Ocean Terrace

I love coming to the Ritz and, particularly, to Ocean Terrace… mostly for those spectacular views and wonderful seating around fire pits. I’ve never actually stayed at the Ritz (and probably never will), but I like to come here for a drink as I gaze into the ocean and a bite to warm my stomach.
So, if I love this place so much, why only three stars? As mentioned in other reviews, the service is not the greatest. In fact, every time I’ve come here, everything has been SO SLOWWWWWWW. It took about 40 minutes for a waitress to come to me, 30 minutes to get my drink, another 30 minutes to get my food, and about an hour after asking to get my check… don’t get me wrong, the waitress is super nice and friendly, but why was it taking so damn long to get everything? I only had a glass of wine and a crab quesadilla, today (which was absolutely delicious, btw). I heard the group behind me say they got ¾ of their drinks… and it took over an hour for the last guy to get his IPA… maybe they ran out and had to go to San Mateo to buy some more (I mean… why else would it take so long??)
In short: breathtaking views, great seating, wonderful drinks, delicious food, slowest service EVER.

Honestly I would leave a negative star if they had it on Unilocal.The service at this hotel is absolutely terrible and complete monkeys. I came here to celebrate a special occasion and it ended up being a terrible evening due to the service. They ended up forgetting about my reservation and even admitted that they forgot. Honestly I received better service at a best western motel. You would think the service and customer service would be top notch here but it’s terrible. I explained my evening to the general manager and they had nothing to say nor apologize. Warning… This place is a complete tourist trap! The GM of this hotel should be fired. Shame on your poor service and will be sharing about this experience not only to my friends but your corporate group as well.

We had heard the the view from the Ocean Terrace at the Ritz was spectacular and we were not disappoint. It was a cool Feb day and we sat indoors next to the window watching the surf. The view was soothing. We ordered Beer which was nice and chilled and a citrus Chicken sandwich and a Bolognese pasta. Pasta was aldente and flavorful. The chicken in the sandwich was overcooked and dry. The bread was sooo dry. Service was good, our server was attentive without distracting from the meal and view. Definitely not worth it. If you come, come for the view and not for the food.

We ate here as a party of nine a few weekends ago. When we arrived, the hostess warned one of our party who had a camera that it’s their policy not to allow photos to be taken of their guests. This seemed a bit unnecessary and unfriendly. The hostess’s general attitude toward us was somewhat condescending. She was kind at brief points, like bringing us a couple blankets to keep warm, but mostly seemed frustrated with us and with others at the restaurant.
We stayed there for 1.5−2 hours and ordered a fair amount of food (a few sandwiches, a few orders of sliders, and a couple other things) and drinks (a bottle of wine, a bucket of beer). The food was fairly tasty, and the wine was good. The waitress was very friendly with us the whole time and attentive though she had a fair number of tables to cover.
Toward the end of the meal though, the hostess came by and told us she hoped we enjoyed our meal because there were lots of people waiting, and not everyone would be able to eat before they closed. We saw maybe 3 – 4 people waiting at the end and didn’t see many others come by looking for a table. At no point were we given a polite hint that we might be overstaying our welcome, and as I mentioned we were ordering a decent amount of food and drink. So for the hostess to make this remark — couched thinly as a warm «hope you enjoyed your meal» but clearly intended as a «you guys stayed too long» criticism was just plain rude. I believe she thought we wouldn’t even notice what she was actually saying.
I also heard another table having a negative interaction with the hostess, so it wasn’t just us.
In summary: The food was alright; the server was nice; the hostess was very rude. I would not come back here, let alone bring anyone else here.

