Had a great breakfast with fantastic service and a clean atmosphere before the Pitt basketball game on Saturday. My wife and I enjoyed the fantastic views of soldiers and sailors and fifth Avenue. We will definitely be returning Before or after a game. read more

Very disappointed in my experience at this restaurant. I made reservations for my girlfriend's birthday, with hopes to have a great experience on the rooftop deck with several friends. This restaurant was on my list of places to try for several months. I saw good reviews on online restaurant review sites as well as it came highly recommended by a co-worker. Our reservation was at 7:30 on Saturday night. Our party was for 5 and was changed last minute to 6. At this point I have given all restaurant establishments the benefit of the doubt due to Covid-19, so when we walked in to a silent, less than patronized restaurant I was not surprised. We purposely showed up early (at 6:50pm) to attempt to watch the Kentucky Derby at 7pm in the lounge while enjoying some drinks and appies. Upon arrival to the restaurant, we were barely greeted. My first impression was that they did not care that we were there. The two staff members looked like deer in headlights as they didn't hurry to seat us in the lounge. After nearly 10 minutes, we were sat in the lounge. We asked to change the channel on the TVs to the race and the manager tried, but the dish apparently cannot get NBC so he left nothing on the TV and disappeared. Needless to say, we did not see the race. After a solid 15-20 period of waiting, a server finally came over to take our order for drinks. This is surprising considering there were not many people there. She did not introduce herself to us by name. She was rude and uninviting and you could tell she was miserable...certainly did not want to wait on us. To be expected, several items on the drink list were not on the menu, which she informed us but she continued to take our order without writing anything down. I ordered a bombay sapphire dirty martini with two olives. Several others ordered cocktails. We also ordered the olive and shrimp appetizer. The drinks took about 10 minutes to serve and when they came, two were wrong. My martini was served without olives and came with a lemon twist and my friend ordered vodka on the rocks with a lemon and received no lemon. Our appetizers arrived and they were the bright point of the night. They were both excellent. Lastly, once we received our appetizers, we asked to move to our seats on the rooftop deck (outside) to enjoy a beautiful evening, only to find out we were not being seated outside. Apparently, all tables are considered rooftop since the restaurant is on the 10th floor. Very misleading, since we were told repeatedly that we would be "on the roof deck". At that point, we left. We all drove from Robinson and Moon Twp. to experience Spirits and Tales. The terrible service forced us to to make the decision to make other arrangements for the evening. It was immediately apparent to me that this restaurant management and staff was not trained appropriately. The restaurant was not as advertised. I expect A LOT more from an establishment that has a reputation of being a high end experience. The place was in complete disarray, the staff was rude and there was absolutely no attention to detail. To say our experience at Spirits and Tales was underwhelming is giving it too much credit. I hope this review opens up your eyes to making the appropriate changes. read more

An unfortunate and unpleasant experience at the bar a few days ago. My friend (in her 30s) did not have ID with her. We were polite, apologetic, and in no mood to quarrel. The bartender had different ideas. She became quite agitated, and pushed my drink away from me. She then berated us in front of the other people at the bar. We were mortified and left immediately. As we headed towards the elevator we saw her come out from behind the bar towards us. Notably, I myself was never carded during this exchange. It's unclear why, and my friend's best guess is that our bartender was engaging in profiling. I've lived in states with very strict ID laws and sometimes someone forgets an ID. Staff handle it: oh sorry, we just can't serve you. This was very different. The whole experience was bizarre. I'll stick to Porch from now on. read more

I like to think of myself as a cosmo connoisseur.. and Spirts & Tales HANDS DOWN has the best cosmopolitan in Pittsburgh. It's always the perfect frothy pink color with a lime. The restaurant is located on the top floor of the Oaklander hotel which provides great views of the Cathedral of Learning and Soldiers and Sailors (2 of the University of Pittsburgh's most iconic buildings). The menu changes often, but I have never been disappointed with the food. But honestly, the burger and fries are where it is at. The perfect skinny fries that you can't stop eating! 5/5 read more

