Nick’s Cove

We have been there before but just for drinks in the bar. This time we went for a birthday dinner. We had the BBQ oysters (which were good) and then had salad, halibut, swordfish and the risotto. These were not very good and below average. It took 1 hour to get our main course, although the waitress was ok. A very limited menu, which is weird because the restaurant is right on the water with tons of seafood available, yet besides the oysters, none of the fish was from the area… go figure. In the future we will return to the bar for drinks and a cheeseburger at the bar (which looked great). All in all the view cannot be beat.

This is now one of my top five restaurants in California. I absolutely love Nick’s Cove. It is right on Highway 1. There are limited spots, but during busier times there is a valet option. The restaurant sits perched on the edge of the water allowing gorgeous views of the bay. We timed our visit so that we could watch the sunset. It was very serene.
The food was incredible. We started off with some clam chowder and bbq’d oysters. Then I got the whole, wood fired crab and my husband opted for the steak at the recommendation of our server. We finished off the night with their smores kit roasted over the fire. Everything was incredible. I’ve been dreaming of that crab ever since we left. We got lots of apologies from the staff about the slow service due to being backed up, but with that view, who cares? We felt very well taken care of and totally stuffed when we left!

Upscale service but down to earth vibe. I had half a dozen oysters, mac n’ cheese appetizer, and washed it down with a few beers. Took my last drink out to the little «house» at the end of the pier and just enjoyed the great weather. Got lucky when a nice couple came in and he played the old rickety piano for her (and me hehe).

This review is for both the restaurant and lodging… First, the food… While I enjoyed my Bloody Mary, the Pond Jumper was by far my favorite: Cucumber vodka, Pimms and then I can’t recall if it was watermelon or strawberry, but it was very refreshing and I’d order that every time! The BBQ oysters were delicious (my family tried to see if they sell the sauce separately) but my halibut was underwhelming, lacking much flavor and my brother found his pork to be too sweet. Coffee… I am anti-​coffee but felt compelled to order it one evening, and it was delicious! Again, while the food was not disappointing, it wasn’t a «must stop» location while traveling the coast in terms of cost to taste.
Lodging: We stayed in Bandits Bungalow and the view is obviously gorgeous as your room is right over the water when the tide is high. If you are looking for luxury, keep on driving. It’s a rustic feel but you should realize you are paying for the view and the experience in places like this. The customer service was great and the gentlemen that delivered our breakfast each morning were very nice.
I would give 3.5 stars. For me the price point has to be equivalent to the experience and flavors… It was almost there for me but just missed the mark. I’d recommend checking it out and judging for yourself.

Once again, a wonderful experience at Nick’s Cove. My mini road trip from Glen Ellen and the last stop is Nick’s. When I first walked in, the bar was packed so I sat at the end. In no time at all, my order was taken by bartender JoJo, who was very busy but was spot on with service for one!
This time I ordered the warm cauliflower salad which was really good. In fact, I’m going to try and make it at home… yum.
It’s a little pricey but the menu changes according to seasonal ingredients and it’s well worth what you pay.
If you’re in the area, stop by Nick’s. They have a great bloody mary, great beers on tap, and great wines by the glass.

Amazing, the food was all around delicious! Our server Lisa was great and on top of everything for our loud table. Service was great.
Strawberry salad was wonderful the strawberries were nice, fresh and the dressing paired nicely with the fruit. Clam chowder was hearty! The halibut was damn good specially with the delicious asparagus soup dressing!!! We all shared the smores for dessert (do wish there was an option for milk chocolate instead of dark) so good and all homemade.
Oysters!!! A must try when you come
The view is beautiful. Can’t wait to stay the night in one of the lovely cottages.
Will be back again very soon!

Everything was terrible. Food was so bad we stopped sending dishes back because we felt bad after the second one. (God knows how much of the waitress’ spit we swallowed in our remaining 3 dishes after just the 2.) If I were bolder I would have told her everything was inedible and if you comp our whole order we’ll still tip you. But we just slinked out of there, never to return.
Worn, dated dining room and bathroom were overrun with flies. Bathroom smelled worse than the Marshall Store’s outdoor port-​o-​potties.
Only good thing was the view, which we can also get — along with much cheaper and better food — at Marshall Store and Hog Island.

