I am afraid that A16's reputation far exceeds the reality of the experience at least at this location. The $24. pizza was truly unexceptional. The ingredients were thrown on the pizza in such abandonment that one slice was totally absent of any at all. The crust was rubbery at best, and the delicacy of the mushrooms was over-powered by the sharpness of the cheese. Another unforgivable sin was that everyone sitting anywhere near the from roll-up door in the front of the restaurant had to keep their down jackets on throughout the meal. My hand were like ice by the time we left. The best mushroom pizza I have had is Rosso's FUNGHI DI LIMONE not at A16. read more

Sit at the bar, have a glass of rosé and watch the bartenders burn rosemary for artisanal cocktails while you move through the menu. Really nice vibe here! read more

Do the Barrata and Sagrantino de Perugia. Awesome. It immediately transported me back to Umbria for an amazing sense of Italian umami. Wow. read more

The first truly bad dinner I have had in Bay Area. The prices were like San Francisco but the food was mediocre. The pizza was rubbery and not at all delicious. (Pizza Hut is better) the tuna was the smallest portion ever and arrived COLD! Please AVOID! It's awful being hungry but paying for bad food is the worst! read more

I have been 3 different times at a16 and must say they done a nice job With the restaurant renovation . I used to go to hudsons 3 times a week Because they had great prices and now the prices at A16 have gone way up 2 appetizers and 2 cheap glass of wine $48 i went home and had to make myself a sandwich. Eastbay is not used to san francisco prices The comments i hear from my dine around friends that it is expensive I guess i will stick with Wood tavern to bad read more

We went to A16 Rockridge Saturday night around 5:45 pm. I was hoping we can get in since I couldn't get a table on Open Table. Tried calling but no one answered. I bought the Travelzoo promo so wanted to try it. We were able to get 4 seats at the chef's counter which was great. The place has a wonderful atmosphere and the appetizers, pizza and entree were very good. Our drinks took a long time to make since they make everything from scratch and the bar was very busy so we totally understood and were fine with the delay but the manager came over and apologized and took really good care of us. Galen was our waiter and he was amazing. Their desserts were very good. Even though they were so busy, the wine sommelier came over and suggested a really nice and reasonably priced wine to go with the rabbit, duck and NY Steak entrees. We loved everything about A16 Rockridge. Thank you Nick (pizza expert), Isaiah (salmon expert) and Blake (sauce expert). Dana (hope I am spelling your name correctly) thank you for making us feel so special. My two children 22 and 20 really enjoyed A16 and Galen's service and humor and loved your eye glasses. I have already made reservations for my birthday in October and will come before than with my friends. Thank you. Evelyn read more

We were there tonight; it took them a long time to sit us down, but we understand; the waitress was not very knowledgeable but nice; it took forever for our drinks to come; but we understand; then a party of around 6-8 people in the back part of the restaurant where we were, were laughing so hard, so much, that it was impossible to hear our own voces; we couldn't talk really; so one of us stand up and go to them to tell them that is really annoying the laughter they have to please to please quiet it down a bit; they are nice, but they didn't! We decided to eat everything and leave; we are in our last bites and a couple comes towards us from a table next to them, and started insulting us... we thought that they were part of that party but they were just on another table and they start yelling at us that we ruined their night! That's funny, right? We didn't even talked to them and we are not going to go into the details about what they said to us, it was just so bizarre... so bizarre.. new times we are living in?... we told the host at the entrance of the restaurant and she, a young woman, didn't say a word; she didn't know perhaps what to say. Sad, mostly the food was good except the calamari.. really tasteless... we are not going back... sadly! read more

Starting with the greeting at the front which was not really a greeting, more like a "why did you even show up." The service here is horrible. Waiter took way too long to come to table and never checked up on us. Very expensive for no service. Much much better options at this level in the East Bay. I will never go back. read more

R had a recent birthday which needed to be celebrated, and, we needed to plan next year's trip to Sicily. I arrived first and mentioned I wanted to try a Sicilian white by the glass. The wine list is a bit intimidating as the Italian listings are mostly unknown to us. With help from the most charming of servers, I chose a lovely blend from Sicily. When my two other travel buddies arrived, they too made similar Sicilian selections. R and I split a roasted calamari appetizer and an entrée. The plate was swordfish, something I rarely eat. However, it was slight overdone, by a minute or two in the oven. Fish tends to keep cooking after it is removed from high heat, and this can produce a dried out fish. When notified we were not delighted, our server volunteered to ask the kitchen to send out another. We declined and vowed to ensure we remember to always ask for fish to be slightly pink in the middle in the future. M was happy with her own order and quietly savored each bite. Our dessert of apple cake was accompanied by a gift of panna cotta, which was heavenly. Service was just right, great attitude, and with a daily changing menu, the kitchen turns out some delicious southern Italian food with creative nuances. read more

