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À Côté
Categories: Restaurants French Restaurants Spanish Restaurants Italian French, Spanish, Italian [Edit]
5478 College Ave(between Taft Ave & Kales Ave)
Oakland, CA 94618
Neighborhoods: Rockridge, North Oakland
(510) 655-6469
- Hours:
Mon-Tue, Sun 5:30 pm - 10 pm
Wed-Thu 5:30 pm - 11 pm
Fri-Sat 5:30 pm - 12 am
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- No
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Romantic, Intimate
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
Lexie S. said: "As I deny turning 40, I am drawn to the classics in a contemporary setting... Panta Rei affords me to have my torte and eat it too. Wide variety of wine, spirits and liquors brought by a friendly bar staff relaxes you while you graze…" read more »
735 reviews for À Côté
Review Highlights
"I get the pomme frites every time."
(in 62 reviews)
"Triple Bittersweet Chocolate Ice Cream, Hot Fudge Caramel..."
(in 15 reviews)
"French inspired small plates are terrific here."
(in 83 reviews)
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735 reviews in English
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Review from Buck Z.
Fremont, CA
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
A friend recommended this place. The ambiance is absolutely perfect. Excellent wine selection as well as Belgian beer, which is already a big plus.
Our server was very knowledgeable.
I highly recommend this place. -
Review from Steve K.
Oakland, CA
2/5/2012 Seated via OpenTable
The cocktails are very well-made, and the selection of brandies for dessert is nice. The mussels cooked in Pernod were wonderful. Service was professional.
The rest of the food was of decent quality but overpriced. A number of dishes were underwhelming surprises when they came to the table - okay to taste, but not amazing enough to justify the price. -
Review from Andrew S.
2/5/2012
Had the most amazing dessert at this restaurant:
Strawberry Panzanella: strawberries, candied brioche, micro basil, creme fraiche. It was so well balanced. I haven't seen it on the online menu since then but if it ever comes back, I'm coming here!
The pommes frites are also really good and the aioli is on point.
The entrees were meh.
Price is pretty standard for this area of College. Restaurant has good ambience. -
Review from Sandy T.
San Leandro, CA
1/31/2012 1 Check-in Here
Pomme Fritz--I would eat the whole thing by myself for a meal if it wasn't frowned upon by society. It is SO good.
My grilled flat iron steak was good, but amazing with the butter thing on it.
Four stars for these two dishes alone. -
Review from stevie d.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 2/1/2012
don't get to eat here too often anymore as it's not fun to bring the kids and potentially ruin other peoples evening with screaming babies etc.
A Cote used to be so great and the bar is still one of the sexiest in town but the last two times we ate here the food was either bland or overly salty or both. Prices have jumped dramatically too. Doubt we'll be back for a while.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/17/2006
One of our favorite east bay restaurants..there's nothing much to add.. great food, though sometimes… Read more »
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Review from thomas c.
1/31/2012
Yummy French Onion soup. Yummy muscles with bread to dip in its juices. Yummy fish. Seems like a romantic spot -- unfortunately I was with a guy friend.
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Review from J E.
Oakland, CA
2/3/2012
Yummy, pricey, excellent service, nice ambiance. Don't need to come here all the time, but a good upscale option. Make a reservation, we got there at opening on a Sunday night and there were already people waiting. yup.
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Review from ML N.
San Francisco, CA
12/30/2011
Alright, so I'm a bit confused. I feel like I went to a completely different restaurant than the one the reviews here talk about.
Went here for a girls' night expecting some good stuff, but left extremely disappointed. First off, our server was great and attentive, and actually, that would be the only positive here.
We only ordered 4 dishes to share because we had other things waiting for us at one of the girls' apartments. We got the mussels, the brisket, the pomme frites, and the empanadas.
Actually, now that I think about it, the empanadas came with a green sauce that was really delicious with a nice kick, but the empanadas themselves weren't anything spectacular. The mussels, which I'd been looking forward to were bland and kind of on the puny side. The brisket was absolutely flavorless and I even tried swirling a piece in the sauce a few times to get more flavor, but that was a fail. Brisket in pho has more flavor. What else? Oh, the pomme frites...yea, they weren't great either, not crispy and the dipping sauce should have just been ketchup.