Can I double 5 to10?! Hands down a wonderful choice for dinner!
We told them over the phone that we were celebrating an anniversary– the great customer service started right there. The gentleman congratulated us and said he’d make sure to note that by our reservation.
Upon arrival, friendly greeting, our choice of window side tables to watch the sunset as we ate and two complimentary glasses of champagne while are table was prepared.
Great view!
Loved our waiter Scotty.
We both ordered the 5 course Chef’s selection. Truly a great and memorable special evening.
The Halibut in an avocado purée was amazing.
I also added the suggested wine pairings. I recommend doing that too.

So happy to have found Nick’s Cove on Google Maps. This restaurant is spectacular, the food amazing and staff knowledgeable and friendly.
Stacy was our waitress and her positive attitude, warm smile made the experience even better. It is well worth the drive to Nick’s Cove, you will not be disappointed.

I have been here several times to eat and or grab a drink after a coastal drive and always had a nice time. The food is always delicious and drinks are unique and you cannot beat the view.
Yesterday I stopped in because I made a wrong turn and ended up on the wrong side of Tomales bay with two kids (disappointed we weren’t at the beach already) and a dog in tow. The Host was so gracious and began to look up directions for me to make it to where I needed to go (a beach I have not been to in the 20 years I have lived here) while the kiddos used the facilities.
We decided to order some food to go, but the host suggested we stay for lunch and eat. When I replied our dog was in the car, he said «go get him you can eat outside» which is not the usual response dog owners hear. He then pointed out that we may want to walk down the dock to the shack out there where we could eat lunch on the water. There is a phone and they will call with our order. What? This is so cool! My boys ran to the car and got the dog and we walked down to the coolest shack around, it has a piano and a wood stove for the cool coastal weather.
The phone rang about 10 minutes later and I walked down and got a tray with our orders on it. The kids got the standard kids meals, but the burger was wood fired and tasted amazing (Brioche bun on point!) My son’s grilled cheese was on french bread and the fries were hand cut. Pretty good kids meals. I had the dungeness mac and cheese because it is amazing. There was enough for me to be full and bring half home for my husband who missed our adventure. The menu is loaded with delicious choices very different from the other places along the coast.
Infallible staff, delicious food, gorgeous location. What more can you ask for?

INNKEEPER’S COTTAGE
Ever since Unilocal introduced me to Nick’s Cove a few years ago, I’ve always wanted to come back and stay at one of their cozy cottages. As a surprise for hubby’s birthday this year, I decided to book the Innkeeper’s Cottage six months in advance.
I highly recommend staying here on special occasions; it’s the most unforgettable, relaxing getaway you’ll ever experience. Before your upcoming escape, you’ll receive an email from concierge ensuring your stay will be an epic one i.e., complimentary BBQ oysters upon arrival, complimentary continental breakfast of freshly baked pastries, French press coffee or tea, fresh fruit and juice along with the SF Chronicle delivered to your room in the morning. We also ordered more breakfast items to be delivered to our cottage, extra charge of course. There are additional activities they can book for you as follows:
~ In-​Room massages
~ In-​Room treats: champagne, seasonal fruit, truffles, or other desserts
~ Outdoor activities: sailing tours, guided kayak tours & kayak rentals
~ Local farm tours: oyster farm tours, cheese tours
~ Wine tasting by appointment only
Their stellar staff are happy to assist during your stay. It was a nice birthday surprise for hubby, and he truly enjoyed every moment of the rustic, enchanting cottage. He loved the wood-​burning fireplace and full-​size vintage refrigerator stocked with beverages. I loved the charming patio looking across the street at Nick’s Cove restaurant and the glistening water. We couldn’t have asked for nicer weather in mid-​March!
DINNER
We were seated in a romantic table for two, watching the sunset. Chef Austin Perkins did a fabulous job with all the dishes; they were presented beautifully. I met the Chef briefly at Eat Drink SF (see pic), and knew I had to come try his spectacular cooking!
We ordered the clam chowder, crab mac ‘n’ cheese, mussels & clams, and the pork chop. Everything tasted superb; the pork chop was succulent! We couldn’t finish all our dishes and boxed the rest to go. Hubby said his mac ‘n’ cheese tasted even better the next day. Waitstaff were on point, refilling our water without asking. Our friendly server checked on us periodically, and so did the bar manager Danny. Thank you for the outstanding hospitality, can’t wait to come back!

