North Light has super delicious cocktails and yummy snacks. I started with the espresso martini, which helped rouse me from my sleep deprived comatose state. The furtive glance was my favorite. The outdoor seating was nice--especially if you're with a group. read more

North Light - Rosa - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Great! The food was awesome and they had some basic but well prepared vegan items that were super tasty! It is very popular on the weekends though so I would recommend reserving or coming in expecting some sort of wait. Staff was lovely and knowledgeable! read more

Holy friggin' molyyy, Y'all! I am blown away! This place is FAN-FLUBBIN'-TASTIC!!! The drinks, the bartenders, the ambience, the vibes; ALL of it! Loved, loved, looooved my experience here!!! My friend and I stopped by for some drinks after being ignored for over 30 minutes at a wine tasting room nearby. We weren't actually planning on coming here initially, but I'm SOOOOO glad that we did! It ended up being our favorite stop of the night! So first of all, DEN was so wonderful! He heard about our bad experience at the tasting room and made sure that we had an incredible night at North Light. There was a waitlist going on, but Den was nice enough to find us some comfy seats at the bar. Let me tell you about the whole aesthetic of this place; it's GORGEOUS! So eclectic! It's like a mix of hipster-chic and vintage with a sprinkle of old school sexy and a touch of soul. From the beautiful vintage style bookcase, to the bright and colorful glowing bar, to the retro vinyl record player; this place has ALL the good vibes, mmkay?! And yes, the music that's played in this joint are from actual vinyl record! Oh, they was JAMMIN', jammin'! It's all dark and sexy in there at night. I just loved the ambience to death. I can see it. I can see the vision that they had for this place and it's shining so brightly. So aside from the amazing aesthetic, the DRINKS are friggin' killeeerrrrr!!!! If you come here to drink anything other than a cocktail, then something is seriously wrong with you, bro! It's all in the craft, and these cocktails are definitely handcrafted and super unique. Fell in love with that Juice Diet cocktail and their Sangria. Who knew that a green cocktail called Juice Diet would be so amazingly delicious and refreshing! I'll take THAT kind of juice diet any day. And wow, they're cocktails are damn sexaaay! We saw so many beautiful cocktails coming from that bar. We wanted to taste them ALL! But, this just gives us a reason to come back of course. And speaking of drinks; you can't have good drinks without great bartenders. ZACH was friggin' slangin' them cocktails, huntyyy! Homeboy graced us with the most amazing tasting dranks! Like wow! He was super fun to chat with too. He told us that he was tired from a long work week, but we would have never known if he hadn't said anything. My mans had that good energy flowing all night long! We were so lucky to have him as our bartender that night! Also gotta give a shoutout to the ladies who were bartending that night too! Didn't get their names, but they were super sweet. I mean, the whole damn staff is just wonderful here and we love to see it! We didn't get any food this time around since we had dinner right after we left, but EVERYTHING that came out of that kitchen looked and smelled amazing! Next time for sure. Before we left, we took a peek at their back patio. The cutest! It covered, lighted, and cozy! The back patio is by reservation only, so we'll have to come back and bring a few friends to check that out. I can't forget to mention that they also have an adorable patio parklet right in front too. So. Many. Options. Damn!!! But anyways, this place is marvelous if you haven't yet figured that out after reading this mini novel of mine. Can't believe I didn't check this spot out sooner, but I will DEFINITELY be back and super soon! What a gem!!! read more

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Super cute place to grab a drink. Atmosphere was nice and cozy. There is also outdoor seating. read more

North Light - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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We chose North Light for a very special 50th birthday milestone event and cannot say enough the exceptional the food, ambiance, and service! We appreciated the attention to detail, and consistently responsive, warm service of every member of the staff. Our guests complimented the high quality of the food, especially the quality ingredients and expert preparation - everything was beyond delicious in every bite! Even though we hosted a large event with 70 guests, all of counters, tables, floors, and bathrooms remained sparkling clean throughout the entire event, like magic. The music played on vinyl was tailored to our preferences and always at the perfect volume, with thoughtful attention to our programming. All of our guests felt the consistent warmth, care, focus, and intention of every member of the North Light staff from the very first minute to the last. We really cannot thank North Light enough and would unequivocally recommend North Light for anyone looking for a one of a kind venue for a one of a kind event! read more

Stopped here for a quick drink and snack during happy hour. Got a beer and cider and tater tots and really enjoyed their patio seating in the back. Service was GREAT, the employee who helped us was so nice, wish we had gotten their name. Will definitely come back here. read more

