558 Bridgeway, Sausalito, CA 94965 (See Map Below) Phone: 415-331-3232
Neighborhood: Bridgeway Promenade. Website and reservations are here. Menus are here for Lunch and Brunch (Brunch is served until 2:30 each day, not just on weekends) and Dinner. Wine list is here. Live Music on some evenings -- call ahead to check days and times with the restaurant. Discography of classic recordings made here is on this page.
Open for lunch and dinner. Valet parking, first hour is free with validation but you have to ask for the validation or it will cost you $5. A 2-hour meal will cost you $2.50 with validation, so if it's after 6:00 PM and you can find a metered place on the street nearby (more likely on weeknights than weekends) you'll save $2.50 and park for free.
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Horizons
Fast Forward SummaryTM: Horizons is one of Sausalito's best-known big-view extravaganza restaurants at the heart of downtown, arguably one of the two most fabled restaurant buildings in town. They serve seafood and American cuisine. Fabulous view of the Bay, Angel Island and the San Francisco skyline, especially from the big sunny outside deck that sits on a pier over the Bay in the back, which is unique in Sausalito. Expensive, but the outdoor view is better than any other restaurant with quality food and an outside view area in Sausalito.
In the 60's and 70's this place was called The Trident and was a center of the San Francisco Rock scene. The ceiling mural dates to that time, and was painted by Dave Richards, who also painted Trident-regular Janis Joplin's Porsche, on exhibit at the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. Movie fans can see the interior woodwork of Horizons (from its days as The Trident) in the Woody Allen film, "Play it Again, Sam" (1972).
To some people the "what's the best daytime view restaurant in Sausalito?" debate comes down to Horizons for "nice weather and/or casual" or Spinnaker for "chilly weather and/or formal." The beautiful white exterior of the building dates back to the 19th century, when it was a yacht club. In the 1960's the space occupied by Horizons was called the Trident Restaurant and owned by the Kingston Trio, and it has been a long-time destination for musicians recording at local studios like The Record Plant. Janis Joplin had her own table here (at the far right on the window as you face the Bay, one level up from the deck), and the Stones were feted here by Bill Graham after a concert in 1974. A teen-aged Robin Williams worked here as a busboy in the late 1960's.
The setting is the star at Horizons. On a warm sunny day the deck that hangs over the Bay is one of the nicest places you'll ever eat a meal... anywhere. They start you out with fresh San Francisco sourdough bread, and have a full bar. By day or night the window tables have a fantastic view of the San Francisco skyline. And the interior retains almost all of the custom woodwork as well as wall and ceiling murals from the early-seventies "Jerry Garcia, Grace Slick and David Crosby are all dining here tonight" era.
Rumor Mill: Horizons will be renamed The Trident once again in 2012 or 2013, just in time for all the America's Cup visitors. (Source)
Insider Tip: If you're sitting on the deck for lunch on a crowded sunny day or summer evening, they not only have tables but a bar "on the rail", where you can sit side-by-side looking straight out at the view. For parties of two this may be an ideal way to enjoy your meal. If you're sitting at a deck table on a crowded day next to the rail, be prepared for the fact that diners "on the rail" will obscure your view of San Francisco. This is most often an issue on weekends from April through October and on all days during the summer visitor season, but only during the core lunchtime hours.
You'll notice that we have not yet talked about the food, which we would best summarize as "pretty good." The entree size Caesar Salad with Bay Shrimp is short on shrimp compared to what you might get at the Spinnaker. The New York steak is well prepared and flavorful, but not as good as the steak at Buckeye. Of course, those are both top-rated restaurants, so it's no insult to say they're "one notch short of the best."
I recently had a filet mignon steak at Horizons that was a special entrée. It was absolutely fabulous: very generous cut of meat, wonderful flavor, cooked just as I'd ordered it. I don;t remember having a better filet in a restaurant anywhere in the last ten years.
Although they only serve brunch daily from 11:30 AM - 2:00 PM it's a popular part of the menu, especially for the musicians recording locally who tend to work late into the night.
Horizons is not cheap, but that view and setting are worth some extra money to people like me who are view-lovers.
View-lovers who find Spinnaker a little too formal and Scoma's a little too cramped may find Horizons to be just perfect, and we encourage you to give it a try.
Service on our recent visits has been pleasant, and most of the time our servers have been attentive.
Google Map Instructions: Use the "+" and "-" buttons to zoom in and out, the arrow keys to scroll the map, and the SAT button to see the satellite view.
Something else that people should know about Horizons? Want to share your own rock star sighting? Disagree with any of our suggestions? Please leave a comment below so our readers get the full story.
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