Best Neighborhood Gem Restaurants in Novato

I always love going to The Rotunda as a special treat, Their signature consommé and popovers (with strawberry butter) is like a Welcome Back "hug". Their service was attentive and consistent. The baked Brie and garlic in phyllo was DELICIOUS, and both of us LOVED our short ribs with mashed potatoes and roasted vegetables. I will come back, time after time.

Highly recommend. My husband and I spend part of every summer visiting Greece, in the Aegean. Our recent meal at Kokkari transported us back there for the evening. We had the roasted beets with skordalia, a seasonal citrus salad, the taramasalata, and the grilled fish with horta. Everything was fresh, delicious, seasonal, and exquisitely well executed. But I think what really distinguishes this meal, and so often Greek cuisine, is its simplicity. In this case, we couldn't stop raving about the beets and skordalia! Also, their wine list includes a number of greek wines that are difficult to find, especially on the West Coast. Lastly, their exceptional service made this experience truly memorable. Everyone made us feel so welcome, and happy to be there. They really captured the essence of Greek hospitality. Thank you for the xenia!

We always enjoy Foreign Cinema. They are great about accommodating my wheelchair, the food is fantastic, and the service is always excellent. We love it.

Excellent service from beginning to end. Our waiter was superb. Food was heavenly as always. Always a special treat to celebrate occassions here. Disappointed though they don’t do the complimentary birthday desserts anymore. We ordered desserts but HOPR used to also do a fun little free birthday dessert for the birthday guests.

Once again, it was a wonderful experience at Chianti. The food is very good, the marinara sauce is delicious, the wine list has plenty of good choices and is very reasonable and the people are very nice. Been going there for years and I can honestly say I always had a good experience and very good meals. They do a really good job hiring the staff there. The wait staff has always been very friendly, attentive and helpful. Has the feel of an old-time, NY family Italian restaurant. This falls under the category of hidden gem! Would highly recommend it.