14 Best Bars in Oakland, The Bay Area

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. Tsui's signature drink is the Tomato Beef, a brilliant tomato water–tequila-basil eau de vie creation that is nothing like a Bloody Mary. The narrow space gets packed quickly.

This 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.

This beloved Santa Cruz-based brewery has a charming taproom in Old Oakland with plenty of barrel-aged saisons in tulip glasses and pints of intricate hazy IPAs. The intimate refined saloon space also has a great dog-friendly back patio. Even though the brews come from an hour away, no visit to Oakland for beer lovers is complete without a stop here.

Opened 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.

Arguably 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. And if it's a sunny day, make sure to spend at least one round on the front patio.

This 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.

This 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.

Long 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 always crackles with creative energy, along with live music on some nights. The bizarre decor full of all kinds of art objects could be a museum if it wasn't a bar.

Part 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.

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.

This 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.

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.

If 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.

Hipsters 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.