Cliff House

The original Cliff House was built in 1863 after the Gold Rush as a high-end resort. It has been rebuilt at least three times since then, but the most recent version closed in 2020. You can still explore the balcony for views of the ocean, and the Camera Obscura & Holograph Gallery by the overlook is well worth a visit.

The first Cliff House was a modest structure built in 1863. Wealthy San Franciscans flocked to the coast to enjoy the unique restaurant and wonderful views. The guest register bore the names of three U.S. presidents as well as prominent San Francisco families such as the Hearsts, Stanfords, and Crockers, who would drive their carriages out to Ocean Beach for horse racing and recreation.

Captain Foster renovated the Cliff House in 1868. It became the meeting place for local politicians, tourists, as well as less savory citizens from the Barbary Coast. High society abandoned the Cliff House. Increasing scandalous behavior disturbed Adolph Sutro, a German-born self-made millionaire, philanthropist, and later, mayor of San Francisco, who’s estate at Sutro Heights overlooks the Cliff House.

Sutro purchased the Cliff House in 1883 and leased it 1885 to JM Wilkins, directing him to clear out the riffraff and bring back the local families. In 1887, the schooner Parallel, loaded with dynamite, ran aground on the rocks below. The explosion was so powerful it was heard all over the Bay Area. A patched-up Cliff House operated until a chimney fire destroyed it on Christmas day 1894.
Adolph Sutro spent $75,000 to rebuild the Cliff House in grandiose style. Fashioned after a French chateau, the second Cliff House opened in February of 1896 and boasted eight stories, four spires, and an observation tower 200 feet above sea level.
Sutro’s streetcar line and the splendor of his new Cliff House brought crowds of San Franciscans to the coast. In 1898 Adolph Sutro died after a long illness. His exquisite building survived the 1906 earthquake only to succumb to a raging fire: September 7, 1907, just prior to reopening, the most resplendent and beloved of all Cliff Houses burned to its foundation.
Dr. Emma Merritt, daughter of Adolph Sutro, rebuilt the Cliff House at a cost of $75,000. Neoclassical in design, it reopened July 1, 1909.
The Golden Gate National Recreation Area acquired the Cliff House in 1977. The 1909 building was extensively renovated to restore the original neoclassical architecture, and some of the Cliff House history can be seen in the more than 200 autographed pictures of dignitaries and movie stars.
The new Sutro Wing houses a two-story dining room with stunning panoramic ocean views. The ceiling of steel beams recalls the Sutro Baths architecture, establishing a connection between the past and the present.

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Unfortunately it closed in 2020 sfchronicle.com/food/article/S-F-s-iconic-Cliff-House-restaurant-to-shut-15799121.php