Great cocktails and ambient as all get out. Manfred is the embodiment of hospitality...effortlessly attentive and a genuine conversationalist. Manfred and those carrot juice cocktails, man. Good feels. read more

3 stars because I hope that food on the menu that we didn't order was/is better than ours was. Post-Covid food quality is not the same as I remember. The burrito and churros, as others have suspected, we think may have been pre-prepared. Churros cold-and stale hard- the fryers were not being used for them. They were NOT freshly prepared as evidenced by zero oil on the plate. The burrito came wrapped in foil and the tortilla was soggy like it had been sitting for awhile. The flavor and quality of meat was poor. We agreed it was the worst burrito we had ever eaten-- and we've had some sketchy burritos in our years! Seriously, both churros and burritos are better at the 7/11. For Mexican food in Mill Valley, the Cantina has much better food-- consistently high quality Mexican food, and Joe's tacos is better than Playa. We will not be back and will not recommend despite an excellent ambiance and great cocktails. read more

Service is very mediocre and the shrimp tacos were the worst shrimp tacos I've ever had! If the waitress had bothered to ask how my food was, I would've told her. Ambiance is the only thing this place has going for it. read more

I'm giving this 2 stars for the waitstaff. I really don't like writing negative reviews, but this is some of the worst food I've had. Me, my mother, and our table mates couldn't finish our lunches. Mom had the watercress salad, with all of its confusing, conflicted, clashing ingredients, I had the carne asada tacos, with its overwhelming corn tortillas, and our neighbors had some kind of calamari dish, which, like us, they wouldn't finish. My overall rating is "disgusted." read more

Love it great location, amazing knowledgeable and friendly wait staff and terrific food. Reminds me of Frontera Grill/Topolabambo in Chicago and so nice and great to have an upscale Latin/Mexican restaurant in Marin . So sad the last time we were there they seated 8 people in a space for 6 and it was really bad. The service was not great and the sitting arrangement made our dinner so uncomfortable. The restaurant was super crowded but we made a res 2 weeks or more prior and we should have been a priority. My husband could hardly eat his food. Such a shame after my first positive experience. read more

Their margaritas and other alcoholic drinks are great and if you like spicy food you are in luck b/c all of their food is very,very spicy. Even their salads. I'm allergic to anything spicy and really cannot eat there. But fun bar atmosphere and great to be able to sit outside and eat/drink. Waitstaff is great, great location, great service, not too loud, just ultra spicy food. read more

The guacamole was delicious and the fish tacos were good too. However I'll be unlikely to return because the guac alone was like $9 and the tacos, $14! I know rent in Mill Valley must be insane but there are plenty of tacos and Mexican food in Marin for a third of the price. Also, it was a a lot more of a dressy vibe then I was expecting, not a bad thing just FYI. Very cute inside! read more

My wife and I wanted to love this place. It has all of the bells and whistles you would want in a hip restaurant, location, ascetic, character but the food is behind the times. What was a huge disappointment was that there is very little option-wise when it comes to their menu if you have dietary restrictions. Beans to NOT need meat in order for people to be able to tolerate them for consumption. It's such a waste that Omar (chef) has decided to do this, much like he did with Copita in Sausalito as chef when it first opened (btw - they have since changed their menu and the beans they offer are vegan). It removes the protein option for vegans/vegetarians and leaves you with only grilled veggies options or a salad. Yes, they were thoughtful enough to add a vegan soup that contains a few beans (I counted 6 beans in my soup) but it's not a meal or enough protein. It's also $12 which is high for such a small soup. There would be far more items that could be modified if your beans didn't contain bacon, an odd and completely unnecessary added ingredient. I got into a whole discussion with our server (which also seemed frustrated by the inflexibility of their chef because he had heard several other guests complain about the same thing). I will say that the cocktails were good, chip and guacamole were excellent but overall is not a good place if you need modifications to your menu. I hope they can make adjustments because this place, especially this location, has such great potential. read more

What a wonderful,treat..lunch at Playa. So good, fresh, inventive and tasty. We had the empanadas with homemade chorizo with a nice creamy slaw on top. Also a really well executed charred squid salad with black eyed peas. So refreshing /the setting and great service. I am looking forward to coming back this spring! read more

