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    Spirits & Tales

    3.4 (143 reviews)
    Open 7:00 am - 10:00 pm
    Updated 2 months ago

    Spirits & Tales Photos

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    SPIRITS & TALES ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Moderate noise
    Romantic
    Classy
    Upscale

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    scallops and salad
    William W.

    Was staying at the Oaklander for work. Nice hotel and had dinner here. Its a nice hotel restaurant with upscale modern american fare and drinks. I had the salad and scallop pasta. Decent, but the pasta was a bit in the salty side. Service was great and had a nice view.

    Austin G.

    Staying in The Oaklander for two nights, the front desk gave us two drink vouchers to enjoy at their hotel restaurant/bar. Because of that, this review is for drinks only. Both nights, we ordered their house white wine- chardonnay one night and pinot griot the next. Both were fine. My wife ordered the Vieux Carre with cherries. She loved the cherries, but found the cocktail average. In terms of space, the restaurant/bar is simply designed and comes with a small outdoor terrace with a beautiful view of the Cathedral of Learning. If you're a hotel guest and have a voucher, use it. If you're not a guest, I'd skip this place. Pittsburgh has much better drinks elsewhere.

    Crème brûlée
    Kaylie W.

    Spirits and Tales is such an underrated restaurant. I think it doesn't get as much attention because it's hidden in a hotel, but it has some of the best fine dining dishes in this city. I was a huge fan of the branzino, one of the best versions of the dish I've ever had but it's since been off the menu. The half roasted chicken with truffle wasn't bad. I liked the combo but it was way too salty. The team was nice and served a new dish when we commented on the saltiness. Service is always great here. It is always never busy thus a great place for last minute dinners. It's right on campus so also super convenient. The place is really nice and quiet at night. Their drinks and dessert menu is amazing. I've never had anything I didn't like here. Thus, I always thought it was a great spot when I needed somewhere to chat with friends but wanted a nicer environment. I always loved coming here with friends visiting out of town to catch up on life. Their food and atmosphere never disappoints.

    Having brunch with friends
    Victoria G.

    I have been several times with different groups for breakfast lunch and dinner. It's a treat every time I visit. The service is great and the food is delicious. I enjoy the uniqueness of the menu items. The atmosphere is wonderful with all the windows to see outside the hotel on the 10th level.

    NY STRIP... Piled high with onion straw and full of flavor. Cooked to perfection

    Unexpected Delight. Food, drinks, service, view and more were outstanding. Even if you are not staying at the hotel...I would highly recommend dining here or grabbing a drink.

    Brenda W.

    An inviting space on the top floor (10th floor) of the Oaklander Hotel in Oakland. Huge window views at your table, a bar, and around the corner more comfy seating sans tables. Even the ladies restroom is swanky. No hand blowers here. Plenty of paper hand towels Our server was extra helpful. Prior to him coming over we were busy looking up dishes and ingredients since there were so many words on the menu alien to us. He made it simple for us, answering all our questions. My friend and I ordered drinks. I had the dragon's breath -- mezcal, chili ancho liqueur, luxardo, lime juice, habanero bitters. Presentation was with a bubble on top. We ordered a starter -- the labneh- zataar, pepita, grilled flatbread. For my entree, I ordered the bucatini -- roasted acorn squash, pine nuts, fried sage, brown butter, grana purana. For dessert I got the chocolate, hazelnut, and poached pear tart. You can probably see why we were busy looking up words. All was excellent except the pear. It was a bit too firm in texture. Price was fair. For the two of us, each ordering a drink, A shared starter, two entrees, and 2 desserts, we split the tab down the middle and half was 68.00. That was a lot of food for the layout. I'm happy, especially getting ambiance and great service.

    Ashley S.

    Spirits and Tales now offers espresso martini flights, and it's a brunch game changer!! They are located in Oakland, right near Cathy, on the top floor of the Oaklander hotel. My sister and I shared the flight and I'm glad we did. The drinks were normal sized, not smaller, and it's only $30 for the 3 cocktails which is not bad at all. For brunch I ordered the eggs benedict (classic). My boyfriend got the hamburger and wine. My sister ordered the breakfast sandwich. My eggs benedict was really delicious. They drenched it in the hollandaise sauce; I loved it!! The espresso martini flight came with 3 flavors: Chocolate Raspberry Espresso, Cafe Bliss, and Simple Indulge. My favorite flavor was the chocolate raspberry espresso. My sister got the breakfast sandwich and she really liked it. My boyfriend got the hamburger and said it was really good as well. I have my eyes on that spritz flight next

    Spinach and Artichoke Scramble
    f g.

    Beautiful atmosphere, and pretty nice view of the surrounding area. Servers are kind and the food is great! I got the Spinach Artichoke Scramble for a nice brunch. It was Deeeeeelicious! Highly would recommend!

    a bar with shelves full of liquor bottles
    Xin F.

    Came here for happy hour but ended up staying for a meal. Great ambiance and view overlooking Pitt/Oakland area. Unfortunately the day I was there, they were understaffed.. servers were mostly grumpy and had to wait for more than an hour by the bar to just put an order for food and drinks. Food wise, my burger was served well done when I asked for medium rare. The outer part of the burger was also kinda burnt. Truffle fries were good. I would give this place another chance but would definitely want to make reservations prior.

    Coffee flight
    Madison W.

    The espresso martini flight was so good! Normally served during brunch, but they did let us get It for dinner. The charcuterie board was also such a good appetizer. Great atmosphere and views. Highly recommend!

    Wagyu Burger
    Marla C.

    I have gone for dinner and brunch. The service was not bad when I went for dinner but maybe because they were training a new staff member that night. I went to brunch a couple weeks after having dinner there because it seemed more people posted about the brunch so wanted to give it a try. The service was terrible and they were not busy. The staff all kept disappearing into the back. They took forever to wait on us and didn't check on us once we were given our food to see if we needed anything. While at brunch it was so quiet in the restaurant you could have heard a pin drop. They needed music playing. It just felt very awkward and uncomfortable. I wish you can a better view of the Cathedral of Learning. You do get a nice view of Soldiers and Sailors. The food is okay. For dinner I split a charcuterie board with friends it was good. Then I got the Waygu burger and fries which I liked. When I went for breakfast I got the spinach scramble. It was okay but I needed some hot sauce. The drinks were good both times I went.

    Paul P.

    First off - great food. As in some of the best food I've been served in quite a while. Service was at best marginal. Having said that, the food was so good the stars went from 3 (because of the service) to 4 (because the food was so great). Ordered for the table was the salmon and the scallops. Both were superb. Also ordered was a salad, that did not come. A dessert was ordered by one patron, while the second was never even asked if he wanted one. WTH? Ask both diners! Nice looking venue, well set up. A little pricey, but the food quality justified the expense. Owner - train your wait staff better. Compliments to the chef, though.

    Breakfast Sandwich Omelette Breakfast Potatoes La Prima Drip Coffee Espresso Martini

    Our server, Taylor, was lovely and knowledgeable about the menu. We ordered the omelette with breakfast potatoes, the breakfast sandwich with breakfast potatoes, and an espresso martini. Everything was absolutely delicious. The bacon on the breakfast sandwich was to die for and we would pay big money for the recipe for the breakfast potatoes! The espresso martini was fantastic and beautifully presented as well. The view of Oakland and Pitt's campus is a beautiful complement to the city. We can't wait to come back!

    Truffle Parmesan Pomme Frites

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    7 months ago

    I've only been for breakfast but the food is pretty good. It's a short menu and pricey for what it is but the view is amazing.

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    Spirits & Tales - lounges - Updated May 2026

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