Left Bank Larkspur Brasserie

One of Marin's finest establishments. The nicest people work here. The staff that waits tables have been here for years and know the menu cold. I had the tuna niçoise salad. Medallions of seared ahi with capers and white anchovy on a perfect bed of lettuce and a light creamy dressing. Absolutely satisfying.

We had the catch of the say (halibut) and Dungeness crab salad, with two refreshers. Everything was delightful and elegant. Definitely a good spot for a relaxed lunch!

Was driving through Marin and ended up eating lunch here. We dined outside - given we had two dogs with us. The outdoor patio is very dog friendly. The staff were very friendly and accommodating. The inside looks like a classic French brasserie. The food was all solid. I’d definitely return - especially to get the Lyonnaise salad, which isn’t an easy dish to find in the Bay Area…

We have loved Left Bank for years. That said, this location feels tired, and the service simply didn’t match the prices. We were served our main dishes while eating our appetizers, rarely check in on, and plates piled up on our tiny table. It was just a sub par overall experience. I want to support local businesses, but felt I needed to write this review. My hope is this wonderful restaurant finds its way back.

I paid $40 from caviar for this petite filet and frites not including delivery and tip. We received half of the meat for this price. We always order from this restaurant and the quality has gone down a lot. This is totally not acceptable.

We used to really like this place and loved the French trio that played on Saturdays. We went for my birthday dinner last night and sadly that will be the last time we go to this restaurant. My wife had to ask for silverware, she also had to ask for a bowl to put mussel shells in. We were told the restaurant was out of bowls! The crisp calamari was drowned in a dressing that made it a soggy pile, the burrata came with no bread and the heirloom tomatoes were ice cold, they refrigerated tomatoes! They must have a new chef. The Bordelaise sauce for my steak was so salty it made the steak indigestible. We weren’t asked once how the food was. We skipped dessert and asked for the check. I’m sad to post this review but want to spare other diners this experience.

Here are my pros and cons of this restaurant(also visiting from out of town): pros- beautiful setting, I loved the outdoor seating and the paintings inside, the French onion soup was AMAZING and the Créme Brûlée was very good too especially with the shortbread cookies. Cons- I made a reservation and when we got to the door the hostess looked like she had no idea where our table was so she picked a random table right by the door. We were a little cold every time the door would open, it would’ve been a little nicer to have been seated somewhere else. I ordered the “Coq Au Vin” which looked absolutely nothing like it does on the website (pictures are very deceiving). It was like I was eating more of the marinated wine than the chicken. I also thought it was just a little bitter for my liking. One last thing, Ive never been to a restaurant where bread and butter wasn’t automatically served when they serve you water. We had to pay $5 for that. Oh well! Other than that, everyone else at the table liked their dishes! I would love to come back again to hopefully have a better experience and maybe order something else!

Food poisoning and no accountability We spent over $350 at this restaurant expecting a quality meal and evening, but instead ended up violently ill from what was later identified as scombroid fish poisoning. This occurred immediately after our dinner, a classic sign of mishandled or improperly stored fish. It was a frightening and painful experience that completely ruined our night and affected our health. What made matters worse was the complete lack of accountability from the restaurant. I called twice to speak to the manager - not to be dramatic, but simply to alert them to a serious food safety issue and give them the chance to make things right. Despite being promised a call back, no one ever followed up. This isn’t just about customer service (which was clearly lacking), but about public health. Scombroid poisoning can be extremely serious, and for a restaurant of this caliber to show zero concern or urgency is deeply disappointing and frankly irresponsible. I would strongly advise others to think twice before dining here especially if you plan to order any seafood. A high bill and a fancy setting mean nothing if the food isn’t safe and the management won’t take accountability when something goes horribly wrong.