The Cliff House is a restaurant perched on the headlands on the cliffs just north of Ocean Beach on the western side of San Francisco, California. It overlooks the site of the former Sutro Baths and a room-sized camera obscura and is now part of the Golden Gate National Recreation Area, operated by the National Park Service.Cliff House has had five major incarnations since its beginnings in 1858. Cliff House has had five major incarnations since its beginnings in 1858. Photo by Carol Highsmith.