The pizza tastes okay, but the customer service was the worst. I decided to order deliver from this place because they were open late enough, and looked a little more gourmet than other pizza places. I should have just asked the desk person at the hotel I was at, because this was the wrong place to choose. This place charges a $7 "delivery fee", which is a lot considering they are two miles from my location. No getting around that, so I wound up paying $30 for just a Pizza. Five minutes later, in the middle of watching the sunset on my anniversary, the manager/owner called and extremely crassly explained to me that a 1 dollar tip on top of the delivery fee was "simply not acceptable". I told him I thought $8 extra was plenty, but offered to tip a few more dollars. He then told me he needed to ensure my phone number was "reliable". What the hell is that about? He sounded intoxicated, or full of snubbery at best. What a jerk, never going to pay too much to be treated badly again.
Review Source:Three of us dined here on a Wednesday night to take advantage of their four course Early Bird Special for $19.95. The ambiance is sophisticated, warm with a very friendly vibe. We got there around 5:30pm and it was just starting to get busy. We sat at the bar and enjoyed some drinks. Note that their "happy hour" runs until 6:30 and  in addition to some drink markdowns, (Hard to beat  $3.00 Morreti on tap!) they have a bar menu for HH.
We were seated promptly at 6pm, the time we reserved. The three choices for the main entree were: salmon, chicken and short ribs. We ordered one of each. We also ordered an antipasto which in hindsight was unnecessary. The bread that was delivered had just been baked and it was hot and yummy and of course, we ate too much of that. Everyone was very happy with their dish. You also get a choice of pasta along with the main course. For dessert we ordered a tiramisu and pistachio ice cream.
Everything was high quality, cooked well and the service was impeccable and professional.
The dinners at twenty bucks are a great value. If you don't order like we do, you can actually get out of here happy and stuffed for way less than many Italian restaurants in Marin. The drinks at the bar totaled about $40.00. Add the antipasto, two glasses of wine at dinner, with tip, we got out of there for $120.00. Â Still, try that at the Buckeye and it would be way more. We've lived in Marin since 1989 and we can honestly say, "How is it we didn't eat here until now?"
Four stars for the food and an additional star for the early bird/happy hour prices.
Benissimo has great Italian food. Â I love their Chicken Marsala and polenta. It is very flavorful. Â The caprese was good too. I didn't try it (not eating wheat) but I hear the bread is wonderful, as was the pasta. Â I also tried the veal saltimbocca, which had decent flavor, but the meat was *really* tough. Â I would order the marsala again. Â The cesare salad was good.
Now... the best part for those of you that can actually eat wheat & sugar.... They have an early bird special which is a 4 course meal for $20! Â Salad, Pasta, Dinner & Dessert.
My husband and I had a <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> certificate for Benissimo and went for dinner tonight. The place is very nice on the inside and classy bar. We ordered a couple drinks, split a very delicious pepperoni pizza (thin crust is great!) and ordered a couple pastas. The gnochi is very good and my husband had the spaghetti with pesto which isn't on the menu but they accommodated no problem. We ordered dessert which I'm still snacking on, Mocha Mud Pie!! It's amazing!! :) But be careful with ordering any to-go drinks as my husband ordered a double Americano to-go and no joke got TWO Americanos ($7 +_+) in a to-go SOUP bowl LOL definitely humorous but it would have been nice to know ahead of time that they don't do to-go cups and we would have ordered another dessert instead (also $7)...
Review Source:This place has a nice intimate vibe and the service is excellent. Attentive but not the kind of place where they sit at your table and chat with you. That's a good thing. Their Caesar salad is wonderful, with fresh house-made dressing. I also had the eggplant and ricotta ravioli special, which was good. The seasoning was good, but could have been tweaked a little. This seems like a place to order wine, so why I ordered a vodka soda, I am not sure, but the soda was flat.
The tables are close together, so be prepared to get cozy with your fellow diners.
Had Sunday dinner here, what a great find! Â We started off with the Alla Misto Salad, then I went with the Salmon Picatta while my wife had the Gorganzola T-Bone Steak. Both were cooked to perfection - excellent service (thank you Marco) and a very nice easy-going vibe. Nice decor with a great bar; Monday is 'all night' Happy Hour. Benissimo is a great find!
