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Melo Melo Kava Bar

4.4 (59 reviews)
Open 12:00 pm - 12:00 am (Next day)

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The table where I sat.
Joanna B.

Each time I visit I experience extraordinary service! If you're unfamiliar with Melo or Kava or anything don't worry. They will educate you. If you're a Plain Jane of beverages don't worry. They've got something for you. If you're mellow and looking for a place to relax come on down. They welcome everyone. I am a Plain Jane. I come get my kombucha. I've always lucked into maybe fresh cantaloupe. I drink my kombucha in the parklet. Today I discovered they provide sipping chocolate or hot cocoa! How did I not notice this before? I came inside and sipped a Global Warrior. This could become an addiction! I'm not a choca-holic but this is exquisite. Today I sat inside on the ultra comfy mini couches and noticed they host events here! There is a an upcoming paint and sip! There are even clothing swaps! I'm a fan.

Dafa Z.

Amazing place for Kava! If you are not already aware.. Kava is not the most pleasant tasting drink in the world. This bar has the most tasty Kava mocktails concoctions you could ever have. The Melo Colada is one I would absolutely recommend. The ambience and crowd here is also very chill and friendly. It's a small establishment with limited seating. It gets packed but people do come and go. You can sit at the bar, reserve a couch or stand around. Lots of couples were here and cuddling. I would say this is a good place for a night out. They have nice ambience, good vibes and great drinks. It was my first time here and I loved it. Parking is no problem. Check them out!

Enjoying the kava
Helen F.

The water tastes like the word "dank," but it's the most effective beverage I've consumed on a budget and the staff are so nice and maybe I just need to try one with flavor. Loving the music and people here!!

The vibes in this place
Andrew E.

Update: One of the owners of the bar messaged me to tell me I was wrong. The Philippines apparently is a Tagalog Monolith with no Kava, according to him, and tried to "educate me" on his "knowledge" of Kava presenting his degree in Hawaii as a means of intellectual proofing. He suggested I come to the bar for some "Kava Circle" so I can educate myself. It was the most self-serving and pretentious attempt at an apology I have ever seen. Avoid this place at all costs. Vibes are weird. People are weird. Owners are weird.

Bula! Kava is served in this coconut cups.
Suzie A.

A friend and I were exploring the area when we stumbled upon Melo Melo. I had been to the one in Berkeley but did not know one had opened in Oakland during the pandemic. What a nice surprise! I am quite familiar with kava, but my friend had never tried it and was interested, so we headed in. The space is long and narrow with a very chill lounge vibe. There's a long bar on one side and some colorful couches along the other side, and lots of lush plants for a relaxing atmosphere. As it was my friend's first time with kava, we had the staff explain a little bit about the kava ritual. The staff was very friendly, knowledgeable and attentive. We were feeling pretty good after our first kava. They have a pretty decent selection of kava mocktails and other drinks, and they all sounded good, so it was difficult to choose, but we followed up that first kava with a kava chai drink with just a little bit of agave (we were able to customize the sweetness level since the drink was being made in front of us). The drink was delicious! I could have easily had another, but we didn't want to fall asleep at the kava bar! We'll be back to try their other mocktails, sipping chocolates, and teas, and more! Did I mention they also have an open mic night, a DJ, and a daily happy hour from noon to 6 p.m. when drinks are buy 2 get 1 free? All of the good things in one place.

Please don't play this kind of music here
Zhane F.

I love coming here because I can relax and do my homework, but today changed my mind on if I'll be able to do that. I can't use this space to study or relax if they're playing music like "soldier of fortune" by deep purple or queue every single song by Nessa Barret for hours on end. It's just not the vibe yall give and I've never heard music like this here before. I miss coming to hear Neo Soul and relaxing music. Lo-Fi would be better than this. It's been hours please never play this kind of music again it's taking away from my experience

Norma L.

