I should have much sooner reported that after notifying the manager of our experience, we were all invited to a dinner " on the house". The manager was gracious and friendly..We now go back often and are very pleased. Their Happy Hour is delightful.
I owe them an apology for not updating this long ago. The couple we took is now married!
I ordered a burger at the bar. My burger and fries arrived with a ramekin containing two tablespoons of catsup for a large burger and plate of fries. I knew I was going to need more than that tiny amount of catsup for my burger and fries and there were no other condiments served with the meal so I asked for more catsup. The bar tender's response was to stare at the catsup on my plate implying that I already had catsup. When I repeated my request he actually said "there's some on your plate". I said I see that but I'd like more because this isn't going to be enough.He was hesitant to give me more catsup so another customer seated next to me offered me his half eaten ramekin of catsup ( thanks but no thanks). Â The bar tender finally relented and somewhat begrudgingly poured another two tablespoons of catsup into another ramekin. I accepted my fate and ate my over cooked burger served on a hard bun. I should have just sent the meal back but I didn't want to make a scene and I was hungry.
Review Source:Went last night to celebrate my son's birthday (20 years old). Â The food was good but the service sucked. Â The server literally looked frightened walking around the restaurant. Â He could not tell us much about the food except 'that's really good'. Â I've been here many times and have always liked it but the substandard service definitely affected last night's visit. Â I had also called ahead to let the restaurant know it was my son's birthday and they said they would send something out with a candle. Â Never happened. Â I hope they work on the poor service.
Review Source:My husband, I and an old friend ate at the Left Bank Monday last (Sept 17) and had a great meal.  We avoided the rush hour by dining at 2PM.  I can see how it can get very busy on the patio.  We chose to eat inside where  we ordered  Salad Niciose and Tortine de Boeff Grillee.  Both entrees were simply delicious.  We added 3 glasses of Cameros 2010 Pinot Noir and finished with coffee and Creme Brulee. Â
The restaurant reminded us of a good Paris brasserie without the attitude. Â I would be comfortable ordering anything on the menu. Â For 3 of us the bill was $118 plus tip. Â Certainly in the $$$-$$$$ range but worth every penny of it. Â The wait staff is great. Â Parking is across the street in a public lot or just hunt on the street. Â Most signs say 2 hours free. Â If we didn't live on the East Coast this would be a very frequented place for us.
This is a beautiful and large restaurant on the charming main drag of Larkspur in Marin County, Magnolia Avenue.
The patio gets busy so you have to make a reservation for the patio (where you can still order off the happy hour menu which ends at 6:30). The HH menu is  astonishingly great:  I have never seen a steak tartare at happy hour and it was only 6 dollars. and the mussels in white wine, garlic and spinach is quite possibly the best mussel appetizer I've eaten. The mussels are large, tender and plentiful and the broth is perfect with the traditional SF sourdough, which I preferred to the more country white/wheat option (not that great).
The steak tartare is large and good but I would prefer less mustard. Still, for 6 this is an amazing deal and in SB, we have no restaurant that I frequent with a steak tartare on the menu (sometimes you see it as a special).
The happy hour wines at 5 are generous pours and the house chablis was fine. Not fabulous but just fine in an upscale venue for only 5 dollars.
My friend likes the chicken sandwich though it's hard to get it toasted and she had to send it back, which was no big deal. The tomato tartine (more like a crostini, with heirloom tomatoes and goat cheese) was quite good as well.
The prices not on happy hour are about what you'd expect with appetizers in the teens and the entrees in the 20s. The salad are a bit on the high end but it is charming and not very loud inside, even when most of the tables are occupied.
For two appetizers each (HH menu), a diet Coke and two glasses of wine, and two vegetable sides (haricots verts large and flavorful and spinach and garlic cloves 4 or 5 each) the bill came to 48 pre-tip.
I wish we had a place in SB with a mussels appetizer of this caliber. We have a few but none is this memorable.
I've been here twice now and both times were fantastic. Â It's very authentic brasserie. Not easy to find and especially in Marin! Â I've had steak frites both times and it's been really good. Â They have a really nice glass of rose also - if you're into that. Â (I am!)