Review Source:It was our first time here and :( sadly we did not enjoy our dinners. Service was fine, ambiance was ok. Definitely caters to an older crowd, 60+ which is fine, but we really didnt like the food. Â One of the specials was pork chops, it was more like pork burgers, the meat looked "fake".
My capellini pasta dish was ok actually, but its a simple dish to make, hard to screw it up. Â The bread was at least 2 days old with very garlicly/olive oil dip. the place was busy and i got the feeling alot of the patrons are regulars here and they all seemed to like it, but we didn't. sorry!
Im making this one a new favorite place! Â Had a little happy hour soiree with friends the other day. Â This place was the convenient half way point for us. Â The place is small and quaint. Â Upscale as it gets for Marin. Â They have a great happy hour menu, and the food is very good and great deals. Â The bartender was a little salty, but his yummy Lemon Drop martini made him sweet as sugar to me. Â A few of us ordered their 4 course dinner for 19.95 and wow...it was great! Â I had a lovely cesare salad to start, spinach ravioli and my entree of Salmon Piccata that was cooked perfectly. Â Dessert was included -my choice tiramisu. Â
Here's what made this place special for me. Â My son calls me (mid dinners first bites) and says hes locked out of the house. Â I have to drive home to 5 miles and let him in . ( People without kids most definitely LIVE LONGER! Â ) So, when I came back, they bring my dinner to me warm all the while in the kitchen and re-serve me. Â WHAT A PLACE!!!!!!!!! and it all was as good as when they served it to me the first time.
So, I think that prix fixe meal is a great way to try the place out. Â Fri and Sat are the only days they dont have it.
Wow! I am stuffed! I just had an AMAZING meal at Benissimo's. My mother and I went there as it came highly recommend by her friend who said it was by far "the best" Italian restaurant in Marin and I have to agree because:
1) The service was perfect. Waiter, bussers and managers very attentive at all times.
2) FABULOUS bread dip. Lots of chopped garlic and herbs.
3) Holy moly the PICATTA SAUCE was OUT OF THIS WORLD! Order the small plate that says Gamberoni with salad. (The Gamberoni comes with the picatta sauce.)
3) I ordered escolar (a white fish) that was on the daily special. It was grilled to perfection and was accompanied by scalloped potatoes, broccoli rabe and DUN DUN DUN... root vegetables! The pairings were very impressive :)
I would highly recommend Benissimo's!
I've been coming here for the last couple of years and have to say it's one of my favorites. My aunt happens to live within walking distance so we usually walk the couple of blocks to get there.
The food here is actually pretty good. They have a wide variety of fish entrees, meat, poultry and vegetarian options. I got the Benissimo Burger which was pretty good. It was 100% Kobe beef and a salad which was killer!
Highly recommend!
My son and I have burger night every Thu. Â
We have been everywhere in Marin that has a high end burger. Â I have been in the restaurant business all my life and have come to the conclusion that a good burger and a glass of old vine zin is about as close to heaven as it gets.
Bennisimo has the best burger. Â
Next is Marche au Fleur, then the Panama Hotel, 3rd best.
They are good guys there too. Â I have found them professional always.
btw
The comments below regarding the tip for a beer and opening on time seemed a little harsh.
Great dinner this evening. Owner and staff were very nice. Sat at the bar in order to watch a football game but did not loose out on a nice dining experience.
Food was excellent. Started off sharing two appitizers. Couldn't decide on dinner so I went with the four course special. Great way to get a smaller taste of various menu items.
All in all it was a very good dining experience. I would highly suggest it.
Found the place right on the main drag. Â Here's the scoop:
5 stars - Service was flawless the moment we walked in the door. Â Thoughtful and courteous.
5 stars - Nicely portioned early bird special for $20. Â I had the wild salmon. Â
4 stars - Solid job on the sauces.
3 stars - Some portions of our dishes were lackluster including the salads and breaded chicken meal. Â The tomato in our appetizer looked like came from Safeway - lacked color and flavor.
2 stars - The place could use some ambiance improvements. Â The interior looked 30 years old. Â
Overall - Generally good experience but the food and ambiance dragged me down to 4 stars overall.
They open at 4... or so they say... Arrived at 3:57pm, was told "We open in about 10 minutes, no one is here yet."
