- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Arsimona
Categories: Nightlife Bars Lounges Restaurants American (New) Lounges, American (New) [Edit]
561 11th St(between Clay St & Jefferson St)
Oakland, CA 94607
Neighborhood: Old Oakland
(510) 444-1158
- Hours:
Tue-Thu 11 am - 12 am
Fri 11 am - 2 am
Sat 8 pm - 2 am
Sun 10 am - 2 am
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Garage, Street, Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Good for Kids:
- No
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- Free
- Good For:
- Late Night
- Music:
- DJ
- Best Nights:
- Fri, Thu, Sat
- Happy Hour:
- Yes
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Smoking:
- No
- Coat Check:
- Yes
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Good For Dancing:
- Yes
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
- Dogs Allowed:
- No
81 reviews for Arsimona
Review Highlights
-
"...like about Arsimona's is the dance floor, it is kinda small." In 7 reviews -
"I love to go out and have a good time." In 4 reviews -
"Bartenders are also really down to earth and pleasant." In 12 reviews
Loading...
81 reviews in English
-
Review from joe s.
Lafayette, CA
12/8/2011
Oakland's best sports bar. Great food, excellent service. Great place for happy hour.
-
Review from Joanna B.
Oakland, CA
1/1/2012
There is a reason this place was not sold out on New Year's Eve, one hour prior to opening.
1. They opened 45 minutes late. This is not a place with a waiting area because is not a restaurant. This was December 31 so no one awaiting Arsimona's opening was warm.
2. The advertised dinner consisted of 3 appetizers and two entrees. There were no sides (vegetables). Silverware had to be requested.
However, this did all come at $57 for last minute, reserved seating. The bartender, whose name escapes me was quite nice and helpful to high maintenance me. I don't particularly like spirits and have little to no business in a bar. He started emptying the shelves, literally to find something I might like! He single-handedly salvaged this yelp rating. -
Review from Monica H.
Oakland, CA
5/6/2012
NEVER EVER coming there again. Have you ever been somewhere and you ask to speak to the manager and they flat-out refuse to do so?It was NOT crowded and there was no reason for that. I have never received such shitty customer service in my life. If I'm paying $20 just to walk in to your establishment, you should be gracious enough to at least speak to me if I have an issue.
Why should I have to pay $20 just to get into a place that has horrible customer service, absolutely no drink or food specials and on top of that they charge 18% gratuity for a bill of over $30. Seriously? It always amazes me how the most hood-ish places overcharge like there is no tomorrow.
I was there last night for the Mayweather fight and first, they had a line outside for absolutely no reason. When they finally let us in the place was completely empty, the hostess in the front had an attitude and so did the top-flight security bitch. After missing half of the first fight, they finally let us in an hour after they advertised opening up. I rolled in deep with about 6 girls and they were not trying to give us any kind of discounts or anything at all then tried to kick us out just because we were complaining.
They also had technical difficulties as the TV reception kept effing up. This is only my second time going there even though I love literally right around the corner from them but it will be my last.
After trying relentlessly to find the manager, we finally realized that the dude we've been speaking to the whole time actually was the manager! He was just taking our money, lying to our faces in hopes we wouldn't catch on. This is NOT the only bar in town showing the fight. I was going to go to 3000 Broadway but I wanted to give this place another chance. Shame on me. -
Review from Mikayla M.
Oakland, CA
11/12/2011
same owners as Air Lounge. pretty much the same review except for Arsimona isnt as bad as Air Lounge. They also put cheap liquor in there more expensive bottles, so they can charge you for better quality liquor that you are not actually getting..
i think they allow in to many people/they have no air circulation aside from a few open windows. i came in looking nice, in 2.5minutes my hair was totally sweated out. everyone was sweating and stickey.
i've been there for friends birthdays several times. they've paid for a "VIP BOOTH", and to have a few friends come in free of charge. but EVERYTIME you get to the door, theres some sort of issue, or they cant find your name, and they bullshit you into paying there $20 cover, even if its past midnight. I'm no cheapskate, but I really dont feel Arsimona OR Air Lounge are the type of places that I would pay a cover for. Especially with Downtown Oakland/Uptown coming up with so many nice/free places.
also a little too hood for my taste. rather check out Radio, Somar, Ruby Room, Bar 355, Make Westing, New Parish, or The Uptown, all in the same area but no cover, so much more fun and a better crowd. -
Review from Tee R.