This review is more of a reminder to not go. Also, this was pretty much the consensus between the girls I was with. (Maybe one more try for some of the entrees, but we'll see.) -
Review from L. S.
San Leandro, CA
1/4/2012
We've been here several times -- with friends at a table and with the two of us at the bar. Sitting at the bar together has always been the most fun and is what brings us back. The bartenders are a pleasure to be around and service is just right.
The food is great but on our last visit, we were really disappointed by the sea bass. It lacked flavor but looked pretty on the plate. I had the salmon with crème fraîche on flatbread, one of my favorites.
I give the cocktails high marks and the bartenders even higher marks. Although the food can sometimes be "eh" when it comes to matching expectations, the drinks, people, and ambience are worth it. -
Review from Cash F.
Oakland, CA
1/27/2012
Last week I was wanting to find a good restaurant with incredible food and good service. My wife and I went here and from the ordering of the wine to the dessert.... we were really impressed. We look forward to coming back again and again to take in the other tasty meals they have to offer. The drinks we had were not like many other places and we really liked the taste. Thanks for the best of service, the fun time and the ambiance.
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Review from Mike H.
12/21/2011
I'd taken a date here after dinner, at her suggestion. We just had a couple drinks at the bar but really enjoyed the time. Hopefully the food is as good as the service and the drinks. Even the coffee was "strong," if you know what I mean.
What a great group of people tending. They were surprised we were on a first date because we seemed to be getting along well. So...clearly I'm susceptible to flattery. And then when I used the bathroom, they started dishing with my date about me! All good though.
I'm a fan of after-dinner drinks, aka digestifs, and A Cote's list has a good variety of choices at fair prices. The Taylor Fladgate is about the best among 10yr tawny ports, and $10 is good price...certainly better than what I've seen elsewhere. Pretty reasonable corkage fee also - $20. -
Review from Shannon H.
Berkeley, CA
12/27/2011
Oh, wow. I cannot imagine why it took me so long to get to this amazing neighborhood gem of a restaurant. Without a doubt this is a must for all foodies. The ambience is understated and warm, the service is excellent and unobtrusive, the food - oh, the food! Magnificent - a complete tastebud extravaganza. I tried things I've never considered eating and now I want more.
Don't miss this. -
Review from Sameya G.
Santa Clara, CA
1/23/2012
Really enjoyed my 1st visit to A Cote tonight. Parking was easy, the bar/restaurant is beautiful and the food/wine is DELIC! I arrived about 30 minutes before my friend and found myself sitting at the bar alone. The bartenders were friendly, chatty and the clientele was nice. Ordered wine, the brie plate and the pommes frittes. DELICIOUS! I cannot wait to go back again!
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Review from David W.
Oakland, CA
1/24/2012
I am not a "fine diner" FYI. I typically eat at low-brow places, cheap food for under $10. So coming to a place like this I was skeptical of how good the food would be for more money.
However, at the end of the tab, I had the best food I have EVER had, and I spent about a total of $40. I definitely have been to restaurants where the price was about the same and the food wasn't even CLOSE to this good.
The service was actually real service. They were friendly and I truly felt the customer was treated properly. Even walking around the wait staff was pleasant.
Among one of the entrees we had were the mussels. Wow, these were prepared so nicely and so CLEANLY. Each mussel was an enjoyable treat. Not ONE unclean one, not ONE mishap, I mean, each and every mussel properly done. Ridiculous right?
There were a couple of other dishes we had, but the desert I had (Profiteroles) was absurdly good. I mean, what can you say other than I can't remember when I had something so enjoyable. I've been to desert houses and they don't even come close to this.
I am definitely going back. This place is just absurdly good. -
Review from Brandon Y.
Castro Valley, CA
12/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
I trust Yelp with my life. Or at least what I put into my body. So I guess, my life. A Cote was good, but not four stars good.
Being able to find 8pm reservations the day of for two, that was a pleasant surprise. We arrived about twenty minutes early, and the hostess seemed to try and find us seats before our reservation. We ended up sitting in the back room, which was well decorated, suited with both mood lighting and just enough music to keep crickets at bay.
Here's a breakdown of the food:
Appetizers:
Pommes Frites: probably the favorite thing I put in my mouth that night. The fries came with a citrus-y dip that really stuck out.
French Onion Soup: very savory, very filling, very typical and generic.
