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Snail Bar

4.0 (173 reviews)
Open 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM

Snail Bar Photos

Business Info

SNAIL BAR ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Moderate noise
Hipster
Casual
Trendy

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Recommended Reviews - Snail Bar

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Reviews With Photos

Lantan L.

Small bites, complex but simple flavors, great wine -- enough said. This place nails the balance of doing a lot with a little. Will be back soon.

Maxine L.

This was my second time at snail bar and it was such a vibe as always. Had a reservation, so had a cozy seat inside. Their menu is always changing, so it's constantly a surprise what we'll have. We had the snails, some oysters, a sausage dish, and sweet potato. Most standout (surprisingly) was the sweet potato. I loved the sauce and candied pepitas. Oysters were delicious as well and I'm not even an oyster girl! Snails were not as good as the first time I visited, but the cashew miso sauce it came with was so addicting. No issues with service this time either. But I'll call out that the first time I visited, our server was super warm and friendly and made for a special experience. Overall, a really cute wine bar with delicious food. It feels like you're in someone's living room it's so intimate. It is a bit expensive for what you get, but vibes are unmatched.

Menú
Cristina C.

Snail Bar had been on my radar for a while since I live nearby, and the lines are always out the door. I finally stopped by and was not disappointed. I didn't have a reservation, but I came close to opening time and was dining solo, which worked out perfectly. They do take walk-ins, though it would likely be tough with a larger group. The space is small and intimate, with bar seating for about 5-6 inside, a few small tables, and a limited outdoor area. Groups of six or more aren't allowed, which makes sense given the size. The service was excellent from start to finish. I asked the server for recommendations across the board and loved every suggestion. I was offered an orange-skinned contact wine that was fantastic and paired beautifully with the tostada, which was phenomenal. The tostada had the perfect crunch, and the sauce (I still don't know what it was) was so good I wanted it on everything. The fish was incredibly buttery and melted in my mouth. The oysters were good, but honestly, the tostada completely stole the show. I wanted dessert but was way too full, and they don't offer desserts to-go, so I'll have to come back which I'm more than happy to do. I was also intrigued by their wine club, especially since their wine selection is clearly curated with care. I ended up buying a bottle of the same wine I had with dinner. The wine club is popular and currently full, so I'm on the waiting list and excited to join when a spot opens up.

Shiotang oysters
Tina A.

Omg food and service amazing!! Veggie crudite- literally perfect veggies with bomb sauce!! I felt like I could drink the sauce afterwards Shiotang oysters - passion fruit juice have it good flavor and acidity. I'm not a raw oyster person but me eating half of these is a testament to how good they are. These are some of the top raw oysters I've ever tried Scallop tostada - perfect! Creamy sauce and avocado, tender scallops, and with an Asian flair tastes like fish sauce and thai chili Snails - thick with great buttery sauce you can soak up with bread Cachapa- corn cake with cheese, tender, fresh, but a Lil lacking in flavor compared to all the others Blondie- warm and soft, served with creme fraiche and peaches, the perfect ending to the meal! Service was knowledgeable and polite, not overly friendly Overall I'd come back, it's a complete winner in my book with dishes being excellent or great only

snails :)
Eva L.

fabbbb food wine service everything. perfect experience. got a reservation to make sure we had a table inside. could b a perfect date spot or special dinner.

honey nut squash tostados
Joey Y.

Came here on a Monday night with a reservation. The workers were very welcoming. If we had any questions about the menu, they were able to answer it. For my table, we ordered two wine glasses, snails, Tostados, oysters, croquette, and affettati misti (prosciutto, persimmons, rutabaga, and pine nuts). To me most of dishes seem like appetizers, there's not really a main dish. It's a wine bar so having little appetizer dishes pairs well with the alcohol. My favorite dish was the Tostados and the snails. Both were super flavorful and fragrant and tasty! This place does have outdoor seating so if you do have a pet, you can dine outside.

Corn pancake with honey butter Trusttttttt
Krishtina L.

Cute, corner restaurant predominantly serving guests outdoors; perfect for the weather right now, honestly. When you come here be sure to get the following items (my top 3 recommendations): - house made bread + butter - snails (DUH) - seasonal corn pancake with honey butter Trusttttttt me, it is WORTH IT. Staff was amazing too. Very speedy and efficient service. Love when servers work together to keep the spaces clean and organized as well. Great spot.

Dungeness crab wraps
Shelley P.

The most adorable little wine bar in Oakland! It felt like summer in there with the rustic woods and abundance of fresh blooms. We tried: - acme sesame levain with cultured butter: I'm a bread girl through and through - butter was so creamy, and bread had a lovely crust and bouncy inner chew - perfect vegetables: the koji soy dip was the perfect creamy/umami balance to the crisp and refreshing veggies, which came in a beautiful rainbow spread of carrots, turnips, lettuce, potatoes, and asparagus (we felt like Peter Rabbit, in a good way) - ichiban oysters: I'm not a huge oyster fan, but these were delicious and probably the most well-seasoned oysters I've ever had. They were so fresh and that was enhanced by the ume ponzu, and then brought back by some savoriness from the sesame - dungeness crab lettuce wrap: such a beautiful bite and just simple delicious fresh crab - snails: my first time trying escargot! I was surprised to see that the snail shrinks significantly when cooked. They were smothered in garlicky buttery miso-y sauce so they went down just fine (like shellfish!) - crispy trout: again, simple well-done flavors. And very tender fish - Sammy's sundae: nothing says summer (even though it's spring) like blueberry and sunny citrus - so light and yummy - We also had everything with a light chilled wine! Our server made the perfect recommendation. I am grateful for how delicately and thoughtfully made each dish was :")

Nghi H.

