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You can just tell when people are really into food and at Cottage Eatery this passion shines through in both the service and the food.
I started with a Fully Belly melon salad. This dish embraced the seasonal and local. Others at the table had the market salad and the sweet breads. They were all delicious.
The pasta with Botarga and cauliflower was a real treat and I had more than one taste from my fiancés dish. I ordered the arctic char for my main and my fiancé had the beef brisket. Both were delicious and cooked to perfection.
The wine list had a good variety of wines and it was easy to find wines that paired well with our dishes. The price points were very reasonable.
This little restaurant really puts an emphasis on fresh, seasonal ingredients and the style of cooking emphasizes this freshness.
We took the ferry across the Bay and had an early meal so we could catch the last boat back. We really enjoyed this little outing and would recommend it to others who are looking to get out of the city.
The service was not great. The food sat at the counter for a bit before we got it to our table. IT was a good 10 minutes before our plates were cleared off after we ate.
The food was mediocure. The portions were generous. The side dishes that came with the main courses were fillers. not much thought
We were quite disappointed. The Wednesday nite burger was probably the best deal Although the bun was cold. Hopefully they were having a off night, but it'll be awhile before we go back.
The food was awesome. Fresh and unusual ingredients. The service was friendly and quick. The… Read more »
We love the Cottage Eatery so much that we had them cater our wedding lunch. All 50 guests were gushing about how wonderful the food was. Everything from the beet ravioli to the melon salad to the grilled fish to the fried chicken to the pizza was perfect.
Our SF "food" friends were all impressed with incredible quality of the ingredients and the wonderful balance that the chef brought to each dish. The older folks from the 'burbs just loved that it was so incredibly delicious.
The service, as always, was spot on - even with 50 people. The folks who run this restaurant have a true generosity of spirit that's reflected in everything they do. They truly went "above and beyond" in every way possible. The space was perfect for a group that size. The weather was gorgeous, so we all spilled out into the courtyard before lunch for some wine and wedding pictures before lunch.
I can't recommend this place enough - either for dinner or for a "buy out" meal. They're truly incredible!
Incredible! Both the food and service at this new restaurant are spot on. We had an absolutely… Read more »
I Lurv it there! People need to look a littler harder next time they are in Tiburon if they want some AMAZING food and WONDERFUL service.
It really is a special place.
I would be there all the time if I was still in CA. It's enough to make me move back!
I just created a Yelp profile for no other reason than to give 5 stars to Cottage Eatery. The people here love food, and it shows (and tastes!)
After being ignored for 20 minutes at nearby Servino, despite making eye contact with the waiter, I walked out in disgust. On the way back to my car, I noticed Cottage Eatery in an inconspicuous nook at the end of Ark Row. What a hidden gem!
On this warm evening, the Belvedere aperitif (dry vermouth with Lillet Blanc and orange bitters) hit the spot, as did the housemade foccaccia and lentil puree noted by another reviewer. The staff is as friendly and unpretentious as the setting, with a sense of humor to boot. When one guest accidentally knocked a serving plate to the floor with a loud clatter, the waitress said "Well, we're going to have to ask you to leave now", and was met with gaies of laughter from the friendly crowd.
I enjoyed an impeccably fresh melon salad and some succulent sweetbreads with figs and arugula. Gotta go back to try their "bigger plates".
Highy recommended.
This place is so delicious. Very passionate cooking, the best ingredients. Yes, it's in Tiburon. No, I hadn't been to Tiburon before and, yes, I went just to go to this place and, yes, it was worth it. I had bruschetta with chicken liver and apricot purée, duck eggs, artichoke, many kinds of greenish beans, lamb shank, rabbit (you heard me), handmade pasta, fine wine, delicate dessert (hey, I was hungry). It was so tasty that there's nothing clever to say. I barely noticed the crockery, the lighting, the parking. The service I noticed - and it was unspeakably good too.
Food done right.
My wife, who's a trained chef and spent 2 years traveling throu Italy cooking with Nonas, says this is the best kept secret, not just in Marin, but in the whole Bay Area.
The best Bolagnase sauce she has ever tasted. The owners do justice to the beat local ingredients from local farms.
Without a doubt, the most consistently fabulous food and service in this charming, yet unpretentious restaurant. If you want authentic cuisine, this is well worth the trip to Tiburon.
I was dismayed to see I was the only person eating in here last Thursday night. This place deserved to be packed! The red lentil puree and freshly made focaccia bread that they bring you when you first arrive is just delicious. The puree buttery, the bread soft and warm.
