La Playa

Shawn Gorey

This was honestly one of the best dining experiences I've had in months. We had the Guacamole y Totopos, Pork and Chicharron Asian Pear Tacos, and Birria Tacos. The chips were super crunchy, salty, and definitely homemade. The guacamole was super tasty, I wish there was more of it. haha. The pork tacos were good, but they needed a bit of salsa. They were next level after putting some Salsa Verde one them. The birria tacos were amazing. Basically mini quesadillas. The dipping broth was of course great too. When my tacos were gone, I drank the whole bowl. Our server brought us a complimentary dessert which was amazing. It was ice cream with chocolate, nuts, basil, and what I think was an oil. Our service was the highlight. Luis A was kind, complimentary, and personable. The dude just made our whole night. He was there when we needed him, and went out of his way to take care of us and talk with us. He told us about his son and his wife, and him giving us free dessert was more than nice of him. He made the night very special for us and was just amazing! I watched him and the other servers moving quickly to take care of guests and even use a knife to get stuff out from in between the wood planks in the table while cleaning up. The atmosphere was great. Exposed brick, lots of windows with natural light, pretty lights, a well-stocked bar, clean and professional-looking staff. Even their bathrooms were nice. We had such a good time. We will be back again!

J A

Not sure why this place doesn’t have 5 stars. Food was amazing , drinks were amazing, and from the start before entering the building the experience was super. Thank you everyone that works at Playa for making this experience a great one

Nicholas McNamara

Great restaurant. Only recently heard about it and tried it. I have nothing bad to say about the place - food was great. We didn’t have a single dish that I’d say was a miss. Service was what you’d expect for a nice restaurant. Atmosphere was also great. We sat at an out door patio that was mostly covered, but allowed for dogs. Indoor section was also bright and airy, with a nice modern aesthetic. The drink menu was also really great, with a strong selection of cocktails. This might just be my favorite restaurant right now in Mill Valley. Though, I’m fairness, I haven’t been to that many restaurants there. I’d definitely return.

Jaskaran Virdi

This is the place for an elevated Mexican experience! Beautiful interiors and amazing food! Highly recommended. Agua Frescas are highly refreshing.

Mónica De Pruneda

This restaurant was so much fun to visit in Mill Valley ca. My family took me there to celebrate my birthday. I definitely had a blast. To started the drinks were just perfect. The staff was fun and super nice. The music was perfect for my taste and the occasion. The food is amazingly delicious. Fresh cooked and quick served. The environment had great vibes. Super popular! The service was very quick, even how popular it is. The place is beautiful, spacious, and super clean. Perfect for a get-together, birthday party, or special event. Inside and out door seating. Outdoors is also a beautiful setting. They have a nice bar. The restroom is very clean Parking is really easy to find $$$

Marie Schneider

One of my favorite places in Mill Valley - stellar food with amazing atmosphere. We had the guac and it is the perfect blend of flavor. Baja Fish and Camarones tacos are *chef’s kiss*. The patio is a slice of absolute heaven.

Vijetha Vijayakumar

This place is classy. Not just are their interiors and decor classy. But their food and drinks are also CLASSY. Great and fresh food. :) We took Brussels sprouts, nachos and vegetarian tacos. The gauc and sauces they give with the chips were fresh. So were the chips. I was super impressed with their vegetarian tacos as they were unusually good compared to other places. Their outdoor seating is especially such a charm on a bright summer day. I wish I could spend my whole afternoon here with more food and drinks. But, it's definitely a great place to come with your friends.

Toraya Miller

Amazing food full of yummy goodness! Must have the guacamole and chilaquiles! Will not disappoint.

Monica Guevara

Overall delicious food, tasty drinks, and a lovely flan. Exactly what I wanted for my solo dinner on a work trip.

Daniel Flores

Last weekend we had a pleasant surprise of having brunch at playa. The food was amazing I had a carnitas torta that was perfectly made and my wife had the Al pastor tacos everything tasted amazing. They also have the full bar open in the morning for those that are hung over or looking for a good drink. For dessert we had the churros and they were out of this world.