Last night we also had the tomato appetizer, the green salad, and the pate appetizer. Â All were delicious. Â Great menu selection. Â Sometimes one just gets in the mood for great French bistro food and this is the place for it! Â Super nice to sit outside when the weather is good too. Â Love it.
Charming alfresco dining: check.
Casual, delectable French bistro fare: check.
A legit cocktail program: check!
Just back from my recent vacation abroad, I made plans with my cousin for a French lunch in hopes of prolonging the incomparable Euro buzz. Too bad I'm having more difficulty with extending my hard-earned golden glow!
Because I dream about well-crafted Croque Madames (seriously - they top my naughty indulgence list), I ordered the famed sandwich over the second-place contender, the Croque Agneau (sliced herb-scented leg of lamb sandwich). And I'm glad I did, because Left Bank's rendition is up there with the best of the best... the bread was super soft and stuffed with layers of ham, cheese, and sinful béchamel sauce and crowned with a perfectly poached egg (check out my photo, this sandwich is beauty!). The only thing that could have made this sandwich better? Eating it in bed on a lazy Sunday! Not prepared by me, of course.
My cousin enjoyed her burger and we respected European tradition by making it a long and leisurely affair: we each had a glass of wine and finished our meal with dessert (les profiteroles, s'il vous plaît!) and cappuccino. Ladies who lunch? Damn straight.
I wanted to find a wonderful, yet moderately priced venue for a BIrthday celebration. Especially wonderful to find such a wonderful place between San Francisco and Sonoma County. My family was so impressed with my selection of this lovely Brasserie, the food and service were excellent. Â I hope to return there soon for another lovely meal.
Review Source:Good service is what makes or breaks it for mosty days, so I waspleased to find the service was spot on and perfection. I enjoyed my soup, salad and bubbles as i basked in the sun in larksput and enjoyed a bit of the a stroll down memory lane since I am native to the area and about to head out, again, to parrs o fthe Northwest for the summer. Lovely afternoon, food, serivce and ambience right down to the Blue Rock Inn sign poerched above the Left bank, always a taste of home and excellence. Well done!
Review Source:C'est magnifique! I am a huge fan of French cuisine and this place has just that! There is a wide variety of food, including traditional French dishes. If you've never had escargot, this place does it right! The wait staff is knowledgeable of the menu and very friendly. Their drinks are delicious and unique!
The price is well worth the experience of authentic French cuisine.
Went to Left Bank last night and it couldn't have been nicer. Â Our server, Leah was absolutely perfect. Â The service was great even though there was a street fair across the street with rock bands. Â Salads were fresh and great, the corn soup was absolutely perfect. Â The Boeuf and carots was wonderful and my steak and frites was also perfect. Â Absolutely love this place.
Review Source:Tres confortable! Â Very pleasant service both times we have dined here. Â The ambience is very pleasant as well. Â For dog lovers, they seem to cater to dogs in the outdoors dining area. Â Sorry I can't recall our menu choices, but I have been pleased each time. Â This is a place where we will likely dine frequently.
Review Source:When I want a little French kiss in Marin, I visit the Left Bank Brasserie.
I always forget how fun and lively it is there (especially if you score a seat in their front patio). You really feel like you're in Paris. Locals come here not just for the food, but to see and be seen.
The cuisine is standard but reliable bistro fare (steak frites, salads, roasted chicken, charcuterie plates, etc..). My friends seem to enjoy their mussels paired with bubbles.
Personally, I'm a huge fan of their Salade aux Lardons (escarole, warm poached Glaum Ranch egg, bacon, garlic croutons, Dijon mustard vinaigrette) and their Croque Agneau (sliced herb scented leg of lamb sandwich, basil, roasted red bell peppers, aïoli, arugula salad). Make sure someone at the table orders French Fries. They're cooked and salted to perfection and big enough to share with a group. I've never really done dessert here, but the creme brulee and the profiteroles looked pretty tasty.
One of the things I always forget about is how good the cocktail program is at Left Bank. There aren't many bars in Marin that serve creative (SF-style) cocktails. My two menu favorites are the Romarin (vodka, rosemary, ginger liqueur, lemon) and the Agavoni (Herradura Anejo Tequila, Aperol, sweet vermouth). Be warned, they both pack quite a punch, and they ain't cheap (the average cocktail is $10).
