Great experience overall!The food was excellent and very much the star of the show. The menu was creative and original. Some stand-outs included the crab sopes, the duck confit tamales, and the pork belly (which was possibly the best pork belly I've ever had). The caviar "bump" (served onto and eaten directly off of our hands) was super fun and let the quality of the ingredient pop in a way it wouldn't have with more preparation. Huge shout-out to the beverage director whose wine and sake pairings were exceptional and creative.The atmosphere/decor of the restaurant was also fantastic. I love the eclectic art, dark decor, and deliberately mismatched furniture and dinnerware. It creates an incredibly cool and fun ambiance. The only slight nitpicks I could give are that the music (which was an expertly curated playlist that complemented the mood really well) was *slightly* too loud. Additionally, while the communal dining model is a lot of fun, you unfortunately cannot control who you're seated near, so if a party nearby you is having a loud or obnoxious conversation it can be hard to carry on your own conversation. The team of course doesn't have control over what people discuss, but this does feel like a fundamental shortcoming of the communal dining model, especially in the Bay Area where lots of people are prone to have annoying, braggy conversations.I don't really understand the other reviews here saying the food was unbalanced/too salty/etc. If anything, the fact that some people had that experience in the past goes to show that this team listens and improves upon their work over time. Everyone on staff was super passionate and friendly, and I loved the ritual at the beginning of service where every single team member was introduced to us by name. I'm excited to see how Hi Felicia grows and evolves over time, and am excited to go back and try menus from other seasons.
Brittany Anderson
Not my favorite restaurant experience especially for the price. We were second seating and were seated at almost 9pm for 815 reservation. Service was slow. The idea of the supper club style is great but trying to individually serve each small party and describe each dish individually with only 3 front house staff Im sure was difficult for them as well. I hope they can tweak something to make it better. Some courses were good and others really fell flat. Disappointing experience for the price.
Meghan Tunson
There's a lot to like about Hi Felicia; awesome ambiance and decor, excellent staff, female-owned, Black-owned.Unfortunately, I have to agree with the other reviews about the food. I usually liked the first bite or two, but I couldn't finish the plate because it was either overly salty or too rich...just not balanced at all. Given the cost of the meal, it's tough to be sending unfinished plates back.I really want this place to stick around, it's got all the elements I love about Oakland. Fingers crossed they can make it work!
Kerrie Hogan
A fun splurge. All 7+ courses were creative and delicious. Staff (somm/servers/chefs) were engaged and friendly.
Rosemary Earl
I really wanted to like this place but after thinking about it, I will say I don’t believe its worth the price.There are tons of things I loved though so lets start there. The dinner is an intimate yet communal vibe; with a spectacular eclectic environment full of beautiful art and things to look at. Loved the way the design seemed to reflect the fun nature of this restaurant. All the staff were introduced to us before the meal started and I felt as though all the staff went **above & beyond** catering to the specific dietary restrictions I & others had. No words can really explain how spectacular the employees are.Now the food, that was truly immaculate. The gazpacho they started off with was so refreshing… most of the courses I enjoyed. I accept that Im not going to like everything but they even managed to make things I’d stray away from taste delightful.My problem with this meal is I spent 289 to leave the dinner still hungry. That’s surprising for me too bc I am typically the type to get full fast. This cost included the wine pairing & automatic 20% gratuity (which should be the standard anyways). The last “entree” course before dinner was this absolutely delicious lamb dish- korean & soul food influence/fusion. But it was completely disheartening to only get 2 pieces of lamb. Saying me & my friend got 4oz of meat **total** during that course would be a stretch.As far as the wine pairing, I found it interesting but I definitely could’ve done without it. Id just say you’re better off ordering your own glass to save a bit.Overall I don’t think I could go back or recommend to anybody unless they were able to give more generous portions. I enjoyed the experience and I’ll still keep tabs to see if anything changes. I do think I expected a bit better from a Michelin guide rated restaurant. Alsooooo super excited abt the wine bar they’ll be opening soon in SF. I will def check it out soon :)
Zac Oldenburg
Had a great time at the chefs table, with a tasting menu of small bites with heat that took advantage of fresh and seasonal ingredients. Wife dug the wine pairing.
Ksenia Sidorenko
My partner and I dined here almost two months ago and were quite disappointed. The quality of the food was very uneven: some dishes were lovely but others were way too spicy (with no option to adjust or substitute). The biggest let-down was the main course, which was a whole branzino: both of ours were still partially frozen in the middle, so we left them half uneaten (and no one seemed to notice or came to check in). In addition, the servers kept forgetting that one of us was doing the wine pairing and we kept having to remind them, which felt uncomfortable.
