There's a ton of seafood options out in Bodega Bay. But on a busy long weekend Sunday, early dinner hours many of the places were packed in the parking lots. We were coming in from hiking and fishing and just wanted to get out of the sun and wind, and none of us felt like queuing it up in a line. The parking lot for this place was plentiful and not chaotic so just went with it. No scoping of reviews, no looking at pics or menus, just gave it a go, old school style. They must have revamped this place, as the place is more of a complex now. There's a hotel here, and attached there's also a big souvenir shop, a food market to buy local stuff and a sit-down seafood resto. All waterfront on the edge of the bay, very pretty. They weren't slammed when we entered but they did seem a bit stretched. Kinda long waits to get seated, for our orders to get placed and for certain food items to arrive. Given the vibes and ambiance, it gave off a more upscale feel. Some of the restos in Bodega are like shacks, very casual and many without table service. So this was kind of a bonus I felt. They had Russian River Pils ($9/5*) on tap, so I automatically went with that to start. It hit the spot after being in the elements all day. Crisp, cold refreshing. Calamari Gremolata ($20/3.5*) Gremolata as I've always known of it is chopped fresh herbs with garlic, so I thought this was going to be fried calamari tossed and kissed with garlic and herbs. Menu did state a orange and chili sauce, which to me seemed like or very similar to bottled Thai chili sauce. So no herbs and the calamari was tossed in this sweet sauce. Wasn't horrible but not what I was expecting given the name. Seafood Sampler ($32.50/3.5*) Nice big chilled seafood platter. Had a couple of fresh oysters, some poached prawns, a little smoked salmon and a small mound of dungeness crab. And there were a big portion of tiny bay shrimps, which I don't love but I'm sure is there as a filler. The smoked salmon, crab meat and large prawns were the best and most impressive. The oysters seemed to be lacking the fresh liquor from a freshly shucked oyster so not sure how far ahead these got shucked. But between the mignonette and cocktail sauce, this made for a decent chilled appetizer. Whale Watcher ($20/3.5*) This is their chowder and salad combo. You can choose between white or red chowder. I chose red and it was just meh. Just lacked the briny-ness and/or seasoning. Decent chunks of potato and clams, just flavor-wise didn't ring any bells. I've had much more special seafood chowders in this town alone with Fisherman's Cove imo having the best one. Finished with a warm coffee cocktail. Warm Seabreeze ($11/4.5*) Coffee, Irish whisky, Grand Marnier and soft whipped cream. Delicious capper to a nice day with fam on a coastal adventure day. And after dinner we lingered on their pier out back to soak in some sunset vibes. Surprisingly there were huge sea lions lounging trying to absorb the last few rays of sun left in the day. They were below the pier but they were like 6 feet from us. Imma round up my rating cuz imma sucker for intangible bonuses. Sorry-not-sorry. read more

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Used to love my visits here. So disappointed at happy hour yesterday. THE GOOD! Our bartender/ server made us feel welcomed and made fantastic drinks. She was funny, attentive and would be sure to give her a raise. What a keeper! THE BAD! Ordered the calamari, always one of our favorites! It was cold, chewy and flavorless. After explaining our concerns to Helen, she sent it back, no problem. The new calamari was warm, but just as bad. Not eating that as I am sure it was the same plate they threw back in the fryer! THE UGLY! Helen went to speak to manager who took it off the bill. Said manager walked by us at least 4 times never asked what the problem was or how he could solve it. Totally useless managing this restaurant. No wonder so many people looked unhappy! Will go back to see Helen, but not getting food. Helen needs to be promoted! read more

I love everything about this restaurant: The food, the ambiance, the location, the gift shop, there's a fish market on site. Even the bathrooms are nice. The service is always hospitable and friendly. Fish is fresh and delicious, and is always perfectly cooked. They have a full bar, and offer Happy Hour Monday through Friday 4:00-6:00. The space is kept clean. Dishes and silverware are clean. Everything is perfect to me. I wish I took more pictures to post online but I was enjoying everything in the moment and I forgot to take pictures. read more

The Tides Wharf Restaurant - Sliders (Happy Hour menu) - Seafood Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

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Suuuuch a gorgeous view... bummer that the food and drink are mediocre at best. I had a mocktail which was syrupy sweet, and my husband's glass of wine was not a great quality glass of grapes. Probably wouldn't dine here again. read more