We love going here in the evening. Great food view and service. BRUNCH NO SO MUCH. The food was average. Bacon over cooked. The celery in the bloody Mary had a brown end. The music was way to loud. We asked to,have it turned down and was told that was not possible. huh?. some,of the staff agreed,it was too loud. Huh.?? I chatted with the man operating the sound system. He would not accommodate us. Next breakfast/brunch out will be somewhere else. bill b read more

Excellent ambience with great views especially if you're sitting by the window. The chef is very creative and she matches the flavors. The ingredients are fresh. I tried thei soufflé Savory baby . We also tried Pain Purdue, S &T breakfast and the salmon. Amazing and we will back soon. We work in Oakland so will stop by for happy hour and drinks. read more

Spirits & Tales - Lounges Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Stopped here for happy hour. Great view and good service. Happy hour menu and drinks are pretty awesome. The socca on their happy hour menu is awesome. Yummy fries. On the drinks side they have really amazing bourbon and rye collection and there's Japanese whisky on tap. Try the highball. read more

Spirits & Tales - The view of the cathedral - Lounges Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Beautiful venue. The potato and apple was good but served with a cod spread that was tough and so so taste. My cocktail was delicious but was served in a glass half empty. See photo. Unappealing, like someone took a few sips. Soup of the day was too thick and heavy flavors. Fries and burger were good considering it came out well done instead of the medium which we ordered. Oysters were very good. But no serving spoon for the sauce. Gnocchi was very good. Needs some polish but it definitely has potential. read more

Spirits & Tales - Lounges Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

The view is amazing. The food was good but you are paying for the atmosphere. The staff was excellent. Very helpful and attentive.

Nice Venue for Cocktails with View of Pitt Campus We were staying at the Oaklander Hotel, and had breakfast and cocktails at this restaurant on the 10th floor. The breakfast was good with typical hotel prices. Cocktail hour attracts an upscale clientele to this new venue near Carnegie Mellon and Pitt. There are good views of the Pitt campus and adjacent Soldiers & Sailors monument. read more

This menu is exquisite. So many small plates to try and share with the table. The soccca, radish toast, grilled octopus (so good), horseradish gnocchi, roasted chicken.... you can't go wrong. Definitely recommend!! read more

Spirits & Tales - Lounges Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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This place is great. I've been living in Oakland as a student for a few years now, and this was a fantastic discovery. Parents came to visit and stayed at the neighboring Wyndham Hotel, but upon discovering that the new Oaklander had a restaurant we decided it would be easiest to eat here. Atmosphere is perfect--more on the upscale side, but still slightly casual. It's clean and comfortable. We ordered the french onion soup, six oysters, duck, and their 14oz ribeye steak. Each dish was great and prepared well. They've got a wonderful variety of options on their menu. Best part was the service. I'm currently a bartender and server myself and, perhaps I'm biased, but the bartenders, our server, and the manager were all sweet and attentive. I understand how stressful the job can be, especially on a Friday night. We really appreciated their service. Excited to come back! read more

We had heard Spirits & Tales was a good place for Breakfast/Lunch so we decided to give Sunday Brunch a try. The decor is not fancy, but definitely pleasing to the eye. We also heard you could eat outside on the 10 th floor balcony. We opted for this and reserved a table for Sunday at 10:30. The temperature was perfect and the view from the balcony lovely. My wife had the S&T special and I had the Crab Scramble which was a Brunch special. We both totally enjoyed or breakfast and were extremely happy with the service. We definitely recommend Spirits & Tales for Brunch, and if dinner is anything like Brunch, then we recommend giving it a try read more

Was excited to try the newest bar and lounge in Oakland. Really enjoyed the ambiance and the view. Felt kind of like a Kimpton-- definitely a step up from Porch. We had several plates and they were all good, though none were really great. The cocktails were fun though, and I highly recommend the Polish Punch--perfect combination of ginger and cardamom! read more