I was in town for the Mill Valley Film Festival and visited Playa in between shows. The restaurant is a couple of doors down from the theater so it was super convenient. The space is beautiful with a nice bar, indoor and outdoor patio seating. The outdoor patio has really cute lights hanging throughout. I had a late lunch/early dinner at 4 pm and walked right in. They have a great menu with something for everyone. I ordered chips and salsa, grilled octopus and the grilled chicken tacos. They bring out three types of salsa which are all super flavorful and delicious- red salsa, green salsa and a habanero salsa. The grilled octopus was incredible!!! Highly recommend. It is served over white beans in a tomato bacon sauce with a delicious citrusy slaw. The octopus was grilled to perfection. The portion is big enough to share or even as an entree. The chicken tacos were well seasoned and so delicious as well. They come with a mango salsa that was the perfect combo of sweet tangy and spicy. The tortillas are hand made yellow corn tortillas that are the perfect vehicle for the taco. The bar and drink menu is extensive and the waiters are all friendly and knowledgeable if you need a recommendation. I had the churro for dessert and it was amazing too! Comes with a scoop if ice cream and chocolate sauce and I loved it! Everything everywhere is a bit expensive now so the prices are a bit high but this place was worth it. I received great service throughout my meal and will definitely return to Playa on my next trip to or through Mill Valley! read more

Love the patio! Bartenders are so nice and make great refreshing drinks!

Playa has really tasty food! I suggest trying their tacos but be warned: if you are allergic to jicama do not go to playa since they incorporate it into a lot of their meals read more

From the beautiful people in the window and crowd hovering around the entrance this doesn't seem like the kind of place to drop in with your kids - WRONG. The hostess at Playa is a model for Marin - she understand that most parents want to get in and out as quickly as possible, and no reservation? No problem. They'll squeeze you in to feed the kiddos, grab a margarita and then let you get out of there before the night turns into a party. Playa has figured out how to balance being both a family restaurant and the hottest hang out in Mill Valley - color me impressed. read more

First, I love this place - the two stars are for constructive criticism, not being a hater, and in fact I intend to keep this positive, so please hear me out :-) I have been looking forward to Playa opening its doors ever since we started to see how cool the buildout was going to be (super groovy aesthetic...they really nailed it). Yes, it is slam packed, and I expect it will continue to be that way for a while, due to how cool and fun the space is (we really needed a place like this in MV, and could use a few more). Also, lunch is not crowded - go for lunch and not dinner if you dislike crowds. I REALLY want this place to knock it out of the park, and I'm rooting for them, but there are a few issues that need to be addressed ahorita (right now) if they want to succeed. First, the things I like, then the things that need work: I LIKE: *the bartenders (Manfred is The Dude - don't let anyone else make your michelada, Joel is delightful, and Buffy is charming and great) The bar has fast become my favorite place to sit. *the buildout, the space, and the vibe (beautiful tile, cool pendant lamps, nice color choices and materials, large outdoor space, great acoustics) *the drinks (expansive tequila menu, aguas frescas, margaritas, and aforementioned REAL micheladas made by Manfred) *commitment to authentic Mexican fare NEEDS WORK: *service needs improvement (with the exception of the management staff). I have eaten there five times, and with the exception of the two times I sat at the bar (super service from bar staff!), our service was SO bad, for every reason (took them 10 min to get to us for even just water, then food came too soon, things weren't brought, no eye contact or engagement by the server, we had to flag other servers down constantly for extra place settings, more water, more drinks, condiments, etc). Hopefully this is just a matter of a new restaurant settling in to itself. *too many people packed in too tightly. It's not comfortable, Playa. It looks great packed, and I personally enjoy being around a lot of people and the din of chatter, but the tables in the middle are way too close together. There's no personal "bubble," and I got thrown an (accidental) elbow a few times. Three times I have sat at a table in the middle, and never have I been more uncomfortable at a restaurant. Once, we couldn't even comfortably have a conversation because our neighbors were totally dipping in (eavesdropping), another time the couple was fighting and it was SO awkward it ruined our whole experience, and the next time the couple next to us was talking so loudly that we couldn't even concentrate on our own conversation. Bottom line: the tables are way too close together. Please thin the herd. You're crushing it, Playa...you can continue to do so with fewer tables. People aren't having good experiences: everyone we have talked to says the same thing. THESE DISHES NEEDS WORK: *tortillas are too thick, particularly in the quesadillas. This is coming from someone who lived in the Yucatán and has studied Mexican cooking for years. They're good, but WAY too thick. You may even consider using flour tortillas, or a combo of flour and corn, on the kids menu. My kids, who love corn tortillas and Mexican food, balked immediately. Total dough bombs. *totopos (chips) are also too thick, are fried too long, and the oil needs to be changed more regularly *tortillas in the flautas were WAY over-fried. Not only were they dark and burned tasting, they were so hard that when I cut into them, half of it shot off my plate onto the floor (upside: made us all laugh) *mole is meh: not flavorful enough - I would even say bland and thinned-out tasting. Really bummed about this: I hate to generalize, but in my experience the quality of the food in a [Mexican] restaurant can be gathered by how good the mole is. Based on the mole, you've lost my husband and our next door neighbor...both chefs. *the meat in my al pastor tacos, which I have ordered twice, was too fatty. Otherwise, very tasty. But please get that fat out of there. Gross! *stop being so chintzy with the guac and salsa. And - like the mole - your salsa should be a rockstar. It could be better. Guys, I REALLY want you to succeed! I love coming in there, I want to have somewhere I can get food that tastes like home, you guys have clearly worked very hard to make this a special place, and I want to sing your praises. But you have to work these things out. Be the place whose mole is outstanding, and give a girl some elbow room, and I'll be your biggest fan and advocate. Really pulling for your success. read more