We went back for dinner. The wait staff was great, but not so much the food. My husband's clam chowder was mediocre at best. My artichoke/crab cakes were mostly artichoke as the crab was well hidden. I only ate one, as they were also a little too much breading to my taste. Most dishes were either creole or blackened, neither something I enjoy, as to me it hides the true flavor of the fish. I will say the soft salt. Caramel ice crème saved the day! But come back for the crab feat as it is the best. read more

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Topic: The Tides Date: 4/19/26 Quality: 6/10 Value: 7/10 Service: 8/10 Timeliness: 5/10 Atmosphere: 7/10 Total: 33/50 Came in for our final meal from our trip here this weekend, and it was fairly good. The service was also good, but this restaurant excels most in its location. What an outstanding view of the bay! One of our waters did have a weird cloudy substance on the top so we did not keep drinking it.. we're curious what that was! The food took about twice as long as we expected for a quick breakfast, maybe 25 minutes? Traditional Eggs Benedict (Country Potatoes): 5.5/10 Very very basic, the hollandaise tasted a little funky Tides Breakfast (Classic Breakfast, Bacon, Eggs (Medium), Country Potatoes, Sourdough Toast): 9/10 Everything here was great! I wish they had a higher quality jam to offer than smuckers when there is so much good, local jam in the area already. read more

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I do not understand the negative reviews of this restaurant. We ate here three times; breakfast, late lunch (including happy hour specials) and dinner. The view is great, service good, and all food tasty. Breakfast was good, happy hour yummy, and dinner seafood was delicious. Ignore the stars; we were always happy with our food and experience here. read more

The Tides Wharf Restaurant - Great views! - Seafood Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

First time visiting bodega bay pooped into tides wharf to catch the view and be inside. We waited about 15min to be seated but got a great table. Service could have been a bit better, our server was sweet, but service was noticeably slow. We had to wait quite a while for most things, from ordering to refills. We opted to get the bbq oysters and wow they are huge! My husband had the clam chowder bowl and I had the club sandwich. All in all it was good! read more

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I rode my motorcycle up from Concord and my phone died even though I have a charger on my bike. The staff directed me to the bar where you can plug in your device. The bartender, Efrosini, was a super delight. I ordered the spinach salad with scallops, strawberries and cherry tomatoes. SO good! I paired it with the Kenwood Sauv Blanc. The bay was beautiful. read more

Lovely place , view is fantastic , service prompt and attentive . Fish dishes are fresh and tasty , warmly recommend it ! read more

The Tides Wharf Restaurant - View from our table - Seafood Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

Great Experience at The Tides I had a really enjoyable visit to The Tides. The atmosphere was relaxed and welcoming, and the staff made the experience feel easy and pleasant. The food was fresh and flavorful, with a few standout dishes that really impressed me. The location is beautiful too -- there's something special about being so close to the water. Food is amazing and I love their crab sandwich and I tried the calamari steak for the first time! We always visit here when we miss the ocean!!! Love the Tides!!! read more

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You really can't go wrong with The Tides Wharf Restaurant. It's open 365 days a year. Breakfast, lunch, and dinner. Freshly fished fish options daily (which you can also buy to cook yourself from their fantastic fish counter). Whatever happens in the world, The Tides Wharf carries on, complete with its iconic little gift-shop and local market, and its history of and many homages to Hitchcock's "The Birds, filmed here in Bodega Bay. Their menu is on brand, standard and focused on seafood.. shrimp cocktail, fish and chips, clam chowder, a burger, steak, salad, fried calamari. Breakfast is your beloved basics. Oh and they have a full bar! The bartenders and waiters all seem like they've worked here forever, whether they're young or old hahah. The Tides is all around good vibes, classic food, and classic bay views. read more

First off, GORGEOUS VIEW of the bay and sunset. The decor and ambiance were giving sea. My friend and I shared the bodega bay chowder and grilled snapper. Both were good, nothing crazy. The service was a bit slow, but there also weren't that many people dining there. read more

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Used to love this place, was amazing a few years back. Today they lost a customer (probably 8 to 10 to be realistic) food was absolutely horrible!! Had a chefs platter and my wife had fish and chips, usually we joke about bad food being Costco at best, not today The fish was so ever done it was jerky at best, chefs platter had clams that were so over done it just crumbled in pieces, the scallops were crunchy and one was still cold in the center,the prawn cocktail wasn't too horrible and neither was the clam chowder but the bill came to 170.00 including the tip. Hope they made their profit margin, good bye tides read more