Such a great atmosphere! What I love: rustic rock fireplace and fire, cool looking bar area, lots of nice rustic and authentic details. We a romantic dinner here last night, it was perfect.
First, we started with raw oysters, two kinds. A local Pt. Reyes Miyagi and the Beausoleil from New Brunswick. Beausoleil means beautiful sun, which is close to how they tasted, fresh, crisp and refreshing. The Miyagi tasted stronger and salty, not my favorite compared to the Beausoleil. My husband chose two starters for his mains. The cheese plate was not up to the Girl & the Figs standards, it was nice though and we our favorite was the Blue Cheese which I
believe was from Bleating Heart Farmstead. His second starter was the incredible, generous and delicious Angus Beef Tartare. It was topped with an rich egg yolk from their croft.
My choice was a roasted wild Steelhead Salmon which I devoured every bite. I loved the Sea Beans and Artichokes and mustard sauce.
The service was excellent and helpful and friendly. I don’t remember our servers name, but she was very bubbly and we enjoyed our interactions.

This is a review for the cabins and the restaurant.
We had a quick one night getaway, joining friends — and Nick’s Cove was a super treat.
We stayed in Andy’s cabin which is outfitted for the disabled. It was fantastic, large, rustically decorated, big comfy queen bed, large sitting area, small kitchen, wifi, stereo and TV. I was super impressed with all the little touches you normally find in much higher end hotels — a personalized welcome note, welcome snacks, free sodas/​waters in the frig, real ground coffee for breakfast, all sorts of toiletries and a heated bathroom floor! — that was a treat.
The bathroom was wonderfully designed for someone disabled — with a built in shower seat, lots of hand bars and a pull down shower head — much appreciated!
Amanda checked us in and she was very sweet and helpful.
We went over to the restaurant for happy hour and devoured 2 dozen yummy small sweet local oysters at $ 1.50 each as well as our 4 complimentary hotel guest BBQ oysters. Had wonderful service from our bar keep– JoeJoe.
Back for a short rest then back for dinner — amazing yum clam chowder, a steak for hubby and other treats.
A lovely sunset, a nice sleep then continental breakfast served to your room. \
Shared a crab benedict for breakfast — it was good but was sorry the crabmeat was cold as it made the whole dish a bit cold. Would prefer warm crab too.
At check out we were given chocolates for the road.
We were very impressed with all the little touches they thought of.
A lovely stay — we will be back!
Oh and they are dog friendly too — a real plus!

Food was actually really good, oysters were just a little small but they were really tasty — did some raw and some cooked. The ciappino was not what I was expecting but the flavors were there and the fish and seafood in it were very good. Just not a huge bowl full (which is probably just as well because it left room for the awesome desserts! Definitely have to have the banana bread pudding and the apple purse –the fudge torte was also good but I was so full by that time I couldn’t really enjoy it.
Will absolutely go out there again — btw it is a little pricey but I think that is probably the case with alot of places out that way.
Definitely a must do again for me. :)

This was our third time dining at Nick’s Cove. It is one of our favorite restaurants and we LOVE finding hidden gems like Nicks. The atmosphere is so cozy and welcoming, not pretentious AT ALL. So romantic as well with a beautiful view of the bay!
The oysters are unbelievable. I didn’t used to like oysters but the server talked me into trying some and it was clear that these oysters were in a league of their own.
The entrees were all delicious and it was obvious the chef takes pride in pairing foods. This place knows what they are doing and their attention to every detail was much noticed and appreciated. The flavors were so unique and we enjoyed every bite!
Eating out for us is a hobby and we enjoy reviewing restaurants. We can’t wait to come back to Nick’s Cove again. It really is a special place. Keep up the fantastic work!

