It’s shut down still. Cool vistas, but nothing to really do there!
Mary
The place is wonderful, too bad the restaurant is closed and everything is dilapidated
John Lumea
My review is particularly for the elegant neoclassical Cliff House building of 1909, by the firm of Reid & Reid — the building that replaced Adolph Sutro's famous "Gingerbread Palace," destroyed by fire in 1907 — and for the spectacular location.The 2004 renovation and expansion of the Cliff House inexcusably "bunkered" the 1909 building on its front elevation — painting over the windows; making the front of the building a blank, uninviting wall — so that the building has turned its back on the street for nearly 20 years.I hope the new "operators" recently selected by The Cliff House's owner, the National Park Service, will be able to bring the 1909 building more in line with its late 1940s incarnation shown here.
Rachelle M.
Can I just say, what a view?! I'm in love with my first family dining experience here and the service was impeccable. We dined at the Sutro's were you had to take the elevator up to the restaurant. We were escorted and seated right by the window and ambiance couldn't be more perfect. We also came at the right time, weather was gloomy but perfect. My daughter who is autistic usually cannot tolerate a lot of restaurants but she enjoyed herself and that made the dining experience much more pleasurable. Now let's review the food, I usually know when the food is really good if my daughter devours the food and she did! If the food is not palatable and to her liking, she will not eat even when she's hungry. What we ordered: Bacon Crusted Scottish Salmon, Steak Frites, Crab Cakes which we're plenty for sharing. The salmon was moist and tasted really fresh, the mashed potatoes that the salmon rested on was perfectly paired with the sauce created by the chef. The steak frites was cooked to perfection as well and my all time favorite, the crab cake! Let me just say that a good crab cake consists mostly of crab not batter. You know it's good when you can see chunks of fresh crab perfectly crunchy on the outside and moist chunks of crabs on the inside. My mouth was seafood happy! Is your mouth watering yet? lol Can wait for things to open up after this pandemic and try the other dishes on their menu and enjoy that amazing view!
Doty B.
January 2020 - Birthday brunch with Mom and the whole gang. What a view. What a brunch. Selections were amazing. Presentation was amazing. A bit crowded and loud but worth the trip. We got lucky with a perfect sunny day.
Darlene L.
(02-05-20) Whenever we searched for places to dine in San Francisco, The Cliff House always popped up and the restaurant was quite interesting with history and beautiful views. However, we never made it there. That changed on this trip. We made reservations prior to flying to the Bay Area. We invited a couple, who live in Tiburon and are very dear friends, to join us that evening. Reservations were at 5:30pm which is allowed us to watch the sunset. The ocean views surrounding the property were spectacular! Because we were slightly early, I decided to venture into their quaint gift shop and pick up some coloring books for our grandchildren. Our friends were already seated and our table was right up against the window providing a front row seat to this fabulous sunset. The staff were warm and friendly and very professional. The food was excellent as we had anticipated. We had Caesar Salad, Clam Chowder, Salmon for our entree and we shared the desserts. We enjoyed the sunset, the service, the food, and the conversation so much, we forgot to take photos of all our courses. Nonetheless, dining at The Cliff House was a great way to begin our excursion in the city! We hope to return here on our future trips.
Roxanne P.
This place deserves quite a few good reviews because the yelp reviews almost detered me from going, luckily I was so focused on the view that we ended up going. I made a reservation for 245 and we got there right on time after parking and walking around observing the views The service: was excellent. We were seated right away and able to get a table by the window. Our server came over promptly and got us water and took our drinks. We put in apps with him and they came out super quick. The food: I got the salmon and my friend got the truffle raviolis. Both dishes were perfect. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the sauce that came with it was incredible. We also got the shrimp and they were a healthy size. I didn't love the bread which doesn't seem to be a popular opinion but that just may be my personal tastes. The espresso martini was the best espresso martini I've had in a long time. I also got a whiskey drink that the server recommended when I asked and it was delicious. The next time I'm in the Bay Area I will absolutely come back.
Evan P.
Oh wow! We went there on 2/23/2020 lunch. Food is mediocre and over priced, which is ok, we knew it and expected. We came here for the view only. We spent $160.41 including tip for two people lunch. I record all transactions right away. A week later I found they charged $162.41 to my credit card. I wasn't going to leave a bad review until I saw this terrible behavior. Can't believe the restaurant went so low to give away honesty for $2. Zero star for me and will never go back.
Stacey R.