Stephanie Muxfeld
Enjoyed a fantastic experience at Hi, Felicia last night. We had a large group, and the staff took such great care of us! Our group had several different dietary restrictions; all were accommodated beautifully and no one felt they had a "less than" experience as is so common with restrictions. The food was top-notch - delicious, unique, and beautifully presented.To top things off - there was a power outage for nearly the entirety of our dinner. It did not dampen the experience, and the staff rolled with it like the true professionals they are!I strongly recommend this restaurant if you like to have fun, be yourself, and enjoy fantastic food. No pretense at Hi, Felicia - only love demonstrated through service and food.
Service: 2/5 (overall, including food timing, professionalism, restaurant knowledge)Food: 2/5 (decent, some things needed salt, some things were way too spicy, textures were off, flavor was off…etc)Atmosphere: 3/5 (was cool but not for an expensive restaurant, music was good, but too loud. Everything was so unique it made the space feel tacky)Wine pairing: 2/5 (service was off during the pairing, but also they served 5 ounces or more per wine. I love to drink don’t get me wrong, but during a dinner 6 full glasses of wine is a lot. Also didn’t feel like the pairings were good with food)Value for money: 0/5 (way overpriced for the overall experience and quality. We paid almost $300 per person)Note*** if you’re going to automatically charge a 20% service charge you better make sure your service is actually on point….I could write so much more but I just wanted to keep it somewhat clear. I understand the idea of what they’re trying to do but overall it’s not matching up. I would not recommend going here especially since there are so many other fantastic restaurants in the are including Michelin restaurants that hit on every note and provide value for $$$.
Camille Dargan
I've dined at several of the top restaurants in the world and Hi Felicia is hands down in that category. It's not just about the food. It's an overall incredible dining experience. Highly recommend!!
My wife and I have eaten well. We have been to Manresa, Benu, Michael Mina, Kahurazaka Ishikawa, Commis, and many more Michelin starred and spectacular restaurants. But the meal we just had at Hi Felicia solidly beat them all. From start to finish, inventive, fun, and above all delicious food. The whole vibe of the place is intentionally friendly and welcoming and I cannot overstate how friendly, kind, and genuine the entire team is.But the unrivaled star here is the food. This 26 year old chef is unrivaled. Go before the pressure of success changes things. Be kind here, and you will leave with an experience worth cherishing and remembering for the rest of your life. This may well be the best restaurant in California right now.
Mica Annese
This spot is awesome. Food and bev pairings are all local and super creative. Music, aesthetic and vibe is really cool and original. Staff were knowledgeable and fun. My friends and I often feel out of place in elevated restaurants, but we hit it off with imana’s team and felt really seen in this inclusive space. It was such a fun time, we booked our next one already. Thanks y’all!
Sarah McCarthy
I dined at Hi Felicia a couple of weeks ago, hearing about it through a friend. It was honestly one of the most fun nights I’ve had. The food was incredible, unique, and delicious. Each and every dish left us fulfilled and excited for the next. The ambiance was also such an added experience. It was elevated and different, but to where everyone still seemed extremely comfortable. The staff was attentive, charming, and unpretentious while being knowledgeable about all our questions. We also were so grateful and surprised how well they dealt with our dietary restrictions. Absolutely recommend this experience and would love to bring my friends here!! Thank you staff and Imana
Danil Monsur
Living in the bay area, we aren't foreign to dinners that can cost upwards of $200 per person. But when you do, you expect it to be very good. I would say this is the worst price / quality ratio I've ever had. Extremely expensive (with wine, over $300 per person) with very low quality food. I always joke that I'll leave a multi course expensive dinner hungry, but I have never actually felt that afterwards until now. We wanted to get food elsewhere afterwards.The people are very likable so it's hard to leave a bad review. I want to support them and their inclusivity message but that doesn't make up for bad food.
Shari Washburn
Updating my review post-birthday dinner:It’s been 2 weeks since we celebrated my bday at Hi, Felicia and we are still raving about it! The food was delicious from start to finish- I kept saying “I wish I could have more of this” over and over and over. And yet, there was not one dish that I would have been willing to give up to get more of something else. The wines were unexpectedly wonderful and has me excited to drink wine again. I love that Imana starts the evening introducing EVERYONE, front and back of house - it sets the tone that this is a group expression of love, not just nameless bodies churning out food. The staff is funny, personable, attentive - they really made the whole evening feel like an intimate party we were all invited to. Imana and her staff really have something so very special here. I can’t wait to go back!I’m rooting for Imana and her amazing staff. Can’t wait to celebrate with them on my bday!