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Love this spot! During our stay in the Oaklander Hotel in Pittsburgh last month I visited the top floor multiple times to check out Spirits & Tales. The view is remarkable, and the interior is simply well-done. You can score a table, sit at the bar, grab a nook near the fireplace to watch the game (my choice), or work at a communal table on your laptop. We typically grabbed cocktails and/or wine, but I did try the fancy radish toast because I was intrigued. Never heard of such, but it was enjoyable. Kind of earthy, but light. Will have to sample more of the menu on my next visit. Bar service was great! I'm salty that I can't recall the names of the 2 bartenders that took care of me, but they were both excellent. I sampled some bourbons over the weekend, and tried a few wines as well. Very nice place whether you are solo and want to meet some new friends, or with your partner and/or friends. I would say that it's worth a visit if you staying at the hotel or not. read more

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So disappointed. The advertising for this place is magnificent all the photos are enticing. The reality is so different. For example the photo below is the "French Bloody Mary ". It's supposed to be garnished with celery and beans. Nope. That was just the first disappointment. In addition, they advertise as a brasserie and they don't serve champagne. Confused??? Me too!! Lastly, and it saddens me to say it but I ordered eggs over easy and the photo below will show you what I actually received. So much potential. Falls so short read more

Spirits & Tales - Eggs over easy?? - Lounges Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

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Came here for brunch to celebrate a friend's birthday. There wasn't a lot of people during brunch time on Sunday, which makes it a perfect place to talk and just chill with your friends. The view is also pretty great, I remember thinking I would come here to do homework and just do homework or read here the whole afternoon. As for the food, I got the avocado toast, which was very good for its value and I would recommend it. read more

Perfect Golden Juice, refreshing on a hot day. Attentive staff, great ambiance, and best view in Oakland. read more

Spirits & Tales - Golden Juice - Lounges Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

I doubt I will return to Spirits & Tales. I had read good things on instagram and elsewhere about Chef Jessica Lewis, so I was expecting a truly superlative food experience. I did not have one. The beets were excellent. I had a baked ricotta starter that had a strangely sweet taste to it. I subsequently found out it was from bee pollen. Not something I'd order again. I had cake for dessert that was described as "almond cake with honey caramel." The cake itself was absolutely wonderful. But the so-called honey caramel had so much orange in it, orange should have been listed as a primary ingredient. It's not one of my favorite flavors, and I would have chosen something else for dessert. I went back today because a friend wanted to see the place, which is truly beautiful in a brown/beige/stainless modern fashion. And the view really is stunning, day or night. I noticed they'd added "orange" to the description of the cake, which I take as a good sign. But my lunch was dreadful. It was a smoked chicken sandwich in which the chicken was woefully overcooked. And as it took us about a half an hour to receive our food, there wasn't time to send it back and ask for something else. I did enjoy the side salad that came with the sandwich. Nice vinaigrette. Overall, it's a great big "Ehhhh..." Next time I need to eat in Oakland, I will choose the Union Grill or one of the Legume restaurants over this place. The food is so good at all of them. Or even Five Guys. They're basic, but they're good. read more

This was my second time here for brunch. The hotel itself is beautiful, stayed the night for a wedding. From the outside, you wouldn't think it provides as nice of a view as it does. The first time I came I had the S&T Breakfast - eggs, housemade sausage, potatoes and toast. Pretty standard breakfast fare, but the sausage was really freakin good. I'm not usually a big toast person, but their's was great. The waitress said they get it from Five Points Bakery. Great hangover cure, but alittle pricy at $15. This last time, 2 of us had the steak and eggs, which was $18. Mine was cooked properly (medium), but my friend who ordered medium-rare, we both agreed his was more medium-well. The steak itself had good taste, but it could've been warmer, a bigger portion, and it wasn't served with the chimichurri as listed on the menu. It was provided after our request, but it was also cold. That said, it had great flavor. I could put that on anything. The cocktails here are made well. I would say this is typically my favorite part. I would peg this as a place to come for pre or post meal drinks. I travel a lot and get that it is located in a hotel and you "pay for the view", but for the price, I shouldn't leave immediately needing to get a snack. Maybe I'm just obsessed with food. That could definitely be it. read more

Spirits & Tales - Steak & Eggs - Lounges Near Me - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania

Went here after a Pitt basketball game in the mid afternoon where there's a limited menu. Service was good- we had a casual group mainly getting drinks and a few food items. The fries on the snack menu were fantastic- shoestring with fabulous seasoning. We also ordered a burger to share between my husband and I. Ordered it medium without the aioli. It came out with the aioli both on top and below the burger. We asked if they could just bring a new bun and lettuce and tomato, because the burger didn't need replaced, and the server was great in getting it. The burger was very nicely seasoned but was cooked to death- no where near medium. Didn't have the heart at that point to send it back, plus my husband was starving. Disappointing as there is a very limited menu. Great views and great atmosphere. read more

Gorgeous venue and view. However, the service is dreadfully slow. No one seems to care about speed, efficiency, or being polite. Everyone that worked there seemed pretentious and as if you are a bother. I had to get someone to get us menus, which took a solid ten minutes after sitting. Our server forgot what one person in our groups drink order was. Took another 10 minutes to receive our drinks. When our small bites arrived by a runner we didn't receive any silverware, napkins, or plates. We had to ask for them. Hopefully they can put a little pep in the step of their employees and this place good take off. read more

The best thing about this restaurant is the ambience, certainly the classiest place to eat in Oakland and the one with the best views. My favorite thing to eat ... the fries, and I don't even like potatoes but I give them five stars. The general consensus.... the chicken is wonderful and the gnocchi was quite good, anything else was fine. This place is likely not for the picky eater due to a small and expensive menu. The most basic choice the burger... again, best thing the accompanying fries. The service is friendly and your water will stayed refilled, but the experience is not exactly fast. This was my second visit and on both occasions there has been something slightly off with the food experience, ie One soup with a crostini one without. This is not a huge deal but the prices are fine dining. A beautiful location for a happy hour but if you're mobile enough to go elsewhere for dinner I'd likely suggest it. read more

I went for breakfast and had their Breakfast Sandwich. Very good and not too pricy. Also has a nice view.

The restaurant was about half empty when we came, but it still took about 15 minutes to take our drink order and another 10-15 to bring out coffee for everyone. The cold brew is NOT made in-house, and was brought out in a plastic bottle. We never got water refills. It took a good 20 minutes to come back and get our food order taken, AND the server almost skipped me when going around the table. Despite writing down all the orders and the seats that got each order, the server summarily gave each individual the wrong order. The food was brought out piece-meal--three cups of coffee then 5 minutes later 3 more cups OR three entrees then 10 minutes later three more entrees. Coffee was not served with cream or sugar, we had to ask for it. The table had no salt or pepper. I asked for a rise and shine burger cooked medium, but a burned puck showed up instead. That got taken off the bill, but I left hungry because I didn't want to wait another 30 minutes to have new food brought out to me. TL:DR Terrible service, bad food. read more

Spirits & Tales is very much the average hotel restaurant to me - good/decent food presented in a way that made it seem a lot fancier than it actually was and for a higher price. However, it is pretty upscale in terms of location, view, and aesthetic, so you might pay more for the "feel" rather than the actual food. read more

The drinks are really bad. Bad presentation + taste... We asked for the prettiest drinks and what we got just really looked like two glasses of orange juice lol. read more

Close to three stars but the atmosphere bumps it up. Gorgeous space. Hostess had an aloof attitude as if she was doing us a favor by seating us. First impressions matter. Server earnest but overwhelmed with tables. Waited 20 minutes for our cocktails. Split the gnocchi for a starter and if that tiny portion had been my entree I'd have left hungry. Main, the fish. Just ok. The skin on the char had sat too long and wasn't crisp anymore. The broth was just ok. Needed a shot of acid and a little more fat. Deserts (pot de creme and almond cake) were delightful and saved the day. No way we will be back until Bigelow Blvd is reopened. Too hard to get there! read more

If it weren't for our entrees, I would have given this restaurant a 5 due to the excellent cocktails, starters , and wait staff . We decided to order the strip steak, one order medium rare, the other medium. Unfortunately, the medium rare was medium well and the medium was well done. There is no excuse for this to occur when you order a $60 steak. I would ,however, return for cocktails and apps, as the restaurant has a very nice view of the Pitt campus from the tenth floor. read more