Found this via searching Yelp as the original place I want to take my guy for his bday was not open. We experienced Kava Kava many years ago when we bought the root from a Polynesian store in South San Francisco. So we headed on over. It is where the Grand Bakery used to be. The moment you walk in, you can feel the mellow (no pun intended) vibe. The kavaista greeted us warmly. She gave us some helpful suggestions as it's been a minute since I had this beverage. I was also pleasantly suprised that they Yerba Mate, something I started drinking in my early 20s before it blew up and became very commerical (ie cans, tea bags etc.) I went with the ginger one. You can have an open tab, which means they are not going to rush you out of there. There are some lovely couch type lounge chairs and a bar for which a lot of folks were posted up with their laptops. a great study or workplace. They serve the drink in a faux coconut cup/bowl and the yerba matte with the traditional filter straw (if you know, you know), herbs straight up not nice to swallows, and that was served in flexible silicone cup. (caution, can be a bit hot with you pick up) We love our visit, except one was kinda messing up the vibe because of their need to be the center of attention, a bit extra and loud. We had to be somewhere, or we would stay longer. Paid for the tab, and the lovely lady gave us a free cup of kava for my guys bday. We also bought some kava so we could make it at home. If you are having a stressful week or just want to chill, this is a place to go. We will be back.

Lety G.

I've been asking my friends that live in Oakland to bring me here for a while and we finally did. This place has very relaxed vibes and we came on a Sunday evening so it wasn't packed. Right when we walked in we were welcomed by the super friendly staff and we took a look at the menu. This was my first time having Kava so I wasn't sure what to get but I went with the Melo Chai which is chai spices, raw agave, almond milk and kava. It was delicious, the second the kava hits your tongue it's a cool numbing sensation. I would definitely come again and try other flavors. They also have what's called a riptide you can add which is an instant kava boost and they didn't have it today so I'd want to come back and try that.

Esmeralda L.

This place was so incredible I really enjoyed the atmosphere and the employee that was helping me. He was so nice and really made us feel at home. I had a lot of questions and not once made me feel like I was asking too many will definitely be going back back.

Kombucha flight

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Weird vibes. Not particularly welcoming. Trying way too hard to be hipster. Won't be back.

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Melo Melo Kava Bar Reviews in Other Languages

Ask the Community - Melo Melo Kava Bar

Are laptops allowed?

Yes! WiFi is avail and lots of room to work on a laptop

Is it possible to have products shipped within the East Bay area? I'd love to try your products and would be happy to pay the S+H fees. Thanks!!

Abolutely! Simply go to https://shop.melomelokavabar.com/ and you can purchase dry kava, instant kava, or tinctures. If you're looking for prepared kava, you can get growlers delivered through the Oakland MeloMelo DoorDash. Bula!

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Review Highlights - Melo Melo Kava Bar

It's designed very similarly to the Berkeley location, love the (real) plant wall and mood lights at night.

Mentioned in 4 reviews

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4.6(79 reviews)
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The ambiance is super sexy. It's open seating so we chose to sit upstairs overlooking the…read morerestaurant. I love how well-dressed and grown everyone was. It reminded me of being out during the 2010s when downtown was poppin'. Food and drinks did not disappoint: catfish bao (crunchy and flavorful), spare ribs (soft and moist), lamb chops (rich and cooked to perfection). My fave drink was the spicy margarita. We also tried the key pie bread pudding for dessert which was super rich. Took forever to come to us because they got really busy. But honestly, not mad because I am happy for them. Overall the visit was lovely. We hope this business continues in Oakland!

We ducked into Lucy Blue last Thursday after the fabulous Yelp Party at STAK. We weren't the only…read moreones, we saw other Yelpers there for some after-partying. Sexy, dimly-lit, upscale bar/lounge. It was great to see there was a gentleman at the door to prevent any shenanigans. We were pretty full from the Yelp event, so we didn't try any food this time, but we looked through the menu, which has a good number of options. I had a White Cosmo, RB had an Espresso Martini, and we had some sparkles. The drinks were all good. Our server was lovely, but it does seem they could hire more help, this is a happening place. Relaxing and intimate vibe, and a nice crowd. We will return next time we're in Downtown Oakland.

