This incredible business is perched on the hills over Berkeley, and offer some of the best views in the San Francisco Bay area. With its turn of last centuries, architecture, Gables and stunning stylish design, it sits like a castle, a jewel over the city of Berkeley, prominent on the hillside. It screams of elegance, but it welcomes everyone with a casual or fancy dressed. The restaurant and the bar have incredible views that look down over the houses in Bayview below and on a perfect day it doesn't get better than that. We were a party of eight celebrating my birthday, and it was an incredible surprise put together by my wife . Eight of my dearest friends in the world, and I couldn't have been happier to see them as it was a surprise birthday party. Since it was a Sunday, the restaurant was very busy, but we ordered quickly after seeing the menus and also selected our brunch favorites. The mood was festive, and everyone had a great time telling stories, passing birthday cards, and gifts and rekindling friendships after having not seen each other for sometime . After the meals came, we ate and then celebrated with birthday cake at the end. All in all it was wonderful. If, for no other reason, come up here and see if you can't get a seat outside, overlooking the area and having your lunch because the view all by itself is totally worth the trip. The service was fast friendly, and the restaurant was very clean. We've been here before, and we will definitely come again . read more

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We needed a light meal. Split a Fraser and chicken wings. Both very good. They split the salad for us before bringing it to the table. Lovely setting with a good selection of beers and wine. Staff attentive. read more

Came here for a Girl's Christmas Dinner Party in the restaurant and the service was ok, the server pouring water over our lap and shoulder. The other server helping us with food was good but when the check came he didn't understand what we asked of him. It was much more simpler than he made it. Food was good but wasn't anything crazy, the price doesn't match the quality. But a good place to experience once. The place was nice and quite fancy. My Bf was at the bar and he enjoyed his time there. read more

Had a great night with family here. The lounge has small bites and a great drink selection - we ordered a little of everything and everyone enjoyed! My favorite part was the service. Juan was extremely attentive, made some phenomenal mojitos, and was pleasant to connect with. He had everyone smiling, laughing and feeling well taken care of. I can't wait to return and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a premium lounge experience! read more

Stay away! New management (Fairmont sold their position recently) means NO management, inaccurate website re hours for food and drinks at Limewood and Lounge. For me this meant a long awaited get together with a friend today at 3pm resulted in 1/2 hour at Limewood with literally nowhere to go -- or eat -- when that closed at 3:30. It said the Lounge was open, but it was closed until 4 and no food served until 5. It is a lame operation. Stay away until another firm takes over -- these people have no idea how to manage a transition nor satisfy long time customers. The place was deserted, and rightfully so. read more

Service - really nice service as you would expect from the Claremont. Efficient, friendly, and prompt. Prices - well ya gotta pay for that killer view somehow so be prepared to shell out for your cocktails. But hey life is short. Spend the money , enjoy the view, and most of all, your company! Drinks - grizzly gimlet. Loved the egg white froth. Definitely different in a good way. Nice touch on the latte like design in the froth! Basil smash is nice too although a bit too bitter for me Ambiance - on a clear day the views are spectacular. Get a seat in the deck read more

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I finally made it to the Claremont!! What a special treat. Parking was easy to find, the service and view was great! Nice ambiance, I had a glass of wine my friend had a beer. Glass of wine was 20$ kind of pricey, beer was 7$ I believe. Lobby has great decor and a lot of historical photos with captions so you can appreciate the hotels historic staple in the area. Parking was validated, we paid 5$ instead of 13$ credit cards only when paying for parking. read more

Claremont Lobby Lounge & Bar - Drink menu - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Just got home from a lovely Easter tea at the Claremont and wanted to leave a review while it was still fresh in my mind. The tea items were all pretty tasty and there was a good variety. All items are made in-house. The only reason it's not 5 stars is the price tag ($135/person) is a little steep if you're not partaking of the complimentary sparkling wine. They did offer my boyfriend a non-alcoholic sparkling cider, which I appreciated. The ambiance was just as nice as you'd expect and they even granted my request for a window seat! What really made it special, though, was our server (name on the receipt was Arun if anyone in management is reading this). He was so gracious and attentive and clearly took pride in providing top-notch service. He made the day very special :) read more

Claremont Lobby Lounge & Bar - Easter Tea in the Lobby Lounge - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