North Light - Tater tots - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

North Light is a cocktail bar with some small bites. My friend made reservations for the 4 of us a couple days beforehand for Saturday night at 6:30, and it was packed when we got there. There's indoor seating as well outdoor in the form of parklets and a separate patio in the back. We were seated in the outdoor patio. I tried the sangria ($13) and my friend ordered their signature drink, the Christopher Robinson ($14), which comes in a cute honey bear shaped glass. We both really liked our respective drinks. I tried a sip of the Christopher Robin, and while I typically don't like bourbon based drinks, I thought this one was done really well. We weren't super hungry so ordered the regular tater tots ($8) and crimini bolognese ($15) to share. Surprisingly both were quite solid. Tater tots were perfectly crispy and salted, and the pasta was delicious as well. We sat here and chatted for a little over 1.5 hours before we left, and it was just as packed when we left as it was when we came. Definitely a very hopping spot for cocktails in the Temescal area! read more

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OMG. I did not have any expectation as I was passing to grab my takeout after an event in the area...but DAMN...this place is good. I was passing by and the little voice on my should convinced me to go in since the interior was beautiful. The staff is super friendly, the drinks are well made and the tots are out of this world. I don't live near but would uber here just for some drinks and nibbles. read more

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We went here after a great exhibit at the Oakland Museum of Art and it was a good choice. We sat on their nice patio and ordered a few drinks and lots and lots of tots!! If you're an adult who still can't resist the salty crunchy allure of this palindromic starchy food, you won't be disappointed. One of the drinks gave a portion of the proceeds to conserving the bees so...we HAD to indulge. We care (and it came in a bear!). read more

Been back 2 more times in the last week. I can't get enough of this place! My favorite ambiance. Sat at the bar on Tuesday near the record players. Bartender very kind as well. Didn't try anything new on Tuesday, besides the lavender hibiscus limeade, very flavorful. Burger was hella good as always! Yesterday(Friday) I was here a third time and this time during happy hour (bless), had to get a reservation and luckily they had availability when I called in the day before! Got a pineapple daiquiri (good presentation) the beet poke. It was very beautiful and rich in color, great flavors. Definitely tasted like seaweed salad. Also got the BLAT, it was bitchin'. Bacon was not your standard fair, it was overall so flavorful, good quality ingredients were definitely used through out, and the condiments hit the spot. Rounded out the experience with an espresso martini and the sailors delight and RIP my wallet cuz I'm gonna be coming back again read more

North Light - Beet poke - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Finally got to try this place! The place requires reservations so make sure to make one. And you have a time limit, which they will kindly remind you of. They have very limited indoor seating and more on their patio. Their tater tots are extra crispy just how I prefer them. And their salad is refreshing and light. Their drinks during the happy hour are $10 which is a steal! The staff is friendly and super attentive. The tables are pretty close together on their back patio. Def would come here again! read more

Love this cute spot in the Temescal area! It's a bookstore/bar aesthetic that I just ADORE. Staff is always sweet and welcoming, just like the drinks! Can't wait to keep visiting :) read more

North Light - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Music was kind of loud, but food and drinks were very good. Please order the grilled cheese and add the upgrades. read more

North Light - Grilled cheese with bacon and caramelized onions - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Nice little place in Temescal, good vibe, and an outdoor patio. Did not get food, but got one turkish coffee and an espresso martini, since we wanted to try one (lol). Service was friendly and immediately offered outdoor seating when they saw us walk in with masks. The drinks were good- Turkish coffee is authentic and you basically get 2 cups out of one order. Everything great! read more

North Light - Turkish coffee, espresso martini - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Love this little spot for a quick cocktail or small bites. I ordered the umami tots and man where have I been??? These are delicious. A little bit on that salty side but goes well with a sweet cocktail. Or beer if that's your go to. Overall a nice place to pregame before dinner or hang out after a long day with some coworkers or friends. Outdoor seating available and the staff is super friendly. Check it out. read more

North Light - Umami tots. Yes please. Drooling brb - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

One of my favorite spots in Oakland to grab a drink and easy bites. Their back patio is always cozy into the evening and very cute on a sunny day. Staff is also always down to earth and attentive. Definitely get their tots -- crispiest tots in the bay! They throw together some nice martinis and you can go wrong with their New Boo cocktail. The price is always right here -- good vibes, beautiful people and delicious drinks. read more

North Light - Burger, tots, olives - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Great Temescal bar to meet a friend for a chat, a snack and a cocktail. Last week they were serving a Hot Toddy that was sweet and warm and just the right holiday libation. Tater tot and olives are on the snack menu. Inside, there are 20 seats, out back another 15 and now in front in the parklet another 25 maybe. So it's got lots of capacity but feels very intimate. read more

