By now, everyone in the U.S must be aware of the fact Oakland has one of the best, fastest-moving and most diverse dining scenes in the country. From Michelin-acknowledged trendy spots to talented chefs’ regional passion projects, here are the places we love the most.
Daytrip
Pretty, hip and award-winning Daytrip is ideal for spoiling yourself with a glass of natural wine and a bowl of its now-famous miso butter pasta. Other dishes are equally inventive – could you ever imagine you’ll be craving a celery salad? The menu changes frequently, making this a fun place to revisit.
Mago
Defining itself as Latin-American fine dining, Piedmont-located Mago offers a nightly tasting menu of elevated Colombian dishes by chef Mark Liberman. Despite the highly technical cooking, the atmosphere is friendly and welcoming, heightened by an open kitchen.
The Rendez Vous
The perfect shabby-chic French bistro does exist, and it’s in Oakland. With its deliberately peeling walls, vintage plates, candlelit bar and friendly staff, The Rendez-Vous is the move for date night or a friendly hang. The daily hand-written menu recreates French classics in a California manner, offering fresh salads, elegant cheese plates and changing hearty specials.
5526 Martin Luther King Jr Way, Oakland
Pomella
On the local food scene, Pomella is a sunshine of freshness, specializing in Israeli cuisine. A great option for a casual, family-style lunch or dinner, the restaurant offers vibrant mezze or hummus plates, fluffy pitas and delicious shawarma and wraps. The composed salads are especially good, and so is the majadra — a comforting mix of rice and lentils with yogurt-tahini sauce.
3770 Piedmont Ave Unit B, Oakland
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The recently-opened Temescal restaurant had been quick to acquire critical acclaim and fans, thanks to its innovative-yet-authentic take on soul food. Hide from the crowds behind the tinted screen, and feast on chicken liver and waffles, smoked swordfish, BBQ whole shrimp and rich desserts. Don’t neglect the creative cocktails, too.
Parche
Colorful and festive Parche is all about good times and Colombian flavors. Lunch, brunch and dinner are equally enticing, with dishes like hand-smashed crispy plantains, braised short rib in Mexican Coke and yuca buñuelos, as well as a whole array of ceviche. On weekends, expect live music and invigorating coffee cocktails.
Mama Oakland
Good Italian fare is hard to say no to — especially when it’s served in a friendly atmosphere and airy decor. Upon opening its doors, Mama became famous — and still is — for its affordable and satisfying prix-fixe menu, offering three courses for $39.95 a person. The fresh pasta dishes frequently change, and always thrill.
Snail Bar
One of the spots to lead Oakland’s natural wine revolution also happens to have excellent people-watching and one of the best food menus in the city. Nothing is too out-there, but anything that comes out of the kitchen is guaranteed to be beautiful and fresh, be it a seafood plate, a fruity dessert or a fancy grilled cheese sandwich.
Cafe Colucci
Oakland has no shortage of excellent Ethiopian food, but Cafe Colucci, which moved to the city from Berkeley a couple of years ago, takes the cake — or, rather, the injera. Spacious, warm and always busy, the restaurant serves fiery traditional stews and combo meals, as well as some harder-to-find dishes like Asa Tibs, an Ethiopian take on fish and chips.
Bombera
Chef Dominica Rice Cisneros is a local superstar, and for a good reason — her Mexican food is deeply personal, authentic and joyful, and the spacious restaurant always feels like a celebration. The telelas — blue corn empanadas — are a must, as well as all the moles. Plenty of vegan possibilities make the menu especially inclusive.
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