A cozy yet classy restaurant in Livermore with inviting front and back patios. Servers are lovely…read moreand friendly. We ordered three small plates : whipped feta, cumin lamb mintu, and smoked Duroc pork belly. The cocktail was really good. We liked the whipped feta with warm bread a lot. We felt neutral about the lamb dumplings but pretty sad about the Duroc pork belly. The pork belly arrived last. The plate came with six tiny pieces of pork belly which looked very dry, burnt and shrunk. It was pretty hard to chew especially the crust. I didn't find it enjoyable in any way. I asked our server if it was supposed to be this way. And she said yes, crispy outside and juicy inside. Since it was burnt and overcooked, there was nothing soft or pleasant in the inside part left to chew either. I felt it had no flavor. For $ 22 plus tax and tip, we hoped to enjoy it better than what we received. We were not offered any remedy to the dish and felt a little awkward after we brought it up to our server. Overall it could have been a very nice meal if it was not for the pork belly dish.

The Black Cat completely exceeded our expectations. The cocktails were exactly what you picture…read morewhen you think "craft", inventive, high quality, and perfectly balanced. Every drink felt thoughtfully made rather than rushed. Service was excellent across the board. Every staff member we interacted with was friendly and knowledgeable, which already set a great tone for the night. But Kana absolutely made the experience unforgettable. We found out she's been involved in creating many of the cocktails, and wow, her passion and talent really shine through. She was incredibly knowledgeable, genuinely personable, and went above and beyond by crafting a custom drink based on the flavors we mentioned. It ended up being one of the best cocktails we've had anywhere. We've officially found our new favorite date night spot. The vibe is intimate, cozy, stylish, and perfect for an evening out. Highly recommend The Black Cat to anyone who appreciates exceptional cocktails and great service.

Dreaming about this tortelloni a week later!…read more Had a wonderful dinner sitting on the patio at Sabio on Main! Pleasanton has a towny feel, do not too much movement on the street making a relaxing environment. I was also the only person on the patio, not many tables inside on a week night dinner. Shaved lacopi Brussels Sprouts Salad: perfect crunch, softness, and flavor 5/5 Sunchoke and ricotta tortelloni: 5/5 get the full serving! The half portion is a tease for how good this pasta is! Great service! Would love to go back if in the area.

Galentine's dinner to remember!…read more Met for dinner and drinks at 6pm on the Friday before Valentine's day. My friend ordered the Livermore-tini and I got a glass of wine. They have a solid list of bespoke cocktails and great California wine selection. We ordered a number of dishes to share, starting with the pastrami-style pork belly and brussel sprouts salad and splitting the lamb shank risotto for the main course. The salad was fresh and balanced the salty-fat of the pork belly. The risotto was rich and creamy, and the lamb shank prepared so tender it fell apart. Overall, a lovely evening out! I'm sure I'll be returning again soon.

A Michelin restaurant in Downtown SJ? Ample parking in the…read morearea, the interior has quite a bit of seating (no outdoor seating). The staff was helpful and answered all of our questions. Food was served fresh and hot. If you come around 7pm or 8pm, you'll probably need reservations. Recommendations: 'Pao de quejio' cheese bread Francesinha sandwich

First time trying Portuguese food! Never had Portuguese food before much less petiscos which is…read morebasically tapas. The food is very similar to Spanish tapas. The flavor profile is slightly different but I could barely notice since I'm not so familiar with the cuisine. Food: Lingicua- dope presentation. It arrives on fire to your table. Pretty cool and the taste is good but ultimately it's just a sausage. Class streamed in white wine/garlic- really tasty. I really enjoyed this dish. It has a very similar profile to other clam/mussels in white wine dishes so I dunno if you necessarily hafta try it here but it was good. Octopus- was also really good but I wouldn't say any better or worse at other places over had octopus Duck rice- this was just ok. Duck was a lil dry. At $45 I wouldn't recommend. The portion is also tiny. I thought it was gonna be like a big paella or something. Overall everything was solid/tasty. Cocktails were surprisingly good. I'll say the only thing is the value/price. Portions are tiny and some things like the rice are really pricey for the portion that you get so I'd def be aware of that.

As someone from Barcelona, I'm probably a little picky when it comes to Spanish food, which is why…read morethis place surprised me so much. It's honestly the first place in the region that really gave me that feeling of being back home :D The food was authentic, full of flavor, and reminded me so much of the kind of meals I grew up with. But what made the experience even better was the service and treatment (Patrick took amazing care of us all evening and Eva made us feel incredibly welcome from the moment we arrived)

My friend made a reservation on Sunday evening for dinner. Parking isn't too difficult. There is a…read morepaid/metered lot next door and a parking garage around the corner. This location is on the second floor. I highly recommend making a reservation. It's a bit awkward standing in the middle of the stairs waiting. I started with the mocktail lychees and cream. This was soo tasty! The presentation was beautiful too with powdered sugar and mint garnishes. The straws included are very thin. It may be easier to remove the mint and drink directly from the vessel. Everything is designed to be shared/family style. The paella takes a little longer to arrive. For appetizers we got the potatoes, shrimp, and the octopus. Everything was really delicious! The shrimp comes with a couple pieces of bread. You can request more bread to dip in the oil after finishing the shrimp. The shrimp still has the very end shell and its head on. So you may want to visit the restroom to wash up after handling shrimp. I was surprised how many potatoes there were in that cup. It's deeper than it looks. We also ordered the cauliflower and grilled salmon. The cauliflower was lightly breaded so it still very like eating a vegetable. The grilled salmon piece we were initially served was a very thick piece so it was under inside. The server informed us it was supposed to be medium inside and had the kitchen remake the dish. For dessert we shared the torrija! I really liked this dessert. The passionfruit added a nice acidity to complement the sweetness. At the end of the evening we were both stuffed. The dinner ended up being about 2 hours long. So be sure to add extra time on the meter and enjoy!

