777 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965 (See Map Below)
Phone 415-332-7771
Neighborhood: Downtown Sausalito (Ferry Pier). Poggio website and reservations are here. Free valet parking next door at the Casa Madrona Hotel. Open for Light Italian Breakfast and for Lunch and Dinner.
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Poggio Trattoria
Poggio is an award-winning restaurant that makes you feel like you’re dining in Italy. In nice weather sitting at the tables on the sidewalk is just like being in Europe… and after making regular trips to Europe the last few years I can say that the prices here are often better! (OK, our buses are noisier than the buses in most European cities, but that’s just a detail.) At dinner call ahead for a reservation to avoid a long wait on weekends or during the summer.
Legendary restaurateur Larry Mindel came out of retirement to create Poggio after being shown the raw space on the ground floor of the modern wing of the Casa Madrona Hotel. Poggio was joined by sister restaurant Copita down the street several years ago.
They focus on fresh organic local produce and high quality seafood and meat, and the menu changes significantly each day. The downside is that the dish you loved may only be available for a couple of weeks when the ingredients are in season.
Sometime during the evening the General Manager or the Manager on duty will come over to your table and ask you if you’re enjoying your meal. And they’ll actually listen to what you say when you answer instead of just smiling, nodding politely and moving on without hearing a word you said.
Poggio has “this is a dish you don’t usually see outside Italy” menu items, often specials they do for special occasions. I like to ask if any unusual dishes are currently on the menu, and occasionally that query will produce a meal I love with a name I’ve never heard before.
Insiders Tip: To get to the restrooms you have to take a little elevator (located just outside the front door) to the second floor.
Insiders Tip: For locals and early-risers: Poggio opens the front area of the restaurant (closest to the bar) as an Italian coffee shop at 6:30 in the morning, where they offer continental breakfast with wonderful pastries and great coffee. They have both indoor and outdoor seating for breakfast when the weather allows, and there are heaters near the sidewalk tables.
Something else that people should know about Poggio? Have you discovered that Poggio means “the little indentation on the inside of your elbow” in an obscure Piemonte dialect? Disagree with any of our suggestions? Please let us know!