Entrees:
Wild Boar and Chestnut Sausage: it was meh. The wild boar made a decent sausage, and had a sweet red sauce draped over it, but it was not nearly enough food to keep my hunger-pains at bay shortly after our meal.
Grilled Flat Iron Steak: 'twas good. The watercress butter on top of the steak was unbelievable. It reminded me of a light pesto and it complimented the meat very well.
Ambiance:
Had the typical dark, romantic atmosphere, candles at each table. The hostess took our coats and joked with us. The waiters left us with enough space to talk, but were actually very hard to hunt down when we needed to leave and catch a movie.
A Cote was good, not spectacular. -
Review from Erika C.
12/14/2011
I used to love this place and took my parents here pretty often. We usually got the mussels (so good), fries, duck leg, flat iron steak, maybe a flatbread, and they used to do this amazing upside down pineapple cake dessert.
The price is right and the decor is cute. After I started dining out more in college, when I revisited A Cote it wasn't as good as I remembered it. Still worth a visit though and one of the better spots in Berkeley, for tapas or otherwise. -
Review from Janna W.
Manhattan, NY
1/21/2012
It was recommended to order 6-8 dishes for dinner for a group of 4 people. This was more than enough. Luckily we had a party of 11 so nothing was wasted. The pommes fritters were delicious with an aioli dip that was devoured. The wine list was impressive and my party enjoyed their specialty cocktails. The atmosphere was dark with candlelight. It became harder to hear over the course of the evening as more people came and the restaurant filled up. The service was excellent though we would have preferred if they could have brought all the dishes out at once or at least in even stages so half the table wasn't waiting at one time for food.
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Review from Brent C.
Oakland, CA
1/6/2012
The food, drinks, atmosphere, service-everything about this place is great. Our favorite for a date night or to meet friends.
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Review from Christina C.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 10/23/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I usually come here for the cheese and the wine. However, the other night I finally managed to score a seat at the bar and I actually ordered some food.
I ordered the butternut squash soup. It had apples in the center which I thought was such a thoughtful and delicious touch to the dish.
Apparently, the go to dish here are the mussels. After trying them I can safely say. Everyone was right. I hate black mussels and yet I love clams and all other seafood. Now I know the problem was that I just hadn't had the right black mussels. These were to die for. I can tell you right now, I will be craving them very soon.
We also ordered the Salmon wrapped in pancetta with a celery root puree (much like mashed potatoes) with crispy artichokes ( i love artichokes and I didn't know they could taste this good). Yes, this dish was a winner.
Finally I finished the night with a pumpkin cake with panna cotta. It was good, but I would not get it again. However, I had previously had here, a different desert that looked like a twinky. This thing (if I were wearing socks would of knocked them off). So if they are offering this again, get this.
As far as wine goes, I'm not really sure you could get something wrong here. My boyfriend always gets something different and he loves everything.
Last, I did not know this until recently, but they have a patio. On a nice night it is highly coveted.
No matter what you eat, drink or where you sit, you'll be having a good time.Listed in: Best Tapas, Best Wine/ Flight selection in…
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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9/19/2011
I was very hesitant to try this place. From the outside, it seemed stuffy and overpriced. Boy was I… Read more »
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Review from Cath M.
10/28/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I've been meaning to try this place ... for ages and lo and behold, the S.O. took me here for our "random" date night and I was very glad that he did!
Shannon (sp) the host welcomed us and was very friendly all throughout the dinner. Made us laugh and made me like the place even more!
We ordered the following:
- Mussels = this is a huge bowl so make sure you share it with others. I on the other hand, ate this all by myself since the S.O. isn't a fan of mussels. I had to stop myself from finishing it b/c I was getting too full. Shannon also came by to see if I wanted more bread to dip with the broth but I told her no thanks... didn't want to get too full.
- Pear & Walnut Flatbread with Gorgonzola = DELICIOUS! I've always been a fan of pear with cheese on any pizza like dish and this did not disappoint! It was the right portion... really thin crust... and really really really delicious! I unfortunately didn't finish it (due to the overload with mussels) so I ended up taking it to go.
- Bellwether farms ricotta fritters Mixed Berry Coulis, Vanilla Sauce, & Chocolate Sauce = S.O. and I shared this and it was the right portion for the two of us. Plenty of sauces and the fritters were moist and well seasoned.