The meal and the service were awesome. Our server Xtina was great- gave great recommendations and really took care of us. She even gave us a special treat for our anniversary! Fried olives were delish and the Testa Pizza was solo good. The mussel risotto and the salmon were also good. The chocolate semifreddo was a great way to finish the meal! Don't know if all this yummy stuff will be here when you come, because the menu seems seasonal. But the pizzas can't miss! read more

Rockridge has been needing a spot like this! It's long overdue. The architecture (& interior design) is restrained and just drop dead gorgeous. Light pours in from the generous floor-to-ceiling windows (and a glass fronted roll-up door!) breathing new life into this space - it's hard to believe this space was once Hudsons. They hand you a cocktail menu right when you walk in, so you can have a cocktail or wine while you wait to be seated- the bar is amazing and they really know what they're doing here. Our waitress was a bit overbearing (checking up on us maybe every 10 minutes) but literally everything else was perfect. I'll be back- often. read more

Seated right away, but service is a little slow because it seemed busy, so expect to be there for awhile waiting for your food. The food was ok, but very pricey. We tried the burrata, hen egg bruschetta, anchovies, grilled calamari were just ok. I tried everyone's entree, so the pork chop was so good but half the pork chop was fat, gnocchi with peas I thought was bland but edible, the squid pasta was al dente with little sauce (I only ate 3 bites) no one liked it, should have returned it when the waiter asked but I don't like doing that, the margarita pizza was soggy today, and lastly the Bosco pizza was pretty delicious. Sorry but not going back. Our waiter was nice enough, everyone was on top of cleaning the tables, I just really wish the food was better. read more

The service is 5+ stars, but the food was so disappointing that it won't get me back. I agree with other reviewers - when a place has THIS MUCH HYPE and you pay $240 for 3 apps, 1 pizza, and 4 glasses of wine, I want the food to match the hype. Pizza was soggy in some places, burnt in others, and overall, uninspired. Apps were unevenly tasty - salmon crudo was overly garlicky in some spots, overly vinegary in others, the cauliflower in a white sauce was STELLAR, roasted calamari also yummy - but all were VERYsmall portions - 3 small bites and they're gone! The atmosphere is nice - nice decor, stellar location, not too loud . . . . But for my hard earned cash I will head up the street to Marica's next time and brave the crowded, noisy crammed restaurant for some reliably delicious food in portions that won't leave me feeling like I just got SCAMMED. read more

