Chianti Cucina

Busy but worth it. Make reservations if you can. Bar service is great. Nice wine list. Excellent menu. spoiled now regarding quality of food!!! Cannot wait to return. Can be loud but that vis not an issue. Give it a try! The best pasta pescadores.

This used to be my favorite restaurant. Boy has it gone down hill. The last time I ate there they served me noodles in a soup of tomato sauce not your typical capellini. Tasted like play dough. Everything was revolting from the cheesecake to the over the hump wilted salad greens. I will never go back again.

Great authentic Italian restaurant! In end of Novato.
The place is pretty small, however it’s very cozy with great atmosphere, small bar and nice seating area.
We were seated at the round corner table by the fireplace. It was cold that day, so seating by the fireplace was just perfect.
Our waiter was so nice and friendly. Help us to get the right dishes we want. She’s even work with the chef to make my Marsala sauce pasta — which turnout so yummy! She took our order and serve us fresh bread & butter to start with.
We ordered the beet salad, Caesar salad, eggplant roll, bruschetta, broccoli soup, margarita pizza, cheese ravioli, and Marsala pasta.
All the dishes were very yummy except the broccoli soup. The fresh bread was warm and tasty. We were so full that we couldn’t order dessert.
Overall we really enjoyed our dinner.
We will be back!

Fabulous Italian food in novato! They will custom a dish for vegatarians, which is very appreciated. The selection of wines are from Italy and California and the staff is very knowledgeable. Mark, the owner was so friendly and kind. It’s a hidden gem in novato! We will be back.

Great food and great service!!! Waitress was super knowledgeable and super friendly. We sat by the bar and had a great experience! We will be back!!!

Every time I’ve gone here the food has been excellent. The sauces are always very tasty, meats they use are always high quality, and the dishes are usually prepared correctly (cooked to the right texture /​cooking temperature.
Service ranges from good to excellent. If you are a regular and you treat the staff well, they take very good care of you.
The wine list has a reasonable quantity of selection, there are a couple decent to good wines they offer, and the pours are fairly generous.
My favorite dishes:
Filet Mignon with mushroom sauce
Calamari Dore
Salmon Picatta
Sole Dore
Their pastas are also good.
They also have several excellent deserts.
This is are go-​to restaurant in Marin for high quality dishes in a casual, easy going atmosphere.

I came here to celebrate my dad and brothers birthday while visiting my family. We had an awesome time and the waitress was able to accommodate our party perfectly. All our salads were great, our calamari was well prepared, and everyone enjoyed their pasta. They brought out an awesome desert for my brother and dad to share. This place was awesome and I would come back if I was in the area again.

Awesome atmosphere. Heavy pours on wine… i love
The calamari was terrible. However got to my pork saltibocco ws amazing tho so that made up for crappy start. My wife had red snapper and it was delicious. Will go back

Having read other reviews, we were sceptical, but so glad we dined here. We have eaten at many fine Italian restaurants and the food here was delicious! The service was also good all the way through, from the hostesses to the waitress. We are visiting from out of town, but would definitely return for dinner again.

We have eaten at Chianti Cucina a few times and it seems to steadily be going down hill. We went this last time because we got a great deal on a Groupon but it seems like they are always doing Groupons and to make the discounts worthwhile the prices have gone up and the quality of the food has gone down. The waitress never told us the days specials nor did she offer to refill the kids drinks. I had to signal in order to get another glass of wine. I ordered the Caesar salad and it was drenched in dressing, so much that the leaves were soggy. I also ordered the Capellini Pomodoro and when I asked if the tomatoes were fresh she told me yes. however all it was, was a bowl of capellini drowned in canned tomatoes there was nothing fresh about it. Groupon or not it was a waste of money.

Sometimes, restaurants have lower ratings bc the service wasn’t up to par for its Unilocal patrons, and it seems to be the case for Chianti Cucina. Hubs and I went for his birthday on the recommendation of several local friends and we had a great meal.
Hubs had the eggplant lasagna, which he said was good. I opted for the gnocchi which was aMAZing. Bambino got capellini a la marinara with fresh parm, which he liked. We noticed a lot of regular patrons who didn’t necessarily get special treatment from the staff but still really enjoyed themselves. The servers were all fine and kept the fresh bread coming. Our favorite part of the meal was dessert. Crème brûlée was good, but topping could have used more torching. Tiramisu was very creamy and delicious. I would come back just for another bite. Bambino ate all the fruit from both desserts and half of my tiramisu.
Granted, the meal took a bit longer than we expected. However, the food was very good, so I recommend you pick another restaurant when hangry. This is the neighborhood Italian restaurant where you sit and enjoy good company, good wine (large glasses, might I add), and good food.

This is a good place in Novato for a date night. The entrée preparation is a bit traditional, but I gather the locals like it that way. My food was good and reasonably priced. I ordered a steak, and immediately got buyer’s remose – I think I missed some good pizza and homemade pasta. I met the owners, and they were the sweetest couple imaginable. Don’t let my three stars fool you, because I’ll go back. And this time, I’ll pounce on the carbs.

