Central Market

Great food Great service Tony is an awesome chef!!. Duck wings, lamb, steak and grouper was prepared to excited the palate. Bake chocolate dessert was the bomb!

What am absolute gem of a restaurant! Every single thing we ordered was delicious, aromatic, and memorable. Our server Laura was amazing, the service was top-notch, and it was truly an incredible dining experience every step of the way. And do not miss out on the espresso macarons at the end 😉

The short ribs are wonderful, most anything on the menu is going to please. The ambience is warm and comfortable. The only criticism I have is that the water with the cucumber doesn't taste so good once it warms up. This favorite with my husband and I is pricey but worth it for a nice date night. For extra fun, reserve the front window table.

Casual elegance. Creative approach. Professional attention to detail. Crudo to short ribs, pizza to homemade pasta, it all shines. Desserts wow. Sensible wine list. High value for quality execution. Go now.

Wonderful food - really great ingredients. A great place for a leisurely dinner. Nice appetizers, great selection of wines, and really nice entrees with a great variety. Service is attentive, but not too much so. But don't go if you are in a hurry.

The young lady who was our servant was very sweet. the menu is delicious so hard to choose what to order. I ordered the tomato soup and yummy. I also ordered the Pasta with braized beef which had great flavor but the papperdelli? was overcooked in my opinion. I like my Pasta al Dante. And loved the butterscotch pot o'creme. I will definitely go back to try some more of the Menu

First time going there last night. Absolutely pleased with the atmosphere. Convivial warm, friendly service. Food is spot on, fresh, tasty, unpretentious (a big compliment in my book). Lamg risotto rich and earthy, fettuccine fresh and springy, and a really pleasing petite sirah from Whipsmart. We will be back! With friends! Update: central market holds up as a perfect dinner spot. Food is fresh, tasty, honest, delicious. Service friendly, and they have French and Italian wines so ..there you go. Prices so decent for California, thank you.

Went to Central Market with out of town friends who chose the location based on a visit 4 years ago. Glad we had reservations for Sunday night at 8:00 on the holiday weekend. Excellent service from bright, cheerful waitress knowledgeable of the offerings. Both couples gushed over the roasted beet salad. The steak/homemade skinny fries entre and scallops with fresh corn/tomato succotash were s big hit. We were too full for dessert, but the choices were tempting.

Local farm owner is the chef. And he is very talented. The veggies are always perfect. The pizza is great. Thin crust style done to perfection. Other meat dishes are either raised by him or another local farm. Great duck,beef and pork. Can't be beat!

Delicious food, rotating menu, intimate vibe, good wine selection. Happy hour food and house wine 5-6pm.

On the way back to Santa Rosa, we stumbled on this spot for take-away dinner and were super pleased with the food. I don’t think they normally do to-go orders, but they were super nice about taking our order. The teriyaki skewers were SO GOOD and immediately gave me high hopes for the pastas which were also delicious. You can taste the quality of the food immediately. We ate those pastas so fast, because they were yummy. Highly recommend the food here!

Wonderful meal and great service! Many gluten free options. 2:3 oysters were great.

Friendly, unpretentious, delicious food. I had the lamb 3 ways and it was like having three mini meals that each could stand by itself justly. Together they became a symphonic delight.

It's always a good time visiting CM. My wife and I come here for special occasions and love it every time. If you're lucky, the chef will come out and ask if you have any questions or even just check to see how you are doing. Love the atmosphere, nice and big inside. Food is always fantastic, as well as the appetizers and wine selection.

Exquisite farm to fork experience. The produce used was incredibly flavorful. Wine list was creative and the service was really good!

Exceptional American comfort food cooked to perfection. Compliment to the chefs as well as the friendly but competent service staff. The only shame was we came a day late for the Pliny the Younger Triple IPA which they got one keg only and was out in one day. Better luck next year I suppose.

Modern rustic setting with a farm to table menu. Attentive service with quality food. Slightly loud, conversations carried. Delicious bacon. They offer a 3 or 4 course chef tasting menu which is so worth it.

Excellent restaurant with a wonderful vibe, great service, and delicious food. Casual and comfortable yet not too casual. Great location easy to get to and plenty of parking.

This place was everything we wanted it to be! Food was absolutely delicious, everything we ordered was amazing! The atmosphere was great and our waitress Amy was the highlight of the evening! Very attentive and considerate! She was so much fun! Definitely recommend the duck as well as the cabbage rolls!

The rare neighborhood gem. While the staff was a little awkward, the food was outstanding. Nothing was smothered in sauce and spices, the food was cooked and flavored to bring out its inner freshness. From the roasted vegetable starter plate, to the wagyu beef skewers tapa, to the grouper entree, everything was prepared to highlight natural flavors. The flavors/ food was rich without being fatty or greasy, and very satisfying despite eating a small volume of food. I will stop by here whenever driving through Petaluma. Offers small plates, starters, and entrees, including wines and lovely dessert menu. The space is open and welcoming, lively but not overwhelmingly loud.

