Me and my girlfriend came here on Sunday to try their brunch menu. The coffee was amazing and so was the cocktails. The DJ played great music and the server was super attentive. I think they will need to work on their brunch menu but my favorite thumping there was the Nutella cornmeal crepe. read more

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Well, like the others who posted reviews from last night we really wanted to enjoy this restaurant, but alas could not. After waiting an hour and ordering a cocktail when we were finally seated, we were informed that there was no food left. This was a surprise, and I was willing to forgive an unusual oversight like this, but after reading the other reviews of people who came earlier than we did the same night (Friday Jan 20, 2023), and also did not have food, I can't believe that the management allowed us to wait around for an hour and order a drink, and then tell us they had no food. I hope they get their act together, which, on top of actually buying enough ingredients, may include improving the quality and portions of food based on what I've read in the other reviews. I did love the Jungle Bird cocktail, but they also ran out of ingredients for their cucumber cocktail. Sigh... read more

Absolutely worst service I've ever experienced. Got moved 4 times with a reservation a month in advance, waiter was condescending and rude, took a half hour to get our drinks and have our order taken after being moved 4 times! DO NOT waste your money here!! Foods decent but it was a terrible experience. Not what you expect on a $250 meal. Extremely disappointed and regretting spending my money at this place. read more

New spot on MLK. The menu is small but diverse enough that everyone will find something they want but here's the deal. The food is spectacular and any of the dishes are going to blow peoples minds. We had oysters and the minuette met them perfectly. We had roasted cashews with cherries. Which was amazing. So far the first two things were perfect. The halibut was perfect and I wish I'd had more room. Everything here looks wonderful. I'd say hurry up before you can't get a table!! #BestNewSPOT read more

The Rendez-Vous - a green drink with a cucumber garnish - New American Near Me - Oakland, California

Food, Service, Cocktails, Design = Chef's Kiss! All so great. The only negative is the music is soooo loud we were shouting the entire time and all had slight headaches when we left. I am a big music lover but the sound should be half of the level it was at to still hear it and enjoy it. I notice that many others have had the same complaint on yelp. Basically the level of the music doesn't match the rest of the experience. read more

I had dinner at this place Thursday, 11-10-2022. The restaurant is charming, with murals on the walls that were discovered while renovating. It is a small charming place and busy with customers coming and going. The food is good and is focused on seafood. There are references to "local" fish, by which they mean local vendors. That put my mind at ease as I started imagining fish caught off the Bay Bridge. The service staff is polite and friendly. Now to the negative stuff: The place is too loud, and the sounds, be it music, people, or dishes clattering, all bounce off the hard surfaces and make the atmosphere unpleasantly loud. Around 9:30 at night, the music got so loud that I thought perhaps the place would turn into a dancing venue! you can't hear anyone at your table. We all had to shout and repeat ourselves several times. The music got louder & louder as the night went on. Our drinks were served by a young lady who was helping our very busy and the only waitress in the place. Each time she brought a drink to the table, she would hold it up and shout who has this "xx".. that was very annoying & not professional at all. Some training is needed there. My cocktail was just Ok; too much ice in it, and I had to spoon out half of it to get to the liquid part. The paper straw got too soggy. I had to ask for a napkin to clean up the exterior part of the glass as the drink was all over it. The bartender was either sloppy or enjoying himself too much as he was busy swaying with the loud music. It is beautiful to enjoy working and important not to lose focus on the "work" part. The dishes are all mismatched, this is on purpose, and it adds to the charm of the restaurant, as long as it is not at the expense of functionality. My long-stem glass was so small, 1.5 or 2 oz, that I had to keep filling it with water, yes it was supposed to be the water glass; others got various types of regular water or wine goblets, all functional except the mini glass I got. It was very cute just not useful. To eat my delicious bouillabaisse seafood dish, I was provided with a small teaspoon instead of a soup spoon. Of course, I had to ask for a proper spoon. Overall, the food tastes wonderful, and since it is a new restaurant, I think they can work out the little imperfections. The two most important are to work on getting some acoustic panels to reduce the loud jumbled sounds and have some more servers. I will go back again when the noise issue has been resolved. read more

