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    Bar Skula

    4.4 (14 reviews)
    Open 5:00 pm - 9:00 PM
    Updated 1 week ago

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    Cali ceviche, hamachi tiradito, grilled shrimp, fries, drinks.
    Colleen P.

    Super happy to have Luka's back!! They're still figuring our service, but food was tasty! We liked all of our raw fish we got, but the scallops were our favorite! The chips for the ceviches were on the verge of being stale, but everything else was good. The most flavorful! Drinks were great: pisco sour, gin & tonic, old fashioned, and vino verde. Happy to have them back!

    Crudo tostadas
    Masha G.

    My friend and I were excited to hear a new place was opening up, so we ran right over and decided to give it a try! We were starving, so we started with two things before ordering the rest, and overall, I'd say I can't wait to come back and try more of their dishes: *Cali ceviche - this was recommended by one of the servers, and it was delicious. I personally loved the giant beans that were buttery and delicious, and there was a slight kick to the dish, which was a nice add. *Sweet potato chicharron - this was yummy, though very filling. I sort of wish there was a little bit less dough? But it was still a great snack! *Crudo tostadas - this was a bit of a miss for me. I kind of wish it had a kick or some sort of flavor to it, it was a bit bland, which could be my own taste buds. *Fideo con Queso - this was tasty, though fairly heavy and I'd likely try something else next time. We also had a few drinks. I had a N/A drink to start, which was yummy, and then the Vic to finish, which was yummy. A couple of notes about the overall experience: my friend and I came when they opened at 5pm and grabbed a seat at the bar, but it could packed pretty fast (which I love to see!), so I would highly recommend making a reso! The other thing is that it got pretty loud as the night went on, to the point where it got hard to hear my friend without getting really close. That said, I love the energy and seeing everyone pack this place, and would absolutely come back for the drinks and food.

    Romaine salad
    Laurie H.

    Oh the years we spent at Lukas's. Both of our kids went to OSA and Luka's was on the regular Friday night rotation for sure since it was so close. I would call this an upgraded redo, for sure. The space is casual enough and yet definitely feels like an elevated night out. A very warm welcome at the door and service was friendly and on top of it all night. The crowd was quintessentially Oakland. There were mostly young, fun - looking Oaklanders. But there were a few of us elders, holding things down. The tables on either side of us turned while we were there so we didn't really talk with the first patrons in those tables, but the second set on each side were super fun. Of course, when one side came in looking like they just did a thru-hike on the PCT with their backpack gear and hiking clothes I had to inquire. Turns out they had gone over to Stern Grove for the Public Enemy concert and just made their way back. Brilliant. So, atmosphere= A+. Food: As a pescatarian, the fact that I could eat 3/4 of the menu items was thrilling. I had the trout, which is from Lassen County and the street corn. Hubby had a steak. The trout was very flavorful and the sauce, which wasn't a sauce per se, but more of an au jus,, was just right. The street corn was 1000% delicious. We also started with cocktails and moved onto red wine - all were very good. We will definitely return and would probably also enjoy sitting at the bar to eat our meal, as their bar looked fun.

    Campechana
    Jacie N.

    Amazing food and great service! So excited Bar Skula is here, it's a great addition to the restaurant scene around Lake Merritt. Will definitely be coming back. The steak and cali ceviche are both excellent.

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    Review Highlights - Bar Skula

    Very happy to have a new neighborhood spot with good food, and I'm also happy to see this combination of Luka's and Sidebar.

    Mentioned in 3 reviews

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    Lucuma Kitchen and Bar

    Lucuma Kitchen and Bar

    4.6
    (289 reviews)
    1.0 mi
    Locally owned & operated
    Wheelchair accessible

    It looks very nice inside, and you expect the food to be great. Well, Lucuma doesn't disappoint!…read more The food is delicious; everything from the appetizers, to the entrees, to the desserts. The drinks are equally as good. Of course, the meal is made more enjoyable because of the excellent service. I highly recommend Lucuma! I've been here more than once with friends, and next time I'm bringing my family!