Isabel McGraw

They are very busy through the weekend, so make sure to do reservations. The drinks are good, food is great and well presented. Great to go with a group of friends, or family. Price on the average for the area.

Had lunch here a week ago. Great food and great service. Best margaritas too! And the fish tacos are always the freshest.

Just finished a delicious and memorable dinner at Playa! While the food was amazing and atmosphere was bright and cozy, our server **Luis** was the real standout of the night! He made us feel genuinely welcome and warm, as well as provided GREAT recommendations on the food and cocktails. We ordered the wood grilled Camarones that came with an amazing chili aioli - highly recommend, and the meat platter, which was also top notch tenderness and flavor. Cocktails were also all made from scratch and perfectly balanced. Do yourself a favor and grab dinner at Playa asap!

Playa is constantly good. We would feel comfortable ordering anything on the menu. The grilled fish taco is our favorite order. They have a large portion of fresh fish perfectly grilled and served on a house-made soft corn tortilla with micro greens and a delicious, spicy sauce. Octopus is only available at dinner. There is a full bar and the margaritas are good. Service is friendly and capable.

Katie Sindelar

Just finished a delicious and memorable dinner at Playa! While the food was amazing and atmosphere was bright and cozy, our server **Luis** was the real standout of the night! He made us feel genuinely welcome and warm, as well as provided GREAT recommendations on the food and cocktails. We ordered the wood grilled Camarones that came with an amazing chili aioli - highly recommend, and the meat platter, which was also top notch tenderness and flavor. Cocktails were also all made from scratch and perfectly balanced. Do yourself a favor and grab dinner at Playa asap!

Overall, a very good experience. Places is definitely bustling and clearly one of the livelier spots in town. Wait staff were friendly and extremely professional. Food was good as well, but at least in my opinion is in that odd spot where it’s a little overly presented, and although flavorful didn’t really pack that really integrated and flavorful punch that you get excited about experiencing. That being said, we only had a few of the smaller plates, and the chips and guacamole and salsa are definitely excellent. Drinks were solid as well although a little bit on the lighter and sweeter side. Would definitely dine here again.

Very hip place and nice vibe. Great homemade tortilla chips and salsa. Guacamole was good but small portions and missing ingredients. (About $14 for a ladle of it) I had the tacos Al pastor (You can't mix or match the tacos) they were decent. Good flavor but a little over cooked. The mole was good, a little too sweet and nothing like the real thing. A lot of the same flavor inside in the chicken and outside. Margaritas are delicious and have puree in them instead of syrups like other spots. Over all it was a decent meal.

Good NY Steak, loved the chimichurri. Tasty guacamole (just wish the chips had come with the order), get the good cilantro rice to go with the steak. The churros could've been improved- nothing innovative too. it was served with the rest of the dishes so it was also cold by the time we finished our meal. Service was really good and wait staff was more than helpful.

Mexican flavor dishes from Jalisco, MX! Stopped in for a drink @ the bar. Had chips (little to greasy) and salsa & guacamole the flavor of the salsa was so good we decided to order some food. Tacos were delicious homemade tortilla and the meat had great flavor! The service was a little off bartenders seem to be new. Definitely recommend.

Porschephilia

Overall, a very good experience. Places is definitely bustling and clearly one of the livelier spots in town. Wait staff were friendly and extremely professional. Food was good as well, but at least in my opinion is in that odd spot where it’s a little overly presented, and although flavorful didn’t really pack that really integrated and flavorful punch that you get excited about experiencing. That being said, we only had a few of the smaller plates, and the chips and guacamole and salsa are definitely excellent. Drinks were solid as well although a little bit on the lighter and sweeter side. Would definitely dine here again.

