22 Best Cafes near Fairfax

“Fun, great food, European type of service, and a really fun atmosphere. Love the French Onion soup on a cold night. Only complaint, their baguette is quite expensive, though absolutely delicious and served with really great butter. Wine is priced in line with most restaurants in Marin, so not ordering a lot of wine during our visits.Would highly recommend Amélie.“

“It's all about the service here. The point of drive-thru coffee is convenience, right? (And coffee). And somehow Java Hut managed to make this convenience even more convenient. I drove up for the first time the other day. I had maybe one or two cars ahead of me. And an employee (or maybe even the owner) came up to my window to take my order, then brought it out and took my cash before I even made it to the order window! And on top of that, he gave me a dog treat for my dog, who was sitting in the passenger's seat. And not your run-of-the-mill milk bone, but a real, meaty jerky treat. I try to find places with walk up windows, since I pretty much always have my little dog with me (plus I still avoid bringing my not-yet-eligible-for-vaccination 3 year old to indoors spaces), so I was particularly pleased to see that Java Hut also has a walk-up window with pleasant looking covered patio seating. Coffee is Starbucks equivalent, I think, so not, say, Equator or Ritual, but a nicer, more pleasant, convenient, and local experience than Starbucks. And we enjoyed the scone!“

“Purchased a Specialized Kenevo about 3 months ago from Splitrock. This is my 4th emtb. Jason, the owner, and his staff did an excellent job in dialing in the bike to my exact preferences. This was definitely the best emtb purchasing experience I’ve ever had by miles!! The staff was happy to go above and beyond in dialing the bike to my exact specs and expeditiously upgraded the forks as I waited in the great shop and enjoyed a delicious lunch at the Splitrock restaurant. On getting the bike, I was able to immediately test ride it on some great trails (classic Marin trails) a short riding distance from the shop. After the maiden run, I enjoyed a cold brew at the Splitrock tap room with some local riders who were as stoked as I was after their trail rides!! Great and rare combination of mtb shop, restaurant, tap room and friendly post ride scene!! I hope to be back soon and feel so fortunate to have the experience I did at Splitrock Tap and Wheel!???‍♂️?“

“I live in Sausalito incase anyone thinks I’m a regular and I’m trying to plug a friend’s place or whatever. This is the best breakfast in Marin. Food is so fresh and the staff are exceptional. I work in the service industry and don’t usually leave reviews. Really evident team culture and refreshing attitudes all round. Well done to all!“

“Super cute spot with great boba and friendly staff. I’ve had the brown sugar milk tea and the mango sticky rice inspired drink which is amazing and so unique and fun! Easy to order on the kiosk and quick service.Dietary restrictions: They don’t use powdered mixes so you can get the drinks dairy free with alternative milks“

“This spot is AWESOME!!! Not only is the food delicious and great portions, but the staff is totally amazing!! Everyone that works here seem genuinely happy and enjoy what they are doing. We had so much fun and laughter. Can't wait to come back. Thanks for confirming the best decision of the day.“

“I love the Pump Espresso Bar. Love it. In fact, if I was lucky enough to work from home, I would work from the Pump. The inside is super cute, and it is oddly calming as soon as you walk in. This is saying a lot as I am one of the most high strung, overly driven humans and calm is not in my vocabulary. Lots of great coffee options, and they are all so good! The barista that helped us last time was fantastic and I want to give her all the kudos. She let me taste test their pumpkin syrup and she mentioned that they make it in house. I ended up going with the cardamom latte which seems to be the only drink I get at the Pump Espresso Bar. I keep telling myself to branch out and try a different beverage.Lots of food options that look delicious. The Pump Espresso Bar is always busy and it is such a welcoming local business that I am more than happy to give my business to.“

“We had a fantastic evening and meal here. We came during happy hour and given the quality and taste of the food and champagne, the prices were relatively reasonable. We started with a flight of three caviars paired with three champagnes. They ranged from delicious to amazing. We then moved on to our small plates entree where our favorite dishes were a savory caviar bread pudding (not dense nor heavy) and an order of caviar deviled eggs. Would highly recommend both! We would definitely go back!“

“Just got a half Caesar with chicken, the creamy pesto pasta salad and A bag of chips for $10.50. I had my almost 3yr old with me and they gave us extra treats for him and said "the kids our future" they seriously made my day can't wait to go back again soon because it was a great experience and delicious food!“

“Excellent sandwich and very friendly service. We were walking by and thought a sandwich sounded good. Clive was friendly, and made 2 amazing sandos for us! Also saw "pincic" menus available, great addition to downtown San Anselmo!“

