Left Bank
- Price Range: $$$
- Accepts Credit Cards: Yes
- Parking: Street
- Attire: Casual
- Good for Groups: Yes
- Good for Kids: No
- Takes Reservations: Yes
- Delivers: No
- Take-out: Yes
- Waiter Service: Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible: Yes
- Outdoor Seating: Yes
- Good for: Lunch, Late Night
- Alcohol: Full Bar
166 reviews
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
"Wow... I'm so glad we stumbled into this place. After a short hike with some friends over the weekend, we went in search of food. They…" read more »
52 Reviews for Left Bank
I eat at this establishment for the first time last night. I thought the food was generally good, though not exceptional.
The best part was actually dining outside on their patio on a beautiful marin afternoon.
I think, when it comes down to it, I am just not a huge fan of French food -- just too heavy for me. So that is not their fault!
I'm staring right at the place right now. Weird huh?
Back before I thought I was cool I brought a date here. I thought I was being ultra hip by taking her to this out of the way French bistro not realizing that there are like 97 Left Banks all around the Bay Area.
She was impressed and I kept stealing her frites as we were treated very well by the waitstaff. The cocktails were stiff and the wine list full of selections from every corner of the globe.
The memories of that date are fading, but the rock star parking spot I scored that evening still burns brightly in my heart.
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I have been going to The Left Bank for years, and have to say that it is most likely my favorite Brasserie in the Bay Area. The food is absolutely delicious, inspired, authentic and satisfying. After spending some time in France and enjoying its wonderful food, I was happy to see that The Left Bank provided me the same wonderful food right here in California. My duck and foie gras was spectacular, and the fondue entree was a hit with everyone. The prices are reasonable, and the service extremely knowledgeable and friendly, as well as attentive. My family booked the entire venue for a private party quite a few years ago, and it could not have turned out better.
Every time I come to The Left Bank my food is spectacular, some of the best French brasserie food I have ever had the pleasure of enjoying in the area. I was originally going to give four stars, however when thinking in context The fantastic fare of The Left Bank truly warrants five. A wonderful component of downtown Larkspur.
The service is always great and sitting outside on a sunny day can't be beat. The food is oh so good, when it's good, but just mediocre at other times. If they were only consistent with their delivery, they'd get more stars and more of my business...
Fun, charming, thoughtful and observant staff. We were extra excited when they remembered our well-behaved little one. Make sure to try a variety of food and share. Great children's selections and they even offer salmon for the little ones. The LB locations can always be hit or miss, but this has been a charming location for us. The divorcees on dates are a lot of fun to watch as well - extra half star for the entertainment factor.
Sorry, Yelper "e.e.", but you're in family area so sit in the corner until you can play nice.
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This is an Alsatian French restaurant. 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. 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! We started with Tarte Flambee & a charcuterie plate that was divine. I learned to adore cornichons in France, and I was not deprived of my petite love this day. I then moved on to a delicious Salad Nicoise (with perfect, rare ahi tuna), & finished with a molten chocolate fantastic mess. We had champagne & a fine Sauvignon Blanc along the way. Not a single complaint all around.
What did I say about leaving pretension behind? 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? Not this table. The food was superb and brought out in a timely fashion. What could we do but gobble it down? As a matter of fact, I'm proud to say that I was the last one to finish. (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. 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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Left Bank is probably my favorite restaurant of all time. I would eat there every day if i could. It's too bad I live in San Francisco and go to school in Seattle.
Every dish is just mouthwatering. My personal favorite is the mussels. It's like a flavor explosion! I could really eat that dish every day. My other favorites are the Duck, the onion soup and the cream puffs for dessert.
I know that Left Bank has had some stumbles during the years, but Scott Howard is the new chef and he is just amazing. He makes Left Bank even better (if that's even possible! It was so great before!!)
In sum, if I could give Left Bank 100 stars, I would.
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Did lunch here last week, and definitely enjoyed the outdoor seating along the street.
