We had the worst experience! My husband and I went for a late dinner, on Friday it was around 12:15pm, the door was open and the bar was busy so we walked in. My husband was going to have a seat when the bartender told him ( What are you doing? We are close!) I mean he told him with a WTF attitude, my husband looked at me and we left. The bartender was so rude, he should just said ' I'm sorry we are close', but no he was too rude. We have been there in the past and the other bartender was really nice and the food was OK. We will not go back read more

This place ROCKS! We went for dinner last night for the first time. LOVED IT! Food was out of control wonderful, ambiance spectacular and the waitress's knowledge of ingredients and wine was robust. So glad A16 is in Rockridge! read more

We've never had such aggressive service. Our waiter was down right rude to my wife and I. Didn't even welcome us in, just straight up asked what do we want. We put our orders. We weren't fans of the salad and asked if we could return it. We didn't ask for refund or exchange, he just said "you are not eating it? I'm taking it then". uhh ok. we decided to order another one and asked another waitress nearby if she could put our order since he was not returning. Minutes go by and he returns asking us about our new salad "are you going to eat it or not?!" Took us completely by surprise. We didn't want to ask for anything else after that other than our check. The waitresses nearby and front of house were incredibly nice and apologized for his behavior. We enjoyed our new salad and the margarita pizza was great but sadly we won't be returning. read more

Came back today for Mother's Day brunch. We had the deviled egg appetizer (good) California king salmon (okay), lamb sausage pasta (good), and the Montanara pizza with prosciutto (super good, fried dough crust). The sides were excellent: fried whole baby fava beans, and fried potato & ceci chickpeas. It's not a traditional brunch menu, and we did feel a bit constrained on choices. read more

Poor imitation of A16 in the marina. Went on Mother's Day dinner (just my mom and I) and service was slow- understandable for mother's day but it wasn't quite full house yet because we went early. Cocktails black dahlia and camomilla were the best things of the night. There was about a 15-20 minutes break between finishing a course before the next one came...too long. Ordered sugar snap peas- overcooked, mealy texture. Squid ink fettuccine which was basically a bowl of pasta with 2 piece of uni, way too salty. The fiorelli pizza with baby squash blossoms, which was tasteless until you bit into an anchovy then it was super salty. Also ordered a meat dish from the daily special which I forgot about bc it wasn't too memorable. Very underwhelmed, my mom was disappointed. I would not go there again especially for a special occasion. I'll stick to A16 in SF read more

Stopped for lunch on a whim. Had a sausage pizza. It was OK but didn't exactly crush it for $20. My receipt wouldn't print or there was a computer problem, so the tipping portion got a little awkward...actually the experience was awkward. I couldn't tell who was hostess, bartender, or server. When I come in and sit down at the bar midday I expect conversation, otherwise I'd go to a weshrink...just kidding but seriously. I had no interaction with anyone til it was time to go. I've been more pleasantly suprised with other stops on my east bay romping. I'd consider trying this places actual entrees and wines, maybe they'll pay more attention to me if I'm spending $100+ ? read more

This review is limited to BRUNCH: While they open early and advertise a brunch service, there is not a real brunch menu. It's pizzas, pastries, salads and a "fritatta of the day," which is pre-made and served cold, cafe style. (It was okay.) Others may have picked up on this, as we went on Saturday at 11am and we were the only people in the restaurant. That said, it's a beautiful space and the salad we ordered with our fritattas was delicious. Oh, sorry, and one more thing: the coffee was weak and not very good. If you're looking for a good brunch, I'd go elsewhere. But if wanna eat pizza or pastries for breakfast in a lovely space, by all means recommend. read more

Probably one of the worst dining experiences I've had in the last couple of years. Service was terrible...waitress with pink hair was rude and did everything possible to ensure our evening was subpar at best. Food tasted good, but the staff left a bitter taste in all our mouths...we should have gone to dinner in SF. Shame on you A16 Rockridge. read more

Stopped in here for a delicious dinner the other night. Staff was quite friendly and helpful. The real standout of the night was the sorbet...absolutely divine. Better than the actual fruit! We split a tomato/burrata salad, a squash pizza, and a ravioli dish, and all of it was great. A great spot, and worth a wait. read more