I had the sardine appetizer. Those BIG sardines, not the itty bitty ones that get stuffed in a can. They had a slight marinade to them, served with toasted bread. The layers of flavors were excellent.
Next came these house made fresh pasta little pouches of goodness, stuffed with a meat mixture. YUM.
I did save room for dessert. A warm chocolate tart.
Heaven.
Please go and support this wonderful local food establishment. The cook is creative, inventive and deserves a packed restaurant to applaud his delicious food. It's that good!
if this was in the city, it would be slamming full! Zagats gave it a 25 and rightly so. We… Read more »
Dainty. Meh. V-day Review.
As I'm not a fan of prix fixe meals in general, I wasn't too pleased that that was all Cottage Eatery had to offer even though it was Valentines Day.
Ambiance: cutesy - Craig F. is totally right in that it looks almost like a bed and breakfast place. The dim lighting and rustic paintings add a romantic touch.
Price-wise, one would think that $65 for a 4 course meal was a pretty good steal, but the plates are pretty small (3-4 mini bites); entree is 3/4 of what you would probably expect.
Food is decent but nothing to cry for joy about. The foie gras was too hard, too cold, doesn't melt in your mouth and make you say, "ooooooh."
Arctic Char was cooked to perfection, (beautiful flakes!) but had too much residual oil on the skin - makes you feel a little greasy afterwards.
Dessert was standard. An unoffensive apple turnover bite with a small melting scoop of vanilla ice cream - something I could've made in my own kitchen. Round 2 was a rich chocolate mousse pie slice with creme fraiche - something you might see on Sandra Lee's Semi Homemade.
All in all, little originality, little portions, and a strange server/manager who was slightly demeaning and a touch pretentious.
Nice ambiance but probably won't make the drive out to come again.
Small, cute, homey restaurant with very good food.
We had a party of ten for dinner. We ordered off the menu. Our single server (The OWNER!) handled us like a seasoned professional. He was lively, respectful, helpful with explanations. Plates arrived quickly.
My lamb shoulder was meltingly soft and supple. Flavored with a myriad of complimentary spices that brought out the sweet meat flavor, did not mask it.
Bambie had the branzino (seabass). She was delighted with the prep and flavors as well.
We did try many of the appetizers. The arancini (breaded & fried rice balls - tastes better than it sounds!) were the best I've had in the USA. Actually they rivaled many arancini I've eaten in Sicily.
The group were not drinkers, just three of us polished off a bottle of Melville Pinot Noir ($32). Total bill was $400. Which really us a pretty decent deal for food of this caliber.
Recommended!
Cute, out of the way spot on Main Street in Tiburon. Unassuming, understated, but very good.
Italian flair. Not really fancy inside, I would say rustic but not even really that much thought into the decor. Almost seems like a nice breakfast place. I believe at least one of the servers (the woman?) was one of the owners and another server was as attentive as an owner would be. The one or two other servers in the room were robotic.
Started with the chicken meatball soup which was fantastic. Also had the charred baby octopus, which was also great. Saw the entrees going to the table next to us and we got very excited. They looked fantastic! Then I saw what I was leaning toward, the sole. The presentation was exceptional. I am so getting that! Then the table on the other side of us, they ALL got the sole. My mouth is watering. After the waiter dropped those off he came to take our order. I asked him if that table all got the sole and he said yes and that he was now out of sole. :-(. Crushed. Scrambed to find a suitable alternative and had the pork sugo. It was OK. My friend had the chicken caccitore which seemed strangely pedestrian compared to the other dishes that we saw. She liked it, though.
I can't wait to go back to try the sole, but after reading the reviews here it looks like the menu changes daily. Will be back in any event, as it was a very good experience at a decent price.
Being from San Francisco our expectations are fairly high.
We read the reviews on Yelp and decided we would give this place a try.
The atmophere to this place is something of a mix between dark and rustic.
We ordered...ops...they didn't have one of the appetizers we wanted...ops..they didn't have one of the entrees we wanted. My salad comes and boy it's small....it's supposed to have blue cheese on it...barely noticeable that there's any cheese at all.
Our entrees come and let's just say that the portions were ridiculously small. OK - I can handle small portions for very refined dishes, however, these dishes weren't refined and the portions were like appetizer size.
Like another reviewer mentioned - we had two waiters serve us, a nice friendly women server, and an older gentlemen server who was borderline rude.
Overall, I'd say the food was okay, but not great. Price to quality ratio...well, let's just say I'd be hesitant to recommend this place to anyone.
