Absolutely enjoyed table chef tasting Columbian inspired menu. Each course was delectable & enjoyable. The open kitchen setting was awesome & service was top notch. Will be back & a must try culinary experience. read more

Mägo - Colombian Near Me - Oakland, California

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I chose to go here acting to the reviews.. I don't understand why it has almost 5 stars... I'm sad to say but we didn't like it Not the food, or the drinks or the place. read more

Delicious food, the flan is to die for! Beautifully crafted, excellent service, and the cocktails were great too. Came here for an anniversary dinner, very worthwhile read more

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Had a wonderful experience with out of town family. Had the nightly tasting menu. Service and food all terrific.

Overall very pleased with both food and services. We had the tasting menu for 2 and a few drinks. My favorite dish is definitely the quail. The plate was very well presented, quail was Juicy and tender, topped with cherry adobo to add another layer of flavor. Side dish came with Enyucado, a Colombian cassava cake, adding a bit sweetness to enhance the overall taste buds experience. In my opinion, this course itself can compete with many one star Michillen places, however, if the place wants to up it's game to actually earn one star, Mago may need to have a few more courses like the quail. Overall I'm very happy with the experience considering the reasonable price and what you can get. read more

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I did not have any exceptions coming to Mago. Sometimes when I have high expectations I get disappointed. I REALLY LOVED the ambiance, the service, the food. Everything was great. The interior design was beautiful! I highly recommend sitting at the chefs table. Its really exciting to see Chef create all the dishes. Flavoring was so on point. They change the menu frequently so be excited every time you go. I had this potato dish and WOW... by far my favorite potato dish ever. I can't wait to go back! read more

This was such an amazing experience, from the ambiance to everything that was put in front of us. Our favorites were the appetizer of arepa and plantains with roasted tomato salsa, rib eye and the cherry cornmeal cake. They were so accommodating too, we had a show to catch so they gave us all our desserts at once! The price was amazing too. We shared a cocktail/wine pairing which was perfect cuz a whole one would have been a lot. I've recommended this to so many people. read more

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Very good food and overall we enjoyed our meal here as part of a birthday celebration. An interesting "concept" high-end restaurant with a small number of seats and a focus on the food. That said, some dishes were a little underwhelming. I feel like they're going for fine dining but it's sort of in between casual and fine dining. read more

The food here is ok. For this price, there are other restaurants in the area that one would want to go back to.

Everything was at least good, one or two things were great. Overpriced for quality of food. Best parts of the experience were the desserts and drink pairings with the menu, the presentation of the dishes, and the service. Low points were the flavor of all of the entree dishes (some nice textures though -- the arepas, albacore tuna, beef), and the ambiance of the seating area, which feels more like a discount clothing store than an upscale restaurant. Given the steep price, I would say definitely not worth it. There was just something missing--none of the entree items were memorable. read more

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I've been wanting to dine at Mägo for quite a while so I was very excited when it was booked for my work team dinner. We were seated outside on the patio which was great since the weather was so nice that day (I didn't see if they had heaters though so might be cold on a chilly evening if they don't). For food, we did the pre fixe 5 course menu. The dishes included arepas + plantains, asparagus flan, trout (although I got broccoli as the vegetarian substitute), lamb (substituted with fried veggie tomalé type dish)*, and a banana & chocolate ice cream for dessert. My highlights were the arepas and the desert which was full of banana flavor and creamy in texture. *I only wish the substitutes were explained to me since they weren't listed on the menu so that I could have better listed what I ate. I also opted in for the cocktail pairing. It was a surprisingly good amount of alcohol (2 pretty big cocktails, 2 full glasses of wine, and a choice of desert wine or rum for the desert cocktail). We did get a little confused about which drink paired with which dish since not all of them were explained and some came out after the dishes. However, they ended up giving us an extra drink since we had to wait a little bit for one of the dishes which was super nice. Overall, everything was delicious and the staff were friendly and accommodating of our large group. Will definitely be coming back to try the new menu! read more

