Went to Tupper and Reed yesterday after work with my boyfriend to check it out. The place is seriously gorgeous - I'm new-ish to the area so I'd never been to the building before - and the drinks were great. I made a reservation so we could access the ~exclusive~ upstairs, but it wasn't necessary. The downstairs bartender just told us to go up if we wanted when we looked confused at the sign about reservations and the lack of attendants and once we arrived upstairs we were told to just grab a seat. So perhaps a reservation isn't entirely necessary, at least not early in the evening. As everyone has said, the menu (at least upstairs) is a giant folder book of drinks and spirits. It's lovely and overwhelming. We had the Cucumber Gimlet and the Lion's Tale, both of which were fantastic. The upstairs bartender was really nice and made great drinks, but service was a bit slow trying to get the check since he was the only one up there. I greatly want to visit again later in the evening when I imagine it will be fuller, but if service was a struggle with only 3 tables upstairs I'm fearful of how it would be on a crowded night. But again, that could just be a Wednesday night lack of staff issue. I wasn't there past dark, but I didn't think it was nearly as dark inside as other reviews have indicated. Perhaps they took them into account. It was dimly lit, but in the lovely prohibition-esque way Future Bars tend to be. It is on the pricey side - 3 cocktails and 1 beer coming for roughly $50 with the tip -, but (sadly) not really any pricier than other options around and certainly much more pleasant. I'll definitely be returning for after work/after dinner drinks, or when I just want to slip away from the real world for a bit. read more

The space is what really makes it for me. Old-Berkeley at it's finest.

Great spot! My wife and I stumbled upon this place on a Friday night. The music was awesome! Great classic hip hop playing all night. Bartender was really nice, he made nice drinks for us and he chatted with us and welcomed us back and to bring some friends. Place was packed all night, we will definitely be back read more

The drinks here looked good as did the cocktails but I never got to have one despite spending 30 minutes in line. The bar man was a fake hipster with a bear and cap who avoided eye contact and seemed to really like showing off with his cocktail skills. I'd suggest they have someone focus on simple orders like beer and wine ...and then let hipster boy have his fun with the cocktails....I was weak from dehydration in a bar. I think you guys are missing the point of what your mission should be. You really have to do something about the service otherwise it doesn't matter how good your drink and atmosphere are. Maybe put someone behind the bar who actually likes meeting people and who can keep eye contact read more

When we walked in we were like wow cool place. Went upstairs to get drinks and the bartenders were so unfriendly! Especially the short dark haired woman bartender. We waited 30 mins with no acknowledgement or eye contact from the bartenders. Yes it was busy but for goodness sake at least acknowledge the customers! The lady bartender was extremely rude like she hated her job! I just asked if we can order drinks and she had the audacity to say " you know we are busy, you will have to wait!" Wtf! Why work here if u hate people? C'mon! Also if the place is busy (there was a private party), there should be at least 3 bartenders. Aren't bartenders supposed to be friendly? Not like their dog just died! Definitely not coming here again unless they fire the woman bartender read more

I reached for what I thought was a menu and was scolded in loud and condescending tone by the bartender to "'not touch anything on the bar". It's unfortunate that I was made to feel that way on my first visit to the joint. read more

Wow. It's a shame, I wanted to really enjoy this place but the service has been terrible and I feel as if I was belittled by the bartender. I'm sorry but I will NEVER be partaking here again. read more

Had a fun night out with friends on Friday. The cocktails were good to excellent. I especially enjoyed the cucumber gimlet, which was good with both the vodka and gin options. Our group had a round downstairs, which was pretty busy, before moving upstairs, where we were seated at a booth and given a generous portion of cocktail "amuse bouche" while we perused the extensive menu. Make a reservation for the upstairs tables. Prices are reasonable. Service upstairs was attentive. It wasn't so loud we couldn't all hear each other. I'll definitely be back! read more

Cool spot with a pool table. I really jive with this place because the small cobblestone outdoor area makes you feel like you're in mid-century England. read more