Service: I asked our server to recommend me a glass of wine that would go well with my dinner and she was definitely spot on! I unfortunately don't remember what it was but it went well with my dinner!
I will probably drag the parental unit here b/c my mom loves mussels and they make it good here. Plus, prices are reasonable and the service was friendly!
Looking forward to going back again for sure and Shannon... thank you for accommodating my panicked S.O. with the reservations! -
Review from J T.
Oakland, CA
12/31/2011 1 Check-in Here
Simply brilliant, every time. The bar, the kitchen, and the service are flawless. I HIGHLY recommend the muscles. Truly scrumptious. Put simply, I love this joint...
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Review from Nate B.
Oakland, CA
10/9/2011 3 Check-ins Here
I have not had the pleasure of eating dinner here yet, but their wine, cocktails and dessert are fantastic!!!
If you have the pleasure of meeting the Bartender: Tauntaun also known as Richard. Please know that you are in great hands!
He has recommended every glass of wine I have had there, each has been delicious! He also recommended a dessert that he referred to as: "a twinkie from Heaven" Which it was! -
Review from Beth F.
Petaluma, CA
10/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
WOW!! I've never liked mussels, but these were amazing ... no sinewy/stringy stuff, and they were very soft , and the garlic broth they were in was so yummy with the country style bread to dip in it.
The waiters (yes plural - do they all check on each other's tables or what ?) --- whatever, they were all very attentive). Our waiter also seemed to know A LOT about all the wines we inquired about. He let us try a couple before we decided.
The crispy prawns were also fresh and the taste superb.
I personally like the fact that all the dishes are small so you can experience many of their delectable creations without feeling stuffed.
It seems you need reservations - it filled up immediately (on a Sunday night) when they opended at 5:30pm. -
Review from Kristen M.
Berkeley, CA
11/14/2011
The food was great; especially the pear and gorgonzola flatbread which melted in your mouth. The tuna tartar was good but I thought the caraway crackers that went with it too strongly flavored - they overpowered the delicate tuna. The mussels were fantastic, as were the beverages. Great list; my date was psyched to find a brandy he'd been wanting to try and I liked their varied gin list.
The service, however, was not great. While the hostess was gracious, our waiter was brusque, cool, and at first it felt like he wanted to rush us, then later we felt neglected. Had the sense he wanted our table for a second seating, but eventually gave up. We were enjoying ourselves enough not to care too much, but with better service this would have been an over the top dining experience. -
Review from Jay P.
Phoenix, AZ
11/7/2011 Seated via OpenTable
My date and I stopped by for dinner before a show in the city. I wish knew the exact name of the plates we had but we both highly satisfied with the meal.
We started we the cheese, fig, and nut plate. Then as the main coarse we had the flat bread and tuna tar tar. Both dishes were excellent. They were on the smaller side so if you are hungry it's a good idea to get at least three dishes. We had ordered the paella as well, unfortunately our waitress was waiting for us to complete the first two dishes before she submitted the order for the paella, so because of our plans in the city were unable to stay for the paella.
All around a great place with a very good wine list. My date and I will definitely be back again to try their paella. -
Review from John D.
Oakland, CA
10/23/2011 1 Check-in Here
2.5 stars
It pains me to have write this as we have been patrons of A Cote since we moved to the Oakland Hills form SF 9 years ago. It used to be one of the only places you could experience truly professional service in the East Bay. That was not our experience last night.
We dined early as we were dining with our (well behaved) 4.5 year old daughter. Front of house staff was wonderful and gracious but it went downhill from there. Our waiter greeted us took our drink orders and disappeared for 10 minutes during which I could see my drink getting warm on the counter. Drinks were delivered but not our daughters non-alcoholic beverage, had to remind him. We were able to get an order in early for our girl and get some pommes frittes and squash soup to the table for her, the soup was fantastic and she gobbled up every bit.
We ordered a couple salads and a couple items to share. Our salads were delivered along with the flat bread we ordered (wrong!) we asked this to be staged. That said my chopped salad was really fantastic, the flat bread was very good if a bit salty, im not sure if gorgonzola works on flatbread but a good try. My wife's salad was good but she said it seemed as if the greens weren't dry and the dressing seemed watery. Ok fine so were getting everything at once but where is our pasta. Our orchietta with boar sausage was delivered after everything else was cleared wtf?! OK fine we took a couple bites and decided to take it home from tomorrows lunch. Pasta was overdone almost mushy but the sauce was fantastic.
