Best Restaurants in Pacifica and Half Moon Bay

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Everyone’s next Northern California vacation bucket list should include hitting our list of best restaurants in Pacifica and Half Moon Bay in The San Francisco Peninsula. 

Pacifica is a short drive from both San Francisco and the heart of Silicon Valley.

Outside of the amazing local restaurants in the area, you’re surrounded by the stunning beauty of Pacifica State Beach aka Linda Mar Beach. 

Read more about this region in our article on the Top Things to Do in San Mateo County.

Where to Eat: The Best Restaurants in Pacifica and Half Moon Bay

The cities  of Pacifica and Half Moon Bay are a tight knit community of great local restaurant owners. You won’t find a ton of chain restaurants.  

From breakfast to fancy dinners our list has you covered with plenty of dining options.

Soul Grind Coffee Roasters

Soul Grind Coffee Roasters is a local favorite and a great spot to kick your morning off. 

There’s almost nothing better in the morning breathing the ocean breeze while their friendly staff freshly roasts coffee beans in front of you. 

Once you have your coffee, they have a large toast menu and a fresh selection of pastries. 

We ordered the smoked salmon toast, and loved the delicious bay area sourdough they used for the base. 

If you’re looking for more of a lunch item, do not skip their ultimate pastrami sandwich.  

It was packed with meat, and one of the best iterations of the pastrami sandwich we’ve had in awhile. 

5400 CA-1, Pacifica, CA 94044

Half Moon Bay Coffee Co.

Half Moon Bay Coffee Co. is a local coffee shop cafe that has some great food and unique coffees. 

You can get any of the classic coffee options, but our favorite was their specialty banana mocha.  

We were worried it was going to be too sweet, but it was well balanced with a great banana flavor. 

For breakfast get their giant pesto avocado toast or a chorizo hash that is big enough for two. 

390 Capistrano Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Rosalind Bakery

Rosalind Bakery is churning out some of the best fresh breads, sourdough pastries, and pizza in the bay.  

You must try the sourdough, a croissant, one of their cookies, and of course coffee.

They say being a short walk to the beach creates the perfect environment for fermented sourdough bread and pastries, and we are believers.  

450 Manor Plaza, Pacifica, CA 94044

Taco Bell Cantina

Are you looking for an outdoor patio with 180 degree ocean views, and a relaxed atmosphere?  Also a popular place where the best tables don’t require a reservation? 

Look no further than the Taco Bell in Pacifica!  

Beyond the best fast food view in the world, this Taco Bell Cantina has a special cantina menu like their cantina chicken quesadilla, a beer brewed just for them, and alcohol infused beverages like baja blast.

5200 CA-1, Pacifica, CA 94044

Fattoria e Mare

If you’re looking for an Italian restaurant or a restaurant with locally sourced fresh seafood and ingredients, Fattoria e Mare will be your best restaurant in the area.  

This area of California is so special because it teeters between fresh seafood on the coast and farm fresh vegetables grown inland right across the Pacific Coastal Highway and Fattoria e Mare embodies this in their cooking.

Its west coast coastal cuisine meets Italian.

For a starter, get their seasonal smoked burrata.  While we were there, the seasonally changing dish was with fava beans and pesto.  We’ve never had a better fava beans dish in our life. 

The dish is presented tableside under a cloche of smoke, which causes quite the display.

The scallops were so sweet and fresh; they were the dessert of the sea.  The scallops had a fantastic herb sauce and were made with local zucchini. 

If you’re in a big group get the seafood platter, it’s packed with excellent food bites for everyone to try. 

The seafood platter includes a whole branzino with perfectly crisp skin topped with chimichurri, whole giant prawns, calamari, clams, mussels, and more. 

The cocktail program and wine list are both impressive for any pairing you could hope for.  

We loved their cocktail with a theatrical smoke bubble. 

315 Main St, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Ketch

Ketch has been a community favorite since 1975.  

This restaurant brings fresh fish from Pillar Point Harbor right to your plate – how fresh is that?

With Ketch being a local classic, they have dishes that have been on their menu for years like their Dungeness Crab Sandwich. 

We had never seen this sandwich on a menu, and after your first bite you understand why it’s a classic.  

This sandwich is essentially a sourdough grilled cheese that’s been loaded with crab meat.

Other plates we loved were the crispy seafood combo plate and their ahi tuna tartare.

The crispy seafood plate is perfect for any fish and chips lover, and you get the addition of fried shrimp and scallops. 

It’s rare to find a dish we’ve never tasted before, so we had to try the fried scallops. They were tender, sweet, with a bit of texture, we loved it!

The coast of California can have expensive restaurants, but what makes a place a gem is a great happy hour. 

 Ketch has a great happy hour Monday through Friday with both top food and drink items discounted. 

Although it’s been around since 1975, it was recently purchased by the friendly owner of Jettywave Distillery. Keep reading to hear more about our love of that craft drinking hole.

