The Best Places to Eat in Fairfax

A live-edge wood counter and closely spaced tables give this Fairfax izakaya the feel of a Tokyo side street, which is a reasonable trick to pull in Marin County. The small-plates menu moves through takoyaki, okonomiyaki, and a short but careful nigiri selection, with a sake list overseen by an actual sake sommelier. It holds a Michelin Bib Gourmand. No reservations, so weekend lines form early and move slowly.

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The complimentary focaccia that lands at your table before dinner is spongy and faintly sweet, closer to a savory pound cake than anything you'd expect for free. This rustic Tuscan restaurant in downtown Fairfax does freshly made, rib-sticking pasta alongside a porchetta sandwich at lunch that justifies the name on the sign. Marble countertops inside, wood benches out front for when Marin decides to behave weather-wise.

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