This is my first time writing a Unilocal review. I am writing this review due to the lack of respect & courtesy I received at Chianti Cucina
Dinner was good, the waitress provided great service.
When I made reservations there evidently was a miscommunication between myself and the owner regarding my reservation.
At the end of the evening the owner came over to our table and rudely (& loudly) put me on the spot regarding our reservation time. It was an extreme embarrassment being that we were treating my husband’s mother for her birthday.
Before this time, my husband & I frequently dined at Chianti Cucina. We will no longer support a restaurant that has the audacity to treat customers with such disrespect.

Love the ambiance of this place. My friend invited me to be the 3^rd wheel, but I was a happy 3^rd wheel after dinner. dessert we ordered eggplant goat cheese with nuts … Yum
I ordered shrimp and pasta with a lemony sauce (sorry I forgot the actual name). And for desert I had the crème brûlée. Have to say, it was a good brûlée but I wish the sugar crack was better .
I would come back here, it’s a nice place to celebrate special occasions.

Ok sorry I gotta weigh in here. I cannot believe this place is rated so highly. I think they have a lot of regulars who pad the reviews.
I’ve had a bad experience every single time I come in.
Why? The sucky ass, snotty service!
Obviously these owners are more interested in hiring hot stuck up chicks rather than good servers.
The first time I came in the service was so bad I 1. Didn’t tip (I’m a great tipper) 2. Felt compelled to write a note about the service on the back of my receipt (never done that before or since).
Second time I came in, after waiting months before coming in to try it again. Waiting to order this stuck up Barbie beech was just chatting away with a regular, never even looked over once. After waiting for minutes I finally said «Hi can I order please?»
She glared at me and said «Ya»
and practically threw a menu at me. Pissed I walked out.
Third time (again after months) I ordered to go food having learned my lesson about service. The server who handed me my food said «Any change?» Me «ya». Thinking that I never tip for pick up (seriously we would I you HANDED me my food. Oooooh taxing!)
My change was like $ 4.36, she gave me just $ 4 back. Ok, it’s a few cents but come on give me my farcking change you Maxim reject.
One more star because their food is actually good. Will never be back. I advise that everyone get take out.
No servers on Earth deserve tips less!
** Note the owner never responds to bad reviews= doesn’t give a shite

WOW !!! One of the BEST local restaurants in Novato !! We went here tonight for my son’s graduation. Elyscia made him felt so special. But the foods put it WAY ABOVE and BEYOND ! We got the Bruschetta and Calamari — top knotch !
I got the Alaskan Cod special — moist and cooked to perfection ! my son got the Fettuccine Alfredo and he wiped the plate clean ! The other parties ordered Fettuccine Alfredo and Capellini Pescatore and they both were thumb up ! We closed it with TIRAMISU. the BEST as well !!! We will definitely come back and bring out of town guests for sure ! Keep up the GREAT customer services and the foods !

Did not make reservations and was still able to be squeezed in for a table for three comfortably. The Hostess was friendly and delightful. She got us seated right away. The place was really hopping for a Tuesday evening. Every seat was filled. We ordered the houses chianti which was nice and went well with dinner. The bread that is brought to the table is not anything outrageous but is good. There is butter, olive oil and balsamic available for it. As starters we got the goat cheese stuffed grilled eggplant that was drizzled with a balsamic reduction served on baby arugula. Very mild flavors. I actually mixed it with the salad we ordered. It had mixed greens and and hazelnut encrusted goat cheese. I wish it had some beets in it. Two entrees. One had wide noodles that were a little over cooked but super delicious pancetta and cream sauce. Very good sauce! The second entrée had 6 large prawns, steamed veggies, creamy mashed potatoes, and a light cream sauce that was not overpowering at all but very addicting. The desserts we got were Crème Brulee, Mascarpone Cheesecake and Tiramisu. The Tiramisu had LOTS of cream! I have never had one with sSOOo much cream before. I wished there was a little more of the lady fingers and espresso. The cheesecake was made with a corn flake crust. Needed less crust, but interesting combination. The Brulee we had to send back since the first was not done right. The second one was spot on! Nice cool creamy center with the candy top from being torched! Served with lovely berries. The coffee was excellent. Our wait staff Renee was delightful and constantly moving! She smiled throughout the evening and was a pleasure to served by. Side note on the restaurant: you could not hear the music through the crowd of conversation. The lighting is a little dark but we really enjoyed our dinner!

We love this place! We were there last evening for the 5^th time, and although it is 20 miles from where we live, the food makes the drive worthwhile.
My favorite dish is the cioppino, I onced tried the chicken parmigiana on a friend’s recommendation. It was good but not as good as the cioppino.
My wife and daughter are more adventures and have tried many of their dishes. Last night they had the alaskan cod with artichokes and the penne con salsiccia and they love it.

This is my favorite Italian restaurant in Novato. Anything you order will be tasty, and the Groupon just makes this place all-​the-​more my go-​to!
I’ve gotten salmon, salad, lasagna and other pasta dishes. One that stood out was a black truffle/​marinara dish available one evening.
The mista salad with goat cheese and toasted hazelnuts is a nice, light starter.
The ambiance is versatile. Date. Family. Friends. Whatever. You can take anyone here and feel comfortable in this cozily intimate spot.

I had a couple of GroupOn offers for this place: $ 100 value for $ 49, plus includes a bottle of house wine. A nice chianti. Great offer!
For Novato, this Italian is pretty good. I love their lamb chops, they cook it prefect medium-​rare. And their bread is great for dipping in oil and vinegar.
For a place that is small, the service is slow