Gorgeous atmosphere. My food was disproportionally heated, most of it cold, not well-seasoned and the 2nd margarita was inconsistent. Beautifully designed and decorated however and fantastic locale. I did expect more. read more

The food offerings are fantastic. Original tastes. Outdoor seating in the summer is great. Major demerit: the dishes were literally taken out from under us. I had the grilled corn in my hands and the dish disappeared, leaving no where to set down the cob. My partner had fork in hand finishing the salad and they tried to take away the dish. The place was only 3/4 full, there was no line, so it's not like they needed the table space, and we hadn't been there that long anyway. Slow down! read more

We got the vegetarian tacos, enchiladas with red mole, split chicken, guacamole, chips & salsa, 2 horchatas for $115 after tip. food 3.5 stars, service 4 stars, value 2.5 stars, getting sick...1 star :( Overall, It was ok, the tacos didn't have a lot of flavor. the guac was good and the chicken with carrots and potatoes were flavorful. Unfortunately, both of us actually got sick after eating here....and Ive made it out of over 50 countries unscathed so this is saying a lot. I think the enchiladas/mole may have been the culprit. Our waiter recommended them- I thought they were ok-but the end result- not so much! I would say copita in sausalito is much much better. read more

Put on my brand new Tommy Bahama shirt. Night was off to a good start. Light brown with little guitars on it and a yellow collar. I was told it was the perfect shirt for Playa as the crowd there is mostly from Tiburon and Novato. I was meeting a friend and got there early. I sat at the bar as there was a single stool available. I could tell the bartender was overwhelmed and I was by far the ugliest person there so it was not looking good for me. These were the best looking 53 year olds I've seen in some time. I sat there for 7 minutes until somebody brought me a menu. (upside down). I sat there for another 9 minutes and never ordered anything. I walked out and the hostess asked me if I enjoyed my dinner. I told her the menu was upside down but otherwise everything was great. She seemed pleased. read more