Mägo - Ice cream/pudding dish with banana, tcho milk chocolate, sun-chokes, and coffee - Colombian Near Me - Oakland, California

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Such a superb dining experience! I dined here for Oakland Restaurant week. Out of the 4 restaurants that I tried, Mägo outshined them all. They definitely showcased what they're made of, and I'm so happy that I chose to dine here. It's crazy to think that Mägo's Space once occupied Cybelle's Pizza! I almost forgot this fact until someone in the restaurant mentioned it. It looks COMPLETELY different! But the darker color scheme and open kitchen concept are perfect. I sat at the chef's counter where I was able to watch the chef's work their magic. It was really quite entertaining. Service was spot on the entire night and began as soon as I walked in and met with the hostess. I actually didn't have a reservation, but the hostess was still able to find a spot for me. I would recommend reservations if you can, especially if you're coming with 2 or more people because it gets busy fast. Their wine list is wonderful! They have wine by the bottle and glass. My server let me taste their Beaujolais and red blend before I decided on which to have. The Beaujolais was perfect and it also paired well with my entree. Their corkage fee is $30 if you decide to bring your own which is a bit high in my opinion, but for the experience it might be worth it. hey had a 4-course dinner menu for Oakland Restaurant Week. For my first course, I went with the cauliflower soup. It was a thinner broth soup but creamy and loaded with soft chopped potatoes. It had a nice flavor profile but I felt that it could have used just a tad bit more salt. Even without this, it was still enjoyable and made for a great starter. For my next course, I chose the pappardelle with chicken ragout. Can you say scrumptious?! In another lifetime, I might have just licked that entire plate clean and called it a day! But oh no no, Shayla has to stay classy... especially at a place like Mägo. The pappardelle noodles had the perfect chew, al dente style. The chicken ragout was literally melting in my mouth. It was so tender and flavorful. All of that topped with freshly grated cheese too? I was in LOVE. So. Good. For my entree, I went with the grilled sturgeon topped with turnips. First of all... this was my first time ever having sturgeon. It was phenomenal. PHENOMENAL. I was shocked to find that I had never even heard of it before. After doing some research, I learned that this fish is one of the most threatened animal species in the world. This is some expensive ass fish y'all! Worth EVERY penny too. The sturgeon was sautéed in black garlic and pumpkin seed butter. You couldn't even imagine how fragrant this fish was! It's a thicker filet and similar to something to that of sea bass, but the cut and cook were amazing. It was so flaky, buttery, and tender. Just bursting with spices and I could not get enough. The turnips were the perfect pairing. There were what I think was chopped pistachios underneath and beside the filet, sitting in the butter. Words just cannot describe... hats off to the chef for this one. Lastly, I finished with their olive oil and semolina cake for dessert. Talk about fresh citrus fruit over super moist cake! It wasn't too sweet but just sweet enough, and the citrus from the fruit selections were just... mmmm! And that cream on top. I could have eaten 10 of those desserts. Just perfecto. The presentation of the dishes were stunning. The plating was beautiful as was the ambience. They cleaned up my table and switched out my utensils after every course. In the restroom, I noticed old menus from Aubergine and The French Laundry. It looks like they are striving for this type of excellence here, and I must say that they've got it. Of course it's waaay less expensive and fancy when compared to those restaurants, but the concept is still the same; beautifully plated dishes with high quality ingredients. I respect it. Mägo really blew me away. Impeccable cuisine and service paired with a wonderful ambience. I would highly recommend it and plan on visiting again. read more

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This place is a gem, everything was beyond my palate expectations. Flavors that danced on the tongue leaving you wanting more. I will go back and worth every red cent including the wine pairing. read more

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Came during Oakland's restaurant week. They had a prix fixe 5 course menu for Restaurant week for $60. The food was very tasty. Interesting flavor profile and complexity. I enjoyed the meal very much. We ate out on the back patio, weather was perfect. There are heat lamps out back. Parking in this part of Oakland can be hard. Parked on a side street near Piedmont grocery. Metered parking $2 an hr 9-6pm every day. Mago is on what I call the beginning part of Piedmont. Nice stroll down the street from Mago to Piedmont grocery. read more

