The ambiance is super sexy. It's open seating so we chose to sit upstairs overlooking the…read morerestaurant. I love how well-dressed and grown everyone was. It reminded me of being out during the 2010s when downtown was poppin'. Food and drinks did not disappoint: catfish bao (crunchy and flavorful), spare ribs (soft and moist), lamb chops (rich and cooked to perfection). My fave drink was the spicy margarita. We also tried the key pie bread pudding for dessert which was super rich. Took forever to come to us because they got really busy. But honestly, not mad because I am happy for them. Overall the visit was lovely. We hope this business continues in Oakland!

We ducked into Lucy Blue last Thursday after the fabulous Yelp Party at STAK. We weren't the only…read moreones, we saw other Yelpers there for some after-partying. Sexy, dimly-lit, upscale bar/lounge. It was great to see there was a gentleman at the door to prevent any shenanigans. We were pretty full from the Yelp event, so we didn't try any food this time, but we looked through the menu, which has a good number of options. I had a White Cosmo, RB had an Espresso Martini, and we had some sparkles. The drinks were all good. Our server was lovely, but it does seem they could hire more help, this is a happening place. Relaxing and intimate vibe, and a nice crowd. We will return next time we're in Downtown Oakland.

Viridian, you stole the show this month! This was my first time coming back to Viridian after about…read morea decade, and we were not disappointed. Such a beautiful interior space vibrant in celebration for AAPI Heritage month, and a super fun cocktail menu that was the perfect post-meal moment (both photo-worthy and tastebuds approved). We also noticed they have a cool food menu too filled with yummy and innovative dishes like Cheesy Char Siu Tots, Szechuan Salt & Pepper Wings, Korean Fried Mapo Tofu, BBQ Char Siu Ribs, and more. They also have nice swag ~ we took home a hat that resembled a Kirkland hat that spelled out "Oakland Viridian" (IYKYK). Drink-wise we ordered the Soy Sauce Old Fashioned and the Café Sua Daddy, which essentially is an espresso martini with a fun twist with black sesame and an egg cream foam. Both drinks were outstanding and presentation was beyond..I wished we could have stayed for round two, but duty calls! Ride-share and or BART suggested in this area, it's just a bit congested downtown to park. Service was fun, prices fair for the whole experience. Loved it!

This place is so cute inside it's definitely a cool almost speakeasy vibe. Came an hour after they…read moreopened and it was already getting pretty busy on a Thursday night. Service was really prompt and friendly. The food was great we ordered all the classics such as the tater tots and the cucumbers, and we also got the salt and pepper wings, and the special mapo tofu. Portions are great and it's definitely a lot of food to share. There are also extensive cocktails on the menu running at $16-$20 each, which is expected for the creativity and expert craftsmanship of each cocktail. They have a large number of cocktails that are special and seasonal, and then their classics on the bottom. I don't think you can go wrong with anything that you try and I love that they have Asian fusion options for the cocktails and savory and sweet. I got one of the seasonal cocktails that was passionfruit forward and it had a nice tart crisp taste that I really enjoyed.

Cute cocktail/vinyl bar with super chill vibes. The atmosphere is cozy and perfect for relaxing…read morewith a drink while listening to good music. The cocktails were delicious and well-made, though a little on the pricey side. The staff were very friendly and welcoming. Definitely a great spot for date night or a casual night out with friends!

We stumbled across this place during a walk and decided to grab some drinks…read more I liked how the place has a speakeasy vibe. Dim lit atmosphere and enjoyable music. I loved the decor. My favorite is the wall of vinyls. There were stools, chairs, sofas, and tables. The staff were friendly and attentive. They have a nice list of refreshments. Definitely a nice place to relax and have drinks.

I was in Oakland for a concert and wanted to grab a drink after so we decided to check out Town Bar…read moreand Lounge. I have to say this is one of the prettiest bars I've ever been to! The lighting of the bar is amazing. I sat there mesmerized by the colors and organization of the bottles. The disco balls are also beautifully lit and fun to watch. There was a DJ when I went playing amazing music. The bartenders were friendly and attentive. I highly recommend checking out Town Bar!