There's no way the micro-portions at Playa qualify for only three dollar signs. Whoever runs this restaurant has figured out how to server tiny portions of awful, Tex-Mex (NOT MEXICAN) food, for outrageous prices. The drinks are 6 ounces - unless your order a beer - and even then you'll get 10 ounces of beer. Every glass has been shrunk to the size of a thimble. At Playa, the servers rush you in and out. We had to turn away the bill to order dessert. Worse, dessert was limited to two choices. First, the flatest and narrowest slice of key lime pie I've ever seen. It was awful. Second, was the flan. Somehow, they managed to 'carmelize' the traditional caramel sauce into a crunchy, Tex Mex, candy topping style 'sprinkles'. They reduce the ingredients to just sprinkles atop the micro-flan. Good grief! The flan was a flat little 2 inch disk served on a cup saucer. The one thing Playa is good at is hiding their micro-portions on micro-dishes. The only thing that isn't downsized is their outlandish prices. The tiny dish used to serve their micro-fish was so pathetic it was sort of amusing. Given their micro-portions, this is a $$$$$$ restaurant, serving horribly sub-standard food. These operators really know the less is more. Less food is more profit for the greedy owners. Restaurant patron are sheep to be fleeced. Wow. I cannot imagine why anyone with a lick of sense would ever go to Playa. Who is reviewing this rip-off shack? After enjoying empenadas all over central and south america, it was a tragedy to taste the deep-fried, vaguely slavic, mini-peroshki thing that they tried to pass of as empenada. Sure, empenadas vary by region (and type). Sure, empenadas come in all shapes and sizes. Some even have sweet fillings instead of savory/meat filling. But I've never seen one dripping grease from a deep fat fryer. I've never seen one filled with little more than greasy ground beef. Darn. How do you mess up an 'empenada'. Any of the various recipes for empenada will do. Only a Tex-Mex take on the empenada can turn out this bad. Playa is all about location. Location and causal ambience. Still, location and ambience do not mask the sub-standard, micro-portions - nor the wildly inflated prices. Playa sucks. read more

Amazingly delicious, organically sourced, elevated Mexican food, crazy good cocktails and super fun vibe. Oh, and did I mention the fabulous Zio Ziegler mural lining their delightful outdoor space? That's Playa. Some of my faves: Cocktails: The Oaxacan Margarita - a margarita made right - not too sweet, made with smoky mescal and rimmed with chili salt. I'll take two please. Not in the mood for a margarita, then try the Watermelon Fog, it's divine. Starters: Banana Leaf Tamale - delicate masa that's been infused with banana leaf, a genius twist on the traditional. Enchiladas de Mole Rojo - the star is definitely the richly spiced chocolately mole sauce. Don't worry, you can slurp up any left on your plate with their deelish homemade corn chips. Salad: Sausalito Watercress - The charred, smoky avocado is really what does this for me but the quinoa and apricots give it that perfect balance. Tacos: Shrimp - the unique jicama tortilla makes this so light and refreshing. Al Pastor - they had me at "spit-roasted pork", juicy and tender with pineapple-morita salsa, my perfect sweet and meat combo. Sides: Elote Loco - just like the delicious grilled street corn you get in Mexico - sweet corn, savory spice, creamy cotija, tart lime. Done. It's now our fave go-to in Mill Valley and we can't wait to try the entire menu! Get there if you haven't yet - it won't disappoint. read more

I had 5 stars after the first try - I received a form response asking me for more praise on social media. I have been back at least ten time since and while the cocktails are spectacular and Peter is amazing - the food just isn't very good. The tasty veggie tamale from my first visit is gone. I wrote a note but no reply. I am sure its because they are always so busy it doesn't matter but all of my friends feel the same. Go for the drinks and the vibe - skip the food. Hoping things change!! read more

First, I don't like when Mexican INSPIRED AMERICAN food calls themselves Mexican food. The thick flour tortillas (which are 1000% not authentic very Americanized) were soggy and cold, Al pastor tacos are known for SPICE, unfortunately the meat was dry and way under seasoned. Al pastor tacos are usually 1/3 spice, and it was a disappointment to have two measly tacos for $12 that will be only be remembered because they WERE NOT WORTH THE PRICE. I would MUCH rather drive to Oakland to San Pablo avenue and get some BOMB ASS TACOS NEXT TO THE HOTSY TOTSY. I have to be quoted for this...... " this restaurant" read more

Love Love Love the service and the bartender turned manager Nicole, is AMAZING. The food is good consistently. Love to see some changes on the menu because we go often. Order a Kill Bill with chips and salsa to begin! read more

When they first opened a year or so ago, I wasn't a fan. Then I went back a few weeks ago and again last night, and the food has improved. They are back in our rotation! We had a great patio table, good service and tasty cocktails. We enjoyed the queso fundido, fish tacos, beef cheek mole enchiladas, and flan, and they were all great. Now that they take reservations, we'll be back. read more

