Whoaaaa. The poke…read more We used to love Hapuku so we were kinda sad to see it go, but this place is just as good, if not better. We got the poke bowls and I can honestly say it's the best I've ever had. I don't think I can go back to commercial poke bowls after this one.

I've been a little late on this review. I finally had the "poor man's cioppino." This is a dish I…read morecan highly recommend. There is no shortage of fresh seafood in the dish and the sauce itself is excellent. They recommend you eat it there so you can benefit from the hot toast. Check it out. I'll be back for another round.

Date: 3/27/2026 Time: 7:25 PM 68° Cool…read more My male companion asked where I wanted to have dinner this evening. I had a taste for Chilean sea bass. A search on this website resulted in Marica having it on their menu. He booked a 7:30 PM reservation for two. We arrived early. What started out as a not too pleasant experience for us was the attitude of the guy who greeted us when we entered the restaurant. Attitude bordered on rudeness (3 star). We somewhat tolerated it, not knowing what to expect next. The restaurant was filled with diners, and the only available seating was not far from the front door. Oh, the chill was in the air, and my not wearing a sweater and/or light jacket to stay warm had me shivering. I had to brave the element (LOL). Since there was no Chilean sea bass on their daily special menu, it took a little longer for my companion and I to peruse the menu, and decide what entrees we were willing to have. Usually I would order an Arnold Palmer as a beverage; however, this time I decided to be adventurous - reisling peach spritz please - to whet my appetite. My date had the Temescal pilsner. Eats: Grilled salmon arange ginger saffron blanc beurre, roasted potatoes and vegetables. Korean short ribs, honey garlic gochujang marinade, mashed potatoes and vegetables. Our meals were on point and bomb-diggity delicious. The arange ginger saffron was perfect with the carrot. It reminded me of glazed carrots. The green beans were fresh and not overcooked. Ooh, the Korean pork ribs were tender and that sauce was sweet and had a subtle kick of spiciness. (Definitely a perfect complement for the pork ribs.) I have to admit the chef knew how to burn. Food tasted so good that figuratively speaking y'all gotta slap the cook and his mama. Ambiance: Comfy and casual. Despite the dining area is small, still it is a great restaurant for dining on a Friday evening. From my perspective and vivid imagination with the indoor lighting, it exuded a romantic atmosphere. Only in my mind I can hear soft jazz in the background. What convinced me to give Marica a 5 star rating? It was none other than Enriqueta, our waitress. She was pleasant, attentive and so accommodating. The chef lost our order ticket; thus, the wait time for our meal took a bit longer than we anticipated. She came to the rescue and comped us with dessert - chocolate souffle with homemade vanilla ice cream. It certainly was a gesture of kindness to have my date and me smiling from ear to ear. Return visit? Yes, mos def...not the rapper for Chilean sea bass. Enriqueta said I can always call to find out what their daily special is.

We made a reservation for Oakland Restaurant Week and decided on the black cod and the three course…read morespecial menu which consisted of fresh corn and shrimp cream soup sweet and delish, Prince Edward Island Mussels my fave, claypot salmon with signature rice which had a real kick to it, especially the rice, followed by orange creme brulee, tangy and tasty. Service was attentive. Somehow though we ordered the black cod we got the oxtail but notified them immediately and they replaced it with the black cod and gave us a complimentary pannacotta for the mistake. Food was great, just wish there wasn't a quick to the special rice

Good customer service. Today was my second time getting take out. Fish and chips both times, and…read morethe tamarind agua fresca. Same quality and taste as the first time. It's all about the batter! and they have nailed it :) You get 2 LARGE pieces of fish: it definitely can be split between 2 people. Thanks to Berkeleyside for the write up during Lent! Just what I needed for Fish Fridays during Lent :)