One of the bartenders is super unfriendly and has a serious attitude problem. I won't ever return and feel sorry she's so unhappy with her life. read more

Well, after reading the article about the soft opening in a local paper, my girlfriend and I decided to ride out bikes over there on such a beautiful day... we got there after 6pm, and the doorman told me they weren't open yet... I asked what time they opened since the article said six and it was after that... he said we open when we open, then told me I wouldn't be allowed in because I was wearing flip flops... I told him my shoes weren't flip flops, they were sandles... anyway- turned away in Berkeley for not having the right attire?!? OK good people, I was pretty excited for trying the new place... I know what a "soft opening" is, and I'm ok with that... I may go back... I may rate you better... but at this point you are the new rude folks in town... Go to East Bay Trading Company around the corner... there you can get a great drink without the lousy attitude... read more

I had been waiting to go to T&R for a week. I was so excited to learn that there would be something on par with Bourbon and Branch in the East Bay. Needless to say, I won't be going back. I arrived at 9 and sat at a table with friends. The waitresses did not come to the table for 10+ minutes. I decided to take matters into my own hands and order a drink at the bar. Side note: there were maybe four groups of people and only two drinks tabs for the bartenders. 20 minutes later, no drink. The bartenders switch, and the one who I had ordered from told me that he'd send the drink to me table. Now 30 minutes later, no drink. I pull over the new bartender and try to tell him the deal. He waves me off and tells me that he's busy. There are apparently drinks ahead of my order (when I had ordered a cocktail a half an hour prior). I give up and tell the waitress. She kindly tells me she will put it in right away. 40 MINUTES LATER, my friends get their drinks. I tell a different waitress. She condescends me by telling me I ordered wrong, that I should have told the waitress what I wanted. Well, the waitresses were MIA and the bartender did not redirect me. She then offers a saccharine smile as she tells me that she will do something in a near baby tone. At this point, I know she is not getting a tip from me. And I have NEVER not tipped. After about an hour in this nearly empty bar, the drink comes. And it's fine. The rude waitress returns with a splash of Fernet for the table. I don't acknowledge her because it seems so disingenuous and like she's trying to salvage her chances of a tip.i I should have received at least an apology. Bars get busy, people get behind. Don't treat customers poorly because of staff (lack of) communication and your own errors. There was no reason that she should talk to me as she did. It was kind of insane. The drinks were decent. The decor was fine. My partner took a picture of his family and the flash went off, the same baby talking waitress came running over to tell him no flash photography. If you want service, take a picture with the flash on and you'll have the staff's attention. read more

I started going to Tupper and Reed when they had their soft opening in Berkeley in 2015. Since then, I've found myself going less and less as the vibe and service here has definitely changed. A couple years ago I probably would've given this place 5 stars because of their extremely hospitable, friendly, and hilarious bartenders. This place used to be so alive and really cared about the customer as well as the craft. Now when I go into Tupper and Reed, I'm honestly looked down at for being young (which is a serious pet peeve of mine and weird considering I wasn't treated like that 2 years ago) or get treated like a number (which is understandable on a busy night, but definitely not acceptable when there's only a couple of people at the bar). They still make a mean cocktail- at least that's one thing that hasn't changed. I love pool but also need to comment that the pool table here is totally out of place. Customers enjoying their drinks get in the way of pool players and pool players get very close to hitting the people at tables with their cues. It's really not an ideal set up. Additionally, the pool table is really confusing with the ambience. Pool tables fit in great at local dives etc. but not at higher end cocktail establishments. I haven't been here in a month or 2 so hopefully they've taken it out. Overall, it's a great place to grab a cocktail and chill with some friends, but is nothing special anymore. read more

Come here to stay and linger! Speakeasy vibe with great 1920's live jazz music. One could imagine being at a bar scene in one of Woody Allen's movies. Chatty but not loud, friendly but not intrusive. I enjoyed the drinks especially because they offer fresh grapefruit and orange juice for their mixed drinks. Live music makes me come here again and again. read more