Great experience overall!The food was excellent and very much the star of the show. The menu was creative and original. Some stand-outs included the crab sopes, the duck confit tamales, and the pork belly (which was possibly the best pork belly I've ever had). The caviar "bump" (served onto and eaten directly off of our hands) was super fun and let the quality of the ingredient pop in a way it wouldn't have with more preparation. Huge shout-out to the beverage director whose wine and sake pairings were exceptional and creative.The atmosphere/decor of the restaurant was also fantastic. I love the eclectic art, dark decor, and deliberately mismatched furniture and dinnerware. It creates an incredibly cool and fun ambiance. The only slight nitpicks I could give are that the music (which was an expertly curated playlist that complemented the mood really well) was *slightly* too loud. Additionally, while the communal dining model is a lot of fun, you unfortunately cannot control who you're seated near, so if a party nearby you is having a loud or obnoxious conversation it can be hard to carry on your own conversation. The team of course doesn't have control over what people discuss, but this does feel like a fundamental shortcoming of the communal dining model, especially in the Bay Area where lots of people are prone to have annoying, braggy conversations.I don't really understand the other reviews here saying the food was unbalanced/too salty/etc. If anything, the fact that some people had that experience in the past goes to show that this team listens and improves upon their work over time. Everyone on staff was super passionate and friendly, and I loved the ritual at the beginning of service where every single team member was introduced to us by name. I'm excited to see how Hi Felicia grows and evolves over time, and am excited to go back and try menus from other seasons.
Not my favorite restaurant experience especially for the price. We were second seating and were seated at almost 9pm for 815 reservation. Service was slow. The idea of the supper club style is great but trying to individually serve each small party and describe each dish individually with only 3 front house staff Im sure was difficult for them as well. I hope they can tweak something to make it better. Some courses were good and others really fell flat. Disappointing experience for the price.
There's a lot to like about Hi Felicia; awesome ambiance and decor, excellent staff, female-owned, Black-owned.Unfortunately, I have to agree with the other reviews about the food. I usually liked the first bite or two, but I couldn't finish the plate because it was either overly salty or too rich...just not balanced at all. Given the cost of the meal, it's tough to be sending unfinished plates back.I really want this place to stick around, it's got all the elements I love about Oakland. Fingers crossed they can make it work!
A fun splurge. All 7+ courses were creative and delicious. Staff (somm/servers/chefs) were engaged and friendly.
I really wanted to like this place but after thinking about it, I will say I don’t believe its worth the price.There are tons of things I loved though so lets start there. The dinner is an intimate yet communal vibe; with a spectacular eclectic environment full of beautiful art and things to look at. Loved the way the design seemed to reflect the fun nature of this restaurant. All the staff were introduced to us before the meal started and I felt as though all the staff went **above & beyond** catering to the specific dietary restrictions I & others had. No words can really explain how spectacular the employees are.Now the food, that was truly immaculate. The gazpacho they started off with was so refreshing… most of the courses I enjoyed. I accept that Im not going to like everything but they even managed to make things I’d stray away from taste delightful.My problem with this meal is I spent 289 to leave the dinner still hungry. That’s surprising for me too bc I am typically the type to get full fast. This cost included the wine pairing & automatic 20% gratuity (which should be the standard anyways). The last “entree” course before dinner was this absolutely delicious lamb dish- korean & soul food influence/fusion. But it was completely disheartening to only get 2 pieces of lamb. Saying me & my friend got 4oz of meat **total** during that course would be a stretch.As far as the wine pairing, I found it interesting but I definitely could’ve done without it. Id just say you’re better off ordering your own glass to save a bit.Overall I don’t think I could go back or recommend to anybody unless they were able to give more generous portions. I enjoyed the experience and I’ll still keep tabs to see if anything changes. I do think I expected a bit better from a Michelin guide rated restaurant. Alsooooo super excited abt the wine bar they’ll be opening soon in SF. I will def check it out soon :)
Had a great time at the chefs table, with a tasting menu of small bites with heat that took advantage of fresh and seasonal ingredients. Wife dug the wine pairing.
My partner and I dined here almost two months ago and were quite disappointed. The quality of the food was very uneven: some dishes were lovely but others were way too spicy (with no option to adjust or substitute). The biggest let-down was the main course, which was a whole branzino: both of ours were still partially frozen in the middle, so we left them half uneaten (and no one seemed to notice or came to check in). In addition, the servers kept forgetting that one of us was doing the wine pairing and we kept having to remind them, which felt uncomfortable.
