There are a handful of Marin restaurants that invoke special memories, and La Petite Auberge is one of those. In 1959, partners Paul Devaux, Roger Poli and Pierre Flobert opened La Petite Auberge at 704 Fourth St. in San Rafael, the former site of the Red Fox restaurant. La Petite Auberge (“Little Inn” in French) boasted old-world charm with red-and-white-checkered tablecloths, fine French cuisine, strolling musicians and an interior garden courtyard.
Open six days a week, the restaurant was originally open for lunch and dinner. It changed to just dinner in 1961 but also offered special luncheons for 45 or more guests. At this time, La Petite Auberge went through a remodel, and Pierre Grigaut joined the venture and became the maître d’hotel.
Originally from Vichy, France, Devaux worked as a chef at the Castle Harbour Hotel in Bermuda. After a short stint at Romanoff’s and Ondine’s, he opened La Petite Auberge with his partners. Chef Poli came from Draguignan, France, and was an apprentice cook in Saint-Raphaël on the French Riviera. He eventually landed at the Castle Harbour Hotel and Ondine’s, joining Devaux in 1960. Grigaut began his career in the hotel business in Paris, France. He worked as a captain at the Ambassador East Hotel in Chicago. While working as a captain at Trader Vic’s in San Francisco, Grigaut met Devaux and joined him at La Petite Auberge.
In 1966, La Petite Auberge was honored with national recognition for the quality and diversity of its cuisine by Venture Magazine. Menu favorites included potage, poisson, fromage, abalone dore, lamb noisettes with béarnaise sauce and, of course, beef bourguignon. In a Marin IJ dining column on Sept. 1, 1967, Harry Craft reflected on the overall ambiance. Ken Judnick, the strolling accordionist, would take requests and play French, Russian, Hawaiian and Greek music for guests. Craft summed up the overall dining experience by saying, “Live music of this kind makes for gaiety in dining, and I have no doubt that it is one reason for La Petite’s continuing popularity. A combination of good food, good wine and good music is hard to beat and is bound to bring diners back for an encore.”
Yet, a wonderful dining experience was not the only thing the restaurant offered. La Petite Auberge was involved in the community. In a March 4, 1975, Marin IJ article, Devaux is pictured with Brownie Troop 2246 inside the restaurant’s kitchen. The girls chose pots and pans to use as “percussion instruments” at the Marin Symphony Association’s concert at the Marin Veterans’ Memorial Auditorium in San Rafael. (We can guess that no amplification was needed.)
The restaurant was also a favorite venue for groups. In 1961, the Chrysanthemum Society of Marin held its installation dinner at the restaurant. In 1965, the restaurant prepared a special luncheon for the Society of the Preservation of Executive Secretaries. In 1969, after a jury finished deliberating on a case at the courthouse, the group dined at the restaurant.
Devaux ran the restaurant for 20 years, retiring in 1979, and Poli and Grigaut continued running the restaurant. After it closed, the Lotus Cuisine of India moved into La Petite’s former space in 2000. In 2021, New Delhi Indian Cuisine took over. Yet, for all those who enjoyed La Petite Auberge over the years, they can probably still hear the accordion music and remember the blissful French dishes while strolling past the familiar brick building.
History Watch is written by Lane Dooling, marketing and social media coordinator at the Marin History Museum, marinhistory.org. Images included in History Watch are available for purchase by calling 415-382-1182 or by email at info@marinhistory.org
Originally Published: August 11, 2025 at 4:28 PM PDT
Dining and Cooking