BEST CRAB CAKES I CAN REMEMBER!! We were sooooo BLESSED. On a whim, we headed to the Bay to meet up with long time friends who flew in for a short stay- we ACTUALLY got a last minute reservation on a Friday night! And, while we arrived early, we had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the setting sun over the water, a short stroll seeing the sites, and a pop-in to the gift shop. The Valet was great! Front row parking! When we meandered in, a half-hour early, the hostess offered bar seating as a buffer to our table time. I believe the gentlemen could see the- "hmm" in our eyes and made arrangements straight away to secure an open table (great job team!). Our friends had never been before and marveled at the views, the professionalism, and didn't choke at the price. BECAUSE THE FOOD IS THAT GOOD! If you read the reviews and find people complaining about cost, its because they got lost and were looking for Applebees. Overall, the experience was WONDERFUL! I've never been let down- the food is decadent- the atmosphere is aptly measured by the professional service and staff. I'm sad we anticipated our long journey (back to the Valley) and couldn't take leftovers.
Gabby L.
DEFINITELY 5 STARS! I came here during Valentines weekend, and this place is perfect for a romantic date! It would be great to come here a little before the sun is setting because the view is absolutely beautiful and it's a great place to watch the sun set. I made a reservation prior to coming and they accommodated me almost immediately. We were sat near the windows and the server was very attentive, professional and friendly. I ordered the crab cake as appetizer as well as two drinks, one Cliff House Sangria and one Long Island iced tea. The crab cakes were SO good, the perfect amount of breading and a lot of fresh crab. For the main courses we ordered the duo of maple leaf farm duck and the roasted Alaskan halibut. The duck was so tender, cooked to perfection. It came with a duck leg as well which was crispy and a nice change in texture from the soft breast pieces. The halibut was amazing, the champagne beurre blanc sauce was the optimal pair and really made the halibut stand out. The whole entree was very tastefully thought out, every aspect complemented the other. Finally for dessert we got the creme brûlée. SO creamy and the hard sugar coating was very well done. I 10/10 recommend this restaurant, the food is very worth the price and setting is romantic. Will be coming here again for another nice occasion or for a celebration.
Had an a awesome experience! My fiancé and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary and was recommended by a friend to check this place out. Food was amazing, service was exceptional and the views were awesome! Tiffany was our waitress - very professional and gave awesome suggestions!
Mary W.
So the view is 20 star! Amazing sunset view! The food was good -- very good, but not great. My duck was was tasty, but the squash puree side dish was what was awesome! My friend liked her salmon, but it wasn't life changing. My other friend raved about her muscle dish, but her squash soup was just so-so. There was a good wine list and the service was super! I'd take guests there for the sunset experience, but I do not have a burning desire to go back just to eat.
Heidi R.
Ate here on Saturday, January 26th. Had a drink in the bar first with a friend where our young female server was a delight. I would go to the bar again! We then walked over to check in at the hostess station and stood there, ignored, while the long lashed woman with the R necklace pointedly ignored us. After a few minutes I spoke loudly, she looked up with a bored expression and said "Hi" in an uninviting voice. No welcome, no smile, so I initiated the conversation by saying that we have a reservation and our name. She looked down, picked up menus and proceeded to walk away, so we followed....she didn't even tell us to follow her. She put our menus down and as she walked away said something about having a good meal but still no smile or anything even kind. I have never had a terrible hostess but I now know what this looks like. We were astounded by the rudeness of this woman. Things went better after that. Our server was lovely and the busser was a gentleman. The food was good but the entree came out too soon...it would be nice to slow down the service so we could have finished our appetizer wine before the entree arrived.
Virginia P.
Absolutely one of the best experiences that we had in SF! The view from Sutro's is spectacular; we were there on a windy, slightly overcast day, but that didn't diminish our experience one bit. On Tuesdays they do half price bottles of wine, what a deal! We visited for lunch during the week, and were seated immediately at the window with a spectacular view. Don't worry though, I don't think there is a bad seat in the house, given that the windows are 40 ft tall. We both ordered the Skirt Steak with Frites ($34.00). It was the most tender skirt steak I've ever had; the frites were fresh and hot, with a sprinkle of parmesan. We also ordered a creme brûlée to share for dessert, also perfectly made. With the two main courses, bread (upcharge of $2.75 each), the bottle of wine, and one dessert, our total was $129. including tip. Totally worth the trip!
John E.
The view of the Sunset is spectacular. The bar drinks are great. The food is ok, no specials, nothing we tried really stood out. The waiter we had, was Mr No Personality. Pricey as well. Go for drinks.
