Farley Bar

Ending the day of walking around a wet SF all I wanted to do was to sit in a nice comfy chair/​couch and sip a warm cocktail. Made the effort to get down to Cavallo point and was told by the hostess that we would need a reservation for a lower table which had the comfy seats I was craving. We put our names on the list and over 45 minutes later I saw four tables get turned over with people who didn’t even stop and check in with the hostess. I did notice that there was a new hostess around this time and learned that the Cavallo hostess are more interested in their phones and gossiping with each other than doing their jobs. Thankfully our bartender was great and made us some killer drinks. All in all I still like Cavallo point but will skip checking in with the hostess next time and do my own thing as I never really got what I was after… a big comfy chair and a warm drink.

We were staying at the Cavallo Point lodge and came down for drinks. The drinks were good, nice and strong. The food was okay. We had the onion dip and duck mole. Nothing to knock your socks off. Anyways, this is a great spot for people watching, which I’m not usually into. You have to remember, Cavallo Point hosts a lot of weddings and parties, so a lot of people show up to the bar already drunk. A group of toasty guys dropped a glass and didn’t pick it up, just left it there. My husband picked it up so no one would step on it. The workers were quick to clean it up, so points for them. One drunk guy was literally digging his hand into the back of his pants, scratching his butt and we watched him shake hands with someone. OMG! Such entertainment. I would not go out of my way to go here unless I’m staying at the hotel.

only gets the 4^th star becasue of the atmosphere… such a good place to sit an enjoy a drink although they do need to tighten up their menu… we ordered 6 diff apps between the group and only a couple were amazing (and those are not cheap!!) My suggestion is too ask the wait staff for recommendations becasue it is so hit or miss.
Amazing: the meatballs, polenta
OKay: the burger, little gem salad
Pass: oyster poorboy (worst of the all and I love oysters), crabcakes (just plain boring no flavor at all)

A friend had her wedding reception at Cavallo Point and a group of us decided to head over to Farleys after. Picture a dark masculine décor with a cozy fireplace and seating both inside and out.
The service was fast and friendly and simply relaxing all around. Friends and I sampled from the vast cocktail list. If you like girlie drinks, try their Acai Cobbler of the Spring… spring something, I forget the name but it had kiwi and cucumber and it actually worked.
They also have tasty fries and other small plates in the bar area.
Cavallo Point is a great place to get away with your honey or the family. With sweeping views of the bay and within minutes from Sausalito, you can’t go wrong.

Whenever I come here I feel a thousand miles away from the City, even though it’s just across the bridge. An absolutely cozy and wonderful place to go. I’ve only ever sat on their veranda, but really why would you want to sit inside when you can sit on their comfortable benches and stare at the bridge. The wine list is small, but everything is offered by the glass as well as the bottle and their beer selection is quite large.
Outside they have a great selection of small plates. The jalapeño arancini is delicious, with the jalopeno giving the perfect amount of bite to the warm rice and crispy, fried exterior. Their desserts are also very good. They even have a three course chocolate dessert menu with wine pairing. These are full desserts with three full glasses of lovely dessert wines. This is the area of the menu the pastry chef has the opportunity to be very creative and combine some interesting ingredients. For example curry and chocolate. The inventiveness of these dishes was very much appreciated.
Farley Bar has amazing service and their turnover seems quite low. I have now had the same friendly and knowledgeable server multiple times over the two years I’ve come here. This is a great place to stop and enjoy yourself, tucked away in small cove and just across the bridge.

Amazing setting overlooking the bay and the Golden Gate bridge. Solid cocktail list and a wine list that can be overwhelming, but good by the glass choices.
Nice to sit outside or inside by the fire.
Just know that the snack plates are really small and don’t expect to be full after a few.