I really wanted to like this place because we need a good oyster spot in this neighborhood. Here's…read morea quick breakdown: Came here for Mother's Day to try some place new. Walked in. No one greeted us. Wasn't sure where to go. Went to the register. Waited a minute for someone to come out. Ordered the clam chowder, dozen oysters and fish & chips with a glass of mystery orange wine. Decided to sit outside in the back patio. Table was dirty from previous guest which usually doesn't bother me be ut little things started adding up. Service took a while. Oysters came out first. 20 min. They were fresh and delicious. Just enough to get the palette opened up. $46 though? Way overpriced but was willing to overlook since it is Mother's Day. Next up - clam chowder, 10 min after they took the tray for the oysters. Smallest bowl I ever saw. Flavor was good. Temperature was luke warm. Broth was thin. $10. Not worth it. Last was the fish and chips. 10 min after picking up the chowder bowl. Portion looked good enough to make up for the small clam chowder, except it was under seasoned. Fish texture was a bit dry too. Fries were meh. Between the overall vibe...the overpriced items...the time between dishes...and the lack of flavor, I will continue my search for an oyster spot in this neighborhood.

This was my second time at snail bar and it was such a vibe as always. Had a reservation, so had a…read morecozy seat inside. Their menu is always changing, so it's constantly a surprise what we'll have. We had the snails, some oysters, a sausage dish, and sweet potato. Most standout (surprisingly) was the sweet potato. I loved the sauce and candied pepitas. Oysters were delicious as well and I'm not even an oyster girl! Snails were not as good as the first time I visited, but the cashew miso sauce it came with was so addicting. No issues with service this time either. But I'll call out that the first time I visited, our server was super warm and friendly and made for a special experience. Overall, a really cute wine bar with delicious food. It feels like you're in someone's living room it's so intimate. It is a bit expensive for what you get, but vibes are unmatched.

Snail Bar had been on my radar for a while since I live nearby, and the lines are always out the…read moredoor. I finally stopped by and was not disappointed. I didn't have a reservation, but I came close to opening time and was dining solo, which worked out perfectly. They do take walk-ins, though it would likely be tough with a larger group. The space is small and intimate, with bar seating for about 5-6 inside, a few small tables, and a limited outdoor area. Groups of six or more aren't allowed, which makes sense given the size. The service was excellent from start to finish. I asked the server for recommendations across the board and loved every suggestion. I was offered an orange-skinned contact wine that was fantastic and paired beautifully with the tostada, which was phenomenal. The tostada had the perfect crunch, and the sauce (I still don't know what it was) was so good I wanted it on everything. The fish was incredibly buttery and melted in my mouth. The oysters were good, but honestly, the tostada completely stole the show. I wanted dessert but was way too full, and they don't offer desserts to-go, so I'll have to come back which I'm more than happy to do. I was also intrigued by their wine club, especially since their wine selection is clearly curated with care. I ended up buying a bottle of the same wine I had with dinner. The wine club is popular and currently full, so I'm on the waiting list and excited to join when a spot opens up.

Those who know me, know that I'm not a fancy guy. Which is why I always get the reliable pastrami…read moresandwich at this place. It's good and a solid meal for the price point. The pastrami sandwich comes on a baguette, which I love. It's nice to sharpen my teeth on that crunch. The pastrami itself is made in house, and it's delicious. They cut it fresh. It also comes with a small side of coleslaw. They use a Dijon dressing that is absolutely fantastic. Be sure to ask for extra dressing.