Had some Miyagi oysters and the Croque d'Agneau (lamb sandwich) which came with a generous amount of roasted red peppers to my delight. My lunchmate had the Croque Poulet and enjoyed it. Very friendly , unpretentious staff, decent food. Didnt even get a chance to check out the dining inside but I would def come back for another daytime venture or after work drinks.
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Worst management and service EVER. Screaming children are catered to and allowed to run all over the restaurant screaming. This was not the first time this had happened. We tried to go at "off times" and regular times, same thing. The management response was "we have to deal with it too, it's not just you" you couldn't hear yourself think, let alone talk. My only recommendation is the fries, but you can get those anywhere. Really quite expensive for such a bad experience, I've had better service at a pizza joint, or ANYWHERE ELSE. Don't waste your money.
Date & Time: March 29, 2008 Saturday @ 2PM
Company: Michael
Crowd: Mixed
Ambience: Comfortable
Decor: Bar, Tables and Booths. Lots of great Outdoor Tables.
Service: Friendly. Helpful. Efficient.
Imbibe: Wine
Devour: Escargots, Cheese and Chocolate Fondue
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This place always looks a bit crowded, so I first dropped by on a rainy night when it wasn't filled. Sat at the bar, and was treated like a visiting dignitary. The cold asparagus salad was crisp and delicious. My seafood entry was prepared expertly. Even the Rhone wine the bartender recommended was superb. (Almost had a martini because it certainly looked like the 'drink of choice' that evening.) Bottom line -- a 'old world' kind of place in a beautiful building. Lots of charm and warm ambience. Excellent food. Only reason I hold back on five stars is because, well, that's reserved for the rocket rides...
I had the pleasure of going to the Left Bank for my birthday in January. I had a pleasant lunch that was served quickly. In fact, I wanted to stay longer and enjoy the atmosphere. The salad was prepared to perfection - so many times I've experienced overdressed salads - and our main course was perfect. We were well staffed and the comp pom frietes were fun. It was a cold day on my visit and the sitting fireside was really pleasant. I would highly recommend this restaurant for lunch or dinner.
Went on a Sunday afternoon attracted by their terrace on a warm, sunny day. The hostess who showed us a table did not bother to smile at all, and I felt not really welcome. We were seated without a wait. The attitude changed with Patty, our lady server, who greeted us with a "Bonjour" and a big smile. Voila! Much better.
We decided on the two items from their brunch menu (until 3 p.m.) namely Confit de Canard and a Duck meat-ball with scrambled eggs in a puff pastry. Not dishes one would eat during the hot weather, but they both were quite light, accompanied by a few leaves of salade frisee (we had to ask for dressing) and a lemonade (no refills).
Nice execution in the plating, tasty morsels - but not more than a starter for my taste. Bread and butter were delicious. Service was very correct and friendly.
I've seen their restaurant logo in Santana Row in San Jose and liked it much, but I do not need to experience the food again. If it hadn't been for the weather and the terrace seating, I would have left slightly disappointed.
Ok, so maybe last night as a bad night, or maybe my memory decieved me? The bartender, "Desi" was kinda a fool, and I was told that they were out of bread? Are you freakin kidding me? Out of bread? I looked at him, and said; "ok, well what does that mean Desi?" and he just turned and walked to the other end? I had the "Seared" Tuna(not even seared, it was completely rare) nicoise salad, that came with everything but the kitchen sink, and listed on the menu that it was with avado, tomato and butter lettuce (it had anchoives, capers, egg, olives, etc etc etc) and it wasnt that great. I ONLY suggest the muscles and onion soup. strickly. PLUS the dessert sucked.. ordered the apple crip.. too much apple no damn crisp
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We reserved a week ahead to have Valentine's dinner at Left Bank at 8:15 this evening. When we arrived right on time, the hostess informed us there would be a 25 minute wait. She did not apologize, nor did she offer us anything while we waited. So we walked out. I have had medium to better than medium food here at times, and have heard they have good burgers, but this has soured me on the experience. A restaurant of this caliber normally does not (nor should it) endorse this kind of customer service. We went down the street to Bradley Ogden's Yankee Pier and had a fabulous dinner. The next day I called and spoke with the manager of Left Bank who profusely apologized for our experience and offered to make amends. She seemed very sincere and I will revisit this review after my next experience.
