"Parke Ulrich's raw bar under the Bay Bridge lights, oysters by the dozen and floor-to-ceiling water views. Book sunset for a proposal."
Waterbar sits right on the Embarcadero under the Bay Bridge, and executive chef Parke Ulrich runs it around a raw bar with one of the largest oyster selections on the West Coast. The draw is sustainable, daily-changing fish and shellfish eaten with floor-to-ceiling views of the bay and the bridge lights. A dinner runs about $70 to $100 a head, though the happy-hour oysters start at $1.55. See the wider San Francisco dining guide for more.
Ulrich's menu changes with what comes off the boats, leaning on sustainable, locally sourced fish and shellfish. The raw bar is the headline: a rotating list of oysters from both coasts, plus scallops, halibut and seasonal catch cooked simply enough to let the produce lead. The everyday happy hour, with oysters from $1.55 and a glass of Sancerre, is one of the better waterfront deals in the city and runs daily from late morning into the evening. A full dinner lands around $70 to $100 per person before wine. For the wider field, see the best seafood restaurants worldwide.
Waterbar is a bright, glassy two-level room built to face the water, with floor-to-ceiling windows, a pair of dramatic cylindrical aquariums and an outdoor terrace right on the promenade. The Bay Bridge fills the view, and the lighting drops to a glow as the bridge lights come on. Sound is lively at the bar and calmer in the dining room; dress is smart casual. Book a window table or the terrace at sunset for the best of the view.
Waterbar is a strong proposal room in San Francisco for three reasons. The floor-to-ceiling Bay Bridge view, especially as the lights come on at dusk, gives the moment a backdrop few rooms in the city can match. The raw bar and a bottle of something cold make for an unhurried, celebratory dinner rather than a heavy multi-course commitment. And a window table or terrace seat at sunset feels private even in a busy room. Picture the bridge lighting up over a tower of oysters as you ask. For more, see our proposal guide.
Not for a quiet, view-free bargain: you are paying a premium for the Bay Bridge windows, and a landlocked table on a foggy night loses much of what makes Waterbar worth it.
Yes, for fresh seafood with one of the best waterfront views in the city. Chef Parke Ulrich's raw bar carries one of the largest oyster selections on the West Coast, and the Bay Bridge fills the windows. You pay a premium for the location, but a sunset window table earns it. See our San Francisco dining guide for more.
Plan on roughly $70 to $100 per person for dinner before wine, driven by the raw bar and whole-fish mains. The daily happy hour is the value play, with oysters from $1.55 and a glass of Sancerre. A dozen oysters and a cooked main plus wine sits at the upper end of that range.
Start at the raw bar with a dozen oysters across both coasts, the dish the restaurant is known for. From there the menu follows the daily catch — scallops, halibut and seasonal fish cooked simply. Time a visit to happy hour for the $1.55 oysters, or build a full dinner around a whole fish to share.
Waterbar is at 399 The Embarcadero, on the waterfront promenade directly under the Bay Bridge, near the Ferry Building and the foot of Folsom Street. It is an easy walk from the Embarcadero BART and Muni stations. The terrace sits right on the bay-front path.
Yes, it is one of the better proposal rooms on the SF waterfront. The floor-to-ceiling Bay Bridge view at dusk, an unhurried raw-bar dinner and a window or terrace seat all make for a memorable moment. Book sunset and request a table at the glass. See our proposal guide for more.
Book a window or terrace table at sunset for the Bay Bridge view.
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Waterbar makes the list as the waterfront's best proposal room, a glassy raw bar where the Bay Bridge lights do half the work.
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