35 upscale places in Oakland, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Oakland: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Oakland food.
Belotti Ristorante e Bottega ★ 4.8
rockridge · 5403 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
Belotti on Rockridge's College Avenue cooks Piemonte cuisine in a Michelin Recommended trattoria. Tajarin and brasato are the cross-town dishes worth booking.
Ordinaire ★ 4.8
lake-merritt · 3354 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
Ordinaire on Grand Avenue near Lake Merritt has poured natural wine since Bradford Taylor opened it in 2013. Bistro plates, daily until 21:00.
Snail Bar ★ 4.8
temescal · 4935 Shattuck Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
Snail Bar on Shattuck pairs natural wine with seasonal Bib Gourmand small plates. Walk-in only, six-top maximum and no reservations of any size.
Burdell ★ 4.7
temescal · 4640 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
Geoff Davis's soul food room in Oakland's Temescal carries Michelin Recommended status and made Food and Wine's Best Restaurants in America list.
Wood Tavern ★ 4.7
rockridge · 6317 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
Wood Tavern on Rockridge's College Avenue has poured Bay Area wines and cooked New American since 2007. Bib Gourmand in the 2025 Michelin Guide California.
Ramen Shop Bar ★ 4.7
rockridge · 5812 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
Ramen Shop's College Avenue cocktail bar runs original cocktails and highballs with the East Bay's tightest spirit selection from St. George Distillery.
Ghost Town Brewing Taproom ★ 4.7
west-oakland · 1960 Adeline Street, Oakland, CA 94607
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.
Ordinaire ★ 4.7
lake-merritt · 3354 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
Ordinaire is Oakland's natural wine bar on Grand Avenue near Lake Merritt. Bradford Taylor opened it in 2013 with organic minimal-intervention pours.
Mago ★ 4.6
piedmont-avenue · 3762 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
Mark Liberman's Latin American tasting room in Oakland sits on Piedmont Avenue. Michelin Recommended in 2026, with a nightly-changing Colombian-rooted menu.
Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon ★ 4.6
jack-london-district · 48 Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94607
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.
Drake's Dealership ★ 4.6
uptown · 2325 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
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.
The Punchdown ★ 4.6
uptown · 1737 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
The Punchdown on Broadway in Uptown Oakland is a natural wine bar plus bottle shop. Twenty-five glasses rotating weekly, attached retail program.
Belotti Ristorante e Bottega ★ 4.5
rockridge · 5403 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
Belotti in Oakland's Rockridge cooks Piemonte cuisine in a tight Michelin Recommended trattoria. House-made tajarin and brasato are the cross-town dishes.
Pomet ★ 4.5
piedmont-avenue · 4029 Piedmont Avenue, Oakland, CA 94611
Pomet on Piedmont Avenue pairs Capay Valley farmer Aomboon Deasy with chef Alan Hsu. Menu changes with K and J Orchards produce, Michelin Green Star.
Ramen Shop ★ 4.5
rockridge · 5812 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
Ramen Shop on Rockridge's College Avenue runs a daily-changing ramen lineup with a full bar and a private karaoke room. Open every night, dinner only.
The Punchdown ★ 4.5
uptown · 1737 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
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.
Sobre Mesa ★ 4.5
uptown · 1618 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612
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.
Bardo Lounge and Supper Club ★ 4.5
lake-merritt · 3343 Lakeshore Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
Bardo on Lakeshore Avenue near Lake Merritt is a mid-century-inspired lounge. Wine, supper club plates, and a Michelin Guide listing for atmosphere.
Wood Tavern ★ 4.4
rockridge · 6317 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
Wood Tavern in Oakland's Rockridge has anchored College Avenue since 2007 and holds a 2025 Michelin Bib Gourmand for reliable New American cooking.
Temescal Brewing ★ 4.4
temescal · 4115 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
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.
A16 Rockridge ★ 4.3
rockridge · 5356 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
A16's Rockridge dining room runs the wood-fired Neapolitan pizza and southern Italian menu the brand built in San Francisco. Pizza is the entry point.
Cafe Van Kleef ★ 4.3
uptown · 1621 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612
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.
Brotzeit Lokal Biergarten ★ 4.3
jack-london-district · 1000 Embarcadero, Oakland, CA 94606
Brotzeit Lokal on the Brooklyn Basin waterfront pours German lagers under string lights, with estuary views. Pretzels, wurst and schnitzel on the menu.
Sobre Mesa ★ 4.3
uptown · 1618 Franklin Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Sobre Mesa on Franklin in Uptown Oakland is Top Chef Nelson German's Afro-Latin cocktail and wine lounge. Rum, Spanish wine, ceviche, plantain.
Mua Oakland ★ 4.2
uptown · 2442A Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94612
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.
Almond and Oak ★ 4.2
lake-merritt · 3311 Grand Avenue, Oakland, CA 94610
Almond and Oak in Oakland's Lake Merritt opened in December 2018 from chef-owner Rico Rivera. California New American with weekend brunch on Grand Avenue.
Eli's Mile High Club ★ 4.2
north-oakland · 3629 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Oakland, CA 94609
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.
Mua Oakland ★ 4.2
uptown · 2442A Webster Street, Oakland, CA 94612
Mua on Webster Street in Uptown Oakland is the long-running First Friday cocktail and supper room. Industrial warehouse lounge, steak frites, late drink.
The Wine Mine ★ 4.2
temescal · 5427 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94609
The Wine Mine on Telegraph in Temescal is a corner wine shop with a sit-down bar. Small-grower bottles, a rotating glass list and a sunny back patio.
The Hatch ★ 4.1
uptown · 402 15th Street, Oakland, CA 94612
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.
Viridian ★ 4.1
uptown · 2216 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
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.
A16 Rockridge Wine Bar ★ 4.1
rockridge · 5356 College Avenue, Oakland, CA 94618
A16 Rockridge takes wine as seriously as Neapolitan pizza. Aperitivo hour pours Campanian and Pugliese bottles by the glass at a College Avenue counter.
Viridian ★ 4.0
uptown · 2216 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
Viridian on Broadway at Grand in Uptown Oakland runs contemporary Asian American small plates and cocktails. The room replaced Plum Bar in 2020.
Telegraph ★ 4.0
uptown · 2318 Telegraph Avenue, Oakland, CA 94612
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.
Viridian ★ 4.0
uptown · 2216 Broadway, Oakland, CA 94612
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.