Good view and food, but not great service. We came here for a girls night. Our bar tender seemed annoyed with us and wasn't friendly at all. Our server was nice but it took a very long time for her to come over, check on us, take our order and bring out the food. The cheese app and gnocchi were good. We sat near the window and had a great view of Oakland. That was the best part of the experience. read more

Great place! We loved the decor and ambiance here. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. The food was very tasty and good portions. The drinks are crafted with precision. Andy was amazing the entire night and made sure we were taken care of. Next time we are In Pittsburgh, Spirits and Tales it is! read more

My husband and I came in with our friends for brunch. The delightful ambiance took us right in! The restaurant is on the tenth floor giving a beautiful view of the Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Hall. Our server informed us that they were working on a new brunch menu. So we got the option of the breakfast and lunch menu. We were tempted by how different the options appeared from the typical brunch items elsewhere. The food surely didn't disappoint! The Eggs en Cocotte were warm and perfectly seasoned. From the perfectly crisp French fries to the moist and flavorful chicken on the Hot Smoked Chicken Club, everything was on point. We were super impressed by the minty take on the delectable lamb sausage in the French Hot Dog. My husband couldn't get enough of the Chocolate Croissant! The Pain Perdu had the perfect balance of sweetness from the maple syrup and tartness from the strawberries. The crunch from the toasted pepitas elevated the dish. The only downside we felt was the Golden Juice which was a bit overpowering perhaps because of the turmeric. Kudos to the Chef for keeping the menu interesting and delivering on the taste as well!! Hope they maintain the consistency as we come visiting again soon!!! read more

This is one of the best restaurants in Pittsburgh. Terrific cocktails. They've got the gluten-free thing down, and that's not easy when eating gluten free isn't a choice. Fabulous selection of small plates as well as full dinners. Great service. Love the view of Oakland. One of the best Classic French onion soups I've ever had. I've been here four times now and had a stellar experience each time. My only suggestions are to tone down the salt a bit, and make the almond cake gluten free. Otherwise I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough. read more

Best bar staff. Janel kicks out the cocktails like a rockstar. The "Head of Security" is hilarious. Can't wait to go back.

You're essentially paying for the capital investment -- the quartz tables, the marble bar, the copper fixtures ... all an aesthetic ploy to compensate for the rather average food quality and service. A watered down bottle of Tabasco sauce leaves one wondering what could be if they invested as much time and care into their food as they did into the architectural presentation. But perhaps I'm overly harsh. While the food is average and considerably over priced, the cocktails are rather superb. Come here to drink, late at night, having already eaten. read more

Great spot on the 10th floor of The Oaklander Hotel. Wonderful views of Pittsburgh and beyond plus a small patio with couches, chairs and tables. We had breakfast twice while we were staying at the hotel. The first - basic two eggs, great whole wheat toast and and housemade root hash. The second - avocado toast with spouts - huge portion on thick slabs of bread plus a side order of berries. Either/both could be shared. Our waitress was lovely. We also had drinks on our last night - inventive cocktails. read more

The restaurant is still working out the kinks. Bar and table service were very slow, but the staff were apologetic and kept us apprised. The food was really good, especially the horseradish gnocchi and salmon tartare. I was hoping this was a rooftop bar, but the terrace was only big enough for maybe 8 people seated. The interior couch bar seating is good with nice views. read more

The gnocchi was very good but the portion (entree) was much too little. Maybe 10 pieces of gnocchi and some crunchy kale. Really odd since someone else at table got chicken and it was a very large portion. read more

Beautiful interior on the 10th floor of the Oaklander. I had brunch with a few friends. No advertised brunch drinks, but they have a full bar, so we settled with prosecco. The chocolate babka was a must, everyone enjoyed their food, the burger was huge! Happy hour has highballs on special with a cool Suntory tap. I definitely want to stop back for dinner soon. read more

Our group of 20 had a wonderful brunch on Mother's Day. The ambiance is modern with a beautiful view of Oakland. It is a perfect setting for any occasion but certainly one for a special occasion. We felt welcomed upon arrival and our servers were excellent and handled a variety of meal requests perfectly. The food was delicious and everyone in our large group loved the food. It is a wonderful addition to Oakland. read more