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Lucy Blue - Bar area

Bar area

Lucy Blue - Catfish boa buns

Catfish boa buns

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Viridian

Viridian

4.5(489 reviews)
1.1 miUptown
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This place is so cute inside it's definitely a cool almost speakeasy vibe. Came an hour after they…read moreopened and it was already getting pretty busy on a Thursday night. Service was really prompt and friendly. The food was great we ordered all the classics such as the tater tots and the cucumbers, and we also got the salt and pepper wings, and the special mapo tofu. Portions are great and it's definitely a lot of food to share. There are also extensive cocktails on the menu running at $16-$20 each, which is expected for the creativity and expert craftsmanship of each cocktail. They have a large number of cocktails that are special and seasonal, and then their classics on the bottom. I don't think you can go wrong with anything that you try and I love that they have Asian fusion options for the cocktails and savory and sweet. I got one of the seasonal cocktails that was passionfruit forward and it had a nice tart crisp taste that I really enjoyed.

4.5 Stars. My friends and I have been meaning to try…read moreViridian out. We finally got to check out Viridian out for Oakland Restaurant Week 2025. Technically, we got to try it out the week after, but they extended their menu for the week after. We came that Sunday evening. Parking can be a bit of a hassle because it is indeed Downtown Oakland. Your whole party has to get the Restaurant Week Menu. So we all got their: Aperitif Cocktail - Tomato Beef or Purely Passion (Non Alcoholic) I got the Purely Passion. Good, nothing to write home about. Umami Tots This was really good! Very Crispy. Chili Cucumbers This one was actually really good. Szechuan Salt and Pepper Wings Good, but maybe too crispy? Wings are always good but this one didn't stand out for me. Mango Sorbet (They changed this from the Apple Sorbet that day) My favorite of the whole night. I usually don't like sorbet but this one was soft and easy to eat and has like a creamy like texture? Trying this made me want to try their other dessert item. We also ordered 2 add ons - the Hojicha Miso Tiramisu and the Korean Mapo Tofu. Hojicha Miso Tiramisu was OK. It contained too much alcohol for all of us and was bitter. Disappointing. I liked the Mapo Tofu! I liked that it was Crispy and that it came with rice. Drinks wise, my friends also got to try the Tomato Beef and White Rabbit. I don't really drink alcohol so I just sipped a bit. Tomato Beef was too alcoholic for me, couldn't really taste the tomato or the beef, but I could see what White Rabbit was going for. Overall, I'm really impressed by the food. I usually think Bar Food isn't very good, but this blew me away. Drinks are OK.

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Viridian
Viridian
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4.9(7 reviews)
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Date: 2/22/2025. Time: 4:00 PM. 63°. Sunny…read more I was supposed to be at 1701, but they are not opened yet. Thus, I met my friend next door at Space Lounge for drinks. Usually I don't imbibe. I am not much of drinking the Henny. All their cocktails have exactly that. The only one that looked appealing to me was the expresso martini. The service could be a little more attentive. My friend and I were the only two people in the lounge at the time. We sat and waited for somebody to come by to ask what would I like to drink. It did not happen; thus, my friend had to go the bar and purchase the expresso martini. The expresso martini was smooth and mellow. The only time I had the Henny was years ago at a Chinese wedding banquet. I added some to the shark fin soup, which enhanced the flavor of the soup. Yes, I enjoyed the expresso martini. The atmosphere of the lounge is one of sophistication and upscale. Comfortable seating all around. Nice place to hang out, do some chillaxin' with friends. Rating: 3.5 stars rounded up to 4 stars.

Super chill spot with hella cool people! Wandered in here with a friend while waiting for a concert…read moreat Fox. So we had a few drinks and chatted it up with Rick. He's super knowledgeable AND passionate about his craft, plus an overall fun person to hangout with. We heard that this spot isn't getting much love these days and just wanna say it's totally worth the visit! You get excellent service, people who love what they do, community and also some bomb a** lumpia if you show up when the lumpia ladies are taking orders! Come thru!

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Space Lounge Oakland - Was feeling fancy , they knew what was going on ! Champagne was amazing ! Vibes on vibes baby . Oakland shows the most love

Was feeling fancy , they knew what was going on ! Champagne was amazing ! Vibes on vibes baby . Oakland shows the most love

Space Lounge Oakland - Great hospitality! Drinks were on point

Great hospitality! Drinks were on point

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Forbidden Island - Full view of the bar at opening time

