Itani Ramen ★ 4.3
Kyle Itani's izakaya and ramen kitchen on Telegraph Avenue runs a tonkotsu-forward menu with Japanese small plates. Bowls, beer and sake, daily.
Signature: Tonkotsu ramen, Shoyu ramen, Karaage
Restaurants in Uptown
Mua Oakland ★ 4.2
Mua on Webster in Uptown Oakland opened in 2008 as one of the first restaurants on then-Auto Row. Family-owned New American with a strong cocktail program.
Signature: Steak frites, Lamb chops, Cocktails
Fine Dining in Uptown
Parche ★ 4.6
Parche on Broadway in Uptown Oakland runs chef-owner Paul Iglesias's Colombian heritage menu. Three years running on the Michelin Guide for Oakland.
Sobre Mesa ★ 4.4
Top Chef contestant Nelson German's Afro-Latin cocktail lounge on Franklin in Uptown Oakland runs seasonal small plates and a Dominican-roots cocktail list.
Casual Dining in Uptown
Town Biscuits ★ 4.3
Town Biscuits runs a Thursday-to-Sunday biscuit breakfast in Oakland's Uptown. Fried chicken and bacon-egg sandwiches on flaky buttermilk biscuits.
Signature: Buttermilk biscuit sandwich, Fried chicken biscuit
Viridian ★ 4.2
Viridian on Broadway at Grand in Uptown Oakland runs contemporary Asian American small plates and cocktails. The room replaced Plum Bar in 2020.
Signature: Cocktails, Asian American small plates
Itani Ramen ★ 4.3
Kyle Itani's ramen room and izakaya runs tonkotsu bowls plus Japanese small plates on Telegraph in Uptown Oakland. Beer and sake list to match.
Signature: Tonkotsu ramen, Karaage
Cafés in Uptown
Modern Coffee ★ 4.3
Modern Coffee on 19th Street in Oakland's Uptown is a women-owned downtown coffee bar. Two locations across downtown, with a calm sit-down vibe.
Signature drink: Espresso
Cafenated Coffee Co. ★ 4.2
Cafenated Coffee on Broadway in Uptown Oakland took over the former Red Bay Box shipping-container cafe. Direct-trade beans from women-led farms.
Signature drink: Direct-trade espresso
The Crown: Royal Coffee Lab and Tasting Room ★ 4.4
The Crown on Broadway is Royal Coffee's public lab and tasting room. Order a flight from the cupping bar and taste origin coffees from the importer.
Signature drink: Cupping flight
Telegraph ★ 4.2
Telegraph on Telegraph in Uptown Oakland runs an all-day coffee cafe by morning and a beer garden by night. Bagels, sandwiches and a big patio.
Signature drink: Drip coffee
Bakeries in Uptown
Sweet Bar Bakery ★ 4.3
Sweet Bar Bakery on Broadway in Uptown Oakland was the first artisan bakery in the neighborhood. Bacon-gorgonzola scones, gluten-free cupcakes.
Worth the queue: Bacon-gorgonzola scone
Donut Savant ★ 4.3
Donut Savant on Broadway above 19th Street BART runs daily flavors plus cron'ts, apple fritters and cinnamon rolls. Tuesday to Saturday for breakfast.
Worth the queue: Maple bacon donut
Coffee Roasters in Uptown
Royal Coffee at The Crown ★ 4.5
The Crown on Broadway is Royal Coffee's public lab. The Emeryville importer's full origin range gets cupped at the bar Tuesday through Saturday.
Sources from: Ethiopia, Kenya, Colombia, Guatemala, Indonesia
How they serve: Espresso, Pour over, Whole bean retail
Cafenated Coffee Co. ★ 4.3
Cafenated sources from women-led farm cooperatives across Central and South America. The Broadway shipping-container cafe and the Berkeley flagship anchor it.
Sources from: Honduras, Guatemala, Ethiopia, Rwanda
How they serve: Espresso, Pour over, Whole bean retail
Wine Bars in Uptown
The Punchdown ★ 4.4
The Punchdown on Broadway in Uptown Oakland is a natural wine bar plus bottle shop. Twenty-five glasses rotating weekly, attached retail program.
Signature pour: Twenty-five rotating natural by-the-glass pours
Wine focus: Natural wine, biodynamic and organic
Food: Small plates, cheese, charcuterie
Viridian ★ 4.2
Viridian on Broadway in Uptown Oakland runs a cocktail bar with a strong wine and sake list to match Asian American small plates. The room replaced Plum Bar.