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A nice change from the usual chain restaurants not that I ever go to them anymore. Easy parking across the street. Great French Bistro items at moderate prices presented by professional wait staff. Good wine list, prices are moderate, and the food pretty decent.
This a a cool place to have drinks after work on a Thursday.
The Left Bank is located in a great building. It has a wrap around outside dining space and the inside space is large with high ceilings and a huge fireplace.
When I arrived at the restaurant I had asked if it was possible to have an outdoor table (they had heat lamps all along the ceiling). It didn't seem to be an issue. When the rest of my party arrived moments later they no longer had any tables near working heat lamps. It was not a big deal but they then seated us near the busing station and the door to the patio that all of the waiters use. Every time it was opened a huge gust of wind hit us and it was cold! We asked to move and we were brought to a very small table in the back of the restaurant.
My dinner was fantastic. The beet salad was amazing and the salmon was perfect. The best part of the meal was by far the cream puff stuffed with ice cream and drizzled with chocolate. Yum, I am a pregnant lady and I can definitely see this becoming a craving :).
Every time I eat up in Marin, I usually end up with bad service. The Left Bank was no exception. Staff was very inattentive and several times we had to ask the hostess to get our waitress. It cast a poor light over the meal.
The food itself was quite good. Most of us had the hamburger and fries (pommes frite). Not a bad meal, yet far from the best.
I hope that I don't have to go up to Marin in some time.
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I have to agree with the previous yelper below me. The croque madame is one of the best I've had in YEARS! This place really brought "sexy" back with theirs. I think I stopped having them while I was in NYC because this wacky restaurant, L'Express on park Avenue tried way too hard to execute a perfect one and failed miserably! Since then, I've been hesitant to order one because of course everyone claims theirs is a "perfect" Croque Monsieur or Madame. This time, the server was dead on and I was VERY happy with mine.
I went here for lunch yesterday with a friend while we were in Marin. The ambiance was nice, the wine selection is great and the service was excellent as well. I'm not quite sure why it has three stars, it's a very popular place in larkspur among the locals and is always busy. I enjoyed my overall experience and the menu selection was nice for lunch.
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Who takes their kids to a fancy-ish french restaurant? The person who reviewed above a few posts is deranged. I'm not anti-kid, however if I were sat next to a couple with kids at a place like this, demanding crayons no less - I'd be pissed!
This place is great. Great service (ask for Matthew), very attentive, amazing food - the mussels are TO DIE FOR. Coq au Vin is exquisite!
Salads and cheese selection - superb.
News flash - generally you have to make reservations at popular places in Marin. There are so few restaurants for the amount of people populating the county - it's no wonder it was crowded on a Saturday.
I may sound a bit hostile - but people in this day and age just boggle my damn mind. This place is great - why trash it?
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This review is for the people that need something to soak up the booze after hanging out at the Peso. Order the hamburger and fries togo. Gotta be one of the best burgers in Marin. The fries rock. Just make sure you ask for a side of mayo. They won't give it to you unless you ask. While you wait, get a beer at the bar.
I've waited a long time to write this review because I have always had mixed feelings about the Left Bank. I seem to eat here more often than I should due to someone else always picking this place... I've tried to like it and I just can't put my finger on what the problem is... but it never exactly grabs me.
What I do like about the Left Bank is the location, the outdoor seating, the menu is varied, and it is on Open Table.. what I don't like is the way the food is prepared, it just seems to lack that extra kick that would put this place over the top.
I will probably end up there again becasue most of my friends seem to really like it and since there is no "I" in team I have to learn to place nice with everyone and go along with the wishes of the group...