We just finished one of the best meals of our lives - no exaggeration! It was "Whole Hog Dinner" night, and each course was to die for. Homemade mortadella and pickled veggies, pork rillette, and boudin noir with sour cherries started us off, followed by pork terrine with peaches over dandelion greens -- delicious! The slow roasted pork entree with two homemade salsas was out of this world. Finally, the peach pie and corn ice cream sounds odd but was incredible.
We've eaten at Cottage Eatery five times now and each visit is better than the last. It's all about great food, great service, and wonderful, affordable wines.
I've used Yelp for a number of years to find places to eat but this is my first time writing a review. I loved the food here that much.
My wife and I went here for dinner after an afternoon of biking on Angel Island. The last ferry from the island arrived around 5:40-ish. Perfect for a 6PM dinner reservation. The place is just a block away from the ferry terminal.
My wife and I almost skipped out after looking at the menu posted outside. Nothing particular struck our fancy and the menu layout was a little confusing. After some deliberation (and remembering the good reviews on Yelp) we decided to go in.
The food was excellent.
We started off with complimentary foccacia that came with a lentil bean paste mixed with olive oil instead of butter. Very tasty (and healthy). They also provided some kind of melon juice/puree in a shot glass for cleansing the palette.
We started off with the Monterey sardine appetizer on toasted bread w/ mozzarela?. You could tell the fish was really fresh. No fishiness and wonderfully seasoned.
My wife had the icy char (a fish similar to salmon) . The fish was moist and the skin crisp. The corn/mushroom/tomato/herb side dish it came with was excellent.
I had the pork chop on the waiter's recommendation. I'm normally leary of ordering pork chop since it usually comes out dry. Not this one! It was thick, seasoned throughly, and juicy. The baked peach that it was topped with added a slighly sweet flavor. Went really great with the slighly salty bean/bacon/spinach side dish.
Dessert was a slice of fresh peach pie with vanilla ice cream. Definitely NOT Marie Callenders.
My wife and I polished everything clean. And it wasn't because of small portion sizes. In my opinion the amount of food was just right.
The menu changes daily with some menu items carrying over from the previous day. So always something new to try.
Definitely coming back!
Phenomenal food. I loved everything I had and can't wait to go back.
Want to know how good it is? They have tripe on the menu which i disregarded as a foul concoction. But my date ordered it and loved it so much that I was persuaded to try it. Tripe here is great! Seriously I got lured into eating tripe and yes, loved it.
The staff is very friendly also! I will return here, but probably not soon enough. If you go, try the tripe.
I eat out at fancy expensive places a good amount in San Francisco. But, this was different. We had 2 waiters switching off on us. One of which we really liked she seemed warm and helpful, the guy that was serving us seemed kind of slimey. When we asked for recommendation the lady waitress did a great job had a bunch of thing to brag about and did so tastefully. When the guy came to take our order we ordered a few thing she had recommended both of which were a bit heavy and it was a hot day. So we didn't get drinks or an appetizer which seemed offensive to him.
The food was ok. Very small portions (for $27 pressed pork we expected alot more). And very over priced. It was OK, but I've had much better for less. I will not be going back there or recommending it to people. But, it was ok.
I just picked up a peach pie last weekend for a BBQ. It was a hit!!! The crust was deeeeelicious.
Also saw someone getting a blueberry....think I'll try that next time.
This is such a treat compared to all other restaurants in the bay area. They are daring and… Read more »
SF diners don't get it this good at this price point. Creative menu, good choice of local produce, clean, beautifully integrated flavors, not heavy, nor diet light. Crab cakes without the usual ton of mayo with a seasonal pea puree, lightly marinated local sardines on crispy bread, a great take on a potato salad with a poached egg, breadcrumbs & anchovy oil, asparagus & morel cream pasta (yes, handmade) and it just kept coming.
Yes, the decor isn't what you'd call designy. Yes, it's a bit of a drive to Tiburon. But what it's great for is dinner after a day at the beach, or hiking any of Marin's trails. What a way to finish the day. Especially on a Sunday.
If you want heavy bistro fare, go elsewhere. If you want to discover what seasonal ingredients really taste like, let Ed cook for you. You won't be disapointed.
Lastly, I don't know how big the people are who complain about portion size because the chicken entree comes with nearly half a chicken. We had enough leftover to pack a tidy lunch.
Great little place tucked away next to the parking lot behind Ark Row -- it's "downstairs" from Main Street. We rode our bikes by earlier in the day and both remarked, "WHAT SMELLS SO GOOD?" So, we came back to find out.
Cottage eatery has a distinctly homey feel, from the downscale decor (mostly a lack of decor, frankly, aside from the baskets of fresh veggies and jars of pickled veggies) to the casual but inviting service.
