Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon ★ 4.4
Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon in Oakland has poured since 1883 at Jack London Square. The building leans from the 1906 quake; original gas lighting.
Signature drink: Whiskey neat
Food: Bar snacks
Cocktail bars, wine bars, dive bars and gastropubs: drinking in Oakland for grown-ups.
Where to drink
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
Brotzeit Lokal Biergarten ★ 4.3
Brotzeit Lokal on the Brooklyn Basin waterfront pours German lagers under string lights, with estuary views. Pretzels, wurst and schnitzel on the menu.
Signature drink: Bavarian pilsner from the keg
Food: Pretzels, wurst, schnitzel
Eli's Mile High Club ★ 4.3
Eli's Mile High Club on MLK Way has been a Bay Area blues bar since the 1970s. Now a dive, a music venue, and a kitchen with daytime fried chicken too.
Signature drink: Cheap shot and a beer
Food: Fried chicken and bar snacks
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
Ordinaire ★ 4.5
Ordinaire on Grand Avenue near Lake Merritt has poured natural wine since Bradford Taylor opened it in 2013. Bistro plates, daily until 21:00.
Signature drink: Natural wine by the glass
Food: Bistro plates, cheese, charcuterie
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
Ramen Shop Bar ★ 4.5
Ramen Shop's College Avenue cocktail bar runs original cocktails and highballs with the East Bay's tightest spirit selection from St. George Distillery.
Signature drink: Yuzu Gold Rush
Food: Ramen, izakaya 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
Ghost Town Brewing Taproom ★ 4.5
Ghost Town's Adeline taproom in West Oakland is one of the best craft beer rooms in the East Bay. Hop-forward beers, dog-friendly, with rotating food trucks.
Signature drink: Ghost Town IPA
Food: Snacks, food trucks
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
Temescal Brewing ★ 4.4
Temescal Brewing's beer garden on Telegraph runs a sun-filled patio and a rotating tap list of crisp lagers and IPAs. Kid and dog friendly daily.
Signature drink: Helles lager from the cellar
Food: Rotating food trucks