Went to Mago's for husband's birthday dinner and it was an amazing experience! Great tasting menu for a very reasonable price. We sat at the Chef's counter and got to see the magic happen right there. The waiter asks for any dietary restrictions and if any, they will let the Chef know. To order, we scan the QR code, select the type of tasting menu (they have options for Pescatarian, Omnivore, Vegan etc) and enter the payment details. Once, the dinner is done, we close the tab. The service was amazing. The waiter was very attentive, refilling water, placing new silverware and checking in frequently but not disturbing our meal time. When it comes to food, everything tasted delicious! There wasn't a single "meh" dish. Good balance between protein and greens. The portions look small but with that many courses, they were very filling. They're also very flexible with the food preferences and gladly made adjustments when requested. Overall, this was a great experience and would love to come back to try a different menu. read more

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Came here on a Thursday evening with a party of 4, my coworker initially made reservations at the counter for 2 people but they were so nice about adding 2 more of us on a couple hours before. All 4 of us got the fixed 6 course meal for $65, we decided to not get the paired drink tasting with each course since it was a work night, but we each got our own cocktails. I got the fig deal cocktail and it was delicious. Pros: - DELICIOUS food, with a great variety throughout the 6 courses (with the bonus mini dessert at the end) - I haven't really ever had Columbian food before but my coworker and I agreed this restaurant is so unique to the Bay Area in its taste and feel. - Super cute vibes! fun outdoor patio area for if you're with friends, quiet date night ambiance inside, and we loved the counter and being able to see all the cooking staff do their plating and cooking! - super unique and creative cocktails, perfect size to add to your dinner - Honestly the 6 course meal felt pretty affordable compared to some other places, I actually felt decently full at the end - Lots of variety between the courses - savory, sweet, lots of different textures, combinations of ingredients you wouldn't think of but all worked together. - Fairly healthy meal overall - mix of veggies, meats, etc. Didn't feel like I was going too hard on a cheat day etc. - All the staff were super nice and efficient with taking away dishes, giving us new utensils Cons: - Parking could be tough since it's on Piedmont Overall, 10/10 would come again on a date or with friends. Probably wouldn't do the 6 course meal with company you aren't down to spend at least 2 hours with though, since it's a meal you want to take your time enjoying and waiting for the dishes to come out. read more

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I was very impressed with my experience and have since raved about it to everyone I come in contact with....except I'm not really sure how to pronounce the name! I made a date night reservation for a Wednesday night on Resy. There was some website glitch so my patio selection was changed to indoor counter at the last minute, which I was unhappy with. But the host was able to rearrange something (thank you thank you) and we were able to sit outside after all! The patio was cozy and perfect. I definitely enjoyed being outside compared to inside. The food was also delicious and beautifully plated. It's hard to pinpoint a theme ... but I probably wouldn't describe it to people as Colombian. Definitely unique and worth a visit. I enjoyed my drink pairing as well, except for the ~chilled~ red wine with dessert. read more

Mägo - Passion fruit sorbet with crispy milk(?? Delicious) and charred cucumber - Colombian Near Me - Oakland, California

Mago has been on my list to visit. My husband and I stayed in Oakland for the weekend. The ambiance was really nice, relaxing, dim lights and I loved the decorations all around the restaurant. We were seated and our server was very attentive. They have quite a few non alcoholic beverages and we started with our first few courses. I must say that it was out of my comfort zone. There were courses of goose liver and lamb which I personally don't eat, but wanted to try them. Overall presentation is , taste is interesting and I would recommend trying this place at least once. Everyone was so nice and made our night extra special. read more

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What a gem on one of my favorite streets. Fresh open space with counter seating, table setting and a back patio. The kitchen is open so you are able to watch the cooking and plating activities. If you are new to restaurants with tasting menu's or have never been to one check out Mago! The restaurant provides modifications for vegans as well. The cost of this great food experience is very modest. They also offer a selection of craft cocktails as well. I did not try any of them however I will in the future. The menu changes daily/often. Food quality is excellent and each dish is an experience. Little works of art with detail and well thought out structure. I can't wait to go back. Staff was great, helpful and very friendly. What a great place for friends and couples to experience such wonderful dishes! read more