Ate lunch here 2 Friday’s ago with 3 other people. We sat outside on the deck. The atmosphere and view was nice. I thought the drinks and desserts were really good, but I wasn’t too impressed with the main courses. I had the mini 4 course lunch for $ 23 (mini soup, mini burger, chips w/​dip, & dessert) and the 3 others had the Crab BLT’s for $ 16/​each. The crab seemed a little fishy. The crab was mixed with a green sauce. A person who ate there before said it wasn’t usually mixed with a green sauce. Maybe they were just trying to use older crab meat.
I remember seeing it was $ 5 for a Diet Coke and drinks were like $ 12. So with drinks and 1 extra dessert the bill came to $ 145 plus tip. Walking away it just didn’t seem like that nice of a lunch… Sorry

I come here on Sundays here and there for Brunch.
The food though fresh, and good, may be a bit plain. Sure it’s a bar, but it is suppose to be the same food as Murrays Circle, and having dined there… it is… but uh. still needs some work.
The presentation though, clean and modern is a bit dull.
I had the Hamburger. it was pretty good.
The service was pretty darn good after you get past the snooty ass reservation lady. Never pleasant, no matter what. Last time I ate here for dinner (Murrays Circle) our table of 6 spent well over $ 1,000, not to mention we were staying at the nicest, and one of few private houses in Cavallo Point… still couldn’t get a sincere, or authentic attitude out of her.
Take a tip from The Killers, and «Smile Like You Mean It!»

It shocks me to see such a variation in the rating. I just don’t understand it.
A leisurely drive on a beautiful sunny San Francisco day brought me across the GGB and to Fort Baker. Never having been to Fort Baker the entire experience was just perfect. I did remember Cavallo Point from one of my magazines so decided to check it out.
I planned to just pop my head in the restaurant but once inside checking out how beautiful it is, I couldn’t leave without a taste. Sunny gorgeous day means sitting outside and it was my lucky day. I got a seat on the bench at the rail overlooking the parade grounds, a view of the historic Fort Baker, the bay and the GGB. Who could ask for more!
I started with a sweet pea gazpacho. It was presented to nicely. A small mound of freshly shucked peas was topped with a citrus and chive encrusted ice wafer. The gazpacho itself was presented and poured into the bowl by the waiter forming a moat around my peas. It was delicious!
I continued to my main course of a dungeness crab BLT. It was served on a ciabatta roll with avocado and loads of bacon. Along with it was a side of chips and dip. These were hand-​cut waffle chips propped up nicely in a sweet onion dip. The presentation was fun and beautiful all at once. I washed all this down with a wonderful pinot noir from Oregon.
It was just the perfect lunch by myself. I enjoyed the view, sounds, smell, sun and food. Everyone around me seemed just as happy.
Which takes me back to my first point… why all the variation in star ratings?

My sister is getting married here at Cavallo Point in March. So, we decided to check it out. The grounds are beautiful and the view of the city and the Golden Gate Bridge are priceless. We roamed the grounds on a sunny breezy Sunday afternoon, checking out the chapel and reception hall. It’s going to be a great wedding!
Afterwards, we decided to have a snack at Farley Bar. We ordered the warm olives, polenta with mushrooms, fries and artichoke heart, 3 beers and one lemonade for me, the pregnant lady/​designated driver.
I have to say, that has been one of the best little meals I have had in a LONG time. The olives were perfect. Warmed with olive oil, orange zest and seasonings. The polenta was SO flavorful, I haven’t had such good polenta in… I can’t even remember when I had really good polenta! The fries were fries, you can’t really screw up on that. But the grilled artichoke with an aioli-​mayo dipping sauce was SO good. I think I could have eaten about 4 of them! If this is any indication of how the food is going to be at the wedding, I can’t wait!
We ate on the porch, overlooking the city and the Golden Gate Bridge. Our server was really friendly and remembered my sister and her fiancé from the last time they came to visit. The place is dog friendly. But I have to knock off one star, because the portions were tiny.
Our bill came out to about $ 50 with tax and tip.
P. S. you can even eat outside on colder San Francisco days, they have heating lamps and provide blankets!

