Cordial Cellar + Lounge (located downstairs at the Castro Valley Marketplace) is a great spot for grabbing a drink, eating some light bites and listening to music. They also have various events. :: Trivia Tuesday :: Wednesday Wine Tasting :: Live Music Saturdays :: Friday & Saturday: Olive & Finn Boutique and pop-up events throughout the month ** 5 Star Review: Pop Up Brunch and Saturday Live Music *** I recently attended Eats by E Brunch last Sunday and returned this evening to catch up with a friend and listen to music. Place is spacious, lively, dimly lit with music playing at a level you can have a conversation. Table ordered a steak sandwich with salad, cheese sandwich with tomato soup and a five-spice pork ragu over polenta. We all enjoyed our dishes. Food is 3.5-4/5 stars and would like to see a bit more to keep it interesting but know their kitchen setup is limited. No wine with this visit. Dessert: Orange brownie was simple with orange zest and the Hawaiian bread pudding was different and flavorful. Good to see the place bustling and look forward to future rotating pop up events. Got a chance to talk to the owner, Stacey as I recognized her from the Eats by E event the week prior. My bad, didn't know she was the owner of Cordial Cellar & Lounge but all good as she was super welcoming, friendly and was very accommodating when asked if we could pay for our own dishes separately. At the end of the evening perused the Olive & Finn Boutique and quickly welcomed by Jackie who was explaining items like the handmade jewelry and some hand stitched clothing. Such cute items and will visit another time. Recommend Cordial Cellar & Lounge for a date night, special group outing or relax and listen to some music. The Ken Seideman Jazz Trio plays the month of February. Great jazz! read more

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Owner was so chill, knew everyone. Easy to talk with, seemed genuinely interested in what was going on on with her guests. The food was amazing and the drink selection was fun and interesting. read more

Cordial Cellar + Lounge - Charcuterie board. The flowery looking item in the back is how they cut that particular cheese...it was so cool - Wine Bars Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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They have Wi-Fi now! Tuesday trivia nights A magician some nights Still my favorite dinner in CV though I wish the Ravi was beef again instead of pork. Tri tip sando is also great read more

Cordial Cellar + Lounge - Beef ragout is the best dinner in CV!! - Wine Bars Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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Solid experience at this semi-hidden spot in Castro Valley Marketplace. You have to take the stairs or elevator near the building entrance to get to this surprisingly spacious wine bar. The decor and ambiance is very nice and the service is good. They have an interesting selection on their food menu, although the chili we ordered was a bit bland overall. The couple of wines we tried were just okay. read more

Cordial Cellar + Lounge - Wine Bars Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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We visited this nice, dim, and cozy bar on a Saturday night. The waitress said they have live music sometimes too! We ordered Parmesan chips, it sounds so simple but they were so delicious. We also ordered the fruit bread pudding, which was ok. I was hoping for more bread! We also ordered a couple of beers to complement the chips. The service was great! read more

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Good was 10/10! Service was 10/10! It was our first time here and we will be back very often read more

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Lovely evening on first Friday. Smooth, creamy hummus which was extremely flavorful. Crisp crudités and buttery bread to scoop up every yummy bit. Attentive service and a visit from Chef Ramon. Get on down Roth Cellar read more

Cordial Cellar + Lounge - Hugo and Togarashi Deviled Eggs - Wine Bars Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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I def wasn't super impressed by the bites, though they were all presented beautifully. The eggs and the bruschetta all had quite a bit of dill or like a sour bite to it. I've lived in Hawaii so I had high expectations of the furikake popcorn- but it was ok. We loved the ambiance and friendly staff. Felt like an underground wine cellar! Wish they had a happy hour. read more

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I'll start with the celiac stuff. When this restaurant first opened, they did not explicitly have gluten-free items on the menu. However, my parents visited before I did, and asked extensive questions about how gluten-free the menu was. When I went back with them (my first time), a bunch of things had changed on the menu:They had printed new menus that marked both gluten-free and dairy free allergens. The chef came up to the table and let us know that he had replaced the soy sauce in any dishes with tamari. He is conscious of how to make things gluten-free and enthusiastic about doing so. I recommend it. The vibe of the restaurant is very middle-aged-chic. The music isn't too loud, the lights are the right level of dim, the space fairly secluded. It's a nice calm vibe. I think a great improvement could be made if they offered desserts and mocktails. Also, just a note, though we all three got the ragu dish, something that stews all day and would therefore likely be ready to serve immediately upon ordering, it did take about 50 minutes for our food to arrive. It seems those who sit at the bar get priority device. Still, not a huge problem. We enjoyed our food and the experience. read more

