Underwhelming was the overall trend at this rooftop. Food - 4/10 I ordered the tuna poke, which is technically a tartare, with the wonton chips. The wonton chips tasted like the oil they were fried in, so that was not good. The tartare was not bad, but it also wasn't fresh. Nothing hottest, not the micro greens, not the avocado, not even the tuna. It was almost comical to see how little avocado was in the tartare. I was excited for the wasabi "espuma" or foam, but it was tasteless as well. I tried to order the Burrata Caprese, but it was 9 PM and they had run out of it. Sad. For dessert, we got their seasonal fruit tart, and it was tasty! I really liked the date and pine nut crust and the fruit jelly on top Drinks - 2/10 I asked our server what drink they recommended from the menu as I was between a few, and they told me that one of the drinks they do not recommend as it is always returns due to being to liquor forward and simultaneously suites. I appreciate them explaining that it was unbalanced and being transparent with me so I wouldn't waste their time or my money ordering it. However, it was concerning that They would still have the cocktail on the menu after receiving this feedback from clients. It made me hesitant to order drinks but I try to anyways. They were out of the "gone in 60 seconds" cocktail, so unfortunately, I couldn't try that one. Maybe that means it's really good! I did try "the beautiful ones "cocktail. It was overwhelmingly sweet, like melted ice cream. The liquor was masked by the syrupy taste of a lavender. It was hard for me to finish. I tried the Kingston Negroni and I regret it horribly. I swear it tasted like NyQuil. If you think the drink is bad, wait until you get the aftertaste. I couldn't drink it and I didn't want to send it back either, so that was $15 down the drain. Service - 9/10 I don't think the failure of the food or the drinks is the fault of the bartender or server staff. I think it's a larger management issue where management is trying to run without their feet underneath them -- you can't have a bougie restaurant with bougie prices and not have quality ingredients and products to back it up. My experience with Service was very positive. From the security guard that greets you at the front door, the server that greets you when you come out of the elevator on the rooftop, the server that takes care of your orders -- everyone was very professional, warm, and good at their job. Ambiance - 7/10 The space is gorgeous, there is no doubt about that! You could tell the inside is new; however, the seating area outside does not give the same impression. We made a reservation for a couch and fire pit in the outdoor rooftop area, yet we ended up with a broken fireplace -- that was disappointing and also uncomfortable as it was very cold. They also left the cover on the fireplace during our reservation so it was an eyesore to have to look at (ie. duct tape patches, signs of deterioration from the elements). For a new space (what, barely a month old?), the couches looked old and worn out, to the point where I was afraid to lean on the couch because they looked so dirty. We were given a space heater, but it was still very cold outside with the campfire. The music is solid and I'm sure the good vibes are high when the rooftop is busy -- we went on a Wednesday night so I recognize business was slower than usual. read more

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Nice place to spend time with friends in Oakland. My friend reserved the outside patio for about 20 of us. Great time and great service. The drinks were unique and tasty and the mixologist made us a couple special drinks. A little pricey but you can't put a price on a good time with friends. read more

High 5ive Rooftop Bar - Patio - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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This place was extremely mid and overpriced but nice views I guess? You're greeted by security and they lead you up to the stairs of where the rooftop is. The interior is very beautiful and spacious - we went on a warm night so it was perfect. However, extremely overpriced drinks and food. They lacked the basic appetizer items (garlic fries, brussell sprouts, and noodles), and had a random mix of appetizers. We went with the tuna poke and birria tacos as well as some of their signature cocktails. I will say their cocktails were delicious (I recommend the espresso martini and the Piedmont Black Tie) but it's quite expensive at $17 for one drink. I would skip on the food other than the birria tacos. The tuna poke was $14 and you're served 10 wonton chips with half a cup of poke. The birria tacos were good but 2 for $14 was steep as well. Service was fine, our server was really nice when we were able to wave them down. I feel like we could have been checked up on a little more. Overall, this was a nice rooftop to try and if I were to come back, I would just come back for the drinks and a cute rooftop ig photop. Nothing too memorable. read more

A group of us attempted to patronize this venue with 3 reservations for parties of 10 each. We were told by Iris that we would only be able to pay our bill with no more than 3 credit cards, per company policy. Further, she stated that purchasing drinks from the bar individually would overwhelm the bar. While a few of us made our way to the bar, we certainly would have bought more had it been more convenient. Nice space. However many of the outdoor heaters were non-operational. Staff informed our group on Thursday and made no effort to repair or replace the equipment ahead of Saturday night. For the 30 people in my party, this was our first and last visit read more