I was happy to finally get a chance to visit this place on my recent trip to Northern California. We were staying in Petaluma and drove over just to visit The Tides Wharf Restaurant. My brother often vacations in the area and has been telling me about the clam chowder from here for years. He says it's the best or equal to the best he's ever had. With an endorsement like that I knew walking in the door I what I was going to order. The chowder, of course. As we approached the Take Out counter my brother says, hold up, Ima get you a sample. I told him, hey, I don't need a sample, I'm sure it's fine. He says, no, Ima get you a sample. So he does, because he's cool like that. He tells the counter guy it's my first time and asks for a sample. The counter guy cheerfully complied with the request. I wouldn't have otherwise requested a sample. I mean, I didn't even know there were samples. And get this, the sample cup was not small. Not at all. It was in fact very generous. And it was also very hot. About the temperature of fast flowing lava. So hot people down in Santa Rosa could have probably heard me yelp. Eventually it cooled off enough so I could actually taste the chowder. It did not disappoint. I was impressed by how many huge pieces of clams I was finding and how incredibly tender and delicious they were. My brother ordered a large bowl of chowder. When it was my turn I ordered a small. That was the stupidest thing I've done so far this year. What the hell was I thinking? In my defense, at the time I put in my order I was still eating the sample of chowder. The sample was actually kind of filling. I thought, yeah, I'll go with a small. When I finished my small bowl I understood just how badly I f'd up. It wasn't like I was still really hungry or anything. I was just sad that I wasn't eating that delicious chowder anymore. I kept looking at the empty bowl like staring at it was going to change something. But staring changed nothing. The empty bowl just sat there in silence staring back at me. Don't let this happen to you. When you order chowder here, be sure to order the Large. Mikey C says: and remember to protect your Oyster crackers because I will straight up steal yours when you're not paying attention. read more

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I had dinner here but was almost persuaded by the terrible reviews not to come. I'm so glad I ignored them. Yes - it's touristy - but that didn't dampen the lovely experience I had. You cannot beat the sweeping view of the water - this was the view from my table. My waitress, Nena, gave me stellar service. Attentive, funny, friendly, and most importantly - helpful. Based on what I was looking for, she steered me away from a dish I was going to order and toward what I ultimately got - the Petrale Dore - which was delicious, and rivaled fine dining restaurants I've been to in the sophistication of its preparation. I thoroughly enjoyed it. She also made me an excellent martini - exactly as I requested it - as cold and dry as humanly possible. It was perfect. Don't know if my experience would have been as great without Nena, but luckily it doesn't matter. She is a gem! read more

The Tides Wharf Restaurant - View from my table. - Seafood Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

Cants best the view and this place is exactly what you would expect... it's not the French Laundry nor does it pretend to be anything too fancy. It's more coffee shop / club house style place that is plenty good enough for a good meal. Burgers, Club Sandwich, type food. I have no idea why anyone would rate this lower than a 3 but some folks may expect because of the location that the food is fancy. It's not and what they do serve is fair priced. Both food and service were average or slightly above. Did not disappoint. read more

The Tides Wharf Restaurant - Sunset during dinner - Seafood Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

The view is awesome, the food is great, and the service is friendly. We love The Tides!!!! We make this an annual dinner place. read more

The Tides Wharf Restaurant - View - Seafood Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

Gift shop, snack bar, restaurant, dock, they have a lot to offer. On this occasion we just got a couple of souvenirs and walked around. They have a cute little area from the movie the birds. View is beautiful. read more

The Tides Wharf Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

Nice view and beautiful restaurant, but if you've kept up with my reviews, I really am not a big ambiance person, I'm more interested in the food. I ordered the crab cioppino, my friends pretty much drank their dinners, lol. The cioppino was okay, I've certainly had much better in north beach in San Francisco. I expected at least a half of a crab in my cioppino bu I guess the kitchen didn't get the message, all I got was four tiny legs and the claw was not among them and not much body, a smattering of mussels, clams, scallops, shrimp and salmon but no white fish. To me it was a disappointment for the price they charged for such a tiny portion of cioppino. I told my friend, I'm gonna have to bring her to my favourite place in north beach to try their cioppino. We had Helen as our server, I must say she was excellent. We also had the calamari appetizer but ho hum in my opinion. This is a great place if you are looking for a fantastic view and a beautiful restaurant but the food leaves much to be desired. read more

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This was so lackluster, with hardly any flavor and felt like something I would get on a Carnival Cruise Ship. I wish I had left my review closer to the date I went (end of April 2026) so I could have it fresher in my mind, but it was just not memorable at all. I didn't eat all of it and did not take leftovers home. Very disappointing compared to the other food we had in Bodega that weekend read more

