THE CITY CLUB BAR…read more John treated me ! Thanks Johnny boy!! I started with a Gin Martini 2 olives & a twist on ice ... Unfortunately the ice wasn't in cubes so the flavor was so watered down that I couldn't taste the gin at all...We then were served some great little warm breads with delicious butter YUM! The split mixed iceburg lettuce salad arrived which was a generous portion & well dressed with some notes of tarragon ..nice! John ordered the braised short rib & he subbed out the mashed potato/roquefort for the fried potato disks that came with the rib eye. Good spuds! My beef bourguignon had wonderful toothsome wide egg noodles but weirdly, chunks of green pepper & undercooked pearl onions? The beefy gravy was perfect on the pasta BUT the beef's texture was terrible.. mushy without a smidgen of bite! YUCK! When John had me taste his beef the resuts were much the same... too soft & textureless.. then the opposite...the pretty split carrot halves were too hard & undercooked on his plate to bring out their sweetness....I assume these 2 long cooked meats styles had been sitting for god knows how long I left most of the dinner to take home & see if I could repair the dish... (I'll probably eat the noodles and use the beef in a taco?). so my suggestion is to order the rack of lamb (if I return....which John had had & recommended) & stay away from long cooked items (except beans)

An absolutely stunning venue for an intimate wedding. My husband and I had the pleasure of…read moreattending a wonderful ceremony and reception here. The outside space for a wedding ceremony is so beautifully designed with all the plants. The historic interior added such a timeless look to our friends' reception and we really enjoyed the food provided too. Would definitely recommend as a venue!

Lovely Day was absolutely perfect for our wedding, and I honestly cannot say enough good things…read moreabout the venue or the team. We had over 120 guests and the space worked beautifully. I loved the open brick look, the high ceilings, and how much character the venue already had on its own. The outdoor area was also such a great bonus because it gave our guests another place to hang out, mingle, and enjoy the evening. One thing I regret is that I was so busy throughout the day that I didn't get a chance to take photos of everything we set up! But even without all the extra decor, Lovely Day is already such a beautiful space and really gave our wedding the exact feel we wanted. What truly made the experience stand out, though, was the service. Christine was absolutely amazing to work with. She was so accommodating, helpful, and easy to communicate with throughout the entire process. She made everything feel much less stressful and was always willing to work with us. Jefferey and Maria also deserve so much recognition for everything they did on the day of our wedding. They helped us so much throughout the day and were always there when we needed something. Their support did not go unnoticed and made such a difference. I've been part of many weddings over the years, and unfortunately I've also experienced coordinators and venue staff who can be unapproachable, dismissive, or make you feel like you're bothering them. That was completely different at Lovely Day. Everyone was kind, helpful, accommodating, and genuinely seemed to care that our day went well. Lovely Day truly is the full package. A beautiful venue, a great layout, an outdoor space, and most importantly, an incredible team behind it. I would absolutely recommend this venue to anyone planning a wedding or special event. We are so happy we chose Lovely Day for ours!

I adore everything about Lovey Day! Their food is…read moreincredible. Tasty, unique, and totally delightful. (Related to Grace Street Catering, of which I was a huge fan.) Their outdoor patio takes advantage of the awesome Oakland weather and their multiple high-ceiling indoor areas are secret worlds of raw brick industrial + live plant art installations. Don't even get me started on the craft cocktails and bespoke wine list. (Take my money!) Jen and her team go above and beyond with thoughtful & attentive service. They're a hidden gem and I'm so glad to know them for event rentals and the restaurant!

I'm not sure whether it was the bartender who assisted me that evening, but unfortunately the…read morecustomer service I experienced was very disappointing. I tried to start a friendly conversation and ask a few questions about the drinks, however the responses I received were very brief and limited to only the drink names, which made the interaction feel unwelcoming. I also noticed that we were the only Latino guests there at the time, and throughout our visit we felt largely ignored. As a result, the overall atmosphere did not feel comfortable or inclusive to us. Based on this experience, I did not feel welcomed at this bar in Berkeley and would not recommend it. Even though we live only a few minutes away, it didn't feel like a place worth returning to or spending our time and money at.

Question: Is Acme a bourbon bar or a whiskey bar? I have an unconventional answer because I like…read morethe vibes here and have discovered it's actually an "everything good" bar. I love the outstanding Mezcal list. On Tuesdays (some? all? I dunno) they have a martini and caviar menu. Ten bucks get you an excellent house martinis and a healthy mound of caviar on a potato chip. Happy hour feature $6 well drinks (1 mixer) or $10 cocktails (multi-mixer shaken or stirred). Great bartenders here, especially Anaís!

