Emporio Rulli
464 Magnolia Ave, San Rafael, CA
Crema's Take
“This old-school Italian café in San Rafael is a pastry lover's pilgrimage, where buttery biscotti and delicate bomboloni steal the show alongside genuinely good cappuccinos. The buzzy, well-appointed space with both indoor and outdoor seating feels like a proper meeting spot where you can linger over coffee and conversation, though fair warning—the lunch items don't quite match the pastry department's excellence and crowds are real. It's pricey but the quality shines through, especially when you pair a perfect espresso drink with one of their standout Italian sweets.”
What to expect
Google Reviews
Often crowded, lunch items are just ok but the pastries and the biscotti are the headline here. Expensive yes, but very much worth it. Service was good as was the cappuccino!
The quality of the pastries was good...its just that some were stale, so not the fault of the baker. Yes, I also choose more off the beaten path type foods, but if you cant keep them fresh, then make more or dont sell at all.
Old school Italian cafe with delicious pastries but also yummy salads, soup, and sandwiches. Great coffee too with ample seating indoors and out.
After an afternoon of hiking in Marin, my youngest daughter was enraged, so I decided to calm her down with coffee and pastries. It worked. We stumbled onto Emporio Rulli and I really wanted to love this place but something felt off. The food was very good and the service was stellar but the store was so empty that it felt strange to be virtually the only people there. Eventually, a few others stopped in but with the amount of pastries and cakes prepared, it appeared they were all ready for business and the customers didn’t come in that day. I look forward to coming back sometime soon as places like this really need local support. Don’t you agree? Michael Delehanty Compass Real Estate
Stopped in for a quick morning bite and coffee and was totally blown away. My wife's chocolate bomboloni was so delicate with the most creamy chocolate filling. I had a mortadella sandwich with artichoke and frisee and would recommend. Cappuccino was spot on, and my wife enjoyed her latte. I plan to stop in tomorrow for some pastries to take away.
Crema Reviews
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