My most memorable meal this summer in the bay area! Just a place where the food truly delighted me. The menu sounds really simple but the way everything was prepared and the freshness of each ingredient, ohhhh, that really made it something special. Our server was super sweet and gave us so much background on all the different items on the menu. It was just a fun experience. Definitely you have to order the snails on the menu. They are farmed, so that means that they feed them better things, and therefore the taste good and not like snails from the garden! I loved the fresh tomato on bread. It was just so full of umami!! Also, if they have the hot dog that day, don't sleep on it! Get here early or be prepared to wait! Also, their whole jam is natural wine, so def ask your server for a pairing suggestion! read more

We ate here last night with another couple. In the fine print at the very bottom of the menu on your small screen explains a 20% service charge is added to every bill and very easy to miss. Our Server did not tell us when the bill was given to us and we tipped again on top of a $300 bill. I'm sorry but that is simply unethical for was some good food with average service. Our bottle of wine did not arrive until after we asked and came after our 3rd dish had already been eaten. read more

Food was excellent and the wine was delicious. Unfortunately what really soured our meal was that the automatic 20% gratuity is added before tax making it total to almost a 30 percent extra charge. Now I totally get that they want to include gratuity but at most restaurants you aren't taxed on it. Let's pretend you spend $100 here... $100 total meal $20 Automatic gratuity Subtotal: $120 Sales Tax: 12.30 (10.25% in alameda county) Total charged $132.30 So you're being forced to pay an extra $2.30 tax due to the gratuity being added before tax. And it's easy to go crazy here and order a bunch of food when you're with friends. It's delicious. So that extra money can add up. It's kind of sus and I really hope their management can change how they charge the gratuity. I'm all for tipping but the math just doesn't make sense, and it doesn't even go anywhere since supposedly law doesn't require ti charge sales tax on gratuity. They couldn't really explain why when we flagged them, we were kinda frustrated at the end so we just kinda gave up on explaining and left. Food is delicious. The snails were really good and I wasn't expecting to love them so much but they were tender and not rubbery. Interior and ambiance is great. I just wish after looking closely at our check they could hear us out. Bummer. read more

Food: no rating. Did not get the food This rating is based on wine, service, ambiance. Wine: well, wine was good, but just like other wine you can get at another wine tasting place. They trick you by offering the "4 oz" or "8 oz"option and place it in the beaker so it distracts you from the fact that the glass is narrow and compact (so it looks like you have a good amount of wine). This is different from the stand "glass" vs "bottle" option you normally get at a restaurant. You're pretty much paying over $15 for half a glass of wine Service: "your tab includes a 25% gratuity" - did I hear him right? "And optional additional gratuity if you like".... So not only did we get blind sided by the half glass wine, and also a included gratuity. Ambiance: cool corner restaurant with heaters outside. So yes, I felt spammed after leaving this place. read more

Outdoor seating, friendly staff, a good variety of wines, beers and ciders. Snail Bar definitely pulls through as a wonderful place to grab a good bite. The menu itself has a great variety of tidbits that come together into a delightful meal. read more

