Best Restaurants with a Tasting Menu in Oakland

This was our first time eating at Alta Via. My son and his wife were visiting from out of town for the holidays, and I wanted to treat them to a special meal before we attended the theater. From the moment we arrived, everything was outstanding: seating us at just the right table, explaining the menu and wine list, and helping us pick just the right appetizers and entrées. Our waitress, Sammy, was fantastic. Every part of our meal, from the wine to our appetizers of buratta and olives, our entrées, and the tiramisu we shared, we’re incredibly delicious. We’ll be back … soon!

The food was so so good. My wife called the calamari the best in Pittsburgh. Our server Nate was awesome and recommended perfect meals. Drinks and desert were some of the best in the city. Complimentary valet parking. Will definitely be back and recommend to anyone wanting to celebrate a birthday/anniversary/treat themselves to a fancy night out!

We have an annual get together at Christmas every year at Eddie Merlot's. We sit in the bar area and look at the holiday tree. We told our server we were there for a leisurely dinner and he honored that. He didn't rush us at all and coursed our dinner as such. He made great recommendations and helped convinced me to trg the elk chop. It was fantastic. Everything was great until the end when we were told that parking was no longer validated. That had been in place since the restaurant opened and has been a differentiator from other steakhouses. That was disappointing.

Amazing service and amazing food ever. single. time. 100000% recommend this restaurant if you’ve never been!

We loved our first visit to Golden Gai! From the moment we stepped through the door until the moment we left, the ambiance and hospitality exceeded expectations. Every dish we tried was perfectly presented and equally delicious! We really appreciated interacting with the chefs and watching them create the menu!! We will be back!