If you've ever fantasized about spending the night in a Bernard Maybeck structure here's your…read morechance. The Faculty Club, on the UC Berkeley campus, was designed by the legendary Berkeley architect and is many things to many people. Most notably, it's: * A place to eat and drink; * A venue to rent out for events; and * A place to spend the night. I ate and drank there* but I also spent the night there and that's the reason for my 3-star rating and the focus of this review. The Faculty Club rents out rooms, some with private bath and some with communal bath, all situated along a long hallway up a set of stairs. If you've drank too much below, are in town to visit a student at UCB, or are just hankering to spend the night on campus it's not a bad option. The rooms for rent are functional (not fancy) and clean (but not new). "Utilitarian" is an apt description. A friend and I stayed in a room with 2 beds and its own bathroom and shower at a cost of $215. Rooms with shared baths are (obviously) less and an additional $15.40 will buy you a parking pass valid until 2 p.m. the following day at a nearby, on campus lot. I don't track the cost of lodging in the Bay Area but this rate seemed reasonable, especially considering the inclusion of a continental breakfast for 2 the following morning. Before falling asleep the night of my stay my friend wondered whether the Campanile's toll would wake us. Fear not; it didn't. Instead, 52 beeps from a garbage truck backing up was followed by the crash of glass recyclables being collected, all before sunrise. So, be sure your room is on the west side of the building if you desire a quieter experience. I can't imagine returning for an overnight here but I'd certainly be comfortable recommending it to others. It was fun and serene to step outside in the morning, right onto the beautiful Faculty Glade of the UCB campus. I can well imagine others enjoying the reasonably-priced experience. * Food and drink are reviewed under Faculty Club Kerr Dining Room

I stayed at The Faculty Club for one night for business. The setting is beautiful, serene, and in…read morethe middle of the Berkeley campus. The atmosphere I loved, the hotel room not so much. I tried to embrace the history and think of all the families and students who have stayed here over the years, and that worked somewhat. I did have a good stay and ultimately enjoyed my room for what it was. Things to know: - The building is challenging to find and GPS is marginally helpful. - There was no place available to park to check-in so I had to risk it and park in a 30 minute loading zone up the hill. - It was hard to find the right door to get the lobby - no helpful signage at all. - After checking in you have to navigate to one of the parking lots they allow you to park in, which is not right at the Club. - You have to navigate your way back to the place after parking - I was lugging my bags. - You have to lug your bags up a significant flight of stairs to get to the rooms - no elevator. - The rooms are like an old cabin - not updated, dark wood, very basic accommodations. - If you get a room with your own bathroom, the bathroom is tiny with nowhere to set your toiletries or even hang your hand towel. - The bed is just okay - nothing like nicer hotels. The bedding is very thin and looks like something you'd find in a Motel 6. They could at least give you a nice mattress and comfy bedding even while keeping the basic/historic look of the rooms. - There is a flatscreen tv, but it's small and uses Dish network - remote is somewhat confusing. - There was a small fridge, but it wasn't plugged in. - There was a glue trap for rodents in my room which didn't instill confidence. Some positives: - The room was very spacious and had a high ceiling. Although it felt very old, it was clean. - The windows open wide letting in a nice breeze and adding a serene feel. - The price is reasonable in my opinion. - The atmosphere is relaxing and the area is safe. - The restaurant has good food and also reasonably priced in my opinion. - Free breakfast.

I found a jewel! It's a beautiful event space. I'm so pleased with the owners, who happen to be a…read morelovely married couple that are super easy to work with. I'm a small business owner and stylist so I'm always scouting locations for shoots or events and pop ups, this spot is all encompassing. It's huge!!! Im certain you won't be disappointed by the high level of customer service you'll receive.

Probably one of thee greatest, yet most professional experiences I've had in a while. Planned our…read morevow renewal and this beautiful couple were involved in every step. Extremely helpful, very articulate and punctual. Will continue to do business with 1219!!!

My student organization at Cal had their end of semester banquet at Hillside Club, and we couldn't…read moreask for anything better. Not only is the venue beautiful and spacious, but the organizer is super nice and accommodating. There are high ceilings, great audio, a nice stage, and lots of useful equipment. We pretty much didn't have to decorate at all on our end because when we got there, it was already beautifully adorned with holiday decorations and a huge Christmas tree! For such an amazing venue, it's amazing how inexpensive the total cost was! Aside from the venue itself, the planning involved to secure the venue and set everything up was made incredibly easy by the manager. She was very responsive by email and helpful in suggestions for what can be done with the event. She also owns a super cute doggo that's Instagram famous! All in all, great experience and couldn't ask for more.