My wife and I had our anniversary dinner here and what a perfect place to have it. The ambiance was nice, the staff was pleasant and attentive. They even wished us a happy anniversary, the food was out of this world. I would definitely recommend A16 to anyone. read more

WOW! I'm still a bit shocked. The meal I had at A16 yesterday was ridiculously delicious. The service is on point. Everyone is attentive, friendly, and kind. I'm vegetarian and often in restaurants, I get the feeling that I'm not wanted... But last night, they made me feel right at home. They didn't bat an eye when I said that I was veg, and instead helped me find the dishes that I could enjoy. I had a beautiful salad with chrysanthemum leaves with apples and pickled onions, zucca pizza, fungi pizza (special and my personal favorite of the night), and many of the sides (from the Contorno section of the menu). The wine list is also quite incredible. You have to try for yourself. Atmosphere: such a nice buzz of energy, but not so loud that you can have a great conversation with friends or your date ;) Location: love that it's so close to Bart. Especially after their fab wine list, it's great to be close to public transportation. Staff: are the true gem of this place. I love a great dining experience and they deliver it all. read more

What a horrible experience we had at A16 today for brunch today. We have loved A16 in the past but our relationship ends today. For one thing, we had to wait over an hour for our pizza and meatballs. I finally asked where our food was and the much absent waitress said,"Oh it's just coming out of the oven", well 10 minutes later it wasn't. When it finally arrived, it wasn't even hot! She didn't acknowledge that what must have happened is that she forgot to put our order in. We were clued into this when after 30 minutes of waiting after having our first course of citrus salad, she brought the check!!! Crazy! I really think they should have given us a free appetizer or something off the bill. The citrus salad was amazing. The broccoli appetizer was good but overly salty. The pana pizza was cold and not great. The meatballs were lukewarm and ordinary. It's really sad because we have had some of our favorite meals at A16. It is so cute inside and I love the swirly white plates and neat artwork and open kitchen. I guess it has to be on Oakland Restaurant Week because they can't get business in. Very disappointing. I wish we had gone with our first idea of Nido but we liked that you could make a reservation. Now I see, we didn't need a reservation because it was not even close to being full. Treat your customers better please and fill the water without being asked! read more

I recently attended a "drug rep" dinner at the Rockridge location of A16. One of my bosses had organized the dinner at this restaurant, because he is a big fan of the food. Since the "drug rep" dinner involved a lecture in addition to the dinner, we were seated in the restaurant's back room. While our lecturer presented his power point presentation, we all partook in a pre-selected four course dinner menu, which included the following: antipasti, burrata, bucatini, gnocchi, funghi pizza, margherita pizza, roast chicken, fish, and dessert. Everything was well made and delicious. The service was excellent as well. Our water glasses were always refilled promptly and the waiters made sure that we were never without a drink. Will definitely have to visit A16 again. read more

Great food! I love to sit at the pizza bar and watch Dan spin his dough... Also Aidan at the bar is very nice. He's my favorite bartender. Always up for good conversation read more

I can say that I've been there...I tried it. I was not super impressed and I don't ever need to return. I like gourmet pizza, and I get the brick oven "specialness" of these pizzas- but this restaurant was nothing to rave about. I will say that the service is friendly and accommodating. It's not terrible, it's just a little bland. The descriptions sound intriguing, but the end results are bland. My pizza and my friend's pizza were both average. Yes, they did give me a fancy pair of culinary scissors to eat my pizza- but big deal. For the price, it is definitely not worth it. read more

This place is NOT cheap, but it is good and a great place for a dinner date. The pizza is good, different, more chew, less crusty...very good. You get scissors to cut it, which i really liked, because sometimes you just need a really small piece at the end! The drinks were good, the wine-not so cheap. The salads and veggie sides were very good. I will definitely be back. It is a really good location, great feel, kind of weird artwork, but good all around. read more

This was our first meal at A16 and we'll definitely be returning. It's a beautiful space: it feels massive (big bars, beams etc - yet open and inviting. You want to be in the space. (Oh and I like the artwork - the whimsy offsets the massive marble bar - and the lighting with it's scallops above the artwork...very fun.) The good stuff - great wine list and ample beverages...we stays with the Patz & Hall Chard...(yes, I know - Chards...a bit boring but always pleasing to us.) We split everything - and for the two of us, order 4 dishes, one full size...and brought home just a bit for me to enjoy at work for lunch tomorrow ( a bit of the Troccoli - which was pasta with chanterelle mushrooms - and the tomato gratinata!) The cauliflower and garbanzo bruschetta was a surprise that had a bit of a kick to it, but not overly so. And the choice of bread and slow cooked egg, made it a dish I'd order again. Service was great, our server was attentive and helpful. read more