Comfortably sized bar. Great Wine bar and cocktails. Tuesday…read morenight Karaoke 8-11. Best Karaoke voices in the Tri-Valley but everyone's invited to come and sing

We walked in and it was busy as it was a Friday night. I…read morewalked up to waitress and asked how it worked and if it was open seating. I let her know it was two of us and she cleared a table for us. There seemed to be a two bartenders and a waitress working. We sat waited for a while and we ended up leaving. No menus no acknowledgment after she knew we had walked in and had been there for a while. She was at the table next to us talking to what seemed like a friend maybe, taking selfies. Seems like they have good drink options but we never had a chance to order def don't think we will be back maybe they have enough people come in where customer service isn't a priority.

Love this place! If you are ever in need of a good time with good friends, enjoying good food and…read morecocktails, PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE make a reservation here! You will not be disappointed. Please ask about the bottomless mojitos!

Parking is either street parking or we parked in a structure and walked over. We went on a Monday…read moreevening started off with a few mojitos. Passion fruit Lychee and white peach vanilla mojitos. Both were good but I liked the lychee flavor better. For appetizer we had ceviche with banana chips. The banana chips were delicious with the ceviche. For entrees we picked paella and the ropa vieja. The paella was good came out hot and with shrimp, chicken, chorizo , clams and muscles. The ropa brisket was good but to me it felt like a crock pot. Not fall off the bone melt in your mouth brisket. But I would come back to try some other items.

food and service was great, had soup shots and salad and gnocchi, we also enjoyed a sampler of…read moredesserts and also wine flights this restaurant is always amazing

We had dinner at Va de Vi tonight for a friend's belated birthday. To start the review on a…read morepositive note, the fountains are GORGEOUS. We dined outside in the back and we were comfortable temperature wise and were able to talk at a normal volume. We ordered the seafood paella, linguine with clams, rack of lamb, and steak. I appreciated that they were able to leave the chorizo off the paella. The paella was delicious BUT (and this is a HUGE BUT) the portions were TINY. Initially I was pleasantly surprised to see a $19 paella on the menu as it's usually more than that. We often share food but didn't as the portion was barely enough for one person. Though I didn't order drinks, my friends got the kiwi margarita and the Starfall. I tried a sip of both and the consensus was that the Starfall was better. While our server himself was friendly, the actual service left something to be desired. My paella came out before the other 3 dishes. Also, it took a while for us to get the check. While I would love to try other items on the menu, I don't plan to return because of the small portion sizes.

Flavorful Peruvian comfort food with a lively atmosphere…read more Had a meal at Limon in Walnut Creek and tried the polli papas, empanadas, and truffle mac and cheese. The polli papas were delicious and comforting. The chicken was juicy and flavorful with nicely seasoned skin, while the fries were crispy and perfect for dipping into the sauces. The empanadas were a great starter. It's golden, flaky, and filled with savory, well-seasoned ingredients. The truffle mac and cheese was rich, creamy, and indulgent with a nice truffle aroma that wasn't overpowering. It was the perfect comfort-food side and paired surprisingly well with the chicken. Service was friendly and attentive throughout the meal, and the food arrived quickly. The vibe is energetic and inviting, with a modern atmosphere that's great for both casual lunches and dinner outings. It feels lively without being overwhelming, making it an easy place to relax and enjoy a meal. Overall, a really enjoyable experience with flavorful food, great service, and plenty of comforting dishes. I'd definitely come back to try more of their Peruvian specialties.

Ruined a Father's Day celebration over hidden fees We…read morebrought a large group here for a Father's Day dinner and spent over $700 on our meals. While the food was fine, the restaurant's sneaky charging practices and lack of communication completely ruined the celebration. To celebrate, we brought in a special Father's Day dessert from Julie's Cakes. We explicitly asked our server for spoons to eat it. Instead of being upfront and letting us know there would be a charge, the staff said absolutely nothing and just quietly tacked an "outside dessert fee" onto our final bill. When we looked at the menu to find where this was stated, we saw it buried in microscopic fine print at the absolute bottom of the page (image.png). For a table spending $700, sneaking a fee onto the bill without a verbal heads-up--especially when we directly asked for utensils--is incredibly tacky and poor customer service. They cared more about nickel-and-diming us over a couple of plates than providing good hospitality for a family holiday. Disappointing experience, to say the least. Including the fact that it was a holiday dessert really drives home how rigid and unaccommodating their service was. Are you planning to post this on Yelp, Google, or directly to their social media page?