Wanted to go for drinks after a week of finals. Friends suggested a bar we tried to get into Jupiter. Filled with a mix of old hippies and hipsters. NO hard liquor! So we went down the street to Tupper and Reed, so glad we went the drinks here are amazing. And the bartender is a hottie, Dan the man! He took care of us and made sure we enjoyed our drinks; whiskey sour was the bomb. They make a Mescal Mule was good. Very chill place. They serve food in the back, more like appetizers. I had the lumpia it was amazing. Fries with sriracha sauce, yummy. I would suggest if you want a place to chill, play pool and just get lit this is the place. Thanks Dan for the best drinks and service. read more

Stumbled (literally) across this super fun bar on a Sunday afternoon. The ambience gave me all the Harry Potter vibes with it's abandoned church type feel. Julia, the bartender, was awesome and took great care of our wild group of 6. Will definitely be back if ever in the area again! read more

Tasty cocktails? Absolutely. They deliver on the promise of delicious and unique drinks. And Berkeley needs more bars like this. However........they suffer from a stuck up attitude among the bartenders and a terrible job of keeping ingredients on hand. Don't waste your money on a place where they don't appreciate your business. Both times I've been, they haven't had the ingredients for their punch bowls (and on a Friday night??). If you're not going to routinely have the ingredients for things on your menu, then put them on a chalkboard and write it up there when you DO have it. Also, they have a list of rules on the front of their menu - no cell phone use, no flash photography, exit the bar quietly. I don't typically read the front of the menu, so my friends and I didn't know and we took a photo with flash. The bartenders yelled at us and threatened to kick us out. We were just confused at the time, since we were unaware of the rule and it also sounds silly. On my second visit, a lot of the bartenders still had the really snooty attitude. Parts of Berkeley are snooty, but the majority of your clientele are grad students. You're not playing your crowd right if you have your nose in the air in this city. I get that they want to create an experience for customers, but I just don't think they get the people here...it's not SF. Most of the time, we are not chasing some novel experience but rather relishing a few hours of fun with friends before going back to the grind of work. As much as I enjoy creative cocktails, I will look for them elsewhere or trek down to Oakland, because I don't plan to return here just so I can feel disappointed at the end of the eve again. I gave it two chances and that's enough. It's not impossible to make great cocktails with a good attitude...Oakland has Dogwood, Cafe Van Kleef, and Make Westing just across the street from a BART station. Have a little respect for the people who are spending way too much of the money they don't even have to begin with....... read more

This place is definitely ahead of the cocktail game in Berkeley. Our bartender, Ashley, took the time to guide my friends and I through the menu while she was making cocktails for another group of people! That must take mad skills. I would have to say, I've never had a well balanced cocktail until coming to Tupper and Reed. I love the Lil Pina and the Chi Chi! read more

So glad to have a Bourbon & Branch bar in East Bay finally! The cocktail menu is absurdly expansive, but organized into cute parts reminiscent of an opera ("introduction" for low ABV, "finale" for alcohol-forward, "encore" for drinks over crushed ice, and a couple other sections). I haven't tried the downstairs bar, but upstairs was lovely and all the cocktails I tried were fantastic. read more

This place wants to be an elitist club. They are just a bar. Just serve people drinks and you will be successful. My wife and I waited at the downstairs bar and although it was busy our bartender made two great drinks. Because it was busy we decided to go upstairs and were surprised to find 6 open chairs at the bar. We sat down with our drinks and were told we could not sit there as upstairs was reservations only. Really? I just want to enjoy a cocktail with my wife. Bartender had an attitude. Manager had an attitude and brought up that we should have made a reservation in Yelp. 6 seats were open. Really? read more

Twice now we have reserved the up stairs and been disappointed. They only open the bar upstairs to their friends and industry insiders. Unless you have a large group you are placed on little tables barely big enough for the cocktail book. Each time we have asked to sit at the bar and been turned down. Only to see that in a couple of minutes others have been ushered to the bar with hugs. I was really hoping for a place to enjoy drinks away from the college scene, but have found the place too loud with bad music and unless you know the manager/bartender good luck sitting at the bar. Too bad I was really looking forward to what a $50 tequila would taste like. If only I could get to the bar to try it. read more