What a meal and experience!! Our party of 4 arrived at around 3:45pm on Saturday and glad we arrived early because the line started soon after and it was a packed house by 4:10pm! There is a nice selection of small plates, each incredibly unique and delicious. Seeing it was our first time here, we decided to live the decadent life and try almost the whole menu - not an everyday occurrence, seeing $$ adds up fast, but certainly an extravagant way to reintroduce ourselves back to restaurants coming out of quarantine. To get started, we decided to share a few 1/3 bottles, as we are new to natural wines and wanted to sample. Pleasantly surprised to see them served in beakers! 250ml Milan Nestarec "Bel" White This was nice, light and refreshing white wine 250ml Les Pirouettes "Saveur de Raphael" really delicious, perfect for a summer day 250ml Petit Seour "Globule Rouge" unique and slightly effervescent at the beginning, which we learned was because of the natural wine process Then, the culinary adventure began! Charcuterie Plate - Duck Liver Pâté, Chicken and Pork Pâté, Duck Prosciutto Really good selection, the chicken and pork had a nice kick to the layer of fat on top, adding to its decadence. Cheese Plate Selection of 3 cheeses with Strawberry and Plum jam That jam! Incredible flavors that complimented the cheeses perfectly. Crudité, Perfect Veggies, Savory Mayo topped with Seaweed Fresh radishes and fingerling potatoes, but the mayo stole the show Petit Plateau - Miagi Oysters, Seaweed mignonette Mahogany Clams Tomato, Caramelized Shallot Scallop Crudo, Ajo Blanco, Santa Rosa Plum WOW! What a dish. Those Scallops were a flavor bomb with the freshness of the plums. If you like seafood, this is a MUST. Snails - Cashew Miso, Garlic Confit Butter, Kumquat Perfectly warmed, not chewy and the richness of the butter and the brightness of the Kumquat make it the best experience if you've never had snails before. Squash Salad - Grilled Peach, Jamón Iberico, Hazelnut So fresh and light, the perfect summer salad. Tomato Toast - Chevre, Strawberries Herbs This was beautiful, the sweetness of the ripe tomato and strawberries made this into a lovely dessert! Sake Kasu Custard - Cherries, Olive Oil, Citrus Marigold SO good, I couldn't resist and wiped the bowl clean. We also enjoyed bottles of: Altos de montachez "Vegas Altas" Macabeu, (Xarel-lo, Cabernet Sauvignon) Catalunya, Spain 2018 Les pirouettes "Saveurs de Raphael" (Gewurztraminer / riesling ) 2017 Alsace,France A blend of 85% Gewurztraminer and 15% Riesling cultivated and vinified by Raphaël Marchal, Domaine de L'Envol in Ingersheim. This is macerated on skins for 15 day resulting in a golden hue Five Stars! The staff was incredibly knowledgeable and friendly, I didn't want to leave!! Go see and enjoy the incredible menu for yourself. read more

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This restaurant has a little bit of everything I love. Robust wine list? Check. Seasonal produce? Check. Crudo? Check. Ham and cheese sandwich? Check. They even had one of my favorite Venezuelan dishes on the menu when I visited that I have had a hard time finding after moving to the bay area from NYC. read more

Snail Bar - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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This is my absolute favorite restaurant in Oakland. The staff are kind and welcoming. The food is wonderfully composed with fresh local ingredients, creative in season plates. I have been many times and it just gets better and better. Snail bar is a casual restaurant with fine dining food and excellent service. read more

Snail Bar Snail Bar showed up on my radar through Yelp. After reading about it from Berkelyside, I was eager to check it out. We arrived right before the 4 PM on a Saturday. Inside, the team was having pre-shift meeting, a good sign. Outside, the line formed quickly. By 4 PM, there were more than 25 people in line. We were told to have our ID and the proof of COVID vaccination card ready. As soon as we passed vaccination card and ID check, we were seated quickly. Servers worked as a team. One provided introduction, and allowed us time to settle down. The other one came later to answer questions. Inside the bar, there are few tables that seat 2-4 people each, totally about 18 seats with social distancing in mind. The outdoor sitting area can sit more. The counter and the tables are adorned with beautiful and fresh flowers. The wine shelf showcases wines from different countries. The sommelier was happy to help. We had 3 appetizers among 2 of us. All were very good. The seafood plate ( petit plateau) was exquisite and fresh. The squash salad was unique: crunchy squash paired with crushed hazelnut, flavors worked surprisingly well together. Paté plate was generous and satisfying for meat lovers. Here is why I like this place: 1. It has a compact, yet perfect balanced bar menu with seafood, veggie crudo as well as meat dishes. 2. It has a good variety of wine choices that are reasonably priced. They also have a selection of local beers, notably the Rare Barrel sour beer from Berkeley which pairs well with their menu. It also has good choices of non-alcohol drinks. 3. It offers top-notch service which is professional, and friendly: very attentive without being intrusive, prompt without rushing us. 4. It is very clean inside and out. They check vaccination cards which is important for the safety of us all. They disinfect each table before sitting a new party. 5. I particular like the bill that include an 18% service charge. No need to calculate tips after a glass of wine. When I go out and eat, I just want to enjoy the food and relax. I don't want to have to stop my conversation and calculate the tips. It did not compromise the service. I wish all restaurants would include service charge. I like France's and many other European countries' approach: what you see on the price tag, or the bill is what you will pay. Since the restaurant reopening, the shortage of servers probably contributes to some restaurants' poor services. We try to go out to eat in support of the local restaurant business. But we are utterly disappointed with the bad services and some subpar food quality. Snail Bar is refreshingly different. It is a great place to meet up with friends, small or large group. Or just go there after work and have a glass of wine paired with delicious appetizers, relax and enjoy. read more