Signature pour: Sake by the glass, sparkling by the bottle
Wine focus: Pan-Asian-friendly cocktails and wine
Food: Asian American small plates
Sobre Mesa ★ 4.4
Sobre Mesa on Franklin in Uptown Oakland is Top Chef Nelson German's Afro-Latin cocktail and wine lounge. Rum, Spanish wine, ceviche, plantain.
Signature pour: Spanish and Latin American sparkling and red by the glass
Wine focus: Latin and Caribbean-leaning wine list
Food: Afro-Latin small plates, ceviche, plantains
Bars in Uptown
Cafe Van Kleef ★ 4.3
Cafe Van Kleef on Telegraph in Uptown Oakland is the famously eccentric cocktail dive that helped revive the corridor in the 2000s. Greyhound is the call.
Signature drink: Greyhound with fresh grapefruit
Food: Bar bites
The Hatch ★ 4.2
The Hatch on 15th in downtown Oakland pours an East Bay-centric beer list with Rico Tiongco's burger and bacon-dog program. Late-night, no fuss.
Signature drink: Local IPA on draft
Food: Bacon-wrapped hot dogs and burgers
Drake's Dealership ★ 4.4
Drake's Dealership in Uptown Oakland runs a sprawling beer garden in a converted Dodge dealership. Thirty-two taps, fire pits and wood-fired pizza to match.
Signature drink: Drake's IPA
Food: Wood-fired pizza and snacks
The Punchdown ★ 4.4
The Punchdown on Broadway is Uptown Oakland's natural wine room. Twenty-five glasses rotating weekly, plus a bottle shop for takeaway from the back.
Signature drink: Twenty-five rotating natural by-the-glass pours
Food: Small plates, cheese boards
Sobre Mesa ★ 4.4
Sobre Mesa on Franklin in Uptown Oakland is Top Chef Nelson German's Afro-Latin cocktail lounge. Dominican rum and Latin cocktails alongside up-tempo music.
Signature drink: Dominican-rum cocktails
Food: Afro-Latin small plates
Viridian ★ 4.2
Viridian on Broadway in Uptown Oakland is a cocktail bar with Pan-Asian small plates. The room replaced Daniel Patterson's Plum Bar in 2020.
Signature drink: Pan-Asian cocktail program
Food: Asian American small plates
Mua Oakland ★ 4.3
Mua on Webster Street in Uptown Oakland is the long-running First Friday cocktail and supper room. Industrial warehouse lounge, steak frites, late drink.
Signature drink: Classic cocktails and whiskey
Food: Steak frites, lamb chops, late dinner
Telegraph ★ 4.2
Telegraph on Telegraph in Uptown Oakland runs an all-day beer garden and cafe with a vast street-art patio. Burgers, sausages and a deep draft list.
Signature drink: Rotating draft IPAs
Food: Burgers and bagels
Street Food in Uptown
Town Biscuits ★ 4.3
Town Biscuits in Uptown Oakland is a Thursday-to-Sunday biscuit window. Fried chicken biscuits and bacon-egg sandwiches that snap to the corner.
Try: Fried chicken biscuit
Breweries in Uptown
Drake's Dealership ★ 4.5
Drake's Dealership opened in a converted Dodge dealership on Broadway Auto Row in 2015. The grand beer garden has fire pits, 32 taps and wood-fired pizza.
Telegraph ★ 4.2
Telegraph on Telegraph in Uptown Oakland is a beer garden cafe with a sprawling patio, a rotating tap list and house burgers, bagels and sausages.
Cooking Classes in Uptown
Cozymeal Oakland ★ 4.3
Cozymeal Oakland runs chef-led cooking classes at various host kitchens across the city. Group sizes up to twelve, all skill levels, public booking.
ClassBento Oakland Cooking ★ 4.2
ClassBento Oakland aggregates Bay Area cooking classes from pasta-making to dim sum. Public booking, chef-led group sessions across East Bay kitchens.
Budget Eats in Uptown
Town Biscuits ★ 4.3
Town Biscuits in Oakland's Uptown runs biscuit sandwiches under twelve dollars Thursday through Sunday. Fried chicken on flaky buttermilk biscuits.
Order: Fried chicken biscuit under twelve dollars.
Tip: Pre-order online; weekend lines snap to the corner by 10 a.m.