I have been wanting to try this place for a few months and its so hard to grab reservation. I was…read morefinally able to after trying for a few months. The food in this place was good but the service was so bad at some point I felt like it was a torture. The place was kind of empty not too many table were full but the waiter just would be gone for long and wouldn't come ask if we needed anything. The wait between meals like appetizer and main course was so long not because of kitchen but the server was just gone for long at a stretch. I had to ask him to come and same with after our meal was finished he never came to ask if we needed dessert, The waiter on other table saw us a few times and he finally came and gave us a menu. I really wanted to try a dessert but was scared this will again take us another hour to even get the server to come and get our order. On top of really slow service there was an older man who sat in the table next to us and kept talking to us looking at our food. He literally was asking me if you support trump do you like him. He kept telling us how he knew the owner and his wife and has come to this place for 100 times over years and everything is free for him here. This was all ok but I wasn't sure why he wasn't letting us eat our meal in peace. At some point he became a little racist as well, when we tried to take our food goto he told us i won't take this goto. I never take this goto. And then was like ohh you are from India and it felt so uncomfortable. He was like do you watch fox, I watch fox. Then was like I have cable, I don't try to save money. Do you have cable.. omg never ending interrogation and also kept looking at our food and table and what we were eating and kept commenting on that. I understand this restaurant might have some old and familiar guest or important people come to this place but they should understand other guest should still be able to enjoy there meal without being bothered by the people who are known. It was one of my worse restaurant experiences, the service and on top of this man who somehow is VIP guest at this place made it so hard for us to have our date night meal in peace. I literally tried to run away from this place. This was almost 2 hrs long ordeal. We came a little before 6 and left at 8 and I never eat for that long. I'll NEVER go to this place again even though I loved the food.

Amazing food and a lovely overall experience. I've been here twice, first with a group in the…read morecourtyard, which is delightful on a warm night. The only downside is it can be hard to share the little nibbles on the menu between 4 people unless you order more than 1. The appetizers are bigger portions are easier to share. Last night was just 2 of us in the dining room, which really heated up in the sunshine of early evening but then mellowed out. The menu had refreshing chartreuse cocktails to celebrate Chartreuse Day, which is apparently a thing (I'm into it). The scallop crudo was delicious but the halibut crudo with strawberry aguachile (!) was the standout. We did fried chicken with biscuits which were nuts, and I would buy jars of the anchovy chili crisp. The buckwheat donuts were a great way to finish the meal. Sweet and not heavy. It's a pricey night out but IMO well worth it.

It always pains me to give a place less than 4 stars, but I gotta share one person's opinion…read more Ultimately, a wonderful space that is offering up fare that ultimately didn't impress me and was quite expensive in value. Off night? Not sure. I came when this spot first opened, and I had similar sentiments. My favorite part of the meal was the dessert. The donuts and the hazelnut ice cream with that delicious salty cookie were truly the highlights of the meal. Everything else average. Not bad per se, but just unforgettable and of course... prices were expensive for quantity. The $40 1/2 fried chicken was really well cooked. A crispy thick layer of southern style breading deep fried with juicy chicken. It came with a sauce and we chose a mushroom sauce that I didn't think worked at all with this chicken. We also ordered a $7 (around that) biscuit that was small and fine. The gnocchi was actually well portioned for the price, but ultimately flavorless. And the shrimp and chorizo pizza, which I was excited about, again, lacked any depth or flavor... we asked for something to spice it up and she brought over a $2 side of anchovy chili oil. The smoked fish dip was just a few spoonfulls, which was fine, as I didn't love. The $21 asaparagus salad was the most flavorful with a middle-eastern spiced hummus to throw some flavor on it, it was just a very small plate for the price tag. Overall, this is teetering on a 2 star, imho. The place is really well designed, the outdoor patio so quaint and service was nice. The cocktails were solid, while none screamed out to me so I kept it at 1. Overall, not my cup of chartreuse (a very common ingredient they use in cocktails and even coffee). The space is lovely, but for the price tag, the fare didn't live up to the value.

The public market was bustling, airy, and welcoming on a Saturday afternoon…read more I have always wanted to try this place - and it didn't disappoint. The staff were great! They even gave me a little bit of vinegar to go with my bowl. (There was a red sauce that came with the bowl). I got the branzino rice bowl - which came with a red sauce. The fish was freshly cooked, and the combination of vegetables, seed, and fluffy rice was just perfect on a cold day. I liked the creamy carrot concoction, along with the preserved vegetable - the flavor combination was on point. The arugula added a a slight punch to the bowl. I ended up eating this bowl over 2 meals. Will be back!

Great service and I like the location because you can get drinks or desserts from other…read morerestaurants. I got the fish and chips. The fish tasted fresh, with a great batter crust. The tartar sauce was horrible though- tasted like straight mayonnaise. The fries were just okay. I'll try it again but with sweet potato fries.