Cool bar in the old I-Magnum building! Celebrating a friend's 65th birthday! Cute decor, good…read moreDj, lots of good looking gay men everywhere! The drinks were pricey but well put together! Cute bartender serving drinks. I would definitely come back - for a good time if I want to listen to music have fun and not be bothered by men! Happy Birthday Kenny!

The Holiday Pop-up last year (2024) was very festive/fun for a holiday celebration post Zumba class…read moreat the YMCA around the corner. Will be returning again this year with our class for more holiday merriment!

I am writing to express extreme disappointment regarding my recent visit to your establishment…read more Despite traveling two hours and having an urgent need for the restroom, I was denied access by a staff member on a motorcycle, even after offering payment. This unacceptable refusal forced me into a deeply humiliating situation, having to relieve myself publicly. As an African-American patron, I found this experience profoundly disheartening and discriminatory. Based on this incident, I strongly advise against visiting this location

So many people told me to come by Sobre Mesa, but I'm so busy that when I finally stopped by, it…read morewas well worth the wait. The first thing you notice is the beautiful ambiance of decor there. It felt like I was on vacation in Costa Rica. The house speakers playing Latin and Dominican music def set the tone that this was a place rich in culture. I must say that the server Kimmy as well as Crista the bartender were both bright spots. The food was awesome as well. The steak was served to temperature (med rare) and the dealers choice rum cocktail was phenomenal. What made this dinner visit special was the fact that the chef came from behind the window to check on everyone. Being in hospitality for 30 years, I can say that I know genuine passion when I see it. Not only did this visit make me happy that it is located in my home town of oakland, but to know that top chef talent chef Nelson, took a community shot with everyone at bar made it feel like home. Cheers to Sobre, they got it right!

Updating my review because my last experience this past weekend was kind of sketchy , let's get…read moreinto it . so upon arriving I know they check for ID. I don't know when this started happening but now there is a cover fee, which is no problem because I know it's busy and it's mostly known for being a bar with some snacks .... we came for the snacks so no problem paying a cover charge. The sketchy part about it was the hostess at the front door said they're not accepting cash for the cover fee and they are only accepting Zelle . We search the email to pay but it asked for first and last name and at that point she said never mind you guys can go sit down . so that was weird number one ! Especially because I would assume as a business your Zelle handle would have something about the business and not a personal persons Zelle . number two I know that their menu always changes depending on seasonal products so that's not a big deal , but I know they usually always have oysters . when I went to go place my order the waitress said that they do not have oysters and explained to me that it's a party tonight so they only have certain items .... but luckily for me one of the cooks from the back was standing behind her so I assume when I walked away, he corrected her because she came back and said oh we do have oysters ?! very interesting to me . Overall vibes are still cool inside , they were playing all the hits. The food was good . the empanadas ! the ingredients were very fresh. You could taste it in every bite. The goat cheese was probably our favorite thing that we got perfectly breaded gooey cheese . and the oysters were good. I just wish we could get more for what we pay for. I think it's $22 just for three. I'm used to paying $22 for six with all the ingredients that they claim they use , but yeah . I don't know what's going on with the staff. That's why I'm taking one star away other than that love the vibe , the ambience feels good. Just staff needs to get it together. And I hope they aren't scamming people at the door .

Au Lounge has such a calm and classy vibe inside. It feels peaceful yet lively when you walk in…read more The servers are extremely accommodating and kind. And the food is divine! Chef Smelly cooks up plates that truly bring joy to your soul! They're also great for to go food. I recently stopped by for some sides to accompany my leftover ham and sheesh! They took me to another level.

Me and a group of friends went to Au last night and the food was great, the service was amazing we…read morehad Shaw as our waiter and he provided the day's specials and recommendations. The Bar tender Moira I hope I got that right was also great she definitely knows how to make a good drink. Oh and we got to meet the Chef! He was kind and welcoming we had great conversations with all the staff we interacted with! So I can say over all the food was great the service was amazing and I would definitely recommend them and looks like we may be stopping by again this week to try other items. We had the 3-way combo Fish, Oysters, Prawns and Mac & Cheese and Collards. Photo below is my friends plate because I forgot to take a photo

