What a charming place. I've been here a few times now and it's one of my favorite spots when I'm in…read moreAlbany/Berkeley. Perfect to relax and converse over good wine selection and tasty bites. Pups are welcome! Grab a book or a friend, bring your pup and enjoy!

Found this gem on Google because I really wanted a charcuterie board lol. They do not gave tons of…read morereviews, but what is there.. made me want to try it out. My wife and I entered and it was not crowded. However, there were 2 groups of people there and they seemed to be enjoying themselves. We were immediately greeted and seated. Once seated, we were greeted by the owner (Did not know she was the owner at the time..lml). She informed us of what came with the Charcuterie Board and we chose Fontaine over Goat cheese (My wife does not like goat cheese). We ordered the codfish cakes. She provided us with some wine selections and even offered some to be tried (Free) to help with deciding. My wife chose a Rose and I chose a Malbec. When the Board came, we were amazed at the presentation. When are tasted it, we fell in love lml. Everything went together so well.. including the wine we decided to pair with it. We complimented every bite to once another. The codfish cake was seasoned, lightly battered and full of fish. It was served with olive oil and lime. So so so good!!!! We enjoyed 2 glasses of wine during our time. The Board was enough to share between 2 ppl. If it is more than 2 ppl, you will need to add/pay for additional items. We received great conversation from the owner. My wife at some point asked her she was the in fact the owner and she did yes. Her name is Diva (Might be misspelled...def get real name, but that is exactly how she is). She was so personalable, honest, transparent, and full of smiles. Oh.. they have live music on Saturdays beginning at 7pm. They rotate the genres. They spay have a heated outdoor patio with seating that we will try next time. I think we found out wine bar joy. Thank you for an exceptional 5 star treatment, without even trying. It was so natural!!!

If you've ever been to Les Deux Magots in St. Germain, this is the spot to check out, hang out,…read moresip, while snacking on something freshly made in front of you. The ambiance will get you first, the attention to detail say's a lot about the love put into La Loulou. The service is fabulous, they will remember your last drink. I'm a quirky 'orderer' and they remembered the nuance of how I like my drink. Also, don't forget to checkout the bathroom. Merci!!!

I visited La Loulou several months ago and wanted to give it some time before writing a review…read more After recently having a wonderful experience at another wine bar, I realized the difference in hospitality was too significant not to mention. I really wanted to like this place. I'd walked by several times and loved the interior design, and the videos on Instagram made it seem like such a great spot. I stopped in one evening by myself, ordered a glass of wine and the warm olives (which were delicious), and was looking forward to a relaxing night. Unfortunately, the service was the biggest disappointment. The restaurant was packed, and the atmosphere felt more concerned with maintaining an image than making guests feel welcome. I understand some restaurants embrace a more reserved European style of service, but this came across as cold and pretentious rather than intentional hospitality. As a solo diner especially, I didn't feel acknowledged or valued as a guest. It also didn't help that the dining room had a noticeable body odor smell that took away from the experience. On a positive note, the bathroom was clean and beautifully designed. I originally thought this would become my go-to place to grab a glass of wine while waiting for a table at the ramen spot next door, but unfortunately that wasn't the case. Reading through other reviews, it seems I'm not the only one who had this impression. Oakland's charm has always been its people. You can open a French-inspired wine bar, but hospitality translates into every language. If you're going to bring a Parisian aesthetic to Oakland, don't mistake indifference for sophistication. Guests should leave feeling welcomed, not judged.

Hidden almost behind the freeway entrance , is a magical small intimate space. A classy wine lounge…read moreof sorts with attentive and knowledgeable staff and amazing ambiance. Their selections of wine is incredible (and all delicious). Definitely a date night spot!

"You telling me that wine is better than Pepsi? Huh, no way wine is better than Pepsi." - George…read moreCostanza, Seinfeld da Scene: Yelped them for pre-dinner spot. Kinda hidden on a corner right off University & 5th; make the right onto 6th & scoot around to park on 5th or University. They buzz you in, best to make a res., but seems like walk-ins are ok. Very modern, yet welcoming feel, tables spaced well for intimate encounters and a bar with Hightop seating. da Grub & Libation: I had res. for a buddy & I and belly up to the bar; they offered a table, but we're bar flies by nature. Very diverse wines by the glass & bottle so we had 4 different glasses w/ a modest charcuterie plate. da Service: Excellent, warm, friendly and genuinely so. I look forward to my next visit, whether it's for a contemplative glass in solitude or with the wife on a pre-dinner excursion. Hidden Gem, find them and enjoy!