Food drinks and service here are all great. Unfortunately I will never be back again because I can't afford the $500 car window replacement. I'm including this in the review for this place because it really needs to become part of businesses responsibility to be vocal about how car breakins impact their business with their city representatives and the police. read more

The vibes are IMMACULATE here. This place is an old bookstore meets retro bar. I saw some people even reading books from the bookshelf, amazing! The music here was also amazing, they played Astroworld and Scorpion album on vinyl. I came here for my birthday & got sat at the bar. The bartenders are also super fun and inviting. My bartender talked to me the whole time I was at the bar and made sure I liked my drink and had enough water. I would recommend sitting at the bar if you're a group of 1 or 2. They have tables for 4 and seats in the patio for 4-6 people. If you want to sit in the patio, make a reservation. I got a drink called Dance with the Devil and I forgot what my boyfriend got, but both drinks were amazing and tasted great! I's recommended this place for an intimate date night! read more

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I'm devastated I didn't get to come here pre-covid. A bookstore, record shop, and cocktail bar is my absolute dream. You can still go inside of the honestly gorgeous bar to peruse their books and records, or shop online, but I can't wait for the full experience of a neighborhood spot where people can meet and share interests like this. I also love their art, and hunted down a Henry Miller Library print I saw here and mentally bookmarked. I've had drinks on their parklet and back patio, and the back patio is obviously a better ambiance. Both feel safe however, and I particularly appreciate that unlike some other places, they don't crowd their tables or the parklet too close to the sidewalk and bike lane where people are passing by while you're maskless and trying to enjoy a drink. Their menu is short but packs a punch. I never thought I would enjoy or they could pull off a drink with squid ink, but you know what? Get the Jaguar Shark. You won't regret it, and be excited about the talent and to try all the other cocktails. read more

North Light - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Great sit-down lunchtime experience at North Light, despite the challenges of COVID! Many of the other reviews mention that one of the highlights is the amazing staff here, and I couldn't agree more. We sat at the little tables set up out front, which are reserved for North Light customers. They kindly allowed us to bring a few sandwiches over from Cholita Linda as well. There are only a few "meal" dishes here on the menu, but plenty of drinks and snacks. FOOD & DRINK: + Waffle fries were probably the best I've ever had - so crispy! Highly recommend adding on the "con esquites" toppings - corn salad, cotija, cilantro, and garlicky mayo - for an even more mind-blowing waffle-fries experience. It's a pretty big plate of fries, so it's great for sharing while sipping on your drinks (or, don't share and have them all for yourself instead! You do you.) + Caffe freddo (shaken cold brew, cream, and vanilla): this came out in a cocktail glass and was topped with an orange peel. The size was not very big for $6, but it was absolutely delicious. It had a really interesting coffee fragrance, with some other flavors that we couldn't quite pinpoint; maybe it was something about it being shaken together with the other ingredients that brought out all kinds of other flavors. Not a drink to be chugged. This deserves to be sipped and enjoyed every second. (Also, considering the price, extend the amount of time you can enjoy it!) The staff were wonderful and provided excellent service. Genuine smiles and interactions can really brighten the moment! Planning to come back sometime to try some of their cocktails as well - and to get more of those waffle fries! read more

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We came here again for drinks only for a girls night. Had a great time with our server Jordan! We sat outside as indoors was full and the wait was 20 to 30 minutes. The front host was super nice and gracious and gave us rosé on the house once we sat down! We enjoyed the tots and really enjoyed our drinks. This is an updated review for great service and delicious drinks - because we had such a good experience this time around, I wanted to provide this new feedback! read more

North Light - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

A great spot. Felt like I was back in Brooklyn. Vinyl going, lots of books for sale. Friendly and attentive staff. Fun cocktail menu...and had Lambrusco which is difficult to find for some reason. Had grilled cheese with caramelized onions and it was delicious. read more

North Light - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Have been here 3 times in the last year and every time (when sitting in the back patio) the service has been friendly, the ambiance perfect for a small group of friends or a date, the cocktails playful delicious and always changing, and the food casual but tasty. The food options are not elaborate and there aren't many mains but I love the variety and continuous updates in options. Neighborhood staple and I will keep coming back for more! read more

North Light is the perfect place to grab some drinks (cocktails or beer) after dinner. They have outdoor seating in the front as well as a nice patio in the back. They take reservations so be sure to make a reservation ahead of time to be seated in the back patio! I love that they have heaters available on the patio for you to stay warm. You can see the menu by scanning the QR code on the table and your server will take your order. The server was really nice and attentive. I really enjoyed my visit and will hopefully be back soon for more drinks! read more