Date: 2/22/2025. Time: 4:00 PM. 63°. Sunny…read more I was supposed to be at 1701, but they are not opened yet. Thus, I met my friend next door at Space Lounge for drinks. Usually I don't imbibe. I am not much of drinking the Henny. All their cocktails have exactly that. The only one that looked appealing to me was the expresso martini. The service could be a little more attentive. My friend and I were the only two people in the lounge at the time. We sat and waited for somebody to come by to ask what would I like to drink. It did not happen; thus, my friend had to go the bar and purchase the expresso martini. The expresso martini was smooth and mellow. The only time I had the Henny was years ago at a Chinese wedding banquet. I added some to the shark fin soup, which enhanced the flavor of the soup. Yes, I enjoyed the expresso martini. The atmosphere of the lounge is one of sophistication and upscale. Comfortable seating all around. Nice place to hang out, do some chillaxin' with friends. Rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

Super chill spot with hella cool people! Wandered in here with a friend while waiting for a concert…read moreat Fox. So we had a few drinks and chatted it up with Rick. He's super knowledgeable AND passionate about his craft, plus an overall fun person to hangout with. We heard that this spot isn't getting much love these days and just wanna say it's totally worth the visit! You get excellent service, people who love what they do, community and also some bomb a** lumpia if you show up when the lumpia ladies are taking orders! Come thru!

This review is two years old but never too late! First let me start by thanking Sean and Ritchie…read more Sean spent countless email messages with me ironing out the details. I added additional people and it was no problem. I'm a planner and can be pretty intense with insuring things go as planned without hiccups and of course I had a thousand questions and still, Sean's kindness never wavered. I met Ritchie the day of and he was so welcoming, the way we hugged and chatted you'd think we've met before. My kinda people. Ever sense I've been singing their praises. I've sent many people their way. The entire staff that day was great. The bartenders (see the video for the effects). They did not play with those drinks! The food? Muah! Chef's kiss. EVERYONE enjoyed their food. My party end up being about 10 people and we all almost all ordered different things. My steak and chimichurri sauce, eggs and potatoes was to die for. I still daydream about how the temperature of my steak was so perfect. I let folks try my steak, it was so good some ordered their own-aside from their other order lol I'm over due a visit. I pray my next experience is as well as the first.

So here's my update on this absolute dumpster fire of an establishment from Friday, March 20…read more I came in, ordered ONE margarita, and within about five minutes, the bartender was physically fighting with a drunk patron and trying to choke them out while the security guard stood there being completely useless. Truly incredible to watch a place be that understaffed, unprofessional, and unsafe all at once. But wait, it gets worse. After I already left a review about being caught in the middle of their little bar brawl, these geniuses charged my card AGAIN for $52.92 after I had already left. For what exactly? The drinks from the drunk people THEY were over-serving before the fight broke out? Because it definitely wasn't mine. Let me be very clear: I walked in. I ordered ONE drink. A margarita. That's it. So somehow I got front row seats to a bartender throwing hands, security doing absolutely nothing, and then got charged like I sponsored the chaos. This place is a joke. Unsafe, sloppy, and apparently so incompetent they can't even charge the right customer after turning the bar into a live-action WWE event. If you enjoy being overcharged, caught in the middle of violence, and watching staff behave worse than the intoxicated customers, this might be your spot. Easy 1 star. Honestly, zero if I could. 3.24.26 I now have to dispute a charge that never should have been on my card in the first place. This place somehow managed to turn an already awful experience into an even bigger mess by fraudulently charging me $52.92 after everything that happened. I am beyond irritated. At this point, if I have to press charges against the bartender for charging my card without authorization, I will absolutely do it. The level of incompetence and unprofessionalism here is unreal. Not only was I subjected to chaos, but now I'm wasting my time cleaning up a problem THEY created

This place is great! The drinks are delicious and very affordable. Service can be a little slow at…read moretimes but that's completely understandable since it's usually packed. Making drinks for a crowd takes time and the staff always does their best. The people who come here are super friendly which adds to the welcoming, cozy vibe of the place. It's the kind of spot where you instantly feel comfortable. If you love a good martini this is definitely a place you should check out.

Tallboy is the epitome of the phrase "suffering from success"…read moreMy first few visits here were great. Great service, great drinks, and great bar snacks. But now, it is impossible to even get the bartender to make eye contact. Packed to the brim on the nights any normal person would want to go out, and so the usual level of service is dropped down merely praying the bartender realizes you have been waiting longer than everyone else at the bar. Awesome to see they are popular. But I doubt I will ever return.