My bestie and I wanted to escape the rain stricken weekend blues and treat ourself to a girls dinner for the weekend. She had heard about this new establishment and after doing a little IG previewing of this place we thought this would be just what we needed to have a great start to our girls night out. We arrived at about 6pm on Saturday and found parking right in front. (major plus right?!) we enter and were warmly greeted and taken to our seats right away. The decor transports you into a restaurant in Paris. Romantic and rustic hues the lights are dim and you just feel like your in France. We were seated and our waitress was attentive and kind. We ordered some cocktails. I had the red wine and my friend had the gimlet. Both would highly advise to try! For our food we ordered the Cesar salad and shrimp tartare. The Cesar was good but the shrimp tartare was excellent. Only thing I wished was for more because it was so good! We ended with the chocolate mouse which was divine and had the chance to meet the owner and her husband who were such lovely people. We received a complimentary drink and were beyond grateful for such wonderful hospitality. I have been told in life that great food is wonderful, but to have a great restaurant it takes great food and the ability to make people feel at home. To the owners you both have mastered the food but to welcome your patrons into your restaurant and make us feel at home that is love! I cannot wait to be back read more

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Unfortunately, my partner and I didn't get a chance to try any menu items. We came on a Friday two weeks ago really excited to be there. After standing at the door for awhile, we were sat at end of the bar by a server who was very gracious but extremely busy. While we sat waiting patiently at the bar, the bartender served the two ladies next to us and proceeded to talk to them with his back turned to us for about 15 minutes. He never once spoke us or acknowledged that we were there. It was very strange and off-putting. We decided to leave about five minutes later once we found an ant crawling on my boyfriend's forearm. Still, there was no acknowledgement. We were so excited to try this new restaurant but now, we will never return. Such an insult. Not to mention, most of the menu is not friendly to people with allergies to crustaceans. Thumbs down. read more

Our third time at the Rendez-Vous was outside in the heated patio. We were warm and cozy. The lively mix of music was comfortably clear from the patio speaker, not too loud. We had wonderful cocktails, the bread with French salt, and fabulous fish stew. It's pricey, but worth it. Such fun! read more

The Rendez-Vous - Our dear waiter in the patio. - New American Near Me - Oakland, California

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We had a wonderful experience, the decor makes for a nice ambiance, The food and appetizers were finger licking good!! I mean it!! Enjoy!!

Delicious food, wonderful ambiance, top-notch service. Definitely an Oakland gem. Cocktails were

While I read that an appeal of this restaurant is it's decor, the first time I tried the food was via delivery. I got the mussels, the garlic shrimp appetizer, and the braised beef / daube. The beef was tender and the sauce delicious. The shrimp is cooked just right. The mussels and shrimp sauce/flavors were very similar - lemon garlic so I probably should've mixed it up. The mussels were fine. I did enjoy dipping the bread in of course. Overall I thought food was fine and I look forward to trying it in the restaurant one day. read more

Delicious food and cocktails in a romantic, chic space. I've eaten here a handful of times and the changing menu keeps things fresh and fun. Loved the risotto type dish, the crudo, and the panna cotta. The cocktails come in delightful glasses too. The back patio is lovely too with heat lamps. Perfect for a date night or to catch up with friends. read more

This is such a lovely addition to the neighborhood. Love the French diner feel when you walk in. Friendly staff and inventive cocktails. read more

The Rendez-Vous - Caesar salad and the chicken liver flan - New American Near Me - Oakland, California

We went last night after reading a review in Oaklandish. It has a really cool interior and everything we (dishes to be shared) was better than the last. At the end of the meal I joked that I was ready to do it all over again it was so good. Staff was cordial and good. The music was a bit loud but not too much so. Great date night place with cool drinks, bar, intimate seating, fun interior and amazing food. read more

Excellent food, unusual setting, friendly waitstaff. It's very French, so don't go in expecting American service.