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North Light was the first bar I went to when I moved to Oakland a year ago. As someone who struggled to feel at home here in the beginning, North Light was there to help. The sense of community here is incomparable. The people who make up this bar are all warm, generous, funny, and so wonderfully quirky. If you're lucky to be greeted by Den at the door, you will feel this instantly. There is so much grace and kindness wrapped into one very tall human - he is gifted at making anyone feel like they belong. I can't possibly count the number of times I've been after that first time one year ago, but I'm happy every time I do. In addition to the people, the drinks are delightful and the tots are consistently incredible. Thanks for everything, North Light fam. read more

North Light - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Wanted to just grab a drink after dinner and honestly I was disappointed with mainly the size and the price of this cocktail. My go to cocktail is a lemon drop, this is the tiniest lemon drop I've ever had and it was $14 which should entail a full sized cocktail. Also a personal opinion but this mocktail with like 85% ice should not also cost $14. read more

North Light - Lemon drop - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Cocktails here are nice--the ones we had were crisp and refreshing. Food is not at the same level--the kale salad was good, the umami tots were pretty meh, and the north light burger was flat-out awful--like the predominant flavor was old meat and iceberg lettuce. read more

Perfect date spot. Excellent service. Delicious food and drink. Happy to see more businesses open later. I'll be back for the espresso martini and that chocolate lava cake. read more

I love the bookstore, cafe, bar vibe here. Oh and not to mention the DJ set playing vinyl's of smooth rnb. What do you do when you're down in the dumps? Grab a drink with a gf, duh. I got a mezcal based drink and it was amazing. Hot tip: after taking a sip of your drink, dont smack your lips in front of the bartender and awkwardly make eye contact. The drink was smooth and strong. Good service, good vibes. read more

Great place to decompress. Thank you to Lukas and River for being kind and providing excellent service :) read more

North Light - Bar area - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Came here with some friends and family. We sat outside to have cocktails and enjoy the view. The vibe here is great. But the cocktails are even better. Lol. They had just the right amount of alcohol in them. I can say it was about 8 of us all together. The workers were pretty nice to us. And they were fast with our drinks considering we had a lot of people with us. Which that is a plus. Because I know it's probably hard when you come with a ton of people. We will definitely be returning here. This time we were just doing our cocktail thing. But next time we will try their food. read more

North Light - Outside enjoying the scenery - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

I was walking along Temescal when I found this cute spot. North Light is a fun place bec of its creative drinks and dishes. I didn't like the one with squid ink so much but I loved the other drink! We got the furikake tots for apps and it was tasty and interesting! I loved it actually! Then we got the Burria sandwich which was very filling and full of flavors. Sat in the outdoor dining area and it was a wonder Saturday afternoon! read more

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Super chill little spot with great drinks + delicious food, open late. I hope they continue to stay open late

Cute place, good vibe, friendly customer service, and an absolute instagrammable place. The problem? Overly priced food. We ordered cheeseburgers, plain tatertots, and some milk/cookies. I think we should have paid only $25 max, but it cost us twice as much for less than par food. The patties had no flavor, the buns looked as if they're straight from Safeway... as with everything else. The cookies probably would've been better from Safeway anyhow. The cookies were a bust. They were overly buttery and flat. The pros: atmosphere, tater tots + sauce Other than studying here, doubt I'd want to return for the food. Better luck next time. read more

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Super cute spot to come for a date or even solo. I made a reservation not too far in advance and was able to secure a prime dinner time spot and braved Temescal nightmare parking on a weekend to come. The place was very busy but the staff were quite nice and attentive despite how busy it was. I got the burger and upgraded to umami tots which was a solid move. The burger itself was alright but nothing special. The tots were good, basically tasted like takoyaki tater tots - what more can a girl ask for? I had two mezcal- based cocktails - the first was on the menu and the second was dealers choice. The bartenders are certainly excellent because I was very impressed with both drinks and would definitely come back just to have a few cocktails. Ambience was really cute and I'm glad I was seated in the outdoor patio which was surprisingly really cozy and warmer than I expected; indoors was super cute but pretty loud. I recommend this place! read more

Cute atmosphere with a fantastic staff. Bartenders are wonderful and the food and drinks were great. Finding a grilled cheese in the city under $10 is a steal. I'd strongly recommend this bar to anyone in the area. read more

North Light - Grilled cheese and tomato soup. - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

Most mediocre restaurant burger I've had in my life. I've made better burgers while camping.

Food was great! Our waiter was super nice and friendly and ambiance was chill! We were sitting outside and sharing food with the attached restaurant. They were all cool! The beet appetizer and mushroom burger were great! read more

Very cute bar and skilled bartendress. The cocktails and zero proof bevies were so well balanced and gorgeous hues. I love the record jams. read more

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