We split a wonderful pumpkin cake dessert that almost made me forget about the many mis-fires on service.
Im worried that A Cote is going the way of so many East Bay standards (Chez Panisse cafe, Olivetto, Cafe Rouge) decent food, bad service with a smile.
Come on A Cote get it together, I know how good you can be. -
Review from Jacky F.
Bay Area
10/16/2011
What everybody else is saying about the Mussels is completely TRUE! They are worth 5 Stars and more. Just perfection. You have to order this item.
We had the crispy prawns appetizer and I was not impressed, at all. Definitely skip this item. Not worth it. We also had the lamb skewers and it was pretty good. The flat bread pizza was very good. Even though the other items were just mediocre. The deliciousness of the mussels made up for the rest of the meal. And I promise you, I am a big mussel fanatic. Every restaurant I go to, if there is mussel on the menu, you know it will be on my table. Mussels are my favorite and this has been the BEST mussel dish yet. Thank you A Cote, you just raised the bar higher than ever for all mussels dishes to come and now I'll be ruined for other mussel dishes forever. -
Review from Kevan M.
10/18/2011 1 Check-in Here
Heard a lot of hype about this place so I had to check it out. It's small plate Mediterranean fare. The menu is pretty small; there were about 10 dishes to choose from. I'm such an indecisive eater that it worked great for me. My fiance and I ordered the lobster flatbread (i.e., pizza), lamb with ratatouille, steak with aioli, and anitpasto. All the dishes were unique, very flavorful and masterfully cooked.
They had a great wine list with some unique wines. They also did some awesome looking mixed drinks so I ordered a delicious Manhattan.
It's dark, intimate and romantic with high quality service, food and beverages. I could nit-pick a bit and find some minor faults (greasy flat bread pizza) but overall I loved my visit here. -
Review from Pam S.
9/20/2011 2 Check-ins Here
This is a place that you have to come to on a date.
Or with your teddy bear of a friend.
Or with your ex-boyfriend and his parents for his birthday. Oy. Actually, don't try that. He'll wind up declaring his long lost love for you RIGHT before you move 3000 miles away.
What you CAN do (with any of the above), is order a bunch of food, taste a bunch of food, and wish you wore a less restrictive Peg Bundy outfit and more like something Al Bundy wears to sit on the couch. Something where you still have room to put your hand down your pants because your stomach will be full.
Pomme frites, of course.
Pappa al Pomodoro for those cold winter nights.
Little Gem Salad for your veggies.
The meatballs. OBVIOUSLY.
Flatiron steak MORE MEAT PLEASE.
Fig and prosciutto flatbread. Noms.
Wash it down with an extensive array of wines, including some pink bubbly.
Also, if you can, sit on the back patio. It goes from open air like summer to warm and toasty when they close the drapes. Bravo how they did that. It's like camping. Except with better food and less bears. -
Review from Eugene L.
I was in the Area after Criusing around Grizzly Peaks in the Down Low Whip and was thirsty for a Belgian Beer , So I stopped by Acote.
I rolled up to the Bar and grabbed a seat . The Bartenders are very Friendly and Inviting there. I ordered up a Belgian Beer and it was in front of me no time flat.
I ended up in a good conversation with one of the Bartenders and a couple of other folks joined in . I was introduced to Matari Hari Liquior . It was quite Tasty and Complex . I was told it is also quite strong
I needed a little snack so I ordered the Crispy Prawns with Corn Romano Beans,Gypsy Peppers and Green Tomato Salsa .It was in front of me in 10 minutes flat. Very tasty.
I rolled out of there around 12:40 and was asked If I was ok to drive . Of course I was LOL.
Acote would make a Great Date a spot .
I jumped in the Down Low Whip and sped off to Kansai for some Sushi .Listed in: Date Joints, Oakland Joints
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Review from Meghan F.
Oakland, CA
10/24/2011
Well done, A Cote! Nothing could have been better during our visit on Saturday. There was a total of 6 of us and we sat in the sheltered back patio that had the option to cover the deck, although it was a warm evening so wasn't necessary. This could be a great date spot too with cozy booths and dimmer atmosphere inside.
