San Anselmo
MARIN COUNTY
The San Anselmo Guide
San Anselmo sits in the sunny heart of the Ross Valley with some of the best weather in all of Marin, a downtown worth lingering in, and a community that takes both its food scene and its schools seriously. It's central, walkable, deeply local, and quietly one of the most livable towns in the county. People move here and stay for decades. That's the tell.
The Vibe
Tucked between San Rafael, Ross, and Fairfax, San Anselmo has that rare quality of feeling like a real town -- not a suburb, not a destination, but a place where people actually live. The downtown corridor along San Anselmo Avenue is lined with independent restaurants, wine bars, coffee shops, and boutiques that have been here long enough to feel like institutions. San Anselmo Creek runs behind the main drag, the hills rise on every side, and the sun hits the Ross Valley in a way that feels earned -- this is consistently one of the warmest microclimates in Marin.
Neighborhoods range from the classic California bungalows and Craftsman cottages of the Flatlands to the sun-soaked, semi-rural lanes of Sleepy Hollow -- with its whimsical street names straight out of Washington Irving -- to the Seminary neighborhood along the Ross border, all ancient oaks and quiet streets. Dogs are welcome everywhere downtown. Water bowls line the sidewalks. The community actually means it.Local Lore
The town grew around a train stop established in the 1870s, later becoming “The Hub” — a crossroads connecting the Ross Valley to West Marin. That intersection still defines San Anselmo’s geography and spirit: connected, communal, and full of life.
Eat + Drink
M.H. Bread & Butter — The town's heartbeat. Coffee, sourdough, seasonal pastries, and neighbors you'll see again tomorrow. 2025 Best Bakery in Marin County.
Insalata's — Mediterranean-inspired institution where locals gather for milestones and midweek dinners alike. Don’t feel like cooking? The back counter has their famed dishes to go.
Comforts Café — A San Anselmo staple famous for its Chinese Chicken Salad, Chicken Okasan and baked goods.
Madcap — Michelin-recognized dining in an intimate setting. Artful, local, and quietly world-class. Chef Ron Siegel's vegetable-forward tasting menu is one of the best experiences in all of Marin.
Cucina SA — Italian-Californian comfort with a lively, neighborhood feel. Handmade pastas, wood-fired pizzas, and a heated back patio year-round. 2025 Best Italian and Best Al Fresco Dining in Marin.
Creekside Pizza & Taproom — Family-friendly and full of local energy. 2025 Best Pizza in Marin. Craft beer, the Perfect Storm pizza, and a tap list that keeps regulars loyal.
Marinitas — Insalata's sister restaurant, serving creative Mexican and Latin American cuisine with a festive energy and margaritas worth crossing town for.
Valenti & Co. — Authentic Italian with an open kitchen, a warmly lit back patio, and a daily-changing menu. The carpaccio and the triple chocolate tower at dessert are the ones to order.
The Baan Thai Cuisine — Premium Thai in an upscale, thoughtfully designed space. Fresh, seasonal, and consistently excellent. 2025 Best Thai in Marin County.
Kuro Nami — The newest addition from the Baan Thai team. Inventive sushi, premium sake, and dishes that go well beyond the standard roll menu. Already one of the most exciting openings in Marin.
Longway Café — A coffee shop built around Lady Falcon Coffee, a woman-owned small-batch roaster. Clean, minimal, and very good. The collaboration with Baan Thai for a Thai iced coffee is the kind of local detail that makes this town fun.
Marin Coffee Roasters — Specialty coffee and fresh food on the corner of San Anselmo Avenue and Tamalpais. The best people-watching seat in town.
Taco Jane's — Festive, colorful, and beloved for its enchiladas and lively atmosphere. A San Anselmo staple.
Bar Voyage — Natural wines, craft cocktails, and Sonoran-style burritos in San Anselmo's original movie theater. Long bar, fireplace lounge, and a low-key evening energy this town does well.
Ludwig's Fine Wine & Spirits — The neighborhood liquor store done right. Good selection, people who actually know what they're talking about, and the kind of place where you leave with something better than what you came in for.
Matteucci's — San Anselmo's only true bar, and an honest one. Cold beers, good people, no pretense.
Where to Shop
San Anselmo Avenue is one of the best independent shopping streets in Marin -- no chains, all local, and a genuine sense that the owners care what's on the shelf. Sunset Magazine called it the best antique destination in the West, and with over 130 vendors along Sir Francis Drake Boulevard and the surrounding blocks, a Saturday afternoon of browsing here is genuinely hard to improve on.
Antiques Legacy — A 40-dealer collective open since 1973 in the heart of downtown. The gold standard of the antique district and the first stop for serious collectors.
Dove Place Antiques — Marin's premier antique consignment store, open for over 25 years. Estate pieces, furniture, and art at every price point.
Still — Curated interiors in one beautifully designed space. The kind of shop that makes you want to go home and rethink your living room.