I attended their Unfiltered Wine Festival today. Great event! As someone that worked in the wine…read moreindustry prior to this unfiltered movement, I know very little about it, but I'm interested to learn. I mainly came to go to the Breaking the Champagne Spell: California's Great Sparkling Wine Experiment panel, which included Chris Cottrell (legend!), and Michael Cruse (Ultramarine). I learned a lot! I discovered a new favorite winery at that vendor tastings as well, The Grenachista. This guy only focuses on Grenache. I especially liked his reds! All around great event with great panels topics. Looking forward to next year!

Absolutely cool space and great staff. I found this place through a Yelp elite event and went for a…read moretasting weeks later. Space is huge, bright and comfortable. Staff is so personable and the wine delicious. We split two tastings and shared. We both were fans of the reds, yet bought a bottle of the white to go home. We will be back for sure.

Strolling through Solano Ave, our group stopped here for a drink and to chill. Located at the…read morecorner of Solano Ave and San Pablo, Best Friends is a cozy wine bar where you can have a drink at the bar or at one of the bar tables and tables. Their logo on their sign is a dog drinking from wine glass. Yes, they are a dog friendly shop and several customers had their dogs including our friend. Their wine offerings consist of international wines and wines from local small wineries. They also had two craft beers and some light bites. The wine pourer was helpful and answered questions about the wines and gave samples for you to try before ordering. We also ordered marinated olives and Marcona almonds to have with our drinks. Nice place to relax and to have a glass of wine, beer or non-alcoholic offerings where you an bring man's best friend.

Don't ever go to a pop up here…read more While customers, (who paid a lot of money) waited HOURS for food, the staff and owners stuffed themselves. If customers are waiting an hour for a course, the staff/ owners should not eat that course RIGHT IN FRONT of them. Other staff were also seen eating in the back while customers sat there with nothing. Outrageous disregard for customers.

The wine was really good here, some of the best in the Gilman district. We appreciated getting an…read moreexplanation of the brand and of the wine selection from the owner. Our favorites were the sparkling Rose and the Sonoma County Pinot Noir (which was carried by ANA in its first class cabin!)

Now that I have a lot more experience with Noria, I wanted to update my review. We've visited many…read moretimes and joined the wine club as well. First, these are the nicest people in the wine business. Warm and gracious and extremely knowledgable about the wine and vineyards. When we first qwnt to Noria, it was mostly superb Pinots and Chardonnay. Since, they've added a wonderful Gewürztraminer and a bomb Sauvignon Blanc as well. These are finely crafted wines from some of the best vineyards in Sonoma and beyond (no, they don't have rows of vines in Berkeley) and the bang for the buck is off the charts. I'm mostly a red drinker and only enjoy Pinots occasionally and Noria was my go-to. The addition of more white wines (and rosé) combined with my move to a warmer climate have made Noria indespensible for me. Absolutely check them out. Do yourself a favor and start at Noria, go across the street to Broc Cellars and then Donkey and Goat for a perfect wine tasting day right in Berkeley.

It a really welcoming vibe…read more I have gone there for the live music on some Thursdays with super talented Berkeley High Students that like sound professional Jazz artisits. Don't forget to tip the musicians. ; ) Love the diversity of staff and clientele. So BEREKELY! Appreciate the family run business. It's a bit fancy and the portions are a bit small.

Stopped by Roses on Adeline after celebrating Juneteenth in Berkeley, and I'm so glad we did! The…read moreRose Slushies were absolutely amazing--I've been dreaming about them ever since we left. The tuna tartare was incredibly fresh and flavorful, and the smash burger is an absolute must-try! The ambiance was warm, inviting, and effortlessly charming--perfect for a first date or a casual night out. If you find yourself in the area, definitely add Roses on Adeline to your list. You won't be disappointed!

Very nice staff, fun location with a really nice outdoor seating area, interesting wines!…read more We didn't try any of the snacks, but they had some that we might try next time. We did teo flights of wine and they were very light and crisp. The staff was super nice and walked us through the wine selections and helped us to an outside seating area where we got to enjoy the sunshine. The outdoor seating area looks to be great for groups as it's large and covered!

Great wine tasting service! Alex was very patient with my indecision lol!…read moreWe selected tasting the Thanksgiving table, $35 And Fox Hill harvest $30 Loved the 2014 Sunshine Rosato! Since it was a cold night we finished our night with hot tea Genamaicha