Surprisingly great new restaurant right near the Oakland Zoo directly on MacArthur Boulevard. Very good service, very good food, sophisticated, overall excellent experience. You must place your own orders using a bar code system and your phone but the nice wait staff will help you do it. You also pay on your own using your phone. It can be cold inside during the winter because of the door opening so I recommend an extra wrap. I plan on returning during a daytime visit to the zoo and doing a long lunch here to try that menu. They also have beautiful cocktails but we did not try these.
Roxanne
We love Top Hatters for their commitment for thei skilled execution of creative dishes. Not every attempt is perfect but that's to be expected. Still, great! I find the dining areas awkward. Can be chilly. Outside is a no go for me because it's on a street that's next to the freeway. The chanterells were outstanding. Wonderful bar with good special cocktails. My Manhattan was delicious. Limited but excellent creative desserts.
Dan
Top Hatters has received a Michelin star 5 years in a row. Definitely well earned in my opinion. I had eaten dinner there with a friend and it was such an enjoyable outing that I promised I would take my wife back on another day. Yesterday was that opportunity and the food was as good as I remembered; my wife was suitably impressed as well. The only downside was that their lunch menu is somewhat truncated, not quite as extensive as their dinner menu. The ambience was very nice, clean and well designed. On my earlier visit I dined in their courtyard are, this time inside due to the cool afternoon. Overall a great experience, looking forward to a return visit.
Kimberly
It was a chilly night and the atmosphere inside was cozy (but some people were eating outside under the heat lamps in the lovely, twinkle lighted and plant-filled patio). We made reservations for two and winced when we saw the tiny table by the door, but before we could ask for another table the host offered us the choice of sitting at the bar to eat. Generally, we love this but the seating was particularly enticing with the friendly faces behind the bar happily shaking delicious looking cocktails and chatting with patrons. This, with the warm glow and plants hanging from above was irresistable. Instantly we felt like we were part of the community, welcomed and included. We started with the Top Hatter versions of a vietnamese coffee martini and an Pimm's Cup. Both delicious and interesting. Peeking at what our peers around the restaurant were eating, we struggled to decide what to order - everyone seemed to be enjoying their food and it all looked so good. The man next to me jolted back with a punctuated "Mmm" when he took his first taste of oxtail with grits. The bartender who had made the recommendation smiled broadly and I leaned over to my husband and said, "maybe oxtail..." We ended up ordering the mussels in curry, the honey brioche, and lettuce wraps. Thus was too much food, but we loved the variety and everything went together well. The brioche sounded good, but tasted even better - your mouth gets a ping of clamansi lime with sweet honey and rangy salt all in balance and wonderfully satisfying with the chewy lightly toasted bread that adds just enough crisp to the soft bite. I dipped it into the coconut green curry with the mussels. My husband thought I was making a mistake, but the creaminess of the sauce just added to the satisfying complexity. Try it and see what you think! We ordered all three meats for the lettuce wraps, which were each delicious in their own right. I am out of space so will end with a simple 5 out of 5. A new favorite spot!
Elizabeth
This was my 4th (maybe 5th?) visit but my first lunch here. So I'll summarize both my lunch with a dash of previous experience thrown in. FOOD: The food was pretty delicious with some standouts - good and not so good. The mushroom pate and curry mussels were delicious (would absolutely order those again), the bacon scallion donuts were good but a bit clunky (served with tasty sauces), and the lemongrass chicken was dry and unpleasant (would not order that again). We skipped dessert as the portions are pretty large. STAFF/SERVICE: Lovely humans work here, all very friendly and helpful with big smiles. One thing to note at this restaurant - you order by scanning a QR code on the table and placing your order on your smartphone so service is really limited to delivery and removal of plates. AMBIANCE: The room is nicely but simply decorated with hard chairs and benches and no curtains so there are no soft surfaces to absorb sound, making it a bit loud. You can still hold a conversation, even when the place is full, but it is a bit "clangy" with all the echoing of voices etc. They also have a nice-sized patio area with heat lamps for eating on the frontside of the restaurant. PRICE: This is a fairly expensive restaurant so be prepared. While you *could* theoretically have a simple lunch w/o alcohol or appetizers etc. and get out of there for $15-20 that is a less-than-likely scenario. Lunch for 2 of us which included an appetizer (bacon donuts) plus shared plates of mussels, mushroom pate and chicken cost us appx. $70 or so. Three glasses of wine cranked that up to $120ish. Restaurants are expensive to run, food costs are crazy, and the Bay Area isn't a place to expect cheap eats whenever you go out, but do know you're likely to spend a bit to eat here. Was it worth it? I would hesitate to return for such an expensive lunch and these days it would be a special treat restaurant for us, but Tophatters is serving generally delicious food and is certainly worth a visit.
Patty
Fish order was excellent. Menu hasn't changed in months. Eggplant a bit soggy and over dressed and tissue bread very greasy. Food was thrown together and plopped down on the table. No hard copy menus offered. All orders are phone based unless you're lucky enough to get the waiter's attention as they are all good at avoiding eye contact. Have visited for brunch as well which seems to be the better option.
