Clio’s Books — Restaurant in Oakland

I have been here a few different times and mostly had an okay experience, but you never know when you'll be in for a bit of a nightmare. Last night I was there with a group of friends, and we were invited into a back library lounge to enjoy our drinks since there wasn't a table large enough for our group. After arriving to the back, we were talking at a normal volume for a Friday night and calmly checking out the books. Nothing out of the ordinary. A man comes up to us and begins to explain the "rules" to us, using expletives and patronizing us like we were children. We were told not to LOOK at the books or even touch the furniture (that was meant to sit on?) We were all perplexed as to why we were being treated this way, because we felt aware of the space we were in and by any reasonable measure we were acting normal. I tried to treat him respectfully but he responded by continuing to patronize and berate us in a completely unprofessional way. We left shortly afterwards, and I truly believe that racial discrimination was at play here, given our groups demographic and the perplexing way the man treated us. It was the only way I could make sense of the interaction. We felt incredibly unwelcome and it was extra uncomfortable given that we were invited into the back vip-esque room, and then treated this way in the space. We will not be returning to this place, and whoever was managing the back room should be held accountable.

Edit: after reading some other reviews it seems like other people of color, including a family with kids, have had a very similar experience. It even sounds like it could be the same man who accosted us, which leads me to believe this is a severe ongoing problem...

Had heard from many friends that Clio's is a wonderful space, with space for mingling but space for quiet reading, reflection, or working. An introvert's haven, is how it was described. Apparently this is only true if you're doing this the "correct" way. My partner and I stopped in looking forward to a Sunday afternoon of reading, writing, and grading with nice libations. We set up in a quiet nook away from the bar; my partner no sooner opened up his laptop than the owner descended on him and told him they "weren't doing screens, because it cuts back on conversation." My partner responded that he thought this was a space where people could write. The owner snidely asked him where he'd heard that. "Our website isn't even up yet." Guess word of mouth and online reviews aren't real. The kicker ultimately was his rationale: "We don't allow screens because people disappear into them and we're not trying to cultivate that here." You know, I tend to disappear into books when I read them, too, and would really resent being forced to mingle instead. I had already selected a book from the shelves to settle into, and was about to pay for a couple of drinks. We chose to leave instead.

The bartender was very nice, the atmosphere cozy and intriguing, though the book selection mid at best. Really disappointed that a much-anticipated visit to this buzzy spot was ruined by this vibe-checking gatekeeping. Obviously, the owner is entitled to run his business as he sees fit, but guest beware - there's a right and a wrong way to be here. There should probably be clear signage that the place is screen-free, as otherwise I'm sure we will not be the only would-be writers who'll be...

was really looking forward to checking this place out, i came with my partner (we are both in our early 20s, black and queer) around 9 on a friday night, it was pretty packed. the host greeted us and asked if she could have our name to be on the list for seating, i gave her my name and my partner and i went to the bar to wait and grab a drink. the hostess came to let me know there was another group ahead of us but she could squeeze us in to one small seating area (that was meant for one) and she would add another stool for us. this didn’t bother me at the time but looking back it seems like she was sticking us anywhere she could find which felt dismissive and disrespectful. i’m looking around at books, it also didn’t seem like a very wide range of authors which my partner and i both noticed, a lot of old white men. i had accidentally brought in an outside drink (non-alcoholic) and a different person came up to me saying i would have to throw it away. completely understandable, i asked her where can i throw it away? she proceeds to give me a spiel about how it’s a legal issue and i’m trying to figure out if she didn’t hear when i just said “ok, where can i throw it away?” she took the drink finally which i was completely ok with, but i ended up frustrated with the interaction and my partner and i left quickly. overall a very disappointing experience and we won’t be returning. i can’t say this is a very welcoming space for anyone who isn’t white...