I got a hair cut and Color from Reena Kumar and she is literally a miracle worker. She gave me the…read morebest hair I've ever had and her vibes are immaculate

REENA IS THAT GIRL! I've been going to Reena for the last 4 years and every time she kills it. My…read more(blonde) hair always leaves feeling healthy and looking better than ever. She really values her work and is committed to achieving your hair goals, while maintaining good hair health and providing such a fun and positive experience along the way. If I could rate over 5 stars, I would!

TL;DR: This place is great! Book with Mark--he's an *artist*!…read more Longer version: My hair stylist quit the biz a few years ago to pursue a career as a therapist (so fitting, right?!) I was stoked for her! But since then, I've been adrift and searching for my hair match, trying out a new stylist for each cut. (My hair is fine but wavy with a weird cowlick, so it needs just the right layers. I had some great cuts and some so-so cuts, but never the right combo of close enough, a decent amount of availability that I'm not waiting months or driving across the bay, AND a great cut.) I tried Mark at Maru on a random rec from a friend whose daughter works at the salon--and after one cut, I feel like my search is over! The salon is very well-run and had an opening within a couple weeks. I arrived on time, was offered herbal tea, and waited under five minutes. It's in a nice spot in Berkeley with plenty of street parking with pretty cheap meters--$4. Mark asked me what I was looking for, got it right away, and was of course fun to chat with. I walked out with a cut I love for a reasonable price. I will definitely be back!

I was nervous about getting my hair done since it was such a spur of the moment thing to get a…read moretrim. My stylist, Shawn, led me through to the second area of their salon which was cool and was so detailed about doing my hair. I've never had a stylist so precise and who really took great care in making sure everything was even and cut in exactly the way I wanted. I showed him one photo, and my hair looked exactly like it after. It was definitely the longest haircut I've had and pricey as I'm not used to Bay Area prices just yet, but honestly, so worth it.

i hate haircuts! i always leave feeling sad and in existential dread (who needs to stare at…read morethemselves for that long anyway?) Nick made my experience awesome, he listened to me and gave ma cut i loved! The shampoo was so tender and i feel like my foxiest self. conversation was easeful and light. So appreciate! Will be back in 6-8 months lol

I cannot say enough about this salon and all of their staff. Everyone is truly wonderful. And, ACE…read morewas AMAZING. We had such a great time and the end result was "CHIC-ILICIOUS"! Purple, Teal, Fuschia, Oh MY! Thank you!

This was one of the worst haircuts of my life! I got the opposite of what I wanted and my hair…read moresurprisingly became 6 inches shorter than what was agreed to. Prior to coming here, I had my hair cut in Paris. This was the best haircut of my life. Long layers that eventually grew down to waist length. I described what I wanted (my hairstyle for years): cut to mid-boob length, with long layers starting from just above my chin (using my hands to gesture at height), plus thinning throughout because most hairdressers have described my hair as one of the thickest they've ever seen. What I got was a sideway somewhat uneven lob with no layers that ended at the bottom of my neck. This looks especially bad with my thick hair and on days when my hair is particularly voluminous and poofy I feel like a yeti. It will probably take another 6 months for my hair to grow back! I deserve to have my $160 compensated back to me for harm done. I'm so traumatized from this experience that I might go back to cutting my own hair as I did during COVID. When I asked why the length was so short, the hairstylist said this was better than what I wanted. Having already sat through a 1.5h haircut and knowing that long layers were not possible anymore, I didn't complain any further and just wanted to get out of there. I'll add to this that my hairstylist had some unsavory political opinions that should probably be kept private, in Berkeley of all places. I'm not coming back here.

I want to preface this that I had a trusted hairstylist in SF who cut my hair since mid-college…read more(~2012), but she recently retired and I was too afraid to let anyone else cut my hair for the longest time; found this place through a Google search of good hair salons in North Berkeley and decided to give it a try. I'm really glad I trusted them to cut my hair! I have thick, unruly, can be frizzy, wavy to curly hair. Corynne cut my hair and I gave her a heads up that this was the first time I was not going to my trusted gal Laura; Corynne followed the layout of my usual hair cut then we had a bit of an awkward moment when she asked what I wanted to do with my bangs (Laura's spoilt me that I never had to give her instructions on how to cut my hair; she just knew from years of knowing me); overall I had a good experience and will likely come back for maintenance trims. I really liked the vibe of the salon; they didn't push me to buy their products; it's a bit more bougie and expensive than what I'm used to (Laura charged me $40-45 over the last decade) but change has a way of forcing me to move forward, so here we are.

Annika cut my hair and it's exactly what I wanted! she was super sweet and taught me how to style…read moreit as well!