Totally overpriced — but totally expected.
Gorgeous bar and FANTASTIC view.
Small plates at the bar are VERY small… keep that in mind.
Live music Monday — just a nice light violin and piano
GREAT wine selection and you COULD go cheap and get $ 5 beers…

This place has a great view which made most of my time there. I only went there for a drink and sat up on the 2^nd floor patio. It was a great place to watch the sunset.
Service was slow, drinks were extra strong. I think it was nothing special except for the exceptional view.

As a FOP (Friend Of Phil) I was overjoyed when they named the bar. I return to enjoy Phil’s work on the walls and am happy to report that there are many reasons other than Farley to come to Farley. However if I post them here, then you’ll all show up and the place will be jam packed all night! Oh, and don’t do the valet parking thing. There’s a free lot just up the road and to the right. A 2 minute walk at most.
Suffice to say, the bar is a nice alternative to the full meal treatment at Cavallo point, and I hope you’ll take a moment to appreciate the reason for the name.

Made it back to Farley bar this past Wednesday night and snagged a stool at the bar without any problem. I went for my «usual», the burger. It was prepared medium rare, just as I asked, and was as good as I remembered.
The service is now just as good as the room and the food. So upgrade to 5 stars from 4.

I have to give them some credit. I went to Farley Bar right after work for a coworkers going away happy hour… with about 8 people. I work at Fort Baker as well so there is a nice camaraderie between the two places.
We took over the middle area of the bar and were immediately greeted and they took our order. However, the return to our table was not so quick nor was the service really friendly. The bar was incredibly comfortable and though slow to serve it was a nice way to force us all to calm ourselves down a little and enjoy the late afternoon.
It is still on my list to try the artisan burger and hand cut fries that I had heard was supposed to be delicious. At $ 16 for a burger… it better be amazing AND brought in by young lean loin-​clothed men who fan me as I eat it.

Date #1. We started out at Rye Bar in the Tenderloin, doing shots of chilled tequila and drinking my patented «beergaritas» (tecate, lime, salt, you know the drill).
It was a beautiful night, so Date #1 decided to whisk me off to Cavallo Point (never heard of it, never really ever get to Marin). We got there from the Tenderloin in less than 15 minutes (I told Date #1 that I liked fast cars… he took me literally).
We got there around 10:00 and the place was fairly dead. Most of the couches on the front veranda were free, and since it was such a nice night, and the veranda offered such a great view of the GGB, we chose a comfy couch underneath a heat lamp.
The service was slow and steady. The waitress gave us some time to look over the menu, but really we were just chatting and giggling. We opted for a chewy wine and that we got.
Points for service when I jokingly asked the waitress if she could bring us a blanket, and she came back minutes later with a plush throw.
Two glasses of wine, a crème brûlée that was to die for, and a view of the GGB on a lovely clear night. All in all a pretty choice first date.

I was surprised to see so many low reviews for Farley’s, but after reading them I realized that it’s a service issue and primarily a food service issue.
I went to check out Cavallo Point and Farley Bar on Saturday night with some friends. Not knowing what to expect I was impressed with the scenery of Cavallo Point. It’s the old Presidio barracks that have been refurbished into a posh destination hotel/​resort. Golf Carts carry you around and the views of SF and the Bay are spectacular.
Now onto Farley Bar. The bar is a throwback to the great yonder SF drinking days and the bar tenders reflect that. Slow service, but great cocktails, because quality takes time when it comes to drinks. I had an Old Fashioned which was well balanced and made with a quality Whiskey but poured into a hot glass. The Farmer’s Market which my friend had was a beautiful drink that tasted just like it sounds, in a great way. Strawberry and mint and a lot of other good stuff involved.
We were hoping for a little more eye candy but I think that it might be more of an after dinner scene. Overall, I can’t say I would drive across the bridge again just for drinks, but it’s good for dinner/​drinks. Mostly an older crowd so don’t bother bringing your 22yr old secretary here and hope she’ll be impressed.