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Stumbled into snail bar by chance. High quality food and drink in an intimate setting. You will need to show ID and proof of covid vaccination to be seated. The menu is concise and contains some exciting options. They have an extensive natural wine menu and a knowledgeable sommelier who will point you in the right direction. The only reason I'm giving Snail Bar a 4 out of 5 stars is the price point. The ingredients are obviously top notch, however my partner and I walked away paying 100$ for a bottle of wine and two small plates. Definitely a special occasion restaurant, we will be back! read more

Snail Bar - Corn soufflé with egg and xo sauce - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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I had a great time at Snail Bar! I read how busy it gets so I went at 4:30pm on a Thursday. Street parking was limited since it's on Shattuck ave but apparently people sometimes park at Temescal Plaza. The outside was already full but we were immediately seated indoors after they checked our vaccination cards. Our table of two ordered: Oysters -- They were incredible. I normally don't like vinegar but the flavors mixed so well. The embered shallots added such great flavor and texture to the oysters. Scallop Crudo -- A must try! It just melted in my mouth. Hamachi Tostadas -- Also really good, everything was portioned/sliced well. I made a little mess eating it though because it's a mouthful. Steak Tartare -- I've never seen a tartare like it before. To be honest I was a little skeptical at first, but I was pleasantly surprised. Whatever the black stuff is on top added a really nice crunch to the tartare. Snails Cashew Miso -- Delicious! Ham and Cheese Sandwich -- I liked this a lot but felt a little ridiculous paying $15 for a h&c especially because the rest of the menu is so creative in contrast. We also ordered a bottle of white wine (Dinavolino) and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was fruity and easy to drink. The only thing I didn't like was the $10 corkage fee for their own bottle. Total was about $200 for all that so definitely pricey if you're eating a full meal but I left with a very happy belly read more

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My #1 Bay Area restaurant - simple as that... Andres (Chef Owner) is a rare talent who understands flavors and presentation - the casual vibe and stellar food is perfect for the area. I cannot say enough good things - get everything on the menu, spend your $, support local biz. Don't touch my ham and cheese... XOXO read more

Really cute wine bar with delicious, salty, and rich wine snacks. Very vibe-y. Nice date night kinda spot. Only negative: QR code menus. I like a cute physical menu u kno.... read more

A true hidden gem on the border of Oakland and Berkeley. As much as I am repelled by a natty wine bar, there was no escaping the adoration this place has garnered. The combination of the flavors is wild, and not something I would have thought to combine as a well versed chef, but I was blown away with every dish, and the wines were fantastic pairings with the unique food. Highlights included escargot in miso with kumquat, bay shrimp tostadas, and a sake lees panna cotta. 50B read more

I came here with a coworker who is into fine dining and unfortunately I didn't order anything here. I just watched her eat because everything that I could afford didn't look appetizing to me, or it didn't seem like it would fill me up, and everything else was too expensive for me. She did let me try one of her snails and I wasn't a fan of it so I was happy I didn't pay money for it. I had her take me to Burger King after. This place is for the wealthy, bougie, techie, hipster, transplant crowd that is all about the lavish life (uses golden toilet paper rolls, drives a luxury car, lives in a +$4000 high rise place, drinks out of cup made of diamond, etc) that wants to spend +$70 on a meal so it definitely wasn't for me. I can guarantee that you will not see long time locals/natives eating here (unless they are rich). So I didn't feel comfortable and when I feel awkward, like I'm out of place, I just don't eat. read more

