Paradiso — Restaurant in San Leandro

My husband and I were so looking forward to enjoying this restaurant. We were invited to join some friends to celebrate our friend's birthday. There were three individuals turning between 60 to 63 years old. We were sitting in the bar area in the high tops in the back which is past the dining area and another small section and then you arrive at bar. We were approximately 14 people spread across three tables. This area includes a long bar, a television set, which was playing the Warriors game at the time and a full bar of people sitting at the bar standing around and chatting. We found it odd that the owner was walking back-and-forth between our tables and literally ran over and told us to be quiet. Then he told us we're not allowed to walk or leave our seats- mind you we are in a bar area. He began to explain to us that the bar area was actually a dining area and to be quiet. The other area which you initially arrive in through the doors is a dining area and that area was louder than the bar area that he know calls a dining area. Again readers there is a large screen TV playing the Warriors game, a full on long bar with barstools and people congregating around the bar, some standing yet he felt we needed to be treated "different" This was to celebrate three people turning 60 to 63 years old just to give you an idea. Many of us had come from Walnut Creek, San Jose, and Orinda hoping to try something new. We were all African American. At one point, my husband and his friends were watching TV and talking about old times and laughed and the manager ran across the room, hands in the air, and told them be quiet and made that hand sign where you take your hands up and down lowering them up and down like he would do to small children in a preschool. Yes this really happened. I'm still stunned. We are in a bar They weren't even loud, but if they had been loud, it would not have mattered because other people (non black) who were sitting at the bar were allowed to be joyous about the game that was playing on the wide screen television. But wait there's more. Suddenly, right after my salad arrived at the table and my glass of Sauvignon Blanc (I had not had anything to eat or drink yet and been there all of 30 minutes)- the owner/ manager gave us our bill and said we're not allowed to order any food or drinks because he doesn't want us in his restaurant because we keep moving from our seats and we talk too loud. Remind you it's a bar and he said he doesn't want us in his restaurant and he then kicked out 15 Black people between the ages of 55 and 63 from his restaurant. We paid our bill and proceeded to leave. As we were leaving some other people of color that were eating at two separate tables in the dining area asked us what was happening and we shared that we were being kicked out of the bar and what had happened. Of course they were shocked and saddened for us. Even some of the staff said they were so sorry that that happened and equally confused. I asked them can you hear us in the dining area and they were like no not at all. We left. After we left the owner Erik and the manager ran over to the two tables where black people were seated. We could see it through the window. It looked to be he was giving them free food because we had shared the facts that we were targeted and felt sad and so frustrated about the event and we had no idea that we would be treated differently and told not to speak loud or to move from our seats- Again, it was the bar area. All was not lost thank goodness for the restaurant Sons of Liberty. Sons of liberty is where we were able to continue our celebration and we're greeted with gracious, kind, wonderful staff you. We were able to celebrate our friends birthdays, reminisce about college together, our travels, our children, and eat wonderful food, great drinks in a welcoming establishment. My recommendation is to never go to Paradiso and head over to Sons of liberty or anywhere that is not Paradiso. I know at Sons of Liberty you'll be treated with respect and humanity....

Update: (Adjusted rating from 5 stars to 3 stars)

Returned to Paradiso a week later on a Saturday evening with reservations at 4:30 p.m.. Unfortunately this experience was completely different, where attention to detail, consistency, and quality of seafood were lacking. Not sure if I will return, because for a $120 dinner for two, I would prefer to travel elsewhere for better and consistent dining. By the way, my review does not reflect the service... service on both occasions were excellent.

First off, if you're going to walk your guests through the restaurant to the patio area, close the damn restroom door! It was wide open with the lights on. Nobody wants to see a toilet before they sit down to dine! It's not a pretty bathroom either. It's all about the details and experience.

We started with the garlic prawns, then the wedge salad, cioppino and braised short ribs...

The garlic prawns were not anything spectacular, and you get five prawns for $17.