This was our second time there and we brought opur friends with us for a bday celebration. The…read moreservice was very slow and non attentive. The food was not as good as the first time we were there 9 months ago. I am not sure what has changed? It is a lovely spot with a lovely in and outdoor area. I hope they figure out what is not working and fix it fast as it has the potential to be a fabulous spot!

I tagged along with a friend to get a drink here. I ended up trying the fried brussels sprouts…read more They are amazing! They are fried and then glazed with a bourbon dressing. The crispies of the outside of the brussels sprout contrasts to the inside softness. So good!. All of the staff here is fantastic. This is a well run restaurant.

Top contender for Japanese cuisine in Berkeley--equal parts sophisticated and scrumptious…read more Highlights include: - Sea Bean & Corn Tempura: a savory funnel cake worthy of a Michelin star thanks to its texture and the side of matcha salt - Salmon sashimi: succulent with fresh wasabi - Wagyu Shime Special: insane price for insane flavor--a generous portion of veggies and wagyu in a big ol' iron bowl of bubblin' broth

Ate Christmas dinner here with my mom as our celebration tradition is usually a Japanese…read morerestaurant. The ambience was intimate and cozy yet elegant, and the staff was very attentive and kind. I loved the decorations, the plates and silverware, and the food was just as intentional in flavor and selection. For appetizers we had: Anchovy Stuffed Olives Tempura - Tempura Spanish alives stuffed with anchovies $9 Kombu Tsukudani - Premium Hokkaldo kelp, say sauce, bonito, shiso, sesame seeds, enjoy with sake or rice $6 For our meal we had: Saba Bouzushi - House-cured saba mackerel bouzushi - stick-shaped sushi, also called battera, served with shiso, sesame, scallions, topped with Hokkaido shiraita kombu, ten pieces $29 Gindara Yuanyaki - Local black cod marinated in soy sauce and shikuwasa Okinawan citrus juice served grilled $34 Steelhead Trout Nabe - Norwegian ocean trout raised sustainably in the clear, cold ford where the seawater meets fresh meltwater from the glaciers in the mountains. Enjoy the rich flavored, melt-in-your-mouth fish, hotpot with dashi broth, mushrooms, napa cabbage, burdock, clear noodles, tofu, mizuna, scallions, yuzu kosho $39 We've been to many izakaya spots and this place had some of the most unique flavors I've tasted. The Saba Bouzushi stood out to me because it reminded of Filipino paksiw but as a roll! The Gindara was buttery and soft and had a yummy smoky flavor. The Nabe was perfect for a rainy evening - hearty, fresh, and so well balanced in flavor (I loved the yuzu kosho the had us add for a citrusy, peppery flavor)

Our friends said they loved this spot from two years ago and wanted to check it out again. It did…read morenot disappoint. Everything we ordered was so delicious. You cannot go wrong with their menu. Our table got the oysters, roasted beets, French fries, Brussels sprouts, and sourdough bread (comes with a delectable dipping sauce/oil). For dinner, two got halibut, one burger, and I got the fried rice. Everyone's dishes were wiped clean! The pacing of the restaurant makes you really enjoy your dinner, the company, and the energy. They bring new plates and silverware to you at each course, which is a nice touch. The waiter, I wish I got this name was fantastic. You could tell he loves hospitality. So kind, explained the menu, gave recommendations and made the whole experience lovely. The service was phenomenal. For dessert we got the chocolate cake, mango cake, and the mint ice cream. Everything was so good. I look forward to dining here again! We only got pictures of the dessert!

Given that we used to live a block and a half away, the Wolf became more than just a "sometimes"…read morerestaurant; it became our "Cheers." It's our first instinct for a bad day, a celebration day, an outing with friends, showing visitors our neighborhood, and saying hi to our favorite waiter. My last review of the Wolf was written a handful of years ago, during the vegetarian decades of my life. In the years since, I've expanded my diet and tried many, many more of their excellent dishes (even when our entire party orders a steak). Thank you, Wolf staff, for always making our neighborhood night out memorable.