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4.2(1.6k reviews)
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Forbidden Island is one of those rare neighborhood gems that somehow manages to feel both special…read moreand effortlessly welcoming. It's a longtime local favorite of mine and my go-to spot for meeting up with friends--equal parts escape and comfort. The cocktail menu is impressively deep, full of beautifully crafted, fancy tiki drinks that practically beg to be explored, and so far every single one I've tried has been delicious (dangerously so). Inside, the bar nails the classic tiki vibe--warm, immersive, and transportive--while the outdoor patio offers a lovely, relaxed option with plenty of extra seating on warm days. It's the kind of place where you can linger, laugh, and lose track of time. The staff deserve a special shout-out: genuinely friendly, attentive, and accommodating, which only adds to the overall experience. A quick pro tip: if you're planning to stop by during popular after-work hours, definitely make a reservation--it fills up for good reason. The food menu is on the smaller side, but the bites are tasty and thoughtfully done, perfect for sharing alongside a round (or two) of cocktails. All in all, Forbidden Island is a standout spot that keeps me coming back again and again.

Forbidden Island is a usual pitstop for us after the Antique Fair in Alameda. The drinks are solid…read moreand the interior decor is fun, but fall short of its neighbors in the surrounding area. It's got a hybrid dive bar with dollar bills on the ceiling, mixed with Tiki. I have tried the Grog, Rum Barrel, and Sunday Special, all of which were solid, but not out of this world.

Photos
Forbidden Island - Outside patio area

Outside patio area

Forbidden Island - More of the atmosphere of the forbidden island, and I love all the money hanging from the ceiling

More of the atmosphere of the forbidden island, and I love all the money hanging from the ceiling

Forbidden Island - The two mugs that they have available. The mug on the left is a special edition mug and $150. The mug on the right is $40.

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The two mugs that they have available. The mug on the left is a special edition mug and $150. The mug on the right is $40.

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So many people told me to come by Sobre Mesa, but I'm so busy that when I finally stopped by, it…read morewas well worth the wait. The first thing you notice is the beautiful ambiance of decor there. It felt like I was on vacation in Costa Rica. The house speakers playing Latin and Dominican music def set the tone that this was a place rich in culture. I must say that the server Kimmy as well as Crista the bartender were both bright spots. The food was awesome as well. The steak was served to temperature (med rare) and the dealers choice rum cocktail was phenomenal. What made this dinner visit special was the fact that the chef came from behind the window to check on everyone. Being in hospitality for 30 years, I can say that I know genuine passion when I see it. Not only did this visit make me happy that it is located in my home town of oakland, but to know that top chef talent chef Nelson, took a community shot with everyone at bar made it feel like home. Cheers to Sobre, they got it right!

Updating my review because my last experience this past weekend was kind of sketchy , let's get…read moreinto it . so upon arriving I know they check for ID. I don't know when this started happening but now there is a cover fee, which is no problem because I know it's busy and it's mostly known for being a bar with some snacks .... we came for the snacks so no problem paying a cover charge. The sketchy part about it was the hostess at the front door said they're not accepting cash for the cover fee and they are only accepting Zelle . We search the email to pay but it asked for first and last name and at that point she said never mind you guys can go sit down . so that was weird number one ! Especially because I would assume as a business your Zelle handle would have something about the business and not a personal persons Zelle . number two I know that their menu always changes depending on seasonal products so that's not a big deal , but I know they usually always have oysters . when I went to go place my order the waitress said that they do not have oysters and explained to me that it's a party tonight so they only have certain items .... but luckily for me one of the cooks from the back was standing behind her so I assume when I walked away, he corrected her because she came back and said oh we do have oysters ?! very interesting to me . Overall vibes are still cool inside , they were playing all the hits. The food was good . the empanadas ! the ingredients were very fresh. You could taste it in every bite. The goat cheese was probably our favorite thing that we got perfectly breaded gooey cheese . and the oysters were good. I just wish we could get more for what we pay for. I think it's $22 just for three. I'm used to paying $22 for six with all the ingredients that they claim they use , but yeah . I don't know what's going on with the staff. That's why I'm taking one star away other than that love the vibe , the ambience feels good. Just staff needs to get it together. And I hope they aren't scamming people at the door .

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Sobre Mesa - View room back of restaurant

View room back of restaurant

Sobre Mesa - Oysters 5/5

Oysters 5/5

Sobre Mesa - A delicious mocktail from Crista

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A delicious mocktail from Crista

Melo Melo Kava Bar - lounges - Updated May 2026

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