As noted by other commenters, reservations aren't a guarantee here that you're going to sit down at the scheduled time. There's a reasonable bar to wait at, so as long as you're not starving or in a hurry it's OK. The food is great, just as it is at their original location. Of course get the pizza. read more

We had good appetizers in particular roasted calamari and burrata. We heard from our friends the pizza was really good. Service was unfriendly and the fish (we both got the halibut $30) and the beans they came with were dry and totally overpriced. Very nice wine list though. I would not return as this is the second time I've been here and had the same experience. read more

I am ashamed to say that it took me 13 years of living in San Francisco to finally eat at A16 (I know, I know), and it wasn't even the San Francisco location, but the relatively new location in the Rockridge neighborhood of Oakland. We arrived early and sat at the bar for a cocktail, taking in the beautifully space - what seems to be an old converted auto garage - which is full of natural light coming in through the old roll-down garage doors. We selected two unique sounding cocktails: Cherry Petal (Leopold's tart cherry, Pimm's No. 1, Fichimori, rhubarb bitters) and the Tipsy Windmill (Diep 9 Aged Genever, Strega, lemon, egg white). The Tipsy Windmill sounded close to a Ramos Fizz, so I chose this one. This is a bold drink with the dry and biting Genever butting up against the sour lemon juice, yet the saffron-based Strega liqueur and frothy, creamy egg white gave this drink a nice soft landing. I appreciated this drink but it was too forward for my lovely dining partner who was better served by the Cherry Petal. Fichimori is a cold red wine from Italy, made primarily from Negroamaro grapes. It is fresh and vibrant and not too sweet, so combined with the tart cherry, rhubarb bitters, and the fruity and herbaceous gin of the Pimm's, this drink is feminine, well balanced, refreshing, and beautiful to look at. We noshed on some of A16's famous fried green olives, perfectly salty for our fruity cocktails. For dinner we shared two courses. At first I foolishly suggested we not order a pizza and instead focus on pasta and mains, but I was easily swayed when shown the ingredients of the Montanara (lightly fried dough, smoky tomato sauce, burrata, basil). The open kitchen of A16 shows off a beautiful wood-fire oven, adorned with a mosaic of small glass Italian tiles, creating a beautiful focal point to this vibrant restaurant. In addition to the pizza we ordered the Monday night special of Veal meatballs, with ricotta gnochhi, porcini broth. Before I go into details about the food, let me mention a little something about the wine list at A16. It is phenomenal! A16 has a reputation for introducing the Bay Area to incredible wines primarily from Southern Italy, in particular the Campania region. What's wonderful about A16 is they have an in-house Sommelier, and I ask you, why wouldn't you have a little chat with the Sommelier to help you find the best wine for your dinner? For me, it was an imperative as I am pretty ignorant about Italian wines (as much as I love them), but the A16 wine list is so dense and diverse and unique, I needed my hand held through the process. Kristina Pergamalis arrived at our table, pleasant, approachable and knowledgeable. I gave her some basic parameters such as what we were eating, the types of wines we typically like, reminded her we had drank a lot of Zin this past weekend, so let's steer clear of that, and asked her to stick around a $50 price point. She lead us through three different selections, all wonderful sounding, but we ended up selecting the 2010 Mastroberardino, Lacryma Christi Del Vesuvio, Atripalda, Avellino. Kristina first told us that the family-owned Mastroberardino winery, founded in 1878, is one of the oldest and most important wineries in Italy as well as one of the first main exporters of unique Italian varietals such as the Lacryma Christi or "Tears of Christ," which is made primarily from the Piedirosso grape, and it is believed by archaeologists to be the wine closest to that which was drunk by the Ancient Romans. This bottle was beautiful, with a nose of cherry and red fruit and notes of plum, raspberries, and black pepper. The tannins were soft and balanced with a good acidity that made the wine rich yet not overpowering. It was a perfect choice for our food, oh yeah, our food! Our pizza was mouth watering. The smoky tomato sauce had the right amount of smokiness, which was great as I was worried it might be too overpowering. The burrata is a perfect creamy balance to the tangy and smoky sauce, all delivered upon a lightly fried (how they do that, I don't know) crust, which seemed to be finished in the wood fire oven. The veal meatballs and ricotta gnocchi came soon after, only to be devoured by the two of us, rather quickly. The porcini broth was more than just porcini, it seemed to be a rich veal based stock that was soaked up by the light, fluffy ricotta gnocchi that almost reminded me of matzo balls, Italian-style. A bite of the meatball, married with a bite of the gnocchi, on a spoonful of the broth, followed by a sip of the wine, and a swipe of a crust of bread through the bowl made for a lovely and fulfilling dining experience, made even better by a very professional yet affable staff, and knowledgeable Sommelier. I suspect I shall be returning to A16 Rockridge more than once, and hope to try the San Francisco location soon, as well. read more