Our youth choir, Kairos, produces a musical theater/opera performance every season. This year, our…read moreusual venue was closed for renovation and we were faced with the need to find a new theater. We knew about the Berkeley Hillside's affinity for classical music, so we thought our program would be a good match. The Hillside Club's manager Araceli was very responsive and informative about their availability, requirements and willingness to accommodate us. Not only did Araceli understand our needs but she was extremely supportive and volunteered to help us with anything we might need in order to offer a highly successful and professional production. We recommend this venue, not only for the amazing architecture and splendid acoustics, but also for the great communication of our hosts; their openness and their flexibility to accommodate our very specific needs. The venue has a beautiful stage, with ample backstage (a green room upstairs and one downstairs - with access to a bathroom) and it is great for small productions such as ours, or small chamber music concerts that they host often. If you do visit the Berkeley Hillside, be sure to make the acquaintance of Bella - the Boston Terrier of the club whom we adopted as our mascot. She is a real drama queen and will definitely brighten your day

I attended their Unfiltered Wine Festival today. Great event! As someone that worked in the wine…read moreindustry prior to this unfiltered movement, I know very little about it, but I'm interested to learn. I mainly came to go to the Breaking the Champagne Spell: California's Great Sparkling Wine Experiment panel, which included Chris Cottrell (legend!), and Michael Cruse (Ultramarine). I learned a lot! I discovered a new favorite winery at that vendor tastings as well, The Grenachista. This guy only focuses on Grenache. I especially liked his reds! All around great event with great panels topics. Looking forward to next year!

A very warm and welcoming experience, with great wine and friendly and knowledgeable staff. Came…read moreduring a pride event where other small businesses were featured and a drag show! Super fun. Such a great location, proving you don't need to go to wine country to get a great experience. The owner, tasting room manager, and employees all were super personable, and it made the experience that much better. Wine was fantastic, with different varietals to match different tastes. Sparkling, named after the teenage daughter, to rosé, and a few different red varietals, all were delicious. I enjoyed hearing about the process and the inspiration in making the wine, and I will definitely be back. Lovely outdoor area and ambience.

They did a terrible job for my family members Wedding. So many things were subpar. And I know…read moreWeddings well. First of all, their alternate plan for possible rain was non existent. It rained before the Wedding ceremony started. As guests were arriving, it was very unclear where to even stand while waiting for the "rain". I asked... multiple employees, and nobody knew. Elders were left standing in a crammed space just inside, waiting, not knowing. Chairs outside were wet. Rain was on and off. We couldn't sit at our tables yet. Some elders clearly needed, at the very least, a chair. Very soon after eating they took our tables down for dancing. Where were we all expected to sit? Our entire row of tables gone. Several long tables. Lots of people were misplaced. Including dome that needed a chair more than others. Yet, there was plenty of space for the few people that did dance before they rudely made us give up our seats. The DJ was unprofessional. He didn't announce anything adequately, nor did he "work the crowd" in any way. So, few people joined the Bride & Groom in the traditional fun stuff.

Experience is from a private event. Parking is very scarce within the parking lot. Not many…read morehandicap spots. There is additional parking along side the road. The view is nice of the green hills, the event space is quaint, but plenty photo opportunities. The event I attended one of the vendors was not prepared for the crowd and actually ran out of tapas. There was a D. J. indoors and a live band outside. Overall a good time.

Whatever you do, do not book an event here. Customer Service is entitled, condescending and rude…read more My daughter was planning a baby shower so we called a number of venues to get a quote. We had been to Tarocco for lunch and figured we would ask them for a quote, too. My daughter warned me that the owner is trying to be an "influencer" on Instagram and posts photos of herself in crop Tops so I should beware, but that's fine by me. We called to get a quote and had a discussion. After we gave the owner all of our information, she told us she wouldn't give us a quote unless we came in person (?!) Which is weird because this isn't how restaurants work. Typically for events restaurants will give you a quote via phone or email for the sake of convenience. We had gotten 3 quotes already from other restaurants via phone. Making us drive 45 mins just to get a quote is a total waste of time. Especially if we can't afford it. So my daughter called again, left a VM explaining we couldn't come in person due to time constraints, and again asked for a quote. No reply. We waited a few days and called again. No reply. Finally we got a voicemail from the owner saying that she didn't like my daughter's attitude ?!!! Apparently you're not allowed to ask this restaurant how much they charge for events unless you're face to face. This lady has absolutely no idea how to run a restaurant. We took our business elsewhere and recommend that you do, too.

5 stars $27.26 for a…read more2 "salad" lunch plus Spanish omelette. Grilled purple cabbage was warm, beautifully charred and seasoned. Potato and radish salad was light, flavorful and really focused on bringing out the ingredients flavors Spanish patata was a hell of a potato omelette creation. Is it a little expensive? Sure. But is every $ on the plate? Yes.