17 Johnson Pier, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

The Moonraker

We stopped by the Moonraker for dessert and a nightcap and were in awe of their amazing views. 

This restaurant was just steps from our hotel in Pacifica and is built right on the coast of the Rockaway Beach area.

The restaurant features large picture windows that showcase the waves crashing into the rocks below.

We savored a glass of California wine and ordered the smores dessert while we watched a few surfers battle the waves before sunset.

The smores dessert was so much fun because you roast the homemade marshmallows over your own personal fire at the table.

The chocolate is gourmet Ghirardelli squares, which is fitting since their headquarters is located a few miles north in San Francisco.

105 Rockaway Beach Ave, Pacifica, CA 94044 

Moss Beach Distillery 

Not to be confused with its title, Moss Beach Distillery isn’t actually a distillery. 

The name is a nod to its history as a speakeasy and bootlegging operation back during the era of prohibition.

This iconic jewel on the coast is famous for its history as well as stories of “The Blue Lady” ghost who is rumored to reside at Moss Beach Distillery and the beach below.

Moss Beach Distillery offers a full bar and restaurant as well as a lovely expansive patio that is situated right next to the coastal cliff.

140 Beach Way, Moss Beach, CA 94038

Where to Get a Drink in Pacifica and Half Moon Bay

Jettywave Distillery

Live music, fire pits, and a full mix of spirits brewed in-house. 

Jettywave Distillery is women owned and what makes them special is that throughout the venue you’ll find a ton of plants that are used in the distillation and ingredients for their cocktails and food truck.

Their spirits program is truly great, and they have a liquor for anyone, from vodka to whiskey to even absinthe.

Our favorites were their housemade absinthe, the barrel aged California botanical gin, and their bourbon barrel coffee liqueur.

It’s our new go-to for espresso martinis!

They also sell mini absinthe spritz bottles to make the perfect craft creations. 

Their onsite food truck is named Gibraltar Gems, and it features a mixture of California cuisines meets international flair.  

The specialty international food we loved to see was South African Bobotie, a ground beef curry and apple dish. 

155 Broadway, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Half Moon Bay Brewing

Half Moon Bay Brewing Company located right in Pillar Point Harbor

Try their brews and deep fried artichoke!  

It’s a spot for a good time and one of their inhouse beers.

If you’re hungry you have to get their version of clam chowder in a sourdough bread bowl and their specialty homemade beer battered artichoke hearts. 

Half Moon Brewing is a local location that features a live music calendar, so check their site before going if you’re looking for some live jams. 

390 Capistrano Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Cameron’s Pub

Cameron’s Pub & Restaurant, is a true English pub that boasts 19 beers on tap, 60 plus in bottles, and a bound-to-be famous beer can collection of 2000 plus cans.

It’s a pub that is an experience where anyone craving a pint will love, each room has 1000 things to look at in awe. 

On the food side, we’d personally skip it to save our appetite for the other restaurants above, but it is definitely worth a stop for a cold beer and to marvel at their unique decor, British telephone booth, and double decker buses.

Also, if you’re missing British candies and snacks from your travels, they have a mini shop for goodies. 

1410 Cabrillo Hwy S, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

Where to stay in Pacifica

While you’re dining around Pacifica, you definitely need a place to stay near the ocean. Here are some recommendations.

Fairfield Inn & Suites San Francisco Pacifica

We stayed at the Fairfield Inn & Suites San Francisco Pacifica, and this affordable hotel had a 5 star location.  

It’s amazing because their guest rooms are just steps from the ocean and the dog friendly Rockaway Beach which feels like the Irish Rivera.

Address: 500 Old County Rd, Pacifica, CA 94044

Ritz Carlton Half Moon Bay

Ritz-Carlton Half Moon Bay is the creme de la creme of Half Moon Bay.  

To stay there, it is definitely a luxury price point because Ritz Carlton offers great service and some of the extraordinary views of the pacific ocean.

Thus we’d personally consider this a special occasions stay location.

If you don’t want to pay a pretty penny for the hotel, you can still enjoy the beautiful setting by dining at one of their restaurants, which is what we did. 

We dined at their indoor restaurant The Conservatory, and also got a drink at their outside Ocean Terrace restaurant.  

What makes the Ritz Carlton special is at around sunset everyday they have a bagpiper walk the grounds playing the instrument, and watching this from the Ocean Terrace almost transports you to Ireland or Scotland. 

1 Miramontes Point Rd, Half Moon Bay, CA 94019

The scenic coast of the Pacific Ocean does not get any better than Pacifica, we know you’re going to love exploring and eating around this whole area.  

Let us know what your favorite restaurants are from this list, and if we missed anything email us and we will be sure to hit it next time because we’re already missing our Pacifica vacation. 

You will not be disappointed by your trip to the coastal town of Pacifica and Half Moon Bay  or any of the seafood you devour while you’re there!

Check out  Visit The San Francisco Peninsula’s resources for even more information when planning your trip.

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