Just attended an event in the back room. I feel like they didn't have capacity for the number of tickets they sold. I was sitting at the back, and the writer I came to see spent over an hour mumbling inaudibly -- he simply couldn't be persuaded to raise his voice. Fair enough, but maybe Clio's should invest in a mic and speakers if they're going to keep hosting sold-out events in this space?
Jeffrey Miner
Always a delightful experience. Great 2-chair bar tables for dates among shelves of interesting books 🍸📕
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lizy
If you want to read on a tablet, fyi, they will not let you. I wasn’t made aware of that when I entered the place. I purchase a drink and snacks expecting to read and the server came up to me and told me I’m not allowed to. Had I have known that when I first met the server, I would have left to find a place that will allow me. I regret spending money at a place that discriminates against tablets. Lol.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Liliana Cortez
Clio’s is such a unique and cozy spot! The combination of a bookstore and bar makes it perfect for relaxing with a drink while browsing some great reads. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with lots of nooks to hang out in and enjoy a quiet moment or chat with friends.
The drinks are thoughtfully made, and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, happy to recommend a book or a cocktail depending on your mood. It’s easy to lose track of time here, between the books, the cozy vibe, and the great drinks, it’s a little hidden gem that feels special every visit. Highly recommend checking it out! 📚🍸✨
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Max Kay
It's a great book store and bar! Good combination of alcohol with intellectualism! Great decorations with books and ornaments. All books are for sale! Amazing atmosphere with responsive service and welcoming host. It's a full bar with all sort of cocktails and drinks. No food just bar snacks / plates. Great for couples and or dates.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Camilo Dolorier
delicious mezcal old fashioned, gorg, loved one book but was scared i would spill something on it!! no phones, love it! you really only need one drink to turn up, or maybe i'm just a lightweight.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Scott Govers
Great spot for drinks, and cozy socializing with friend. Something different and really cool. Definitely worth visiting.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Mr. GC Jeter (EastBayWineClub)
Clio's is great, just what Oakland needs. Timothy is a sage (don't getMadAtMe Sir, lol) and has created a swell, sophisticated, friendly atmosphere. Come to meet people, prepare to have your mind blown by the literary selections.👍🏽👍🏽📚
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
Nina R.
So grateful to have Clio’s in the neighborhood 🤩 the owner, Timothy, cares about the community and fostering a welcoming space over extracting a profit. He rents the space out for very affordable prices and it functions as a great event space! The seating is very cozy and the drinks are delicious - great for date, hang out, or the like. Go and support this unique bookstore bar and bring friends!
A nice bar and hangout hidden inside a bookstore. Yes it’s a real bookstore with a full bar. They serve wine, and delicious craft drinks. Lots of unique seating areas for a day drink date or to chill with some friends. Even to have a solo quiet evening with a good book. Loved the theme here. Such a good vibe.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Amy Spens
Beautiful and atmospheric bar filled to the brim with books. Great bartenders who can whip up any manner of cocktail to fit your fancy, and your reading. Also host fun events and mixers for meeting others.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Nella Scott
was really looking forward to checking this place out, i came with my partner (we are both in our early 20s, black and queer) around 9 on a friday night, it was pretty packed. the host greeted us and asked if she could have our name to be on the list for seating, i gave her my name and my partner and i went to the bar to wait and grab a drink. the hostess came to let me know there was another group ahead of us but she could squeeze us in to one small seating area (that was meant for one) and she would add another stool for us. this didn’t bother me at the time but looking back it seems like she was sticking us anywhere she could find which felt dismissive and disrespectful. i’m looking around at books, it also didn’t seem like a very wide range of authors which my partner and i both noticed, a lot of old white men. i had accidentally brought in an outside drink (non-alcoholic) and a different person came up to me saying i would have to throw it away. completely understandable, i asked her where can i throw it away? she proceeds to give me a spiel about how it’s a legal issue and i’m trying to figure out if she didn’t hear when i just said “ok, where can i throw it away?” she took the drink finally which i was completely ok with, but i ended up frustrated with the interaction and my partner and i left quickly. overall a very disappointing experience and we won’t be returning. i can’t say this is a very welcoming space for anyone who isn’t white and/or straight.
Dae Perry
Very unwelcoming to POC, not a place you want to be let alone support. Came with a group of 4, sat on a couch area they had around 4pm, apparently they had a post it with a reservation at 6pm, bothered the part I was with the second we sat down about the reservation at 6pm… it was 4PM. Absolutely disgusting. Do not support, the bar down the street “room 389” is phenomenal in every aspect in comparison to this bar with obnoxiously rude staff. Absolutely never again, hoping they close so a more inclusive bar can take over the space! Thanks!
Sam Breach
Why did I leave it so long to visit this magical place??? It was a delightful new experience and one I am eager to repeat. Can’t get much better than a glass of crisp Prosecco and some Brillat Sauverin cheese. Thank you, Clio’s, for creating something so special.
