50 Best Cocktail Bars near Orinda

“Deliciousness for value and warmth for atmosphere. The host is always welcoming and service accommodating. New favorite place for life. 🤓“

“Enjoy the atmosphere and the tasty food !“

“The decor was festive and abundant in the best way possible, and the cocktails looked unique and curiosity-piquing. I narrowed my choices down to a Cafe Sua Daddy and the Soy Sauce Old Fashioned.

I love a savory drink and the sweet caffeinated espresso martini-esque drink had a thick blanket of just-salty-enough foam reminiscent of the salt cream that tops a boba drink. The Soy Sauce Old Fashioned catapulted me back to my childhood, eating slabs of tofu drenched in shoyu at my grandma's house. I loved the custom soy bottle presentation, it was just strong enough to tolerate being poured over a large rock while maintaining its flavor.

My partner had the Umami Tots and Mapo Tofu. I couldn't resist the siren song of some crispy potatoes dunked in chili oil cream, but managed to hold myself back on the tofu- even though it smelled amazing.

Can't wait to return and try the new seasonal drinks, along with more snacks.“

“Final date night before flight home tomorrow. Sausage plate. The British bangers are super flavorful and juicy, goes great with the spicy mustard sauce! The bratwurst is perfect with the kraut and horseradish. The smoked bison is a bit on the dry and spicy side. Reminds me of a Slim Jim. I wish I tasted more bison, but it's still good. The herbed goat cheese and lavash bread is to die for! The herbs are perfectly balanced with the cheese and spreads so easily on the bread!All paired perfectly with Zin-phomaniac red wine!“

“This spot is something special. The atmosphere is really what makes it stand out—it’s lively, welcoming, and just a great place to hang out for a while. You can tell it’s the kind of place locals probably come back to again and again. Honestly, I’d be surprised if you found a better vibe anywhere else.

Just a quick heads-up though: they don’t serve food here. It’s definitely more about the drinks and the atmosphere than sitting down for a full meal. Once you know that going in, it actually makes the whole experience feel more relaxed. You just show up, enjoy the space, and have a good time. It’s the kind of place that makes you wish you lived nearby so you could stop by whenever you felt like it.“

“good drinks, good food, friendly service, outdoor dining, i'll be back“

“We brought our friend here to celebrate his birthday because we wanted to gift an experience. We saw you featured on Check Please . . . And you guys WOW’d us beyond our expectations!! Amazing staff! And amazing food . . And yes, amazing cocktails!! Down to the last finishing touches ! We will definitely be back !“

“Finally came and was pleased with service! Expectations is low from previous experiences but the vive ans ambiance is so nice, I stopped by for a stiff drink (I knew to stick to shots...actually had a beautiful and it was perfectly beautifully) and service was pleasant! To bad Google don't have stars for beverages...lol“

“Food is delicious. Place is very nice. Service is great. Here is everything we tried and our rating:
- Sweet potato gnocchi : very flavorful! The eggplant and hazelnut sauce base is creative! Solid 5/5
- Empanadas: must try. We ended up ordering 2 rounds of these. The frying makes it a little heavy but the taste and the aioli dip are divine. 6/5 …awesome!
- Tumaco ceviche: interesting acidic flavors. The crispy plantain chips were the highlight for us. 3/5 …the acidity wasn’t hitting right but it’s still really good.
- Carpaccio: the sweet tangy sauce makes this really nice. 3.5/5“

“Amazing atmosphere, especially around Christmas. It has two floors of cozy log cabin bar space and two tiki-themed outdoor patios with fire pits. Drinks are super reasonable, most cocktails are about $12. You may have to wait for a while for a pool table, even on slow nights.“

“Top notch drinks and personalities behind the bar, we will back. My only regret is that I waited this long to go there.“

“Low key, relaxed vibe, cool tunes, best drinks. And a stellar taco truck in the parking lot. Very friendly staff. 5 stars all day, every day.“

“I don't go to Julia's for lunch very often but had lunch there with two good friends recently. The food was excellent (echoed by my two friends) and the atmosphere was relaxed and relatively quiet even the the restaurant was quite busy. I'll be back for lunch.“

“The best! I highly recommend you make a visit and enjoy good company.“

“Always an interesting experience and fun treat. Classic cocktails in a classic atmosphere. Service is on point! Food is innovative yet still comforting and familiar. Never disappointed.“

“Retro classy neighborhood bar with fun regulars and great music!!!😎👍👍“

“Fun and lively place for drinks and light snacks. Drinks were great, and the manager was very friendly. She was vibing and talking to us a lot. It was nice hospitality.

