I've only been here once, but I really liked it! It had good cocktails and excellent music. My kind of cocktail bar with playing Jazz on Vinyl as the cherry on the top! Looking forward to returning soon since I only scratched the surface. read more

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First time here on a Saturday night it's not packed but 45mins for a seat. Very nice and fancy spot. I would for sure come back with my Bf and friends. Service is amazing even the security at the door was friendly! read more

Love bar Shiru, but I'm biased. Great cocktails, great music, love the staff! The owners are awesome and provide a space for all peoples! Definitely support a bar owned by a WOC! read more

Bar Shiru - Fresh lime and I added some Mezcal - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Great bar with fantastic ambiance and a creative menu of cocktails. Finally a place where you can have a drink and have a conversation and not have to shout or get drinks spilled on you. Note to other Yelp reviewers who gave three stars - this is a feature not a bug! Come back another night when you've booked a table and enjoy! Bonus: I met the owners who are both really committed to being good "citizens" of downtown Oakland and helping to grow the community of engaged business owners. read more

Bar Shiru - View from second floor (which they'll hopefully open soon!) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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A unique bar located in downtown Oakland. It is very unassuming...no big signs or loud music coming from the establishment. What you will find inside is a very upscale, quaint, classy (full) bar with a DJ spinning Jazz LP's. I was quite amazed at the wall of Jazz LP's with Jackets that were displayed in a case on the back wall. No food or bar snacks so eat beforehand or afterwards. We will be back ! read more

The owners and employees don't care about the customer. I've been several times and the rules are just too strict, employees too rude. Employees treat customers as if they don't care about them. read more

Extremely disappointed. I've been here several times and the rules are overboard. Can't help but think the owners watched the Seinfeld episode episode at the soup shop and took it seriously. This place treats customers like they don't want them to be there. The model seems to be to drive the business into the ground. read more

Bar Shiru is everything I wanted when I go out to unwind. The ambiance, aesthetic and attention to detail transports me back to Japan's ethos of quality over quantity. Stoked to finally visit the first listening bar in the Bay area. I normally don't go beyond the Peninsula when I go out at night but this place is worth the trek across the Bay Bridge. Kampai! read more

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Loved this bar when I came here recently. My clients were in town from Asia and they were really impressed. It's nice to see a place that brings a unique vibe and experience to the Bay Area. I will be back again! read more

Great music, vibe, drinks, and most of the staff was awesome. Will be back. Unfortunately one staff member felt the need to remind us that we were reaching their 2 hour limit, even though we were buying drinks the whole time and had told another staff member we were happy to move to the bar if they needed the table. Of course we left immediately (and watched as our table sat empty as we waited for our Uber). That left a bad taste...rules are rules but don't rush customers out if there's nobody waiting on the table. read more

Nice atmosphere and cool drinks. But the service was super slow so I can't give a good rating.

Omg...I've been looking for a chIll whisky bar for over a year and THIS IS IT! So many good vibes and big band jazz over the speakers takes me to a happy place. Also the drinks are SUPERB and I'm judgy about most cocktails...this is why it took me FOREVER to find a bar that I like. read more

I've been here many times since it opened and have always enjoyed my time here, but today I had to leave without even ordering a drink because the service was so horrible. The bar was only half full, so it wasn't a busy time. I sat at the bar and was ignored for a full 5+ minutes until I was finally able to ask for a menu. After getting a menu, I picked out a drink but then waited more than 10 minutes, during which time the bar staff took drink orders from multiple other groups who arrived after me, and never once did anyone make eye contact with me or come check in at all. I used to like this bar, but likely won't be back again because of this frustrating experience. read more

I had to give this bar a shout out. The vibe is on point and distinctive. If you want to read and listen to jazz while enjoying a distinctive cocktail, you can do it here. If you want to just sit and listen and soak in the mellow, intellectual vibe of the place, you won't regret it. If you want to meet up with friends to enjoy a conversation without having to shout, this is the right place. Everything here it's just right - music (I discovered some great tracks here), volume (although it could be a ted lower), drinks (distinctive, grown and sexy selection), decor and furniture (modernist), lighting and mood (jazz bar), prices (not pointlessly exaggerated). I'll be coming back here often. Already looking forward to my next visit. read more

This place sucks. Too worried about the "experience" than actually giving good service. "We want to provide a living room experience"- well stay home. WTF. RUDE servers, pretentious staff, this place SUCKS. PLENTY OF OTHER PLACES AVAILABLE THAT want your business and don't charge 12 bucks for a drink. read more

My boyfriend and I chose to check out this place as part of a late night Valentine's date. The inside was surprisingly a lot bigger than the entrance suggested, though with the lighting and dark wood the space still felt intimate. We were led to a cozy couch nook spot and a waiter stopped by shortly thereafter to take our drink orders. I tried one called the Sorcerer, which was both tasty (included rosé, gin, & cocchi americano) and pretty (it came with a light sprinkling of dandelion buds). The jazz wasn't too loud which allowed conversation to flow but still made for easy listening when you wanted to pay attention. Everything about the design of the place was laid out quite well. Also it was raining a bit outside which made inside the bar feel both classy and hygge. I predict with the location and ambiance, this place is projected to become immensely popular, but with my aversion to overcrowded bars I can only hope they manage the environment just as well beyond this soft opening phase. read more