Let me say first of all that I like Bourbon and Branch and that my drinks and waitress was good at Tupper and Reed, but my first time there was a real pisser. My friends and I had been excitedly talking about trying T&R out since B&B took over. I had a special fondness for T&R because back in the 80s I used to go there when they were a music store. Anyway, we had a reservation upstairs at 7pm on Sat., 3/22/15, for their soft opening. I had my ID checked outside and proceeded upstairs. And there were my two friends, bartender, two guys at the bar, waitress, and the hostess...no one else. I told the hostess I was joining my friends (pointed) over there for drinks. She stopped me and said "Sir, I need you to take off your hat." I took my hat off thinking she wanted to check if is was carrying anything and then put it back on. She then proceeded to say "No sir, I need you to leave your hat off." I replied, "Excuse me?!" I then called out to my waiting friends, who were the only customers at the time, "They won't let me wear my hat!" Someone at the bar then rudely responded, "it's etiquette!" At that moment I realized that BOTH the bartender and waitress had hats on and I almost lost my shit. I had just excitedly walked into this new establishment and this is how I'm treated?! But my lovely friends were there waiting so I bit my tongue. I WAS, HOWEVER, LIVID. I sat down with my friends who were trying to calm me down and ordered drinks, which were good. With positive intent I said, "Fine. They want this place to feel like B&B, I'll play along." With my hat off, I was soaking up the jazz and starting to feel the speak-easy vibe that B&B was known for. Then, without skipping a beat, the music turned to "taqueria" music. Had I wanted Mexican food and drink, it would have been perfect. But the fact that I was just told to have etiquette and remove my hat at this high-end joint with expensive drinks and hat-wearing staff, my conclusion is this...F**k you Tupper&Reed! My hat's back on and I'm taking my business elsewhere. read more

This place blows. The service is awful...you can't see anything inside. There's no food, you need reservations...what? Avoid! If you're looking for a cocktail go to Chomal. It's cheaper, more fun, and there is music and no blowhards. read more

Downstairs cocktail menu sparse. I was hoping to avoid the college kids, but this will become like Thalassa or Kip's in no time. The venue could be nicer and more interesting, but the place seems to lack soul. High prices for this demographic. Drink quality was above average, but the whole experience was just ok for me. And having to make a reservation for the upstairs bar is annoying especially for a place that serves drinks only, no food. Won't be back. read more

This bar was pretty incredible! The cocktails were out of this world. Perfect balances of liquor, sweetness and acidity (and sometimes spice!). Prices werent terrible for alcohol of this caliber. The atmosphere was amazing. Live band + billiards + home cooked food. My only gripe was the speed at which the two bartenders served drinks to over 70+ patrons. Loved it all-around though and I can't wait to come back read more

Am I fan because Berkeley needs more bars? Probably. The drinks were great, SO DARK you can barely see, the menu needs to be organized since it's GIANT, but someone needs to explain the "healthy San Francisco" tax on the bill to me. Or perhaps it was explained on the menu and I couldn't see it. read more

Great pub feel with serious mixoligists at the bar - both a blessing and a curse.

We came here because we heard it was opened by the guys behind Bourbon and Branch as well as Local Edition, both top notch bars in the city. This place couldn't be any worse. The bartender, who looked like a junior version of Damon Wayans Jr, was horrendous. This fool made some of the worst drinks I've ever had the displeasure of tasting. My old fashioned was straight butt. It was like 3/4 bitters and a splash of whiskey. I also got a whiskey ginger that was actually a ginger beer with a splash of evan williams. The bum on the street out front could have made me a better drink. And who the hell charges $12 for a drink that consists of EVAN WILLIAMS?! A whole fifth of Evan Williams is cheaper than that! Way too many good bars out here to even think about going back. Save your money and go elsewhere. read more