Went with a group, we ordered just about everything. It was very good. The menu changes often so don't go just off the website. I had looked before going and thought I wouldn't like much but was pleasantly surprised by what was offered. Good service, casual atmosphere read more

Five star food, five star service. Every detail in every bite is deliberate and delightful.

They charged $10 corkage fees when you ordered a bottle of wines and also automatically added 20% service fees even the service wasn't good. And the server didn't even mentioned about the service fees already included in the bills so be aware. read more

I really wanted to like the snail bar. 1) parking situation not the best 2) limited seating 3) expensive menu. I feel like the food is not up to par with the prices being charged. We had a bottle of wine and 3 food items. It was the snails, scallop tostada, and ham and cheese. The total was 107. Like what...? Now to review the food: +snails- 6 of them. Not buttery enough. kumquat was an weird addition. Maybe to cut the fattiness of the snails and butter. +scallops- scallops sliced into thin pieces. over two tostada with avocado and chili oil...can be easily made at home. not memorable. +ham and cheese- the best thing of the night. good crust and lots of cheese. but for $15...i will pass. Nothing was memorable and i most likely will not come back. read more

Went for Valentine's day and the meal was out of this world. As always the food is innovative, beautiful and delicious. Affordable and yummy wine with a great ambiance made for yet another wonderful date night. read more

Highly recommend for date night amazing wine choices, food appetizers (: bread and butter, Veggies , etc) and clean place vibe out to music playlist & enjoy. 20/10 would recommend, Carlos knows his wine selection based on what you're looking for! read more

Snail Bar - Wine and crab tacos - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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This place is so cozy and so cute I love it so much! We got there about 30 minutes before it opened so we could secure a spot. The food was soooo delicious and they had a great selection of wine to pair with the dishes. Staff was friendly and the food came out in a timely fashion. I love that they also do their collaboration nights with different chefs/restaurants. I can't wait to go back to try their new menu items! read more

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Food is great wine is great parties are great. what more could you want??! Still need to get that hot dog though

The Snail Bar specializes in escargot (thus the name) and wine. Situated on a perfect little corner spot with sidewalk dining and great casual vibes. The servers were friendly and welcoming, which really added to the ambience of this spot. Their setup, the petite cafe tables, the wine barrels makes it feel casual and chic. As for the food and prices... Come here for small plates, big prices, and long lines. We ended up paying about $70 per person and leaving hungry. After we left dinner here, we had to go grab a real dinner down the street. Most of the food was delicious, though some of it was also a miss. The snails for $20 includes about 6 snails--do you know how teeny those creatures are? It's less than eating 6 peanuts. The arepas were the best flavor explosion and one of the best things on the menu ($16 for 2 baby arepas). Compare this to a taco, which is much bigger, cheaper and more filling... We ordered several other small plates and a wine. We waited over 90 minutes to eat here, then got very little to eat, got stunned by our check, and had to grab dinner elsewhere. Maybe return for just an interesting glass of wine and cafe vibes. read more

The snails were bland, and the wait per dish took about 40 minutes between appetizer and entree.

