Drakes Fireside Lounge - BODEGA BAY

Look, I knew when reading the reviews that this place was going to be expensive. There aren 't many fine dining restaurants in the area, so it makes sense and we expected to pay a premium. What surprised me was how often this place was recommended as having amazing food. I found it while looking for places to stay and things to do in Bodega Bay, our Inn had it top of their list of restaurants in the area and the front desk person checking us in even said we should go. Ok so for our one fancy dinner for the weekend, this seemed like the place! We get there at 7 and it is DARK. It was hard to find exactly where we were supposed to park and where the entrance was. There 's one sign that 's very softly lit up in yellow. This place is in a resort, so ok, I get people don 't want to be disturbed with big lights but I couldn 't see a thing. Same with walking to the restaurant itself, all the pathways and the outside lighting at the lounge itself was yellow. It felt like somewhat of a ghost town. Once we got inside there were plenty of people. We walk through the lounge door since we didn 't get a reservation in the main restaurant and no one made eye contact or said anything. So after standing there awkwardly, we made our way to a clear high top table and sat down, hoping this was ok. It was. The server came over pretty quickly after that and was such a kind and warm gentleman. He truly was the best part of this dining experience and I wish him nothing but restful sleeps and happy days. We ordered the cheese plate. It was $27 I think and that seems reasonable for the amount of food we got. I loved the honeycomb included. The thing that bugged me about the cheese plate was the person who dropped it off at our table (not our main server) didn 't tell us what any of the cheese or meat was. It rotates, so it wasn 't on the menu. And we were just left to try it out. The choices themselves were ok. Didn 't seem to pair well together and all three cheeses were on the softer or crumbly side. No hard or sharp cheeses (I don 't count blue cheese as sharp , it 's a very specific taste on its own that can 't be lumped in with a sharp manchego, for example). So good but not great start. Then, we split the baby gem Caesar salad and the halibut. The baby gem leaves were so bitter. I get that 's it was a deliberate choice to make this Caesar salad different, but i did not like the choice. The halibut on the other hand was pretty tasty. I love halibut, I also love cherry tomatoes, so these little bursts of flavor were great. And still, this dish was relatively plain in flavor. It did not highlight the halibut flavor, but seemed kind of muddled together. Overall, I was very surprised that this restaurant which everyone recommended and has awards, ultimately fell flat and felt like a waste of an expensive night out. Our server was amazing though! And the fires outside looked cozy! I 'd probably come back only for those and a hot toddy.

Great food with a fantastic view. Portions are very ample. The bread basket and the charcuterie tray themselves are more than enough to serve two hungry people. Food: 5 Service: 5 Atmosphere: 5

Excellent views and atmosphere at this well situated restaurant right on Bodega Harbor. I like the food but I'd love it more if they were a little less creative/exotic with it. Very well cooked food though and attentive service. Price per person: $30–50 Food: 3 Service: 4 Atmosphere: 5

Views are truly stunning, and the location that allows for those vistas is very special. Aside from the visuals, it gets murky quickly. Because the lounge and restaurant adjoin the pricey lodging, parking can be challenging. Weather in the summertime on the north coast isn't exactly warm, often as not, which factored into our visit. We were visiting with my brother and sister-in-law and they took us for a drive over to the coast to escape the inland heat. Mission accomplished, but it was very breezy and almost too cold; or at least a big contrast from inland Santa Rosa. The outside patio area for the Fireside Lounge only had one of three firepits lit; not sure why, as it was perfect firepit weather! We asked to be seated when a table opened up. The same server who told my brother that was doable was the same one who told Dear Hubby and me that it was first come, first served, and if someone cut in front of us to grab a table, there was nothing he could do. Oh-kay. Way to start off a very pricey experience, right? That same server had an odd attitude while he was taking care of us once we did get a table inside. The indoor space in the lounge is very striking in its architecture, but only part of the room affords views of the bay and sunset. We were on the opposite side and only got to view the room itself. Menu-wise, they shift to a dinner menu (more expensive, right?! instead of maintaining lounge-friendly casual dining and prices to match. There were some lighter options, but not as many as we'd hoped. Also, not that many choices for vegetarian vegans non-dairy diners like me. None of us were starving, so we each decided to order the tomato soup, and share the charcuterie board. You have to pay for a bread basket. I didn't try the cheeses on the board, but the meats and nuts were quite good; not the usual fare. The tomato soup was excellent. Throw in a few drinks, and the overall bill was close to sky high for what little quantity we had, plus the offhand uneven level of service we received. In the future I would consider having a drink outside IF the firepits are lit, and coming before the menu converts to the heavy dinner offerings. Otherwise, I'd try exploring other options in the Bodega Bay area. The view is to die for, though. I'll give them that!

It was delicious. But the whole atmosphere was weird. I didn't feel welcomed from the door to the table. The host was obviously confused, my waitress didn't get my order right. And spilled water on my lap while placing my plate down. I didn't feel the attentiveness was there, and I even saw the manager just talking while the crew was obviously struggling. At a normal diner this wouldn't be the biggest deal, but the amount of money and time it takes to get a reservation and eat here. I am very disappointed. Not worth it. Food: 5 Service: 1 Atmosphere: 1