The moment I stepped inside the waterfront cottage, my shoulders finally dropped. Lena Horne played softly from the TV, the wood-burning fireplace begged to be lit, and paned windows framed Tomales Bay. Stepping outside onto our private deck, I spotted the newly rebuilt boat shack at the end of the nearly 400-foot pier.
For the past two decades, the boat shack at Nick’s Cove served as a Marin landmark, where guests played the keys on a 70-year-old piano and used a dial-up telephone to call in orders of BBQ oysters, fresh seafood, strong cocktails, and local draught beers from the on-site restaurant. The rustic waterfront spot welcomed everything from weddings and birthdays to casual hangs with friends.
On January 7th, 2024, the iconic building went up in flames, claiming dozens of historic heirlooms, including vintage fishing rods, glass buoys, wooden ship models, a giant tortoise shell, the infamous piano, fishing nets, and anchors.
The new boathouse at Nick's Cove opens on December 7th.(Nicole Findlay)
Now, it’s been rebuilt—this time with a little insulation and no wood-burning stove—and is preparing to open again for a few hours on the afternoon of December 7th, just in time for Santa. Guests will be able to snap photos with the big man himself and enjoy hot chocolate and cookies in the new space. Daily access will follow soon, pending final approval by the county.
The boat shack, though, is only the beginning of Nick’s Cove’s charm.
The story of Nick’s Cove began in 1931 with a barge. Nick and Frances Kojich used one to float several buildings and structures—one of which is now Bandit’s Bungalow, a beautiful waterfront cottage recently redecorated by sustainable designer GreenRow—from their property on the west side of the bay to a new parcel of land on Tomales Bay. They renovated the former herring-curing facility that came along and opened it as a seafood restaurant. At the end of Prohibition in 1933, former bootlegger Nick began openly serving alcohol along with his shrimp and crab cocktails.
Through the ‘50s and ‘60s, the rustic cabins at Nick’s Cove became a go-to spot for recreational fishermen. In 1999, the property underwent a seven-year restoration before changing hands again in 2011. It remains a family-run operation to date.
Today, Nick’s Cove is home to 12 cottages—five along the waterfront perched on stilts over Tomales Bay, and seven which sit across Highway 1 with views of the water. All were created out of original structures that existed when the property was owned by Nick and Frances in the 1920s, and each has a meaningful name: Nick and Frances’ former home is now known as Fly Fisherman and Uncle Andy’s; Al’s and Ruthie's were named after Al and Ruth Gibson, who owned and operated the property from the mid-1970s to the late-1990s.
The historic waterside cottages at Nick's Cove
The most distinctive cottage is Nicolina, named after the sister-in-law of Nick and Frances, a former barge on which hay was ferried across the bay to Marin County’s nearby ranches. The boat-turned-accommodation now offers a soaking tub and gorgeous waterfront views.
Guests are treated to a daily breakfast delivery, which includes fresh fruit and pastries, butter, jam, coffee, and juice. If you’re feeling a little festive, you can add a specialty cocktail, like a Nick’s Bloody Mary or a “Fog Lifter” Irish Coffee. If you’re extra hungry, add a breakfast sandwich, oatmeal, granola (with Straus Creamery Greek yogurt) or a full plate of eggs, home fries, toast, and bacon.
Lunch and dinner are also available at the on-site restaurant—a local institution for daytrippers for more than 90 years. Executive chef Matt Alfus serves sustainable coastal classics using the best possible local ingredients. Oysters, especially Nick’s BBQ’d oysters—Tomales Bay Oyster Company oysters with Nick’s famous garlic BBQ sauce—are a highlight here, along with clam chowder with potatoes, celery, leeks, and applewood-smoked bacon, and a cioppino complete with mussels, clams, rock cod, shrimp, tomato broth, fennel, aioli, and a Route One Bakery baguette.
A large percentage of the vegetables and herbs used in the restaurant and bar come from the on-site garden, the Croft. The views alone are well worth the short walk to it—plus, it's home to two bocce ball courts for a little friendly competition among the flowers, fruits, and vegetables.
Getting to Nick’s Cove is easy, a simple and scenic ninety-minute drive from SF or Oakland. Just know that once you arrive, it might be hard to leave—especially now with the much-anticipated return of their beloved boat shack.
// 23240 Highway 1 (Marshall), nickscove.com
Nick's boathouse lost its infamous piano and dozens of other heirlooms when it burned down in 2024. (Courtesy of @nickscove)