I'm baffled by the positive reviews for this place. Did we eat from the same kitchen? It is priced like a "nice" restaurant, but everything I tried epitomized culinary mediocrity - you'd do better at Trader Joe's. In fact, it was to TJ's that I headed to wash the taste out of my mouth. The food wasn't "bad" - just bland and forgettable, not worth a third of the stiff bill, and definitely not worth the calories, which I must watch these days. I assumed the restaurant was new - I'm surprised to see it has lasted a while. I guess Rockridge yuppies just don't care what they put in their mouth, so long as the ingredients on the menu look exotic and unpronounceable. Very very disappointing. read more

Great experience here for Restaurant week. Our server was very gracious, and made us feel personally welcome at the restaurant. Food came through quickly. There were a lot of people circulating to make sure we had our needs met, and they were not overbearing; we did not feel rushed at all. Gnocchi was really good with a fantastic beef ragu. The pizza topping were good but the crust was somewhat soggy. Excellent dessert of homemade vanilla ice cream, sea salt, and a faintly anise tasting cookie. We'll be back. read more

Great salsiccia pizza, the funghi on the other hand... too many mushrooms and not enough sauce! The ambience is really great here, it's very welcoming and chic. This is a good restaurant for a large party, but it also gets pretty loud. The service is good. They offer takeout and delivery through caviar, it's usually pretty packed when I come in so call to make a reservation! read more

What a restaurant should be... Unique plates with delicious food that you wouldn't normally prepare at home, and staff who care about making sure you have the best experience. We ordered a variety of plates and every single item was incredible. One of the top restaurants in the East Bay. read more

Food is just like every other restaurant in Oakland. Fish, pizza ovens and steak... blah ! Wife and I had a personal pizza each, 2 glasses of wine for her, 2 beers for me and the bill was like $120... for an okay mini pizza and beer... read more

My first visit was in August 2013 and it was wonderful -- a bit noisy and pricey, but the pasta was incredible, the pizza was good and the burrata amazing. But, I went again recently for my birthday and was underwhelmed. The real problem was the frutti de mare -- seafood poached in a fennel/tomato broth, which was a special. All of the seafood -- a prawn, some halibut, mussels and clams -- was overcooked! At $28 for a small portion, this is a real shame! The broth was delicious, though. I find the servers charming and have had some good things here, but I don't think I'll be back. There's much better -- and more consistently better -- food to be had for the price. It's also deafeningly loud and they pack you in like sardines. read more

I was here when it opened. This is the first time back. Got a good deal on a Travelzoo. The difference between the opening and now is remarkable. When it opened, everything was crisp. Seating, service, promptness of food....all were done exceptionally. Yesterday, not so good. Reservation time is a suggestion or a concept. We arrived on time and waited almost 30 minutes. The hostess has a nice smile but did not seem organized. We finally sat and observed a bit of an uncoordinated circus of poor communication, slow service, menu items that were not available, etc. Everyone was very nice and smiled. I'm not exaggerating though when I say it took almost 1 hour from sitting for our first food to be on the table (we had drinks prior). We sat at 8:30. We finished by 11:15. We didn't order that much food. It was just that everything took so long. The food continues to be excellent. But the operations part of keeping a busy restaurant flowing and having available dishes on the menu is suffering. Message to the owners: When you opened this restaurant, you were there and things ran smashingly. Might I suggest you be more present so your restaurant operates in a manner commensurate with the food. read more