Nice ambiance. Terrific view if there is no fog. Pleasant staff -- although she couldn't get many of our requests down right or answer our basic questions. We were constantly repeating ourselves when what she repeated back to us was flat out wrong. The food was decent, but the New England Clam Chowder was bomb. I was not impressed with the Halibut fish special -- dry and covered in a mango-tropical mess. The Apple Pie was good old Apple Pie a la mode. Overall, not a good value for the price. Adequate parking. read more

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Most of us come here because of Alfred Hitchcock's "the Birds." Unfortunately, the cute little place in the movie has been transmogrified into a weird tourist center. Still, the view on the water hasn't changed much. And the town of Bodega Bay is as charming as ever. read more

The service at this place is terrible. It took a good 5 minutes to get seated. The host and hostess were discussing something that was clearly not more important than getting customers settled. Our server, Fernando, came soon enough, took our very simple order and I asked for a Diet Coke. The drink never came. The place was deserted at 4:00 pm on a Sunday, so none of it should've taken so long. The food took forever to arrive, soup, salad and fries. When the check came, we realized that our server did not take out the soda, as I had asked him not to bring it after all. I'm not sure what's happening with the management, but clearly they are MIA. We will not be coming back to The Tides unless the world is ending and we're starving. And maybe not even then. read more

After coming here for dinner twice we decided to try the breakfast. I asked the manager Cesar who helped me decide yesterday what to eat what I should try for breakfast he recommended the "Tides Benedict" which has pan fried sole on top of an English muffin with hollandaise sauce. Very good! But our waitress Michelle recommended the avocado toast. This was definitely the best ! The avocado toast was served on rye bread and had a poached egg on it with pickled red onions (not overly added) and avocado of course! The staff were again fantastic and friendly! read more

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As a Hitchcock stan and Baytive, The Tides Wharf Restaurant has always been on my bucket list. At last, my mom and I finally visited and dined here! watched The Birds multiple times on various platforms, and it feels surreal to visit one of its iconic filming locations. While it's no longer the same interior in the movie, there are dedicated walls of photos and signed posters (including Tippi Hedren's autograph) on display. One section of the restaurant entrance features the original restaurant scene playing on loop. (If you know, you know). My mom and I ate here for late lunch and we were immediately seated next to the window overlooking Bodega Bay. Our server Maria was very accommodating, went over the special menu items and took our orders promptly. My mom and I both shared a plate of fish and chips, while we individually ordered a Turkey Burger and a special Angel Hair pasta with shrimp. Our orders were ready in less than 10 minutes. The turkey burger was impressive because the patty was tender, not dry and not greasy. It matched well with lettuce and avocado slices. The steak fries were crispy on the outside, fluffy on the inside. My mom enjoyed her angel hair pasta with shrimp and fresh tomatoes. The fish and chips were fresh, crispy and well paired with tartar sauce. Maria did not hesitate to check on us if we were doing okay and we were fine. She also made sure we received our needed refills for water and coffee. While this is our first time dining at The Tides, this won't be our last. On my next visit, I'd love to try their warm bread and butter. read more

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Had a lovely breakfast on the water. I recommend the ham and cheese omelette. Very nice staff.

The best view while dinning. Ceasars salad, calamari and crab cakes were delicious. Swordfish was overcooked but tasted fine. Waiter was ok

Service: Shoutout to Michelle, our waitress. She was very friendly and attentive. Ambiance: Nice location on the Bodega Bay with a nice view. Food: This is where it goes downhill unfortunately. We ordered the Calamari as a starter. It had nice flavor with a sweet chili glaze, but it was overcooked and a little chewy. My wife got the Chilled Seafood Salad. She enjoyed the portions of the shrimp and crab, but thought the lettuce leaves were too big. I went with the fish and chips. The fish was red snapper, which was very fresh and tender; but despite the batter being nice and crispy, it was bland. Ever drizzling the fish with lemon only did so much. The fries were decent tho. We finished off with a cheesecake for dessert which had some raspberry sauce. It was very good and probably the best part of the meal. Overall: I was really looking forward to visiting the Tides for the fact that the restaurant is featured in Alfred Hitchcock's "The Birds" which is one of my all-time favorite movies. And while I give kudos for the service and location, I feel it's more of a tourist trap. $40 for a seafood salad? $30 for fish and chips? It's not so much the issue of the cost because if the quality is on point it can be well worth the experience. Plus I understand inflation plays a part too. It's jut the fish and chips left a lot to be desired due to it being bland. The quality just didn't match the price. read more

