Diners' Choice: Lively restaurants in East Bay

OpenTable

Updated January 05, 2025

Looking for restaurants that have the most vibrant bar scenes in East Bay? You’re in the right place. Each month, OpenTable analyzes nearly 2 million global diner reviews from the past four months. We sort the results by location and category to help you discover new favorite restaurants. It's a great partnership: you reserve, eat, and review. We listen...and deliver the results for all to benefit. Enjoy!

Marina Bar and Grill

5.0

5 (44)

$30 and under

American

Discovery Bay

About the restaurant

Marina Bar and Grill is a trendy, casual restaurant and bar situated in Discovery Bay.
We take pride in serving community favorites with exceptional service and a friendly smile.
Our prime location at Discovery Bay Marina offers stunning waterfront views for you to enjoy along with your delicious meal and refreshing drink.
In addition to our extensive take-out menu, we also host parties, events, and all special occasions.
We invite you to come and enjoy an unforgettable time with us!

Top review

Monica

Dined on Dec 29, 2024

Always a great place to hang out with friends! Love Rich and Vanitha!

Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge

4.9

4.9 (418)

$30 and under

Cocktail Bar

Alameda

About the restaurant

About
Forbidden Island Tiki Lounge is a tropical vacation spot right in the middle of your hometown! Serving award-winning, world famous classic and exotic cocktails along with many original recipes, along with some tasty snacks, Forbidden Island is a retro-oasis in the desert of your busy modern day! Now open indoors (seated capacity only) as well as outdoors in our Tiki Garden/ Patio, 7 days a week.

* Please note that all reservations are limited to 90 minutes for groups of 1-3 and 2 hours for groups of 4-8.

Top review

Jonathan

Dined 4 days ago

Always a great experience. The drinks are amazing—ask about them even if they aren’t on the menu. The 1934 Zombie is my favorite.

Roses on Adeline

4.9

4.9 (45)

$30 and under

Californian

Berkeley

About the restaurant

All guests must be 21+
Where love for Food, Art & Community thrives.

Seasonally driven bar food & cocktails with an emphasis on quality and freshness, beer, wine & great vibes too!

Our menu features comforts & classics with a sprinkle of innovation and creativity.
Fresh, seasonal, local California fusion.

Top review

Michael

Dined on Jan 4, 2025

Loved my cocktail! And the food was super tasty. So glad this place opened!

Speisekammer

4.7

4.7 (1645)

$30 and under

German

Alameda

About the restaurant

Traditional German cuisine- Pickup-take out & delivery through UberEats, Postmates & Grubhub- Limited outdoor dining.

Top review

Jerry

Dined on Jan 6, 2025

A taste of Germany in Alameda with excellent food and drinks

Locanda Wine Bar

4.7

4.7 (273)

$30 and under

Italian

Livermore

About the restaurant

Welcome to Locanda Wine Bar! We specialize in the delicious Italian dishes, handmade craft cocktails and incredible wines.

Top review

Aaron

Dined 1 day ago

First time , amazing authentic experience with service and food

Noka Ramen

4.7

4.7 (161)

$30 and under

Ramen

Oakland

About the restaurant

Hello Gorgeous,
At NōKA Ramen, our mission is to introduce Bay Area with our “Hakata” Tonkotsu style — creamy and rich pork broth; pairing with HOMEMADE artisan noodles — smooth, firm and bouncy texture; using Japanese techniques to deliver our guests the golden experience.

Come for noods, stay for cocktails!

Top review

Tamiko

Dined on Jan 2, 2025

Great food, great service, fun ambiance. One of my favorite restaurants ever!

Sauced BBQ & Spirits - Livermore

4.6

4.6 (867)

$30 and under

Barbecue

Livermore

About the restaurant

We are so excited to have the opportunity to bring authentic BBQ to Northern California. Our goal at Sauced is to provide excellent food with unmatched southern charm and ambiance. Crafted cocktails, 25 plus beers on tap, 200 whiskeys, bourbons, scotches or ryes and of course our award winning bbq will surely get you Sauced.

Top review

Michelle

Dined 3 days ago

It was really busy so we didn’t see our waiter much after the orders were out. Food was great and drinks were even better. The noise level was up there but expected in that settling. Still one if my favorite places to go

Discover more

Popular dish

Sauced Sundae

Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant - Lone Tree Brentwood

4.6

4.6 (427)

$31 to $50

Japanese

Brentwood

About the restaurant

Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant in Brentwood invites you to experience the otherworldly flavors of authentic Japanese cuisine using a blend of fresh ingredients and spices. Along with a meal, diners will also have the chance to appreciate the entertaining environment as experienced chefs cook foods on open hibachi grills. You can opt for seating around one of the grills so you can watch as the chefs work their magic. The spicy tuna roll, kappa roll, chicken teriyaki, vegetable tempura and edamame are just some of the authentic Japanese dishes found at Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant. There are also plenty of combination platters, specials and side menu options to help customize your meal experience. Make sure you start off with one of the highly appetizing starters at Shirasoni Japanese Restaurant.

Top review

Jennifer

Dined on Jan 4, 2025

Great server/chef and food was delicious. It was a good evening dinner with family. Bill was a bit expensive though

Sobre Mesa

4.6

4.6 (104)

$31 to $50

Cocktail Bar

Oakland

About the restaurant

Created by highly acclaimed Top Chef Season 18 Contestant and "2020 Chefs to Watch" Chef Nelson German, Sobre Mesa is a chef-driven Afro-Latin cocktail lounge in Oakland featuring lively Latin music, lush surroundings and tropical refined libations inspired by German's Dominican roots and African ancestry. The cocktails are the star of the show while the inventive tapas are made to pair beautifully with the cocktails. We are open for indoor dining only.

Top review

Dori

Dined on Nov 3, 2024

What a gorgeous interior with a beautiful vibe. The service was excellent, friendly and knowledgeable. We had an early dinner so it was quite at first. As we left it got more festive. I’m excited to return and try out their sister restaurant.

Flores Emeryville

4.6

4.6 (47)

$30 and under

Mexican

Emeryville

About the restaurant

Flores is a three-time Michelin Bib Gourmand winning restaurant serving up hyperlocal Mexican food from across the country.

From the Gulf to the Pacific, we bring the heart and soul of Mexico to your table through our favorite family recipes. Flores serves up traditional Mexican cuisine in a relaxed and vibrant setting that transports you to the beachside resorts of Mexico. Our bar features more than 50 rare and small-batch tequilas and mezcals, which we serve in handcrafted margaritas and creative cocktails.
4% surcharge will be added to all guest checks for employee benefit, including health insurance, commuter benefit, sick days, and minimum wage ordinance.

Top review

StephenVIP

Dined 3 days ago

Menu was nicely varied with smaller entrees and larger and options from veggie to seafood to meat. Cocktails were interesting and fairly priced.

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