Bloody Mary is awesome and chops are homemade and Guacamole is bomb. Whoa tacos are delicious el pastor is my favorite

This is definitely a very good Mexican restaurant ! The backyard is very nice and the service is good. The only reason why I don't put 5 stars is because we thought quantities were a little bit disappointing. But don't get me wrong: quality was great! The Mexican flan was amazing. read more

My daughter and I were dying to try out Playa, but we were deeply disappointed today when we went in for lunch. We started with the Sausalito Watercress salad, which was good but not outstanding. The flavors were kind of bland and came with two small shreds of apricot - which were part of the listed ingredients. I got the el pastor tacos and my daughter got the carne asada tacos. The pastor tacos were mediocre- the meat was a bit burnt and the flavor mainly came from the pineapple chunks in the tacos. The carne asada tacos were TERRIBLE- not only were they cold right when they served them, but they were INCREDIBLY salty and a bit too spicy (and bland). They were so bad that we had to return them and asked for another order of the pastor tacos instead- they were okay and we were hungry. Through it all, we did have good service. The waiters are running around and take a while to get to you, but they were nice and understanding. This place is definitely overpriced for the quality of food. The ambiance is nice, and we'd come back for cocktails, but definitely not for food. read more

I loved this place! Sitting outside on the patio with the fireplaces raging, enjoying great margaritas and food... how can you go wrong? Staff was super friendly too. read more

Let me start by saying we had fabulous food. The server Dylan wanted us to rush to decide what we wanted but he was efficient and funny However you have to deal with the demeanour and stern Hostess Isabel first read more

So excited that this restaurant has opened! And it seems that everyone in Marin shares that same excitment with the hour plus wait. I have high expectations for this place, I mean this is the same owner of The Buckeye and Bungalow. The ambience is great, the large hanging lights, seats that are offered to view the chefs, and the cool outdoor patio with a fire pit. According to my friends beaware of the bathroom- they didn't mind the unisex thing but when the bathroom door doesn't lock and just let's anyone pull it open when you are doing your buisness is a problem. We aren't that accepting. The service was great, which was a bit unexpected because of how new this place is. The cocktail that I ordered, the watermelon with a lime salt foam was one of the best I have ever had. The food on the other hand was a complete dissapointment. First off I think it is ridiculous that you have to pay for chips and salsa. And if you are going to charge it better be damn good, and it wasn't. The chips tasted like Fritos and the three salsas were bland. The red was watery, the habinaro wasn't spicy and really tasted like nothing and the green was the best out of the three, which isn't saying much. For dinner I ordered the squash blossom quesadilla. It was a hard matza that was used and the inside again was Bland, bland, bland. The food reminded me exactly of El Huarache Loco in Larkspur, which I do not care for. I hope that they fix their flavor issue, for now Marinitas still reigns. read more

Food just as bland as the atmosphere. Drinks were mediocre at best. Veggie options were especially disappointing. Rice and beans are both cooked with meat with no veg rice/bean option. The veg tacos consisted primarily of canned slimy nopales with just broccoli rabe (which was listed as the primary ingredient) as a sprinkled garnish. When I offered my feedback to the server to pass along to the chef (since this is a new restaurant I thought they might be open to honest feedback) she explained that since so few diners are vegetarian, he doesn't care. It really shouldn't be that hard to create good vegetarian food. So vegetarians, know they won't do much to serve you at Playa and take your business (and friends) elsewhere. Like Marinitas in San Anselmo. I feel like if I'm going out I should be eating at least as well as at home, if not better especially at such a high price point. read more

I've heard and read about how good Playa was, so I was eager to make reservations to celebrate my birthday there. The guac was great, but the chips were super oily. I ordered the vegan menudo-style soup and quesadilla. The menu described the soup as having mushrooms...it should have said "hint" of mushrooms, because there was maybe a teaspoon's worth of mushrooms, which the soup stock, although good, shadowed any flavor of the mushrooms. The quesadilla was completely tasteless...I had to spoon loads of the guac and the salsas on and in it to get any flavor; and the tortilla was thick and dry. The decor was lovely, but it was very, very noisy....I couldn't hear my dining companions across table. I will not be back. read more

