San Francisco
We decided to spend New Year’s Eve in San Francisco at the last mintue. We stayed for one night only. The itinerary was simple: arrive around noon and go see the Sea Lions at Pier 39, get dinner and go see the fireworks near the Bay bridge. Transportation was free on New Year’s Eve from 8:00 pm, but too packed to be useful so we walked everywhere.
Let’s start with the Fireworks! The display was at the watefront on the Embarcadero between the Ferry Building and the SF Bay Bridge. I think there must have been at least one hundred thousand people there – it was packed tight so get there early if you want a good spot. We arrived at 10:30 pm and still found a fairly good spot where we shot this video. The countdown was at 11:59 pm and fireworks kicked off at midnight, lasting for about 20 minutes. It was pretty fabulous! There is nothing like fireworks to bring in the New Year!
I had hoped to find a restaurant with a view of the fireworks, but they were all booked. Here are my picks for restaurants with a view of the fireworks:
Waterbar: Regarded as one of the top seafood restaurants in San Francisco, Waterbar serves sustainable seafood, ethically sourced products and superbly prepared food. It is situated in a prime location on the Embarcadero, featuring excellent views of the fireworks. 399 Embarcadero
Epic Roadhouse: An excerpt from their site: “Chef Ulrich places an emphasis on his passion for excellence and dedicated advocacy of sustainably-sourced meat and seafood, along with organically-grown produce. Ulrich’s menu features modern interpretations of traditional steakhouse favorites, drawing inspiration from different preparations of meat from around the world.” 369 Embarcadaro
Americano: Located in the Hotel Vitale, Americano has a quality rustic Italian menu & panoramic views of the Bay Bridge from the lounge area. The hotel is a great place to stay if you can afford it. Book months in advance and you can get a deal. 8 Mission st.
Sens: Mediterranean cuisine. Executive Chef Michel Adams “infuses the exotic spices, lush flavors and traditional techniques indigenous to these lands with a modern sensibility and the freshest local ingredients”. They have an outdoor patio with great views of the show. 4 Embarcadero Center.
Where we stayed
We stayed at the Orchard Hotel near Union square at 665 Bush st. It’s a medium sized family run hotel with quality rooms and very nice staff. The hotel is very clean, has free wifi and breakfast is included. There are many hotels in San Francisco and it was hard to choose one that had a good location, good price, quality food, high standards and nicely designed rooms that are not a closet. This had all of that. I found many that were over $500 USD per night (and on New Year’s Eve even that was cheap) but we wanted to spend less yet not sacrifice quality (we paid $300 USD). We will definitely stay here again!
Other options:
Where we ate
On New Year’s Eve it is hard to find a good restaurant without an advance reservation. There was one in particular I really wanted to try, Michelin rated Sons and Daughters, which was close to the hotel at 708 Bush St. but it was fully booked. I will save it for next time, but it is a must try for foodies. It is very small, so book in advance!
Instead we went to Cafe De La Presse, a French restaurant near by on Bush St. (352 Grant at corner of Bush). I love the decor, old world with wooden panels and that sense of a Parisian cafe. The food and wine was great! We had a prix fix which was very reasonable considering the quality of the food. I didn’t take photos because I was not thinking of blogging at the time, but trust me, it was very good. Jimmy and I were both impressed and happy that we found such a place at the last minute.
Other restaurants recommended by a trusted local friend:
Pier 39
Earlier in the day we went to see the Sea Lions at Pier 39. They were mysteriously absent for several years, but luckily they returned. Although not as many Sea Lions as in the past, they are still a joy to see.
There is a great shop in the pier complex called Alpaca Fashion – high quality Alpaca clothing. The animals are ethically raised in Peru and are not harmed when sheared. Unfortunately they don’t have a web site.
A short video of San Francisco from a pervious trip… some places to check out: Lombard street – the most crooked street in the world, Union Square area, a ride on the historic cable car on Powell street, Golden Gate Park, Fisherman’s Wharf, Alcatraz (you need to book far in advance to get tickets), Golden Gate Bridge – on the other side of it, there is a visitor area where you can get good photos. Sausalito is just on the other side of the bridge with great cafes and restaurants, a marina and stunning views. And that is the route to Sonoma and Napa valleys.
Enjoy San Francisco!
