If you've ever been to Les Deux Magots in St. Germain, this is the spot to check out, hang out,…read moresip, while snacking on something freshly made in front of you. The ambiance will get you first, the attention to detail say's a lot about the love put into La Loulou. The service is fabulous, they will remember your last drink. I'm a quirky 'orderer' and they remembered the nuance of how I like my drink. Also, don't forget to checkout the bathroom. Merci!!!

I visited La Loulou several months ago and wanted to give it some time before writing a review…read more After recently having a wonderful experience at another wine bar, I realized the difference in hospitality was too significant not to mention. I really wanted to like this place. I'd walked by several times and loved the interior design, and the videos on Instagram made it seem like such a great spot. I stopped in one evening by myself, ordered a glass of wine and the warm olives (which were delicious), and was looking forward to a relaxing night. Unfortunately, the service was the biggest disappointment. The restaurant was packed, and the atmosphere felt more concerned with maintaining an image than making guests feel welcome. I understand some restaurants embrace a more reserved European style of service, but this came across as cold and pretentious rather than intentional hospitality. As a solo diner especially, I didn't feel acknowledged or valued as a guest. It also didn't help that the dining room had a noticeable body odor smell that took away from the experience. On a positive note, the bathroom was clean and beautifully designed. I originally thought this would become my go-to place to grab a glass of wine while waiting for a table at the ramen spot next door, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Reading through other reviews, it seems I'm not the only one who had this impression. Oakland's charm has always been its people. You can open a French-inspired wine bar, but hospitality translates into every language. If you're going to bring a Parisian aesthetic to Oakland, don't mistake indifference for sophistication. Guests should leave feeling welcomed, not judged.

Vinyls and Wine? Sign me up! I had a great time hanging out at Vinyl Wine Bar!…read more Came here on a bit if whim after leaving work and was pleasantly surprised. Came here via Lyft which dropped me off in front of the brewery nearby. For context, this place is nestled in a work/live complex that features a few other restaurants. Depending on where you land, it can be a little tricky to find, but I managed and headed right in. Upon arrival, I was greeted by the lovely Bella who was incredibly kind and sweet. She made my time there wonderful! We gabbed, she gave me wonderful recommendations of food and drink around Alameda + she was so knowledgable about all of the wine in the bar. After a little bit of wine, I opted for one of the cheese plates. Truly great value! A few yummy cheeses of different varieties for around 25 bucks. It featured nuts, jam, and a giant pile of sliced bread. This was dinner and honestly could have easily been shared between myself and another person. I also tried the Vermouth spritz! I'm a huge fan of sweet Vermouth on ice, so this was a fun twist on one of my favorites. Perfect little Monday afternoon spent with Miss Bella at Vinyl wine bar! Incredible service, great food, and amazing wine! I will definitely be putting them in my wine bar rotation!

We've known about this place for a bit and finally was in the area with a little time on our hands…read moreso tried it out. We are no strangers to wine bars and tasting rooms, not sure if that's good or bad. A nice very chill place for a glass of wine and snacks. Well maybe a bottle cause by the glass is a little high for Alameda. Some times a glass is what you want if your partner wants some thing different or you want to try a 2nd or 3rd glass of something different. We had a bottle of the Luberon for about $55. It was good. We both liked it and would order it again. We also had a cheese board with all the normal fixings which was great. Recieved "Best Wine Bar" in Best of Alameda ratings. But thinking about it sine Wine & Waffles closed years ago it may be the only wine bar left in Alameda. Yes, restaurants and bars serve wine but not the same thing. Lemon Drop came in 2nd on the list and they are hardly a wine bar. (No shade LD. You do great for who you are). Service was great and the lady who brought us all the goods was pleasant. Nice to see some people still understand hospitality. On initial visit going with a 4 with the right to upgrade on oir next visit which will be soon.