Small restaurant so reservation is a must. I guess it's more of a bar with drinking food than a dinner place. I would go here for lunch or an afternoon wine drink and mingle. Service was nice and fast. Great wine selection. They're all pretty reasonable price so i got a couple bottle to take home too. Food was good. Interesting menu.

Trout tostadas
Kyle L.

Solid experience. Service was casual (in a good way) and the staff were knowledgeable and friendly. Came in for mostly drinks and apps - wine selection was interesting filled with varietals that weren't my favorite but you can tell they have a vision to pair with the food well (which it did). Food was great - warm delicious bread, oysters were crisp, clean, sweet, and trout tostadas were unbelievable and one of the best things I've had in a while. Will definitely be back to try more apps as we were told the menu is very seasonal.

Rosa C.

My friend took me here for my birthday dinner and I was completely blown away by the flavors. The bay is currently getting a heat wave but the restaurant was in the shade by 6pm. Our server was incredibly attentive and asked if we wanted water or wine refills often. We ordered a number of dishes and I loved them all! From the oysters with passion fruit mignonette, to the honey glazed squash tostadas, down to the crispy pork belly and halloumi skewers, each dish was a unique & unexpected flavor bomb. Even the crudité reminded me why I love being a Californian and having easy access to delicious produce. 10/10 will return again!

Steve C.

Not sure what we got because my friend ordered everything for us. All the food is delicious but tiny portions and very expensive. I believe that after everything our bill was $90 per person for 3 people, and we only got a small carafe of wine to share for 2 people. we were so hungry still we went to jack-in-the-box after for some cheap burgers and fries. The organic orange wine though was delicious! first time having it and it was a great experience. Overall good food, great organic wine, but so expensive you'll leave here hungry still. PRO TIP: Make reservations. Second time trying to come here, first time my friend tried to take me and the wait was crazy long, second time she made reservations far in advance for a early seating table.

Petite plateau
Jessica N.

Very cozy and tiny restaurant. Menu consists of small bites - mostly seafood. We ordered the snails, bread & butter, and petite plateau - which consisted of 6 oysters, 6 mussels, and 4 shrimp. All the seafood was very fresh and beautifully presented. The bread was warm and both crunchy yet soft. This is definitely a very pricy meal where you will likely leave the restaurant feeling hungry. I would say for what you're getting, it's pretty overpriced compared to other seafood restaurants on their caliber.

Oysters

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4 years ago

Very good wine and appetizers but I think Snail Bar is a little over hyped for the lines and prices.

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2 years ago

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4 years ago

Awesome food! Best raw shellfish I've had in a long time. The snails are also amazing.

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4 years ago

The wait was long & once seated service was soo slow. And sadly food was not amazing. Wine was good. Place is cute.

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Decent but maybe a little overrated. The snails tasted okay but mostly of garlic and butter.

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3 years ago

Golden retriever restaurant not the place to go get full! The servers can't even pronounce the menu

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Had a top-5 pasta dish of my life here a few months back (small but delicious). Wine's good too!

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5 years ago

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4 years ago

Great wine selection, service, vibes, and staff. Dog friendly and has outdoor seating.

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Snail Bar Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Snail Bar

Are there vegetarian options every night?

I was planning to come Thursday for the counter service but now I see your not open Thursdays. Is there still limited menu/counter service on Thursdays?

Yes!! On Thursdays there is usually fresh oysters and their divine ham and cheese sandwich which is unlike any other ham and cheese sandwich. If the crudite vegetables are available which they usually are, they are amazing and beautiful.

Website says they only take reservations Monday thru Friday but Resy is allowing reservations on the weekend also? Will my reservation be valid on the weekend or not?

You can do reservations on the weekend. Resy says Friday-Monday, which probably is confusing, but… Read more

Is there outside seating?

yes, there are a few tables by the sidewalk outside the restaurant.

What is the Tuesday experience like? Can we sit outside for the counter service/limited menu?

Yes you can; you just order from the counter and then go and sit down.

Is it dog friendly?

yes, in the parklet.

View All 10 Questions

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The Punchdown

The Punchdown

4.1
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2.1 mi
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A wine bar walking distance to me?! What a dangerous thing!…read more First of all, this is your standard neighborhood wine bar. Lots of familiar faces and everyone is so nice. The first time I visited, I was only expecting to have a simple drink or two and it turned into a 2 hour adventure; drinking and chatting it up with the patrons here. The selection is great too! I love having the option of taking a bottle home. So great. Totally happy with this local watering hole and most importantly, I love that it's a simple 8 minute walk.

This has been on my list of places to check out for awhile and today I finally popped in…read more I was told they've been in business since 2010. I loved the decor! Once you're seated inside, you can imagine you're in just about any rustic wine region kicking back with some local wines and people. I did the sparkling wine flight. I really enjoyed what I tasted (see photo). I think because there was going to be a Georgian food pop up, the kitchen wasn't as it usually is. I had a little board of brillant savarian triple cream and salchichon salami. What a treat! The service was unusual. Part of it is that it's a wine bar and shop. The person staffing the bar was really busy doing many different things. As that was the case, interacting felt a bit strained. At the same time, considering how much she had going on, she kept it together. I appreciated that she kept track of who was next. Something that stood out to me was how reasonably priced the wines are. Great "bang for the buck." I see myself being a regular.

Photos
Pataridze's rachuli - Georgian red
Pataridze's rachuli - Georgian red
Orange wine flight
Orange wine flight
My sparkling flight.

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My sparkling flight.

Snail Bar - wine_bars - Updated July 2026

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