Bistro Ginolina

Great service, excellent food, wine pairing on point, and great ambience! I would definitely go there again. Gino is fabulous.

I love this restaurant. I discovered it last year after moving to San Rafael from Oakland. It is a very warm and welcoming place which goes a long way when you are new to an area. The pasta is authentic and pizzas are yummy too. I’ve been back many times and always send my east bay friends here first when they ask me for Marin restaurant options. Last year we even watched a few Warriors basketball games from the bar because they have one discreetly placed TV in the bar to show special events on. Thank you Ginolina!

Classic Italian dishes with prompt service in a relaxing environment. The Greca salad was crisp and flavorful. Paired well with the prosecco by the glass. Enjoyed the Clams in a white wine sauce which was amazing; the pasta was al dente to perfection. Very pleased and enjoyed the ambiance.

This place surpassed our expectation based on the reviews. It seems to be one of those places in Marin a that is a little stuck, appealing to a small local contingent but not really thriving. We came in on a Living Social coupon for dinner midweek. On arrival at 6:30, there were only a few people at the bar, and at least one of those was affiliated with the management. I believe it was the owner who welcomed and seated us and set us up with menus. From there on, we were in the very capable hands of Pascual. I had a glass of a pleasant but unremarkable Cental coast Pinot Noir (but for $ 10, it was fine). My entrée was the fresh fettuccine Della Nonna, with peas, speck and Parmesan. The pasta had the lovely al dente texture and was perfectly coated with cream and Parmesan, no excess butter, and lots of peas and flavorful speck. A really satisfying dish. My husband had the special chicken pot pie, chock full of well seasoned, well cooked but not overcooked evenly diced veggies and potatoes and excellent chicken chunks. There was just enough extra sauce to clean up with the nice, crusty sourdough. The finishing act with a very good cappuccino and gelato left us quite content. Pascual seems to cover everything on slower nights, from providing us with great service, to serving behind the bar, to making a great cappuccino. I can totally see how this could be a place that would be that friendly, neighborhood bistro to return to as a welcomed regular. We were pleasantly surprised.

We came here to celebrate my friend’s birthday since she loves anything Italian and would live in Italy if she could. After looking at the menu online, we thought it would be worthwhile to try it out. We easily found street parking for our two cars and went in.
There were two people at the bar and only one seated table at 6 pm. We had three adults and two children and were seated by the window. It took about 5 minutes to get water and 10 minutes to get menus. By this time, we were wondering if we should just eat somewhere else. Our server was chatting with the people at the bar even though we were already ready to order.
The Bistro is getting two stars for their Calamari Fritti appetizer which was the highlight of the meal. Even the kids were willing to eat it because it was crunchy and well fried.
The other items we ordered were less appealing. The alla Pesto (housemade basil pesto, sundried tomatoes, pine nuts, goat cheese) for $ 15.50 was enough to feed two people but it wasn’t anything special. Even the kids who ordered a cheese pizza were more excited to stop eating and walk home with their dad. My friend whose birthday we were celebrating ordered one of the pastas ate a few bites and then asked to box up the rest.
It could have been an off day since I know Gino wasn’t there but I unfortunately have to say that I would not return to try it again.

Monday night — Party of 3 — birthday dinner.
We originally planned to go to il davide in san rafael but they aren’t open Mondays. I took a chance & booked a reservation online at bistro ginolina (because it was italian, close by, and had some good reviews on Unilocal).
WE weren’t disappointed. They food was very good (especially the petrale sole), gino was very welcoming and the variety of birthday treats (free) for dessert was excellent!!!

This is now my go to restaurant. I am lucky to live really close to Fourth Street. This one as well as other restaurant gems, is off of Fourth and B– Street. We were going to eat at another restaurant on B-​Street, but it was closed. My friend and I decided to try something new. I was a bit worried. I have had really bad Italian to just bland in Marin. First of all, the place is elegant, yet the atmosphere feels casual. We shared the Kale Caesar salad, I highly recommend this simple and delicious salad. Then she had the rigatoni special with sausage and egg plant. That was delicious. I had a fabulous salmon ravioli. It was amazing. My friend, who does not eat much, finished my dish. The white sauce with a touch of lemon was heavenly.
The service was thoughtful and attentive. After we were seated, a lovely family who were also sadly loud sat right next to us. The owner, I think, moved us in the most polite and thoughtful way. It was great.
I really enjoyed this place and will come back again with my family. Can’t wait!

Less popular than the Italian place around the corner, it’s actually much better. Friendly and attentive service the entire place feels like you are away on vacation. Good Italian food-​many Northern dishes. Good wine list. Exceptionally priced for the quality.

