I thoroughly enjoyed the music on both floors. It was lively and I had a great time. This seems…read morelike a good spot to go dancing.

Had a great time at Zanzi celebrating Oakland Diwali this past Friday…read more First of all, the place is nice with pretty purple lighting. There's a ton of open space downstairs with some booth seating at the end, and upstairs there's a second bar with additional seating. Over the course of the event, I had two drinks here. Both were good. My first was an amaretto sour for $14, and later on my friend and I got a beer and margarita for $22. It looks like most cocktails are in the mid $10s range, which is pretty standard for the area. I'll be back to check out the space on a normal night when there's no event. Curious if there's dancing here, since there's so much floor space.

I went into this night feeling exhausted from the long week and shopping all day. The cold and rain…read moredidn't help much either but you can park right next to the main door easily in this safe neighborhood. I'm a freestyle ectstatic dancer, I dance at three different studios a week and I entered last night exhausted and damp from the rain. As I came through the red curtain shear over the doorway at 7:45 PM I was immediately transformed into a room of twenty dancers doing yoga stretch warm-up. I joined in and soon I was ready for a dance evening like I haven't had in a long time. This venue does the slow start, fast middle, and medium speed wind down. I began my night with the stretch. What followed can best be described as a wonderful warm dance energy where modern dance meets contact improv and barefoot boogie/freestyle with some flamboyance of Ecstatic Dance thrown in. The DJ sets the mood. Tonight seemed romantic and warm with the heater cooking us away on a Sunday rainy night. Thank you DJ Clari, and whatever theme that was last night, bring it back again. You were good, and even though this Monday morning I ache from all the leaping and stretching, I am inspired to write this in recognition of a wonderful way to start the week - recharged and cleaned out!

I've been dancing at Barefoot Boogie, here in Berkeley semi-regularly for several years . I love…read morethe fun variety of music and people that show up to this dance with their fully expressive selves. Folks are friendly and inclusive, and after an hour of down-tempo music where folks stretch and 'drop-into' their bodies, the DJ picks up the beat and the party starts! In my dancing, I love to invite people to connect in duets, trios, or even larger constellations that loosely flow together, weaving in and out, sharing energy with each other, sometimes for several songs, sometimes just briefly. Together we create a sense of community and belonging. There is a comfy couch in the studio facing the dance floor which provides a nice place to sit and chat with other dancers taking a break. And there is an area with a matt on the floor that serves as a chill space where folks can give and receive bodywork, or just stretch out and rest, often in physical contact with others. It's a friendly dance where you may receive a welcoming hug from the person at the door, and find enough space to move freely on your own as well as engage with others. It might just be the place you decide to come to dance regularly and become part of the Barefoot Boogie 'family'.

I was heading to BART when I heard some pretty funky music so I stopped in LUX Oakland. The band…read morewas great with a unique but very easy sound that started with a story and moved into an irresistible groove. Bar service was polite and beer selection was minimal but cold.

I never write reviews, but I had to, to let people know about this hidden gem and to thank Richard!…read more My boyfriend and I had just touched down and were staying around the corner. It was a long azzz day, and we were just looking for a place to chill and have a drink downtown. We came across this newish place right next to our hotel. Loved that there were big, open sliding doors and air flow. The TVs were playing the game for my boyfriend, drinks were good and Richard was so nice and cool to talk to. He just made us feel so welcome after such a long travel day back to the bay. It was happy hour, so all cocktails, beer and cider were only $7! It was a great deal and a great location. No food that night, but he said they're working on a new menu and bringing it back. From the pics he showed me, looks like it's gonna be a hit. Apparently they have parties/shows upstairs, so I checked it out and I love the space, they even have hookah! I'll be coming back when I'm in the area again. Thanks Richard!!!

I highly recommend the Ashkenaz ! It's a warm , welcoming place in every way. Even the wooden…read morefloor was made to absorb & support dancers . The diversity of music and mix of cultures is inspiring especially during these very challenging times. Going there really does feel like a home away from home .... Good drinks and food to munch on too

I come for a weekly Bhangra class which I love. It's a get your body moving and the more you put…read morein the better your workout will be. The instructors, especially Andrea, is consistently welcoming. I also find her easier to follow because her pants are not override and it easier to see the leg movement. Viki, the lead instructor, is nice on email but when I try to talk to her in person, I find the interaction awkward. Maybe it's me but I see her interacting with others. Come! Great music, energy, joy and movement. A great way to spend an hour.

