Nick's Cove — Restaurant in Sebastopol

So after rave reviews my family an I travel well over an hour to get to the place. We are greated, not so promptly by a gentleman dressed very unprofessionally. He informs us we must share a menu because they do not have enough for us(a party of 3). The man seats us and as he is clearing the unused place setting he grabs a glass by the rim and starts to remove it and my wife decided to sit in the spot he was clearing. He placed the glass and silverware back on the table and removes the other place setting. We are then greeted by a gentleman who didn't introduce himself but filled 3 glasses of water 2 of which he picks up and fills off the table. the third he doesn't pick up, spilling on the table and my wife in the same glass the manager has had his hand all overy the rim. We order and I ask for some lemon for my water. I watch my server turn around and grab with his bare hands, 3 lemons and place them on a plate. We order our food and observe the other 3 servers and and bartender all use their fingers in the same lemons. My crab mac and cheese comes out and tastes amazing but I notice the liner for the plate is a menu, which I find very intriguing, but I'm not sure if it was a new piece of paper or the menu that we couldn't order from because we were sharing. We proceed to eat some very amazing food. And order desert, still the server not so attentive providing mediocre service at best. We inquire aboUT the ice cream that the menu says is made fresh daily ask your server for details. Our server didn't know what the flavor of the day was and had to ask. We ordered the spiced peach ice cream. It too came on a plate lined with the menu we didn't get to oder from. As we are leaving I excuse myself for a restroom break and find the man that sat us using the restroom, I proceeded to the handicap stall and heard the man flush and walk out. I finished and walked to the edge of the bar to wait for my party. The man was seating a table on the patio with another group at the door. I watch, still waiting for my other 2 party members to return from their break, as this man that handled the rim of my wifes water cup seats another table, still never stopping to wash his hands. I see a man, dressed in a blue button down that I had observed walking around for some time, I stop him to inquire if he is the manager, he says no, and refered me to the man seating tables that had not washed his hands, that he handled the lodging. I told him about my experience, he offered nothing. We called today and spoke to a new manager, this is his first day, he was quite taken aback by our experience and informed us he was going to be working on the situation... there is much room for improvement however I'm not sure if I'm willing to...

Oh, Nick's Cove... how shall I rate you?

I've been meaning to come here for the past two years and only made it up here a couple of weeks ago. We came here for an early dinner after some oyster shucking at Tomales Bay. What can I say, I like my seafood.

Despite being tucked away in the windy corners of Highway 1, Nick's Cove remains a destination for locals and travelers, and for good reason. For the most part, the food here is fresh, flavorful, and generally creative. However, I couldn't give it a 4-star rating because of a couple of big errors: 1) I found a piece of sponge thing in my cauliflower, 2) everything was overly salted, 3) every dish was really heavy on top of the salt.

My favorite of the night was definitely the clam chowder. That was near perfect. "Near" because I don't like salted pork bits unlike the rest of the universe. But if you like bacon, you'll love this chowder. It was chunky and flavorful, and not too heavy. Great for a starter!

I got the scallops as an entree and was generally impressed. Other than the fact that it was very greasy and salty, the flavors were great and the scallops were cooked perfectly. I also liked the bed of barley (if it weren't for the fact that it was very buttery and very salty).

The halibut entree was okay. One part of the fish was cooked perfectly, but the other half got overcooked. So maybe their stove had uneven temperature. But still. It's a big sin to overcook fish in my book. I didn't like the creamy sauce very much because it just added to all the heaviness of the other dishes. There should be some balance within each dish as well as across the menu as a whole.

We got the cauliflower and mac and cheese as sides. I expected the cauliflower to just be a roasted dish. Well the cauliflower was roasted, but it was served with arugula, a heavy oil dressing, and more salted pork bits. Sigh. Too salty and too rich. I just wanted some veggies to lighten the rest of the meal, and alas, it added to the dredge.

The mac and cheese was pretty good, but I wouldn't order it as a side now knowing what I know. It's a big portion and very heavy, as you can imagine. It's great to share among 4 people or more, or as the main dish.

When I found the sponge bit in my cauliflower, the server and manager were very gracious. I guess I can't fault them too much since they were very professional about it. But I still think it's an oversight for a restaurant of this level.

The other execution errors might be a style thing. Maybe the palate they're going after is the heavy kind. I don't know. But I think they should try to appeal to a wider audience by bringing more balance...

We’re locals, and Nick’s Cove is truly a hidden gem — not overpriced, not a tourist trap. Especially with all of the very fresh (and some local) seafood! The view is absolutely stunning, especially on a cool Saturday evening around 6–8 PM. The vibe is casual, but the food and service are top-tier. The waterfront view is stellar, foggy with Zen energy and beautiful mountain-scapes and generally a cannot miss! Not a super popular place which makes this the perfect eatery gem! (You can have your peace and eat it too :) )

The Cioppino was probably the best I’ve ever had - deep, flavorful, comforting. It’s like a whole symphony of flavors, served like some art exhibit! Everything is included: crab legs, prawns, clams, mussels etc… It came with delicious sourdough bread from a local bakery and house-made tartar and aioli that were garlicky, rich, and unforgettable. Ask for extra - you’ll want to dip everything in them! We had seconds, thirds and fourths! Even demanded the recipe!!

We also had: • Fish & Chips: Perfectly golden and never greasy or over fried. The cod was super fresh, flaky, and full of flavor. • Clam Chowder: Creamy, balanced, and comforting. Very fresh seafood! • Butterscotch Pudding: Homemade and heavenly. Silky, gourmet, and the perfect end to our meal. Easily the best dessert I’ve had of 2025 so far!

Seafood dishes range from $20–$40, very reasonable for the quality. Everything tasted incredibly fresh, like it was caught that morning.

Our server Callen was wonderful — warm, attentive, and made the experience even more special. He would come by the table constantly to ensure we were satisfied and brought a homemade vibe with him! He gave us recommendations and always brought a cheery smile. Thank you, Callen! We’ll try to be back and catch you there!

We came here during a tough moment in our relationship, and somehow, this meal, this view, this place brought us back together. No matter what happens - we’ll never forget it.

Truly a remarkable experience and we are blessed to have...