A wine bar walking distance to me?! What a dangerous thing!…read more First of all, this is your standard neighborhood wine bar. Lots of familiar faces and everyone is so nice. The first time I visited, I was only expecting to have a simple drink or two and it turned into a 2 hour adventure; drinking and chatting it up with the patrons here. The selection is great too! I love having the option of taking a bottle home. So great. Totally happy with this local watering hole and most importantly, I love that it's a simple 8 minute walk.

This has been on my list of places to check out for awhile and today I finally popped in…read more I was told they've been in business since 2010. I loved the decor! Once you're seated inside, you can imagine you're in just about any rustic wine region kicking back with some local wines and people. I did the sparkling wine flight. I really enjoyed what I tasted (see photo). I think because there was going to be a Georgian food pop up, the kitchen wasn't as it usually is. I had a little board of brillant savarian triple cream and salchichon salami. What a treat! The service was unusual. Part of it is that it's a wine bar and shop. The person staffing the bar was really busy doing many different things. As that was the case, interacting felt a bit strained. At the same time, considering how much she had going on, she kept it together. I appreciated that she kept track of who was next. Something that stood out to me was how reasonably priced the wines are. Great "bang for the buck." I see myself being a regular.

This is an incredible wine shop. It's small in comparison to some of the larger stores like K&L,…read morebut they've got some incredible options spanning all price points, countries, and varietals, including a pretty stellar selection of Champagne and sparkling wines. A lot of the labels are from smaller producers, well known for making high quality wines. I've been to many wine shops in/around the Bay Area and I struggle to think of a shop that has as great of a selection as Wine on Piedmont. Additionally, prices are very competitive! In the back of the shop is a small tasting room where you can enjoy wines by the glass from a rotating selection, as well as open bottles purchased from the shop for just a $10 corkage fee. The staff are also incredibly friendly, knowledgeable, and helpful. We aren't over on Piedmont Ave often, but this shop gives us a reason to stop by the area more often.

The staff are really nice & informative. It's a comfortable atmosphere. Has a large selection of…read morewines. Has wine tasting & by the glass.

I love this place Best music, the best chai I've ever had in my life and good people always in and…read morearound. How good it is

Always enjoy checking out this spot when in Temescal primarily for the cool/relaxed vibes and…read moreassortment of offerings in the shop. There is a small but might set of records; primarily Jazz, African and some R&B available for purchase. Especially like the album listening area and have picked up at least one album over my last two visits.

Fabulous neighborhood wine bar! Great food options and they usually feature pop-up restaurants too!…read moreService is friendly and attentive. Ambiance is casual but you can dress up if you want to. They have pinball in the back and I believe they offer trivia night. The wine selections are always fabulous. Come here on a date or with a group! Highly recommend!

This place has such a cool vibe! It feels like you've walked into someone's house. There is tons of…read moreart and retro stuff on the walls. Home alone was playing on multiple screens when I went. Vinyl playing on turntables and a high quality charcuterie board.

Hidden almost behind the freeway entrance , is a magical small intimate space. A classy wine lounge…read moreof sorts with attentive and knowledgeable staff and amazing ambiance. Their selections of wine is incredible (and all delicious). Definitely a date night spot!

"You telling me that wine is better than Pepsi? Huh, no way wine is better than Pepsi." - George…read moreCostanza, Seinfeld da Scene: Yelped them for pre-dinner spot. Kinda hidden on a corner right off University & 5th; make the right onto 6th & scoot around to park on 5th or University. They buzz you in, best to make a res., but seems like walk-ins are ok. Very modern, yet welcoming feel, tables spaced well for intimate encounters and a bar with Hightop seating. da Grub & Libation: I had res. for a buddy & I and belly up to the bar; they offered a table, but we're bar flies by nature. Very diverse wines by the glass & bottle so we had 4 different glasses w/ a modest charcuterie plate. da Service: Excellent, warm, friendly and genuinely so. I look forward to my next visit, whether it's for a contemplative glass in solitude or with the wife on a pre-dinner excursion. Hidden Gem, find them and enjoy!