Hayward, CA
3/11/2012
My experience with Arsimonas was pretty cool. I read the reviews so I was prepared for the watered down alcohol, which was true. I was also prepared for issues with our order since there were more than 20 of us. We called a week early to find out what to expect since we had a large party and we had our own cake. First of all the service was impeccable. Management was not so much. We spent more than anyone there between 4-7pm and they had the audacity to mention a $20 fee to cut the cake. Really?? On top of that the bartender did not fill your drinks to the rim.
I give them 4 stars cause the service was great and I would go again. -
Review from nicole b.
San Francisco, CA
6/26/2011
where is the "no star" button when you need one???
This place has to be one of the worst places that i've ever been to. The staff (mainly security) is very rude & disrespectful. I don't know if it's a power trip or what, but what makes a BIG 270+ pound security guard manhandle a FEMALE??
Yes, on 6/25/11 a security guard rough-housed a petite female to the ground (i kid you not).
I should have know that this place was SUSPECT after security supposedly broke up a fight between two males & allowed them to stay on the premises. Security didn't even touch the two guys who were brawling. They just shined their cheap flashlights on the guys & told them to break it up. But an hour later, a female is forced to the ground & treated like a rag doll.
As a patron, i couldn't believe what i witnessed that night. To make matters even worse, the manager was just as bad as his security. Mangement added fuel to the fire by being insulting & standing behind the decision that his security team made in regards to dealing with the female that was basically "assaulted" by security at the establishment.
This incident did not personally involve me but after seeing how they treat their paying customers, i will never go back there.
After reading prior reviews, i see that this behavior is common at this wack establishment... -
Review from Alice T.
Updated - 7/16/2011
I haven't been her for over a year and I came here on a Friday night. Good music, friendly people, nice bouncers. Pretty ladies with tight dresses all fixed up and well dressed good looking black men. What more can you ask for.
I had a really good time and will for sure be coming back in the future. Bartenders are also really down to earth and pleasant. I had a really good time. =)1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
7/22/2008
I came here on a Thrusday night about two months ago. This place is hard to spot if your driving up… Read more »
-
-
Review from Luke B.
Oakland, CA
Updated - 6/9/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I just reluctantly hosted a Retirement party at Arsimona's and the evening was OK-ish I'm going to give them 3 stars because no one complained and some of the confusion may have been my fault for going thru a friend and not dealing directly with the owners.
First of all let me say that all the employees were very nice and helpful and the food was actually OK.
My only 3 problems are the event was suppose to start at 6:00 p.m. but when I arrived at 5:30 no one seemed to no what I was talking about.
Seating was a little disorganized we had to play musical chairs moving from one section to another.
Also their was a live band that was supposed to play chicago style step music and they weren't really good at all. I thought that the band would have some type of following but they didn't, most of the people there were there for the retirement party I was hosting.
Now I must also say that even though Arisimona had plenty of time to plan for my event (I think, I dealt with a go between and not directly with club) things were throwed together at the very last minute, but I must also say we paid them at the very last minute too and they were willing to work with us on pricing.
Really all in all I think most of the miss comunication came from me and not them but there were a few things they could have also done better.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
10/22/2010
Honestly Arsimona is a nice little swank sports bars/ lounge, I definitely WOULDN'T RECOMMEND eating… Read more »
-
-
Review from Christopher T.
Vallejo, CA
7/19/2011 1 Check-in Here
The place itself has a pretty good setup. Lots of TVs with sports playing, and a good happy hour menu...
Buuuut, they were out of mint for the mojitos on a friday afternoon and the waiter had somehow overcharged us on the happy hour items which took a bit of time to resolve.
Would I go back again? Probably not anytime soon. -
Review from Leily P.
Oakland, CA
11/1/2010
I've been here a couple times before for some work-hosted happy hours, and the food didn't taste as bad then. But coming in today, the food tasted like it came out of a frozen food package. Granted it was only $5 per dish and the dishes were sizable, but this was just gross.
I like happy hour venues for both the food and the drinks, and I might come back again for drinks as it is definitely a nice convenient location, but don't eat here. -
Review from Jennifer C.
San Pablo, CA
5/1/2011 3 Check-ins Here
Been here a few times for lunch since it's across the street from work.
Service:
It's ok. Sometimes it's quick, other times it's pretty slow. It sucks that there's really only 1 server during lunch so when it gets packed the service is pretty slow.
