Waterbar

© Karisma | Azul Fives

Fish is king at San Francisco’s Waterbar. From the floor-to-ceiling tube-shaped fish tanks in the middle of the dining room and the views of Bay Bridge to themenu, which changes daily, it’s all about fresh seafood and the soothing calm of water.

A Pat Kuleto-designed restaurant headed by Chef Parke Ulrich, Waterbar ranks as one of San Francisco’s highest-rated seafood restaurants, serving environmentally safe, sustainably sourced seafood from local and international waters. In addition to the menu, Waterbar features a full oyster and fresh shellfish raw bar, and is noted for its $1.05 Fresh Oyster Happy Hour.

With a menu that changes daily, it’s perpetually a new experience at Waterbar. Seated near the window with awesome nighttime views of the lit Bay Bridge, my dining companion and I started with glasses of Prosecco as we meandered the various menu selections. Our well-informed waiter informed us it was the first day of Dungeness crab season, so we started with the fresh crab cocktail, beautifully presented and just as rich and beautiful in taste. Each course just kept getting better and better.

The next course was compliments of the chef — an interesting cross between sweet and savory, we sampled jelly-filled ricotta donut holes with caviar. We then shared mussels; I’m a newcomer to mussels, but I’ve been on a bit of a kick lately, ordering them whenever I find them on a menu. I must say, these were among the best I’ve ever had. The mussels were tossed with fried Brussels sprouts leaves (another one of my favorites) and prosciutto, served over a potato puree. While the menu included options other than seafood that looked tempting, we both opted for seafood. I tried the sablefish with grapefruit and potatoes; my friend, the ono with tangerine, celery root, grapes and broccoli rabe. The preparations paired perfectly with the sweet tang of the fruits. Sides are a la carte; we shared an order of roasted cauliflower.

Completely sated, we decided we had to share dessert; we couldn’t leave without trying Executive Pastry Chef Angela Salvatore’s seasonal-inspired sweets. We chose the ice cream sandwich option of the day, a rum/bourbon ice cream between two oatmeal-raisin cookies dipped in white chocolate — decadent, warm and perfectly reminiscent of the November date.

My late fall trip to Northern California was characterized by exceptional meals. Waterbar was my first of many, and it remains a standout among standouts.

Waterbar

399 Embarcadero

San Francisco, CA 94105

tel 415 284 9922

waterbarsf.com