Family Dining with a View at San Francisco's Beach Chalet

When we head into the city for some fun, one of the places we like to stop for a bite to eat is the Beach Chalet at the western end of Golden Gate Park. Housed in a historic building, decorated with amazing WPA murals from the 1930s, that's also home to the Golden Gate Park visitor center, the Beach Chalet and its downstairs sibling the Park Chalet are both well worth checking out if you're in the area visiting the park, Ocean Beach, or on your way to or from the San Francisco Zoo.

Since the weather has been so amazing, we jumped at the chance to dine upstairs at the Beach Chalet with its amazing views of Ocean Beach and the Pacific Ocean. With its exquisite view, the Park Chalet is popular with tourists and out-of-town visitors, and can get pretty busy at mealtimes, so get there early to grab a table by the windows.

Many families opt for the more laid back Park Chalet, with its unique indoor/outdoor configuration. The Park Chalet features a big fireplace and an expansive lawn where kids can run around while mom and dad sample one of the Chalet's house-made beers, each of which is named after a San Francisco landmark.

The menus at each restaurant are different, with the Park Chalet skewing a bit more casual, with a focus on sandwiches, salads, and pizzas, while upstairs it's more about fresh seafood, entree-sized salads, steaks, and heartier fare. Both have extensive children's menus featuring classics like fish and chips, hot dogs, macaroni and cheese, and a caesar salad. The Beach Chalet also has breakfast fare and smoothies for the kids.

The Park Chalet features a number of family-friendly events throughout the year, including an Easter egg hunt and the annual JAMBand Family Festival, a family-friendly music festival on Sundays in the spring and summer featuring Charity and the JAMBand as well as special guest artists like Orange Sherbet and the Hipwaders. Check their online calendar for more information.

If You Go

The Park Chalet and Beach Chalet are located at 1000 Great Highway, at Martin Luther King, Jr. Drive, across from Ocean Beach. Free parking is available in the lot in front of the building or on nearby streets. To go to the Beach Chalet, enter the building and head upstairs; the Park Chalet is downstairs on the back side of the building.

The Beach Chalet opens at 9 am Monday–Friday and 8 am on weekends, and closes at 10 pm Sunday–Thursday and 11 pm Friday and Saturday. The Park Chalet opens at noon Monday–Friday and 10 am on weekends; it's open until 9 pm Sunday–Thursday and 10 pm Friday and Saturday.

For more information, visit them online at www.beachchalet.com and www.parkchalet.com, or call (415) 386-8439.