All in all, I'm delighted to see that Left Bank Brasserie is still rockin' it after all these years. It's definitely a worthy Plan B if you can't get reservations at nearby Picco, Yankee Pier, or the Tavern at Lark Creek.
I have been here in the past  and it was memorable, and yet again it is one of the best meals and dining experiences. The fondue app is great with a glass of sauvignon blanc and for dinner the ravioli and salmon. The ravioli was light and the salmon was perfect with asparagas. Dessert was a custard puff with decaf coffee.
Also calling that i would be late for our reservation was greeted nicely by the front desk and while it was busy they held the table without a problem. Right now I am thinking I hould have tipped the hostess . Aww. Also ambiance is great and the staff warm and the server and back waiters attentive.
I was a little worried when a friend suggested we eat here for lunch today. Â The Yelp reviews have been mixed, especially in the service department. Â Well, our experience was fab! Â We started with a cheese fondue that is seriously addictive. Â I'm talking food for the Gods, it's that good. Â I had a Romarin cocktail that went down real easy. Â My friend got the mussels, and I got the steak with string beans and fries. Â The sauce for the steak brought me back to France. Â For dessert we split the profiteroles, which again were fantastic. Â Our server, I believe his name is "Yuri," was so friendly, funny, and efficient. Â The restaurant looked completely full for lunch, so they must be doing A-ok.
Review Source:Tried it twice. First, I want to say Michael the bartender is a class act. First time, we just had a drink at the bar and calamari. It was good enough to want to try it a second time. Also, Michael was very personable and engaged just enough without being intrusive. Second time, we ordered the mushroom salad (meh, just okay) and a burger. First, there wasn't supposed to be bacon on the burger and there was (not a huge deal) but, let's just say I do believe they took the term rare to an all new level. It wasn't palatable and just about made me gag to see the inside. We should have said something, in fairness, but we paid our bill and left. I think it will be a long time before a third visit.
Review Source:Gayle and I met my friend Lisa and her boyfriend here for Brunch today. We had been meaning to get together for a long time, and today our scheduling stars aligned. This Left Bank is one Lisa's favourite local places, and since the former one in Pleasant Hill was a key venue in our dating relationship, Gayle and I were more than game to take the ~1 hour drive over to Marin from Central Contra Costa County. I also reminded Gayle that we also had a nice Lunch here several years ago with Lisa followed by a Saturday afternoon Mass at nearby St. Patrick's.
We arrived at 11 AM, right when the doors were opening. We were offered a nice outdoor table, but declined in favour of a warmer spot near the fire place. It also helped that the Dining Room struck both of us as classy and comfortable. Lisa met us there and her boyfriend ("fresh" off a South American business trip) joined soon after. We had a very nice time chatting, catching up, and making sure that nothing significant of historical nature was mentioned.
The service was spot on, as was the food. Â I enjoyed the Brunch Tartine, although there was perhaps too much food to savor. Gayle liked here Salmon Omelet, while Lisa and her boyfriend both relished their Chevre Omelet. All of this was washed down with an very nice bottle of Whisper Angel Rose. We also shared a few desserts including Duo Sorbets and Profiteroles, and with coffee of course.
All told we really enjoyed each others company for ~ 2 hours. And as much as the former Pleasant Hill Location was special to Gayle and me, this Left Bank is better. I just hope that we good friends can get together again sooner, rather than later.  If that happens to be at the Larkspur Left Bank, ce serait une très bonne chose!
Not sure what's going on, but the service here was truly disappointing. Â We should have given up dining here for our traditional work lunch, yet we gave it another shot. Â This will be the last year ever! Â Our food took over 1 hour to come out. Â My friend ordered the steak, and they overcooked it, so instead of advising us of the issue, they ignored our table. Â We finally asked what was going on, and the manager came over to apologize for the long wait. Â Our waiter looked so depressed he had to work during the holidays, he didn't fake a smile or attempt to serve us. Â It was pathetic, if you're miserable at your job, just quit or find another job. Â We will no longer patronize this location, not worth the overpriced wannabe mediocre French food and poor service!
Review Source:I have eaten a few times at this restaurant and each time the food has not impressed me or has made me cringe... Something about a huge bone with the meat still intact... and when I say "huge" I am talking about a bone that the cave men use to carry to knock ppl out with,..... is simply not appealing to me.... And the Smell.... ya enough said.