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It's been a while since I visited Cordial - I forgot how nice this place is! It's hidden in the basement of the Castro Valley market. The staff is very friendly, the food is absolutely delicious, and the vibe is super relaxed. I went for happy hour, and ordered miso hummus with veggies, Japanese eggplant bruschetta, and a half order of deviled eggs. I tried a French rosé as well as a Lambrusco. I will definitely be back again, and highly recommend this spot on a sunny day because it's nice and cool inside ;-). It's also in a building with many great restaurants and vendors. You can park once, and come home with pizza, pastries, sushi, olive oil, and so much more! read more

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Third time here had a great experience charcuterie. Board was delicious sandwiches were on point great service very friendly ambience chill like always will be back if you haven't been come check it out. read more

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Took my parents somewhere different for dinner. I was a bit nervous as it seemed more of wine and appetizers atmosphere but oh no I was wrong! The food was amazing and the service was great too. Super tasty bruschetta, steak panini and a dish that included polenta. 4 stars on taste and the chef came out to greet us and gave us suggestions for our next visit. Please visit for some delicious meals! read more

Great little happy hour hidout in the downstairs of CV Marketplace! Their prices are really fair for the quality of the food. I usually have a sparkling wine, can't go wrong. The meat and cheese board is absolutely to die for. We also had the popcorn and truffle chips, and they were so good I could've ordered another round! All three paninis were excellent!! The pesto chicken might've been my fave, but the steak panini and the grilled cheese were also spectacular. Service is great! The owner, Simon, is always very personable. It's a family business where his family is super involved, which really makes me want to root for the success of this place! Ambiance is nice. It's dimly lit and has a warm, relaxing vibe. It's hard to get wifi down there, which I think is even better, because it allows people to talk more to each other and enjoy the community around them. I hope they will soon have the ability to expand their menu more and bring back the wine flights! I miss the flights! :) read more

This place is great! We went for happy hour and got $2 off draft beer and wine. The Dragonfruit Mule mocktail was the perfect mix of sweet, tart and spice (from the ginger beer). For dinner, we had the Pork Ragu and the Steak Panini which were both so good and craveable. The vibe was chill and mellow, and the service was spot-on. Great music, too! We have been here many times and will be back again. read more

Cordial Cellar + Lounge - Dragonfruit Mule mocktail and Russian River Blind Pig IPA - Wine Bars Near Me - Castro Valley, California

I'm so glad they're back! I love this spot. It's a great place to meet a friend and catch up over a glass (bottle?) of wine and delicious appetizers. It's a cozy, swanky lounge - needed in Castro Valley! - and with great service. I cannot emphasize enough how bummed I was when I heard they closed. We don't have anything like this in CV! So I was elated to find out they were reopening. I hope they stay forever ... or at least for a few decades:) I think it's a darling place and I'm already planning to meet a friend there. read more

Very cute place! Came by with a few girlfriends for some bites and a few drinks. Place did not disappoint. Wish the plaza was opened a bit later, but hey! Glad that there's an establishment like this in Castro Valley. read more

Wow!! This place is a hidden gem. The parking was so crowded. I was confused when I entered a shopping market. Once I found it and went downstairs it was a small area. The food is amazing!!! I got the polenta and it was such great flavor. It took a while to get the food but we were busy talking so it didn't bother us. The server was very friendly too and kept checking on us and keeping us updated on our order. read more

Food and drinks were excellent. Staff was quite helpful. We truly enjoyed ourselves!!!

Friday night was a blast! Hidden away in the lower level of the Castro Valley Marketplace, we reserved a table as we had 6 adults and 2 children in our party. The table they selected for us was perfect and was right near the piano which was pretty awesome as it was near the piano and there was a pianist playing that night. Half of the room is separated by a partician which allowed us privacy and to keep the children contained and away from the other guests. We started out with appetizers, a charcuterie board with meats, cheeses and nuts as well as a mixed cheese board which had cheese, crackers, fruits and nuts. This was fairly priced and enough for us all to nibble on. A few of us ordered other items to share such as the tomato basil flatbread and the spicy sausage fennel flat bread. The crust on both flat breads were crunchy and the toppings were fresh and flavorful. This was enough for all of us to have a few pieces and paired well with the beer on tap as well as the wine flights. I ordered the sparkling wine flight and it came with 3 glasses and a sheet with descriptions for each selection. I was pleased with the flavors and moved on to the revisit of Wednesday's flight which was a Gewürztraminer and 2 reds. The samples are just enough to allow you to decide if you want to order a glass or a bottle to share. Our friends ordered the popcorn with ghee, Marcona almonds and a spring mix salad. The popcorn was just enough for the children to share and the almonds were very tasty with a seasoning similar to everything but the bagel. The pianist was great and he played songs from blues, to pop to rock. I know I look forward to spending a few hours with friends again and this is the perfect place. It is nice to have a place to go with friends that have children and enjoy their company, good food and fantastic wines. read more