This is a lovely locale for afternoon tea in the Berkeley Hills. The service, the view, and the food were all to my liking, and I was served the smoothest cup of Earl Grey I've had anywhere else (forgot to ask who their tea purveyor was). The room was pleasantly sunlit, and convenient screens over the large windows were used to prevent too much glare and heat without blocking the spectacular bay view. Once called to his attention, our server gracefully replaced a missing place setting and a cream pitcher that had a bit of floating lint. The place attracted nicely dressed families, groups of friends, and couples alike, but we weren't made to feel the least bit out of place having arrived for our reservation still wearing hiking shoes from our earlier stomp in the hills. read more

I generally didn't get good vibes here - thats all i can remember. I'm not sure if it's because I brought my small child, my two nieces, and nephew - they are all under the age of four - or something else. Anyway, it took too long for us to get a menu. I think we waited for about 15 minutes until the waiter handed us a menu. I guess I'm just too annoyed to remember what the food tastes like. read more

Claremont Lobby Lounge & Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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We enjoyed our time at this establishment- A local flair and charm. Tucked in the hills of Berkeley- it was a great long weekend with plenty to do. Everyone was super friendly and helpful. We enjoyed being able to walk or Lyft into town so readily. Made us feel like a local. Easy ride to Jack London Ferry terminal getting us into San Fran in a sporty way on a pretty day. Wind down at night in the lounge or the restaurant- live music on Saturday night was a wonderful touch ‼ read more

Claremont Lobby Lounge & Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

One of the loveliest hotel lobbies and lounges I have encountered in some time. Modern, inviting, with a view and plenty of varied seating. INVITING. Stayed and had a glass of wine with a friend who was visiting. Normally I don't sit in hotel lobby/lounges, but this one is so inviting, it is hard not to. Need I say more? Hence, 5*. Another +++ for the newly decorated and upscale Claremont Hotel. read more

Ohh la la. I live in the area and have always wondered what this place is about. There was a vibrant bar and then this quiet lobby lounge. We chose the lounge. We spoke to two employees before we were seated who were both super arrogant. It made me uncomfortable and I decided I wouldn't come back or refer the place but then James came to serve us. He was friendly and smiled. He didn't linger, he checked on us at the right times and was working hard. Perfect service. The oysters were yummy with an interesting choice of sauce. Little nuts and things to eat. Quiet ambiance with a nice selection of drinks. VERY good drinks. $$$$ read more

The Claremont's thanksgiving takeout was a huge disappointment. The turkey was so flavorless and tough it was almost inedible. There were some well done sides but most were mediocre at best. Won't be going back. read more

I have been coming here for years! The growth of this space and its evolution into an always grand destination is and will forever be a well kept secret as it moves towards immortality as a hospitality legend! read more

Claremont Lobby Lounge & Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

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My wife and I were in Berkeley and decided to have a couple of drinks at the Claremont Lobby Lounge & Bar. We had stopped here before and enjoyed; this visit only confirmed how much we like this place. The view of the San Francisco Bay is awesome. The lounge is nicely appointed - clean look, contemporary, comfortable and provides for a variety of seating options for both large and smaller groups. Service is old-school friendly, polite, professional and accommodating. The wait staff was on top of their game all night. My Old Fashioned cocktails were mixed and presented perfectly to my taste. The bartender was a pro. Finally, the free entertainment by itself was worth the total cost of my bar bill. Really a pleasant evening. read more

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My boyfriend had his graduation celebration lunch here. Because the party was so big, it was nice that we had our own private room in the back. The salad we got was the County Line Organic Mixed Greens which had shaved spring vegetables, belfiore feta, and spiced almonds verjus. This salad was packed with flavor and the almonds were a nice touch. For the entree, I chose the Classic Benedict that came with two poached eggs, real Canadian bacon, toasted English muffins, hollandaise, and country potatoes. The eggs were great. However, the Canadian bacon was extremely salty, the hollandaise was just okay, and the country potatoes were salty as well. They weren't overcooked though which was good. Lastly for dessert, we had the Chocolate Pot de Creme which had the Claremont signature cream, vanilla bean panna cotta, sour cherry compote, and chocolate buttermilk cake. This dessert was very rich and heavy. It felt like a second lunch but it was delicious! The reason for the three stars is that this meal wasn't really worth it for the price point. The food was just decent but pricey since it is the at the Claremont. Price makes sense but I expected the food to be better. read more