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Ok I gave 2 stars because of the horrible service. I have eaten here a few times and actually like the food and the prices, but the service needs to be changed. The last time I went we stood around for 1 of the 2 hostesses working. They seemed so disorganized in a half empty restaurant. One hostess said she would seat us in a second, but then disappeared and never came back. The other hostess reluctantly asked if we needed help, after she surveyed the empty tables she came back and said it would be a 10 minute wait! We sat down at the bar as we waited, but then the same hostess sat the couple right behind immediately even tho she said that every table/waiter station was at capacity. Needless to say I got pissed, so I confronted her and she gave me some lame excuse. So we left, and I doubt I will return here for a long time.
Scott howard is changing this restaurant. It was a pleasure to try the many new things he is adding in. Plus I have avoided this place for years due to really bad service; and now he is changing that too! Time to give it another shot.
We went here last week, I for the first time, my friend however had been there many times.
Our hostess was a delight, full of quirky personality and a a little something special. When we went it was pretty crowded; week-night at about 7pm. We were still seated promptly and our drink orders taken most prompt ... I'm already liking this place.
Th atmosphere is typical restaurant with some Freanc'ey flavour added to the mix. Nice and comfortable. The menu was more limited than I expected, although the choices offered sounded fabulous.
My gal pal and I both ordered steak, I the skirt and she the Rib-eye. Both being hungry, we started off with a salad - sharing the Salade de Betterave, which is the roasted heirloom beets, mche, hazelnut crusted Laura Chenel goat cheese, drizzled with sherry vinaigrette. Umm, yummy!!!! It was terrific.
Our main dishes came next, and I must say, the fact that fries come with the meal just made it all the better. A little bad with the good. Who doesn't like fries, I mean, come-on!? Both our steaks came with fries and a vegetable medley. Both of us ordered the Bordelaise, which had been recommended by our waitress. It was lackluster at best. No flavor, it basically could've been brown water as far as I was concerned. My skirt steak was rather disappointing, and veggies aren't my thing, so I was digging the fries more than ever. The rib eye was reported to be quite good.
For dessert we topped it off with the cream puffs with vanilla ice cream ad chocolate sauce - oh my freakin' goodness. It was pretty damn good.
I would give this place another go, but the next time I would definitely go out on a limb and order something not my standard (beef) - other folks food looked super yummy. The staff is friendly and the atmosphere nice. So far though, nothing has absolutely blown my mind - good, yes. Stupendous, well, no. I'll edit after my next visit if appropriate.
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You are all correct. I have eaten at this Bistro style place more than 30 times over the years, maybe 40 times, and some things are consistently off. The service here is at best, uneven, and sometimes it is just horrible. And they have this thing about not offering bread (you might have to ask three times), and they always seem to be running out bread. At a French Bistro, no less. Go figure.
But the food is always quite good, and sometimes very,. very good. Amazing vegetable soups, the grandmere's chicken, fine fresh fish and those always world-class frites, known as 'French Fries "to most of us who aren't Republican congressmen. And yes, a great hamburger, best in the county, hands down.
And it is a beautiful setting, and it is a fun place. The bar is fun, it is pretty unpretentious, they seems to get an interesting mix of people, albeit trending towards the modest trust fund set. Uneven service, but they are often very friendly and management seems to care. Perhaps management is just inept. For us, the assets make it an overall nice experience once you accept the down side.
My friends brought us here because they loved it. When we left they were apologizing for the horrible experience we had. The service was god-awful. Three of us were served, waiter forgot to bring the fourth dish. We had to call a busboy over. when the fourth dish was served it wasn't prepared correctly, although since our waiter never bothered to ask us how the meal was, he didn't get that feedback. Also, we had to wait for the utensils to be brought to the table (5 minutes after food had been served) so we could actually eat. We were afraid to order dessert because we weren't sure our waiter would ever come back.
Will not go back.
For French Bistro food it is disappointing. I really wanted to like this place, but the between the wine list the beers on tap, service and the food it was a serious let down. I guess for a chain bistro restaurant with no management it could be worse. (Who has Blue moon, anchor steam, Gorden Bierch Marzen and Pyramid hefeweizen on the same tap?) It's kind of like the owners don't care about the restaurant because they still are making a profit. Best thing on the menu is the hamburger. Maybe one of the best Hamburgs in Marin. I think the best thing about this restaurant is sitting outside on the deck having a few cocktails and maybe a burger or a steak frites.