Food:
Shrimp Caesar Salad is good.... they give you lots of shrimp and the salad is well balance with seasoning (on the shrimp) and dressing. (I'm a fan);
Fish n chips are ok but the portion isn't consistent (sometimes the fish is big portion, other times they give you small portion)... my cowoker loves it but I'm not a fan;
Mozzarella Sticks are delicious... definitely have to get it with their sweet and sour sauce, not marinara sauce
Onion Rings are hella good... unfortunately, it's not in their menu and they don't really make it. I actually got this by chance and it took the chef several tries to get it right but when he did... it was sooo good!
Drinks:
Pomegranate Martini and Apple Martini were excellent. Had the right amount of sweetness and definitely lots of alcohol. A little pricey but really good. -
Review from Mike L.
2/7/2011
They're a great happy hour/sports bar spot. It's a pretty cool place to lounge around with a chill decor.
They have a good set of flat screens good for watching games, and I believe they have the NFL subscription during football season. I've enjoyed their happy hour appetizers menu like their sliders and wings and a decent set of cocktails. Good beer selection too.
I've had one experience during last year's NBA Playoffs when it was packed and it took forever to get served. I do want to give them a little slack because it was abnormally packed, but they should have figured that when they show the games and are known as being a sports bar in the afternoon. -
Review from Seaward Z.
Oakland, CA
11/30/2007
As cool as you guys might think it is to have a wife who is a big football fan, I can tell you that its not as rosy as it might seem. Yes, its true, when I just want to lay around on a Sunday watching football, I don't hear a lot of crap about cleaning the gutters or shampooing the cat (ever tried that? it turns out cats don't like water a lot.) Nope, she's right there with me.
But when I just want to go out to a dive bar with a TV to catch a game that I can't get at home, she wants to come too. Which is fine of course but wherever we go has to have a nice "ambiance" and "some atmosphere," and of course there must be a "lovely wine selection." So of course, the urinal and vomit trough under the bar at Merchant's Saloon is "disgusting."
Which brings me to Arsimona, where we went last night to catch the Packers-Cowboys game that Comcast wants to charge me extra to see. It had all the things I needed in a sports bar (see previous paragraph), plus a solid dozen flat screen tvs where everyone in the place could see them, excellent service, and good drinks. Food is very limited but from what I can tell, pretty damn good. The place was packed with people and we had to horn in on another table just to get a seat, but it wasn't TOO packed. I will return. -
Review from Chira E.
6/14/2010 1 Check-in Here
OK, Arsimona you get 3 stars because I dig your modern decor, and because the Boston Celtics won the day I patronized your establishment.
We sat down and after our order is taken the server asks to "hold" a credit card. We had not even been served our food...rude.
I will say they do have a number of large screen TVs throughout the bar for your viewing convenience. Arsimona if you have to ask your patrons for a credit card before their food arrives due to your problem with dine and dashers, perhaps you need to beef up your security. Rude...very..very..rude. -
Review from Angelo B.
San Francisco, CA
6/5/2009
We were desperately looking for a place in Oakland to watch Game 1 of the NBA Finals Thursday. Apparently, there are a handful of sports bars in the Oakland area but it's particularly difficult to find one that airs the current sporting event unmuted.
So I spend all day yelping and come across a few that I was actually interested in checking out. One was Meridian International Sports Bar (which we ended up going to in the second half. I'll review that place separately). This place was suggested by a friend who also wanted to watch the game while throwing back a few cold ones. He sent me the link to their website so I checked it out. From what I could see, the place was pretty classy. It boasted of 8 large plasma TVs and had some interesting items on their menu.
So we decided to hit Arsimona.
Upon arriving, it was a bit tricky at first because the main door on 11th St. was actually closed and had a sign saying to take the elevator on the Clay St. entrance. So I go around the corner, and there are 2 entrances. 1 with an elevator and the other with a stairway. I decided to take the stairs. (I thought that part was quite confusing).
Anyway, the first thing I noticed when I got upstairs was the high ceilings. The place was pretty spacious and it didn't seem so cramped because the tables and couches were spaced pretty well. Nice decor and big picture windows overlooking downtown (that's not saying much.) and the bartender was cute. ;)
Ok, so for the experience. Meh. The waiter was cool though. I was really looking forward to watching the game with sound so I asked him if the volume gets turned up when the game starts. It apparently was but much to my chagrin, even with all the TVs turned up, the acoustics of the room didn't make for a very audible broadcast. Plus the people talking was really what reverberated in the whole place. He did, however, get me and my friend some reserved seats with a good view of the game. That was pretty cool.
