À Côté — Restaurant in Oakland

A lot has changed in the past several years that we frequented this Rockridge gem where we were semi-regulars. I have to admit that I wanted this little place to be kept secret (despite moving to the other side of the Bay). Two years ago, this place received a lot of attention from SF Gate; and, when we came back to visit our spot (this spot) in Oakland it was almost impossible to even get a seat at the bar. Now, after tonight, I suppose it's easier to get a seat. We walked in and were offered a seat at the bar or at the community table...reservations are still the preferred way to go if you want a seat at the front or near the back of the restaurant. And, luckily, the ambiance hasn't changed one bit (dimly lit with string lights hanging above). We used to come here for our date nights because the feel of the place was/is romantic/hip. What to drink? Any of their mixed cocktails are a win. We ordered a cocktail tonight that was not on the menu but a favored cocktail that we used to order every time we dined here: El Pepino. What to eat? Order a cheese plate (comes with figs/almonds/walnuts/toasted bread) on a marbled slate to start or finish off your meal. You can not go wrong with the pommes frites with the tangy aioli as a starter or an accompaniment to your dinner. Anything on their ever changing dinner menu is good. Tonight we ordered the seared halibut on a bed of cranberry beans and roasted squash and it was solid but not outstanding. This is a great place: for their ambiance, for their drinks/appetizers, and for a wonderful place...

Wow this place really blew me away! The quaint almost non descriptive store front on the quiet southern side of college ave in rockridge does not match the incredible experience within.

I’m a foodie and an east coast native meaning I notice everything. I find food on the west coast to be on par with the east but most of the time west coast service lags way behind.

From start to finish every single thing about the experience at A Cote was impeccable! I’ve never received service at this level even from Michelin star restaurants. Waitress helped with wine pairings (we actually thought she was a sommelier she was that good) and food choices for the table. She checked in on us at the right moments, cleared plates away and brought new ones and refilled water without us ever having to ask. The entire wait staff helped with serving as well, all perfectly organized and synchronized. The maker of our wine also happened to be at the restaurant and the waitress made sure to send him over to chat with us which made our night extra special!

Food was amazing too. Perfectly cooked mussels in a broth good enough to drink by itself. We loved the trout, fennel pizza (fantastic crispy crust!) and salad too. Everything seasoned perfectly and served at just the right temperature.

A Cote is definitely in my top 3 restaurant experiences in the Bay Area and can’t...

After having read reviews below, I just realized they already added tip to my bill without telling me, thereby getting an additional tip. This should actually be considered criminal. Outrageous.

Let's talk about the wine service. I brought a $200 bottle of Pinot noir. They opened it away from the table for some reason. They came back, and in front of my date, made a face and said the cork was moldy, as though the wine had gone bad or something. (For people who know wine, a cork will get moldy in a cellar due to humidity and dark conditions). Let's move past the unnecessary embarrassment in front of my date, the wine then tasted off. Mold often grows on properly stored bottles, and is not known to effect the flavor at all. I consulted a Facebook of wine industry and hospitality professionals, suggested the possibility that it was just an off bottle, and everyone seems to agree that the more likely scenario is exactly what I suspected and feared, that my bottle may have been switched out for a cheaper bottle so that they could enjoy my bottle after service. Indeed it is very coincidental that I've never ever had this happen before, and it happened to happen the one time my wine was opened not in my presence (one hospitality industry member on Facebook advised that it was highly unusual that they would not open the bottle table side, for this...