Always amazing food. Great service. Rotating menu based on seasonal availabilities. Michelin recommendation, one of two in Petaluma. Casual attire allowed, but definitely able to get dressed up as well.

Christy Godkin

Wonderful meal and great service! Many gluten free options. 2:3 oysters were great.

Stephanie Corte

On the way back to Santa Rosa, we stumbled on this spot for take-away dinner and were super pleased with the food. I don’t think they normally do to-go orders, but they were super nice about taking our order. The teriyaki skewers were SO GOOD and immediately gave me high hopes for the pastas which were also delicious. You can taste the quality of the food immediately. We ate those pastas so fast, because they were yummy. Highly recommend the food here!

Walt Shaw

Friendly, unpretentious, delicious food. I had the lamb 3 ways and it was like having three mini meals that each could stand by itself justly. Together they became a symphonic delight.

Brad Andersen

It's always a good time visiting CM. My wife and I come here for special occasions and love it every time. If you're lucky, the chef will come out and ask if you have any questions or even just check to see how you are doing. Love the atmosphere, nice and big inside. Food is always fantastic, as well as the appetizers and wine selection.

Hillorie FdV

Exquisite farm to fork experience. The produce used was incredibly flavorful. Wine list was creative and the service was really good!

DANNY LIN

Exceptional American comfort food cooked to perfection. Compliment to the chefs as well as the friendly but competent service staff. The only shame was we came a day late for the Pliny the Younger Triple IPA which they got one keg only and was out in one day. Better luck next year I suppose.

Kathleen M

Modern rustic setting with a farm to table menu. Attentive service with quality food. Slightly loud, conversations carried. Delicious bacon. They offer a 3 or 4 course chef tasting menu which is so worth it.

Jeff

Excellent restaurant with a wonderful vibe, great service, and delicious food. Casual and comfortable yet not too casual. Great location easy to get to and plenty of parking.

Lisa Kramer

This place was everything we wanted it to be! Food was absolutely delicious, everything we ordered was amazing! The atmosphere was great and our waitress Amy was the highlight of the evening! Very attentive and considerate! She was so much fun! Definitely recommend the duck as well as the cabbage rolls!

I love the vibe of Central Market - high ceilings and brick oven for pizza. The raw oysters were excellent. Good beer menu (love North Coast Brewery). Two people in our party ordered pizza. It was good but not that hot (prefer hot pizza.) But overall good meal. Would definitely come back.

Drove from San Francisco to meet friends here. Immediately thought to myself, “Man, it’s kinda quiet in here!”. I’m used to restaurants where it’s loud and bustling. This is not that kind of place. The lights are also bright, whereas most dinner restaurants the lights are dim. So, in terms of ambiance, the restaurant could be better. (But, some people don’t mind this). That said, once the food arrived… it was game over. We ordered a little bit of everything. Pizza. Steak. Sweet corn risotto. Dessert. The food was INCREDIBLE. All of it was delicious. That said, I highly recommend this restaurant and I’d definitely go again. I really cannot make one single complaint about the food or service.

Tony made a meatball: maybe the best meatball…ever. If you’re someone who, like me, is compulsively drawn to order the freestanding meatball on every menu, this will be a spiritual experience. If you’re not a meatball experience collector, the pork chops are also 10/10. There’s a reason this restaurant is packed with locals and their guests night after night, year after year: it always delivers.

Julia Robertson

Tony made a meatball: maybe the best meatball…ever. If you’re someone who, like me, is compulsively drawn to order the freestanding meatball on every menu, this will be a spiritual experience. If you’re not a meatball experience collector, the pork chops are also 10/10. There’s a reason this restaurant is packed with locals and their guests night after night, year after year: it always delivers.

Duke Leto Atreides

Drove from San Francisco to meet friends here. Immediately thought to myself, “Man, it’s kinda quiet in here!”. I’m used to restaurants where it’s loud and bustling. This is not that kind of place. The lights are also bright, whereas most dinner restaurants the lights are dim. So, in terms of ambiance, the restaurant could be better. (But, some people don’t mind this). That said, once the food arrived… it was game over. We ordered a little bit of everything. Pizza. Steak. Sweet corn risotto. Dessert. The food was INCREDIBLE. All of it was delicious. That said, I highly recommend this restaurant and I’d definitely go again. I really cannot make one single complaint about the food or service.

Laquardra Staples

We had a great meal. Our server recommended wines that paired very well with our main course. Looking forward to going back.