The lettuce, cherry tomatoes, and bacon in the wedge salad were chilled and crunchy, however the base of the blue cheese dressing was not creamy. It was more like a mayonnaise base and/or reflected that consistency.

The seafood in the cioppino didn't taste fresh, more like previously frozen or the quality was not great, and the broth base lacked depth. It was definitely missing something in the flavor, perhaps saffron? Shredded crab was lumped on top of the dish and also not freshly plucked out of a crab... and the white fish I believe was tilapia. Nothing wrong with tilapia, but if you're paying $39 for a cioppino, snapper or halibut is preferred!

The $32 braised short ribs had the right texture, but for that price it shouldn't have any areas that are burnt. However, the polenta with parmesan was creamy and delicious, as well as the vegetables on the side were nice and crunchy.

Such a neighborhood gem. My friend and I went here on a Friday evening with no reservations at around 8:30 p.m. and only waited about 10 minutes for a table. It was crowded with multiple parties waiting outside. When our table was up, we were sat outside under the tent in a well enclosed area with heaters. We started with the calamari. I loved the smokey chipotle style aioli sauce served on the side. The calamari was perfectly crispy. We then shared the ribeye steak and the seafood fettuccine in a spinach champagne cream sauce. Again, both were perfectly done. The seafood was flavorful and juicy, not overcooked, with the perfect amount of spinach in the cream sauce. The ribeye steak was cooked medium and very juicy, it practically melted in my mouth! It was served with a side of a veggie medley and a shredded sweet potato fried ball. We ordered a tiramisu to-go and oh yum!! Our service was outstanding from the friendly hostess to our entire wait staff. We had two people serving us, where they checked in regularly, without being interruptive in our conversation. Our bill was approximately $122 w/o tip. Such a great dining experience....I recently moved back into the neighborhood and forgot how much I...

Tried Paradiso for the first time. Loved the neighborhood vibe. Cute area. Nice esthetic inside Modern with a combo of rustic and industrial. The hostess was nice, and the server was nice as well. The specials were listed on a sheet, but the waiter didn't describe them or make any suggestions as to what is most popular. That was disappointing. The calamari appetizer came before the drinks. It was a heavy breading that overpowered the tender calamari, but it was still good. The jumbo shrimp cocktail was fresh and delicious. The celery salad underneath was something I've never had before. The celery was so crisp and mild with no strings and fresh parsley on top tossed in a champagne vinegarette. It was the crunchiest most crisp celery I've ever had. The ice bed underneath must keep it at an almost frozen state. It was delicious. The arancini was very good. Light and delicate and not greasy. The tomatoes underneath were seasoned with a garlic olive oil that was tasty but too strong to eat with the arancini. It wasn't fishy at all and was light and tasty. The drinks were very good. Balanced and nicely done. We didn't get any bread, so there's no rating on that. The ravioli special was not what I was expecting in the least. It was supposed to be a handmade ravioli with asparagus and tomatoes in a lemon browned butter sauce. It arrived as a wet brothy dish with no taste of lemon and definitely no browned butter aspect. It was like a ravioli primavera with bland vegetables. The filling in the ravioli's had little to no flavor. At least it was al dente but really lacked flavor and presentation. The pork chop was a nice thick cut and was moist, but the cippolini onions were non-existent, and it was a bit salty overall. The frutti de mare was the hit of the table. Plentiful ingredients and very tasty. Of all the dishes it was the most worthy of the price. The carrot cake (no picture sorry) was pretty good but not sure it was worth $15. It was moist and the flavors were balanced but the cream cheese frosting was a bit too mellow and we prefer a more rustic chunky carrot cake. The glazed walnuts were a nice touch. Overall, it was a nice dinner with friends. We were sat by the end of the bar away from the door and it was a bit warm compared to the front of the house but still enjoyable. The staff seemed a little thin. We didn't see our waiter much but he was having to clear tables as well as be the waiter of more tables than he probably could be attentive to. For the price of over $100 each, I think we would choose a different restaurant next time. There are so many to choose from in the East Bay that might better deserve that price point. If we went back, we may avoid the pricey entrees and just get...