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The Claremont is an amazing hotel located in the berkeley hills. After driving by many of times i have finally decided to stop by. First thing first you pull in they have a pay lot or a lot outside of the hotel that's free. So after you park just walk to the lobby and head inside . The Lobby lounge is a few steps inside to the left. They have plenty of seating but get there early so you can grab a window seat. The staff here is also amazing they will check on you constantly. Thursday nights they have a live dj and drink specials. The lounge does not offer a full menu just finger foods. The resurarnts down the hall offer full course meals. If you have never been to the Claremont this place is a must see. The lounge is just a taste of the amazing things the Claremont has to offer. read more

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We came here for the tea and it was beautiful! We didn't want to pay for parking so we parked on the street and walked up. This was a spur of the moment decision and we made extremely last minute reservations that the Claremont was able to accommodate. I was a little annoyed that the tea didn't have descriptions under them so we had to have a server describe them and they were not happy to do so. You could tell that she was getting really annoyed... I wouldn't have asked if you had descriptions. We did end up with tea that we really liked... but I can't remember the names. Sorry. The only sandwiches I didn't like were the pear and duck. But I loved the mushroom and caviar sandwiches. I didn't care for the sweets. The view was spectacular and the room was nicely decorated. This is a 3.5 Star Review. read more

Come to the Claremont lobby bar for stunning views of the San Francisco skyline and Berkeley California. Arrive on Fridays before 5:30 PM for complimentary champagne and a sabre demonstration to open the bottle They have a large selection of bourbon and scotch. The seating area is open with comfortable chairs - the perfect place to hang out with your Bro's or BFFs read more

Normally quiet, but could be rowdy when the banquet halls were filled.

Very comfortable seating w/ some wonderful views of San Francisco and the bay. That said, you are competing w/ some mature palm trees that you will wish were 10ft shorter, narrowing your opportunities for a full, panoramic view. As for the customer service, very friendly and warm, but during a visit for a nightcap, it took nearly 10 minutes to receive a beer, a cocktail and 2 glasses of wine. Oh well. The next morning, I found this location a nice, quiet place to read and reflect. Cheers! RS read more

What an amazing establishment with exceptional service! It's holiday tea time for mom and daughter! This year we chose ~~~ The Claremont - A Fairmont Hotel. We were warmly welcomed by the valet and he directed us where to find the Lobby Lounge. We were little surprised to see minimal holiday decorations. There was no holiday focal point in the hotel lobby. A good sized Christmas tree was "tucked away" by the front desk. The Claremont Lobby Lounge & Bar was easy to find. Located right across from the front desk. Although there weren't much holiday decor in here either, we enjoyed the beautiful live music as we entered. The place is classy and the view is breathtaking. We were invited to sit in The Hilary Tensing Room. This room is inviting and tastefully decorated. Our table was personalized with my daughter's name ~ what an elegant touch! The pleasant hostess offered me a glass of Domaine Chandon "Etoile Rose" which was refreshing. But, we did find it strange that a handsome young man in his T-shirt and sweats was sitting at the long table using his computer. He was very quiet, didn't look like a patron. It almost look as he was taking an employee break. Our server - Shola - was exceptional! He brought over our tea, Berry Berry and Vienna Eggnog. He carefully inquired if we had any food allergies then promptly brought out a beautiful tiered tray with scones, sandwiches, and sweets. He then thoroughly introduced each item. Our favorites were the Chestnut Maple Mascarpone Mousse, Waldorf chicken salad with cranberry, celery, walnuts sandwiches, Santa Barbara smoked salmon, Deviled Egg salad mini croissants, Chocolate Dipped Macarons. The manager - Marc-Antoine was very professional and made us feel very welcomed! He noticed that the sun was hitting the window even with the shades drawn, it was also quite warm. He offered to move our table slightly away from the window and raised the shades a bit so we can enjoyed the view. I appreciate little touches like this because it shows management cares. And THANK YOU for taking care of us! Would we come back for tea service again? ABSOLUTELY! read more

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Fantastic food and atmosphere but late late super late service. Shana was a great server but she was literally running from table to table and back to the bar. We ordered a cheese plate and it never showed up. Actually It did but I think he took it to another table. Alfonzo made up for it with free dessert and a sincere apology . Alfonzo was awesome but you have to staff his crew better. No worries, we will be back for sure. read more