The view here along with the crab Mac and cheese and warm salad make it 5 stars. The cioppino is ok but not much. I would go with more appetizers next time.

My favorite restaurant. Everytime we go there, we eat for hours! So good. Their oysters are amazing — all of them. We can never decide which to get so, we always order all of them. Their crab mac ‘n cheese is amazing. Clam chowder is a 10. Everything is awesome: the staff, the ambiance, the food. There is nothing better than a cold, rainy afternoon spent at Nick’s except maybe, if you rent one of their beautiful, cozy, comfortable cabins. We always feel like we’ve stepped out of time and place when we visit Nick’s.
After reading a few of the reviews, I thought that I should mention that we go to Nick’s 6 — 10 times a year and have been going for many years. We have never had bad food or service. Many of the reviewers only went once — perhaps it was an off day. Each experience has been perfect and, once again, those cabins are fabulous. With a deck ON THE BAY, a fire in the fireplace and a glass of wine in hand it is, for us, perfection.
Nick’s is expensive — especially if you pig out on oysters and drinks — but, in MHO, it’s worth it. On a budget? Stop at Tony’s, down the street. They have really good BBQ’d oysters and a crowded (on the weekends especially) fun bar.

It all started with a drive with no particular destination in mind except for the Marin Coastal area. Took the boyfriend and the dog and hopped in the car. We came across Nick’s Cove, he’d been there before, but I had not. The views were incredible, especially at sunset. We paid for parking at the boat launch area. Took Abby for a walk on the shoreline and soaked in all the breathtaking views. We finished our walk and left the dog in the car. I popped into the Resturant and asked about the wait, put down our name and then returned with my boyfriend in 15 minutes. We were quickly seated with views of the bay. Our server was quick with drinks and menus while also giving us ample time to decide on our dining choices. We opted to split the Shrimp Louis Salad, each of us savored the Crab Mac and Cheese, we shared an order of baked oysters and then topped off the evening with two exceptional desserts: the Malted Fudge Tort and the Banana Bread Pudding.
Even if this was our first trip here, It truly won’t be our last. If you want a quick get-​away from the Bay Area, this is an ideal location. They even have cottages to stay at… maybe our next trip.

Good food and a great view. Good amount of oyster choices. Will have to go back again when the weather is better!

This review is about the lodging NOT the restaurant.
Spend a long 3 days weekend at one of the waterfront cottages and it was fantastic. I stayed in Al’s which had a wood burning stove and a porch/​deck over the water. Old school rooms with beautiful views. Take a friend there and then message and thank me! Now I was really lucky and had great weather all but the last day but it really didn’t matter by that time. Some of the rooms are dog friendly as well. The images listed on line are fairly accurate and I am sorry I didn’t take any that I can post (privacy issues) so check them out.
Potential negatives are the rooms/​cottages are close each other with not the best sound proofing. The one cottage closest to the restaurant is not as private as the others as you can look into the place from the restaurant. When I was there they had a two night minimum. It can be seasonally expensive as well.

I would avoid this place at all costs — unless you’re a tourist and you feel like it’s your right to get ripped off.
Bread and salted butter are the only positives of this place!

Snooty, overpriced.
After sitting at the bar a while I guess the bartender finally got done sizing us up and decided to help us. We got a chicken dish and a fish dish. Both were dry, overcooked, and drowned in sauces that were waaaaaay too rich. Definitely not worth the high price tag especially considering the flies that were buzzing around us the whole time.