I’ll admit than when we first arrived at Farley Bar up at Cavallo Point last night, there were a few, long minutes that made me think we’d never get served (I had trouble even getting a cocktail menu). But hey, it’s Sausalito, and the pace is a little bit slower, so we were willing to abide.
Once we did place our order, it took another 10 unrushed minutes to get them — one of them was just a gin on the rocks, but the other two required some serious construction — but when they did arrive, they were delicious.
We were seated right at the bar, which has an immediate old world, leathery private club meets resort sort of feeling to it, and I think we might have been the youngest patrons. There is a bar food menu (which our bartender only asked us if we wanted anything from half way through our round), and everything sounded tasty if traditional (the main restaurant Murray Circle was fully booked, a good sign so far).
So why the four stars? I’m admittedly being generous, it’s more like 3.5 right now. Let’s just figure they do work out some of these service kinks. I’d also recommend the bar staff know their menu; when I asked for Old Raj as the gin of choice, our guy told me they didn’t carry it, but it was actually highlighted on the cocktail list). It’s my favorite gin right now, by the way.
So anyway, this isn’t the sort of bar to get jiggy at: it’s more about refined conversation, the friends you keep, taking in the good life, spotting a Marin cougar pack… If anything, the view from the patio — rocking chairs and all — is worth at least one short drive over the Golden Gate.
Note: I think this place might also best be appreciated if you were staying over at Cavallo Point, or at least had dinner at Murray Circle, with drinks before and after at Farley.

I’m going to vent here for the service problems that plague the main restaurant and the resort overall. Is anyone in charge here??? Hello?
Earth to bartender, earth to bartender. Come in bartender.
They are decent people, they are professionals, and they are trying. They just don’t have the slightest idea what they’re doing, and nobody seems to be in charge of telling them.
For example, one entrée never came. When we asked, the server apologized profusely, brought us a free drink, then said it could be fired up and ready in two minutes.
Half an hour later not there. Another free drink…
It seems the kitchen staff rejected the order, twice, but word never got back to the server. They didn’t think it was a real menu item even though it was printed on the… oh, heck. If I say anymore my mind is going to explode.
The view is great, the setting is nice. The drinks are very well made when they finally come. And the food quality is to die for — different menu than the restaurant but the same kitchen. Which means everything here is freshly done — make their own juices, mixes, probably their own olives.
The real Farley wouldn’t be caught dead here, though. Too fancy for his taste. Nothing here reminds me of the cartoon…

I have been here twice thus far and honestly I really really really wanted to love this place… The location is perfect… the food is great… the wait staff is very nice… but here is the but!!!
1. First time there I honestly had to wait 40 mins for my drink. 40 MINS I am not kidding. Finally asked this man who was walking around and looked important if he was important and he smiled was very nice and when I told him our issue with waiting 40 mins he got on it quickly and we finally got our drinks.
By the way his name is Bob and the reason this is important to remember is for the the number 2 item listed below.
2. So last night I took a group of 8 of us from our company. We are all in sales. We take clients out to lunch and dinner. We are always looking for a place to hold a nice event. The property which houses Farley’s is a perfect place to hold a nice event. So when I reintroduced myself to Bob I also introduced him to one of the owners of my company and the rest of the sales staff I was with and I told him why I had brought them there to see the property. It didn’t seem to make difference to him and truly he was not impressed or could care less.
3. We sat in the Bar area. We asked if we could order from the dinner menu as well as the bar menu and we were told NO. I even asked Bob… he said NO. I can’t imagine why. I felt like I was in the scene from 5 easy pieces with Jack N., because I wanted to know if they had room service and if they did have room service could we just pretend for a second that we were guests of the hotel and we would like to have room service via the bar.
Will I go back… yup I will… but will I always tell everyone this story… Ohhhhhh you betcha.