    We ordered: 1. Chirulín- Peruvian cocktail. Main flavors…read moreare grapefruit and cinammon- sounds bad but was oh so good! Features Pisco Quebranta- a single varietal brandy from the Ica Valley in Peru. Pre-dates the more well known Pisco Sour by centuries. Highly recommend. 2. Causa acevichada- imagine a yellowtail sushi roll and cover it in potato salad. Delicious, but strange- feels like a dish heavily inspired by the huge influx of Japanese immigrants to Peru in the early 1900s. Watch out- those pretty red peppers bite! 3. Pulpo al olivo- the delicate cream sauce, avocado and herbs were heavenly! 4. Ensalada César: good but pales in comparison to the other dishes- basic. 5. Tequeñitos: just ordered for the kiddo, ok but would not recommend. The neat part was the passionfruit sauce that came with. We used it on the next dish... 6. Empanadas: we ordered the sampler and I only tasted the mushroom which was delicious- but I probably wouldn't order again because I inly have so much room in my belly and I want to fill it with seafood! 7. Coliflor: the least impressive dish- I wouldn't recommend- just ok- needed more flavor. 8. Conchitas a la parmesana- echoes of oysters Rockefeller- fabulous- very rich and meaty- served on the half shell-4 to a plate. if I could do this meal over, I would skip the cauliflower, Cesar salad, and empanadas and order 2 more of these, another octopus and more Chirulín ! So good! Go early and street parking will he easy.

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    Viridian

    Viridian

    4.5
    (497 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    I've gone four times and each time it's been soooo hard to pick a responsible number of cocktails…read more They have so much variety and a lot of unconventional combos; the staff is very good about helping guide you to something that matches your preferences, but everything I've tried there was really good. The bites are generally really good too, though I wasn't a huge fan of the chili cucumbers. Try the Tomato Beef cocktail-- it's really yummy! The Li Hing Ramos is a good go-to if you like egg white drinks, and the seasonal milk punch has always been good. The ambiance is very cool, not bright inside, but bright colors, very hip. Great date night spot.

    Viridian, you stole the show this month! This was my first time coming back to Viridian after about…read morea decade, and we were not disappointed. Such a beautiful interior space vibrant in celebration for AAPI Heritage month, and a super fun cocktail menu that was the perfect post-meal moment (both photo-worthy and tastebuds approved). We also noticed they have a cool food menu too filled with yummy and innovative dishes like Cheesy Char Siu Tots, Szechuan Salt & Pepper Wings, Korean Fried Mapo Tofu, BBQ Char Siu Ribs, and more. They also have nice swag ~ we took home a hat that resembled a Kirkland hat that spelled out "Oakland Viridian" (IYKYK). Drink-wise we ordered the Soy Sauce Old Fashioned and the Café Sua Daddy, which essentially is an espresso martini with a fun twist with black sesame and an egg cream foam. Both drinks were outstanding and presentation was beyond..I wished we could have stayed for round two, but duty calls! Ride-share and or BART suggested in this area, it's just a bit congested downtown to park. Service was fun, prices fair for the whole experience. Loved it!

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    Viridian
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    Tallboy

    Tallboy

    4.4
    (183 reviews)
    1.7 mi
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    Had an amazing experience at Tallboy!…read more Sat at the bar on a sunny weekend and immediately loved the vibes. Bartenders were friendly and seemed to know a lot of the regulars. Can't quite describe it but it didn't feel like an SF bar, felt more open and like a community watering whole. On to the food and drinks. I'm vegetarian so was so excited to try the dogs - which are vegan. And I may be biased but you cannot tell that you're missing out on anything with all the flavor packed combos. The bun was fluffy and soft and you have multiple fun themed options to choose from. My partner and I ended up getting the deli dog and truffle meltdown. Deli was perfect - classic mix of spice and crunch with the spicy brown mustard and giardiniera peppers. And the truffle meltdown was so savory and decadent - totally different flavor profiles from each dog! We were only going to grab one drink but the menu was so inventive we ended up getting two. I ordered the banana hammock (which comes with a fire show) and espresso martini slushee which was is up there with the frozen Irish coffees I've had in New Orleans. Man writing this has my mouth watering... definitely coming back for more dogs, drinks, and vibes!

