Cuisine:

• Others
• Sea food
• Californian

Waterbar Description:
Restaurateur Pat Kuleto has done it again: much like some of his classics (Farallon and Boulevard among them), with Waterbar he's created something of a fantasy world that treats both the eyes and the palate. Situated right on the Embarcadero, with up-close-and-personal views of the Bay Bridge, the restaurant is a two-level stunner. Two vertical fish tanks lend a touch of whimsy and wonder to an otherwise traditional dining room, drawing a crowd of neatly suited Financial District types and well-dressed visitors. With a name like Waterbar, it's no wonder that the food, crafted by chef Parke Ulrich, mostly hails from the sea. Ulrich has a way with fish: baked oysters, served up four different ways, are a decadent way to start, as is a salad of larger-than-usual grilled Monterey Bay sardines served with chopped hardboiled egg, parsley and flavorful leeks. Ulrich's ultra-fresh kampachi sashimi shows restraint and is beautifully presented, topped with sweet fennel and Corsican caviar. Main dishes are nicely cooked and served with decadent accoutrements, such as a flaky whole petrale sole perched atop Maine lobster hash studded with chunks of smoky bacon. Room should most definitely be saved for dessert, as pastry chef Emily Luchetti is a master of all things sweet. Her ice cream cake pairs rich peanut butter and chocolate ice cream with bruléed bananas, while a simple-sounding lemon shortbread is anything but, with roasted quince and a kick of flavor from ginger bavarois.


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