CAVEAT: We've had very good meals at A16 with their regular pizzas and pastas; but, when they do a 'special' menu -- as they did for New Years Eve -- run for the hills, because the meal will be on the dark side of execrable. We learned too late; there's still time for you! To wit: The first -- and, at least for one dish, the best -- course, ANTIPASTI, was either an albacore crudo (good, if hardly exceptional) or water buffalo veal polpettini (virtually inedible, but for the saving grace of some nicely-brothed, baby lentils underneath). The polpettini were dry, overcooked, unspiced, and almost entirely lacking in flavor; I don't think we've ever had any 'Italian' dish taste so bland. So, we were off to an iffy start, but still undaunted. Unfortunately, the second course, PASTA, was the beginning of the deluge of poorly conceived, prepared, and presented dishes. The first, a crab crespelle -- not a pasta; think crunchy, tiny, crab flautas on a bed of oil-infused mashed potatoes -- sounded great and, indeed, the little flautas were fine. But they sat on an oil-permeated, almost tasteless bed of mashed potatoes -- that, for some reason, were not just tepid, but soupy and cold. A disastrous combo -- but if you ate the flautas quickly, the cold, oily potatoes could do only minimal damage to them. The second pasta was a pasta: a single, large raviolo served with an egg inside. We've had the Michael Chiarello version at Bottega, and it's absolutely superb: it comprises a very large raviolo, served piping hot, and when punctured by a fork, exudes a beautiful stream of bright, yellow egg yolk. Here, tho, A16 over-cooked the raviolo -- such that the egg yolk had largely congealed. And to add insult to their own injury, they then served the dish only luke warm. At this point, we sensed we were now headlong into a disaster. And, of course, things went downhill fast. The third course, the ENTREE, was a black cod or beef tenderloin choice. The cod was OK, on a basic level but, strangely, lacked any seasoning, even tho it was touted as having a savory seafood brodo. (Brodo? About the same as broth bought off the shelf at Trader Joes; tho somewhat less flavorful.) It was served warm, the plate was cold. Huh? But, while the cod was at least edible, the beef tenderloin was horrible -- twice! The first time, the plate was cold, and the beef, itself, was no warmer than room temperature. I asked them to heat it and -- 10 minutes later -- was presented with what looked to be a different plate, with different cuts. But, this time, the meat was gray, overcooked, dry, and -- essentially -- all from an end piece. It looked thoroughly unappetizing -- but proved worse. Resting on a bed of winter root vegetables, the beef proved inedible: about the worst I've tasted in my life. Really. The consistency was almost mealy. And the bone marrow bread crumb garni only made a terrible dish worse -- since it tasted like small, sand granules. (Cf. Lark Creek's hot, savory, juicy Pot Roast with winter vegetables.) The root vegetables were somewhat better -- but only because they had no flavor whatsoever. And, to top it off, this version, tho slightly warmer than the first, was still served not much above room temperature. After two bites, I conceded defeat, and pushed the plate far away. Strangely -- or perhaps not -- our server never asked how that -- or any other -- dish tasted. That, I found peculiar -- it was as if she knew just how bad the food she was serving had to be. We almost passed on dessert, figuring we could still get out alive, but -- hungry for something worthwhile -- were tempted by the rosemary + chocolate panna cotta. Seemed like a fun concept of mixed flavors, but A16 took it precisely in the wrong direction: instead of lightly spicing the chocolate with rosemary, they basically served a rosemary panna cotta with chocolate flavoring. The rosemary overpowered the palate -- and the many rosemary needles inevitably got stuck in one's teeth. The cookies aside were stale -- as if purchased from a day-old bakery. Our server was friendly, but the service overall was scattered and inattentive -- as the cold dishes (and lack of interest in how we 'liked' our meals) reflected. Perhaps she had too many tables. So, with relatively empty -- and thoroughly unsatisfied -- stomachs, and nearly $300 lighter in our pockets, we fled A16 for the safety of home, and some edible New Years Eve snacking. Enjoy the regular menu at A16 -- but by all means AVOID ALL 'SPECIAL' MENUS AT A16. Even were if free, this would have been a terrible experience. Silver lining? The dinner was so abominable, we laughed [at] ourselves all the way home; we had to squeeze some lemonade out of the A16 lemon! (Two stars, because the regular menu is -- has to be -- much better; but no stars for last night. Inexcusably atrocious! And they probably have no clue how bad they were -- last night, at least.) read more

$20 for a neopolitan pizza? This is what Oakland needs another over priced pizza place like Pizzaioli, Marzona, Boot and Shoe, blah blah place. A place for painfully middle-aged hipsters. read more

Sad to see the trend in poor ratings for this place becoming more frequent, but it's definitely broken. It's been a long while since we had time for a date night and a longer while since we were at A16, so we checked it out, but I frankly wish we had not. Poor service... slow service, had to request drinks twice and honestly got a vibe like we were somehow intruding on their turf and should feel lucky we were allowed in. So odd. Food... oysters were delicate and tasty, the burrata was salty, but good. Same for the pizza, but the final course was so salty that we both stopped 3 bites into it and refused to have it boxed up. This was the sole time the server actually took any effort about our experience and she took the last dish off the bill. Drinks... definitely not a craft cocktail place. It was was or was good enough to be counted as one without trying, but no more. There's a lot more, but the short story is that this place seemed to be struggling to be high-end and simply not making it. I realized during most of the meal, I kept thinking of a couple other nearby restaurants that absolutely nail high-end and fancy and make it look effortless... not the reaction you want your diners to have. Oh, yeah... no manager or seeming care as we left. read more

3 stars for service and 4 stars for food, but because service is important to me if you are paying for nicer place to have dinner i wouldn't recommend this place. Heard a lot about it, read a few articles about it as well, but when arrived for our reservation we waited 40 min for our table. It then took forever for the waitress to serve us. We had to wave her down. She told gave us an addtl appetizer on the house since we waited so long and when the bill came she had charged us for this extra appetizer. Overall not a great experience and wouldnt likely go back read more

Shelley Lindgren where are you? The staff here was so flakey...and I don't mean in a good way. The four of us ordered 4 salads, the plates were set down and the server disappeared. We had to flag him down to get the pepper grinder. He ground the pepper for one person and then spun and left the rest waiting for theirs. The wine bottle was ceremoniously presented to, opened then poured for the man at the table--it was the woman guest who had ordered it. Don't go through the formality if you don't know who ordered the wine or at least ask "who would like to taste." The server forgot about the dessert order for one guest. Oops. That came rather late. The check, when "presented", was the wrong bill complete with someone else's American Express credit card. Had to wave down the server again since she just plunked it down and ran. Service was glacial, most definitely indifferent, and amateur. We won't be back because the food was also ordinary. A16 is a pizza place. read more