    I've heard all the hype about Tallboy, so I had to check it out myself…read more I do think it lived up to some of the hype, but I think they could've used their space better. It is a unique layout to a bar, and probably better concept for earlier hours, when it isn't as crowded during the night. It can fill up really quickly, since the area to order a drink, dance, and mingle is narrow, since the bar is literally in the middle of the room. Some of the staff can be extremely nice and kind, and there are some who you can tell are fed up, upset, and don't have the best attitude. I get it, though. It's a cool bar to check out or be the first stop of the night. The djs they have always turn up. Good luck getting a drink under 15 minutes though!

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    The bat and the awesome bartender!
    The bat and the awesome bartender!
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    Bar Shiru

    Bar Shiru

    4.3
    (311 reviews)
    1.1 mi
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    This place is music nerd heaven. They have a section of their menu dedicated to their speakers and…read moreamps, ferchrissakes. I love the atmosphere in here. Staff are always cool, vibe is relaxed. Even the security guard at the door is a cool guy. The interior decor and lighting are gorgeous. Silent Sundays are pretty fun: they play an album from top to bottom, and everyone has to shut the hell up for the duration and can't order any shaken drinks. See? Music nerd heaven. I almost forgot to talk about the drinks: the menu is solid. Good cocktails, reasonable prices, well made.

    We were in Oakland for the night with friends and were trying to kill time while waiting for our…read moretable at another nearby restaurant. We stumbled across this spot on Google and decided to give it a try. Luckily, our party of four was seated right away. The cocktail menu is on the smaller side, but between the four of us, we ended up trying a good portion of it. Honestly, every drink we ordered was really good, and there weren't any complaints from the group. I think we ordered Actual Proof, Sun Goddess, High Heel Sneaker, and Moonglow (mine). My cocktail was definitely my favorite because I love sweeter drinks where you can barely taste the alcohol, and it was exactly that. The rest of my friends' drinks leaned less sweet with a stronger alcohol presence. While I could appreciate the flavors of those cocktails, they just weren't my personal preference since I tend to like sweeter, fruitier drinks. I'd definitely come back. Very nice vibe and ambience. I'd probably order the same cocktail again since I enjoyed it, or try one of the other drinks I had my eye on. Between my friends and me, we managed to try almost everything that initially caught my interest, and overall it was a great experience.

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    Negroni and mocktail
    Negroni and mocktail
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    Parche

    Parche

    4.4
    (649 reviews)
    0.9 mi

    Parche has become one of my favorite spots for dinner in Oakland. I've been for date nights,…read morecompany dinners, and birthday celebrations, and it somehow fits the bill for all of them. The staff consistently strikes that great balance of being laid-back and welcoming while still attentive and professional. The drink menu is varied and interesting, and the food is even better. Every dish I've tried has been flavorful and interesting. I suggest you order as many things as you can and don't be afraid to venture outside your comfort zone. You'll be rewarded for it. The atmosphere is lively and fun without being so loud that you can't have a conversation, which is increasingly hard to find. Don't forget to save room for dessert and get the Oblea - trust me!

    Parche has a lot going for it. The service was excellent, the cocktails were outstanding, and the…read moreambiance and location make it a great spot for a night out. The food was decent overall. The ceviche was good, and the steak was cooked properly, though it's hard to mess up a steak. The Brussels sprouts were underwhelming, and the chicharrones portion was pretty skimpy. Overall, it was perfectly acceptable, but I probably would not go out of my way to come back. The service, drinks, and setting were the strongest parts of the experience.

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    Bar area
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    Plantains
    Plantains
    Mocktails - Dark N' Spicy in the long glasses. Short glass were complimentary so I'm not sure but delicious!

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    Mocktails - Dark N' Spicy in the long glasses. Short glass were complimentary so I'm not sure but delicious!

    Bar Skula - seafood - Updated August 2026

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