Brunch in Uptown
Town Biscuits ★ 4.3
Town Biscuits runs a Thursday-to-Sunday biscuit breakfast in Oakland's Uptown. Fried chicken and bacon-egg sandwiches on flaky buttermilk biscuits.
Order: Fried chicken biscuit sandwich with pimento cheese.
Tip: Order ahead for pickup; the line snaps to the corner on weekends. Chili-dusted home fries are the under-rated side.
Sweet Bar Bakery ★ 4.3
Sweet Bar Bakery on Broadway in Uptown Oakland runs a daily savory and sweet bakery brunch. Bacon-gorgonzola scones, gluten-free options, vegan fauxnuts.
Order: Bacon-gorgonzola scone and a flat white.
Tip: Coffee and panini through lunchtime; the bakery does cupcakes and event cakes through the afternoon.
Late-Night Eats in Uptown
Drake's Dealership ★ 4.4
Drake's Dealership in Oakland's Uptown stays open past 22:00 with 32 taps, fire pits and wood-fired pizza in the old Dodge dealership on Broadway Auto Row.
Order: Drake's IPA flight and a wood-fired pizza.
Tip: The beer garden runs late on weekends; fire pits help against the marine layer. Thirty-two taps on rotation.
Cafe Van Kleef ★ 4.3
Cafe Van Kleef on Telegraph in Uptown Oakland is the long-running cocktail dive that runs until 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Greyhound is the call.
Order: Greyhound with fresh grapefruit at 1 a.m.
Tip: Open to 2 a.m. on Friday and Saturday. Cash works fastest at the cocktail counter.
Mua Oakland ★ 4.3
Mua on Webster Street is the family-owned First Friday late-dinner room in Uptown Oakland. Industrial warehouse, classic cocktails, steak frites.
Order: Steak frites and a classic Manhattan.
Tip: Late dinner Fridays and Saturdays; the bar runs after the kitchen closes.
Sobre Mesa ★ 4.4
Sobre Mesa on Franklin in Uptown Oakland runs Top Chef Nelson German's Afro-Latin cocktail lounge past midnight Friday and Saturday with DJs.
Order: Rum daiquiri and the croquetas.
Tip: Friday and Saturday close at 12:30 a.m. with up-tempo music after 10.
The Hatch ★ 4.2
The Hatch on 15th Street in downtown Oakland runs an East Bay-centric beer list and Rico Tiongco's late-night burger and bacon-dog program nightly.
Order: Bacon-wrapped hot dog and a local IPA.
Tip: Open every night until midnight; kitchen runs late on Friday and Saturday.
Nightlife in Uptown
The New Parish ★ 4.3
The New Parish on San Pablo in Uptown Oakland is the city's hardest-working independent music room. Hip-hop, soul, indie and world acts with a dance floor.
Tip: Ticketed by show; check the calendar a week ahead for headline acts. Two-tier room with bar service upstairs.
Fox Theater Oakland ★ 4.7
Fox Theater on Telegraph in Uptown Oakland is the 2,800-seat former movie palace turned flagship Bay Area concert hall. Another Planet's headline room.
Tip: Tickets via Ticketmaster or Another Planet; the balcony has the best sound.
Drake's Dealership Beer Garden ★ 4.4
Drake's Dealership in Uptown Oakland anchors the city's open-air drinking with fire pits, 32 taps and a wood-fired pizza counter. Adirondack seating for 200.
Tip: Fire pits help against the marine layer; the beer garden runs latest Friday and Saturday.
Viridian ★ 4.2
Viridian on Broadway in Uptown Oakland is the cocktail bar that replaced Daniel Patterson's Plum Bar. Pan-Asian small plates and a quiet cocktail program.
Tip: Friday and Saturday reservations recommended; the back bar runs the strongest classic cocktails.
Sobre Mesa ★ 4.4
Sobre Mesa is Top Chef Nelson German's Afro-Latin cocktail lounge in Uptown Oakland. Rum-led cocktails, Dominican small plates, weekend DJs after 10 pm.
Tip: Friday and Saturday close at 12:30 a.m. with up-tempo music after 10. Reservations recommended.
Cafe Van Kleef ★ 4.3
Cafe Van Kleef on Telegraph in Uptown Oakland is the eccentric cocktail dive that helped revive the corridor in the 2000s. Late-night Friday and Saturday.
Tip: Greyhound with fresh grapefruit is the famous call; cash is faster than card.