10/10 the weirdest vibes. AGGRESSIVE downstairs security. Acted like not having a reservation was a crime. Like Sir, it's a bar please take it down a bit. SELF IMPORTANT HOSTESS tells us as we are leaving: next time make a reservation. Like "have you heard of resy?" Have you heard of being polite? TLDR: they all need to #chill and are bad vibes. read more

If you're looking to impress someone with a rooftop bar overlooking the city this spot may be for you. The cocktail list was well curated and hit all the bases. Staff was friendly and accommodating offering lots of local flavor and recommendations. i was here relatively early @5:30pm so the happy hour set was just starting to filter in after a long work week. I'm told this place is a super chill after dinner spot and i would highly recommend it for that. read more

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My friends and I used to love this place when they first opened a few years ago. Their menu was great (lots of food options) and service was good. I've been back twice in the past 6 months and things have definitely changed to the point where I'm curious if there's been a significant change in management. Drinks were mediocre and the food menu has changed. We didn't order anything because nothing looked appetizing. Both times I experienced the same waitress with terrible customer service. She came to our table once to grab our order, didn't come back for an hour, then I had to get up to hand her my card to close out. I decided to give them another chance recently and we got the same waitress. Nothing changed, still terrible service and unwelcoming. This is the same woman that others have complained about in the reviews. This establishment had so much potential and it's sad to see how much it's gone downhill. Definitely not coming back. read more

Ambiance is nice presentation is pretty but it's really a place to relax and unwind with only drinks. Not a place to go for if your hungry the prices are wayyy over the top . But cute pictures. read more

High 5ive Rooftop Bar - Cheese plater - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

I decided to checkout this place with friends and we had a good time until.... I realized they double charged us. They made a charge on my friend's card (which was the correct card) but later charged my card as well. I would highly suggest that you don't allow them to "open a tab" I believe they do this to double charge peoples accounts! The amount charged on my card was a crazy amount and currently going through the hassle of disputing it with my bank! read more

My boyfriend and I tried out High 5ive for the first time this evening. As an Oakland residence I've watched the construction of the Kissel over the past few years and I recently visited the street level bar in the hotel lobby. The rooftop bar has a separate entrance where you check in with a host and head upstairs. The bar itself is very cute. The drinks were good and the service was fine. So why two stars? Because it was literally too chill(y). We had a reservation for the "couch + fire pit" which sounded perfectly cozy for a low 50s evening. Unfortunately our spot was more fire pit adjacent as all three of the fire pits were surrounded by large parties. This in itself wouldn't be an issue if the space heaters were on. I asked our waitress if she could turn on the space heaters near the couch and she told us the space heaters weren't working because they were out of propane. Seeing as it's late November it seems like a huge oversight to not have a supply of propane at the ready for the cold weather season. NONE of the space half dozen heaters were on and we were uncomfortably cold. Maybe we could have moved inside, but that wasn't offered as an option so we left after one drink. read more

High five really surprised me! I wasn't expecting too much based on the reviews so when we were running a little late I wasn't to worried that we would only be here a short time. We arrived and immediately I was like wow this is gonna be nice. We get up to the rooftop and it was really a chill vibe. Type of place you may come to for a first date or with a few friends to have drinks and catch up after a long week. The food options were not the greatest and I've definitely had better but it wasn't bad at all. I bumped it up a star because the service was truly amazing. The waitress was really helpful in helping us select food and drink options and was quick when we told her we were running a little late to a concert. The drink was amazing! I wish I could remember the name but honestly one was enough to have me buzzin lol. Like I said, if you want a cool place to chill and have some drinks this is the place! Maybe skip the food but don't let these reviews deter you. You might be surprised like I was. Oh! Last thing. I thought it was a little weird that they had us Pay before we even got our food. That was the first time I ever experienced that. Idk if everyone has experienced this but I was super confused by that as we typically pay at the end of our meal. For that I couldn't give them a 5 star review. read more

High 5ive Rooftop Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

We went here to celebrate my besties birthday and it was a very nice tucked away spot. The ambiance is pretty decent for like a date night to have a few drinks. The food menu was very small but had something for everybody. I ordered the cheese board and it came with more of everything BUT the cheese lol.. however the drinks and service made up for the menu lack because my blood orange margarita (can't remember what they called it) was FANTASTIC!!!! and our server and ALL the staff were really VERY nice and accommodating. Oh, parking SUCKS real bad... but they have valet but you have to then walk around the corner to get to the bar. Food - 3.5 Drinks - 5 Service - 5 Ambiance - 4 Ladies night overall score: 4.5 read more

