I frequently get asked by my tour guests, “Where is a good bar with a view of the ocean?” In theory, there are a number of places. If you get up high enough on any of the hills, a bar will have a view. The ocean will be off in the distance, obscured by some buildings, but visible. In these cases “bar with ocean view” is about as honest as an AirBnB listing.

The Beach Chalet is located as far west as one can go in San Francisco. It sits next to the Great Highway, a self-aggrandized moniker if there ever was one. Beyond that is the aptly named Ocean Beach. It is a beach on the ocean. What the name lacks in imagination (such as “Great Highway) it makes up for in clarity. After that is the Pacific Ocean and on those rare clear days you can see the Farallon Islands 30 miles out floating on the horizon.

You observe all of this from The Beach Chalet. Time it right and you can also watch the sun set while having a drink and something to eat.

Credit: The Beach Chalet Website

The Brief and Colorful History of the Beach Chalet

The Beach Chalet began in 1925 as a bathhouse and restaurant for ocean swimmers. In the mid 1930’s the lobby frescoes, murals, and carvings were added as a WPA project. It was a barracks in WWII, and after that leased to the VFW (Veterans of Foreign Wars). They turned it into a club house with pool tables, added a downstairs bar next to the art, and very soon the Beach Chalet had a bad reputation. Bikers would hang there, and there would be the occasional fight with beach gangs. Most residents of the city avoided the place.

The VWF moved out in 1979. Restoration begin in 1981, the same year it got protection by being placed in the National Register of Historic Places. It reopened as a restaurant and visitor center in 1996.

A locals place worth the trip west

The Beach Chalet, though distant from the usual visitor haunts of Chinatown, North Beach, and the Haight Ashbury, is easy to get to. And you should go explore those neighborhoods. But a smart traveler, which I assume you are because you’re reading this, is always looking for the places most tourist miss. Going to the Beach Chalet is like sitting at the cool kid’s table.

You could walk there from the museums and public promenade on the east side of Golden Gate Park. You could even walk there from the west edge of the Haight. It’s only three and half miles, and downhill. You could walk along JFK Drive, past the Bison Paddock, exploring a lake or two along the way. It would take a leisurely 90 minutes, 60 if you really book. Either way you’ve earned a drink.
You can also take the 5 Fulton Bus which runs along the north side of the park.

The East side of Golden Gate Park, near the Haight-Ashbury, DeYoung Museum and Japanese Tea Garden.

West Side of Golden Gate Park. JFK Drive, Bison Paddock, lakes, and the Beach Chalet. The 5 Fulton bus runs along the north side of the park.

A brew pub by the ocean, with food and vintage art

Entering the Beach Chalet, there are murals, mosaics, and sculptures from the 1930’s. There is a model of the park, and visitor information. The lobby on its own is worth the trip west, and a shrine to a time when the government paid artists to create art for the benefit of the public.

Upstairs is the restaurant and bar. From 4-6pm on weekdays they have a happy hour, with great beer prices, because the Beach Chalet is also a brewery. As someone who enjoys wine, the wine could be a better deal, but they probably aren’t going to start their own winery on the edge of the San Francisco, so I’ll stop whining.
I haven’t eaten dinner there, but I can attest that if the rest of the menu is as good as the Truffle Parmesan Fries, you can’t go wrong.

Monday is Prime Rib Night, where you can get a hunk of red meat with four sides included. They have a weekend brunch 10am-2:30pm.

Live music 4 day a week.

As if the art, food, house made beer wasn’t enough to entice you to the western edge of the city, Friday through Monday features live music, sometimes with a vocalist. Jazz Friday 5-8, Saturday/Sunday 11-2 is solo piano, Jazz Saturday 5:30-8:30, and Monday 5-7pm.

Getting away from the usual tourist places takes a little effort, but is rewarding. Discovery and getting off the well beaten path lets you experience the city the way us locals do, enjoying the venues, food, and landscapes that make San Francisco the unique place it is. And when you find a great bar with an ocean view, one that most visitors don’t know about, you also get bragging rights and make your family and friends back home jealous. Which is one of the reasons to be a good traveler.