Colleen Hawk

I love the vibe of Central Market - high ceilings and brick oven for pizza. The raw oysters were excellent. Good beer menu (love North Coast Brewery). Two people in our party ordered pizza. It was good but not that hot (prefer hot pizza.) But overall good meal. Would definitely come back.

The food was good but not exceptional. I really love the atmosphere of this restaurant. It's definitely a hot spot. At least when I went it was and the service was good. It did kind of feel like we were getting checked on almost too much, which I rarely say. Kudos to her though because it's better to be more attentive than not attentive enough 🤷🏼‍♀️ Petaluma has blown up with so many great spots. The menu was expansive which I like to see. Ordered a couple appetizers to share, then each got an entree . As much as I do like the food here, I don't think it's enough to bring me back often for the price point.

Popped in early evening for our favorite dessert and coffee over Thanksgiving weekend. This very busy location is extremely popular with out-of-town guests and locals. Most important to make your reservation in advance. Central Market is Celebrating their 20 year Anniversary!

Had the pleasure of dining at Central Market for dinner with my pops. A coworker of my dad's recommended it, and it was sure a good one! Lively environment that was busy busy! Good thing we made a reservation beforehand otherwise I think we would have missed out. Good place for families of all ages. We shared the beet salad, seasonal veggies, and pork chop. All cooked to perfection and served in an aesthetically pleasing way. Loved the creamy aioli type sauce that the veggies were laid on. Reminded me of tzatziki! Not much of a beer selection, minimal. Much more wine to choose from than beers. Dessert menu was less than appealing, skipped that part! Overall, it was a good experience and I would go again.

We had a party of 10. We enjoyed wine, beer and bubbly. Our server was very attentive. The food was all delicious and fresh!

The food at this place is good, but it seems like an overrated restaurant. We sat at a small table for two right near the entrance. I think it spoiled the experience a bit as all the newcomers (there were no shortage of them) were standing around near our table staring at us eating and wishing we were done and out of there. But the food was good. If you are going to spend the money - get yourself a decent table -otherwise don’t bother.

Nicely curated restaurant with a terrific menu. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. The food is cooked to order and everything is delicious!

Derek

We had a party of 10. We enjoyed wine, beer and bubbly. Our server was very attentive. The food was all delicious and fresh!

Solomiya Lyshenyuk Williams

The food at this place is good, but it seems like an overrated restaurant. We sat at a small table for two right near the entrance. I think it spoiled the experience a bit as all the newcomers (there were no shortage of them) were standing around near our table staring at us eating and wishing we were done and out of there. But the food was good. If you are going to spend the money - get yourself a decent table -otherwise don’t bother.

Mark LoGiurato

Nicely curated restaurant with a terrific menu. The staff is very friendly and accommodating. The food is cooked to order and everything is delicious!

Gave Central Market a try because of all the rave reviews. Downtown Petaluma is a very quaint place. I found a parking garage a short walk away. The service was wonderful. When I asked if they had a sweet apple cider, they Google'd their offerings since no one there was familiar with them. When my date requested a specific table, they made it happen. I am including the downtown area in the atmosphere as it all goes together and makes for a pleasant experience. My date and I both agreed that the food was good but not worth returning for. The best dish we had was a roasted carrot appetizer.

We were very excited to try this restaurant because it got such high reviews and we loved the menu but, in fact, it was very average so we were very disappointed. We couldn't figure out why everyone loved it so much unless we were just unlucky and went there on the wrong night. The service was not that great- the appetizers came before the wine we ordered and while our server was very friendly, she was not very attentive. Perhaps this is the best Petaluma has but we are used to the San Francisco restaurants and the quality here is far below what we've gotten in SF.

I never leave reviews (especially a bad one) so if I’m on here right now it’s because the owners of this restaurant should be made aware of the issue that presented itself last night. We were 12 adults celebrating my sisters 40th birthday. We ordered over $1,000 in food and drink. My parents, whom do not read very well in English ordered the halibut off the main course options (name of dish in larger letters). Granted they did not pay attention to the description. Little did they know it said “seafood” in the description (in smaller letters). It did not specifically mention what type of seafood was going to be in the dish - it said couscous and whatever others sides. They do not eat seafood due to religious reasons and NOT due to an allergy. Because they had to send back their plates NOT due to an ALLERGY the chef/manager wanted to charge our table double for their plates!! The poor server had to be the medium between our table and her manager. When we asked to speak with him directly to explain the situation and apologize, he avoided us by just comping the plate from our check, which I found to be extremely disrespectful. I personally have worked in the hospitality industry for many years (over 10 years and now have a career as in healthcare) and never have I ever charged a customer for sending back a plate of food that they genuinely made a mistake ordering!! I’ve worked in fine dining restaurants before and my managers would always make sure to leave a good impression on their customers. This ended our dinner on a bitter note. We were very disappointed we even needed to go through this situation. Just figured the owners should be aware of the hospitality provided at their restaurant.