So... Now I have to wander around aimlessly until your staff arrives? Â And what kind of a restaurant doesn't have their staff in place 3 minutes before opening?
Bye bye, won't be back.
This will always be my favorite place to eat.
I've been going to Benissimo's since I was in High School (15 years about) and though the decor has changed some and the menu here and there... the service, the smiles and the quality of food will always be the same.
I moved to the South Bay but whenever I'm in Marin for dinner I always suggest Benissimo's! I usually get the special risotto, whatever it is, or stick to my basic risotto and ask them to add chicken.
Great for a little romance, to catch-up with a friend or even alone. Sit at the bar and make a friend!
Thank you, Benissimo's, for being such a staple in my life!
(Sigh) I'm still a little irked as I write this. So here it goes: In the past month, we've been to Benissimo's probably about 4 times, and I guess we've gone on quieter evenings. We went last night (Thursday) and I made a reservation for 2 at 7. We never have problems, reservations or not.
There was an older couple ahead of us that also had a reservation, and they were offered the same thing we were: a table in front of the jazz band by the door, or wait for a booth. Naturally, they decided to wait, as did we.
Went to the bar - first of all, trying to get served at that bar is like trying to get a glass of water in the desert - its not going to happen quickly and there are a bunch of other people that want one as well. Fine, whatever. 10 minutes goes by, and the couple in front of us get seated. great! its almost our turn. (and we still don't have a drink, and now the bartender is starting to count vodka bottles...im starting to get a bit pissy). 15 minutes - we finally get a drink, and turn around just in time to see them give our booth away. My wonderful fiancee went over to see what was up ("Oh." Said the host. "We thought you had been sat".)
BIG SIGH. Whatever, we decide to stay at the bar and get ignored. The only reason we stayed at all is because we both love the food. In the end, we ended up getting a complimentary dessert, but that's not the point. The point is make sure you have your seating chart up to date, and don't be rude when called out on your mistake. As much as I love their food, I highly doubt I'll go back on a Thursday evening (when it seems they are the busiest).
I've lived in Marin for quite some time and didn't know Benissimo's existed until a month ago. Great place. Good food, good drinks, and very nice staff. The owner came to talk to us at the end of the meal and actually had a conversation with us. Well, I hope it was the owner. I assumed any older gentleman coming for a chat must own the place, and it's unlikely I have a stalker.
Yes, I had room for dessert. Just as good as the main course. Food was reasonably priced.
Definitely a place to return to.
This is my new favorite little local place.
We found ourselves craving Italian food on a Monday night and Yelp directed us here. It's a small place, reminds me of a European sidewalk cafe really. The owner and waitstaff also seemed to be European.
I was craving a mojito (apparently my summer drink of choice these days) and the waiter told me they made the best mojitos in the north bay. He wasn't wrong! It was FANTASTIC.
The chicken parmigiana was calling my name, so I ordered it and it was GLORIOUS. My other half had the spaghetti and meatballs which also did not disappoint. We took home tiramisu for dessert - mmmm.
The service was a little hit or miss though - hence the 4 star rating instead of 5. It started off attentive, but then it really dropped off when they got busy inside (we were sitting at the lone outdoor table). I think we waited 30min for our check... so, not great! It was kinda okay since we were not in a hurry, but I still felt forgotten about. They seem very understaffed - 1 owner, 1 waiter, 1 bartender - all doing everything apparently. The owner did apologize when he brought us our credit slip though, so at least they're aware.
Regardless of the service, we'll be back!
I'm torn about this place. Â I absolutely loved the food, but the service was on/off throughout the night. Â The location is cute and understated. Â Totally missed it the first time we drove around. Â
Inside, it's a very comfortable atmosphere with booths, tables, a bar in the back with lights that change color (interesting). Â I don't know if it was because of the two big parties there (about 6 - 10 at the tables), but it was LOUD - and rather warm.