So, as the father of a teenage girl, I was coerced into driving my daughter and her friend to a "Twenty One Pilots" show at the Berkeley Greek Theatre venue on a Friday night. I was way too uncool to attend the event also, so I was subjected to just dropping them off at the front entrance and then making myself scarce. I didn't feel comfortable about driving back home to the Silicon Valley for 4 hours then returning, I wanted to stay near the venue, so I decided to kill 4 hours in the East Bay Hills and I headed for the Claremont Hotel about 5 minutes away. Let's start with the property... 1. First, you have to get a parking ticket to enter through a gatehouse onto the property, very old fashioned and maybe a throwback from the tumultuous 1960's and 70's when "Hippy's & the Uncouth" were not allowed onto the property. :-) The gatehouse is not maned anymore and seems more nostalgic than useful or needed. You get a ticket and get it stamped by any hotel waiter or staff for a good parking discount. The parking was around 10 bucks with the stamp so it was really reasonable. 2. The Hotel is unbelievably beautiful and in amazing condition for the age of the property. It's been updated and blends old fashioned architecture with modern touches. It's worth a trip just to browse the property. Now let's talk about the Claremont Lobby Lounge... 1. Location, location, location.... the views from the Lobby lounge overlooking the bay are stunning. Sitting down with a cocktail overlooking the new bay bridge w/ the City of San Francisco in the background is more beautiful than a postcard. 2. Free WiFi with w/ popup electrical outlets on a "Marble Slab Computer Bar" inside the lounge. The Computer Bar has really comfortable leather seats. 3. Well made cocktails, appropriately priced for the location $8.00 to $12.00, and as you would expect, not a heavy pour. Hotels don't want drunks annoying the Hotel Guests. 4. The staff were "BEYOND ACCOMMODATING" and pleasant. I noticed other yelpers saying the staff were a bit rude or dismissive. The management of the Claremont Hotel must have learned and listened, because I found them to be almost overly gracious, if their is such a thing. So, I parked myself at the Computer Bar in the lounge, had a couple of appetizers, an olive dish and lemon/olive tapenade with crackers, just a couple of cocktails early on, because I had to drive home later that evening, had diner at the Meritage Restaurant in the Hotel and worked on office stuff until 10:00pm until I had to go pick up the teenagers from the concert. I could have easily ended up at a Berkeley College Bar with drunken twenty somethings, this experience was a complete 180 from that scenario and very enjoyable. I am giving them 5 Stars... well deserved. read more

Always great to come here for the view and amazing burgers and great service! We came here with my cousin from Germany and absolutely loved Cameron and how nice he was. Thank you for making our visit amazing!! read more

Pretty awesome view of the Bay while lounging and snacking on high tea -- this is the good life. We started the tea around 3pm and stayed until 7pm! The tea itself is served from 1-4pm, but we were allowed to stay as long as we wanted. The view was quite spectacular and only slightly marred by the palm trees. To be honest, the best view of the Bay was actually from the outdoor patio / bar on the same floor. You can order drinks and appetizers at the lobby lounge as well as tea. Afternoon tea is weekends by reservation only and is charged per person on the reservation. This high tea was one of the best I've had though, and I thought was worth trying at least once. The second tier of food was the most impressive and substantial that I've seen. Aside from the typical scones and dessert bites, the middle tier had a very meaty cucumber wrapped dungeness crab salad roll, smoked salmon on crispy croissant, egg salad with brioche fingers, open-faced curry chicken on a crostini, and a cute peas and carrot bite over a crostini. It was all very tasty and filling! As for teas, we tried the Kea Lani Orange (herbal), Gunpowder Green, and Fairmont Earl Grey. They had an interesting hourglass timer that showed when to finish steeping the teas, depending on whether we wanted it light, medium, or dark. The Earl Grey was definitely the strongest and most flavorful, while the green tea was rather light. All of them were very good quality though and lasted through steeping in about three pots of hot water. FYI: Parking at the hotel lot is $4/hr with $4 off validation if you eat at any of the restaurants. There is also a bit of street parking along the road up the hill by the side of the hotel. read more

Beautiful views and decor, wanted to enjoy a drink with my mom. Unfortunately staff was quite rude and inattentive, and after waiting 20min to order drinks we gave up and left. Disappointing! read more

From start to finish we were impressed. The beautiful decor, the Bay Area views, the service, tea, and meal were all fantastic. Upon walking into the hotel, let alone the Lobby Lounge & Bar you are drawn to the beautiful decor. So stylish, modern, and comfortable. We were promptly greeted and told our table would be ready soon, allowing us time to take in the awesome Bay view and admire the lovely details of the room. Despite visiting for tea, my cousin and I began with a glass of champagne, followed by an impressive tea selection. This was my first time having afternoon tea and it was such a lovely experience! The selection, the tea gadgets, and the quality were all great, but the tower of treats and sandwiches made it that much more impressive. Blueberry biscuits, lobster sandwiches, egg salad, smoked salmon on toast, curry spread, cookies, jam and key lime custard are enough to make anyone smile. Not to mention that all of this was made gluten free for me! Such a wonderful, beautiful experience. I'm looking forward to doing it again in a couple weeks! read more