Happy hour was until 6pm only. 3 dollar beers and it seemed like the food on their menu was half off as well. I had the Buffalo wings and my friend ordered the teriyaki wings. The Buffalo wings were solid. Nice and tangy, but not too spicy. (Although it could have used a little more heat). The teriyaki wings were just ok. The service was slow because there was only like one waiter and as the game drew nearer, the place started filling up real fast so he was scrambling to take orders.
The ambiance for a lounge type place was decent. I can see how it would be great for events. But to watch the game, I would recommend going somewhere else. It's kind of an odd combination of being a sports bar and a club/lounge. The overall experience was average. Good food, friendly staff, noisy atmosphere. Not fit for avid sports fans who want to hear what the heck is going on. 3.4 stars. -
Review from J. M.
Berkeley, CA
7/24/2007
If you can give a place zero stars, well I would give this place zero. The service sucked. I like to judge a place by how long it takes to fill up a glass of water. We couldn't get the waitress to get of her azz and fill up the water. Come on now.
The food. WOW. I ordered the cajun jambalaya pasta. It came with dry chicken chicken and crappy shrimp. I know people like to cook chicken, but if I wanted to eat cardboard, I could of just went to McDonlds, and saved some money. I did feel sorry for one of my coworkers that went with me, I mean, his chicken was uncoooked, which doesn't make sense to me since it took forever for them to get out our food.
I went with a lot of people and they all had the same decision: to never go back again. Thanks for wasting my lunch hour. -
Review from Beth V.
Oakland, CA
3/17/2007
The place to be for March Madness!
A coworker had tipped me off to this little gem months ago, but I was in no rush to go. The waitstaff is constantly standing on the street during lunch time offering samples. While this is a novel concept the first week, the bloom is off the rose.
We walked through the door and I was impressed by the decor. Probably 8 flat screen tvs scattered throughout the space. It was before sunset, and light poured through the windows. The walls are painted a bright yellow color that sounds garish, but somehow works. The tables in the middle features benches (with backs!) as well as small footstool like options. There's also a traditional bar for those who choose.
I can see Lindsey's point about the service-we were a group of 6, and after we were shooed away from the space in the middle of the restaurant that three women were saving for an Obama fundraiser (great cause, but it was unclear as to whether they'd paid to reserve the space or simply comandeered it) we were left to our own devices to pull tables together, blocking the exit. Allie W asked for bread when the food was ordered, and was told they didn't have any..which I've never heard when a place appears to serve a full menu.
My bellini martini was awesome, with peach nectar, peach Schnapps, and Grey Goose, but at $11, not cheap. Can't vouch for the food because although I had to leave after at least 30 minutes, it had yet to show. I am hopeful that Arsimona will make it through the many new buildings being put up in the area. This was a great spot, although the service was lacking, and I will be back. -
Review from Nikki c.
Oakland, CA
7/22/2007
Shelley S made me go here. And then drink vodka. There are big screen TVs tuned into different channels. cool. The bartenders were cool. We grabbed seats at the bar, unfortunately, we couldn't really see what else was going on. The physical set up leaves a little something to be desired.
Let me warn you, the drinks are strong. Spending too much time here could cause drunk dialing.Listed in: Meet me at the club, it's goin…
-
Review from Jason B.
Oakland, CA
4/1/2010
Ar say-what? Arsimona. Their elevator entrance is a bit elusive & their prices are nothing short of highway robbery.
I came here for a quick bite & a drink with some work buddies on a Tuesday & was pleasantly surprised. The first thing you notice is their high ceiling & their plush couches in the lounge area. Not bad.. There were about 8 other patrons during lunch hour on a Tuesday & a few at the bar watching soccer on one of several big screens TVs.
There was nothing special about the buffalo wings, & especially wasn't worth ordering for the price. Their chicken quesadilla was the best thing I took from this place & would actually recommend. For their drinks, I'd expect a Remy & coke more on the stronger side for $13, but unfortunately was not the case.
Upscale sports bar is the feel you get from this place.. because that's actually what it is.. then turns into a lounge at night. -
Review from Stephanie D.
Vallejo, CA
3/9/2009
Seriously, someone needs to pinch me because my experience here last Saturday night seems unreal.
I love to go out and have a good time. Usually, this is something I do best in Vegas... basically anywhere but home. A group of us decided to meet up tonight, and I have been wanting to check our Arsimona for some time now... SO VERY glad I did!
