It's still there, if we take the time to see it.
For much of the 20th century, a visit to San Francisco's Cliff House, perched above Ocean Beach and next to the famous Sutro Baths, was a litmus test to truly see San Francisco.
Decades older than the Golden Gate and Oakland Bay Bridges, the “World's Largest” Cliff House restaurant and gift shop has been a draw on San Francisco's West Side, drawing residents and tourists alike to its hideaway of antiques and oceanfront meals consisting of… Crab, shrimp and cocktails. Abalone, quail and the occasional grizzly bear steak.
Now, three years after the last version of the iconic restaurant closed, a new, as-yet-unnamed restaurant is set to open.
Nostalgia buffs will likely complain that the Cliff House experience, which has always been about more than menus and memorabilia, will never be the same. For them, what was once a destination full of exotic charm may now become a ghost, a beachside stop with gorgeous ocean views but a bit of ancient mystery.
After studying this photo of the Cliff House surroundings taken more than a century ago, you can understand these sentiments.
An architectural wonderland, complete with the public, Sutro's saltwater baths on the right and the towered house of its namesake—the silver baron, San Francisco politician and philanthropist Adolph Sutro—on the cliff above, captures all the confidence, chest-pounding, and romantic details of a city that loves itself.
Thanks to a series of candid photographs of Cliff House visitors – taken by little-known street photographer Joseph Seeley in the mid-1950s – we can now relive the atmosphere and style of mid-century outings to the beloved bastion above the Pacific.
However, fast forward to 2023, and the mood and style are completely different. What was once a lively gathering place filled with diners, ice cream sellers and souvenir shoppers has become a quiet, contemplative place. Flocks of swans fly overhead. Surfers dot the seascape below…
