The Ocean Terrace - Half Moon Bay

I have mixed feelings about this place (as seen by my individual ratings below). As a whole, that atmosphere is lovely and is a MUST EXPERIENCE. This is a great place for a date or to celebrate an anniversary, a place to bring your parents, or a nice place to relax and enjoy the amazing scenery. This is the type of place you MUST TRY ONCE, or come back once a year and is definitely not your everyday type of place; here is why: Scenery: 10/5 if possible. Even when gloomy, the sounds of the waves and the cool ocean breeze is amazing. You get to overlook the 18th green and see golfers finish. If you come at the right time, you will hear someone playing the bagpipes, giving it the highlands feel. Food: 4/5. Taking price out of consideration, the food here is good. The crab and artichoke dip is a must have, the oysters were surprisingly fresh and cleaned well. I would pass on the clam chowder. The drinks are also amazing but the hot chocolate is definitely the way to go (not on the menu when we went). They have a great selection of wines by the glass and bottle and a great selection of cocktails. Service: 3/5. The staff are SUPER friendly. Just as you would expect at a Ritz. However, it is a bit slow, either due to being understaffed or just the sheer distance between all the different outdoor table areas. If you are patient and not in a hurry, this won't be a problem. Just make sure to flag down your waiter when you are ready to order anything! PRICE: 2/5. This is where the near 3 star rating probably comes from. You pay an arm, leg, and maybe a liver to eat here. You are essentially paying for the view and atmosphere. The food and service itself at any other establishment would not be worth it. Note: make a reservation online! When we arrived on a Saturday afternoon, the wait was approx. 40 minutes. With the online reservation, they do take a deposit, but that is returned to your credit card upon checkin. TLDR: I would HIGHLY recommend if visiting the area. This, to me, is a place that people must experience at least once! If price is a factor, order a couple of apps and drinks during the middle of the day (i.e. don't eat a full meal) just to enjoy the scenery. If you are lucky, experiencing the sunset here would be amazing!!

The ambiance here was nothing short of amazing. However, the food was disappointing. Maybe my expectations were set too high but the food seemed mediocre, especially for the price. Service here was average. Meh.

It's all way too expensive for what it is. the poke bowls are all right, but by no means appropriately priced (should be half the price at most). great location, great service (could be a littttle bit faster), but really be cognizant that this place is really just selling the view and location not too much else going on that makes it stand out. I our waiter preheated the mugs for our coffee and i felt that was a nice touch.

Super great service. My family went to this restaurant to have lunch and the waiter brought us to go the seat with smile. When we took picture, the waiter know we need someone to take picture for us without we need to ask them. Super great service. We seat next to the window, the view is amazing.

My sister and I visited Ocean Terrance on a Friday evening to have a drink and take in the sunset views. When we arrived, the guest parking was full so we paid $20 for valet (it's more expensive on weekends). The staff was very welcoming and pointed us in the direction of the outdoor bar. We were hoping to get seated but the hostess informed us that the tables were reserved for those having a full meal. However, we could order at the bar and find some guest seating, so that's what we did. We both ordered Espresso Martinis, with Baileys for her and without for me. The cocktails were $21 each before tip, which was a little shocking. While they were good, there was really nothing special about them to justify the price but I guess you're paying for the experience. It was hard to figure out where guests could sit, as many of the tables were reserved for diners or hotel guests only. We ended up just finishing our drinks and then walking around to enjoy the views. The sunset really was beautiful, with incredible views of the beach and cliffs. Would probably return just for that and skip the cocktails!