Although, I should say this place might be good to have a cocktail at their bar...
After nearly a decade of ordering the excellent Salade Nicoise and local specials, I'm amazed that I've had 3 really bad experiences in the past 2 months.
At one, they FORGOT the main part of the Nicoise, and the waiter only appeared once. We couldn't get his attention for more water, and the bread was NOT what it used to be. Â At another, I asked for some more aioli as there was almost none on my sandwich, as promised, and a scary looking mayonaisse came out that i was afraid to use!
Did someone new take over or something? Â The locations great, they have all these extremely wealthy clients at their disposal, and really, they can't make a decent dinner? Â I was embarrassed for my guests, who'd traveled to get here.
I'm a Larkspur resident so it's important we have a decent restaurant to show we're not bass-ackwards, as my SF friends think. Left Bank, please sharpen up your skills!
And have more knowledge about pastis, the signature drink of France, thank you! Â Maybe you could ask Marin Beverage Outlet where to get Henri Bourdain, the best pastis.
Food is ok... this place could be fun if the management weren't so up tight. Â Went here during happy hour for a joint birthday party and all 14 of us ran up a tab over $1000. Â Hardly anyone else was in the restaurant at the time and those who were certainly didn't seemed to be bothered by us. Â Apparently a couple of toasts were enough to tell us we were going to have to keep things down or we would have to leave. Â LAME! Â
You can do better in Larkspur.
As someone who is (but has no business being) a Francophile anytime the meal choice comes around to me there's a good likelihood I will throw out a French restaurant. Since we waited until Wed to book a Fri night dinner there were only a few openings and we decided to branch out and try out Left Bank.
The location in Larkspur was nice as there was easy parking and quite a few other shops/restaurant/movie theater to make for a longer date night. Walking into restaurant it was much louder than I had anticipated, I was not surprised that it was busy on a Friday but with little separation between the bar area and a very open main dining area it was hard to carry on a conversation. Coupled with having other diners very close to us and how bright the space was it was not ideal for a romantic dinner and if I went again I would try to getting outside seating.
The service was not fantastic but the waitress did pick up that I disliked the Bordeaux (one of the worst I've had) when I was tasting it and made me feel better about returning it by reassuring that since it is sold by the glass it was not an issue. Bread (2 varieties) was OK, nothing phenomenal. We ordered the escargot for the appetizer and were pretty disappointed, the amount and size of the snail were very small and slightly overcooked with the only saving grace being the pernod butter. For the main entrée I ordered the bouillabaisse which was the special of the night, once again the portion was small for the pricing and the broth was heavy in both salt and butter. Overall, it's unlikely I would return as there are so many other places to eat in Marin.
I've always enjoyed going to the Left Bank. The food has been consistently good and the atmosphere and service are generally good.
I went to dinner here recently and it really seemed to be an off night for the restaurant. The food was okay, not nearly as good as on previous visits. The service was remarkably bad, however. Our waitress was MIA for most of our meal. I had an empty glass for probably 10 minutes and tried in vain to get the attention of several passing servers.
Once the meal came after quite a long wait, perhaps 25 to 30 minutes, our server never checked in with us again until she brought the check.
The busboy who was working in our section was terrific. It would be unfair to not point that out. He was working hard all night.
The drop in food quality combined with the poor service was disappointing. Still, it's a good place so I'm certain to return. Hopefully the Left Bank will also return to its previous high standards.
Several more meals here....all of them were great.
Service is always excellent. Food decent.
I do however have a bone to pick about their linen napkins. They always leave lint on my clothes! Regardless of what I wear... I tried it all! Its highly irritating!
Please do something about it!
I might have to bring an apron with me next time :)
I absolutely love this restaurant, whether it's for brunch, lunch or dinner. The menu is amazing, comprising of almost anything that is "typical" traditional french cuisine.
The food is innovative and superbly cooked. The waiters are attentive and professional. And the bartenders and drinks are top notch. For a restaurant of this caliber, I'm pleasantly surprised that it's not overpriced at all. This is one of my favorite place in Larkspur. To be back soon....
It was my birthday a while ago. Chez Panisse was booked, so the ex-boy asked around work for a good date place and came up with Left Bank, in Larkspur. I was a bit apprehensive because it's a chain restaurant...in Marin...but we went anyway.
