As we boarded the boat, you could hear the sea lions in the distance. It was a typically foggy and cold summer night. I don’t often venture in the Fisherman’s Wharf area, but I had good reason this evening. I was eating dinner at Forbes Island, a man-made island restaurant floating in the San Francisco bay.
A postcard taken from the restaurant
Forbes Island started off life in Sausolito, located just north of San Francisco in Marin county, as the personal island of Forbes Thor Kiddoo – who made his living designing houseboats (and yes, that’s his real name). He then had the brilliant idea of turning it into a restaurant. It now floats next to Pier 39, with perfect views of San Francisco’s beloved sea lions. To reach the restaurant, you’ll need to take a small boat – run by Forbes himself! It only takes a few minutes to reach the island, and while I had read that the short boat rides costs $3, I wasn’t asked to pay anything.
The island itself is a good size, and has multiple dining rooms. The first thing you will notice, though, is the lighthouse. Towering 40 feet into the area, it’s a little hard to miss. While it did appear to have nice views from the top, the slight swaying combined with my fear of heights made me want to climb back down as soon as I got up there. Other, rational people were hanging out and taking pictures.
Another postcard taken from Forbes Island
The swaying that I mentioned before can be problematic for those who suffer from motion sickness – pop a Dramamine before you visit! It is technically a floating island, so there is some movement, and occasionally you’ll feel a big wave. The main dining room is downstairs and underwater. It is surprisingly roomy down there, and if you’re lucky, you’ll be seated next to one of the portholes – where you can see the occasional fish or sea lion swim by. There are two more dining rooms on the “land” level that appeared to be used when the underwater room is full, or when they have a large group. It was too bad it was oh so cold when I was there, because on sunny days, guests can hang out on the “beach” and enjoy drinks from the outdoor bar.
I’m always a little weary when I come to destination restaurants like this, since you never know if they’re going to slack off on the food, service, ect. I have to say I had no major complaints with this at Forbes Island. Our waiter was nice and the food was good. The menu is limited, but I was quite pleased with the seafood chowder, Manhattan-style! While I love New England chowder, I do enjoy a change every once in awhile.
I guess the biggest downside is also the biggest draw – you’re on a man-made island. When you’re ready to go may not be the same time Forbes is. I watched this predicament play out with two preteen girls and their parents. The girls begged and begged their parents to get on the boat so they could go home, but all the parents could do was say no. Forbes was in the restaurant, most likely talking to guests, and everyone who was ready to leave just had to wait. While I doubt the wait is ever longer than 15 minutes, it can seem like forever – especially for those of us who have had enough of this slight swaying.
Forbes Island is an experience. While it isn’t a must visit, it is worth while for those of you who feel that you’ve done everything in San Francisco.
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2 comments
Joya says:
August 14, 2010 at 9:07 pm (UTC -7)
I’ve always wanted to try this place and didn’t even know it was a restaurant until a few months ago!
Joya recently posted..Three Travel Bites of the Week
Ashley @ No Onions Extra Pickles says:
August 17, 2010 at 12:52 am (UTC -7)
It was fun – you should definitely check it out. I was really ready to go at the end, but I hadn’t taken any Dramamine and wasn’t feeling too hot. But I’d totally go back!