From the moment we arrived, we were treated like VIPs. The security at the door allowed my friend to park her car up front, because she was a little worried about where she had it parked. NO problem they said, move it up here. Wow, how often does that happen?
The excellent treatment by staff continued the entire evening... from Leonardo taking my coat and asking (then remembering!) my name. He checked in with us several times throughout the night, and he even sat us at one of the reserved tables. I have to say, I been VIP at clubs in Vegas where I wasn't treated as well as I was at Arsimona.
Now, the cocktails... very good. The bartenders, amazing. Thanks for being such an asset behind teh bar, Reggie! You're a rock star.
The patrons at the club were also super cool and courteous. There was no drama, no bullshit, nothing but a really good time. The music was perfect and we stayed up on the dance floor a good part of the night.
Seriously, big props to Arsimona and their staff. We'll be back and we'll also recommend it to our friends! -
Review from Kish K.
Oakland, CA
5/24/2007 1 Check-in Here
I found this place with a friend. last night. Pleasant surprise I might add. The crowd was very diverse, ranged in age from late 20s to mid 40s.
If anyone has been to the District in the city, the ambiance is almost similar but not so much of a meat market :)
I had a Hangar One tonic which was just the way I like it.. STRONG... Hey, anyone who carries Hangar One has my vote.
I am checking it out tonight. Rumour has it that Thursday nights rock!! will post tomorrow if I am not too inebriated.
Later,
Kish -
Review from Jen L.
Bay Area
6/17/2009
Did someone say Arsimona's?
Well, I've never heard of it...until a friend invited me to this place a few weeks ago. First impressions? It was alright. They have "security" guards who have their police badges prominently displayed. Uhm, does this mean that the crowd shoots people for fun? Oh Jesus, what the hell did I get myself into?!
Seriously though - the $20 cover was way too much. Come on now, even lounges in The City don't charge this much! I guess they thought they were a super mini version of Suite 181.
Drinks were okay, bartenders were pretty unfriendly. They skipped my friends and I quite a few times! Luckily we drank a bit in the car prior to arriving at the "club."
Overall, I guess I had an okay time. I just wish the crowd was a little more diverse - perhaps a few more sprinklings of other cultures. -
Review from Tonaka K.
Oakland, CA
5/7/2011
My review is very similar to the others. Rude staff! For this reason I have avoided this place like the plague, until my professional group hosted a function there. I hesitated big time, but I thought maybe since its a happy hour event and not the nightclub event, the staff attitude might be different from the status quo.. (i.e, Treat paying customers like hoochie mamas and criminals, just on GP!) ...alas, I was sadly wrong! Very unfriendly establishment, of which, I assume the owner is just as indifferent about customer satisfaction as the staff, otherwise the problem wouldn't be so pronounced. Get it together Arsimona, for the sake of our newly developed and fabulous city!!! Thank you.
-
Review from Jocelyn F.
Castro Valley, CA
5/3/2008
Not my scene, but not a bad spot.
As mentioned the lobby to get to the venue by elevator - weird. i immediately started look for escape route in case a fire broke out, there are stairs - whew.
drinks - strong, but for 10 and up, they better be.
crowd - wants to be seen, like I was when I was 23, but older. More than one person was in a suit and tie. a lot of weaveologists were having their work displayed to maximum advantage. I ain't mad at you. Bougie - for sure.
bartender - there was one hottie. yummy.
seating - not enough. many a person was leaning up on a wall or the bar and then at a certain hour it seems like they were removing all the chairs from the bar? Did I make that part up?
DJ - nice, very nice. smooth transitions, nice selection a little old a little new to keep everybody happy.
food- I didn't look at a menu, but the I heard people ordering chicken quesidillas and one order that came out was chicken on skewer over shaped white rice, so I wasn't blown away. -
Review from Shelley S.
Oakland, CA
1/9/2007
Not too bad!! We are trying to do a Friday after work drink thing and tried them out last week. We made the mistake of letting the cocktail waitress take our order. How long does it take to make a cranberry and vodka, a coke and a Corona? Well apparently it takes about 15-20 minutes and they weren't that busy. Oh and the lime for the corona looked like a lemon with a little green. they need to do better shopping. The atmosphere is pretty chill. A lot of the people seemed to be from Ask.com's office (kinda geeky) but geeks need to get out too. I think we got there a little too early cause when i had to leave it just seemed to be warming up. We'll give it another chance in a couple of weeks, maybe it can earn another star.
