Cliff House

© Betsy Malloy 2006. Licensed to About.com, Inc., Request a Reprint

Cliff House at Twilight

• Hours: Open daily, hours vary
• Location: West side of San Francisco next to Ocean Beach, directions below
• Best Time to Visit: Especially pretty on clear days or near sunset

Today's Cliff House, renovated in 2004 is the third to stand on the cliffs overlooking Seal Rock.

The patio behind the Cliff House offers nice ocean views and a chance to see the Camera Obscura. Based on a Leonardo da Vinci design, it uses lenses and a mirror to produce 360-degree images of the area.

Just north of the Cliff House are the romantic Sutro Baths ruins, remains of an extravagant bathhouse built in 1896. Continue through this gallery to the Camera Obscura and Sutro Baths.

If you've been to Cliff House before and remember Musee Mechanique's old-fashioned arcade games, it moved to Fisherman's Wharf.

Cliff House Dining

Cliff House is mostly a place to eat. The informal Bistro serves basic fare and is open all day. It doesn't take reservations.

The fine dining restaurant, Sutro's serves lunch and dinner daily. Reservations are recommended. You can ask for a window table, but they won't guarantee you'll get one. The bar serves the same menu. Reserve for dinner online, but for Sunday brunch, you have to call 415-386-3330.

Cliff House Dining Review

Opinions of Cliff House vary. Locals at Yelp give both dining rooms 3.5 stars out of 5. The San Francisco Chronicle rates Sutro's 1.5 stars out of 5, but my friend Jesse of A Friend in Town tour company says his customers love it.

Sutro's dining room's ceiling-to-floor windows offer spectacular views. Sadly, food is expensive and mediocre at best. During my only visit, service was abysmal. My advice? Go shortly before sunset, have a drink at the bar or just stand outside and enjoy the view, then go somewhere else to eat.

Others may disagree. You can see what other people think about it.

What do you think of the Cliff House?

• Yuck!
• OK
• Good
• Awesome!

Getting to the Cliff House

Cliff House
1090 Point Lobos Ave
San Francisco, CA
415-386-3330
Cliff House website

Take Geary Blvd west. Veer right at 40th Ave onto Point Lobos Ave. Shortly after you see the ocean, you'll see the Cliff House. There's limited curbside parking along the street, but your best bet is the lot on the left just past the 48th Ave traffic light.

Muni bus routes 38 stops at 48th and Geary, about a block above the Cliff House. Route 18 runs past the Cliff House and along Great Highway.