Oakland
We’ve compiled the best of the best in Oakland - browse our top choices for the top things to see or do during your stay.
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15 Recommendations
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1. Café Van Kleef
UptownLong before Uptown got hot, the late Peter Van Kleef was serving stiff fresh-squeezed Greyhounds and booking live music at this funky café-bar that crackles with creative energy—there's still live music every weekend.
1621 Telegraph Ave., Oakland, California, 94612, USA510-763–7711Nightlife Details
Rate Includes: Closed Sun. and Mon. -
2. Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon
Jack London SquareArguably California's longest continuously active saloon since it opened in 1884, this watering hole, built from the hull of a flat-bottomed stern-wheeler, is where young Jack London got his start as a writer. Historic photos and artifacts hang from the crooked walls and ceilings, which have been atilt since the 1906 earthquake. Get a peek at the slanted bar, where beers on tap and bottomless stories of Oakland history abound.
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3. Viridian
Some of the most innovative, pristine cocktails in the Bay Area are at this neon-lit, energetic bar. Bar Director William Tsui previously worked at fine dining juggernaut Lazy Bear in San Francisco, and that high level of meticulous technicality and ingredient sourcing is abundantly clear here across the bay. It's almost unfair that the food menu, nodding to several Asian cuisine elements with a California touch, is so great as well. The narrow space gets packed quickly.
2216 Broadway, Oakland, California, 94612, USA -
4. Brotzeit Lokal
Jack London Square | Brewpubs/Beer GardensIf you want a water view with your brew, head to this spot east of Jack London Square and enjoy a bretzel and obatzda (a soft German pretzel with Bavarian cheese dip), a selection of local wurst, or some Wiener schnitzel with your German or Belgian beer.
1000 Embarcadero, near 8th St., Oakland, California, 94606, USA510-645–1905Nightlife Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. -
5. Brotzeit Lokal
Lake MerrittThis tucked-away German biergarten is in Oakland's Brooklyn Basin along the waterfront Bay Trail, with lovely views of the marina, estuary, and Coast Guard Island. Known for its select German beers and delectable Bavarian dishes, including sausages, schnitzel, and homemade spaetzle, this family-friendly spot is especially popular on nice days.
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Recommended Fodor’s Video
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6. Buck Wild Brewing
Jack London SquareThis chic taproom is California's first 100%-gluten-free brewery, specializing in craft beers made without rye, wheat, or barley. The brewery also has tempting gluten-free fare such as quesadillas and fish tacos.
401 Jackson St., Oakland, California, 94607, USA510-350–7938Nightlife Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. -
7. Federation Brewing Company
Jack London SquarePart of Oakland's Ale Trail, the brewery has a convivial tasting room in the Jack London District with plenty of games for extended sipping of their pilsners, saisons, sours, and hoppy IPAs. Their outdoor seating area includes booth areas made of repurposed shipping containers. The taproom hosts live music and events a few nights a month, so make sure to check their calendar.
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8. Fox Theater
UptownThis renovated 1928 theater is a remarkable feat of Mediterranean Moorish architecture and has seen the likes of Willie Nelson, the Magnetic Fields, and B.B. King. The venue boasts good sight lines, a state-of-the-art sound system, brilliant acoustics, and a bar with food.
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9. Friends & Family
This fantastic woman- and queer-owned bar-restaurant has an excellent compact food menu, standout cocktails, a chic interior design, and one of the best patios in the city. The house margarita is an intriguing must-try drink with mezcal and lemon instead of lime and tequila. Other drinks have eyebrow-raising elements that truly work like melon-infused gin or a coconut water popsicle. The grilled cheese and carrot cake are best in class for those comfort food staples.
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10. Line 51 Brewing—The Terminal Taproom
Jack London SquareThis bright, airy, 7,500-square-foot brewery and taproom is a tribute to its early history, when the brewers hauled their kegs on public transit line 51 to their warehouse. Now, Oakland Ale Trail explorers can enjoy freshly tapped beer from a vintage 1971 AC transit bus that serves as a refrigeration unit for their brews. Fermentation tanks are on full display: the owners are passionate about their Red Death ale, IPAs, Short Dog ale, and porters.
303 Castro St., Oakland, California, 94607, USA510-985–4181Nightlife Details
Rate Includes: Closed Mon. and Tues. -
11. Low Bar
Unique cocktails; casual eats; and a fun space with plants and lots of natural light makes this one of the most compelling bars in Uptown Oakland. Cocktails have creative elements, like a spiced grapefruit cordial in the mezcal-based Deadbeat Summer.
2300 Webster St., Oakland, California, 94612, USA -
12. Original Pattern Brewing
Jack London SquareThe love for beer of all varieties is evident in the selection of award-winners at this employee-owned brewery. Original Pattern consistently produces the most satisfying and compelling offerings of any brewery in this beer-loving town.
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13. Sante Adairius Rustic Ales Oakland Arbor
In 2022, Sante Adairius opened a taproom in Old Oakland and the entire region rejoiced with plenty of barrel-aged saisons in tulip glasses and pints of intricate hazy IPAs. The intimate, refined saloon space also has a great rear patio. Even though the brews come from an hour away, no visit to Oakland for beer lovers is complete without a stop here.
460 8th St., Oakland, California, 94607, USA -
14. Telegraph
Uptown | Brewpubs/Beer GardensHipsters hold court at Telegraph (aka Beeryland), where giant murals and bike wheel rims decorate the largely cement and mostly graffitied outdoor beer garden. Expect great burgers and homemade sausages paired with alcoholic slushies and beers that change daily.
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15. Yoshi's
Jack London SquareOpened in 1972 as a sushi bar, Yoshi's has evolved into one of the area's best jazz and live music venues. The full experience includes traditional Japanese and Asian fusion cuisine in the adjacent restaurant.
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