Used to be a regular here to hang with my friends and wife and just listen to some great music. Loved this place until last weekend. The Bar Manager was just horrible. Extremely rude and lacking all types of hospitality. Their bouncer is a gem, but the Bar Manager is just not Oakland. Very rude, condescending and extreme with the rules. Rules are there to guide the experience, not get rid of respectful and paying customers. Will never go here again - and the unfortunate thing is this place reminded us of our home in NYC. Hard to find, but even NYC treated us so much better than this. You guys need to check yourselves. read more

great new HiFi bar close to the fox, etc. tasty cocktails and great tunes on the audiophile system. bonus: local sake by the glass from sequoia brewing. read more

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Ideal setting for the grown and sexy. Their drink menu reflects a a good deal of creativity. Can't go wrong here...unless you arrive late. They close on the earlier side to avoid the late night riff raff. read more

Who would have thought that there would be an upscale lounge right next to cafe van kleef. I love this place already. It has a very cool and hip vibe. I can't wait for the upstairs private seating area to open up. That will make this bar even more hip! read more

My personal experience. The Owner Daniel acts like a D*ck. The Hostess (Indian Lady) is rude. The Blonde Bartender is really pretty but, has an attitude problem. Having to deal with that on top of the over priced drinks that were just nothing special other than fancy names..... What a waste of an Uber ride there. I actually thought I was on a "Hidden Camera Prank T.V. Show" because it was so ridiculous. It was unreal. Rather go next door to Van Kleefs. read more

Cute bar (minimal seating), great music (if you like jazz), and overpriced drinks. $23 for a beer and a cocktail. Which means if you get another round well then it's obviously $46. $46 for four drinks? I will never come here again. I had no issue with the service like the other reviews have stated on here. read more

Growing Roots Highball + Tenderlonius 22Archestra + smell of nice wood = Delicious to the bone. Well done guys! I'm a believer.

Very sleek and classy. It's the kind of place as a vinyl lover that I dream about. The Dozens of Jazz, soul, & hip hop Lps line the back wall, and tunes that literally spin in front of your eyes, are the perfect companion for the sophisticated but unpretentious cocktails they offer. I was super impressed with the service and ordering structure, and the staff is super friendly and go the extra mile to make sure you enjoy your experience. It can get busy, but I think it's worth it. read more

It a small and cozy place with a pleasant atmosphere and music and tasteful drinks. I went there on Wednesday night and still had to wait for a table and even a space at the bar. read more

Similar to those occasional quiet moments in Oakland when the noise of the adjacent, distant freeway shifts towards the bay and certain soundscapes reveal themselves; Bar Shiru is that that alleyway you get lost in when sidestepping amongst the lively crowd in downtown Oakland. Curious how the boogie gets when they open up the dance floor. read more

What's not to love? Best drinks, Best atmosphere, Best tunes! Oh, and the staff is super friendly and clearly passionate about making this place a special destination. read more

Cool spot. The decor, staff, and "dranks" all legit. Come here to impress. To seal the deal. To show...something, this spot shall help your endeavors...if chosen wisely. Godspeed, noble one. read more

Loved the ambiance, the cocktails, service, artwork/posters and the musical soundtrack. Highly recommend this for a first date/date night spot for couples! read more

This place is really cool! Feels like a place I'd go to in Japan. Great music, good drinks and good fun!

Wow. Great music. Fantastic service. All the superlatives. Really enjoyed the overall vibe of this place. And of course the top tier cocktails we've all grown accustomed to in the Bay Area. Come here with friends for a chill drink and to feel fancy. read more

Why does this place not show up when I search bars? I had to search lounge instead? Anyway... I had a great time. Chill classy vibe. Another place that makes a sherry cocktail. No food but great atmosphere for a day of journaling or a relaxing day with a few friends. read more

Loved the vibe and drinks. Perfect delicious cocktails and amazing music and sound quality. It's definitely our new favorite bar.

First time here, I passed by it few times before I was able to find it , great atmosphere good music the decor is absolutely beautiful, bartenders friendly and good drinks! I had a Woodford reserve with a king cube, a pleasant surprise! read more

This is the classiest place I've been to in the East Bay. They have a live DJ with actual record players, a huge record collections, old fashioned Cafe-style seating and great cocktails. read more

I really wanted to like Bar Shiru more than I did- I went with a group of friends on a Saturday night, and we had reservations for a seating area that was stylish and chill. My main complaint was that even though the bartenders are willing to make off-menu drinks their overall selection was mainly focused around the whiskies they offer. That's great if you're a big whisky aficionado but if you're not, the other choices are pretty mediocre. The sake I got was overly sweet and the choices were limited. They need to add far more top shelf wines and champagnes by the glass. At least an obligatory Veuve Clicquot or local sparkling like Schramsburg. The music was unremarkable for a place that boasts a large vinyl wall display- I understand the volume is meant for conversation but I should at least recall what genre of music was being played! I can't see myself coming back unless I had a friend who was dead set on going. read more

What a great find this place has been on my bookmark list for sometimes now and I finally got to check it out last night. In a nutshell great service drinks and food. Love the vibe and the friendly people . read more

Great drinks, service and a great addition to the area. Great place to chill comfortably with friends with drinks while listening to great music in the background. read more

Great bar concept. A solid collection of records playing in the background with good sound quality. I ordered their version of an Old Fashioned off the cocktail menu and it was very well good. We were able to get a table and staff were very attentive. read more

Bar Shiru is a lovely spot, well designed, with prompt and friendly bartenders mixing great cocktails. It's a bar for grown ups and you can actually hear yourself talk. The owners attention to detail is impressive and they made sure to come over and check on our experience. I'm not much of a jazz aficionado, but the sound system is amazing and the music selection clearly thoughtful. Highly recommended! read more