So thankful that they stayed open for us right after we finished our night kayak with blue waters! We walked in damp and hungry after our bioluminscent tour (which you should definitely do if you have not) and were praying that they would stay open even though we arrived 5 minutes before they were set to close. They sat us at the bar and did a last call for the kitchen for us. The bartender was great and the beer we had to start off with confirmed that we were in good hands here. Got the mac and cheese, clam chowder, and the flat iron steak. We were stuffed afterward. The mac and cheese was my favorite, they weren’t skimpy with the lobster and every bite was rich and delicious. The steak was great too and the clam chowder hit the spot on the cold night.

So I haven’t stayed overnight here yet… I only discovered this place after driving Hwy 1 and wanted to pull over for a quick drink and lunch. Man was this place a find! Their food and drink is as good as it gets — I ended up with a lunch with a B theme — BBQ oysters, Bacon-​braised brussel sprouts, and their amazing «Beekeeper» cocktail (with bread and butter on the side of course). Absolutely divine, especially on a sunny day outside. The only thing that kept from an absolutely perfect 5 star experience was that upon entering the restaurant, it took a bit of time to get someone’s attention — I actually ended up walking up to the man behind the bar to ask for someone to seat me. Once he directed me to the right person though, it was great service from there on out. Excellent experience otherwise!

The décor’ is very «lodge» feeling with deer heads all over the place, still not sure exactly what to think about it but it is cozy! The service was attentive. The bread and butter are AWESOME. But overall, the menu items and pricing is about a 3 star. What made it fun and worth it all for us was ordering the «s’mores kit!» After our meal, we walked down to the bonfire on the little private beach with our kids and roasted our marshmallows and that experience alone made the dinner really fun! We would go back but mostly for drinks and the s’mores fun!

Some friends and I decided to eat here after our bioluminescence kayaking trip was over, and it was the closest restaurant. It was a Saturday night and granted it was around 9 pm, but there was no wait and we got seated in a room that cleared out about half an hour into our meal, so it was nice to have the room to ourselves.
We didn’t have high hopes because we chose the restaurant purely out of convenience, and maybe we were super hungry from all that kayaking, but the food was AMAZING. First of all, the bread and the butter with the pink Himalayan salt… wow, we devoured that bread basket. We refilled it so many times that they must’ve had to bake more bread because the last basket came out piping hot and even though we were getting full, all of us couldn’t resist eating more delicious bread and butter. That alone is worth four stars — we couldn’t stop raving about it.
I had the warm mushroom salad and garlic truffle fries, both of which were DELICIOUS. My husband had the halibut, which was crispy, soft, and buttery all at the same time. He also had the clam chowder, which was flavorful and a bit thin but that’s the way we like it because you could taste how fresh and homemade it was. Other people in our party had the crab mac & cheese (which some guy stopped by our table to rave about after overhearing someone was interested in it), but that to me was probably the one letdown of the meal. It was good, but incredibly rich and heavy. We all tasted one another’s dishes and each bite I had was unique, flavorful, and incredibly satisfying (without feeling weighed down and gross).
We didn’t have room for dessert and nothing on the dessert menu looked especially appealing, but it could be because we had already stuffed ourselves silly with bread and fries. It was pricey, but I felt like it was worth it.

Company lunch held here. Lovely seated table by the water.
Loved my refreshing lemonade and mac&cheese lunch. Filling and satisfying.
Lovely scenic pier area with historical items. Took group pictures.

Some friends and I stopped in for a snack when only the mid-​day menu was available. Everything was to our liking. The food provided a much-​needed energy boost before kayaking, and the sealed off and heated patio offered lovely views of the bay.
* A dozen premium oysters (Miyagi, Drake, Beau Soleil, Steamboat) — $ 36
Great selection. Served with 2 types of mignonette, lime, and lemon.
* Clam chowder with smoked bacon — $ 11
Chunky with firm cubes of potato.
* Dungeness crab mac + cheese — $ 17
Creamy goodness with crispy bits on top. Shredded crab throughout the bowl.