The drinks and ambiance were great! We got excellent service. As a lover of rooftop bars, I wasn't too keen on the views. The view is primarily garages, parked cars and streets and not very scenic. It read more

High 5ive Rooftop Bar - Strawberry margarita and cheese board - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

This was my first time visiting High 5. I come to Oakland often to eat at different restaurants. What stood out the most here was the hospitality! The staff was incredible! We felt welcomed from the moment we walked in. We were greeted immediately with a smile when we exited the elevator. Wonderful experience the entire time. Classy vibes. I will surely be back. read more

High 5ive Rooftop Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Cute date night vibes. A little bit pricey, but you pay for the ambiance. Drinks are yummy too.

Excellent food offerings. Worth a try for a late night snack and drinks. Great for Sunday day drinking. read more

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Perfect place to have a few drinks with your coworkers or girlfriends. Service is ok.. wish they put more effort into making our cocktails. read more

High 5ive Rooftop Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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This place stays packed and probably because it has a roof top seating with heated lamps and fire pits. I would definitely recommend coming with. A reservation. We chanced it one night and lucked up on a table. Nevertheless we persisted. We order drinks and got some tapas. Price point for food is decent and not overly priced for the Bay Area. I would give this a five but they are still figuring out their operation or maybe understaffed for the number of people seeking to dine in the space. They definitely need more staff. Strap your patience on when you order a drink; it will be a while. read more

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Food was served before drinks . I get it but still .Ambiance was chill and nice . Not somewhere I would come back to . Hopefully it changes for the better. read more

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Came here with a group of friends, our experience was very disappointing. We reserved a space with a fire pit online. When we got there, there was no fire pit available, but we were fine with another outdoor couch (not sure what was the point of reserving a fire pit if it wasn't available). We ordered some food and cocktails. I had the carnitas tacos: the tacos were flavorless and freezing cold! I sent them back and they brought me another plate with hot tacos, but again the meat had no flavor, salt, nothing! Even the salsa was bland. The flat bread pizza with chicken was a total salt bomb. Chicken skewers were gray, flavorless and just unappetizing. My friends ordered Negronis and they were very disappointed in them. The cocktails were not well balanced and they were extremely bitter. I wanted to like this place, the space has a chill vibe but after the experience we had, we left for higher quality food and drinks at Calaveras down the street. read more

We had delicious food (definitely bar food, not full dinner portions). All staff has been so kind, considerate, and gender-neutral bathrooms?! Are you kidding?! Queer, drinking, rooftop paradise. read more

High 5ive Rooftop Bar - This is the bar manager, Dylan. He made us a custom drink and has been so incredibly kind and welcoming. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Bitch, please! This place is recommendable! Visited here for the first time last night. Tried several cocktails, all on point. Favorite: Solar Flare! Even their names are good! The decoration is fantastic, they're definitely trying to pull off a Hollywood vibe. Oakland doesn;t have many rooftop options and even thought this isn't a very high building, the view is still immeasurably beautiful! Whoever picked this spot, knew what they were doing. I was served by 3 different bartenders, all with excellent attitude! Drinks were perfect, they were friendly and helpful. read more

The waitress Jacqueline seemed very disinterested in servicing us the hostess a black solan seemed more interested in helping us and servicing us and she was just taking care of reservations and seating but checked on us more than our waitress. The Drinks were good and the chocolate truffle trio but the service could definitely improve. I had to ask the hostess for my chocolates and the check because our waitress was no where to be found. Though she was quick to take my man's card to put it on file for the bill before we got our drinks. I might come back to bring friends for start of the night drinks but that's about it. The ambiance and light was perfect though and the music has a variety of genres which kept the mood light. read more

High 5ive Rooftop Bar - The Beautiful Ones (right) A Beautiful (left) perfect execution by the bartender! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Service was such a disappointment, followed by a horrible experience with the manager. Went to the rooftop with friends and had drinks and food. One of my friends got a Caesar salad. Halfway through the salad she found a hair in her food! We asked for the manager after the waitress basically said she could do nothing about it. The manager said it was a mistake and unfortunate but would not be able to comp the salad. Instead he asked if we wanted something else. Now why would we want something else after being completely disgusted by hair in the food and loosing our appetites. Mind you our total bill was $145 and he refused to comp the $15 salad and made us pay for a salad with hair in it. Unbelievable! First and last time going there and do not recommend. read more