The octopus appetizer is great, and we were also treated to a sweet little amuse bouche of spinach soup with creme fraiche in a shot glass. [It looked rather like some frothy Jagermeister drink gone wrong, but tasted fresh and very spinach-y.] Sweetbreads were on the specials menu, but I opted to save that for next time.
Not fancy, just fabulous. (And it appeared to attract very few tourists, too, which is nice on the main drag in Tiburon.) I wouldn't call it a destination restaurant, but it's a very nice local eatery.
Some of the best food in Marin County! Chef Ed Carew knows how to cook.
High standards are clearly apparent, yet the restaurant remains unpretentious, quaint, and cozy.
Tiburon is lucky to have such a wonderful restaurant.
Great Meat Balls...
This place is unique and inviting. Family run and it shows...try the amazing pork and ricotta meatballs...AMAZing!!
An unpretentious but excellently executed local gem.
I have often visited when I am not sure if there is anything I am interested in on the menu but eventually, everything I've chosen has been unique, well thought out and well prepared. The dishes often involve some unusual combinations that always blend well on the plate.
Last night it was a perfectly prepared Lamb on a lemony rissotto and a shelfish stew with Isreali couscous that was out of this world.
Service is personable and thoughtful.
It would be good if the management updated their menus online regularly rather than having just samples.
Tucked away on a side street, but it is *totally* worth the short walk from "downtown" Tiburon for the fabulous, fresh, creative food and super friendly, relaxed atmosphere. By far the best gig in town!
OK, so I'm at odds with some of my friends who love it, but we didn't have the best visit.
My meatballs were good, but the pasta with it was unexciting and somewhat overcooked. A similar complaint from one of my guests (pesto pasta), while my other guest found the gnocchi a bit too gooey.
Hopefully this was just an off night, as Tiburon desperately needs some better food (we did, however, get a pleasant positive surprise at Caprice recently - the first time we'd been there with their new chef).
Somewhat surprisingly, the service was very slow (we were near the end of the evening). Fine for us, as we just chatted away - but others could be annoyed.
Over the top delicious with good service. The textures, colors and fragrances were all just perfect. Flavorful and inventive. Don't miss it.
Cottage Eatery is now a must for Burger Night on Wednesday - check out their web site or Bunrab because the picture of the burger is only a tease to how good the actual is.
I am a big fan and am especially glad a really good restaurant has come to Tiburon. The meatballs… Read more »
Tucked away under ark row, Cottage Eatery could easily be Tiburon's new gem. My step dad and i were treated like queens, Id have to agree that the decor is nothing special[aka: EXTREMELY bland], but the overall aura is cozy, the crowd is tiburon parents on date night and more middle aged people, actually all middle aged people. The bread was fresher than fresh but i wasn't a fan of whatever mystery vegan spread they gave you instead of butter, olive oil would have sufficed. We were given complimentary asparagus soup in shot glasses [ a swig of locally grown deliciousness], some fancy apatizer that i cant remember, and finally an entree of organic chicken with vegtables and chickpea fries. For me the produce really dtole the show, the vegtables were piping hot, rich in fresh flavors, perfectly cooked, did i mention fresh?every bite brought back memories of the farmers market. My other favorite was the grilled asparagus, i am an asparagus fiend, and this batch was to die for. They were the healthiest and thickest asparagus i have ever seen, grilled to perfection and drenched in rich, delicious olive oil. Cottage eatery has a very unique menu, a fresh take on california (?) cuisine , its ideal for grown ups escaping the kids for some wine and a succulent yet healthy locally grown meal. Just a little beyond my teenage taste-buds.
This is a perfect place to go if you want to feed your inner foodie. Interesting menu with fresh stuff. Excellent soups. And you can tell the place is run by people who put their heart into it what they do. Still a small business so it has a folksy neighborhood feel.
amazing. suckling pig to die for. wine list beyond apropos. service was timid and precise. soup shots were enjoyed by our whole 3-top. if we can force ourselves to commit to a designated driver back to the mainland, another visit is soon coming. thank you.
Having just moved to Marin from SF, I've been in search of great go-to restaurants (so far yet to be found). This little place came highly recommended by a friend so I was excited that maybe I finally found a gem. The services was friendly, the wine list solid, the menu looked good, the little soup given at the beginning of the meal was lovely, but the rest of the meal was a YAWN. None of us at the table finished our meal we are all so disappointed. The food was BLAND. I was really routing for this place, but it is just another also-ran in Marin.
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