We came here while driving up the coast to try some oysters and check out the scenery. We got a dozen raw oysters for $ 32, clam chowder for $ 11, and shrimp salad for $ 28. The oysters and shrimp salad were okay, but the chowder was bland. We sat in the indoor patio dining area and there were lots of flies everywhere. For spending $ 90 with tip, we were hoping for a little more. The service was great, though, but we probably won’t be back.

I took the beautiful drive out to Nick’s Cove on a warm summer day. Once seated, we waited almost 30 minutes for our server to come by just for our waters. We waited a while after that to have our order taken, and a lot more time before for the food arrived. They were not that busy so no reason for the slow service. This wouldn’t have been a problem as I was enjoying my company in the enclosed patio area — except that was getting difficult as there were thousands of flies.
The entrees was quite bland and nothing special, especially considering all the reviews. As another reviewer stated, Nick’s Cove is a complete tourist trap. The bread and salted butter were the only positive about this place — they should just sell this in place of their already very, very limited menu.

Nick’s Cove is on the Tomales Bay coast line. They have indoor and outdoor seating, with fantastic views. The menu features fresh, local seafood, albeit a bit on the pricier side. We came here for my birthday because all the oyster farms were closed, and thankfully after a long drive up, Nick’s Cove was open.
Our meal was delicious. We shared the bacon BBQ oysters, mussels and a wild mushroom salad, which was actually the star of the whole meal, although everything was great. Although, they knew it was birthday, it was slightly a bummer that they did not acknowledge it, but that’s okay, I suppose…

Wow, this place really surprised me. Amazing view, great comfort food, done well.
Pros:
THE VIEW! Right on the bay, great place to watch the sunset on a nice day.
The lobster poutine was pretty decadent but worth every bite.
BBQ oysters were smokey and just amazing. I could have had a dozen more…
Chocolate semifreddo was the perfect ending to a great dinner.
Cons:
Was not fan of the vegetables that came with the swordfish. It didn’t really pair well with the fish and tasted pretty bland.

Came here for a quick one-​night getaway from the south bay and was pretty disappointed. Stayed in one of the waterfront cottages. This place is priced for serious luxury, but instead you get basic and nautical. These guys need to either drop the price or improve the experience — a lot. Also, the cottages are pretty close together and they allow pets in some, so we woke up to a barking dog about 2 feet away at 8AM. Not exactly what we had planned for a relaxing late morning.
Food was decent but also a bit pricey. We did both dinner and breakfast as room service and tried lots on the menu. Dinner had highs and lows with over-​sauced tuna, really terrible duck salad, tasty crab mac & cheese (unfortunately too sophisticated tasting for the kids), nice but a bit greasy duck deviled eggs, good cheese selection.
Also, warning… no cell service out here (maybe that’s why you came, but we like to stay connected) and the wifi was nice, but extremely slow.
Really nice staff, but there aren’t many of them, so be prepared to wait a bit to check in if you hit the timing wrong. Not coming back to get pillaged again.

Too expensive! Way to trap hungry travelers with no other options! I think you pay for the nice atmosphere and the dueling fiddles that indeed sounded rather delightful. I saw the sign for BBQ’d oysters and wanted to know what it was all about. How does one barbecue an oyster? They basically grill it in their homemade BBQ sauce, which technically isn’t barbecuing, but no matter. It WAS good, but at $ 18 for 6 of em, $ 3/​oyster is a bit too much, even though you caught them in the bay right there. Ya know?
That’s all I ordered besides an Old Fashioned, which was $ 10 and just ok. Where’s the one super big ice cube? And it didn’t have the bite I’m used to, instead it was too sweet. And then a $ 4 pop for my boy? Too expensive!

Personally I’m not a fan of their BBQ’d oysters. They were too small… and swimming in sauce. Wish they had large, fried oysters instead.
None of the dishes really stood out, to be honest. However, the boat house setting added much allure. Make sure you walk to the little shack at the end of the pier, sit by the fireplace, and chill for a while. It’s like a 15-​minute vacation… perfect place to get away from it all.