Bait and switch. It's a half block from the actual entrance of the 5-story hotel, on top of a one-story building. So it's much closer to street-level than rooftop of the Kissel hotel. Service was bad, 20+ minutes to get a drink and they brought the wrong drink at that. At least they left the wrong drink for us while re-making the correct one (which took another twenty minutes). Then we ordered food, and thirty minutes later when we asked about it it was clear the waitress totally forgot we ever ordered in the first place. While the decor is nice and West Elm-esque, the vibe very much resembles a sterile Marriott or other chain hotel bar, but that does mean it's pretty clean and the bathrooms were super nice. Also - went at 5pm on a weekday and my buddy had a zip-up jacket on with a hood. The doorman/bouncer made him "tuck his hood in" and I had to take my hat off. This is Oakland y'all, I hope and assume they'll figure that out soon. read more

The atmosphere was great, but the waitress treated herself to an extra $30 on my credit card. Working on that with American Express but I shouldn't have to. They were also very pushy about space and the amount of time we'd be there (had a reservation for a wedding party) but there was zero need for it. There was PLENTY of space. Seems as if they are going for some type of bottle service/exclusivity feel but it's just a hotel bar. The bartenders that were working were beyond lovely and had been all weekend (same people working inside). I only had an issue with the waitress outside that was incredibly rude and stole money by adding it to my tab. I added 30$ gratuity but crossed it off and wrote CASH on the bill and gave her 50$. I got my statement and she also helped herself to that 30$. I highly recommend finding another bar or not giving them access to your cards. read more

Having lived in Chicago for 15 years, when someone says "ROOFTOP BAR" my ears immediately perk up and my heart does a little happy dance. So I had to give it a shot. The vegan options on the menu are okay. I would definitely order the hummus trio over the lettuce wraps ( they were dry). I ordered the Tony Bennet. Presentation was cute. The sad thing was it presented as a craft cocktail until the ice started to melt. Again, I must get Chicago & NYC out of my head. I appreciate Oakland for trying. I understand that it very expensive to operate a business in the city (however SF has amazing places with craft cocktails and the ice to match them). My friend ordered a basic Dark and Stormy. The waitress had no idea what this was. I thought about several factors that could contribute to this but who am I to judge. When the drink arrived it was the color of a traditional margarita. . My friend asked if there was anyone rum in the drink and the waitress replied "it should be". Eek. She ordered a seconded one. I quickly googled a dark & stormy recipe to show her what dark rum should look like. I remarked "this must be a light skinned version". There was no way dark rum was used. When she returned with the second drink it was darker but still not the color of a traditional dark & stormy. I will say Yoshi's in Oakland makes a good dark & stormy for any interested. Sometimes it pains me to leave Oakland for SF ($7 toll is aggressive) because I want to contribute my money to the city. However, to get a true rooftop experience SF does have better options. Being new to the city, there certainly is a divide between the resources that SF & OAK have independently. I know they are not the same but why can't Oakland have options like SF? I'm sure someone will tell me. I do appreciate the authenticity of OAK. So if you are looking for a true rooftop experience, I would opt for SF. This is a cute option and nice addition to the Uptown area. read more

Updating my review from 1 star to 3 stars. The manager is making this right. Great service on his part! If you come here, please request an itemized copy of your receipt. I saw multiple reviews of people having a service charge included while others didn't. Obviously it's not a standard process. read more

More feedback. We arrived for our 1:15p reservation and were immediately told the the kitchen closed in 10 minutes. Why take 1:15p reservations just to rush people? We then gave our drink order that came incorrect. But was resolved. 30 minutes later we were given last call for drinks. Our servers were very nice but our experience didn't meet the VIP standard I was promised on Aug 7 nor did I get to speak with the manager. Lastly, the valet service is simply terrible. read more

The woman working at the check in stand on Friday evening around 7pm was amazing! She was so sweet and even though the wait was long and they were busy, she communicated everything and thanked us for our patience. The atmosphere is nice, drinks are good, music was ehh. Took a star off because the server we had when we got inside wasn't very nice. We had to ask for water 3x before getting it and when the server brought us our shots they spilled it all over my friend's purse. read more

I visited this new rooftop bar just once until now and I already see it becoming one of my favs. Here's why - (1) the smoked cocktail which is their take on a smoked manhattan is a true delight (do get this while sitting at the bar as it's quite the show), (2) the tuna poke which is their #1 item on the menu is so refreshing and gingery, (3) the service we got from Brandon and the Chef was wonderful, (4) the aesthetically pleasing decor and that gorgeous marble bar, (5) it's one of the only/very few rooftop bars in Oakland so don't miss out! read more