Enjoyed a fantastic experience at Hi, Felicia last night. We had a large group, and the staff took such great care of us! Our group had several different dietary restrictions; all were accommodated beautifully and no one felt they had a "less than" experience as is so common with restrictions. The food was top-notch - delicious, unique, and beautifully presented.To top things off - there was a power outage for nearly the entirety of our dinner. It did not dampen the experience, and the staff rolled with it like the true professionals they are!I strongly recommend this restaurant if you like to have fun, be yourself, and enjoy fantastic food. No pretense at Hi, Felicia - only love demonstrated through service and food.
Dietary restrictions: Multiple restrictions accommodated beautifully (gluten-free, vegetarian, vegan, nut-tree allergies, shellfish allergies)
Service: 2/5 (overall, including food timing, professionalism, restaurant knowledge)Food: 2/5 (decent, some things needed salt, some things were way too spicy, textures were off, flavor was off…etc)Atmosphere: 3/5 (was cool but not for an expensive restaurant, music was good, but too loud. Everything was so unique it made the space feel tacky)Wine pairing: 2/5 (service was off during the pairing, but also they served 5 ounces or more per wine. I love to drink don’t get me wrong, but during a dinner 6 full glasses of wine is a lot. Also didn’t feel like the pairings were good with food)Value for money: 0/5 (way overpriced for the overall experience and quality. We paid almost $300 per person)Note*** if you’re going to automatically charge a 20% service charge you better make sure your service is actually on point….I could write so much more but I just wanted to keep it somewhat clear. I understand the idea of what they’re trying to do but overall it’s not matching up. I would not recommend going here especially since there are so many other fantastic restaurants in the are including Michelin restaurants that hit on every note and provide value for $$$.
I've dined at several of the top restaurants in the world and Hi Felicia is hands down in that category. It's not just about the food. It's an overall incredible dining experience. Highly recommend!!
Restaurantji Recommends
My wife and I have eaten well. We have been to Manresa, Benu, Michael Mina, Kahurazaka Ishikawa, Commis, and many more Michelin starred and spectacular restaurants. But the meal we just had at Hi Felicia solidly beat them all. From start to finish, inventive, fun, and above all delicious food. The whole vibe of the place is intentionally friendly and welcoming and I cannot overstate how friendly, kind, and genuine the entire team is.But the unrivaled star here is the food. This 26 year old chef is unrivaled. Go before the pressure of success changes things. Be kind here, and you will leave with an experience worth cherishing and remembering for the rest of your life. This may well be the best restaurant in California right now.
This spot is awesome. Food and bev pairings are all local and super creative. Music, aesthetic and vibe is really cool and original. Staff were knowledgeable and fun. My friends and I often feel out of place in elevated restaurants, but we hit it off with imana’s team and felt really seen in this inclusive space. It was such a fun time, we booked our next one already. Thanks y’all!
I dined at Hi Felicia a couple of weeks ago, hearing about it through a friend. It was honestly one of the most fun nights I’ve had. The food was incredible, unique, and delicious. Each and every dish left us fulfilled and excited for the next. The ambiance was also such an added experience. It was elevated and different, but to where everyone still seemed extremely comfortable. The staff was attentive, charming, and unpretentious while being knowledgeable about all our questions. We also were so grateful and surprised how well they dealt with our dietary restrictions. Absolutely recommend this experience and would love to bring my friends here!! Thank you staff and Imana
Living in the bay area, we aren't foreign to dinners that can cost upwards of $200 per person. But when you do, you expect it to be very good. I would say this is the worst price / quality ratio I've ever had. Extremely expensive (with wine, over $300 per person) with very low quality food. I always joke that I'll leave a multi course expensive dinner hungry, but I have never actually felt that afterwards until now. We wanted to get food elsewhere afterwards.The people are very likable so it's hard to leave a bad review. I want to support them and their inclusivity message but that doesn't make up for bad food.
Updating my review post-birthday dinner:It’s been 2 weeks since we celebrated my bday at Hi, Felicia and we are still raving about it! The food was delicious from start to finish- I kept saying “I wish I could have more of this” over and over and over. And yet, there was not one dish that I would have been willing to give up to get more of something else. The wines were unexpectedly wonderful and has me excited to drink wine again. I love that Imana starts the evening introducing EVERYONE, front and back of house - it sets the tone that this is a group expression of love, not just nameless bodies churning out food. The staff is funny, personable, attentive - they really made the whole evening feel like an intimate party we were all invited to. Imana and her staff really have something so very special here. I can’t wait to go back!I’m rooting for Imana and her amazing staff. Can’t wait to celebrate with them on my bday!
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