. Both the lobster and risotto. You get a variety of seafood and red meat with the prix fixe. All the meat was cooked perfectly and the flavors in each course blended well with the other ingredients. I'll definitely come back for dinner another day. Probably a good pit stop after a day of trying out wineries in Sonoma. read more

Let me preface this review with the fact that I am judging this based on other one Michelin star restaurants I have tried. I do not think Madcap was bad, I just think I have tried better. First of all, we were seated at the table right next to the door (not the booth). This means, if someone opened the door this large curtain would literally flutter around me and engulf me. Logistically, it seems like you could just remove this table, but oh well. They did put a hthe beater by our feet to make up for the chill coming from the door, however, I always seemed too warm or too cold. We ordered the tasting menu (of course). I really enjoyed a lot of the dishes. My favorites were the ravioli, the beef, the soup, and the bread (of course). If I returned, I would just order the ravioli and the bread (they are worth the cost). I was not a fan of most of the fish dishes (which are usually my favorites). Overall, I would come back for certain dishes (not the tasting menu) and I would asked to be seated in a booth. read more

Seriously delicious, creative, thoughtful and accommodating. Chef Ron is on culinary genius level. We will be back read more

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Precious. Pretentious. Highly overrated. This place seriously has a Michelin star? Service was on point. Very solicitous and helpful. 5 star. Food was just OK. Limited menu, very little without dairy. We got the trout and the shima aji apps. Both were tasty enough, but quite bland. 3 stars. Beverage selection was awful. No liquor license. Beer selection laughable: half a dozen to pick from and 4 of them are Belgian whites? Barf. Gross. Not knowing any of the labels they had on the wine list, I went with a glass of Bordeaux. Usually a safe choice, it was one of the worst glasses of wine I've ever had. Thin, limp, and over acidic. And $19 a glass. 0 stars. Value: good god. Laughable. A two bite app is around 20 bucks. An entree is closer to 50. 0 stars. Total 8 stars in 4 categories, so they get 2 over all. Avoid this place. read more

Had another AMAZING MEAL last night!! Did the tasting menu - which everyone does right now. Service was impeccable, the slow cooked egg was out of this world! Can't wait to go back again soon! read more

Madcap deserves much more than one Micheline Star, our meal there was so much better than some 2-3 stars restaurants at a much more reasonable price! One of the best meal we've had in a long time, good attentive service but without the stuffiness of other places serving same type of food. highly recommend!! read more

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I've been a fan of Chef Siegel since the Dining Room at the Ritz-Carlton and have loved his food at Michael Mina as well. Madcap is no exception. We did the tasting menu and was able to sample a lot of the dishes from the menu. There was only one dish that was not on the menu. It was $88 for 9 courses. I do like the surprise factor. You won't know exactly what you are getting and you may get different dishes from the table next to you. However, they are very accommodating to any requests you have. Service was friendly and on point. We never had to ask for anything. It was an amazing meal overall. The only thing I think the meal lacked was some salt. Maybe it's just me but that seemed to be the running theme for most of the dishes I got. read more

Twenty years ago, a winter evening in 1998, my husband and I crammed in front of a 19 inch old TV watching an Iron Chef episode on Fuji Channel in Japanese, with English subtitles. In between commercials we took turn to change loads in the community laundry room. On TV it was the lobster battle between an American Chef Ron Siegle and Saki, the Japanese chef who specialized in French cuisine. In an action packed hour on TV amid dramatic Japanese narrations, Ron commanded the knives, pans, and the lobster gracefully. He won. He became the first US chef who won the Iron Chef battle. A few months later I won a gift certificate through United Way auction. It was a tasting menu certificate at Masa, a restaurant that was famous by the executive chef whose name was the same Ron Siegle. It was our first time ever to be exposed to the tasting menu. Ron's tasting menu made a lifelong impression on us, as we found ourselves often compare any later tasting menu to the first experience. The most memorable was the contrast of texture and flavor. His tasting menu 20 years ago used sweetbread that was seared crispy outside yet rich and smooth inside. Unlike other celebrity chefs who were overly exposed on the air -- which led me ask how much time do they spend in their own kitchen-- Chef Siegle had kept a low profile since twenty years ago. Today we were fortunate enough to dine at his San Anselmo restaurant Madcap and was thoroughly impressed. I could see Chef Siegle hustled and bustled in the kitchen, barking orders, and the kitchen churned out one plate after another. His tasting menu reminded me of our first experience-- Chef's signature was written on every dish. I especially like the rib eye topped with abalone. The thinly sliced abalone was well seasoned and flavorful. It's chewiness contrasted with the rich angus rib eye. The rib eye was perfectly seared, crispy and smoky on the outside, medium rare inside. The grilled broccoli floret added the consistent smokiness to compliment the steak, yet it's crunchiness contrasted with the soft and smooth grilled mushroom. The peppery sauce unified the plate, presenting a cohesive plating. Each bite was an joy of savory. With such a high quality, the tasting menu was reasonably priced, as comparing with other Michelin starred restaurant. It is well worth the trip. We will definitely come back. read more