The service was spectacular. Everyone was very kind and welcoming. I was a little disappointed in the food though. My short rib entree and the appetizers didn’t match the price points. Nothing really wowed me except the focaccia bread. Overall, I was expecting a little more when spending $40 plus dollars on entrees.

Started off great with the beef skewers and beet salad but the cassoulet was VERY sweet almost dessert like. Our server was excellent but the “pizza” cooker (not chef) was rude and dressed in a shirt with holes. He really was so unfriendly that it made us uncomfortable. It’s really too bad because we have had many nice experiences thee but with this guy I front of customers, we will likely not return.

Lamarrathon

The service was spectacular. Everyone was very kind and welcoming. I was a little disappointed in the food though. My short rib entree and the appetizers didn’t match the price points. Nothing really wowed me except the focaccia bread. Overall, I was expecting a little more when spending $40 plus dollars on entrees.

Kelly Gibson

Started off great with the beef skewers and beet salad but the cassoulet was VERY sweet almost dessert like. Our server was excellent but the “pizza” cooker (not chef) was rude and dressed in a shirt with holes. He really was so unfriendly that it made us uncomfortable. It’s really too bad because we have had many nice experiences thee but with this guy I front of customers, we will likely not return.

Incredibly slow and inefficient service and the food isn't worth the price. It took us 40 minutes to get bread (after being seated 10 minutes after our reservation) and the image of the bread is attached. Nothing really stood out. Unfortunately, Central Market would not be able to stay open in a town larger than Petaluma. It's really a shame because we were recommended it quite highly and it was our splurge meal for the month.

Sorry,not sorry. Way overrated mixed with bad attitudes and high prices. Much better choice elsewhere in town. First thing, when you walk in it smells like sewer gas by the front door. They blame 24 hour fitness next door. Second thing is the food is just not that tasty and the three times we've gone here the timing was completely off to where half our table had barely lukewarm food while the rest was hot. Poorly managed kitchen! They claim farm to table but without quality preparation it is pointless. The chef (I think he is also the owner) stares at patrons from the back. It is creepy. Finally, my son and a group of friends went for prom, they are all nice and polite kids, and were treated with distain. Avoid.

We had a weird experience there last night - in summary the food was very good, the service was not at all good. (With the exception of the host who seated us, she was very sweet). Appetizers were great but it took forever to order and receive drinks. We were finished with the first round of appetizers when someone came to ask if we'd received our grilled veggies plate. We said no, and that we also needed our drinks, and the waitperson asking about the food held up her hand to my face and snapped "I'm just asking about the food." Okay then... We finally get our wine, and order entrees. They were good, but all seemed a bit overcooked. We never received the bread we ordered (and honestly, 5 bucks for a basket of bread? 🙄) nor the coffee we ordered with dessert. We did get charged for them though.... As we were leaving everyone in our party agreed that it was too bad we had such a lackluster experience because the food was good, but no one really felt like coming back.

Went to Central Market with friends last night. The oysters and salad were good. Unfortunately, the Wagyu beef skewers were undercooked, and my $44 steak was very small and disappointing for the price. Overall, not what I expected.

Mehmet Kirmit

Went to Central Market with friends last night. The oysters and salad were good. Unfortunately, the Wagyu beef skewers were undercooked, and my $44 steak was very small and disappointing for the price. Overall, not what I expected.

I never had “no service” experience at the restaurants that charges $30+/- for entree. The waitress in our area was busy serving everyone around bur except us. She kept passing by as if we were invisible. She even took orders and brought food to the families and the couple who sat after us while 1 hour had passed after we were seated. Finally a man with a chef’s uniform approached and asked if we were being served. The only time the same waitress who ignored us came was when it was time to pay, and she did so with an unapologetic big smile. My biggest regret was that I added the tip. She didn’t do anything to serve, so the tip goes to a bus boy. The food was decent but nothing extraordinary compared to what we are used to in the South Bay for the price and NO service. What a shame that a restaurant like this can be considered “local favorite”. Big management issues here.

Teresa L

I never had “no service” experience at the restaurants that charges $30+/- for entree. The waitress in our area was busy serving everyone around bur except us. She kept passing by as if we were invisible. She even took orders and brought food to the families and the couple who sat after us while 1 hour had passed after we were seated. Finally a man with a chef’s uniform approached and asked if we were being served. The only time the same waitress who ignored us came was when it was time to pay, and she did so with an unapologetic big smile. My biggest regret was that I added the tip. She didn’t do anything to serve, so the tip goes to a bus boy. The food was decent but nothing extraordinary compared to what we are used to in the South Bay for the price and NO service. What a shame that a restaurant like this can be considered “local favorite”. Big management issues here.