This New Sausalito Restaurant is Ideal for Cycling and Slurping Mussels

(Paolo Bicchieri)

Ah…cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge. Threading tourists with selfie sticks and jersey-strapped cyclists over the Pacific Ocean is sort of like if Tron lit up a Fisherman’s Wharf suspended a mile in the sky. Antony and I, on our own fancy-ish bikes with far less dynamic threads, didn’t mind the dodging and darting. We had a destination in mind past all the brouhaha: Sausalito. Manger to Fleetwood Mac’s Rumors, slice of the Mediterranean. Flying down Alexander Avenue and past the bend into the little cape of a city, some salt in the air got Antony and I hungry.

Between pizza parlor Vicino’s and the United States’s only licensed Tintin shop there’s a brand new place for oeuf à la coque, espresso, and tomato and watermelon salad. French newcomer Suzette is the must-visit vista for sunny views of Alcatraz — when the fog takes its leave, that is. Restaurateurs Olivier and Susannah Souvestre opened the restaurant in spring 2024, and North Bay diners are already fans.

I’d never had the thought, but I clocked this restaurant as the finest place to head by bike for moules marinières and americanos. The mussels are fatty but flavorful, garlic and white wine making for a robust and indulgent ensemble. Thick slices of levain batard bread arrive with thick pads of salted butter. The fries are even worth an order all on their own, light and crispy. Sitting across the street from the lip of the water, and less than an hour by bike from the city, it’s hard to think you began this dining experience in San Francisco.

Still, even if just for a glass of wine, the menu is worth visiting for those seeking a slice of the ongoing Francophilia captivating the Bay. In the morning the space feels like a coffee shop, serving Suzette’s own roast on bar alongside treats such as the rich flan patissier. By night there’s King salmon served with haricots verts — slender green beans for those who skipped French — half chicken served with tarragon, English peas, and bacon for hefty mains. Makes sense the impressive versatility comes from the same prolific owners behind the Bay’s Le Garage, L’Appart Resto, Fast Food Français, Zalta, and Alamere Spirits.

If biking across the bridge seems too steep an activity, there’s no need. Galinette just opened on Taraval Street from a trio of French cooks, bringing that beachy wine bar energy to the edge of Ocean Beach. But, and let me underline this point, cycling over the Golden Gate Bridge to Suzette is a smart San Francisco move. There are a million reasons to live in a cheaper, easier city. One bike ride along the Bay, watching the seals slip in and out of the surf happily stuffed with shellfish, is a cheap, easy way to remember why you don’t.    

Suzette (633 Bridgeway) is open 8 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. every day of the week.

Alfresco dining on Bridgeway rarely gets finer. (Paolo Bicchieri)

Moules marinières in white wine. (Paolo Bicchieri)