Just attended an event in the back room. I feel like they didn't have capacity for the number of tickets they sold. I was sitting at the back, and the writer I came to see spent over an hour mumbling inaudibly -- he simply couldn't be persuaded to raise his voice. Fair enough, but maybe Clio's should invest in a mic and speakers if they're going to keep hosting sold-out events in this space?
Always a delightful experience. Great 2-chair bar tables for dates among shelves of interesting books 🍸📕
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
If you want to read on a tablet, fyi, they will not let you. I wasn’t made aware of that when I entered the place. I purchase a drink and snacks expecting to read and the server came up to me and told me I’m not allowed to. Had I have known that when I first met the server, I would have left to find a place that will allow me. I regret spending money at a place that discriminates against tablets. Lol.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 1
Clio’s is such a unique and cozy spot! The combination of a bookstore and bar makes it perfect for relaxing with a drink while browsing some great reads. The atmosphere is warm and inviting, with lots of nooks to hang out in and enjoy a quiet moment or chat with friends.
The drinks are thoughtfully made, and the staff is friendly and knowledgeable, happy to recommend a book or a cocktail depending on your mood. It’s easy to lose track of time here, between the books, the cozy vibe, and the great drinks, it’s a little hidden gem that feels special every visit. Highly recommend checking it out! 📚🍸✨
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
It's a great book store and bar! Good combination of alcohol with intellectualism!
Great decorations with books and ornaments.
All books are for sale! Amazing atmosphere with responsive service and welcoming host.
It's a full bar with all sort of cocktails and drinks. No food just bar snacks / plates.
Great for couples and or dates.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
delicious mezcal old fashioned, gorg, loved one book but was scared i would spill something on it!! no phones, love it! you really only need one drink to turn up, or maybe i'm just a lightweight.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great spot for drinks, and cozy socializing with friend. Something different and really cool. Definitely worth visiting.
Atmosphere: 5
Service: 5
Clio's is great, just what Oakland needs.
Timothy is a sage (don't getMadAtMe Sir, lol) and has created a swell, sophisticated, friendly atmosphere. Come to meet people, prepare to have your mind blown by the literary selections.👍🏽👍🏽📚
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 4
So grateful to have Clio’s in the neighborhood 🤩 the owner, Timothy, cares about the community and fostering a welcoming space over extracting a profit.
He rents the space out for very affordable prices and it functions as a great event space!
The seating is very cozy and the drinks are delicious - great for date, hang out, or the like.
Go and support this unique bookstore bar and bring friends!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Cocktails + books = glory.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
A nice bar and hangout hidden inside a bookstore. Yes it’s a real bookstore with a full bar. They serve wine, and delicious craft drinks. Lots of unique seating areas for a day drink date or to chill with some friends. Even to have a solo quiet evening with a good book. Loved the theme here. Such a good vibe.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Beautiful and atmospheric bar filled to the brim with books. Great bartenders who can whip up any manner of cocktail to fit your fancy, and your reading. Also host fun events and mixers for meeting others.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
was really looking forward to checking this place out, i came with my partner (we are both in our early 20s, black and queer) around 9 on a friday night, it was pretty packed. the host greeted us and asked if she could have our name to be on the list for seating, i gave her my name and my partner and i went to the bar to wait and grab a drink. the hostess came to let me know there was another group ahead of us but she could squeeze us in to one small seating area (that was meant for one) and she would add another stool for us. this didn’t bother me at the time but looking back it seems like she was sticking us anywhere she could find which felt dismissive and disrespectful. i’m looking around at books, it also didn’t seem like a very wide range of authors which my partner and i both noticed, a lot of old white men. i had accidentally brought in an outside drink (non-alcoholic) and a different person came up to me saying i would have to throw it away. completely understandable, i asked her where can i throw it away? she proceeds to give me a spiel about how it’s a legal issue and i’m trying to figure out if she didn’t hear when i just said “ok, where can i throw it away?” she took the drink finally which i was completely ok with, but i ended up frustrated with the interaction and my partner and i left quickly. overall a very disappointing experience and we won’t be returning. i can’t say this is a very welcoming space for anyone who isn’t white and/or straight.
Very unwelcoming to POC, not a place you want to be let alone support. Came with a group of 4, sat on a couch area they had around 4pm, apparently they had a post it with a reservation at 6pm, bothered the part I was with the second we sat down about the reservation at 6pm… it was 4PM. Absolutely disgusting. Do not support, the bar down the street “room 389” is phenomenal in every aspect in comparison to this bar with obnoxiously rude staff. Absolutely never again, hoping they close so a more inclusive bar can take over the space! Thanks!
Why did I leave it so long to visit this magical place??? It was a delightful new experience and one I am eager to repeat. Can’t get much better than a glass of crisp Prosecco and some Brillat Sauverin cheese. Thank you, Clio’s, for creating something so special.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Loading...