Very disappointing. We have been going here since they opened their east bay spot on College and it has gotten worse each time we go. The service has always been lacking but the woman we had last evening was quite subpar. Total disinterest in making her guests have a good time. Wasn't that knowledgable about the wine. The menu has changed. They no longer have any pastas on the menu which is a bummer. Their are not that many entree choices. It's basically a pizzeria at this point. The waitress said they are trying to make the restaurant as "rustic" as possible which I guess it's succeeding at by serving burnt pizzas, whole fish thrown on a plate without being descaled or deboned and a surly waitress you'd find straight out of bad neighborhood in Naples. We definitely won't be back. read more

We had a great experience at A16 for our anniversary dinner last night. Tasty eats, nice ambience and good service. I think the pizza we ate last night is possibly one of the tastiest I've had. Ever. read more

Great pizza, wood burning ovens, authentic Italian appetizers. Terrible parking and the iced tea tastes like Copenhagen Southern Blend. We had a family event in their back room. It was private and they offered us great service. read more

Overcrowded for quality and price. Millennial servers resenting serving yuppies. I forgot to pick up my craft beer locally inspired tats at the cleaners. But welcome to the new order. Now worth getting excited about. For bridge and tunnel looks impressive. For anyone who knows the real deal-- disappointing. read more

A cool college ave spot. If you love Italian wine, man do they have a list. Disappointed with both the pizza (undercooked dough) & pasta (a little too al dente). read more

A16 Rockridge provides the best of both worlds - a great place for a casual lunch or a special night out. Definitely try to get a spot at the Chef's Counter as you get an instant "show" with your meal. Plus, no reservation required when you sit there! I love being my Rockridge Neighborhood Heritage Food Tour guests here to learn more about Southern Italian cuisine and wines - and of course to taste it, too! read more

Incredible wood fire stone oven pizza, especially the vesuvio pizza with spicy salami, garlic and burrata. You cut the pizza with scissors! Their beet and apple salad is really great also. read more

Four of us had a really good meal here on A16's second night of being open. Aside from the food taking forever to be delivered to our table (we think the kitchen was just very overwhelmed and still needs to get used to a full-court press of hungry guests), we were impressed, and A16 holds lots of promise for Oakland. We loved the rachetta pizza, and the pork polpettone. The bucatini with ramps and mussels was very flavorful and al dente, but could have used a few more mussels for the price. The orecchiette with lamb sausage was also al dente, and the flavors intensely flavorful, but we wouldn't order that particular pasta again (hard to put a finger on why - maybe because it tasted too gamey?) We were too full for dessert, but because we waited for our food for so long, the waitress gave us dessert on the house, which was very kind. We ordered some gelato and sorbet, and the vanilla gelato was excellent, but the strawberry sorbet was nothing spectacular. The wine list was pages and pages long of really interesting Italian wines. We had fun choosing a wine to drink, but wished there was more of a description of the wines to help us choose. The beer list is comparatively much smaller to the wine list, and even includes a ~$36 Italian beer none of us -- including two beer connoisseurs -- had ever heard of (but we didn't try it given the price). The restaurant is very large and can accommodate lots of people. However, we found the tables (all of them the same size in the main dining section) to be way too small for four people, especially because this is partly a pizza restaurant. There was hardly any room on the table for the pizza! The restaurant should have bought larger tables. Therefore, if you're a party of 4, be prepared to squeeze. Enjoy your meal here. We will certainly be back. read more

Date night....first time with a baby sitter in a long time. Made a reservation for 8:30 on a Saturday night, excited to try this new and popular neighborhood restaurant. Do something special. Show up on time...only to hear that our table wouldn't be ready for 30 minutes. Wish we could have tasted the food, but as we had a baby sitter, we had no choice but to leave. "See, you know how to take the reservation, you just don't know how to hold the reservation and that's really the most important part of the reservation, the holding. Anybody can just take them." An extra star just b/c everyone was very nice. read more

