Chef Ancona, behind the stoves at his family restaurant, knows that gnocchi must be pillowy, adding just enough porcini broth to the dish’s short rib ragú to punch up the umami. We consider the pizza more New Yorkese than Neapolitan (that crust!) and can’t get enough of pastry chef Tera’s cannoli and tiramisu.
Tourists like to sit outside or in the window for the best views of the bay just across the street. Locals know the tables in the back are cozier and offer more privacy, the better to quietly sip a glass of Amarone della Valpolicella or Sardegnian Vermentino from the thoughtful, mostly Italian wine list.
Don’t Miss: Crab Salad, Fritto Misto, Scampi, Cannoli
Barrel House Tavern is an inviting waterfront oasis and a lively destination fit for an intimate dinner for two or a celebratory venue for large groups. This modern casual eatery is sure to put anyone “at-ease” with contemporary twists on rustic comfort food.
Barrel House boasts an all day happy hour that's one of the best in Marin.
Every Monday - Friday (12pm - 9pm), guests can enjoy $6 House Cabernet or Chardonnay; $6 Draft Beers; and $6 Well Cocktails (when paired with orange juice, cranberry juice, pineapple juice, grapefruit juice, or soda); and an $8 cocktail of the day. If you're in the mood to sip and slurp, you can also order up a 1/2 dozen local oysters for $12. The restaurant also offers a tantalizing bar bites menu (3pm - 9pm). Nosh on $10 Buffalo Wings, $10 Wood-fried Personal Pizza, $10 Mixed Seafood Ceviche, and $7 Fries (regular, garlic, or sweet potato).
We can certainly drink to that!
Tequila savants know to sit at the bar and chat with the bar tender to savor the
variety of tequila styles and flavors from over 40 distillers. For the rest of us, there is a margarita menu – the house Copita margarita, crafted with fresh lime juice and agave nectar, is our go-to.
The gluten-free menu leans into corn preparations. In partnership with a fine tipple, chunky guacamole is a suave foil, served with rough-hewn corn chips, their sweet fragrance apparent at first, full-bodied bite. Thick and pliable tortillas support fish tacos, are rolled tightly in waxed paper astride a cast-
iron pot cradling 24-hour carnitas, and add sweet flavor to the quesabirria. This "corn first" approach is what Mexican food is meant to be.
Don’t Miss: Mexican Truffle Empanadas, Hamachi Crudo Ceviche, Quesabirria
Ditas is Sausalito’s newest culinary gem. Since its opening in 2023, the destination restaurant has garnered rave reviews for its authentic California Coast Cuisine and attentive service. Occupying the former principal yacht club of San Francisco, Ditas offers breathtaking bay and city vistas, making it the perfect choice for those seeking a memorable upscale dining experience.
Ditas recently launched a lunch program that highlights everything from soups and sandwiches to shareables and entrees. Guests can enjoy lighter seasonal dishes like the Chèvre & Fig salad and Roasted Carrot Soup, or indulge in more filling dishes like the Duck Confit Báhn Mi, Lobster Raviolo, or Caramelized Miso Eggplant.
In addition to all the eclectic food offerings, Ditas boasts a lively bar and nightlife scene on weekends that attracts fun seekers from all over the Bay.
Executive chef Benjamin Balesteri changes the Italian menu daily, providing space to feature seasonal and local fish such as grilled Half Moon Bay sardines with Poggio garden-sourced favas or pretrale sole with butter beans and fines herbs. Tuscan gnudi with beef ragù is a long-running favorite, as is the confit of duck leg salad with the day’s lettuces. Poggio’s broad arched entryways and heated patio permit great people watching. Inside, wide booths the color of saddle leather make conversations seem private.
Be sure to spend a moment at the bar. Whether or not famed bartender Tony Diiorio is in the house, the go-to order is a Toni Negroni.
You can thank us later.
Don’t Miss: Vitello Tonnato, Tajarin Pasta, Maiale, Wood-fired Flat Bread
The amply proportioned, shaded patio with views of the yachts docked at Pelican Harbor is the place to be for skillet-roasted crab, crab cakes, crab and spinach fondue, or just a whole pile of crab for feasting. There’s prime rib, too, and an extended fisherman’s catch menu. We like to stay for dessert – the beignets are must-order, but we like the limoncello cake, perfect paired with an Italian Lemonata cocktail.
On busy (i.e. sunny) weekend afternoons, the restaurant’s
parking lot, shared with Bar Bocce, can get over-subscribed. Why not park near Dunphy Park and enjoy a waterfront stroll to the restaurant?
Don’t Miss: Fettuccine Alfredo, Crab Enchiladas, Soft Shell Crabwich, Whole Hot Crab
