The Best Places to Eat in Sausalito

A cozy bungalow sushi shop tucked into Sausalito that's been part of the local fabric forever, Sushi Ran blends California farm-to-table thinking with straightforward Japanese technique in a way that resists easy categorization. The sake list is well-chosen, the fish is clean and consistent, and something like red curry-roasted cauliflower might show up alongside impeccable nigiri. The Michelin Guide has given it a Bib Gourmand.

1. Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
2. San Francisco Chronicle Best Sushi Restaurants in San Francisco Bay Area
3. San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Marin County: Sausalito, Novato and San Rafael

A French bistro tucked into a working Sausalito shipyard, where the servers wear mechanic coveralls and the menu runs to escargot, frisée with lardons, and quiche. The theme commitment is complete enough to feel charming rather than corny. Patio tables face the water and fill fast, which is the whole point, so book ahead if you're coming with a group and hoping to eat outside.

1. San Francisco Chronicle Best French restaurants in the Bay Area
2. San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants for outdoor dining in the Bay Area
3. San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Marin County: Sausalito, Novato and San Rafael

1. San Francisco Chronicle Best seafood restaurants in the Bay Area
2. San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Marin County: Sausalito, Novato and San Rafael

The enchiladas are why people come back to this California Indian restaurant in Sausalito, draped in cheese, yogurt, tamarind, and a curried house sauce that shouldn't work as well as it does. The owner is a regular presence at the tables, cheerfully fielding questions about why the menu also includes Jamaican jerk chicken. There is exactly one dessert. You order it.

1. San Francisco Chronicle Best Indian, Pakistani, and South Asian restaurants in the Bay Area
2. San Francisco Chronicle Best restaurants in Marin County: Sausalito, Novato and San Rafael

1. AAA Approved

1. AAA Approved