We came here late on a Wednesday night and sat at the counter. Both of us are on Paleo and eating out is a pain. We had a GREAT server named Gailen, who showed us through the menu and helped us make choices. Our food was gorgeous and equally delicious. We had a wonderful meal. One of the best I've had in a LONG time. The staff though uber cool are all hospitality minded and three different people said goodbye to us as we exited the restaurant. It's a terrific place and we will be back. read more

Went for our anniversary dinner and was very pleased. Meal was perfect and waitress was kind enough to comp us with champagne. We had couple drinks and dessert which made for a pleasant evening. Things weren't over the top--exactly as we liked. read more

The bosco pizza and calamari did not taste good, but maybe it's just us. The drinks were solid and priced according to the area.

Well I wish there was a way to give zero stars. This is a very unfriendly spot, especially compared to the previous restaurant I this location. Very rude staff too. I came in and the bar searing was full, so I stood in the corner waiting for the bartender to come over, after a long wait I finally asked the Barback for a dinner menu, he brought me a cocktail and wine lists. I stood there for another five minutes and then the actually bartender finally came over. He didn't say hello or any greeting, but in tone that was sort of demeaning he asked me "what do want" - as if I was making a delivery and should head to the backdoor of the restaurant. It should be noted that I was the only person of color in the place - dinning or working. I asked him for a menu. He gave me a pained look and went and retrieved one. Several minutes later he returns and asks again "what do I want." Now keep in mind that I'm standing at the bar with a dinner menu in my hand - the implication being I'm looking to order "dinner." I told him I was waiting for a seat at the bar to have dinner, he said nothing just turned and walked away. He made no attempt to point out potentially opening spots or ask me if I wanted something to drink while I waited. Guess my money was not worth his time. Unfortunately this pretentious overprice bigoted restaurant doesn't seem to be closing anytime soon. Too bad this stretch of College could use a nice and friendly upscale restaurant - A16 is not it. read more

We finally tried A16 and I found it to be disappointing. The burrata was good, the squid and beans tasty, but nothing special, the gnocchi very good, the uni pasta horrible, salty, heavy and another pasta a friend ordered, as bad. The chocolate mousse was good, but the gelato was a non-event. The place has a nice vibe to it, but is very loud. The waiter started off with an attitude which put us all off. He tried to make up for it during the dinner (no doubt suddenly thinking about his impending tip), but did not succeed. We won't be going back there. read more

I was so looking forward to A16's opening and was expecting a fabulous meal. Unfortunately, pretty much everything we had was disappointing. Admittedly, we did not try their pizzas, but the two pasta dishes we tried (bucatini and paccheri) were both average to below average. The bucatini in particular was not very flavorful and the paccheri was meh. For dessert, we tried the chocolate baba and it was also meh. Service was excellent, however, which was impressive for opening night. I much prefer the offerings at Pizzaiolo and Boot and Shoe Service... read more

Pretentious staff/bartenders... Sat at the bar for 10mins as bartenders chatted and attended to other patrons who arrived after me! Unapologetic and felt completely ignored. read more

Rustic meets modern interior and food. Pizza lovers will like the pizza but go for the less common dishes like squid pasta with clams and mussels, trourt and pork. Side dish veggies range from seasonal root veggies, kale and squash. Pair with one of the many wines in the wine Bible or start with a fancy cocktail. Staff is efficient and friendly. Counter or bar a bit more of a fun vibe then tables. Go back frequently for new dishes to tangle your taste. read more

opening night. the girls at the host station are indifferent at best. waitress was nice. food is medium-- good, but not great for the money. would have gotten cocktails, but for 20 minutes while waiting for an open table, no one bothered to take our order. speaking of waiting, there were four bar seats and one open table that we stared at while not getting a drink. yea, that's about it. could be opening night jitters, but...meh... only gave 3 stars because can't do 2.5, and feeling generous, rounded up. read more

I am a Rockridge resident but it took me until now to give A16 a try. I came for a birthday celebration and the food and drinks blew our minds. The Burrata appetizer is amazing and it was a very generous portion. The Pana pizza (prosciutto) was perfection in flavor and the dough was perfect. The cucumber/beet salad was incredible too. The atmosphere is sophisticated and modern, in a delicate and subtle way. Service is great. read more