My girlfriend and I went to the Ocean Terrace for her sisters 50^th Birthday. It was full, which was expected so we found a seat with in the same area of service on the ledge. My girlfriend bought two wine bottles for everyone to share. The hostess Sandra was polite but not genuine she was a little patronizing and although the seats are first come first serve they had a wait list of 35 minutes and she told us where not to sit because there was a wedding party coming in. We also did not receive any service because we were by the ledge even though we were still ordering from the hotel. My girlfriend asked a waitress named Lisa to provide at least water. Even though she had the water in her tray she said she would come back and never did when she finally stopped and asked her why there was no service she said that was not her section. She was very sarcastic and very very rude almost like we were beneath her. I believe anywhere you go where you are purchasing anything you should be treated like anyone else would want to be treated. The only person that was considerate and realized that we needed a little help since I am in wheelchair was the manager Scott who brought us our food and the wine bottle himself and comped the starter that we received so I was appreciative for that as well as Pianpan a server who finally brought us water. But other than that the service was not good in the lawn area.

Our party of four decided to come to the Ritz for some fancy bites and a nice view but all we got was a nice view. The Conservatory and Navio had an hour plus wait. So we settled for the Ocean Terrace. I recommend calling ahead or reservations — especially on a Saturday.
The Ocean Terrace has an excellent view. If you stay for the sunset, this guy saunters out from the distance playing bagpipes in a traditional looking kilt and newsboy hat. It’s quite special and wonderful. As for the experience here, the service was good but slow. Our server brought us green blankets since it was pretty windy out. The Ketel One dirty martinis were on point. The menu was limited, but soup sounded like a good choice for us. My bf ordered the clams chowder which was pretty disappointing. It was watery, with little substance and taste to it. We’ve tasted better out if a can. They also ran out of bread bowls. The chicken tortilla soup was better with a higher viscosity tomato based broth and tasty shreds of chicken. It was also unimpressive though unless you like a watered down marinara sauce with chicken in it.
The experience was good, but we left vowing never to eat at the Terrace again-​def not what you’d expect at the Ritz. Whoever is sending food out of here is better suited to be cooking for a diner, and that’s being nice. Have drinks here, but don’t waste your time with mediocre, overpriced food.

Their latte machine broke, so basically their drink menu became reduced to basic coffee and basic tea, which I later found out is outdated itself. No thanks.
Update 1: Got my tea. Tiny paper travel mug full of hot water, told to do the rest myself.
Update 2: Ouch! Very nearly got hit in the head by a golf ball from a golfer on the course. What the hell?

I wish I could give half star. The only thing good about this place is location. Service is horrible, food is the worst I have ever eaten, servers are way too busy to take any orders. I ordered a bloodymary, it was so bad that I had to send it back. Ordered a coffee, which came in a paper cup. We just wasted 2 hours at this place.

Wish we hadn’t … The food at the Conservatory is bar quality at best. Very limited and quality is mid level. Bring your own lunch or skip this place for grub.
The views are great …

No coffee or tea
Ocean Terrace looked really inviting, but today they said their coffee maker broke and they weren’t able to fix it. Service was nice, food (brownies and ice cream) was average. No cake, only small selection of afternoon treats. Very expensive.

3^rd time here, each time felt very welcomed. Some guests are a bit snobby but the service is equally given. I’ve always felt welcomed and the staff always with a friendly smile! The views are outstanding, the drinks and food superb!

Terrible service. We sat outside and eventually had some waters dropped off but that was about it. We waited 15 minutes while the servers stood around the bar talking and totally ignoring us. Maybe people assume we won’t tip well because we’re young but those people would be morons because we had every intention of spending a lot of money and I ALWAYS tips 20% or more.

Ocean Terrace is the outdoor bar of the Ritz Carlton, set on the seaward courtyard of the main hotel building. There isn’t a lot of organization or table assignments; just grab whatever’s available, and a server will be with you shortly.
As others have mentioned, the service is pretty slow and inconsistent, and the drinks are outrageously expensive ($ 17 cocktails), but I think we all know you’re really paying for the view. And the view is spectacular. Waves crash over distant cliffs, pelicans cruise by in formation, and golf carts whoosh by behind your head. Well, 2 out of 3 ain’t bad.
The drinks aren’t amazing (I had the Half Moon Bay Sunset, with tequila and citrus), but the people-​watching is pretty good. Apparently there’s no need to get dressed up for Ocean Terrace, people are wearing everything from shorts and flip-​flops to business suits.

