ACRE Kitchen and Bar

4.5

715 Reviews

$30 and under

Mediterranean

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 8, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 64 times today

Experiences are available.

Neighborhood gem
Good for special occasions
Charming

Right in the heart of Rockridge, Oakland, ACRE Kitchen & Bar is all about simple, seasonal food done right. Led by Chef Dirk Tolsma, we source from the best Northern California farms and purveyors to create dishes that are fresh, honest, and made to be shared.

Our fresh ground brisket burger on a house-baked bun? A local favorite. The berbere-spiced fried chicken? Crispy, bold, and packed with flavor. Some dishes rotate with the seasons, but the commitment to great ingredients never changes.

We work with FEED Sonoma Co-Op, Star Route Farms, Full Belly Farm, Monterey Fish, and Rocky’s Chicken to bring you the best of what’s local.

Proudly awarded Gold for Best New Restaurant in the East Bay Express Best of the East Bay Awards, we’re here to serve up great food with a true taste of Northern California.

*20% gratuity will be added to all parties 8 or more.

Dining areas

Additional information

Location
5655 College Ave., Oakland, CA 94618
Phone number
(510) 250-3790
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mediterranean, Californian, American
Hours of operation
Cafe Daily 11:30 am–2:00 pm Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Restaurant Mon–Fri 11:30 am–2:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Restaurant Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–8:30 pm Upstairs Bar Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
In the evening, there is free parking in the BART parking lot. During the day, parking is available in the Market Hall parking lot.
Payment options
AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Dirk Tolsma
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card

Experiences

Neighborhood Night on Wednesdays!
Multiple dates available
Enjoy live jazz music every Wednesday, from 5:30pm-8:30pm, in our upstairs dining area!

Offers

Tuesdays Uncorked
Multiple dates available
Tue - 5:00 PM - 8:30 PM
Enjoy 1/2 off bottles of select wines every Tuesday after 5pm!
Varsity Hour in our Cafe & Upstairs Bar
Multiple dates available
Sun - Sat - 4:00 PM - 6:00 PM
Paying homage to Oakland history-about 100 years ago there was a lounge and club called the VARSITY LOUNGE located in our same location, who knew! In digging up old Oakland memorabilia, we found an old menu. To our surprise-they were well known for two things the Varsity Martini and Conga Lines!! While we aren’t ready for a conga, we are ready for the Varsity Martini and other drink specials. Come join us every day in our downstairs café, and our upstairs bar Monday through Saturday.

Popular dishes

What 715 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.5Service
4.6Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

East Bay
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

ACRE Kitchen and Bar shines with "wonderful food," a "great ambiance," and "excellent service." With a varied menu offering standout pizzas, pastas, and unique dishes like the "Dungeness Crab Croque Monsieur," it's a perfect spot for special occasions or casual dining. Friendly staff and a cozy atmosphere make it a neighborhood gem.

715 Reviews

KK
KevinK
New York City
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I hesitate to leave this review because I want this to become my go-to restaurant and don’t want it to get too busy but boy, this place is outstanding. The flavors and textures are inventive and delicious with genuine, warm, attentive service.
Is this helpful?
H
Hetal
San Francisco
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We love Acre. Ever since the new GM, Calvin came on, it’s become the new hotspot on College. The food is fab, the drinks are delicious, the service is spectacular and the ambiance is awesome. It’s a great spot for a quick bite at the bar or a long catch up meal with friends.
1 person found this helpful
D
Denise
VIP
San Francisco
4 reviews
4.0
4 reviews
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
I had been there a few days before and the atmosphere and service was very good, however, this time it was very different. No live music and server took too long for drinks and taking orders. I will most likely go back because of my previous experiences.
1 person found this helpful
MP
MichaelP
Denver
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 6 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great place! Great food! Great service! Thank you for an excellent experience we will be back . . .
1 person found this helpful
S
Simon
VIP
San Francisco
16 reviews
5.0
16 reviews
Dined on February 28, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Service was good Staff was wonderful Food was delicious- had the margarita focaccia Roman square pizza slice Amazing experience. ______________________________________ Be back soon!
1 person found this helpful
BB
BrianB
San Francisco
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on February 28, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This is a wonderful place in the East Bay. It follows the tradition of Waterbar in San Francisco for excellence. The difference is between the two is that Acre is a menu of more moderately priced and casual meals (for lunch) which we enjoyed. We have not been there for dinner. This is a wonderful addition to the East Bay dining scene. We loved it.
1 person found this helpful
M
MARY ELLEN
San Francisco
12 reviews
4.0
12 reviews
Dined on February 26, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
I would come again. Enjoyed ambiance and my salad! Comments: Coffee was Not hot...and my friend kept asking for vinegarette for her salad and they kept bringing a mayo based dressing so she finally gave up and ate what the waiter brought....
1 person found this helpful
D
David
San Francisco
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on February 25, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
My visitor wanted pizza, so I brought him to one of Oakland’s very best! We had the merguez pizxza. The olives and the beet-apple salad were also great.
1 person found this helpful
S
Simon
VIP
San Francisco
16 reviews
5.0
16 reviews
Dined on February 24, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
The service was great The food was great The staff was WONDERFUL I ate the: cauliflower soup - big portion and delicious- great as well. Thank you RON Thx ACRE
1 person found this helpful
K
Katherine
San Francisco
32 reviews
5.0
32 reviews
Dined on February 24, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
First time diner. Joined by two friends and we all agreed it was great. Loved the Cauliflower Soup and Grilled Cheese Sandwich. Attentive service and we were not rushed which we appreciated as we are not together often.
1 person found this helpful

FAQs

ACRE Kitchen and Bar offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (510) 250-3790.

ACRE Kitchen and Bar is rated 4.5 stars by 715 OpenTable diners.

ACRE Kitchen and Bar does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 8, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 64 times today

Experiences are available.

5655 College Ave., Oakland, CA 94618

Dining areas

Additional information

Phone number
(510) 250-3790
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mediterranean, Californian, American
Hours of operation
Cafe Daily 11:30 am–2:00 pm Mon–Thu, Sun 4:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 4:00 pm–9:00 pm Restaurant Mon–Fri 11:30 am–2:00 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm Restaurant Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–8:30 pm Upstairs Bar Mon–Thu, Sun 5:00 pm–8:30 pm Fri, Sat 5:00 pm–9:00 pm
Dress code
Casual Dress
Parking details
In the evening, there is free parking in the BART parking lot. During the day, parking is available in the Market Hall parking lot.
Payment options
AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Dirk Tolsma
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Gift card

Send gift cards instantly by email or print to present in person.

Send a gift card

ACRE Kitchen and Bar

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Gift card

Experiences

Neighborhood Night on Wednesdays!

Offers

Tuesdays Uncorked

Varsity Hour in our Cafe & Upstairs Bar

Popular dishes

Margherita

Soft Serve Ice Cream

Chicken Cobb Salad

Menu

What 715 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does ACRE Kitchen and Bar offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is ACRE Kitchen and Bar restaurant rated?

Does ACRE Kitchen and Bar offer gift cards?

Is ACRE Kitchen and Bar currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Dining areas

Additional information

Gift card