Liann
Was meeting up a friend for a Saturday brunch and looked up places in San Leandro. Found a lot of reviews on this spot so I easily made a reservation on OpenTable for a Saturday for 2 at 12:00pm and it wasn't too busy. I wasn't sure where to park but there is street parking up front and it's also located residentially but also very close to the freeway and there's some parking nearby. Service was great, there were paper menus as well as a QR code to order on your phone. I asked the server for some suggestions. Since it was a weekend brunch we went with the rice paper rolls, grits and fried egg, banh mi bread pudding, and focaccia. The portions at first seemed small but it was a lot for 2 of us. I had to try their Vietnamese egg custard coffee and it was so strong and good. They definitely have unique fusion Vietnamese dishes and the egg and grits had a nice spicy kick to it if you like spice! Their focaccia was so nice and warm too. Overall it's a nice vibe inside, variety of things to order for the entire family.
Hilary
Tess, our waitperson was WONDERFUL! The food, as always, was delicious. Outside for us is always the best place to sit. Inside is noisy, so we prefer outside and the heat lamps made the temperature perfect. Yes, this is a pricey place, but worth the adventure!
paula
It's always a great experience @ Top Hatters Kitchen! Delicious food, great vibe! You will be pleased! Very tasty cocktails! You've got to have a manhattan! Love this place! Paula
Loretta
We had a large group and it was amazing. Delicious food they let us stay the whole evening and we all had such a wonderful time. Thank you to Ellis who helped take care of us and to the rock stars in the kitchen. The food was lights out.
We went there for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We sat outside in the beautiful courtyard. Our favorite dish is the savory donuts. As always the food and service were excellent! We greatly appreciated help from Ellis on making some decisions about food selections. Looking forward to our next visit!
Cindy
It was my first time there and we had an incredible experience! The food was fantastic though we favored the small plates over the larger portions, but I will absolutely be back soon to try the rest of the menu!
Kay
Really enjoyable meal. There were 5 of us and we ordered family style. The mushroom fritters and shisito pepper dishes were both very good. The melon dish was more like a dessert but was excellent. They were out of stone fruit dessert which was disappointing because stone fruit is in season and I was looking forward to it
Edwin
One of the best restaurant experiences I've had in the Bay Area. The small shareable plates are exceptional and the cocktails (shout out to Marco the bartender) are fantastic and well crafted. Excellent ambiance and very stylish decor make the ambiance a great place to get together with friends or for date night.
Benjamin Schmookler
The food was really good with some original tastes. The service was excellent and friendly
Surprisingly great new restaurant right near the Oakland Zoo directly on MacArthur Boulevard. Very good service, very good food, sophisticated, overall excellent experience. You must place your own orders using a bar code system and your phone but the nice wait staff will help you do it. You also pay on your own using your phone. It can be cold inside during the winter because of the door opening so I recommend an extra wrap. I plan on returning during a daytime visit to the zoo and doing a long lunch here to try that menu. They also have beautiful cocktails but we did not try these.
We love Top Hatters for their commitment for thei skilled execution of creative dishes. Not every attempt is perfect but that's to be expected. Still, great! I find the dining areas awkward. Can be chilly. Outside is a no go for me because it's on a street that's next to the freeway. The chanterells were outstanding. Wonderful bar with good special cocktails. My Manhattan was delicious. Limited but excellent creative desserts.
Top Hatters has received a Michelin star 5 years in a row. Definitely well earned in my opinion. I had eaten dinner there with a friend and it was such an enjoyable outing that I promised I would take my wife back on another day. Yesterday was that opportunity and the food was as good as I remembered; my wife was suitably impressed as well. The only downside was that their lunch menu is somewhat truncated, not quite as extensive as their dinner menu. The ambience was very nice, clean and well designed. On my earlier visit I dined in their courtyard are, this time inside due to the cool afternoon. Overall a great experience, looking forward to a return visit.
It was a chilly night and the atmosphere inside was cozy (but some people were eating outside under the heat lamps in the lovely, twinkle lighted and plant-filled patio). We made reservations for two and winced when we saw the tiny table by the door, but before we could ask for another table the host offered us the choice of sitting at the bar to eat. Generally, we love this but the seating was particularly enticing with the friendly faces behind the bar happily shaking delicious looking cocktails and chatting with patrons. This, with the warm glow and plants hanging from above was irresistable. Instantly we felt like we were part of the community, welcomed and included. We started with the Top Hatter versions of a vietnamese coffee martini and an Pimm's Cup. Both delicious and interesting. Peeking at what our peers around the restaurant were eating, we struggled to decide what to order - everyone seemed to be enjoying their food and it all looked so good. The man next to me jolted back with a punctuated "Mmm" when he took his first taste of oxtail with grits. The bartender who had made the recommendation smiled broadly and I leaned over to my husband and said, "maybe oxtail..." We ended up ordering the mussels in curry, the honey brioche, and lettuce wraps. Thus was too much food, but we loved the variety and everything went together well. The brioche sounded good, but tasted even better - your mouth gets a ping of clamansi lime with sweet honey and rangy salt all in balance and wonderfully satisfying with the chewy lightly toasted bread that adds just enough crisp to the soft bite. I dipped it into the coconut green curry with the mussels. My husband thought I was making a mistake, but the creaminess of the sauce just added to the satisfying complexity. Try it and see what you think! We ordered all three meats for the lettuce wraps, which were each delicious in their own right. I am out of space so will end with a simple 5 out of 5. A new favorite spot!