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Went here for lunch with my grandmother. It was okay. The server was okay, had to read us the specials from his book, was slow with my cappacino, and seemed to have forgotten about us from time to time. But it was still okay since I was enjoying the day with my grandma. She had a special sole they were offering with seasonings from Normandy, I had the special duck they were offering. Hers was really tasty, quite buttery and delicious. Mine was pretty good, too; nothing special, but still yummy. We finished with a lemon tart for dessert which was very tart and had an odd consistancy. It was okay, but I don't know if I'd order it again. Would go back, but not in any rush.
This place smells like duck, pork and ribs. If you like any of those things, you'll probably enjoy yourself. If not, you'll be bugged by their fondue, which has wayyy too much blue cheese, and the fact that 80 percent of the women here have botoxed faces and engorged lips. It's Marin.
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Really great value for money moules and frites. The coq au vin isn't bad either. If you're fed up with the Italian restaurants in Mill Valley (ie. 95% of the places), then this is a nice change with good service.
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I had to remove my prior review. Now that Scott Howard is the chef the food here is terrific and well priced. We had a marvelous meal here.
The appetizer of calamari misto was superb. Best I have ever had in Bay Area. They took the simple steak and frites to a higher level. It came with wonderfuly dressed watercress and stupendous fries. On Saturday afternoon at two oclock the place was absolutely packed.
A great touch is the small desserts that one can order. All I can say is
this place will be one of the best places to eat in the bay area.
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Overpriced and vastly overrated (don't those two usually go hand-in-hand?), though the outdoor patio seating is great. As for the service, when I made some suggestions for the brunch menu, the waitress told me to take them up with "corporate." No thanks.
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Escape the City without having to drive too far and dine alfresco without freezing your arse off!
Though Pizzeria Picco (PP) would be my top choice in Larkspur, the Left Bank is a decent pick if you find PP closed. Service is highly attentive, the burger is tasty. Good pommes frites too!
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i guess this is sort of a chain restaurant so i want to dislike it, but daaaamn, i've had one of the most orgasmic and perfectly executed croque madame's here -- and this is coming from someone who's croque madame'd herself throughout france over a dozen times.
seriously, well done. the sandwich was crispy and crunchy and i mean that really light crispycrunchyness ... and the egg cooked, yet uncooked enough, if you get my drift.
it was tough to settle on my brunch order because everything sounded so good. only downside is it's not in the city :(
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I really want to like this place, but after several visits here the service that you would hope they have just does not exist. Every time that I come back, I think that the server that I had the previous time was the worst of the crew, not so. Their food is average.
If you do go their, try the happy hour Mon-Fri 4-6pm, cheap wine and martini's on the patio.Tolerable on a sunny day.
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A great place to spend a Sunday afternoon - outside on the patio, dogs allowed, yummy french food, and al fresco here includes fresh air, a small town vibe, little or no traffic. It can be just heavenly!
i think those who rated this the best french restaurant in the Best OF Pacific Sun are smoking something funny. The fondue was mediocre, service was slow, the food is just blah. I gave it two stars only because they have live jazz and the bar is a nice place to go, have a drink and listen to music.
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I've dined here a few times and have always found the food to be excellent. The French inspired menu can seem a little intimidating, but whatever you order comes out wonderful. The environment is warm and inviting. On a cold day it is great to sit by the large fireplace inside. On a warm, sunny day the patio is a delight.
I will have to agree with others that the service can be hit or miss. I would say I'm about 60/40 good service to bad. The wait staff doesn't seem to be as professional as the environment and prices warrant.
In addition, parking is easy, making this an ideal getaway from the city.
Seasonal, healthy French cooking. This is ONE chain I'd love to see expand. The Chicken Grand-Mere is fantastic.
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