Sitting three stories high in the center of the Village shopping mall in Corte Madera, lies the newly built Restoration Hardware. Restoration Hardware is a modern furniture and appliance store chain with a total of 36 stores across the country. At first glance, the building may appear to be an oversized furniture store, but it holds an extra addition, unique to this Restoration Hardware. This asset is a restaurant! They offer a wide variety of food served on their rooftop courtyard restaurant, open from 10am to 9pm Monday through Sunday. The rooftop is furnished with charming marble tables, elegant greenery, chandeliers and a lovely fountain in the center of the courtyard. Enclosed in retractable glass windows, the restaurant gives off an indoor-outdoor feel, with an abundance of natural lighting. Additionally, the restaurant has a stunning view of Mt. Tamalpais, along with the gorgeous hills of Marin. One thing to note is the importance of making a reservation, as the wait can be long depending on the hour.

Each table is equipped with hand sanitizer as well as scannable QR codes in order to access the menus due to COVID-19 safety precautions. Another notable aspect was the presence of airflow, which was maintained in the courtyard through open windows and doors. The restaurant seemed to be seating parties at every other table in order to minimize contact with one another. They also asked for guests to enter the restaurant through one entrance, and to leave on the elevator. 

The restaurant caters various dishes depending on the time of day, and offers brunch and dinner. Their brunch menu is composed of five separate sections: “Breakfast” (ranging from $12-$28), “For The Table” (ranging from $19-$43), “Salads” (ranging from $18-$19), “Entrees” (ranging from $20-$59) and “Sides” (ranging from $9-$18). One notable aspect of the menu is the lack of options suitable for those with dietary restrictions. Upon arriving at our table, we ordered one dish from each section, The RH Scramble ($20), Crispy Artichokes ($19), The Arugula Salad ($18), The Lobster Roll ($30) and the Truffle Fries ($18.)

To begin the meal, the Crispy Artichokes and Truffle Fries were an excellent appetizer. Both were served with an aioli sauce that was sprinkled with a variety of seasonings. The Truffle Fries came dressed in parmesan flakes and were extremely smooth and perfectly buttery. The artichokes were very crispy and cooked to perfection.  

The entrees, while very good, were not as amazing as the appetizers. Despite being plated elegantly and tasting great, it wasn’t anything unique to Restoration Hardware, especially considering the price. The staff was extremely friendly and the service was of a medium pace. However, we did experience a small mix-up. The entrees were brought out before the appetizers had been cleared, which felt slightly hectic.  The table became cramped with plates, which made sharing food a little harder. However, it had no large effect on the dining experience. 

To finish off the meal, the obvious choice was to order their best selling dessert: The Cookies. One order came with three individual gooey, warm chocolate chunk cookies sprinkled with flakey salt. They were the perfect way to conclude the meal. 

If you’re looking for an elegant, formal setting for a special event, Restoration Hardware is your place! Despite their steep prices, the restaurant is a lovely experience and worth trying.