Anyway, onto the food.  For apps, I had the bruschetta.  Normally I don't order this because I'm not a tomato person, but I decided to go out of my comfort zone that night.  It was delicious.  I don't think I've had non-tangy tomatoes before.  What a pleasant and refreshing surprise.  Hubby had the Mista Alla Romana salad.  Yummy  baby greens with gorgonzola, walnuts and pears.  Always love that kind of salad.  My parents both had the minestrone soup - so good! Â
For entrees, I had the chicken parmigiana (No surprise. Â Any Italian restaurant that has this, I'll order it). Â It was very good. Â Again, tomatoes made a wonderful non-tangy sauce for my chicken. Â Good potatoes and grilled zucchini. Â Hubby had the lamb (special). Â It was good to me, but a little gamey for him, so he wasn't crazy about it. Â Parents had the chicken marsala (yum!) and pasta with prawns (dad substituted the papardelle pasta with angel hair). Â So rich and delicious.
Dessert (my parents always order dessert) we shared and an amazing lemon sorbet served up in a hollowed out lemon, and the tiramisu. Â Between the two, I was all over the sorbet.
So, the food was excellent. Â About the service. Â We were seated for about 10 minutes before our waiter came to get our drink orders. Â Then it took about another 10 minutes before he came back to take our food order - no drinks served yet at this time. Â Then finally another 5 minutes later, the drinks came. Â We never saw our waiter again until we were almost done with our entrees. Â ??? Â Too bad. Â The other folks in the restaurant, servers, busboys, even the manager - all spot on. Â I just looked at one guy and he was at my side asking if I needed anything.
Still giving four stars because I loved the food, but definitely minus one for the on/off service.
I love Benissimo's! The service has always been outstanding here. The owners are wonderful, and it is obvious they care about their customers and have a passion for Italian cuisine. The place is clean and inviting, and the food is great. Pasta is cooked well, and the sauces are excellent (love their Pesto). Gnocchi al pesto is a favorite - with the gnocchi just right! It's never undercooked nor overcooked. Risottos are rich and flavorful. And the tiramisu is light and most divine!
They have a full bar, with a nice wine selection and lovely drink specials.
The only thing I miss... are the cozy raised booths they used to have. It can get pretty busy in there, and the acoustics are not the best - so sometimes it gets pretty noisy! Â But all and all - I love this spot!
This restaurant has a warm and inviting feeling. Most people seem to know one another and the owners have a great personality and will take the time to get to know you. The waiters are all friendly people. Service is A+
The new bar is a great place to hang out and have drinks during the week and on weekends they even have live music.
The food is also good. The food tastes as authentic as you can get in Marin County while maintaining a fun family friendly environment.
Great to go after work for a drink or even with the family on a weekend.
Our home away from home and is absolutely Benissimo!
The owners are like family and treat us the same. Â We have been going to Benissimo since it was a mere pizza place with red checked tableclothes and rose bottle candles. Â Baby, it's come a long way, with owners, Tony and Mario, giving it upscale touches of modern European furnishings, trendy lighting, warm atmosphere, delicious food, a popular bar setting and colorful paintings throughout the restaurant that hint at the Italian upbringing and culture that permeates this fine dining establishment. Â Sadly, no paintings are for sale (we have tried for years but are a treat for the eyes. Â Love their food, the moderate and totally satisfying portions and most of all, the hugs we get when greeted at the door. Â Bring family, friends, kids or your main sqeeze for a wonderful dining experience. Â Romantica, yes!
My parents eat here once a week. Â We can walk from their house and we need it after licking every last bit of sauce off our plates. Â
They give you flat bread and oil for dipping to start. Â The best oil ever, with whole chunks of garlic & dried red pepper. Â So dangerous you could eat the whole bowl.
I usually order one of the specials because they always change and never disappoint.
Here are some of my favorites.
Penna alla Contidina:Penne Pasta with Chicken, sun dried tomato and broccoli.
Salmone Piccata: Fresh wild salmon sauteed in white wine and lemon caper sauce (I seriously lick the plate clean)
It is pricey, but you get what you pay for. Â Delicious, well proportioned food.
Check out the mid week early bird special. Â For $19.95 you get a starter salad, main coarse and dessert or coffee. Â You have to select from a smaller menu, but who cares for $19.95!
I think I gave this place 5 stars because one of the waiters always flirts with me ;) Â I am a sucker for a cute man with an accent.
One of our regular, in-rotation, special restaurants. As a matter of fact we're planning on Valentine's Day at Benissimo.
You know how you have that image in your head of a "neighborhood haunt" - the kind of place that's comfortable, has great food, won't cost a fortune, and is enjoyable on every visit? For us - this is exactly that place.