Such an unusual and wonderful experience!! Cozy atmosphere, creative and DELICIOUS menu... 4 of us shared 4 of the dishes and do not forget the bread- out of this world!! It was great to share the variety! Alberto was our server: professional AND personality plus! We had a truly memorable evening! Highly recommend trying The Rendez-Vous!! I'll be back soon!! read more

Really loved this place, so its painful to only give 3 stars. But seeing other reviews with the same complaint, hoping the owner addresses the issue and makes ab adjustment. Suffice it to say, I enjoyed everything we ate and drank. The service was ok--server was attentive but the delivery slightly disjointed. While we understand items are delivered as they come, we ordered bread and it was the 4th items to come out. Bread is to be eaten prior to or with your meal. Server can't help that as it is the busser's responsibility. The lack of 4-5 stars is because the music was sooooo LOUD. In a place that only had half its tables full. Tried to escape outside, but felt we would be forgotten, so back in where we yelled our conversation. We asked 3 x for the music to be turned down and was flatly told "that is not possible." ???? When we were the last table, we asked one more time and again, no. The waiter basically said the owner or the bartender needs the music that loud. ??? It was really, really uncomfortable. Not appropriate for fine dining prices (and their prices are steep!), more like a dive bar on a busy Saturday night. Very strange! read more

Loveeeee this place. So so so cute and the drinks are delicious. Kind of on the expensive side but always worth it. The staff are all so kind and their style of service is laid back in the best way, you really do feel so comfortable and welcome. read more

We had a lovely dinner. The food was fresh and delicious- a lot of interesting textures and flavors. The burrata, melon and eggplant was amazing. We split 4 dishes and were very happy. read more

The food here is delicious. The chef takes local ingredients and presents them in the most delicious French dishes. The beef tartare is scrumptious and all of their salads are perfection. My partner is a vegetarian and never fails to find a dish he loves-tonight it was fregola with saffron crème and clams with roasted tomatoes. Don't forget the cocktails and nice wine list. Service is charming and sitting outside on a nice day in their courtyard is something between New Orleans and La Marais. read more

The Rendez-Vous - Treviso salad with anchovies. - New American Near Me - Oakland, California

Oh, good lords, what a pretentious disappointment. Way overpriced. Insultingly so. No real kitchen so everything is cold and raw. Okay, they have toast. Unbelievable prices for what you get. ($22 for a bowl of soup that was overly salty. Basically a cup of soup in a giant bowl. Maybe eat something before you go and you'll be okay? And LOUD. They have a deejay -- great. But SO LOUD. And the servers were kind of awful and unprofessional. Bleccch. There are SO many better places in Oakland and Berkeley. No reason to come to this one. read more

Love this place! Food is delicious; small, focused menu that is delightful, fish forward, and tasty. But, the music is waaaay too loud. On each occasion, we've fought with the sound level, yelling to have a conversation (hence the 4 star review). read more

We can here for our anniversary, and had a really nice dinner. The interior is all sorts of mismatched decor, but it felt really cute and romantic. The service was also top notch, we ordered a small plate of oysters as a starter and they gave us an extra one so that we could split it. Food and wine were really delicious. I got the halibut crudo, the vegetable/bulgur terrine and the oysters. All were tasty and felt like dishes I don't often see at restaurants. I am deducting a star for portion sizes. My partner and I got a smaller appetizer to split and two main courses, but we would have left hungry had we not gotten a third main to split. Overall romantic vibe, great food, just be prepared to spend a bit. read more

Wow, so freaking good. Great drinks and amazing food. Staff was so inviting and on point. Thanks y'all!