“Had to drop a Pinnedhaggler Poppinhock off at Glare Attaway's Speedo testing center so his lead pressuretester Anaconda John can iron out some wrinkles in their new product line, before they flood the market up in Guerneville. I drove right past the Redwood Cafe on my way there and planned on eating there when I was finished, so here I am.The grilled ham and cheese sandwich was Spectacular! 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆“

“The Bayside Cafe in Sausalito has so many delicious meals to choose from. So fresh and look at the beautiful presentation! Every time I dine here, the food is top quality as is the service and staff. Another thing I love about this place is how meticulous they are, the place always looks great, they do a great job to keep it clean and well maintained. Thank you Bayside, can't wait for my next visit!“

“They are the sweetest people here. I don't ever write reviews but since I've moved to this area i am so glad to have found a gem like this. They give quality from service to food at its best. I come back not just for their delicious great proportioned food but because how their business is ran.“

“This ice cream is to die for! Good: - Good prices on scoops and had a yelp discount - The strawberry and cookies and cream ice cream were the best I'd had in a very long time! Thoughrouly impressed and it was not too sweet and fluffy - Super fun and nice servers - let us have samples too Bad: - Long lines here! - Pretty casual diner ambiance here Overall would come back - the ice cream is super good and satisfied my cravings perfectly.“

“When I went there, they had no lines and the churros were only $2.84 for 3 churros. They were very kind to me and quick to serve. I was craving for churros and started searching. Lo and behold, there is a churro restaurant just exclusively churros set aside sandwiches and smoothies but now I know there is a churro place when I am craving for churrosParking: Good luck finding a place to park as their parking lot is a shared lot.“

“Awesome place to see a show. It’s a small room so even if you’re in the back it’s all good. Enthusiastic staff and you can tell they enjoy working here. Jackie Greene rules!!! Don’t miss him when he does his 3-night run every winter.“

“Great cafe, went here to and from the north coast and it was fantastic! I will definitely stop here again next time I'm in Marin.A heads up though if you park on the street nearby with meters, I had the city parking enforcement ticket me 10 minutes before my meter actually ran out and I had no proof because I used quarters, so either use a credit card or take a photo of your meter...“

“THIS IS SPECIFICALLY FOR THE DRIVE-UP IN DOWNTOWN NOVATO. I go here every morning before work. It's great. The baristas are super nice and very friendly. Coffee is very, very good. I honestly think I like the seasonal flavors at Marin Coffeen Roasters more than Starbucks'. The toasted marshmallow lattee is to die for. Its not candy coffee like Starbucks. Marin Roasters strikes a perfect balance between flavor and coffee, so youre still tasting coffee as well as flavoring. Pastries are also surprisingly good. Coffee is the same price as Starbucks.As far as "atmosphere", I go to the South Novato Blvd location which is a drive-up so there isnt really much atmosphere to be had to begin with which is why my atmosphere rating is 3 stars, but its still pretty cute. Do NOT take the 3 stars for atmosphere as a negative, its literally just because this specific location is a drive up building. The coffee place before them was also a drive up. The building they happen to occupy is specifically designed for drive up coffee. Also, they take walk-up orders and have dog treats. I don't know why they wouldn't do walk-up, but its still worth mentioning cause you can grab a coffee and a treat for your dog if you're on a walk.The Ignacio and San Anselmo location however ARE sit down cafes, but I've never been there. Judging by pictures, they look very nice and are the place you want to go to if you want to sit down and aren't just picking up coffee and a pastry to goTLDR the coffee is fantastic, I like it more than Starbucks, and the people are great. Go there. Support local and enjoy some of the best coffee in town.“

“Organic bakery in the heart of San Rafael. I came upon this cozy cottage looking place when I got off the beaten path of 4th street.Worth finding!Coffee and hot and cold sandwiches available but the variety of baked goods was so creative … I went for the sweets… the banana Meyer lremon bread/cake is a standout. And I loved loved loved the whole wheat very muffin.Incredible flavors and healthy ingredients! Yay! . I no longer have to be sad that Arizmendi is gone from the San Rafael scene.What a gem…. They even have an upright piano and a children’s books and game corner.I’ll be back!?“

“Had my espresso machine serviced here, and it was an extremely helpful experience.Food choices are a little old school. Haven't seen piroshki for a while, but they have em.Geared to serving the local business employees, since they're in the warehouse district.“

“Got the Da Kine Greens which was full of flavor and healthiness and kale. While it was also a million dollars, being in this pseudo-hippie town full of reclusive wealthy people, it still was worth the snack. Would stop by again if back to charming Bolinas.5 stars!!!“

“A small and cozy place to have breakfast or brunch. The food is filling, but light. The biscuits in the biscuits and gravy were light and not dense. The mushroom soup was delicious. The French toast was nice and custard like in the center. Love the coffee with refills. The service was friendly and attentive. Will definitely come back for more.“