Food - WOW! We didn't leave 1 plate (out of about 14) with any trace of food on them. I highly recommend asking your hostess or server their favorites since the menu changes often. They were very knowledgeable about the variety of dishes. It's a small to medium plates restaurant, we shared everything. And being a Pescatarian, dining wasn't tough here. The Mussel's are a must have, order it with Pommes Frites to use the sauce for dipping - which was recommended by our server. The Kabocha Squash soup was to die for. I practically licked the bowl clean. The Pear and Walnut flat bread with Gorgonzola had just the right amount of cheese to keep you coming back for more. The meat lovers I was with truly enjoyed the Game Hen, Salmon wrapped in Pancetta and the Flat Iron Steak.
As for drinks, I'm not a gin person, but the Vineyard Cocktail was delish - you wouldn't know gin was in there if it didn't state that. The Roy Daly was also refreshing. They have a full bar so you can get anything your heart desires, wine and beer from around the world too.
All in all, 5+ stars overall and can't wait to return!! -
Review from Edward Y.
Oakland, CA
9/19/2011
Amazing to sit out on the patio on a warm evening. Dim with candle lighting -- just perfect.
Wine list is vast and eclectic -- in fact, I didn't recognize a single one (hell, I couldn't even pronounce any). Nonetheless, my server did an excellent job at pairing my meal.
I love tapas/family style, so food was up my alley. Started with their unbeatable mussels and a fromage platter. Lamb skewers were decent.
Service is impeccable. We probably spent at least a hour on the appetizers and they specifically waited until we were done before bringing out our hot entree. I always appreciate these small details. -
Review from Beth S.
Oakland, CA
12/11/2011
Sadly I have to give this place just an OK rating.
We lived in Rockridge for years and this was always our go to restaurant. Consistently good with good wine and a great atmosphere.
This last visit, we were so excited to return and just found it to be fine to good. I think it is really overpriced for what you get. The duck was delicious, but 19 dollars is way too much for that small plate. There other standbys were reasonably priced, but they need to really scale it back a bit with the menu prices.
Plus, my cocktail was just o.k. and was a terrible sized pour.
The server was knowledgeable and attentive, and they wave the corkage fee if you buy a bottle of wine from them, so that was a positive.
Overall, I don't think you would be hugely disappointed by any means, I just think that there are some better choices in the area now. -
Review from Rene C.
8/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
College Avenue is a gem of a street. An amusement park of culinary delights where great food and dangerous drinks can be found at every turn. There is one place that stands out above all the rest.
À Côté is one the few real kick ass French restaurants in all the Bay Area. An ever changing menu that will always please even the pickiest of eaters. As I just mentioned, the menu changes frequently which focusing on locally seasonal ingredients. We were lucky enough to walk in during peak fig season. So when I spotted the fig and pancetta flatbread I knew in a second that it had to find our way to the table.
There were four of us, and with the dishes being smaller and designed to share we took our time trying to narrow our choices. This was no easy task as the menu is just one giant YES to EVERYTHING! We were able to buy some time and ordered up a round of cocktails to start.
By the time my Bulliet sidecar arrived, we had a few of dinner choices decided upon. The caprese with heirloom tomatoes and mozzarella, mussels (yuck) and frites (yum!) to start. The caprese arrived first and even though it was a simple preparation, it was delicious. Lightly dressed and sprinkled with sea salt this salad was outstanding. The dressing was so good that we asked for bread so we could soak up the rest of the dressing. The mussels (yuck) were enjoyed by 3 out of 4 us and you can probably guess who did not partake in the enjoyment of that dish. But the rest of the table raved about them. One commented that they were every bit as good as you can find in France or Belgium. Now the frites were world class, served with a lemon aioli those fries were heart attack serious great!
After our cocktails were enjoyed, a bottle of French cabernet franc soon arrived which was perfect timing as it paired perfectly with our flat bread and skirt steak. The flat bread was amazingly awesome! And since I I skipped on the mussels (yuck) I was given an extra slice by our friends. Thank you Deborah!
Our dessert consisted of a gelato and a cheese. The gelato was amazing and I think it may have been lightly salted which is a major bonus. The one weirdness was the cheese course. Granted we did order only one cheese, but it was brought out with only four small slices and a ton of bread, and nuts. So the portion was kind our of whack. This is a little nit picky and we did love it.