K.t. Ll

Very hip place and nice vibe. Great homemade tortilla chips and salsa. Guacamole was good but small portions and missing ingredients. (About $14 for a ladle of it) I had the tacos Al pastor (You can't mix or match the tacos) they were decent. Good flavor but a little over cooked. The mole was good, a little too sweet and nothing like the real thing. A lot of the same flavor inside in the chicken and outside. Margaritas are delicious and have puree in them instead of syrups like other spots. Over all it was a decent meal.

Danielle Veluz

Good NY Steak, loved the chimichurri. Tasty guacamole (just wish the chips had come with the order), get the good cilantro rice to go with the steak. The churros could've been improved- nothing innovative too. it was served with the rest of the dishes so it was also cold by the time we finished our meal. Service was really good and wait staff was more than helpful.

Lana Rivera

Mexican flavor dishes from Jalisco, MX! Stopped in for a drink @ the bar. Had chips (little to greasy) and salsa & guacamole the flavor of the salsa was so good we decided to order some food. Tacos were delicious homemade tortilla and the meat had great flavor! The service was a little off bartenders seem to be new. Definitely recommend.

Mark Steele

Fun experience with friends. Food and drink were neither amazing nor terrible. Prices seemed about 20% than they should have been for average product. Ceviche perhaps was made with fresh fish earlier in day, but had been pre-made so solidly overcooked by end of service. Shrimp burrito was solid. Ambiance was comfortable. One of the only games in town for Mill Valley's dining scene, so you'll end up here one way or another.

So our friends took us to this restaurant and they really raved about it. On the outside of the restaurant, you see a sign with the Michelin logo on it so that was a good sign, right? The atmosphere is fantastic and the place was packed. We got the chips and salsa and the elote corn which are both excellent but then when we all got our mains which were the grilled fish tacos, carnitas tacos, and vegetable tacos we were underwhelmed. The main problem was that the spices were too overpowering so you couldn't taste the flavor of the protein or vegetables. The service was excellent and very attentive. Like all restaurants these days, this place was up there in expense around $50 per person and that included the cocktail each.

Grant Clark

So our friends took us to this restaurant and they really raved about it. On the outside of the restaurant, you see a sign with the Michelin logo on it so that was a good sign, right? The atmosphere is fantastic and the place was packed. We got the chips and salsa and the elote corn which are both excellent but then when we all got our mains which were the grilled fish tacos, carnitas tacos, and vegetable tacos we were underwhelmed. The main problem was that the spices were too overpowering so you couldn't taste the flavor of the protein or vegetables. The service was excellent and very attentive. Like all restaurants these days, this place was up there in expense around $50 per person and that included the cocktail each.

This is my 653rd review, I know a thing about some things, and am being /very/ generous with my rating here. I'm convinced that playa is more like player, because I got played on this total rip off. This was the most single disappointing $50 bucks I've spent in ages. -- I had the playa margarita, while strong, the taste was stale. The chips that everyone lauds about were wildly oily and comically expensive and guac, which is 16+ friggin bucks. I wanted to get the mole but dietary restrictions sent me to the al pastor quesadilla, which I was kinda excited about. As a bit of an al pastor snob, I validated it was cooked on a rotisserie as I ordered, which is a must for pastor, and they claimed it was, But what came out was flavorless and bland. Crispy and hot is no substitute for flavor, which it lacked in volumes. Like authentic flavors die here I think. It's just over priced, bland and curated for people wanting to feel fancy, but hesitant to go to a real taco shop for fear it might be too spicy. The sauce didn't even remotely complement the lack of flavor. Value proposition was so bad, I literally wanted to walk out of not for my party. The old photos show that even the quesadilla once had 4 pieces, but now it's 3 with about 2 oz of meat, maybe. It also doesn't even come with rice and beans, that's another 12 bucks. Like JFC, seriously? The prices are already hilariously stupid, and then they go and add a 4% surcharge on top for health insurance.... They're charging $21 for chips and guac and they need to add 4% for health insurance. I think they got that covered... There is not a chance in hell I would ever recommend this place. I could be a multi-millionaire and still feel ripped off. Service was fine, but at no point did the wait staff fill up water, or even know where the food went to on the table and just kind hocked food out and expected us to figure out where it went, let alone even ask how the food was or came out, so they hardly earned the tip or their 4% surcharge. This restaurant is on the Michelin Guide, which is shocking, but no wonder it's never earned a real star. I'm bewildered how this place has any worthwhile reviews because it was beyond mid. I know the manager wants to create a memorable experience, and it was memorably bad. It earns a super mediocre ripoff rating from me for my 653rd review.