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I'm giving this 2 stars only because of the location and view. My man took me here for my birthday Oct 3rd. Never been here and I love these type of places. Sadly, the service sucked, the food sucked and the pastries weren't that great either. Our peanut butter cookie was burnt and the macadamia nut cookie was so hard we couldn't eat it. I ordered the clam chowder with shrimp cocktail. Chowder had no flavor and I expected actual shrimp but it was bay shrimp. Definitely not worth $28. My man got fish and chips. Fish was chewy and fries were cold and old. Not worth $29. We asked for more bread, never came. Our server wasn't friendly at all. We won't be coming back. McDonalds would have been enjoyed more than this place read more

You cant beat the view! Reservations are sketchy. You can make one and it will be honored- but if a walk-in hops in front of you in line... you may lose that window seat request you made when you reserved. Why? The request, even though you reserved the table ahead of time, isn't checked when when walk-ins are there. It's first come, first seated- reservation or not. Specials of the day are local and fresh. Food is average, but the view from inside brings you back- especially on a windy Bodega day. read more

While out cruising in the little red corvette.. stopped by the tides, they were closed but it still was fun to walk around and listen to the waves of the ones and see some of the boats. Can't believe this place is still in business.. love to go back and visit when it's open read more

The Tides Wharf Restaurant - Seafood Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

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We tried their breakfast which was complimentary with the stay at in at the tides. It was decent. Croissant, cereal , fresh fruit and muffinThey served us room temperature coffee which was a turnoff. Otherwise you get to enjoy your breakfast with a water view. If you need eggs or other items, you can order them separately. Food was good. read more

This review is for the snack bar. Completely revamped menu as of a week ago. The service was wonderful, my friend and I shared a Poké bowl and it was delicious. Good selection of local craft beers available as well. This is a great addition to this space. Now they just need a lot more signage! read more

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Best Restaurant.. the service is good, me and my family had a nice time there my kids really enjoyed the view and the service amazing specially Marcela and the manager read more

The Tides Wharf Restaurant - The bread is delicious - Seafood Near Me - Bodega Bay, California

Got seated on a late Sunday afternoon in the main dining room. We were given a window seat as tables were available. Looked at a menu that had $24 fish tacos and $20 bowls of clam chowder. 10 minutes go by. A waiter appears and asks us if we wanted bread. We declined. In the middle of my wife informing him we were ready to order, he walks off. 15 more minutes go by. We left. read more

Our server was in a rush. He came back to the table about every one minute until we ordered. We are on vacation and want to take things slow. The menu is big, so it takes a moment to figure out what you want. We felt rushed! I ordered the Tide's Burger and asked for no onion and no lettuce. Server said, it comes on the side. You can take it off yourself. I didn't want to take it off. I didn't want it on the plate. Why not accommodate such a simple request?? I asked for the burger at medium. It came well. Overcooked and no requests accepted. We will NOT be back. It's unfortunate because the place is pretty amazing. read more

Food is terrible! I had the pesto pasta and only ate a few bites. Service is not good either but I'm guessing that it is hit or miss because we saw some people have a very attentive server. Beautiful view, ambiance and story! But just go to look, not to eat. read more

My breakfast was good and worth it! I had to try the Benedict Crab Cake breakfast, Has a lot of flavor and will fill you up even when you're starving. Plus I had it with 1 1/2 cups of coffee. Great view but slow service. read more

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This review is for the Snack Bar located next to the Tides Wharf Restaurant. We were on our way home from Gualala and stopped for gas and a quick bowl of soup. There are no signs for the SNACK BAR so when you walk into the building go straight to the back and turn left after the bathrooms on the left and the SNACK BAR is nestled into the left side. There are lots of tables at the window to see where Melanie Daniels once rowed a boat across the harbor to Mitch Brenner's house SEAFOOD: Fish & Chips $13.50 (only three small pieces of fish the size of Nuggets) were OK, the fries were skinny and good and served with a cup of ketchup and tartar sauce SOUP: Clam Chowder cup was $6.50 and hot and delicious and served with oyster crackers that I love but the wifey no, "to each its own". I like to crush and stir them in for a thicker consistency. SUMMARY: We passed by the more popular restaurants because they were crowded but The Tides SNACK BAR provides a quick bite and bathroom visit, in and out quickly no waiting IN LINE. AND THAT'S THE REST OF THIS CLAMMY STORY ! FAREWELL MATEY ! read more

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