The wings were great! Loved it. It was very juicy and would recommend getting them. The ceasar salad was okay.

Great to come here for happy hour or for a game as they have TVs around.“

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“Super cute place. Come as you are kind of bar. There are food vendors, gaming activities, pool, darts, wonderful people that are super chill. Legend says if you're there on a Monday there's There 2 islanders that cook amazing food...The only thing is that they show up randomly. They will post on the Second 2 None Facebook 5 hours before showing up. If you want to be there when they cook best to like this page so you can get the latest updates and last minute events and after parties.. PS. mention Alice or Ichigo referred you to the Bartender so they know. Also real men wear miniskirts if you can do that, kilts count too...“

“Large, stylish and spacious. We were a group of seven people and three dogs and could spread out when we first got there Saturday opening at 3 PM in the back patio. A few other parties came after us, but we were just there for one drink so I’m not sure how busy it got afterwards.

We ordered at the bar and they have a full menu of interesting cocktails.

I got the golden girl and it was a great balance, making it way too easy to drink.

Did not try the food, but there was a vegan pop-up in the back patio with the QR codes around the bar to order online.

The restrooms were separated by men and women and are spacious and clean.“

“As the namesake implies, it's just your average blue collar type 'corner' bar, and that's part of the charm. Not trendy, not bougie, great modern jukebox with priority streaming of your favorite songs, for a slight fee of course. Would you have ever imagined that one day your childhood jukebox experiences that forged statements like "ugh, who put this one on? they probably already left and now we have to listen to this cr@p before our song" and to further shape our complaint into creative criticisms to "one day manifest our desired wishes for the day we could override and be played next"... Well friends that day had come! Ok, it's been around a while now but I don't go out very often so it's new news to me and you know what Gary Gnew said? " No gnews, is good gnews, this is Gary Gnew, goodnight". The peeps are mellow, the drafts are cold, they have a decent billiard table with a sign up board (formerly this was a couple quarters shoved under the lip on the table) and it's only $1.00 a game and there isn't some hot shot hogging the table making themselves feel good by running the table against people just trying to have a good time.“

“Great service great vibe....a real community bar... They remember everyone and treat everyone with respect... But if you mess up and make patrons uncomfortable.... You are OUT. Always something good on the tvs or juke box, random art pop ups with no pressure...plus you can't beat the prices... Definitely worth the visit“

“The owners are the sweetest people in the world and the loved my Lady Blu thank you so much I had a blast and yes Dee Dee Simon is the truth it was so worth the trip to see her and meet you all. A very friendly place that makes really good drinks Tory from Vegas“

“Short wait on a Friday night for 7 of us. Really small place but the wait staff and owner very friendly and everyone was very happy with their meal. If I lived here I would go back.“

“4.5 ⭐️ This place is cozy! Afro-futuristic art and vinyl bar in uptown Oakland serving select cocktails with dim lighting and a casual
atmosphere. I tried the Taloma, a tamarind version of a Paloma and it was a great cocktail. Plenty of seating. Check out their socials for upcoming events and DJs. I’ve yet to attend any of their vinyl events since I’ve only come here a few times but I do like their record collection. Good location, near plenty of other bars and dining in the area.“

“Yummy Drinks, good vibes, outside patio...💥🔥💣💨😎“

“Smoker friendly sports bar with the best owner/ operator in the world. Roy treats you like he's hosting you in his own living room, often beginning in delicious homemade tamales to give out to hungry and grateful pateons. This bar is one of the gems of Oakland.“