Service and beverages were phenomenal. Ambiance was nice. That's where I give three stars. But let's get to the nitty gritty of the food. 1. Bread and butter: nice bread, butter was normal. A little overpriced but I understand inflation so that's fine. 2. Alp Blossom: 18 dollars for about 6 slices of cheese was too much. The cheese itself had very little depth and was disappointing. 3.Salmon Tartare Crisp: 22 dollars for a tablespoon of salmon tartare sandwiched between what tasted like two cool ranch Doritos (came with 2). This was such an obscenely small portion of food and the flavors completely missed the mark. 4. Ricotta Gnudi: this was supposed to be the sweet pillowy cousin of gnocchi but instead tasted like a nightmare. The sauce has a rather frightening resemblance to a very watered down Kraft Mac and cheese orange sauce that leaves you wanting nothing more. All in all bev and service were great. Not returning for food as it's a bad value. My recommendation is to go back to basics on the food, lower the prices and serve more innovative classics rather than reinventing the wheel for every item and adding things that don't complement at all. read more

Such a cute little wine bar. There's seating both outside and inside. I sat inside at the window and it was perfect. The wine selection is fantastic. Our sever was incredibly friendly and knowledgeable. The bottle of wine we selected was a French wine and it went perfectly with our food. We had the cheese plate and the Brentwood Corn Cachapa. Holy flavors!!! The corn cachapa was unreal! I think I need to go back tomorrow for more. read more

Overall a good vibe. Space was quaint and cozy. Nice wine selection with 3 different sizes/price options, which everyone appreciated. Tasty, well-curated food but pretty expensive ($19 for 4 pieces of anchovy tartine). Reservations definitely recommended! read more

Snail Bar - Anchovy - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Nice place for seafood and wine! Not cheap, so maybe save it for a birthday or anniversary.

I've been here a few times now, on regular service evenings and on a night where they hosted another chef called "homie night," which they do periodically. The food is solid. However, service here is unfortunately super weird. It's unlike anything I've experienced with a restaurant with such a small team. It leaves you with the feeling that the restaurant itself is more of a "flex" to show off to fellow service industry peers, rather than a genuine effort to provide a great overall experience to patrons. It feels entitled and makes you, as a customer, feel invasive and excluded. For example, every single time I've been here, this absolutely bizarre string of events occur: we get our last dish at the end of the dinner, and the entire staff disappears for 45 straight minutes to socialize with each other before offering up the bill. The first time, everyone, including front of house and kitchen staff, went outside (a part from one single person) leaving the restaurant almost deserted. The second time, everyone was just chatting in the kitchen and no tables were checked on for almost an hour. As a customer, this leaves you with the distinct feeling that you are an afterthought. It also makes zero sense, especially on a weeknight-why not just finish service and then chat? That way everyone is happy...but then you'd have to call your "2 hour prix fixe" dinner what it actually is: just a little over an hour of rushed food. Second, every time we've been here, courses get rushed to the table by various people, who very quickly explain to you what's in the dish. On the night where the chef was being hosted, we weren't given a menu that showed courses, so this was the only info we had to go off of. Half of the time, we missed most of the details of the dish from the rushed explanation. To add insult to injury, they really only offer one dessert, and it is truly bad. Serving a custard that is flat in flavor, with cheap pudding-like texture, that certainly takes next to no effort to prepare, for the price of $15, is criminal...and I love custard! As a dessert person, this combined with the service experience above is enough to leave me with a bad taste in my mouth and dragging my feet to ever return. read more

My friends and I were (rage) discussing how mad we were at the world - guessing our waiter could sense this through our conversation and he smashed the table next to ours entire set up (including wine glasses and full meals)! Ten out of ten. Loved the crudités and hard cheeses. Will be back Ps. No one was hurt in the smashing and all had a good laugh. read more

I'm not sure what the hype is about Snail Bar. I went with my family to have a belated birthday celebration. It didn't start off very well as my cousins (white) partner had to flag down a server so we could order. We noticed other people getting served who had been seated after us and were confused. We ordered the veggies with house made mayo, salmon, snails, and a few other things I can't remember. I paid $200 for food and mediocre wine and still felt hungry. As a gluten free person, snail bar doesn't have a ton of options. It's also *incredibly* expensive for what you get. I think this place has been hyped up by people who are in the bougie restaurant industry who like to pay a lot for small amounts of food. read more

My favorite spot in Oakland. Delicious Natty wine and everchanging menu of unique tapas. Neighborhood vibes with elevated dishes. Pro tip: put your name down early and then head to North Light for a drink (the wait is usually over an hour). read more

