The Pelican Inn in Muir Beach, CA

The Pelican Inn sits at 10 Pacific Way in Muir Beach, the first building on the left at the bottom of the Highway 1 hill. Scotsman Charles Felix built it in 1979 after a long fight to put a real English inn on this stretch of coast. He named it for Sir Francis Drake's galleon, the Pelican, later the Golden Hind. Aged beams and floors were shipped from England. The bar is said to have come from a ship recovered in an English harbor.

Felix ran the pub and hotel with his family for about 12 years. Later owners kept the rooms, the fire, and the Tudor look instead of turning it into a generic coastal lodge. The inn still sits among pines, alders, honeysuckle, and jasmine, about 20 minutes from the Golden Gate Bridge, between the ocean, Muir Woods, and the Marin Headlands parks.

What The Pelican Inn Is

The Pelican is three things at once. It is a restaurant for country English lunch and dinner. It is a diminutive Tudor bar with ales, draught beers, stouts, sherries, and ports. It is a seven-room inn for people who want to sleep a short walk from Muir Beach.

The dining room has dark timber beams and a small hearth. The bar has low beams, brasses, and a dartboard. A covered garden patio handles overflow when the weather allows. Packed lunches can be arranged for overnight guests at check-in.

What's On The Menu

The daily menu is a hearty blend of country English fare. Regulars look for beef Wellington, bangers and mash, and shepherd's pie, plus pub snacks such as cottage pie, salads, and other plates from noon to closing. In season, salads can come from next-door neighbor Green Gulch Farm Zen Center.

Sunday Carvery is a traditional British roast buffet that the inn brings back in summer. Reservations for that service run in a midday window. Call the inn for the current season dates. Kids menus are available. The bar side is as important as the kitchen if you only want a pint after the beach.

Hours, Rooms, And Reservations

Kitchen hours are commonly listed Sunday through Thursday 11:00 AM to 9:00 PM and Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM. Bar hours run Sunday through Thursday 11:00 AM to 10:00 PM and Friday and Saturday 11:00 AM to 11:00 PM. Confirm before you go. Exclusive-use wedding and event dates can cut public service off around 1:45 PM or close the inn all day.

There are seven snug bedrooms, most with canopy or half-tester beds, English antiques, and a private bath. Rooms are small on purpose. Check-in is 3:00 PM to 9:00 PM. Checkout is 11:00 AM. If you will arrive after 9:00 PM, tell the desk before 5:00 PM that day. A full English breakfast is part of the overnight stay.

What The Visit Is Like

Expect a storybook white Tudor building on a green lawn, then a darker, warmer interior that feels older than 1979. Cyclists are asked to take cleats off because the floors are historic barn wood. Parking is limited. Carpool if you can, especially on beach weekends.

Live music often lands in the pub on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. Check the inn calendar if that is your reason to go, or if you want a quieter pint instead.

Why People Go

People come for an English pub that is not a theme restaurant, for a fire and a roast after Muir Woods, and for one of the few Muir Beach overnights that feels like a countryside inn instead of a motel. SF Chronicle food editor Paolo Lucchesi has called it a favorite place in the world. Locals use it more simply. Beach, pint, roast, home.

Who The Pelican Inn Is Best For

The inn works especially well for couples who want a Muir Beach overnight, hikers coming off the coastal trails, Highway 1 drivers who need a real lunch, groups of six or more who can book weekend lunch, and wedding guests when the lawn and patio are in play. It is less ideal if you need a large modern hotel room or guaranteed weekend walk-in dinner for two.

Where It Fits In Your Marin Day

A simple loop is Golden Gate Bridge to Highway 1, Pelican Inn for lunch, then a walk to Muir Beach or a short drive to Muir Woods. Overnight guests can add the inn's beach experience package and take a packed lunch onto the trail the next morning.

Planning Your Visit

Call ahead for rooms and for any Friday or Sunday when music or a private event is on the calendar. Walk in for a weekday lunch if you want the easiest table. Bring a layer. Muir Beach fog sits on the lawn even in summer.