This was my 4th (maybe 5th?) visit but my first lunch here. So I'll summarize both my lunch with a dash of previous experience thrown in. FOOD: The food was pretty delicious with some standouts - good and not so good. The mushroom pate and curry mussels were delicious (would absolutely order those again), the bacon scallion donuts were good but a bit clunky (served with tasty sauces), and the lemongrass chicken was dry and unpleasant (would not order that again). We skipped dessert as the portions are pretty large. STAFF/SERVICE: Lovely humans work here, all very friendly and helpful with big smiles. One thing to note at this restaurant - you order by scanning a QR code on the table and placing your order on your smartphone so service is really limited to delivery and removal of plates. AMBIANCE: The room is nicely but simply decorated with hard chairs and benches and no curtains so there are no soft surfaces to absorb sound, making it a bit loud. You can still hold a conversation, even when the place is full, but it is a bit "clangy" with all the echoing of voices etc. They also have a nice-sized patio area with heat lamps for eating on the frontside of the restaurant. PRICE: This is a fairly expensive restaurant so be prepared. While you *could* theoretically have a simple lunch w/o alcohol or appetizers etc. and get out of there for $15-20 that is a less-than-likely scenario. Lunch for 2 of us which included an appetizer (bacon donuts) plus shared plates of mussels, mushroom pate and chicken cost us appx. $70 or so. Three glasses of wine cranked that up to $120ish. Restaurants are expensive to run, food costs are crazy, and the Bay Area isn't a place to expect cheap eats whenever you go out, but do know you're likely to spend a bit to eat here. Was it worth it? I would hesitate to return for such an expensive lunch and these days it would be a special treat restaurant for us, but Tophatters is serving generally delicious food and is certainly worth a visit.
Fish order was excellent. Menu hasn't changed in months. Eggplant a bit soggy and over dressed and tissue bread very greasy. Food was thrown together and plopped down on the table. No hard copy menus offered. All orders are phone based unless you're lucky enough to get the waiter's attention as they are all good at avoiding eye contact. Have visited for brunch as well which seems to be the better option.
Was meeting up a friend for a Saturday brunch and looked up places in San Leandro. Found a lot of reviews on this spot so I easily made a reservation on OpenTable for a Saturday for 2 at 12:00pm and it wasn't too busy. I wasn't sure where to park but there is street parking up front and it's also located residentially but also very close to the freeway and there's some parking nearby. Service was great, there were paper menus as well as a QR code to order on your phone. I asked the server for some suggestions. Since it was a weekend brunch we went with the rice paper rolls, grits and fried egg, banh mi bread pudding, and focaccia. The portions at first seemed small but it was a lot for 2 of us. I had to try their Vietnamese egg custard coffee and it was so strong and good. They definitely have unique fusion Vietnamese dishes and the egg and grits had a nice spicy kick to it if you like spice! Their focaccia was so nice and warm too. Overall it's a nice vibe inside, variety of things to order for the entire family.
Tess, our waitperson was WONDERFUL! The food, as always, was delicious. Outside for us is always the best place to sit. Inside is noisy, so we prefer outside and the heat lamps made the temperature perfect. Yes, this is a pricey place, but worth the adventure!
It's always a great experience @ Top Hatters Kitchen! Delicious food, great vibe! You will be pleased! Very tasty cocktails! You've got to have a manhattan! Love this place! Paula
We had a large group and it was amazing. Delicious food they let us stay the whole evening and we all had such a wonderful time. Thank you to Ellis who helped take care of us and to the rock stars in the kitchen. The food was lights out.
Restaurantji Recommends
We went there for dinner to celebrate our anniversary. We sat outside in the beautiful courtyard. Our favorite dish is the savory donuts. As always the food and service were excellent! We greatly appreciated help from Ellis on making some decisions about food selections. Looking forward to our next visit!
It was my first time there and we had an incredible experience! The food was fantastic though we favored the small plates over the larger portions, but I will absolutely be back soon to try the rest of the menu!
Really enjoyable meal. There were 5 of us and we ordered family style. The mushroom fritters and shisito pepper dishes were both very good. The melon dish was more like a dessert but was excellent. They were out of stone fruit dessert which was disappointing because stone fruit is in season and I was looking forward to it
One of the best restaurant experiences I've had in the Bay Area. The small shareable plates are exceptional and the cocktails (shout out to Marco the bartender) are fantastic and well crafted. Excellent ambiance and very stylish decor make the ambiance a great place to get together with friends or for date night.
The food was really good with some original tastes. The service was excellent and friendly
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