Mägo - Halibut - Colombian Near Me - Oakland, California

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It's nice to see another solid dining option pop up in uptown Oakland. I came here for my weekly TGIF dinner and had a good (but not great) experience. I ordered the brodo, crudo, roasted chicken and the funnel cake. The food was good - the brodo was a nice way to start the meal, the trout was really fresh and the chicken was really moist and flavorful. The dessert was OK but didn't really stand out for me. Service was attentive in the beginning but when the place got packed, service really slowed down (it appears they were short staffed that day). The restaurant itself is nice and open with lots of natural light. I was seated at the chef's counter and the seating is a little tight. While I normally love chef's counters, I felt that a table would have been better at this restaurant. With tax and tip, this was $90 - it's the same as what you'd expect to pay at a similar restaurant in SF. For this amount of money, there are better options in SF or up the street. read more

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Came with a friend to experience the tasting menu. Each plate had great flavor and the pairings were top notch

Loved my first experience here. The long course was worth it and not overwhelming. Delicious and creative dishes that were plated beautifully. Every course got me looking forward to the next. Nice space with open kitchen. Service was great too. Coupons on the InKind app were a perk and our server was so helpful in making everything work with using the coupons through the app. Will be back with more friends! read more

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We chose this restaurant for my husbands birthday. We were looking a restaurant with a food and drink pairing. We found this wonderful place. We sat at the chefs table and it was fantastic. The pairings were fantastic, surprising and unlike anything we've ever tasted. The courses came out perfectly timed, cocktails first then food. Our server was fantastic, I can't believe I cannot remember her name.. I'll blame the drinks! Haha. But she was WONDERFUL. (If you remember us THANK YOU) - from the redhead who needed a Togo box.. how embarrassing! Below are the courses! I saw a lot of complaints that people thought the portions were too small to people that go to real food and wine pairings you'll see it's just perfect. read more

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This is an amazing place to go for a tasting menu! It's interesting, filling, seemingly healthy, and very affordable! We sat on the patio because of Covid, and it was still a great spot with heaters to keep us warm! The service was amazing, the waiter helped me pick out the perfect cocktail for me, and he was very attentive to my boyfriends allergies. We started with cocktails, all were fun and tasty. Then the tasting menu: literally not a dish I didn't like. Everything was really flavorful and interesting. My favorite was the first course, which were takes on street food. I could've eaten a whole meal of just the arepas! Sometimes it's hard to nail the right amount of food for a tasting menu - the bites can be too small so you're still hungry at the end, or they totally over feed you where you feel sick after, but Mägo hit it just right and I was the right amount of full at the end! I would highly recommend this place to anyone looking for an exciting but not too pricy dining experience! read more

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We have been going here for years but more so lately and had one of the best meals in a very long time last night! Thanks Mark & everyone for an exceptional experience! read more

Had a lovely dinner at Mägo! The dishes were well balanced in flavor and the tasting menu provided a wide range of textures and tasting notes. The 2 stand out appetizers for me was the arroz con coco- despite the coconut flavor of the rice, it was a surprisingly savory bite! Crunchy and thin shell on the outside with gooey rice ball inside. And the banana bread topped with lobster mushroom was an unexpected delight- who knew a sweet banana bread would go so well with mushroom? I also thoroughly enjoyed the halibut main course as well as the chicken. Both were well cooked and complimented nicely by the sauces and sides that came with it. I didn't get the wine pairing this time and instead opted for 1 glass of the coconut cocktail and the oat milk horchata. They were quite refreshing, especially considering it was a hot 90 degree day in the Bay. The staff was attentive to clearing our plates after each course and replacing the silverware so each bite could be enjoyed without gaining flavors from the previous dish. I also enjoyed that the atmosphere was more relaxed and open-room format, so despite being a fine dining experience, it was not intimidating but rather more of a home-vibe. read more