I surprised my girlfriend with a marriage proposal at Tupper & Reed on Saturday night. I included a few close friends to share our moment. My girlfriend thought we were only going for a birthday cocktail for our friend who just celebrated her birthday. The proposal took place in the Polly Armstrong listening room which I coordinated with Sevan & his staff. They did a phenomenal job decorating the room with candles and provided birthday cupcakes for our friend. They also made amazing hand crafted cocktails which we all enjoyed...the whiskey was a nice touch too. The great news is my girlfriend said YES and she was completely surprised thanks to the assistance of the staff at T&R. Overall, we had an memorable evening. Thanks again Sevan & team! read more

great small bar for drinks good vibes good price. definitely a bar you gotta stop by when in berkeley

This is a bougie spot with beautiful decor, dim lighting, live music and expensive drinks. Despite being right next to campus, this place does not feel like a student joint in the slightest, and most of the folks here look like they're in their mid to late twenties or older. This is a fun bar to start the night at if you're okay with spending $16 after tip for a cocktail. Come to feel classy, skip if you're looking for a place to grab a casual drink. read more

Tupper & Reed is a beautiful place, if you want phenomenal cocktails this is the place to go to. Sevan and the crew are great, you will not be disappointed. Cheers read more

Horrible experience. Went there with a friend. Couldn't even get a drink. I went to get change for the pool table and the girl bartender with the bell nose piercing was extremely rude. I had asked very politely to get quarters for the pool table. She said, "I'm a little busy rt now u are going to have to wait." (In a rude tone) I replied calmly. Sure no problem. I'm a patient man. She then stated,"unlike your friend ". He keeps bugging me. I tried to defuse the situation and said look u are probably having a bad day, I can see your short staff and busy n people may have been rude, I honestly don't know what ur going through but please forgive my friend. He is a little drunk. She said yeah your right he is cut off. II said excuse me? She then replied n ya know what u seem a little drunk to so ur cut off to. I literally only drank one beer. Recommend that this bar learns how to properly staff and also learn to treat people with respect. read more

Make a reservation to be seated in the upstairs lounge. They have twice as many cocktails available to choose from. We loved the presentation of the cocktail menu and the interior decor. Lots of nifty drinks to choose from, all very well made. Cool prohibition era bar and friendly staff. read more

This bar is a hidden gem, maybe just for me cuz I never go to Berkeley, but the bartenders are amazing, quick, and make delicious drinks that could pass for non-alcoholic (that's how scrumptious they are-yes I said scrumptious). Sanni and brenden made me custom cocktails and had the best bar banter and they are easy on the eyes. read more

Decent cocktails with a good vibe, though sometimes a bit loud depending on the hour. Even though it's close to UC Berkeley's campus, this is _not_ a college undergraduate bar, so it's good if you're looking for a place that doesn't have sticky floors and hordes of people looking to get drunk. The side room with old vinyls is fun to go through, and the staff have always been professional and courteous in my experience. read more

My first trip to Tupper and Reed last night (a Wednesday) so the bar was not very crowded. I really enjoyed the atmosphere, its dim but not dark and there aren't a lot of decorations or TVs(2) to distract you from a good conversation. The 3 stars are because it seemed as though one of the bartenders did not know how to make the drinks on their own menu nor a Tom Collins. In a group of 6 of us, me made 5 drinks wrong. My TC was made with Vodka and not gin, he made a few of the house drinks differently as well. Thank the god for the other bar tender who was quick and gracious to correct the mistakes when we brought them up. Additionally 3 of my group members were forgotten by the same (under qualified?) bartender. He took their order and basically forgot them for almost 25 minutes on a slow night... read more

Great that there are more nice cocktail bars popping up in Berkeley. Wish this was around when I was still a student! Good cocktail selection, great bartenders, and very crowded on weekends. read more

Bartender and service here is horrendous. I haven't had to walk out of a bar because of poor disrespectful service in many years, however Tupper and Reed made me do just that. I would never go back. In previous times at the bar, service was also poor. Cocktails are average and higher priced than comparable places in the area. read more

Drinks are great, but can be a wait sometimes...particularly when Berkeley is in session.