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399 The Embarcadero San Francisco, CA 94105 – WEBSITE
One of the stops we made during our adventures for our weekend anniversary getaway to the city was for Happy Hour at Waterbar on the Embarcadero. I will make this note not at the beginning of the review if you are using public transportation or wishing to get a taxi, Lyft, or Uber you will not be able to do it from Waterbar, you will need to walk down the Embarcadero or across the street and up the street a few blocks before you will be able to catch anything.
Waterbar is a fine dining experience in San Francisco on the Embarcadero next to the bay with amazing views of the Bay Bridge. Reservations are needed, or you will face long wait times, as they are always busy. The staff is accommodating and knowledgeable of what the restaurant has to offer. The inside combines modern design with the wonderful feeling and smells that those accustomed to good seafood restaurants. Decor that features floor-to-ceiling fish tanks that combine different types of live fish. These are always fun to look at. If you sit in the back, however, or somewhere not within viewing range of the oyster bar, don’t worry — you can see the Bay Bridge from any bay-facing window. At night time this is a real treat. During the spring and summer months, it gets even better.
Since the restaurant is considered fine dining and located in San Francisco, be prepared for a hefty bill if you are dining other than happy hour. We did not come for anything other than the happy hour we are unable to make any reviews of the regular dining experience. The menu also changes regularly from what we have heard.
Restaurant
Oyster Bar
We never knew there were so many types of oysters, they offer a display at the oyster bar to see all the types currently being offered. All oysters are shucked fresh to order, so if you are lucky enough to be seated close to the bar you can watch these master shuck oysters in seconds.
Happy Hour
Happy hour is one of the best around if you love oysters … $1 oysters daily from 11:30 a.m. until 5:30 p.m. They have a decent menu of other bites you can order if you want more than oysters.
1. 12 fresh oysters with a Citrus Mignonette (this was what we came for – during happy hour oysters are $1 each).
2. Wood Roasted Monterey Squid $12 – the best part of this was the salad under the squid… the squid was very tough and charred from being overcooked which made it to where all you tasted was the charred flavor
3. Dungeness Crab Cocktail $18 – Nothing special about this at all… truthfully save your money on this one and go down the pier and get one that is just as good, has just as much, and is half the price.