I'll echo all the positive reviews here and do it one better by saying that Madcap is my absolute favorite casual fine-dining restaurant in the entire Bay Area, and it's not even remotely close. The sheer focus on quality and technique is impeccable. Chef Ron Siegel is a maestro at his craft and the front of house staff is professional and warm. The ambiance of the restaurant is modern and cozy. I tell every single one of my friends to visit the place, and whenever I can find a chance to make the trek from the city to the area, I try to make an excuse to go. I cannot wait to return soon with traveling restrictions loosened. Do not hesitate. You will be made happy here. read more

Just went for the third time. It just doesn't get any better. We took our friend for her birthday because I knew she'd appreciate the artful, flavorful food and she LOVED it. She told me 5 days later she was still thinking about the experience!! If you want to wow someone, this is the place to take them!! Make a reservation ahead of time though. They were also just featured in Sunset Magazine in the April issue!! read more

Madcap - SUNSET MAGAZINE article about Madcap - April 2018 - New American Near Me - San Anselmo, California

Chef Siegel and his family make the experience both delicious and welcoming. The food is incredible and the wine pairings sublime. It's a perfect place to celebrate. I can't say enough about MadCap read more

This hidden gem deserves their Michelin star. We went into Madcap yo give it a shot without a reservation. Luckily, the bar area was open so we settled in there. After reviewing the menu, we decided to try the tasting menu. I had a glass of sancerre, "Pascal Jolivet", and my boyfriend had the wine pairing. I didn't want to have the ribeye steak that night which I brought up to the wait staff, she said "no problem, I'm sure chef will cook up something good for you." I was relieved by their flexibility. Service throughout the night was attentive. Servers are always around to answer questions, bring another glass of wine, etc. 1. Lobster bisque shooter - full of rich, lobster flavor, probably one of the best lobster bisque I ever had. 2. Buttered bread with truffled soft broiled egg in a cheese sauce. 3. Big eye tuna with yuzu gel. Personally, I'm not a big fan of tuna, so this was ok. If you love tuna, you'll love this dish. 4. Butternut squash soup, pine nut and candied "something", together they tasted like maple syrup - this course was served with artisan asiago bread, it was delicious (I'm a big fan of soup). 5. Rabbit tortellini, mushroom miso, with a little of cheese sauce (the cheese sauce tasted like the same cheese sauce in course #2). 6. Trout, celery root, dashi, I am a big fan of dashi sauce, the trout was cooked to perfection, crispy skin, medium rare, and it was light and fluffy. 7. A delicious filet of mackerel. The garnish on my pate is the same garnish as the ribeye for my boyfriend's ribeye steak which he said was "melt in your mouth" deliciousness. Although the mackerel was delicious, since I just had the trout right before this course, I wished I would have a poultry course instead, e.g duck or something else to round out the courses for this evening. 8. Chocolate mousse cake. This is the real deal. I love chocolate so I had tasted many chocolate desserts in the past, this dessert is full of rich, bold chocolate flavors with just the right touch of sugar, the hazelnut ice cream and the cacao nibs added to the intense velvety flavor of the chocolate. This is dreamy! As for the wine pairing, I myself did not have the wine pairing with my dinner. But my boyfriend did, and you bet I tasted all of his wine. :) One wine that stood out the most was Arbe Garbe, it's a white blend from Rutherford. I loved it, so did my boyfriend. My sancerre was great (and I love sancerre), but somehow this particular wine was memorable. The pairing was fair, and the pour was generous. The entire dinner lasted about 2.5 hours which was well paced from course to course. I didn't feel rushed, and it was a satisfying, pleasantly surprised find in the neighborhood. We would definitely be back for another celebratory dinner. read more

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We stopped by for dinner here after moving to San Anselmo over a year ago and loved the seasonality and menu creativity. The staff are amazing and the seating is very down to earth but contemporary - no time warp here. The chef is well known and we also really enjoyed the dessert menu as a bonus. read more

Madcap - New American Near Me - San Anselmo, California

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The food and service at Madcap are great. Madcap is a great addition to Marin restaurants. I'll be back!