Snail Bar - Beef tartare - Wine Bars Near Me - Oakland, California

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Terrific bar food that is VERY hard to find in the Bay Area. Snails and oysters were fantastic! Wine selection really depends if you like natural wines. Service and ambiance were nice and hipster. read more

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Fantastic wine bar with delicious small plates. We may have finally found our Ruffian replacement in the bay! They have a tight selection of interesting natural wines. We also tried several plates from their food menu, all of which we would be happy to order again: Snails (5 stars): can't come here and not get the snails. These were so good we almost ordered a second plate. So tender, and loved the garlicky miso butter- plenty for the bread (which in itself was high quality) to soak up. Probably the best snails/escargot we've ever had Tomato toast (5 stars): Sungolds and strawberries on burrata. So summery and refreshing Ham and cheese (4.5 stars): this was so good, and even better with bubbles. Fried ham and cheese, with cheese that impressively kept its stretchiness. Loved the crusty edges, personally would like for it to be even crispier Custard (4 stars) with blackberries. Similar to panna cotta but a bit more dense. Loved that it wasn't too sweet, and they seem to switch the fruit pairing depending on what is in season Went around 5pm on a Friday- about 1 hour wait. Lots of cute shopping next street over for browsing while you wait! Can't wait to return! This is already our favorite wine bar here read more

Temescal has been buzzing with anticipation ever since Snail Bar announced their plans to takeover the vacated Stay Gold space on Shattuck. I joined a few neighbors for an opening day visit, which (unbeknownst to us) turned out to be the event of the year for Oakland's natural wine geek crowd. It's clear Snail Bar is going to be more than a casual neighborhood spot - it's a destination both for the eclectic vinos and delicate bites. The highs: once things calm down and you can presumably get a table on a sunny afternoon, Snail Bar will be an ideal spot to grab a bottle and unwind. The staff is knowledgeable and eager to guide, and the $10 corkage is totally reasonable for a fun selection starting at $20. It means your group doesn't have to be "all in" to pass a super pleasant happy hour. The caveats: While the small plates are tasty and beautiful to look at, the price point is QUITE high. It's probably Larry David-ish to knock them on this, as the quality of ingredients they're sourcing probably justifies the sticker... but that doesn't completely mitigate the impact on anyone who would love to drink and snack without running a $100 tab. For example, we ordered the namesake snails, which were delicious and picturesque, but came only 5-6 on the plate for $20. (Even a side of bread and butter runs $6 and it's not even a particularly hearty cut of bread.) With every plate served in a format that could be described as *precious,* there's really no way to just casually add food into the experience. But c'est la vie - go in eyes wide open, and you'll be fine. Overall: Snail Bar is certainly a unique and welcome addition to an already great Temescal food and drink scene - one where the wine scratches an itch that was sorely lacking among the fantastic array of local beer spots. Excited to see how they evolve as they go! read more

We did it, Joe! We got a resy at Snail Bar! We really enjoyed the atmosphere here and loved the decor as it was all Eames Institute provided. It gave the whole place a super cool feel. The food was fantastic and service was wonderful. There was a mishap with our reservation as our confirmation said indoors and theirs said outdoors but they accommodated me and my chilly self and it was perfect. I should note that we loved everything we ate, wanted bigger portions but did not get the snails. It was only two of us and an order of 6 felt like a commitment. read more

Such a special place! The wait was hectic, but very worth it. Their wine selection is incredible, I tried my favourite new orande wine. The food menu sounds simple but everything is prepared and combined is such incredible ways. read more

This place deserves a five star review undoubtedly. The service was excellent! Our waitress was very helpful in helping us pick a bottle. The food presentation was on point. We were surprised how tasty the food was. We'd definitely come back! read more

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This place truly lived up to the hype! We arrived 15 min before opening and were seated right after they opened. The service was amazing and our server even took the time to explain to us the wines in detail, very poetically I might add! Every dish was served beautifully and the flavors were explosive! so good and so creative. We will be back :) read more

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