San Fran - Dining With A View
 

We'll be celebrating our anniversary in San Francisco later this month. I'd like suggestions for dining with a view - we like most cuisines. Most restaurants with a view seem to be in the Fisherman's Wharf area which does not seem to get high marks for good food. Any suggestions?

Carnelian Room. I think it is in the Bank of America Building...very high. Great Views. Stay away from Fisherman's Wharf. Other choices might be Cityscape in the Hilton or the restaurant at the top of the Hyatt Regency in the Embarcadero.

Down lower there are (or were) great views at McKornick and Kuleto in Ghirardelli Square. Terrace-type seating, floor to ceiling windows, so every table has a great view of the Bay. They are "re-doing" Ghirardelli Square, however, so it might not be as pleasant as it was when we ate at McK and K.

Try the Carnelian Room It is lovely..don't know if they have a website, but google and see.
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I've been to the Carnelian Room and the views are spectacular, but to be honest, I think the food is more overpriced and disappointing that it would be an one of the better Fisherman's Wharf places -- Scoma's or Aliota's for example. I don't mean their food is cutting edge or great, but I think view aside are much better dining experiences than the Carnelian Room.

On the other hand Carnelian Room is great for brunch, assuming they still do that.

Palomino near the Embarcadero is another place with a great view -- towards the Bay Bridge -- good food, less pricey than many places.

Have to agree about the Carnelian Room's food. Keep in mind it's "corporate dining" -- it's run by a foodservice company.

Oh, and I don't think the Hyatt Regency has a restaurant with a view anymore -- a bar, but not a restaurant. I can't think of a single San Francisco restaurant with a "great view".

The two famous view ones that come to mind are the Cliff House and Julius' Castle, but again I'm not sure about writing home about the food at either.

Cliff House - the Bistro side, not the "grand" restaurant side. Better views, more informal, but good food.

Julius's Castle has been redone. I haven't been since it's reopening, so can't comment on the food.

McCormick and Kuleto - good suggestion.

If you like seafood, try going across the GG Bridge to the Spinnaker in Sausalito. One of my favorite panoramic views to be had anywhere in the Bay Area.

Too bad, two of the "view" restaurants are closed: the Crown Room in the Fairmont and the Equinox in the Hyatt Embarcadero.

Whichever restaurant you choose - enjoy! :)

Yes, I mean to give my vote to McCormick and Kulet's also. The views and atmosphere there really are gorgeous and the food is quite good if not great.

If you are going to be driving to Muir Woods, consider taking a detour for lunch or drinks at Mountain Home Inn. The view from their deck is not a city view, but a broad panorama of the Bay Area that is quite beautiful on a clear sunny day. Because SF gets its best weather in September, it is likely the weather will be splendid during your visit.
As other posters recommended, alternatively, you might consider taking a ferry to Sausalito or Tiburon and having lunch there. The best views of the city are from Sausalito. The ferry ride can be enjoyable as well, especially if it is warm and you can sit outside.

Forgot to include the link:
http://www.mtnhomeinn.com/location.html

Best view of the city up high is Hyatt..it is the Grand Hyatt on Union Square.

They have sweeping views of San Fran Golden GAte. We go for Sunday Brunch so we can see the view.

They do have dinners..the food offerings are nicely plated....white table cloth and I am sure if you say it is a special occasion they will accomodate.

There is a restaurant over in Sausalito which looks out over the SF City..maybe others can come up with the name

Probably the best view of all is not in San Francisco - but across the bay at Skates in the Berkeley Marina. You'd have a view of three bridges, (Bay, Golden Gate, Richmond) all of San Francisco including the Ferry bldg, Transamerica tower, Coit Tower, Alcatraz, Angel Island etc, plus if still daylight - all the sail boats out on the Bay. The restaurant is on stilts over the water so the views are absolutely unobstructed. I'd personally arrive just at/after sunset to see all the lights of the city coming on.

But you may want to stay in SF - so if the view is really important, I would definitely consider one of the better places at the Wharf.

For a very casual lunch with a view if the weather is nice, go to the Ferry Building and get something there (I love the sandwiches at Lulu Petite, for example-- especially the grilled fontina and ham--but there's plenty of places to choose from), walk around to the back of the bulding and plunk yourself down on a bench facing the bay. Make sure to sit on either side of the actual ferry terminal, which will block your view. I like the side with the statue of Ghandi, toward the Bay Bridge but that's just my preference.

After lunch, head back inside for some chocolates at Recchiuti.

Sorry, I don't have a more upscale, city view rec. Happy anniversary!

Well Top of the Mark Hopkins hotel has a great view. Great cocktails too. Don't know much about the food, except that they do serve it. Wednesday nights you can hear LaVay Smith and her Red Hot Skillet lickers play jazz and swing, and see all the swing dancers who show up in costume to dance.

The last time I had dinner at the Carnelian Room, it was really very nice. I agree that past meals were rather blah for the price. Big wine list. Do note that not all tables are near the windows, so you would have to specify when you make a reservation. I can't think of a better dining location though to watch dusk settle over the City while having drinks and dinner.

Thank you for the suggestions. I had considered McCormick and Kuleto's but we have been to their restaurant here in Providence several times and were looking for something different, although I imagine their choice of local fish would be different. Spinnaker sounds good too.
Also - if anyone has a suggestion for a good Italian restaurant - one of our group is always looking for that cuisine. How about the North Beach Restaurant, or where might good local Italian ones be?
Thanks again.

While North Beach is fine, and I enjoy Mona Lisa as much as anywhere, I'd say my favorite three Italian places on the casual "no big deal" lines are Contadina Trattoria at the corner of Mason and Union, Luella at Hyde and Green, and Antica Trattoria corner of Union and Polk. All three of these are much more neighborhood than tourist, and really wonderful food, casual atmosphere, and great casual service. None of these have great views, but the food is so good who cares?

NeoPatrick picked some good ones in his post above. In the same general neighborhood as Antica and Luella is Amarena on Larkin near Vallejo. I just had dinner there on Friday and thought it was way above average, especially in atmosphere and warmth of welcome.

If you want to venture out a bit further into SF's neighborhoods, Incanto on Church near 29th St. is a favorite among the posters here. If you eat there, you will know why.

Great post...thanks as my husband and I are looking for the same thing in November.

My current thought is to go for drinks at the Top of the Mark (I didn't know they serve dinner) and then off to dinner at Frascati on Russian Hill. It gets great reviews here and elsewhere and we love neighborhood Italian places. No view but our type of dining.

I will add the other Italian spots to my list and will keep checking this post to see if others have additional ideas.

I will also check out McCormicks and Kuleto.

for more romance, take the ferry over to sausalito, spinnaker is right near it, as i recall.

fun trip and gorgeous view all the way.