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I usually like to keep little places like these as a secret to myself, but I'm in a giving mood so I'll share how good it is. This place is awesome. We had the tasting menu; pressed asparagus with bbq oyster - very nice and refreshing, the minerality of the oyster complemented the earthiness of the asparagus. Next was the sea bass, seared perfectly, the skin was crispy and sweet, while the inside was moist. Lastly was the bbq oxtail with red beans and rice, omg, I didn't think red beans and rice could taste so good, but add braised oxtail into the mix, and it's another level. Service was on point with 5 star restaurants. No complaints, coming back for lunch menu for sure. read more

Mägo - Outdoor - covid protection - Colombian Near Me - Oakland, California

Order lunch at the sidewalk window marked "Pick Up" and ask to eat in the small patio in the back. 3 four-tops and one long table for 8 or 10 if you seat the ends. I was the only one at 12:45pm on a Friday, a party of 2 showed up 1:30ish. Two of the four-tops had umbrellas, Planters of mostly herbs softens the space but the sound of MacArthur traffic is loud, maybe better in the evening? Had the eggplant katsu sando on flatbread. Bread was puffy and soft, eggplant melts soft under a crunchy panko crust. The tangy spread, soft potato slices, and mint made for a nice contrast. I wished for salt and pepper, ended up asking for hot sauce which was a beautiful orange but wasn't very spicy and I wished for something more assertive. The melon agua fresca didn't seem to have any sweetener and the fruit wasn't very sweet - still refreshing but may not be to everyone's taste. read more

Just doesn't justify the cost. The food is a mixed bag - some delicious, some surprisingly not very good. The service is pretty good, but again, doesn't meet the price point. read more

Columbian inspired tasting menu... What do we have here? After reading reviews here on yelp, I was intrigued and we were able to grab a dinner reservation via Tock. Try and get a seating that faces the kitchen for an elevated experience. Keep in mind, any where along Piedmont Ave gets pretty crazy during dinner hours so be prepared to look for parking. Beautiful warm open kitchen - dining room concept that felt really welcoming. The staff and service was great, attentive, considerate about food allergies/restraints along with the ordering and timing of when food and drinks were to be served. We went with the long menu which is 12 courses for $105 and we were able to share the Beverage Pairing at $75 which made the dining experience that much more fun. But first, had to try out a couple of the fancy cocktails. The mixologist is truly an artist of her craft... cocktails along with pairings were SPOT ON!!! Not sure what to expect or how to define Columbian food, but everything we had was a nice approach using local/fresh ingredients. I appreciated that Chef/Owner Mark Liberman took the time to chat with us during our dining experience. I also enjoyed watching him cook over fire, loading the wood, controlling the heat moving the coals around, searing off meats and other offerings that evening. For me personally, favorite dish of the 12 courses had to of been the BBQ Mitake, Buffalo Sauce & Quinoa. Great char on the meaty mitake, lovely earthy tones and all of the textures and flavors worked really well together. The one dish that didn't quite work for me was the Sancocho of Sonoma Duck. Don't get me wrong, the flavors were rich and delicious, but the duck had a texture of being reheated / dry a bit chewy. Not sure if that was the goal since a sancocho is supposed to be a stew I believe. Everything else was solid... I wouldn't say its the knock your socks off type of food, but the dining experience, food, drinks, and ambience made it a fun date night. I also really appreciated that they allowed us to split the beverage pairing. Dining experience took roughly 2 hours, but there was no pressure to eat fast or slow. We took our time since we had a baby sitter ;) read more

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Came here on a Thursday night for my birthday and sat at the chef's counter. Food and service were really good! The waitress gave us her recommendations after we settled in, which was really helpful. My boyfriend and I got the following: Chicken liver mousse eclair 5/5 - the mix of sweet and savory flavors and textures really made this dish stand out! The waitress said this dish was not to be missed, and I'm glad we ordered it! Corn agnolotti with miso butter 5/5 - loved this pasta dish!! Pasta texture was perfect, and everything else was just so delicious Soft shell crab 4/5 - a little spicy, but the seasoning/batter on the crab was delicious Lamb 3/5 - the lamb was a little too charred but the non-charred part was tender and juicy; I wasn't as excited about this as I was with the others I'd definitely want to come back when the menu changes! read more