Update - I came back to add a star. It seems that they have gotten it together. If you sit at the bar they make the drinks really, really strong. I think I had 2 lemon drops when the bartender asked me if I was buzzedd. When I told him a little he pretended to be offended and said he was going to make the next one stronger. Boy did he...he had generous pours and when there was extra he sent it our way. I was there another night and when you sit in one of the booths you don't get that same treatment. I think it's hard for them to pull that off when the waitress is bringing it over and you don't develop that personal relationship with the bartender. -
Review from Wes O.
Hayward, CA
2/9/2009
I watched the Superbowl here and it was great. 8 big screen TV's with HD and lots of seating. The food was pretty good. I had the quesadilla, which tasted a little flame broiled, and gave the food a strange/unique taste, but it was ok.
Its was a fun time. The bartenders were pretty attentive and generous with the alcohol pouring. During the commercials the DJ would spin some tracks; old school and new [not a good thing during the superbowl, because some people like to watch/hear the commericals; me included].
I know where I will be for the NBA Playoffs. -
Review from One Black Mans POV.. ..
Oakland, CA
Updated - 9/5/2008
Catch it on a good night...good place to kick it with some Black folks in the East Bay. Other nights its just mild sauce.
I almost forgot, one, ummm...girl, had the Teradactyl balls to ask for a sip of my drink...thats just like school on a holiday...NO CLASS! The rest of the girls I met were cute, cool and had seemed to have two nickels and two brain cells to rub together...just for the record.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
7/23/2007
Went on Saturday around midnight and experienced something for the first time: an all-Black club run… Read more »
-
-
Review from Blake W.
Los Angeles, CA
10/27/2009
3.5 Stars
I dig this place. It is right across the street from my office, so very convenient happy hour spot.
They have a full bar with an great sports TV set up.
Had the Chipotle Jalapeno Burger... damn good!
The service is suspect. -
Review from Chyree W.
San Diego, CA
1/5/2012
I've been to this place a few times. The first time was to watch Sunday afternoon football. The second time I came to this place was for New Years Eve. PRICE: It was a last minute decision so when we called at 8pm on New Years Eve we were surprised that tickets were only $40 so we decided to go since it was right around the corner. When we got to the door the girl at the door tried to change the price to $45 per person but we told her that we were told $40 and surprisingly she gave us the $40 price. FOOD: We didnt know that they would be providing appetizers so that was a pleasant surprise. However, if you were looking for dinner sized portions, you would have been hungry all night. I had the white chocolate covered strawberries since we already ate. DRINKS: The drinks were ordered were pretty strong so I was happy they didnt water down the drinks. They provided a champagne toast at midnight and that was alright. MUSIC: I really enjoyed the music they were playing prior to midnight. After the midnight toast it seemed like the music kinda went downhill. Overall, my New Years experience at Arsimona was a pretty nice especially considering everything was so last minute. One question though, where can we find pictures that were taken that night? I tried going to the website and couldnt locate them. So if anyone reading this blog knows where to locate them please let me know. Thanks.
-
Review from Nikki S.
Oakland, CA
8/17/2008
Arsimona is fairly small with a late 20s early 30s kinda crowd. Music is alright. This place is generally ok, but I do have a few issues with them.
They're pretty much a bar turned wanna-be club. I was really perturbed this past Saturday when we got to the door and the security guards told my friends that they couldn't come in because they were WEARING FLATS! YES, they REQUIRE that females wear heels. Doin' waaaay too much!
Their website says "Upscale attire only, and if you have to ask don't bother getting in line." Since when does "upscale" inherently imply heels? AND what's worse, I saw at least 5 people in there in a t-shirt and jeans.
Get it together, Arsimona. -
Review from Da'Vixen S.
Oakland, CA
2/28/2011
Let me start by saying i have been to plenty of upscale places to hang out mostly in Vegas.So listening to a few friends i agreed to hang out here. I recently moved back home to the bay area and was invited out to Arsimonas for a birthday party. Upon arriving i notice a line nothing wrong with that but when where in line for almost an hour and there is literally 15 people inside what the heck was the point of making all of us freeze to death. Im thinking to make it seem like the club was jumping but um no it was not! Next we get inside and the security there omg act like there are apart of the damn F.B.I very Un-professional rude with how they talk to the guest. My thoughts were (not everybody from east oakland is gonna start trouble so stop acting like it!!). My drink was very waterd down after standing for a drink almost another 20 minutes so i asked the bartender to please remake it she snatches the glass and throws it as if i was an in convenience..