I want to love this place -- I live right around the corner. The staff radiates joy. They really like to please people. I came once for a cocktail (excellent) and was eager to return for dinner, which I did on Wednesday (1/18/23). The menu featured four starters and four entrees. NONE of the entrees were available that night! Only three of the starters were available. I had a cocktail (excellent) and some oysters (good, though the fancy mignonette is too fancy). Then I went home and made myself dinner. Such a disappointment! read more

Pretty darn good food. Drinks are great. Wish they had more wine by the glass. Service has been hit or miss. My real issue is the music--our server had to bend over and almost shout at us to let us know the specials. We then had to shout across the table. A few minutes later we asked if they could turn it down and her response was "oh we just turned it up." It really doesn't make for a good dining experience. read more

Failure after failure. My girlfriend and I went a couple of weeks after it opened and were excited to check it out. The space was cool but that's where the love for this place ended. We ordered cocktails and they took over half an hour to come out and they weren't cold. We made some choices for food, only to wait a long time and be told that they had actually run out of more than half the stuff we ordered. They did have the oysters in stock but they were served with this cloying stone fruit vinaigrette and charred lemon half that we foolishly squeezed onto them. Absolutely ruined them, didn't touch them after that. We had to go back and forth 3-4 times to have stuff we didn't receive or didn't order in the first place stricken from the menu. I was second-hand embarrassed for the staff. The people running this place are understaffed and in over their heads. That's sad to see since I know they are nice people, but I felt like I was robbed of quite a bit of money after leaving. Some people are cut out to do the restaurant thing, others aren't. I can't see this working. Still mad about the waste of time and money. read more

Great vibe, and good cocktails, but the food was pretty mediocre. The portions were very small for the price. The oysters tasted off.

I was really excited for a good new restaurant to help revitalize the neighborhood. The staff was incredibly friendly, the food tasted good, the decor was pretty nice, however the music inside was really loud (luckily we were seated on the back patio), my father's dish wasn't served until a good half an hour after the rest of my family without apology or explanation, and the portion sizes for some dishes were laughably small. We grabbed pizza afterward, a tenth of the price for 10 times as much food. read more

This is a great little spot in Oakland. The parking is not great but when is it ever in the Bay. Great ambiance and cocktails, we sat on the patio, it was a chilly night but also their heaters were working hard! All the food we orders plus desserts were delicious - a lot of thoughtful dishes and they pay attention to detail. read more

The food was wonderful and inventive. The service was also good although a little slow. We had the swordfish with eggplant graffiti. Beyond delicious. For dessert we had the chocolate cake which was to die for! Unbelievably good and I didn't even have any frosting. my only issue is the really loud music which was more suited for people younger than we are. We also think it was a little expensive for the size of the servings.Oh such good food. Would We go to eat there again? Probably not. Too noisy and the clientele is so much younger than us. We felt a little out of place. But again the food was so so good. Loved it. read more

Had a delicious meal with friends. We shared four dishes so was able to taste a lot of different food. The shrimp and the ahi tuna were incredibly fresh and cooked perfect. We had a olive dish that I could have eaten to myself it was so good. Cocktails were well made, loved the decor, and the back patio was really cute. Don't sleep on this place. We got there early and when we left there was a line out the door!! read more

We love it. Great food, drinks, music, our kind of place! We always enjoy ourselves. Highly recommend

divine food, atmosphere, decor, service, drinks. highly recommended. every dish was delicious. read more

The Rendez-Vous - foie gras - New American Near Me - Oakland, California

Loved this place and can't wait to go back. Is it too cool for its own good? Absolutely. Hey, sometimes you want to go for a fun drink and tasty seafood in a fun atmosphere. We had every dish, and most of the wines/cocktails, and we were happy all around. It took a little longer than I would have liked, but it was also a blessing, made us slow down and enjoy everything thing these people have created. In a sea of over-polished pearls that lack sole, The Rendez-Vous delivers a fresh catch. read more

Impecable decorating, welcoming down to earth vibes, and great food and drinks. Owner ended up being our server and she was lovely. read more

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We really enjoyed the vibes and atmosphere at The Rendez-Vous. We only had time for a drink and (about 4) appetizers, so did not experience a full dinner, but it was delicious! Definitely worth checking out for the cool interior (100 year old murals discovered during remodel), the super friendly staff and generally cool atmosphere. read more

The food is decent. The cocktails well done, but for those with hearing issues it's very loud

So cute. Delicious drinks, very kind service, and the best seafood stew I've ever had. They seated us quickly, were open late, and had good wine recommendations. read more