The restaurant itself is adorable. It looks like a giant living room with a fireplace and has decorations of cute pigs everywhere. Mmm, bacon. It being in Marin, the bar was packed with bleached blonde 50-somethings with designer bags and botoxed lips, all of them drinking cosmos and lemon drops.
I myself preferred to have a diet coke with grenadine (I know, I know) while we waited for our table. Despite having a reservation, we had to wait for about ten minutes for our table. The hostess wasn't very friendly, but considering how busy the place was, we got seated relatively fast.
Being the good boyfriend to a high maintenance foodie girlfriend, the boy told me to order up. I started out with the Salade Lyonnaise, which had frisee lettuce, a poached egg, croutons, and bacon, and was dressed with a mustard vinaigrette ($8.50). Ex had the Salade Verte, which had butter lettuce, herbs, and a dijon mustard vinaigrette ($7.50).
My salad was delicious but also a recipe for a heart attack. Overall, it was a little bit greasier than I would have liked. I think that the thick-cut bacon could have been drained a little bit before being put in the salad. Because of the excess of fat, the croutons which were otherwise great, got a bit soft. But other than that, the egg was perfectly cooked and wilted the frisee just enough. Ex's salad was good; it was very basic but that's how he likes his food so it was perfect for him.
We also split Moules Florentines, which were steamed mussels in a white wine sauce with spinach ($11.75). By split, I mean that I ate all the mussels, dumped some of the shells onto the Ex's plate, and he mopped up the sauce with bread. The mussels were very nicely cooked, but I think that the sauce could have had a bit thicker.
I think our server was new, too, because I had already eaten about half of the dish before he came by with those tiny little forks and plates to put our shells on. I had no problem just using my fingers, and the bread thickened up the sauce and made for another great side dish.
While not overly-impressed with my appetizers and the service, I am going to rave about my entree (hence the 4 stars). Two months later, I still want to go back just to have it. While Ex ordered...wait...take a guess...steak and frites ($18.50), cooked medium-well (of course), I ordered the duck with lentils ($20.50). That duck was worth every penny.
It was cooked just enough so that the meat was juicy and the skin crispy. I got an entire half of the bird, so it was a struggle to finish everything. Even the boy liked it. The skin had a bit of a sweetness to it, almost like it had been cooked with dried cherries, but the sweetness didn't take away from the overall delicious, fatty flavor of the duck.
The lentils were just as delicious. They were cooked a bit al dente, and seemed like they had just been soaked in bacon juice. While they weren't greasy in the slightest, they contained the full flavor of smoked bacon.
I was so full at that point that I couldn't even try Ex's fries or get dessert. This is one of the best ducks I have ever had, and apparently it will only be on the restaurant's fall menu, so I need to get back there soon.
This is an Alsatian French restaurant. Â According to four Alsatians, with whom I had the great pleasure of dining this afternoon for a lovely late lunch, this place offers some traditional regional specialties. Â However, they noted that even the classically traditional items (such as Tarte Flambee) are served as an American fusion (e.g. smoked salmon instead of salted ham).
Pretension aside, I'll just say that this place is darn tootin' good! Â We started with Tarte Flambee & a charcuterie plate that was divine. Â I learned to adore cornichons in France, and I was not deprived of my petite love this day. Â I then moved on to a delicious Salad Nicoise (with perfect, rare ahi tuna), & finished with a molten chocolate fantastic mess. Â We had champagne & a fine Sauvignon Blanc along the way. Â Not a single complaint all around. Â
What did I say about leaving pretension behind? Â Hard to do, I guess, when you're dining on such exquisite food.
Oh, and, you know that belief that Europeans eat meals for, like, 2 hours? Â Not this table. Â The food was superb and brought out in a timely fashion. Â What could we do but gobble it down? Â As a matter of fact, I'm proud to say that I was the last one to finish. Â (I think I was distracted by all the pig paraphernalia around - didn't want to resemble it for at least this one meal!)
With 2 o'clock reservations on a Monday afternoon, we pretty much had the place to ourselves. Â Service was superb, company marvelous, and the food, well, ce n'est pas le vraiment francaise, mais c'est tres bon!
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