Grant Ellis

This is my 653rd review, I know a thing about some things, and am being /very/ generous with my rating here. I'm convinced that playa is more like player, because I got played on this total rip off. This was the most single disappointing $50 bucks I've spent in ages. -- I had the playa margarita, while strong, the taste was stale. The chips that everyone lauds about were wildly oily and comically expensive and guac, which is 16+ friggin bucks. I wanted to get the mole but dietary restrictions sent me to the al pastor quesadilla, which I was kinda excited about. As a bit of an al pastor snob, I validated it was cooked on a rotisserie as I ordered, which is a must for pastor, and they claimed it was, But what came out was flavorless and bland. Crispy and hot is no substitute for flavor, which it lacked in volumes. Like authentic flavors die here I think. It's just over priced, bland and curated for people wanting to feel fancy, but hesitant to go to a real taco shop for fear it might be too spicy. The sauce didn't even remotely complement the lack of flavor. Value proposition was so bad, I literally wanted to walk out of not for my party. The old photos show that even the quesadilla once had 4 pieces, but now it's 3 with about 2 oz of meat, maybe. It also doesn't even come with rice and beans, that's another 12 bucks. Like JFC, seriously? The prices are already hilariously stupid, and then they go and add a 4% surcharge on top for health insurance.... They're charging $21 for chips and guac and they need to add 4% for health insurance. I think they got that covered... There is not a chance in hell I would ever recommend this place. I could be a multi-millionaire and still feel ripped off. Service was fine, but at no point did the wait staff fill up water, or even know where the food went to on the table and just kind hocked food out and expected us to figure out where it went, let alone even ask how the food was or came out, so they hardly earned the tip or their 4% surcharge. This restaurant is on the Michelin Guide, which is shocking, but no wonder it's never earned a real star. I'm bewildered how this place has any worthwhile reviews because it was beyond mid. I know the manager wants to create a memorable experience, and it was memorably bad. It earns a super mediocre ripoff rating from me for my 653rd review.

Worst mexican restaurant I have ever been. I have no idea how they been chosen for Michelin list for so many years. The $45. Dish tastes horrible. Every thing is super burned including the sauce. The ingredients are no good and not the same with the menu. Sausage is unbelievable salty. The chips with 3 kinds of salsa charge you for $5.5 and it’s not taste good as well. We asked for the regular salsa and she gave us a small cup of the chopped tomatoes and charged us for another $6. The lemonade is very watery. Only the lady takes us in is nice, other than her we almost get no service. We hear the waiter keeps going to the table behind us and asking them “how’s the food “ but not even asked us once. After we told him the food is over burn and he just doesn’t seem to care.😅

葉芳君

Worst mexican restaurant I have ever been. I have no idea how they been chosen for Michelin list for so many years. The $45. Dish tastes horrible. Every thing is super burned including the sauce. The ingredients are no good and not the same with the menu. Sausage is unbelievable salty. The chips with 3 kinds of salsa charge you for $5.5 and it’s not taste good as well. We asked for the regular salsa and she gave us a small cup of the chopped tomatoes and charged us for another $6. The lemonade is very watery. Only the lady takes us in is nice, other than her we almost get no service. We hear the waiter keeps going to the table behind us and asking them “how’s the food “ but not even asked us once. After we told him the food is over burn and he just doesn’t seem to care.😅