It upset me because i expected better customer service than what was being offerd in such a nice looking place. Yes its a Very beautiful place but very ugly and unprofessional staff! not to mention the undercover cops watching i would not ever go back to this place ever again i would rather go to a hole in the wall with great friendly staff any day over a popular un friendly place like this..ps: stay away from the microwave food..eww gross! -
Review from Jamaica Y.
Philadelphia, PA
9/28/2007
Arsimona is a nice place with 5 star potential, and I hate to give it only three stars, but I must.
The cons:
1.Well, I went on a Thursday night at around 10 which is, granted, not a huge bar night but MAN was this place empty. There were six people there including me and two of my friends. This was really the main con, but it's a pretty big one. The bartender told us that it fills up late which may be the case, but we left for Kitty's so I don't know if that happened.
2. Although women got in free, they actually were trying to charge a cover to get into that deserted place. That was hilarious.
3. The drink menu was puzzlingly inaccurate. One of the drinks we tried to order was a misprint and two others they didnt have at all. It's puzzling because you would think since the menu is made of paper they would just print new ones!
The pros (and why I am sure this place has 5 star potential)
1. The drinks were GREAT. I especially liked their raspberry mojito.
2. The bartenders and the DJ were very nice and accomodating. Then again, its not too hard to take requests when there are only three people dancing (oh but dance we did!)
3. The ambiance here is super cool. Great furnishings, lighting, upstairs location. You can look out on the town (or just keep an eye on your car). -
Review from rosanna c.
Berkeley, CA
2/2/2010
I used to come here for drinks after work since it was the closest bar. Not true anymore since Penelope has opened, and Arsimona was never that great that I felt I needed to return.
Drinks are OK. They have about 5-6 beers on tap, bottles, a full bar and a so-so wine list. Food is standard though some of it tastes like they've reheated frozen food. I'm looking at you buffalo wings and quesadillas.
Arisimona is an OK spot for after hours drinks, but I could take it or leave it. They are on http://restaurant.com, so you can get a $25 dining certificate for about $5 if you use a coupon code. -
Review from Lindsey M.
Oakland, CA
3/15/2007
We went to Arsimona for lunch, but the waitress took so long we had to ask her for the check and to-go boxes as soon as she delivered the food. All the staff who joined me were over 20 minutes late getting back from their one hour lunch because we had so much trouble flagging our waitress down to ask for the bags! In addition, the food was mediocre and the portions less than generous.
In short, this is a bad place to eat, and a place to avoid if you are not planning to take at least an hour and a half to do anything (we got our drinks shortly before our meal- so we were there easily 25-30 minutes before we got WATER. I suggest drinks, AT THE BAR.
Great decor. Lots of TVs, two pool tables, plenty of seating. -
Review from Caroline B.
Walnut Creek, CA
12/27/2011
i recommend either coming early or getting a vip section or table with bottle service if you want to sit down from time to time or all night lol.. very nice decor so do not let the outside fool you.. the dj played latest hits and even some oldies.. the drinks and bartender were real nice so tipped well.. was a lot of bdays going on so seats were filled.. i was on a guestlist and went with a gal pal back in early october.. i shall return.. perhaps vip style..?
-
Review from Ikeena R.
San Francisco, CA
4/6/2009
Okay; now usually I don't like to have anything bad to say about a restaurant...especially one that I've eaten at (lol); but I digress--
Aside for having less than a gentleman joining me for dinner; the restaurant was okay, but kind of hard to find. The address was on 11th Street and the entrance was on Clay Street so I was a bit confused as I passed right by it due to the door being so elusive.
Once I walked up the long flight of stairs in a very narrow corridor, the space opened up and it was actually a quaint and charming space. A little chilly, but for the most part, great acoustics and interior with sports on every flat panel TV from wall to wall.
A sexy fully stocked bar with comfortable seating complet with a very sexy bartender; who was charming despite the limited food options, expensive drink menu and the obvious, "my not so fun dining companion".
I ordered the fish and chips; a smart choice in my opinion, as it's hard to screw-up fried food items. I must admit I was hungry and the plate was aesthetically pleasing; but after I really thought about it the fish was somewhat remnant of Gordon's and the chips were okay. Nice plates though...and the cocktail I had was so delicious that it really didn't matter. My companion had the chicken fettuccine which was just okay too--the chicken was well seasoned and tender for sliced pieces of breast meat; but the noodles were a bit bland and poorly dressed.