It’s shut down still. Cool vistas, but nothing to really do there!
The place is wonderful, too bad the restaurant is closed and everything is dilapidated
My review is particularly for the elegant neoclassical Cliff House building of 1909, by the firm of Reid & Reid — the building that replaced Adolph Sutro's famous "Gingerbread Palace," destroyed by fire in 1907 — and for the spectacular location.The 2004 renovation and expansion of the Cliff House inexcusably "bunkered" the 1909 building on its front elevation — painting over the windows; making the front of the building a blank, uninviting wall — so that the building has turned its back on the street for nearly 20 years.I hope the new "operators" recently selected by The Cliff House's owner, the National Park Service, will be able to bring the 1909 building more in line with its late 1940s incarnation shown here.
Can I just say, what a view?! I'm in love with my first family dining experience here and the service was impeccable. We dined at the Sutro's were you had to take the elevator up to the restaurant. We were escorted and seated right by the window and ambiance couldn't be more perfect. We also came at the right time, weather was gloomy but perfect. My daughter who is autistic usually cannot tolerate a lot of restaurants but she enjoyed herself and that made the dining experience much more pleasurable. Now let's review the food, I usually know when the food is really good if my daughter devours the food and she did! If the food is not palatable and to her liking, she will not eat even when she's hungry. What we ordered: Bacon Crusted Scottish Salmon, Steak Frites, Crab Cakes which we're plenty for sharing. The salmon was moist and tasted really fresh, the mashed potatoes that the salmon rested on was perfectly paired with the sauce created by the chef. The steak frites was cooked to perfection as well and my all time favorite, the crab cake! Let me just say that a good crab cake consists mostly of crab not batter. You know it's good when you can see chunks of fresh crab perfectly crunchy on the outside and moist chunks of crabs on the inside. My mouth was seafood happy! Is your mouth watering yet? lol Can wait for things to open up after this pandemic and try the other dishes on their menu and enjoy that amazing view!
January 2020 - Birthday brunch with Mom and the whole gang. What a view. What a brunch. Selections were amazing. Presentation was amazing. A bit crowded and loud but worth the trip. We got lucky with a perfect sunny day.
(02-05-20) Whenever we searched for places to dine in San Francisco, The Cliff House always popped up and the restaurant was quite interesting with history and beautiful views. However, we never made it there. That changed on this trip. We made reservations prior to flying to the Bay Area. We invited a couple, who live in Tiburon and are very dear friends, to join us that evening. Reservations were at 5:30pm which is allowed us to watch the sunset. The ocean views surrounding the property were spectacular! Because we were slightly early, I decided to venture into their quaint gift shop and pick up some coloring books for our grandchildren. Our friends were already seated and our table was right up against the window providing a front row seat to this fabulous sunset. The staff were warm and friendly and very professional. The food was excellent as we had anticipated. We had Caesar Salad, Clam Chowder, Salmon for our entree and we shared the desserts. We enjoyed the sunset, the service, the food, and the conversation so much, we forgot to take photos of all our courses. Nonetheless, dining at The Cliff House was a great way to begin our excursion in the city! We hope to return here on our future trips.
This place deserves quite a few good reviews because the yelp reviews almost detered me from going, luckily I was so focused on the view that we ended up going. I made a reservation for 245 and we got there right on time after parking and walking around observing the views The service: was excellent. We were seated right away and able to get a table by the window. Our server came over promptly and got us water and took our drinks. We put in apps with him and they came out super quick. The food: I got the salmon and my friend got the truffle raviolis. Both dishes were perfect. The salmon was cooked perfectly and the sauce that came with it was incredible. We also got the shrimp and they were a healthy size. I didn't love the bread which doesn't seem to be a popular opinion but that just may be my personal tastes. The espresso martini was the best espresso martini I've had in a long time. I also got a whiskey drink that the server recommended when I asked and it was delicious. The next time I'm in the Bay Area I will absolutely come back.
Oh wow! We went there on 2/23/2020 lunch. Food is mediocre and over priced, which is ok, we knew it and expected. We came here for the view only. We spent $160.41 including tip for two people lunch. I record all transactions right away. A week later I found they charged $162.41 to my credit card. I wasn't going to leave a bad review until I saw this terrible behavior. Can't believe the restaurant went so low to give away honesty for $2. Zero star for me and will never go back.
