El Paseo Restaurant in Mill Valley is co-owned by Chef Tyler Florence and Sammy Hagar, and it’s one of the few places in Marin County where you can sit on the patio with your dog and actually get a really good meal. The menu shifts with the seasons but leans toward creative California cuisine alongside solid comfort food—think beautifully prepared entrées and appetizers worth sharing. The outdoor patio is where the action happens, especially on those perfect Bay Area days when you want to eat outside anyway.

The space itself has real character. You’re not sitting at some generic patio extension; there’s actual charm to the place. It’s the kind of spot where you can tell the owners care about details, from the decor to how they’ve thought through the dining experience. Tyler Florence’s influence shows in the cooking—nothing pretentious, but nothing phoned in either.

The patio is dog-friendly, which means you can bring your own dog to join you while you eat. Your dog will be right there with you as you work through the menu, watching the Mill Valley foot traffic and soaking in the atmosphere of the town. The vibe is relaxed in that way that only happens when a restaurant isn’t trying too hard to impress you.

The real practical thing to know: this place gets busy, especially on nice days when everyone in town has the same idea about outdoor dining. Calling ahead to reserve a patio table is genuinely important if you want to avoid a long wait. Also ask about their current pet policies when you call—policies can shift, and you’ll want to know what works before you show up with your dog expecting to sit outside. If you can get a spot on that patio on a sunny afternoon with good food and your dog at your feet, it’s a solid Mill Valley experience.