Best Farm To Table Restaurants in Oakland

We went for my wife’s birthday and had a very nice time. The food was exceptional and the wait staff was an orchestrated ballet of impeccable service. Everything from the appetizers, the main courses and the desserts were all rock solid. I expected at least one of these categories to be a little weak (as they are with most restaurants) and I was continually pleasantly surprised by the dynamic flavors and incredibly well-prepared, and well-seasoned food overall. My only critique would be that the broccolini was undercooked for my taste and a little too heavy on the garlic, and the porterhouse rolls were slightly disappointing — they were made of some kind of wheat dough with an added aromatic that wasn’t needed in my opinion. I was hoping for the classic buttery white bread porterhouse rolls! But if you are looking for exotic flavors, and open to things being a little different than expected, there’s no shortage of that at Niku. The ambience was modern, tasteful and chic. The music was a little loud, but that helped to provide a very immersive experience. After a few drinks you don’t notice as much lol. They have three different seating options: bar, tables, and chefs counter. This was not as clearly explained as it could’ve been on their website or on OpenTable. The pictures I found online didn’t give a clear enough idea of what the different seating options would look like, so that made planning a special occasion a little difficult. Otherwise, I couldn’t recommend this place enough.

They open a back room on Friday and Saturday and it was quiet! Our server was prompt at figuring out our needs. The food was excellent and the coffee surprisingly good.

The food was fantastic. The drink and the glass of red wine recommended by our server were impeccable. Our server was very attentive and helpful, with a happy demeanor, one of the best I can recall in many years. Grazie. Staff filled my request for seating away from the front door. We had a wonderful, festive time with friends, and we will return. Soon.

Introduced some friends to Alley & Vine last night. I’ve been with my wife several times. Usually, we leave the kids behind but last night we were 4 adults, 3 kids. Most of our food was spectacular. The calamari didn’t do it for me and the oysters were a big miss. My friend found a large piece of plastic in her mashed potatoes. But what really offended me was the prictag for the pasta we ordered for our children. $20 for butter pasta is outrageous. I work in cultural attractions as an executive chef and our prices are HIGH but $20 for pasta is gouging. Please develop a kids menu. Even if only very limited options.

We have been meaning to come here for awhile, so had the opportunity right before the holidays and enjoyed an amazing meal. We did the tasting menu for 2 of us (friend's dinner) and was not disappointed. Almost everything that came out was delightful with a couple of personal preferences that we didn't care for as much but still tasty. The desserts were amazing. The chocolate pavlova and the kiwi jelly is something that i'll remember and go back for again if they still have it.