BEST CRAB CAKES I CAN REMEMBER!! We were sooooo BLESSED. On a whim, we headed to the Bay to meet up with long time friends who flew in for a short stay- we ACTUALLY got a last minute reservation on a Friday night! And, while we arrived early, we had the opportunity to catch a glimpse of the setting sun over the water, a short stroll seeing the sites, and a pop-in to the gift shop. The Valet was great! Front row parking! When we meandered in, a half-hour early, the hostess offered bar seating as a buffer to our table time. I believe the gentlemen could see the- "hmm" in our eyes and made arrangements straight away to secure an open table (great job team!). Our friends had never been before and marveled at the views, the professionalism, and didn't choke at the price. BECAUSE THE FOOD IS THAT GOOD! If you read the reviews and find people complaining about cost, its because they got lost and were looking for Applebees. Overall, the experience was WONDERFUL! I've never been let down- the food is decadent- the atmosphere is aptly measured by the professional service and staff. I'm sad we anticipated our long journey (back to the Valley) and couldn't take leftovers.
DEFINITELY 5 STARS! I came here during Valentines weekend, and this place is perfect for a romantic date! It would be great to come here a little before the sun is setting because the view is absolutely beautiful and it's a great place to watch the sun set. I made a reservation prior to coming and they accommodated me almost immediately. We were sat near the windows and the server was very attentive, professional and friendly. I ordered the crab cake as appetizer as well as two drinks, one Cliff House Sangria and one Long Island iced tea. The crab cakes were SO good, the perfect amount of breading and a lot of fresh crab. For the main courses we ordered the duo of maple leaf farm duck and the roasted Alaskan halibut. The duck was so tender, cooked to perfection. It came with a duck leg as well which was crispy and a nice change in texture from the soft breast pieces. The halibut was amazing, the champagne beurre blanc sauce was the optimal pair and really made the halibut stand out. The whole entree was very tastefully thought out, every aspect complemented the other. Finally for dessert we got the creme brûlée. SO creamy and the hard sugar coating was very well done. I 10/10 recommend this restaurant, the food is very worth the price and setting is romantic. Will be coming here again for another nice occasion or for a celebration.
Restaurantji Recommends
Had an a awesome experience! My fiancé and I celebrated our 5 year anniversary and was recommended by a friend to check this place out. Food was amazing, service was exceptional and the views were awesome! Tiffany was our waitress - very professional and gave awesome suggestions!
So the view is 20 star! Amazing sunset view! The food was good -- very good, but not great. My duck was was tasty, but the squash puree side dish was what was awesome! My friend liked her salmon, but it wasn't life changing. My other friend raved about her muscle dish, but her squash soup was just so-so. There was a good wine list and the service was super! I'd take guests there for the sunset experience, but I do not have a burning desire to go back just to eat.
Ate here on Saturday, January 26th. Had a drink in the bar first with a friend where our young female server was a delight. I would go to the bar again! We then walked over to check in at the hostess station and stood there, ignored, while the long lashed woman with the R necklace pointedly ignored us. After a few minutes I spoke loudly, she looked up with a bored expression and said "Hi" in an uninviting voice. No welcome, no smile, so I initiated the conversation by saying that we have a reservation and our name. She looked down, picked up menus and proceeded to walk away, so we followed....she didn't even tell us to follow her. She put our menus down and as she walked away said something about having a good meal but still no smile or anything even kind. I have never had a terrible hostess but I now know what this looks like. We were astounded by the rudeness of this woman. Things went better after that. Our server was lovely and the busser was a gentleman. The food was good but the entree came out too soon...it would be nice to slow down the service so we could have finished our appetizer wine before the entree arrived.
Absolutely one of the best experiences that we had in SF! The view from Sutro's is spectacular; we were there on a windy, slightly overcast day, but that didn't diminish our experience one bit. On Tuesdays they do half price bottles of wine, what a deal! We visited for lunch during the week, and were seated immediately at the window with a spectacular view. Don't worry though, I don't think there is a bad seat in the house, given that the windows are 40 ft tall. We both ordered the Skirt Steak with Frites ($34.00). It was the most tender skirt steak I've ever had; the frites were fresh and hot, with a sprinkle of parmesan. We also ordered a creme brûlée to share for dessert, also perfectly made. With the two main courses, bread (upcharge of $2.75 each), the bottle of wine, and one dessert, our total was $129. including tip. Totally worth the trip!
The view of the Sunset is spectacular. The bar drinks are great. The food is ok, no specials, nothing we tried really stood out. The waiter we had, was Mr No Personality. Pricey as well. Go for drinks.