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I love Cordial Cellar! It's equally casual and classy. Everyone who works here is super friendly and makes you feel like they're there because they want to be there. Fantastic variety of beers and wines, and a damned good chef. The flatbreads are great, and we had a dinner special of butter chicken this week that was as good as any we've had in an Indian restaurant. They have live music on Thursdays and Fridays. Not so loud that you can't converse, but neither is it in the background. I recommend for a date, or to catch up with a good friend. Get on their mailing list for a once weekly update of the dinner specials, performers and tastings. read more

Cordial Cellar + Lounge is in the basement of Castro Valley Marketplace. i didn't know they had a kitchen. saw only 2 items on the blackboard. didn't look at the menu on the counter since lighting wasn't good. seating in lounge isn't limited to counter. there's a few tables in adjacent room. offerings: wines, draft beers, small bites. drink: Pliny the Elder DIPA (8) -nice smooth DIPA -might have gotten a wine if i knew they had a food menu... drips: -parking lot in back is small. easily full during peak times. -Cordial has a liquor store on MacArthur Ave. -has a wide selection of wines & small selection of craft beers. -lots of items offered here, not everything in plan view. read more

Just plain WOW! Loving everything about this place! My husband and I moved back to the area a few months ago and we're so pleasantly surprised to find this gem. They are in the basement of the marketplace in a cute and secluded spot. Service- 5 stars! Everyone is friendly and inviting. They also have great menu suggestions Wine and Food- also get five stars. There is a nice selection of wines by the glass and some yummy appetizers to accompany the wine choices. Thursday nights are particularly awesome- they have a supper club with a three course meal and optional wine pairing. Every course is created with love and yummy ness that only amazing chefs can provide. Last week we had the shepherds pie which was deconstructed and scrumptious. Looking forward to the steak tonight! The cheese platters are fantastic as well as the flatbreads. They also have a great bottle selection with reasonable prices, including some already chilled, for purchase to take with you. They also have a wine tasting night (Wednesdays I think) and live music on some days to keep the ambiance going. I'm so happy we found this place- a wonderful local gem that you should try immediately! read more

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Came here for a $15 themed wine tasting, which they are currently hosting every Wednesday evening. We happened to catch the Summer Sippin' series. They had the wine tasting in the back and a cute indoor seating area set up in the middle of the cellar. My friend and I really enjoyed the Villa Wolf Pinot Noir Rosé 2020 from Pfalz, Germany, which was light, refreshing, and - dare I say - slightly effervescent (although, it could have just been my imagination). The perfect sipping wine, indeed! We both ended up purchasing a bottle and got an additional 10% discount for doing the wine tasting. Customer service was friendly, knowledgeable, and accommodating. Pours were generous and the sommelier explained which regions each wine came from (both local and international) along with expected flavor profiles. Apologies for staying past closing hours! We were both having such a good time and lost track of time. This place is located downstairs in the Castro Valley Marketplace. In addition to wines, this place also sells beers, spirits, sake, and flavored liqueurs. They have both local and international wines. In addition to the themed wine tastings, Cordial Cellar + Lounge has done food and wine pairing collaborations with other businesses such as Hermanos Verdes. I'm really looking forward to their next food and wine pairing event and will definitely keep my eye out for the themed wine tastings. Thank you, Cordial Cellar + Lounge for the warm hospitality and looking forward to future wine tastings! read more

Cordial Cellar + Lounge - $15 wine tasting summer sippin' series. - Wine Bars Near Me - Castro Valley, California

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This was our first time coming in for a visit versus purchasing from the shop. We really enjoyed our visit! We were very happy with the draft beer selection. We had the Russian River Pliny the Elder DIPA (which you don't find on draft at many places and is one of our favorites!). For food we ordered the Citrus, Fennel and Watercress Salad and the Hot Italian Sausage and Fennel Flatbread. Both had very fresh ingredients, were delicious and filling. Sitting at the bar was fun. We enjoyed chatting with the staff and the other folks at the bar. We look forward to coming back plus also checking out some of their Wednesday wine tastings and Thursday wine dinners. On our way out we purchased one of our favorite wines, Rock Wall Super Alamedan. They have an impressive wine selection and surprisingly good prices. It's so great to have access to this type of selection near to where we live! read more