While the prices were higher than our typical Italian dinner, everything was just better: The service was excellent; the gnocchi was really special as was the pizza; served with a lovely house wine. And the atmosphere made me feel like I was on a «date night» dinner when we weren’t.
I appreciated that there was room between the tables and the feel was elegant yet comfortable. It was definitely worth the marginal higher price than the family Italian place we like especially as we we not surrounded by kids and babies or looking directly into the kitchen or the wait staff area.

When we first started the bread and olive oil were very good! Unfortunately when the waiter did not understand my husband when he asked for spinach the rest of our dinning experience went downhill. I started eating my chicken and it was really good but then when I got to the middle of it the chicken was not fully cooked. I asked for it to be sent back to the kitchen for them to finish cooking it they then brought it back to me and it still was uncooked! At That point I lost my appetite. I would not recommend this restaurant. Additionally, the owner got very angry at us when we complained. Too bad since the ambiance was very nice!

My family and I found this restaurant on Open Table and having been unfamiliar with the area were excited to visit this charming restaurant in San Rafael. It is right next door to an authentic Chinese restaurant with a funny name «Uncle Wings». We ordered the insalata mista and it was fresh and tasty. I ordered the Dover sole and asked the waiter if he could replace the potatoes (as I do not eat carbs) with spinach or broccoli to which he said he had neither. When he left to the kitchen I kindly asked the owner if he had spinach (as I saw it in another entrée on the menu) and wondered perhaps the waiter was more familiar with Italian than English. The owner said yes I’m pretty sure we have spinach and I will take care of you. My fish was ok, a bit overly flavored with lemon, but never the less ok. My wife ordered the «air dried» chicken. The first few bites she enjoyed, until she got to the middle of the chicken portion, which she noticed was raw. She waived down the owner and asked for it to be re fired up. When he returned with the chicken after about 3 minutes, she sliced into the chicken and again it was still uncooked. I waived down the owner who at this point was irate at my wife and I and took the plate away in disgust. I kindly asked him why he was mad at us for serving uncooked chicken to which he said that I insulted his waiter earlier in the evening and insulted him again about his chicken. An owner with this attitude and behavior should find himself another occupation. It’s unfortunate because the environment and ambiance is quite charming and cute at this restaurant. I am certainly glad that my wife did not take another bite of that uncooked chicken and get sick. Next time I visit the area I will go to Uncle Wings instead.

Tried this place for the first time tonight. The menu looked great online. Walked in around 630 there was a couple leaving and one person at the bar. That should have been the sign to turn away. My friend and I were served water while we looked at the menu there was something that looked like black mold floating in the water. When we told the waiter he told me it was from the lemon. I ordered two appetizers for dinner and the waiter kept asking me what I wanted to dinner, he finally understood that I wanted one as a starter and one as a main course. Both of us got the carpaccio di manza, there was so much yellow mustard we couldn’t taste the meat at all. My friend asked for a large Caesar salad as a main course and it was a small side salad on a large plate. I got the burrata as the entrée and it was bland with tons of pees on top but not salt or seasoning. After dinner I asked for a check. After waiting 15 mins we tried to waive down the waiter with no response, we were at this time the only seated table. The server and owner cared more about the 2 people at the bar.
Needless to say, I won’t be returning and I do not recommend going.

On a friend’s recommendation, two of us went here for dinner. Also, the person who’d recommended it brought lunch to my companion’s office recently and he really liked it.
On this particular evening, the place was virtually empty (except for the bar), and we were seated quickly. The tables looked lovely, with white tablecloths and cloth napkins. Considering that only one other table and half the bar were occupied, the noise level was remarkably high. The menu was small and unique, lacking some traditional Italian American staples like meat lasagna and manicotti. Service was pleasant and reasonably fast although we had difficulty understanding the (Italian) server.
My companion ordered roasted chicken. I ordered pesto pizza and (assuming the pizza would be Italian style, maybe because the server was Italian) a small kale caesar (which they were very accommodating to make a small version of for me on request).
The salad was just OK. The chicken was slightly overcooked; the pizza was downright burned. (We were on a tight schedule, so we didn’t say anything.) Also, while I’m no expert, I think Italian pizza is typically very thin crusted and small because in Italy it’s considered an appetizer; given that criteria, this pizza was definitely American style, with a robust crust and generous size. I took most of it to go! It would have been OK except for the severe charring and the emphasis on crust. I tried to pick off the most severely burned bits. At the end, when he went to box it for me, the waiter failed to notice (or acknowledge) that I’d filled the bread plate with burned pieces of food; not that I blame him given that I hadn’t said a thing!
All in all, given the number of restaurant choices in the area, it’s unlikely that we’ll return to this one. It seems like a warm, friendly place, though, and if you prefer your food on the well-​done side, you may really like it.