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Almost all the food was too salty. We got the short tasting menu and I liked the ceviche and one of the deserts everything else was a miss for me. They seated us twenty five minutes after our reservation was scheduled for. The party next to us was super loud and didn't really help with the experience. Overall very average which I wouldn't complain about if not for the hefty price tag. We got a cocktail too that was also a miss; too sweet. If you're expecting an elevated tasting menu experience I would skip this place. It's all smoke and mirrors. read more

Honestly I feel like I haven't even been as underwhelmed in a while since my birthday dinner at SQPR. At least there, they asked for feedback. We came here for the Oakland restaurant week menu. Initially we thought about relegating to the regular prefix menus which was 100+ plus a 75 beverage pairing. Initially I was excited about the menu. Also presented with the regular sized menu but it was just showing that the restaurant week was a smattering of what could be. Versus what it normally was. Which was a little bit concerning as we were dabbling in a new space. Is this a 200$ investment to go full out. Or should we test the 110$ version. Which we thought would kind of be the best of the best? Overall. I was highly disappointed by the overall pace. The portions. And the value. No matter how much I love fine dining. Is there connection to the intrinsic value of the experience, plating, ambience, service? There was not. Let's start with the initial take when you walk in. Super high spot lighting. Didn't bring much ambience. It honestly felt like any late light last Knute restaurant destination. They would do better with just the low lighting and pendant lights. If I'm paying a bigger price range for the experience. I do not really need to see full ire of all the other tables around me. I felt like the overall restaurant week menu was so low priority that it just entirely cheapened the experience where it felt like the restaurant was going through the motions to just participate. You really don't have to just participate. If you do. Do it well? The first dish was the arepas. Which were super mini. But super inconsistent. Some of my part caught major sweetness. Mine was super salty. But a salty 50cent piece. I could get over it really quickly. The next dish was the ceviche with kiwi. It was super refreshing and pallet cleansing but considering what was yet to come, what are you refreshing? The third dish was the halibut. It was so hard to hear in the restaurant that I heard it was pelican. What was silly of me. But like. Was it not? It was super fishy but good to bring some levels to the prior part of the meal. What I found the most egregious was that my companions upgraded to a truffle shaving that tasted like just wet fall leaves. Like they thought they had texture but what was presented disintegrated. How are you going to incur an additional $30 cost for wet 3D printed leaves? It was overall something I would not come back to. My question is, are y'all related to French laundry? The menu in the bathrooms says Yass. But like the quality is not it. read more

We went here during restaurant week 2023 and were blown away! Ambience was perfect, the serving sizes were not too small or too big (it was a 5 course meal.) and the suggested alcohol pairings were so delicious. read more

Mägo - Restaurant week 2023 dessert - Colombian Near Me - Oakland, California

Amazing food, great space and service! I'd highly recommend Mago - Chef Mark's food is always exquisite and it's always a pleasure eating there! read more

Drinks, service and creativity all A+. I'd highly recommend the drink pairing menu! And definitely try the Blood Moon cocktail!

A friend and I dined at Mago last night and it was a wonderful experience. We got the 12 course meal and shared the drink pairings. Each course was beautifully presented and was just as delicious and the paired cocktail drinks were amazing. The only negatives were that the temperature of the food was not perfect for two of the plates and the wine parings were just ok. But it was an overall wonderful experience and highly recommend Mago. I am looking forward to the next time I can go. read more

Amazing night out! Love sitting at the chef's counter and watching them at work. The food was amazing and memorable and tasted a lot of new flavors! Affordable for the quality and easy to get a reservation... for now. read more

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I took my girlfriend here for her birthday. Hard to find, but excellent food and service. Good to see a quality Colombian restaurant in the East Bay. Highly recommend! read more

Came here for a delicious anniversary meal with my husband. Food was so good! We got the drink pairing menu and highly recommend.