"Sally Stanford grinned as she took in the crowded dining room at her Sausalito waterfront restaurant, Valhalla. At its grand opening celebration in March 1950, a live band entertained more than 100 well-to-do diners who clinked glasses. Outside, police cleared traffic, and a line of curious customers continued to grow. Stanford, who wore a slinky black silk dress and styled her hair with an updo crowned with a white orchid, had seemingly done the impossible."
"It's been decades since the storied Valhalla restaurant graced the Sausalito waterfront, yet fragments of its existence - the antique bar and powder rooms - remain intact. The property at 201 Bridgeway underwent an extensive $20 million restoration and transformation to convert the historic restaurant into a private compound, which was completed in 2022, Lydia Sarkissian, a listing agent for real estate company Sarkissian Bullock Team representing the site, told SFGATE via email."
Sally Stanford opened Valhalla on the Sausalito waterfront in March 1950 after converting an 1890s German biergarten named Walhalla into a Victorian-themed chophouse. The grand opening featured a live band, more than 100 well-to-do diners, police clearing traffic, and a growing line of customers. Stanford retained the original 20-foot bar and stocked it with spirits, adorning the space with beaded curtains, red plush seating, gas chandeliers, and a rose-pattern carpet. The menu included pan-fried abalone steaks, lamb chops, and squab with rice. Decades later, fragments like the antique bar and powder rooms remain, and the 201 Bridgeway property underwent a $20 million restoration completed in 2022, converting the site into an 8,770-square-foot private compound with eight bedrooms and six full bathrooms.
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