Annika is amazing. She did a beautiful job with my highlights and style, and I couldn't be happier…read morewith how my hair turned out. She was professional, warm, and really took the time to understand what I wanted. The result felt fresh, flattering, and exactly right. I highly recommend Annika if you're looking for a talented colorist and stylist.

I'm still just as impressed with Evangeline's work as visit 1 coming to the studio. She has gotten…read morefaster and I've never received as many compliments on my hair, the colors, the styles, how it frames my face, etc. as when Evangeline does it. She is a vivids pro and she makes me laugh the entire time. LET HER COOK!

Had a great time with Karla! She was friendly, highly skilled and efficient. Did a great job with…read moremy hair, looking forward to seeing her again. The salon is clean with friendly staff and good vibes

I went to get a haircut Friday afternoon for a special occasion and showed them exactly what I…read morewanted: a classic Ben Affleck Bruce Wayne-style haircut with regular-sized sideburns, just like the character. They asked me if I was graduating, and I said no, I was meeting my fiancée's mom the next day. Five minutes before the haircut was finished, the stylist took a big chunk off my right sideburn. She cut it too high, which ruined the whole haircut, especially since my face shape doesn't suit short sideburns. I told her I didn't like it. I didn't overreact or yell, I was just uncomfortable. The hairdresser said, "Too bad!" and tried to dismiss the issue. I told her again that she should have asked me about the length. She then took it personally and told her boss that I was making things up so I wouldn't pay, saying, "They do this so they don't pay." What do you mean by "they"? Not only did I feel dismissed and treated unprofessionally, but also disrespected. I was upset after the whole situation, but even then I was willing to pay and didn't want to leave without paying because I didn't want to prove her point. Plus, it's not that expensive. At the end, the stylist said she had 40 years of experience. Well, after this, it feels like you wasted 40 years and somehow skipped the basics of customer service. Not coming back, even after being offered a free haircut. I would rather pay three times what I paid today for a standard service where you're treated with basic courtesy.

Had a cut with some new lady that felt super rushed. Everything is super choppy and inconsistent…read morethroughout especially my bangs, didn't even bother to clean up the back of my head/neck. And don't get me started on the back of my head, it's like they didn't even bother cutting it; it was still long and shaggy. I do not understand the high ratings. I been here TWICE in hopes of getting better results the second time, but it is even worse. I feel so ripped off, what a joke and supposedly this is one of the cheapest hair salons around here so but it was still $27. I would rather spend the $50 at Eclipxed and ask for Dayian! She's the best

Walked into this salon last minute and was looking for a refresh. The front desk staff were very…read moreaccommodating and were able to get me an appointment for this afternoon. Bethany was my stylist and she did such a great job of understanding what I wanted and helped me visualize what could work for me. I was looking for a refresh and she delivered! Would recommend working with her. All the staff were super friendly and this salon was a breath of fresh air - great ambience and a very calming atmosphere. Parking is on the street and typically available.

If you're looking for a hairstylist who takes the time to gets you, check out Sara at Grove Salon!…read moreShe may be newer to the game, but don't let that fool you--Sara has talent and a natural instinct for hair. I've been toying with the idea of getting a balayage or baby lights forever, and I finally decided to take the plunge. Sara took the time to really listen to what I wanted, asked all the right questions, and eased my concerns about how the color would grow out. I didn't want any harsh lines or brassy tones, and Sara nailed it. She recommended a gorgeous balayage with a cool toner, and let me tell you--it's perfection. My hair feels healthier than ever, and the color is better than I could have hoped. Sara has this calm, laid-back vibe that made the whole experience feel like hanging out with a friend. She took the time to understand exactly what I was after, brought me tea, and was super fun to chat with. Bonus points for giving me a blow dry that stayed smooth and frizz-free--even though my hair has a mind of its own and loves to get fluffy! If you want a stylist who's skilled, fun, and has a fresh approach, Sara is your girl. Run, don't walk, to Grove Salon!

Simone has done my hair several times and each time I walk away looking fabulous! From short curly…read morecuts, dye jobs, to silk presses...she can literally do it all. She gets even more cool points for being a fellow Leo ;)

Simone was amazing! I wanted a brand new look and she listened. I absolutely love it and I have…read morereceived so many compliments on my hair

Heather is great! She takes time to listen to what you want and to ask questions to assess if the…read morehairstyle upkeep is actually feasible for your lifestyle. At first, I wasn't feeling the cut, not her fault, she gave me what I wanted. BANGS! enough said. But now two weeks into it, the grow out/settle of the cut is really nice. I like it more and more each day. I have been in search for a stylist I can keep going back to for a long time. I found her

Heather cut my curly hair into an easy to style stacked bob. I scheduled less than a day in advance…read moreand was lucky to get an appointment. Her salon is welcoming and has easy parking and she was easy to chat with yet efficient!