Cordial Cellar + Lounge - (Empty - Yum!) Rock Wall Super Alamedan - Wine Bars Near Me - Castro Valley, California

What an adorable little cellar! Found this spot while I was waiting for my food at Hermanos Verdes. I noticed the sign painted on the wall across from the elevator with an arrow and their name. A cellar? With WINE?! Yeah... it was literally calling my name. I was intrigued. My friend and I went downstairs to investigate. It's so CUTE! The first thing that I noticed was the wine bar. Yes, yeeeees! It's not quite open yet (their tentative opening date is April 19th), but I was already mentally preparing myself for a visit to that bar. Wine bars are my absolute weakness. Speaking of wine; they've most certainly got the goods! The first thing I noticed was all of their Italian and French varietals. Each wine has a little descriptor and they have a great variety here for the size. You can tell that they've meticulously chosen what specific wines that they carry. They've got a wonderful variety of sparkling here too, from your sparkling rosé to the more expensive Roederer champagnes. In the cellar room, they've got some wonderful local brands like Rockwall and Dasche Cellars. Lots of good Napa selections like Browne Estate and Ferrari-Carano. And a whole damn shelf dedicated to Rosé! I was having such a field day in here. I wish I had more time because I probably would have bought more wine and chatted with the staff a bit more. What's also nice is that their bottles are extremely reasonable here. I ended up purchasing one bottle of Nero D'avola to pair with an Italian sausage gnocchi that I'm going to make. To be honest, I was shocked to see a Nero D'avola here. It's not a super common Italian wine that you'd find in a local wine cellar. It was between that or a Sangiovese. The owner Simon convinced me to go with the Nero D'avola and described it beautifully. Aside from wine, Cordial also carries beer and hard liquor. I found out that they have a sister bottle shop in San Leandro which is their flagship location (no wine bar there). Would love to check out their San Leandro bottle shop when I'm in that area. I'm super excited to come back here when their wine bar is open! What a wonderful addition to the Castro Valley Marketplace! read more

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This place is so nice because you're in a basement with little to no cell phone service and no TVs. The draft beer and wine selection is above average if you like something local or fancy and the food is delicious. So far I've had the chicken curry pot pie, the charcuterie board and the cheese board. The staff is lovely and personal. Just a great place to have local, being able to walk here and enjoy a nice inviting place is awesome. Definitely going to come back and try more entrees and the espresso ice cream soon. read more

Hidden gem for craft beer lovers in Castro Valley. They have DAILY happy hour from 3-4pm 50% off all draft beers which includes Pliny! That's right - $4 Pliny you can't beat it. They have a good selection of craft beer cans to go including moonraker, hen house, revision. I got the Mac and cheese which was tasty but a little over cooked. Overall would be back! read more

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TIPS: *free customer parking around the marketplace *located below the market in a cute secluded area *free WiFi available since reception is poor (password is clearly displayed by the bar) *Cute quiet place to wine / beer down *Good for small to mid size groups, girls catch up, friends, coworkers, informal first dates, meet up, solo work, kids friendly PARKING/LOCATION: Free 3 hr parking around the perimeter of the market or street metered parking. Enter the Castro Valley Marketplace and there's a sign to Cordial Lounge by the staircase. It's such a vibe. AMBIANCE: Mellow and relaxing atmosphere. We had a live harpist playing music when we arrived on a Sunday late afternoon. It was awesome! DRINKS: Wine flight, wine bottles, cans of beer, beer on tap, bottles of liquor all available for to-go and dine-in! $2 fee for each can of beer, wine, kombucha to drink on site and $10 corkage fee for wine bottles. FOOD: Cheese and charcuterie board, salad available for purchase! We got a cheese board and it's really cute! read more

Such a pleasant surprise. Great selection of wines and the stew I enjoyed paired well with a Tuscan red I selected. Staff were friendly and knowledgeable, great find. read more

First time here, Sunday afternoon 7/17/22. Haven't been anywhere on the castro valley Blvd strip and I think this place is new. Located on the basement level of Castro Valley marketplace- awesome addition to the small city. Very good wine flights and small plates and tapas. Nice vibe definitely will come here again. read more

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Met up with a girlfriend and hit this spot up for some after work drinks. I was pleasantly surprised with this cellar, a little modern, a little rustic. It has a basement vibe but bougie. There's an entrance area for some cute pics, bar seating and plenty of tables. They also have a back room they opened later into the evening. We ordered flatbread, cheese platter and some sparkling wine by the glass. I also tried one of their wine cocktails which actually gave me a little buzz! Wait times were long even for just glasses of wine but other then that service was great! No complaints about food or drinks, everything tasted amazing. Definitely an older crowd here, sophisticated if you will. My friend and I love doing happy hour, they don't have one here but we didn't regret checking this place out. This would definitely be a good date spot ;) read more