I've been wanting to try A16 since the new owners took over the former Garibaldi's at this location. Used to be my go-to fine dining spot, but somehow the new menus usually never quite pulled me in. Last night the selection looked pretty appetizing, so we finally had our chance. Unfortunately, the place suffers from a case of sneering snobbishness that is immediately off putting. Most of the 8 staff we interacted with were either not, or at best just barely able to put a mask over their seriously inhospitable attitudes. Example : our server noticed that I had finished my water, and said she would bring me a refill. None appeared. I did then ask for some water. At that point I should have been pegged as a customer whose water glass needs keeping an eye on. Instead I had to ask two more time for refills over the course of the meal, as the staff did not once notice or act on my empty glass. Admittedly a small thing, but this place is heavily overstaffed, and has the prices and pretense to match. If they are trying to pass themselves off as fine dining, then gracious hospitality is a minimum qualification. Another example : one staff member asked my husband how my pork chop was. I replied "dry", which was the kindest thing one could say. His response was a brusque "oh" and he then turned on his heels and left abruptly. Not so much as a mild apology for the fact that I wasn't enjoying my staggeringly overpriced meal. Third example : same server wallops my husband as he's passing between the tables a few minutes later (I guess I'll have to think twice about how I answer questions about my meal!). He did manage to toss off an over the shoulder "sorry" as he sped off. talk about insincere and highly unapologetic response! Then there's the food. Calamari appetizer was pretty good. Marguerita pizza was not. I love neapolitan pizza, and this had a thin, slightly charred crust, as it should. What it was missing was enough sauce to give it some flavor. And amazingly, given both the paucity of sauce, and the proximity of the oven a mere fifteen feet away, the pizza was a soggy mess. Put a $20 price tag on a soggy, bland pizza, served by mildly hostile staff, and you're not setting yourself up for a good dining experience, or a good review. Then the pork chop. For $36 we got one large chop and a vegetable side. I have no problem paying premium prices for a meal out, but the deal is (or should be) if I'm paying a premium, you should get me food that's at least very good, and serve it somewhere on the pleasant to gracious end of the spectrum. If only. As mentioned above the chop was dry, being rather overcooked. It was also measurably under seasoned, and the hazelnut-huckleberry garnish just didn't work with pork, at least not as executed. If I cooked a chop this badly at home, I'd be apologizing to my spouse and kid. Instead I got the "oh" mentioned above, with a solid thump for good measure. our dessert, which i didn't want even order given our ordeal already was a semi frozen, semifreddo. not worth $14. Very unhappily, the evening did not end when we paid and left as the next morning hubby woke up with the worst case of diarrhea in 3 decades. So - if you want to be treated badly, fed mediocre food, and wake up sick as a dog, while paying dearly for the privilege, this is the spot for you. read more

We celebrated a birthday here and the server was very gracious. The food was very good, with generous portions and genuinely good pizzas. The disconnects came with the pacing of the meal. Drinks were ordered and took a LONG time to arrive, despite a virtually empty bar. Meal orders were taken, but as other Yelpers noted, the kitchen was unusually slow. Desserts were quite good. We ordered some coffees and espressos as well. The coffees came out immediately, but the espresso came as we finished dessert. I noticed that it was prepared at the bar area and sat for quite a while before being brought to the table - not sure it was a lapse in communication or attention (it was, after all, Superbowl Night). I'll give it another try, just for the pizza! read more

This is a really solid place! Unfortunately, due to my seafood allergies, I was advised by the waiter that pizza was the safest option for me to order. I liked the pizza a lot, but I wish I could try something else! The cute little scissors they give for the pizza are a nice touch and make it MUCH easier to eat. They have the most amazing wine selection, and homemade gelato. I almost want to go back just for wine and gelato. read more

We are frequent diners in SF and East Bay, have traveled many times to Italy, and do not tend to gush about dining experiences. However....without exaggeration...., our dinner at the A16 Rockridge location ranks among the all-time greats. There were 4 of us, and everyone raved about the quality of each item ordered. Roasted calamari appetizer, chopped lettuce salad, bucatini pasta, 2 pizzas, tuna entree. Each prepared perfectly, served hot, with distinctive flavors. Super service from all, with special kudos to Raley. The only quibbles: a loud environment and the espresso was somewhat bitter. Minor issues. If you are a fan of southern Italian fare (and if you're not, why?) don't miss this restaurant. Thanks to everyone for an outstanding meal! read more