We were told by our awesome server that À Côté will be changing their menu soon which means a return trip will need to made sooner rather than later.
4 1/2 stars. -
Review from Jennifer Y.
Oakland, CA
10/26/2011
I can't believe I waited so long to try this place! It was all very good. We had made reservations and were seated right away.
The food was delicious - as already noted in other reviews, the mussels were sosososo good. Plump and juicy - I never thought I'd describe mussels in that way! We also got the rabbit, which was very flavorful but not too rich. We also got the flat iron steak that was cooked perfectly as well as the salmon wrapped in pancetta. I wasn't a huge fan of the salmon but it was cooked well, I just don't like bacon or anything bacon-like.
The service was decent. I would've liked it to be a tad more attentive but our server was very polite nonetheless. Sometimes with places like these, I find the treatment can vary depending on whether or not you order expensive items, drinks, etc. However, neither the boyfriend nor I ordered drinks and just stuck with tap water and the server was still very gracious. Sometimes we're just not in the mood to drink, not because we're cheap!
I'll definitely be coming back! I need to try some of their desserts :9 -
Review from Ty T.
10/5/2011
I first came here over 3 years ago to share some small plates with a former roommate, after a year or so of living in this beautiful part of town.
But my most recent experience;
The arugula salad with watermelon, and pumpkin seeds is refined to perfection. There is nothing I love more than a flavorful and refreshing summer salad with arugula; it is simply too irresistible hard to resist.
The tasty Greek Lamb Crepinete practically was falling off of the bones and melted in my mouth. I am also not too keen on eggplant, along with my Tzatziki were grilled bits of it in it with some roma tomatoes that tasted really spectacular as composites to the lamb.
Minus the slow service, I would still highly recommend this place.
The substantial quality of food, and an overall delightful ambiance is perfect to share with a friend or a date.Listed in: Places That Make Me WHET
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Review from Claudine V.
San Francisco, CA
9/13/2011
You won't get dissappointed with this place. Everything about it is fascinating. The food, crowd, ambiance , wine.. I LOVE IT.
Will defnitely come back and try more . -
Review from Nique F.
Updated - 7/25/2011 2 Check-ins Here
After multiple romantic dinners here, tucked into a plush booth and sheltered in a world of perfection, I finally had the chance to sit at the bar during a good ol' fashioned GNO (shout out to Jen H and Joanna M! You crazy kids.)
Sure, they've got wines galore, but the cocktails are a whole different kind of Wow. Michael was shakin' up some magic called Guyana Star (rum, ginger, lime, heaven) and before long there were new friends, laughter, music, storytelling, and a late but great Wednesday night. They were very cool about giving us the gentle scoot around 12:30am. Even when you're wearing out your welcome, you still feel like family here. There just aren't enough stars for A Cote. Lovin' them more each time.Listed in: Date Night, Red, White, and Drunk all over, Cocktailin' - Oakland, Bay Area Best Eats., Rock Stars of Rockridge
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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12/22/2008
Hands down, the BEST mussels in the Bay. I have been dreaming about them ever since my first visit,… Read more »
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Review from Rebekah T.
San Francisco, CA
Happy Birthday Alice! My fellow Cancerian, I have to thank you personally for introducing me to A'Cote. It is truly everything I imagined as one of your favorite restaurants, if I lived in the East Bay it would be mine as well.
I loved everything we ordered, served family style I got to try a little of everything and loved it.
*Smoked trout salad with Endive, Watercress, Grapefruit, Avocado and Horseradish
*Marinated Olives
*Pomme Frites
*Squash Blossoms
*Mussels with Pernod from the Wood Oven (MY FAVORITE, omg)
* Grilled Skirt Steak (Delicious)
Really, really good. I loved the olives, mussels and steak the most. So juicy and tender, I just can't stop thinking about that night. Let's go back soon!!
My favorite part? They have Delirium Tremens on tap! My favorite beer ever. It was like my Birthday as well!Listed in: Adventures in the East Bay!
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Review from Chris W.
Alameda, CA
1/20/2012 Seated via OpenTable
Came here with my wife and had a pleasant evening. Went with what people recommended on yelp. The frites and onion soup were good and the flat iron steak was tasty. The service was friendly but somewhat difficult to find at times.