Usually I'm not one to gush, but this place was phenomenal! My boyfriend and I are both super busy during the semester, so before it started back up we decided to treat ourselves. So glad we did! The decor was modern and stylish (as others have said, but it bears repeating), but still manages to invite you to sit down and stay awhile. The views of the Bay Area are stunning - especially for natives who can sometimes forget how gorgeous it is here. Attentive, quick service. The server made sure we always had what we needed, but allowed my boyfriend and I to enjoy each other's company without lots of interruption. When it came to drinks, this place was top of the line. There were a large variety of delicious cocktails to choose, but what really impressed me was the sweeping selection of wine. I had the Robert Craig - a wine you don't find everywhere - and I was not disappointed. The best part for me was the gluten free food. Its often challenging for me to find a beautiful location with excellent drinks, a huge variety of wine AND delicious gluten free goodies! Sandwiches, cookies, biscuits! This place was a dream come true! read more

I have been here three times since opening. Had a different cocktail each time . All great ! Excellent service , decor and views. The adjacent library room is awesome !! Wonderful experience. I will come here often with my love and friends!!! read more

I recently attended my friends 50th Birthday party held here. Oh how things have changed over the years. I definitely will be back. Our server Shana was more than accommodating. She made it a night to remember. She made us comfortable and knew exactly when to check on things and when to let us party. The bartender was a little hard to read, but the drinks were good. Hopefully Shana will be there when we return. read more

One has to somehow understand the concept of "classy" to appreciate the Claremont Lobby Lounge & Bar. This is a charming, little lounge that has a lot of surprises to offer - Wide variety of wine and cocktail list - Mouthwatering cheese plates, ham and olive bread, and oysters - Lovely library room - Live soothing music - Delightful staff who ensures that you are enjoying your time (shout-out to Alexandra, Courtney, and Eric!) Try it out! You'll fall in love with it. P.S. If you're looking for French fries, please do not come here. There are plenty of bars on College Ave. for that. lol read more

Amazing food and caring service. Shana and Lucia looked after my wife and 3 kids, but did not interrupt us, they knew when to make a comment or ask a question. The County Line Organic Mixed Greens was delicious and good portion. The Signature Burger was one of the best burgers I've ever had, and the fries were steak cut with potato skins on, outstanding! The best part was that the food was delicious and healthy, not greasy, I'll be back! read more

I was excited when it was announced that the Old Paragon had reopened and was now called Antoinettes. Brought a couple of out of towners here and ordered the rib-eye which was just delicious and perfectly prepared. Expensive but worth the price for the service and quality of food. Beautiful views of the bay. read more

It took over 45 minutes to NOT get the drinks we ordered on a slow Sunday afternoon. You'd think a $50 tab on three drinks including an $8 Shirley Temple might have provided some incentive to the bartender, but he could not have been less interested. The young woman taking orders was very sweet and gets her own star. One star for the view. read more

It is off the hook tonight for game 7 of the World Series. 1 large tv but it is surrounded like a shrine. Cocktails are good and service is quick. read more

Great views, good drinks but OMG. Service was pathetic to say the least. Got here at 1pm. Ordered beer. Delivered at 120. Ordered food at 120 got food at 150(this was actually good). Then waited on check until (oh still waiting) and it's 215. read more

Nice views!!! 4 stars is due to the location alone- Great drinks!!! This spot is definitely a great date spot to order a few drinks chill and get to know the other or a great spot to come on a date with The one you're currently seeing. There are nice comfortable chairs and couches. The only downside is although we came at closing it took 30 mins to get our drinks baaahhh hummm bug a great people watching place. read more

Claremont Lobby Lounge & Bar - Lemon drop - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Berkeley, California

Went there last night with my sister. The place looked redone and lovely so we were excited to go. It was early so there weren't many people in the bar. We sat there for almost 15 mins waiting for someone to take a drink order. I had to get up and beg them to come over. They all had lousy attitudes and because the bartender was snotty, it wasn't enjoyable. Definitely not the kind of wait staff I expected at that kind of establishment. read more