Try the spaghetti and meatballs (simple but great), Chicken parmesan is my GF's favorite.
Tuesday night and this place was packed. Â They quickly seated a table of six with zero notice and they were wonderful and attentive to our needs. Â Great wait staff. Â
The food was above average. Â Everyone had something different... (parts of the night I can't remember due to the amount of wine consumed) but I am pretty certain EVERYONE loved their dish since none of us had anything left to take home. Â
Nice wine selection.. but I would suggest walking a block and go to Ricks Wine Bar pick out a nice bottle and have Benissimo's cork the bottle for you. Â Since you are so close to Ricks you can't find a better selection of wine. Â
I will go back... hope to see you there!
I was suprised how packed this place has been both times I have been--its a great little neighborhood spot that I thought I stumbled into at first. Â Looks as though I am not the only one who enjoys the ambiance and food. Â Great spot for winter nights with your hubby--intimate AND fun.
The food is comfort, authentic Italian--I had the chicken parmesan and it was yummy--way too much for me but very tasty.
Benissimo's is a very cool and tasty Italian restaurant. Â They are open late, which is a rarity in the small town of Corte Madera, and a delight for me, since I work until 9 or so. Â The Ravioli de la Casa is delicious as well as the salads and the salmon entree. Â My husband had the steak and thought it was good. Â They have a nice big bar and a nice big wine list to match. Â The staff here are extremely pleasant and the decor is varied and interesting.
Review Source:If you are looking for authentic, this is not the place to go. After reading all the good reviews I was excited to go and might give it another chance, but I was very disappointed. The prosciutto on the appetizer plate was plain ham, the gnocchi were ok, but definitely nothing to rave about, the tortelloni were not good at all. There was hardly any cheese filling and again the prosciutto was plain ham. Â
The service and ambiance very was nice, however.
Delicious Authentic Italian!
I strongly recommend getting a reservation if you want to on a Friday or Saturday night if you don't want to wait. When they're busy your service won't be as fast or as good as if you go on a weekday or for lunch. It took forever to get served one Friday night and we got superior service when I went on another day for a late lunch.
The food is simple and really excellent - I dare you to find something not yummy.
This is no 5 star restaurant, but a solid 4 stars for the food and 2 for the service.
Food:
The foccacia bread and olive oil they give you to start is fabulous! And I use that term in the most flamboyant way imaginable. There's a little bit of garlic and pepper in the oil that gives it a kick.
The Caesar salad was boring - skip it, but the minestrone soup was hearty and flavorful.
For the main dishes, the seafood pasta dish had an amazingly light sauce, which was refreshing considering how heavy some pasta dishes can be. Unfortunately, the mussels were overcooked and chewy.
The pollo parmigiana was heavy but really delicious. It comes with mashed potatoes -- not a choice I would have made if I were the chef, but they were really good. Garlicky too!
Service:
Not so hot. The bartender was very attentive and friendly. However, our server didn't come to our table for over 5 minutes when we first sat down (Doesn't seem like a long time but it totally is when you're starving.) Then, after we ordered drinks, he disappeared for 20 minutes. Then he continued to serve other people until we finally waved him down.
I think he realized his mistake and was a lot more attentive towards the end of the meal. I'm just a stickler for good service so I notice these things.
Bottom line: lovely, intimate restaurant in a beautiful area of Marin. Go here for good Italian food for groups of 4 or less.
Try: the minestrone soup and a glass of Montepulciano d'Abruzzo wine.
I travelled across the bay on a big boat to have the Holiday lunch my parents like to have. They wanted it at Benissimo Ristorante & Bar in Corte Madera.
The food here is so good. SO GOOD. If you live in the north bay then you have no excuse not to go there, unless of course you hate Italian food. If you are feeling adventurous about travelling a bit to eat, go here. Its even easy to get to by Golden Gate transit bus.
The portabello appetizer is to die for. They do the balsalmic reduction perfectly. The gnocci pesto is fabulous and the pizzas are really crispy and flavorful. I seem to recall Mario saying they make the macaroni fresh, but there were martinis involved so I could be wrong.
They have a full bar and a good wine selection. The owners are brothers and they are really nice people who are completely involved in the food and the restaurant.
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