This place rocks, not only is the food awesome, the wine and drinks are awesome and all the servers are even better. I was struck in particular not because he is so handsome but because he was so sweet, so genuine, so nice actually the best bartender named Dan I have ever experienced in my life. Check this place out you will not be sorry and give Dan his props. read more

My husband and I love this restaurant although disappointed with the uncomfortable experience here this evening. Giving 3 stars for the cocktails although epic fail with the service and vibe of the male bartender working. It's unfortunate when someone who shouldn't be in a customer facing role is, the black eyed, bearded guy needs to warm his vibe and learn what hospitality means! What a shame, won't rush back for a long time in hopes he has moved on next time we go. read more

I regularly make a point of dining here when visiting my daughter in Oakland. I enjoy the spacious ambiance and the attentive service they give their guests. They have a good menu and a great selection of choices. Parking can be challenging but it's worth it! read more

This place makes the best old fashioned I've ever had. For reference, I'm a whiskey/bourbon enthusiast and I've been to a top James Beard awarded cocktail lounge in Chicago that specializes in whiskey drinks and the old fashioned in particular. A16 does it right by lightly toasting the orange rind and smearing the orange oils on the rim of the glass. They also use their house made bitters which I think makes this drink so unique. As far the food, they specialize in brick oven, open fire, thin crust pizzas. They're about 10" in diameter and is good for two persons or one hungry person. They're tasty but a little soggy for my liking. I usually prefer a heartier dough that can hold up to the toppings and sauce even while being thin. Still, I would go back here again and would recommend this place even if it is just for the old fashioned. read more

Excellent food and service. Portions were modest, and the pizza was expensive. The online menu bore no relation to what was on last night's menu--I had come expecting a list of "sides" that would include roasted vegetables, but that didn't exist as a category. Wanted a light dinner, and my gnocchi and salad of cucumber and radishes worked well. We shared a fabulous burrata as an appetizer. The bottle of wine--excellent--was $59 and was one of the less expensive choices. One companion had a pasta dish, again, excellent but a modest serving and very pricey. Second companion's pizza had a thin crust and delicious topping and was very light. I don't mind paying a lot for excellent food that is creative and unusual in some way. This was all very fresh and well-prepared, just a bit expensive for what we were getting. Nice atmosphere. Noisy, but not so packed in that we couldn't hold a good conversation. read more

Confused at these reviews, since our service was excellent. Everyone was really friendly and attentive. We showed up for brunch a few minutes after they officially closed but they still seated us. The food was delicious - we got the pastry spread (squash muffins, delish! and chocolate orange sfogliatelle, amazing!) and the eggplant pasta as well as the quiche. The quiche came with a mint and cucumber salad which was refreshing - really yummy. Now we need to try this place for dinner. read more

We went recently for a friend's birthday dinner (a group of 10 of us), and the dinner was amazing! It felt like a 10 course meal over 3 1/2 hours. Standouts were the grilled calamari app, the pasta with clams, the pesto and sausage pizza, the fried pizza with burrata, the potato side, and the lavender gelato. I feel like we had most of the menu, and nothing disappointed. The service was excellent. I can't wait to go back. read more

We have always loved their SF location, and didn't know about this until we stumbled upon it. We sat at the chefs table and watched as they prepared all the different pizzas on their menu, and although each version was tempting, we opted for the classic margarita. In my opinion, this is the best pizza in the Bay Area. Started with the fried squash blossoms (crispy with a delicious but simple tomato sauce) and the roasted calamari with fried corona beans and lemon (wow). Lots of great help with wine selections and everyone seemed genuinely happy to be there. Reservations were a little difficult, but shouldn't deter you. read more

Mediocre service and food. I even had to ask for salt that they cleared from the table before we had even finished. We also got the seats next to the bathroom where there was a constant breeze from the outside. $350 dollars wasted. I really wish they would have thought through the customer experience and tasted the food before they severed it. read more

We hosted a party for 16 family members ranging from 18 to 66. We held the brunch in their 'private party room'. The room was nicely decorated for the holidays. The food was delicious. Our server, Kate, was attentive and the drinks and food arrived on time. Thanks a16 team!!! read more

Good food, great atmosphere, very good/attentive service, and an over all fantastic experience. I'd recommend the meatballs, margherita pizza, and heirloom tomato + melon salad. read more

Sometimes you just know its one of those places when the calamari is going to be totally inventive and all-around superb. I guess you know what to get for course #1, epic calamari. The wood-fired pizza is perfectly crafted, loved the pork and broccoli variety. The bartender didn't seem super into walking us through wine selections but, alas, decent score for service and excellent ambience. The smoked barattta is really good too. read more