I am looking forward to taking more classes on Sundays! They offer bachata at 6:30 and salsa at…read more7:30 p.m. Excellent instructors who teaches the steps slowly with many opportunities to practice before partnering and rotating partners throughout the classtime. It used to be located in Emeryville but now they are located in Richmond next to a grocery store which feels much safer when parking. I went here with three friends and we all plan to keep coming back at least 1-2x a month when we can!

The floor is better than when they just opened that place. I recommend it. Easy parking, many…read moredancing rooms.

Finally got to check out Crybaby this past weekend! It was…read more$22 at the door at around 10:30PM. The crowd here is very young but it's a nice little spot to grab some drinks and enjoy some music. Drinks were priced pretty good and they also have a nice little outside area if you want to smoke or grab some air.

Keak the Sneak brought me out. A Town Legend who took part in creating The Hyphy Movement over 15…read moreyears ago. I had so much fun at the foot of the stage, we danced all night. The crowd had motion as we sang along!

I love this dance community…read more Community: -friendly -safe -fun -relaxed -good people -diverse ages -diverse life experiences -diverse skill levels -welcoming/people will ask you to dance Venue: -large floor -plenty of room to dance/not crowded -fairly informal, don't need to dress up -not too loud -good mix of fusion songs (great for blues dancers looking for something a little different) -variety of DJs -variety of instructors -run by people who dance at their venue & engage with their community/strive to improve -snacks :) This and the Wednesday dance at La Peña used to be my regular East Bay dance diet.

This is one of my favorite dance venues in the Bay area. It's fusion partner dancing, but you don't…read moreneed a partner. Most people show up alone and either ask people to dance or solo dance. Just make sure you get here in time for the lesson if you're new to this type of dance!

Once a year, Ecstatic Dance takes their party outside. This is their fourth year, the format is…read moresimple, come and enjoy. Starts at noon, ends at five. Each DJ plays an hour set. A friend asked me to join him for their fourth year celebration and I agreed. Armed with our picnic lunch from Phat Matt's, we set up our blanket in the shade. From the left, we had an excellent view of the DJ set up, dance floor (located at the Bandstand), dancers (young, old and everything in between), jugglers, acrobats, babies and dogs. What a beautiful day and awesome time. I heart Lake Merritt and I hella heart Oakland.

Great place to come for a drink or a $5 shot!…read more Service was great. Ambience emasculate. Come have a party here for free -that means NO COVER

Coming from a conference, we needed to unwind. My friend recommended this place so we decide to…read morecheck this out AMBIANCE: Parking: Welcome to Downtown Oakland! There's a parking lot and some metered parking. Walking around, the parking wasn't too competitive. Seating: Bar seating moreover, for maybe about 10 people or so. Vibes: Welcome to Downtown Oakland! It is a grit and grind place with a lot of culture and things to do - food, museums, shopping, and community events on the occasion. The place itself is pretty spacious, there seems to be a lot of space for an eventful time from jamming good music or karaoke. FOOD: Malibu & Pinepple Rum (Recommend) A simple drink that's smooth and sweet. Get a cherry for that additional sweet flavor to it. CUSTOMER SERVICE: I believe our server was Mel and he was dope! TL; DR OVERALL: 4.5 Stars. Great! A pretty proximal place from the Marriott Hotel. Prices were reasonable, drink selections were wide, and the energy was good. When in Oakland and need some good Hip-Hop & R&B music, this is a great spot! TIPS: * Tuesdays and Thursdays are karaoke nights.

First time visiting for a concern this past weekend. The space is intimate and has great acoustics…read more I liked how the sofas and other furniture were all mismatched - adds to the esthetic! Our event was 2 hours long, and it was BYOB. Towards the back there are high chairs with seating so if you come early could grab those and settle down with your drinks. It did get a little warm in the afternoon as they turn the fans off during the performance, which makes total sense, but overall enjoyed our time here and would come back for another performance. It's also close to a ton of restaurants and cafe's, and the BART station is just a few blocks away. There is a parking lot around the corner if you're driving.

Extremely rude manager, his name is sam. Saying at the beginning of the show "...you may dislike…read moresome of these songs... this show is not for famous people... I mean there's nobody here in the audience, but hey it's intimate" finding out he then SHAMED the artists before hand for only selling a handle of tickets. In the MIDDLE of a set he then interrupts up when two artists are about to sing into a mic together. I cannot believe that someone who runs a small business space for indie/small music artist to treat musicians with such disrespect