We had a great dinner up at the bar — got perfect Manhattan’s and the entrees re authentically Italian — nice neighborhood ambience! Would definitely go again and parking garage right across the street!

Again, Gino and company delivered.
I took a good friend and business associate for dinner here and it was awesome as usual. The food was fantastic and the service was exceptional. Our guests had incredible eggplant parm, and an unreal scampi like I have never seen. My wife had a delightful pesto tortellini. They break out of the box of «normal» italian cuisine and take chances that work. As usual, the pizza was top notch. Obviously, we ate too much. Oh yeah, Rum Baba!

Valentine’s dinner was straight out of Gordon Ramsay’s kitchen nightmares. We left after one hour and fifteen minutes with only a glass of wine and an inedible appetizer of burnt breakfast sausage patties on unseasoned lentils. (Yes, it was as gross as it sounds). We had to ask twice for the wine. A couple next to us sent one entrée back and waited for it to be re-​fired for over 30 minutes. Patrons at the bar had food delivered from a nearby Chinese restaurant and ate it. That wasn’t even the weirdest thing. While we were there not one but TWO patrons from different tables were thrown out by the manager for complaining about service and food. One gentleman was cursed at by the bartender on his way out and police were called. We left after the noisy altercation ended with a chair being thrown in the street, without any apology from waiter.
I’ve never written a Unilocal review but I did today because I want to make sure that no one wastes their money here. It isn’t ok how we and the rest of the patrons were treated.

My wife, son and I had dinner at Bistro Ginolina last Friday using a Living Social coupon we purchased. We have been there several times before and like it although it is not off the charts. Our dinner Friday was as we expected… the tomatoes in my Caprese were crisp and lightly chilled (as they should be) and the mozzarella tasted very fresh; the spaghetti vongole was excellent. My wife’s insalata wedge was nice and her Pizza alla Pesto was surprisingly good (I am not a pesto-​on-​my-​pizza kinda guy). My son’s burger was fantastic… cooked perfectly medium-​rare with that required char-​grilled flavor.
As good as dinner was, the service was better. The server was polished, professional, and pleasant. One of the bussers acted like a second server checking if we wanted more bread, a second bottle of sparkling water, and other nice service touches. We were impressed enough to tell the owner how much we noticed and appreciated the excellent service.
Won’t blow your doors off, but plenty good enough to go back.

Old school Italian restaurant, great for family or a causal night out. Fantastic food, fantastic service.
We found this place actually through Open Table. Lately its been a lot easier trying to find restaurants that are good and have openings then the other way around.
We came here on a Saturday night, and they have plenty of tables available, though I think most people just walk in anyways.
Its a small place, and feels very authentic, like a restaurant you would find in Europe. And no I don’t mean cheesy fake Florence wallpaper, but that homely, warm inviting feeling. There was only 1 waiter on hand, but the owner was also going around to all the different tables and talking with the customers. He was also there to say thank you to us when we were leaving. Really lovely.
Food wise, we ordered:
— Baby Octopus cooked with spicy tomato sauce
— Lobster ravioli
— Seafood Pasta
The app was delicious, though the octopus did seemed a little chewy, a tad overcooked maybe, but the flavor was excellent.
The pastas were perfect, done beautifully. Exactly how the pasta should be.
They also have a good offering of wine and full bar service as well. With a small bar area that you can sit by and watch a game on.
Great for groups and kids tool. Its just off 3^rd street so there should be plenty of parking on the street out front.
We’ll definitely be back!

Huge disappointment. ‘The food was garbage. Lobster ravioli straight from Costco and under cooked. I guess using saffśron to create an illusion justifies the $ 21.50 price tag. The parpadelle Bolognese had been cooked for about an 1hr with chunks of tomatoes and hamburger hardly made for a bolognese
was acidic and plain. After the owner approached us without mentioning the food was terrible he d the ravioli llwas not so good he began getting defensive for 62.50 with no boos n.1 just another garbage dinner in Marin county
Needless to say I don’t recommend this place !!

The staff was very friendly and the restaurant has a nice ambiance.
It must have been an off day for the person who waited on us:
White wine ordered, we got red.
Cesar salad ordered, we got kale.
No bread please, we got extra bread.
And this was after we were asked 2 separate times about the order too. The waiter (owner?) was very nice and I didn’t mind it because regardless of what we ordered and received, it was still good food. One star removed for all of this happening but it’s a good restaurant and I’d go back.
Try it out… sit down and enjoy the meal, whatever it might be that arrives at your table.