We could have stopped there; but I insisted on having the chocolate cappuccino cake as the certificate I purchased from my diners club was not honored without the manager trying to tack on additional $$$ (even though he did reserve the right too-I couldn't help thinking that he was chicken shit for doing so--come'on six bucks?).
So bottom line: Go for drinks during happy hour--order chicken wings or something very hard to get wrong. Friendly service and a tasty cocktail while watching Venus and Serena couldn't be too bad huh?--there's always room for that; but leave before 9:00 if you don't want to party with a younger crowd. -
Review from Gilberto Y.
Oakland, CA
9/18/2007
Arsimona got off to a rocky start at first. They advertised as a sports bar on a local flier, apparently they are also a club and restaurant., but opened a week and some hours late.
It was a pitiful sight... the few guys, including me, sheepishly waiting outside, wondering if this new sports bar was going to open at all. We had the same look of desperation. We all needed a place to watch our respective games that wasn't flush with the stab-you-in-the-parking-lot Raiders Nation or worse, the brie-eating-wine-sippin' Whiner brigade... but I'm not bitter....
They finally did open, and seeing me every week at kickoff, they had MY Saints playing with the game's sound ON.
When you're the fan of a team that has never won a Superbowl, never even been in one, has no national following save last year, and went thru 20+ seasons w/o a winning record, you are grateful that any divy sports bar will even turn to your game on and let you huddle next to the the old low-def color-distorted TV in the back room w the sound off. Btw Kings X closed down...
Arsimona is Valhalla. Upscale. Fairly undiscovered. Plasma screens everywhere. Hi-def. Fat Tire beer. Friendly staff. Fans you can jaw with and are, as far as I know, unarmed. It's the little things....Listed in: Old Oaklandish
-
Review from Gray S.
San Francisco, CA
10/24/2006
I kept hearing about a "new lounge" in Oakland. A going away party provided the perfect opportunity to check it out. I will definitely return. The staff was perfect. They catered to our group of 40 or so with grace. The DJ played R&B and dance hall. A nice professional crowd of people who were there to chill out and have a good time.
Other amenities include pool tables and plasma screen TV. This would be a great spot to watch a game while sipping on your drink of choice. -
Review from Kelly C.
Berkeley, CA
4/1/2008
I came here on Saturday with my coworker. We got there kind of late around midnight. There's a weird old little elevator which we had to wait to go up and down because it was full at first I guess? This was my first time here and I don't know how busy it gets earlier but I can imagine that elevator that only fits so many people must be annoying to wait for if there's a long line wanting to go in.
The place was packed and pretty crowded. My coworker was surprised at how crowded it was, she said the last two times she was there it wasn't that crowded at all.
There were a lot of places to sit but since it was so crowded that night all the seats were taken most of the time. A star goes to the attentive, nice and attractive bartenders. They actually had more bottled beers than I thought. When they didn't have a particular light beer I asked for, the cute bartender told me what lights they did have, I mean it was by no means plentiful but it was a better selection than I expected.
Not really the venue's fault (stole that line from Arani) but a star goes away for the random dudes who attempted to entertain my coworker and I with funny and personal space invading methods.
We were sitting down at this bench and this guy started out of nowhere started dancing right in front of us. He was just funny, I kept cracking up and made 10x more effort to avoid eye contact when he started unzipping his jacket in an oddly suggestive manner. But the next guy totally beat him by combining his hilariousness with horror when he crouched down in front of my coworker so he was face to face with her at seat level and started doing some slow gyrating dance on her while tapping her on the head with his finger.. I'm not even kidding.. I was laughing but kind of in disbelief at the same time, like is this for real? lol..
Overall I'd actually go back, but in awhile and with more people. -
Review from Linda C.
3/21/2007
More Like 2.5 Stars!
Drinks are a bit expensive, but the flat screens and the decor is nice. It's right next to Le Cheval so getting a drink here while waiting for your table is good...the food is okay, and the drinks are just okay too... but it seemed like the bartender is not really friendly or too excited to be there...and it took us FOREVER to get our drinks and pay the bill....and the dreaded question of : "do you want change?" OF COURSE I want change if my drinks only cost 10 bucks and I gave you a 20! eesh... annoying but i can live with it
All in all a place I would go to, and then head out somewhere else...but definitely not somewhere you would stay for the entire night...
