Cliff House, San Francisco

With the rich history of Cliff House, I always ponder how the old Cliff House would look like if it did not get burn down. However, the food at Cliff House is a bit pricy, and not as good as I have hoped. I ordered a $40 steak, but it was over-cooked. I spent $90 for a two person meal; I didn't get the satisfaction that I was hoping to get.

I would highly recommend the visiting the Cliff House for the beautiful view and awesome Land's End Hiking Trail, but I would not go back to Cliff's House again.

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O.K. take my advice, SKIP THE CLIFFHOUSE!! What did you come to SF for, anyway, pandering or history and fun?

Louis' diner sits precariously on the cliffs next to the Cliffhouse overlooking the beautiful waves splashing against the ruins of Sutro Baths and has all the views and flavor if not more. Plus, Louis' is a family diner, operated by the grandsons of the depression-era immigrant founders, who have kept it going ever since. Clam chowder (red), sourdough sandwiches, and all that good stuff you're looking for are here, as well as Sutro Bath souvenirs and posters without the long wait. Plus the service is friendly and epic (see this sfgate article on Louis' history including Rose, the waitress there for going on 60 years http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/gate/archive/1999/06/15/louis.DTL). If Rose isn't there, the rest of the staff is super friendly, too.

Don't eat at the Cliffhouse's new remodel prices, enjoy Louis'!

The Cliff house sits on the cliffs overlooking the Front beach. Often fog covers the coastline and creates a beautiful scene of seals, water and rocks . You can have a snack, coffee specialty or lunch and dinner. It's a busy place at times, depending on the time of year. The ride to get there is winding and right next to the Cliff House is Front beach. Waves pound the cosast here. On warm days the beach can be quite full but it's usually a pretty cold beach, Few people are in the water .

Favorite Dish: Cocktails! Forget the food and sit by the window and watch the Pacific!

Cliff House (the original) was built in 1863. The building in this c. 1965 photo is the 1909 building which was the third one.

The structure next door, which until recently housed a snack shop and the National Park Service visitors center (which wasn't there when we visited as NPS didn't buy the property until 1977), has been demolished. In its place, the new building will be constructed which will include a two-story dining room with vast views of the ocean, an observation deck and a grand entrance lobby. Included in the $14 million renovation program are repairs to the "camera obscura" located just below the Cliff House.

Favorite Dish: I understand that the new restaurant at this location has now opened. We obviously haven't been.

It's worth the wait for a window table. Esspecially if you've come for the sunset into the pacific ocean. (I took 17 photos just of the sunset).

The food was an interesting combination of Californian Fusion. I had a burger with brie and carmelised onions. But started with sushi. My partner had seared tuna with an interesting sauce.

The appletini's were good, as were their golden margaritas. But the best part about it is the view. Even if you're not there for the sunset, the view of the ocean crashing against the rocks below you is beautiful.

Favorite Dish: I wouldn't say there was a particularly good dish, but the view of the sunset and the large picture windows were great. The food is good, but nothing spectacular that I had.

Since 1863, the Cliff House has been a gathering place for San Franciscans and their guests. Four different variations of this building have stood on the cliffs overlooking Seal Rocks, at the northwest corner of San Francisco. Two earlier versions were rather modestly small in size, especially when compared with the elaborate eight-story Victorian building, which stood on that spot from 1896 to 1907 as the third Cliff House. But when that ornate building burned down, the fourth version to be built was designed more like the first two, simple, and made to blend in with the ocean and cliffs surrounding it. That fourth version is still standing today. The National Park Service acquired the Cliff House in 1977, and today it is preserved as part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area.

One thing all the Cliff Houses have in common is that they all offered breathtaking ocean views. From their windows you could see for miles down the coast, and watch any ships that might be sailing in or out of the Golden Gate. Regardless of which incarnation of the building a person was visiting, they always had a spectacular view.

While the Cliff House is a wonderful find for visitors from around the world, the vast majority of its customers are local San Franciscans. Because of this reservations are recommended, especially for the brunch which only seats 140 people. Since the view is a large part of the experience I recommend going there for the Sunday brunch, lunch or an early dinner. These times also allows you time to stroll the beach area, which is a treat in itself. For us the food there is ok, nothing special and not worth the high price

The Cliff House Restaurant is a landmark in San Francisco. The view is superb and the restaurant has been recently completely renovated in a modern style.

I have not eaten there since renovation but I did go inside and judging by the waiting list for the dining area, it must be pretty good !!

We had a wonderful meal here during sunset. The maitre-d was extremely nice + seated us at a window even though we did not look as fancy as all the other diners. Very professional staff. The Cliff House is an entire complex with several restaurants and a Mechanical Museum which we missed because it had just closed for the evening. This is a protected site because of its history.

Favorite Dish: The vegetarian tofu entree I had was good, not great. It's really the view at sunset that makes it worth coming here.