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Food, Services and Ambiance. Just make sure to make a reservation or be patient and wait if needed. They were very accommodating as we did not have a reservation for a party of 3. read more

Fantastic experience! the staff was attentive and friendly, the food tasted delicious, and the wine was a fine price and great quality! I had the chicken pot pie and my friend had the steak panini. Both tasted great and came with a nice side salad. read more

Came here last night around 6 pm on Thursday night just after their happy hour. Although parking was a bit of a challenge to find any available spots I scored one of the 2 EV Blink charging stations which were both empty! So as a bonus I was able to charge my car here yay! We made our way downstairs to the wine bar and it was packed so we went back upstairs and looked around at the other cute shops here and then made our way back downstairs around 6:30ish. Luckily the bar seating was completely empty and cleared out from the happy hour crowd so we had a seat at the bar and enjoyed the live Christmas music band that had just started. Pros: Decor/vibe - modern urban style (feels like a trendy Soma wine bar) with a beautiful copper covered wall behind the bar, low ceilings, mixed brick/art/plaster walls, perfect ambient lighting, exposed/painted air ducts, etc. I felt transported into trendy downtown San Francisco here. Food/wine menu - perfect selection of locally sourced items from the marketplace upstairs, e.g., bread from 7 hills baking company, garlic infused olive oil for dipping, flatbreads, eclectic wine menu (I had the Pinot noir which was perfect!), etc. They also had a great selection of on tap and in can craft beers, pour over gourmet coffee, organic popcorn with butter flavored coconut oil, olives, charcuterie, interesting salads, a short rib dish and a dessert offering. Lots of interesting offerings to come back and try. Service - excellent, quick, helpful suggestions and good conversation. Pricing - the wines by the glass at $18 for a California Pinot Noir that I've never heard of seemed a bit steep. This was the cheapest red wine by the glass (after happy hour) that they had. I noticed they offer $9 glasses of red wine during their daily happy hour so that explains why it was so packed when we came earlier. The Pinot Noir by the glass was very good, but at $18 a glass its not something I would order on a regular basis. All in all I really like this place aside from the wine pricing so I'll be back on my next date night or special occasion with the hubby. read more

PSA for all folks in the East bay - go check out Cordial cellar + lounge. It's hidden in the basement of Castro valley marketplace, so you do need to know where to look :) it's a wine shop, and a wine bar. They also serve food - mostly small plates, but they do have some entrees too. I have been there on multiple occasions and have always had a great experience. Staff is knowledgeable and friendly. Was there yesterday and it was popping! Wine Wednesday brining all the wine lovers to this cute spot. The house red blend is a steal for just 8$. The toasted ciabatta bread and the cheese plate were excellent accompaniments with the wine. read more

Cordial Cellar + Lounge - Wine, cheese, and bread - without question the best things in life :) - Wine Bars Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Do you ever go to a place and think, "wow, this is so aptly named?" This is the place. Stacey is a gem, and Leslie is a gift. Great drinks, incredible vibe, and excellent service. This is the perfect spot for a date, to catch up w old friends, or to come make new ones. Definitely recommend read more

Cordial Cellar + Lounge - Wine Bars Near Me - Castro Valley, California

Had a GREAT first time experience. I stopped by for a glass of wine and the selection was nice. The atmosphere is cool and calming. The staff was warm and welcoming. Looking forward to stopping by again and even trying a bite off the menu. read more

This is such a treat of a place. They serve lunch, albeit a limited menu. Still, the food was very tasty and we love the ambiance. Definitely coming back again soon! read more

Cordial Cellar + Lounge - Prosciutto flatbread pizza and citrus fennel salad - Wine Bars Near Me - Castro Valley, California

We enjoyed our visit to Cordial. My wife had a great Pinot Noir and I had the Elderflower champagne cocktail and had some nibbles to go with. I ordered a cassoulet that was wonderful and my wife had the short rib cazuela with a big slice of 7 Hills Bakery bread. Service was attentive and pleasant. The atmosphere was fun and the crowd there all seemed to be enjoying themselves. I plan on going back and bringing friends along. read more

Nice chill spot in Castro valley that has wine and beer. Only 3 employees on a busy Saturday night, so you must have patience when you go here. Wine selection is pretty good and changing. The Mac and cheese was delicious. Small menu of food. A good time just to go out and have a relaxing night. They also had a live band playing. Wish they had another worker as I said earlier, it did take a bit of time to get our order in and also to get the bill paid. read more