Wow I'm already itching for another time at Alta Vina!…read more I got here on a Sunday afternoon and the place was packed! I was a little intimidated by the amount of folks so I swooped in for a quick drink and sat outside. The wine I snagged was great! It was a great chilled red. I sipped on that while I people watched a bit. Looks like they have tons of events coming up and I'm looking forward to coming earlier in the day in the hopes of snagging a seat at the bar. Great quick drink over at Alta Vina! It's super close and I'm looking forward to visiting again soon.

I can't believe I've been a customer since day 1 but haven't remembered to leave a review! Well…read moreit's almost been a year, better late than never! Alta Vina's a fun vibrant place to enjoy wine and hang out. Above all, that's the feeling you get when you come in: chat with proprietor Henry, or one of his staff, the grab a comfy chair or a spot at the bar. I'm super thankful that Henry took this space on after Minimo bowed out, and it's been incredible to see how Alta Vina has developed over the last year as Henry's not just finding his groove, but making his mark. We were just there this weekend for Queer Crush, and enjoyed how well the store supported the wine and food at the event!

There's nothing NOT to love about this place!…read more I made a reservation for date night, as we've wanted to try this place for awhile. The atmosphere is cozy and casual and the service staff are really friendly. In terms of food, we started with a dozen oysters, the smoked trout dip, and the boquerones. The smoked trout dip was outstanding!!! Loved the flavor of it! The Boquerones was also delicious... the oysters were all fresh and can be ordered with horseradish and hot sauce (I think it was Crystal). For mains we ordered the steamed mussels and the grilled shrimp. The mussels were good, though on the smaller side, and the shrimp was delicious, buttery and garlicky. Great combo! To finish I had the Key Lime Pie which was done in a bowl. Great lime flavor and not overly sweet. Overall, a fantastic experience and we will definitely return!

We dropped by Salty Pearl and decided to try a bit of everything, ordering the oysters, the tinned…read morefish appetizer, and a lobster roll. The food itself was good overall--the oysters were fresh and the lobster roll was very tasty but also everything was very pricey. Unfortunately, the experience was really dragged down by the pacing and service. We were there for over 1.5 hours. It took at least 30 minutes for our food to start coming out, and even longer for the lobster roll. The servers never acknowledged or apologized for the long delay. If the staff simply given us a heads-up that kitchen was running behind, we likely wouldn't have ordered as many items as we did. The place is really nice and has good ambiance but were unlikely to return.

What a charming place. I've been here a few times now and it's one of my favorite spots when I'm in…read moreAlbany/Berkeley. Perfect to relax and converse over good wine selection and tasty bites. Pups are welcome! Grab a book or a friend, bring your pup and enjoy!

Found this gem on Google because I really wanted a charcuterie board lol. They do not gave tons of…read morereviews, but what is there.. made me want to try it out. My wife and I entered and it was not crowded. However, there were 2 groups of people there and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. We were immediately greeted and seated. Once seated, we were greeted by the owner (Did not know she was the owner at the time..lml). She informed us of what came with the Charcuterie Board and we chose Fontaine over Goat cheese (My wife does not like goat cheese). We ordered the codfish cakes. She provided us with some wine selections and even offered some to be tried (Free) to help with deciding. My wife chose a Rose and I chose a Malbec. When the Board came, we were amazed at the presentation. When are tasted it, we fell in love lml. Everything went together so well.. including the wine we decided to pair with it. We complimented every bite to once another. The codfish cake was seasoned, lightly battered and full of fish. It was served with olive oil and lime. So so so good!!!! We enjoyed 2 glasses of wine during our time. The Board was enough to share between 2 ppl. If it is more than 2 ppl, you will need to add/pay for additional items. We received great conversation from the owner. My wife at some point asked her she was the in fact the owner and she did yes. Her name is Diva (Might be misspelled...def get real name, but that is exactly how she is). She was so personalable, honest, transparent, and full of smiles. Oh.. they have live music on Saturdays beginning at 7pm. They rotate the genres. They spay have a heated outdoor patio with seating that we will try next time. I think we found out wine bar joy. Thank you for an exceptional 5 star treatment, without even trying. It was so natural!!!