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Great vibes! Ben was the best server!! We had a great time, glad another rooftop is in my city read more

High 5ive Rooftop Bar - Great vibes - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

This place has been on my wishlist to visit. Unfortunately I have given this place not one chance but two chances and I don't believe it deserves a third. I was looking forward to their "advertised tea time on Sundays" only to be cancelled on the first reservation I made because of an "influencer party" the second time I had also made a reservation, I show up the doors are locked no sign of an employee and on top of that no contact information, immediate red flag. I reached out to them via Instagram and no response either. I waited outside 30 minutes and drove around to find a back entrance only to notice this location is in a hotel, that's when the employees notify us tea time has been moved to the lobby due to maintenance, I understand locations often have maintenance but to not be notified in advance is pretty ridiculous. Don't think I'll ever stop by again. P.S. get a phone, every business has a telephone. read more

A nice small LOCAL place to hang out to watch a game with about on comfortable couches near fire pits or lamps. Big up to the bartender PABLO who took pride in his drink experimentation and my suggestions to how I like my drinks. Most bartenders get uptight about that. The horderves was okay. We started with shredded chicken tacos which was not memorable, specially with the bland sauce, but hey it killed hungry. A part of my group ordered artichoke dip and chips and a hummus dip plate that would be great for vegetarians. Myself I worked on the Poke and chips, which was great, the chicken flat bread and basil. This review is more for the atmosphere then the food and drink. Even though this place closes early due to being in a close proximity to apartments it's postion is tucked away from seeing any typical negativity that might happen on Broadway. That means alot if you want to have an actual conversation with somebody. Bring your LOCAL RESIDENT CARD and enjoy this place. First impressions 5 read more

The ambiance is lovely in the evenings, the staff was friendly, and the prices were commensurate for what you'd expect for a rare footloose space in Oakland. Didn't try food, but will be back to see how that measures up. read more

Been waiting for this spot to open after I toured the Kissel Uptown. The absolute best part of this place was the greeter and security downstairs! Great presence! Professional, friendly and welcoming. Phenomenal first impression. The retro decor is nice, they have an outside area, the music is pop and neo soul, and the vibe is inclusive and lively. I would return. We had several drinks: the uptown funk, a grey goose dirty martini, the beautiful ones and a tropic pines. We also had the artichoke dip with pita bread (you have to request the pita bread). Their area of growth is serving staff; we waited over 20 minutes for our second order of pita bread (in which time our artichoke dip grew cold and therefore not as tasty!) and our second order of drinks. The dirty martini was not good but the other drinks were tasty. read more

High 5ive Rooftop Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Nice place to have drinks with friends. They have outdoor & indoor seating. You can watch the sunset. We only had drinks which were ok, service was also ok. There is also a wait to get in & you have drive around to look for parking. read more

High 5ive Rooftop Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

I came to celebrate my birthday and had the best time! The vibes were great, we loved the ambiance and Karey made us feel right at home, like family! Pablo down at Otto's treated us amazingly as well. I will definitely be back to enjoy all the things this hotel has to offer! read more

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Very clean and well decorated place. Drinks are delicious. Vibe is fun. But, the Service sucks. Our server gave us our drinks and never came back. About an hour later we had to flag down another server to order more drinks. Personally wouldn't recommend this place to my friends or family due to the poor service. There are plenty of other places you can go with good Service and good drinks. read more

I brought my cousin from out of state here as she wanted to experience a rooftop vibe. It was a nice day however the service was lacking and it wasn't even busy. We had a 6:30 reservation for the rooftop and we asked the waitress about the menu; drinks and food. The plates are really small noshes so if you're hungry eat elsewhere. The charcuterie board has no cheese but they have a cheese board to purchase separately. Most drinks are in the $15 range and subpar at best as we had a few different drinks. I was charged a large group fee and my waitress was nowhere to be found so I had to ask someone else. She came out and said I'm sorry let me take that off, goes away and proceeds to bring me back the same charge. I told her it was still on there, mind you there were only four of us. She said oh I'm sorry, goes off and returns with the correct one. Needless to say I won't be returning. The only reason we didn't hit the city for a rooftop is because I love Oakland and will always try new places and give them a chance but this wasn't it for me sadly. read more

High 5ive Rooftop Bar - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California