This has become a nice date night option for us. The first time we went, we took our 11 & 9 y.o. kids but they weren't fans so now we just go on our own. We have been three times total and sampled various menu items. Our "come back order" has been the shrimp tacos on jicama tortillas. So light and flavorful and delicious! :-) Other big hits have been the Ahi tuna crudo, the Playa tostada, the grilled calamari, the corn & potato flautas and the watermelon salad. The Kill Bill margarita also does not disappoint--so RARE to find a margarita that isn't icky sweet! :-) Playa also has a gorgeous heated outdoor seating area that is dog friendly (extra points)! We have sat here all three times (with and without dog) because the inside has always been too crowded/hot/loud. Playa is a great addition to downtown Mill Valley. As a side note, the one time we went with our kids, my 9 y.o. son accidentally knocked over the communal water bottle and was mortified. Our waiter handled this by bringing him a free dessert. Although the food was a little gourmet for my kids, the service was incredible. :-) read more

Best chicken ever. Honestly the whole chicken dish with potatoes is to die for. It beats Zuni Cafe. Bravo!!

Highly recommend! Nice vibe, great margaritas. Get the "Kill Bill" Margie which has NO Aguave nectar which I avoid.../aguave, despite the marketing is nothing but high fructose corn syrup. Kill Bill's are awesome! Next time I will eat something...menu looks great. Nice to have a new venue downtown!! read more

So, we got lucky and walked right in for a table. 10 minutes later, the line was out the door. Go early or wait long. I really enjoyed this place even though my al pastor taco wasn't so great. Our waiter, who was very cool advised me to try the carnitas next time and I definitely will. My wife loved her vegetarian taco and the chips and salsa were great, not just ordinary. The ambiance is terrific and the whole experience enjoyable. If not for the al pastor taco, I would give it 5 stars. read more

To escape the foggy city, we headed north to Mill Valley with the pups in tow, starting with an early lunch at Playa. Seated out back, beneath the Redwoods and umbrellas, we enjoyed a sunny warm afternoon, welcoming service and some delicious but pricey Mexican food. To get settled in, I ordered the Kill Bill, a perfectly salty limey margarita with a smooth tequila served on the rocks. My husband had a young Tempranillo, so tasty he had a second. We started our meal with a creamy Queso Fundido and Ahi Tuna Crudo, both served with warm, thick fried tortilla chips. The queso, topped with chorizo, was the perfect blend of spice, salt and cream. The crudo had flavorful slices of fresh tuna topped with jicama, onion, cucumber and a cilantro sauce. Great starts! Then came two order of tacos to be shared: Bohemia Battered Cod and Carne Asada with Skirt Steak. The fried fish was crunchy, warm, meaty and delicious, with just a touch of crunch cabbage and cream. The skirt steak had a wonderful grilled char with a tiny dollop of salty limey nopales pico on top. We devoured these tiny tacos in a heartbeat. And there lies the problem, the only problem really, with Playa: ridiculous small portions. We don't mind paying good money for good food, but we felt taken advantage of. Skimpy portion Mexican food is an oxymoron. For the price, a third taco, or larger diameter tortillas to hold more generous fillings, would be reasonable. We left hungry. A shame since everything else was fantastic. read more

Playa - Bohemia battered cod tacos and Carne Asada skirt steak tacos. Delish. But tiny! - Mexican Near Me - Mill Valley, California

All the 5 star reviews must be friends of the owners. Here's the bottom line; bland food, margaritas are minuscule and over iced in small glasses, prices on the higher side for small portions, great atmosphere, energy and service. Felt like we had a few appetizers and one margarita for $50+ per person!?! I get that it's Mill Valley and allot of people in Marin have money but no one wants to feel taken advantage of or that they got short changed. Read the reviews Playa and make some changes or you'll lose your fans. read more

Really fun scene! Ehh food, good drinks. Great chips and salsa though. Next time I go it will be for drinks and apps only.

Equal parts great vibe, greet food, great service.!! The chorizo empanadas were amazing! Squash blossom quesadillas were great too! Kill Bill margarita was too bitter, but the house margarita was too sweet -- so we mixed them and made ourselves the perfect margarita...ha ha! All in all a really fun night, great place. Can't wait to go back. read more