“Really nice speak easy giving 60s to 80s vibes mirrors everywhere. It’s one way in one way out leather seating wooden tables. I recommend it for business professionals looking to go out or a group of friends that don’t want to be bothered. Either way I will be back they do not serve food therefore they got a low food rating. But there isn’t a array of alcohol. Can’t give you a good sense of service considering there’s only five people here but that may be a good thing.“

“My hometown spot. One of the only local spots I feel comfortable. Thanks!“

“Love this place been going for years!“

“Karaoke with KJ Mallory Every Wednesday night from 9pm-1am.“

“Great food and drinks, friendly comrades on staff, great cocktail names, solid leftist propaganda and excellent events. 🖤🔥✨“

“Always a great time! congrats“

“Love Lemon Drop! Came here after a long day at work and the bartender Brandon hooked it up with good drinks, music, and vibes. But the star of the show here is the food, there’s a hidden gem in the kitchen. The lemon pepper wings are the best I’ve ever had, and the burger is incredible. This place is an underrated Bay Area staple.“

“Great place to hang out chill little bar“

“Great atmosphere and delicious food! Outdoor dining, too!“

“The food was great, the service was excellent, I was very satisfied“

“I'm only giving this bar four stars because it doesn't have the same grit and dive bar feel after the remodel and reopening. And that may not be fair, because it's a great bar. And it's great that it's open again. I love the place“

“Grew up nearby, The Roundup is the oldest bar I remember, could be the oldest bar in Lafayette, or one of at least. Great to see family and friends at this fine establishment“

“I stopped into Soon's before meeting a friend for dinner last night. What a cozy, warm vibe. The bartender Bea introduced herself and asked my name. Showed me the bottles of wine they had available. Six dollars for a nice glass of merlot. Fun music. The patrons were friendly and having a great time. Looking forward to stopping in again soon.“

“My fiancé and I came here for a rare morning coffee date, a perfect pause in our busy lives as parents. Parking was easy and free just around the corner. We grabbed a sunny table outside, soaking in the morning light and each other’s company, while sipping lattes topped with delightful foam art. Warm, bright, and full of life, the Mother Tongue was inviting and cheerful, with wonderfully friendly staff. It was a lovely, and simple, a great and sweet experience.“

“Planned a “Girls Trip” to San Francisco and arriving late in the evening. I knew we’d be hungry and wasn’t sure what would be open and didn’t want fast food. So I pre ordered their “To Go Box” Raquel was absolutely helpful and professional when corresponding to my inquiries. Had it delivered directly to the hotel and it was waiting at the front desk (refrigerated in the back) when we arrived. The hotel staff said this was the best and most beautiful charcuterie box she has ever seen! Oh how we enjoyed it once we were up in our room! Highly recommend and would definitely order from them again when in town!“

“Roses is is a great choice if you are looking for a really special restaurant for a private party. Great food and great atmosphere. Try the Japanese Old Fashion cocktail.“

“Great Food, Great Service“

“The food was delish but the service was inconsistent. We were served by multiple ppl but were told Emily would be our services throughout the night we have saw her twice. The food was very well done. We got the burrata, the Caesar, the special anchovy toast, the cast iron chicken, branzino, and the fresh pasta carbonara with the shoe string potatoes and the Brussels sprouts. For dessert, we got the chocolate bar. All in all a great meal for a fair price. Would be back if in the area as it’s one of the nicer restaurants in Alameda“

“They're always so nice to me here! Mama loves the craft cocktails and the book curations. We live nearby so it's a favorite neighborhood hang, and we appreciate all the thought that went into the menus.“

“Loved the decor and the vibe，great place to hang out with friends.The food was absolutely delicious! The flavors were spot on.If you're in the area, this place is a must-try!“

“It was the friendliest salsa scene I've been to in years--Sunday at four to eight. And the food was gorgeous, and the staff super helpful.“

“A put bull was allowed to attack our dog tonight, they were sitting at the bar by the door. Our dog is well-behaved and well-trained and was attacked walking out of the restaurant. I appreciate places being dog friendly but plz be safe. The food and drinks are great but this ruined the evening.“

“This is a must visit for anyone in Jack London Square“