Already having a blast walking along the Presidio Tunnel Tops, our version of New York’s High Line designed by the same firm that did the Big Apple’s? Well, this breeze-filled park with amazing views of the Golden Gate Bridge is about to get better.
That’s because a food hall is being set up, as promised in the original plans. The Mess Hall at the Presidio will include the food hall, an all-day cafe and a bar with beer, wine and cocktails, according to Eater SF. Refreshments to reward our playing sure sounds like bliss to us.
Of course, there’s already Il Parco, an Italian eatery open 8am to 8pm daily, which serves sourdough focaccia and cocktails sans any indoor seating (you can eat at picnic tables or at the Glass Pavilion, an informal space with metal chairs and tables behind glass walls). And the food truck rollout at Presidio Pop Up all around the Tunnel Tops is also impressive, which features culinary offerings from Nepal, Hawaii, Japan, Pakistan, India and more—and a 1967 VW bus serves as a creative cocktail outpost named Lady Victory.
But for those days when rain and cold make you eager to catch some indoor time, the Mess Hall will serve as a refuge. It will also offer picnic items (made to order or already made) for folks to take elsewhere on those days when we just want to park ourselves looking at the bay. So far, no businesses have been announced as vendors in the food hall, but James Beard winning chef Peter Serpico is helping develop the space, Eater says. As for the bar, Zach Negin will be in charge of sculpting the beverage scene. He owns two bars in L.A. (Tabula Rasa Bar and the Silverlake Lounge) and is a partner at Dolores Deluxe, a corner store here in the city that hosts events and a wine club.
The Mess Hall will be at 201 Halleck Street, an existing long, white building with outside space facing the Golden Gate Bridge, when it opens in 2025. That's adjacent to the Picnic Place, and parking will be at the nearby Main Post or by the fire station.