Beautiful views but service is truly awful and Ritz Carlton should be embarrassed to have their name associated with it. Ordered a $ 35 s’mores kit for my daughter, got it, then found that the fires are not on. Asked them to turn it on and 30 minutes later, still nothing. Plus it takes forever to get a drink if you don’t walk up and get it yourself.

The Ritz Carlton at Half Moon Bay is very nice and the Ocean Terrace restaurant has a super nice view! Unfortunately, that’s about the only upside to this restaurant. We came here for lunch and expected the food to be a lot better for the high prices, but I guess you are really paying for the view here.
It was a cold day when we came, but they offered us blankets which was nice. I got a hot toddy to warm myself up and it was not bad. For food, we decided to share a goat cheese and artichoke dip and the BBQ short rib sliders. The artichoke dip didn’t come out very hot and is different than most at other restaurants, it was very very chunky. There was a layer of cheese on top, but other than that it felt almost like eating chunks of artichoke. The BBQ short rib sliders were VERY VERY salty… I’m not even kidding, my friends and family make fun of me for how much I like salty food, and even I thought it was way too salty to the point where it was inedible. I think they must’ve had an accident with the salt, because I can’t imagine them serving that dish and people being able to eat it.
I couldn’t take more than one bite, and thankfully the server let us switch it with another dish. We got the dungeness crab and sweetwater prawn panini and it was much better, although I still wouldn’t categorize it as good. After lunch, we took a walk along the ocean which was very nice. I probably wouldn’t recommend coming here unless you don’t mind paying an arm and a leg for mediocre food, but if you really want to, I would say get a few (overpriced) drinks and sit by the bonfire to enjoy the view.

Was given a gift of a wonderful massage for boyfriend and myself and decided to dine on the terrace afterward. Feeling so relaxed, the Ocean Terrace seemed to be the perfect end… Server was great, friendly and helpful. But once we ordered and waited, and waited for our clam chowder and salad and BLT, the mood of our visit changed — bummmmer!!! 18 min later asked server if we could at least begin with the soup? She informed us that the kitchen was inside the hotel, on another floor and they were very busy — that was the reason food was taking so long. Then she asked for a credit card, why? Because that was the policy!!! Said we were paying cash. She held off taking our card. Salad/​sandwich arrived then 10 min (no joking) our soup arrives. Then she took the credit card we had placed on the table. Nooooo, that’s not how an $ 85 (w/​out tip) lunch at a four star resort should be !!!
Not for this guest service oriented gal who is super accommodating and reasonable. Shame on you, Ritz Carlton Ocean Terrace :(
It wasn’t the service so much as the unorganized process of receiving our meals.
Finish lunch, check arrives with a credit card slip for us to sign. Really?
Management, please review your standards and timeliness of food delivery at your Café. With a view so stunning, the rest of the experience should match.

In the late afternoon, a bagpiper plays traditional tunes on the bluffs overlooking the sea (with a particular song saved for sunset)…
Bonfires line the grounds, surrounded by Adirondack chairs…
You add another layer, as the ocean breeze tousles your hair…
Friends and strangers chat and mingle…
You enjoy a cocktail (hot or cold) as you stare into the flames and drink in the ambiance…
Could this place be only 35 minutes from the Peninsula? Indeed it is, as I recently discovered on a date-​night adventure with the wife. She knows I have a weakness for the bagpipes, especially in a setting such as this. And so we left work early on a Friday to check it out. Glorious.
My cocktail (an old fashioned) was perfectly made, and the piper was very good. (I was tapping my feet almost the entire time.) The evening was cool yet beautiful, and we watched the sun change shape near the horizon and then set into the sea.
Did I mention this is on the grounds of the Ritz Carlton? We were not staying at the hotel, so it didn’t seem right to review the Ritz itself. I also noted that the Ocean Terrace bar has never been reviewed. Muhaha
And now you know this special place exists and is open to visitors. So perhaps a short road trip is in order?
More info:
– Drinks are pricey, but consider what you are paying for
– Open daily 1 p.m. to sunset (weather permitting)
– Light bites served Thursday to Sunday
– Pets on a leash are welcome