Seesaw Kids — The go-to children's consignment shop. Quality secondhand clothing, toys, and gear at prices that make sense. A genuine community resource and a first stop for local families.
East Peak General Store — Carefully curated outdoor gear, apparel, and goods for life in Marin.
OCN Culture — An ocean-centric lifestyle shop rooted in surf and Hawaiian beach culture. Organic and eco-friendly apparel, retro wetsuits, surfboards, and rotating art shows. The coolest shop on the avenue.
The Image Flow — A photography gallery and learning center with rotating exhibitions of serious work. One of the best art spaces in central Marin.
Artist Within Gallery — Art, jewelry, and textiles from over 50 local Cedars Artists.
Sugarfoot Books — A beloved independent bookstore named after the town's cast iron deer.
Where to Learn
San Anselmo is served by the Ross Valley School District, which covers K through 8 with several well-regarded campuses including Brookside Elementary and Wade Thomas Elementary, both known for strong academics and deeply engaged parent communities. Students feed into White Hill Middle School, one of the best public middle schools in Marin.
For high school, students attend Archie Williams High School in Fairfax -- recently renamed and reimagined, with strong academics, arts programs, and an outdoor culture that reflects the values of the Ross Valley.
Private options include St. Anselm School in San Anselmo for TK through 8, as well as Marin Academy and Branson School for high school. And right in the center of town, the San Francisco Theological Seminary campus -- called "The Castle" by locals -- sits on a hilltop above downtown with stunning Gothic architecture, peaceful walkable grounds, and sweeping views of Mount Tam. Worth a slow walk through any time of year.
Wellness + Movement
Vitality Code — The best gym in Marin by most accounts. Boutique, spotlessly clean, with top-of-the-line equipment, elite personal training, cold plunge, red light sauna, and a clinical nutritionist on staff. Owner Chris has built something that actually lives up to the word wellness. Multiple Best of Marin awards and a genuinely loyal community.
X·CORE — High-intensity, low-impact Pilates on signature xFormer machines. 45 minutes, full body, and harder than it looks. A cult following for good reason.
Red Dragon Yoga — A long-standing local favorite for yoga with real depth. Classes range from beginner to advanced and the community is warm and unpretentious.
The Flow Space — A movement studio specializing in Gyrotonic and Gyrokinesis -- a method that's hard to describe until you try it and immediately understand why people are devoted to it. Also offers massage therapy and Pilates.
Elan Fitness — Women-only gym with over 35 years in business. Group classes, personal training, yoga, Zumba, and spa services. A San Anselmo institution.
Sorich Ranch Park — The favorite local off-leash dog walking spot, with trails that climb into the hills above town and reward the effort with big views.
Bald Hill — Locals call it Baldy. A reliable hill run or hike with sweeping views of Mount Tam, the Ross Valley, and the Bay. One of those trails that becomes a weekly ritual.
Red Hill Dog Park — One of Marin's best off-leash dog parks. If you have a dog, this will become part of your daily life within a week of moving here.
Memorial Park — Tennis courts, basketball, playgrounds, and open green space at the heart of town.
Where to Get Outside
San Anselmo sits at the center of a trail network that connects to the best of central and West Marin. Sorich Ranch Park and Bald Hill are accessible directly from town, with the latter connecting into the Terra Linda-Sleepy Hollow Divide Trail for longer ridge runs with views that span the Bay. Faudé Park is the locals' secret sunset spot -- short but steep, with a view that makes you feel like you're on top of the world.
Cyclists use San Anselmo as a launching point for rides west into Fairfax and beyond toward Point Reyes, or east toward Sausalito via the Bay Area bike path network. The San Anselmo Creek Trail runs through the center of town for gentle walks and dog runs. Memorial Park is the community green -- tennis courts, basketball, playgrounds, and the kind of open Saturday energy that defines a healthy neighborhood.
Events + Happenings
Live on the Avenue — Every Friday and Saturday evening from June through September, San Anselmo Avenue closes to traffic and the whole town comes out for live music, al fresco dining, and a genuine summer street party. One of the best free events in all of Marin.
Movies in the Park — Outdoor film screenings at Creek Park every Saturday at sunset from June through September. Bring a blanket. Arrive early for a good spot.
San Anselmo Art & Wine Festival — An annual celebration of the town's creative spirit with art, food, wine, and music filling the downtown.
San Anselmo Country Fair — A beloved annual tradition. Darth Vader and Boba Fett once led the parade down the main street. That really happened, and it says everything about the relationship between this town and its most famous resident.
Imagination Park Christmas Tree Lighting — The community gathers under the Yoda and Indiana Jones statues every December to kick off the season. A very San Anselmo way to mark the holidays.
Why We Love It
Because San Anselmo is the real thing -- a walkable downtown that's stayed independent, a food scene that punches well above its size, schools that parents genuinely rave about, trails from your doorstep in every direction, and an antique district that Sunset Magazine once called the best in the West. George Lucas wrote Star Wars here and never left. Van Morrison wrote a song about it. The rest of us just get to live here.