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Gondola Servizio
Category: Active Life Boating Boating [Edit]
The Lake Chalet Seafood Bar and Grill1520 Lakeside Dr
Oakland, CA 94610
Neighborhood: Lake Merritt
(510) 663-6603
- Good for Kids:
- No
86 reviews for Gondola Servizio
86 reviews in English
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Review from Furai X.
Berkeley, CA
1/21/2012
Came here with the BF for our 4 year anniversary and had a PERFECT experience!
April was extremely helpful in helping me decided on what time to make the reservation and what I should bring (since this was a surprise).
Easily accessible by BART so we only walked a few blocks, entered the gorgeous restaurant, and was directed to the dock. We were early so we waited on the comfy patio seating until our gondolier came.
The experience was so PLEASANT! Our gondolier, Alejandro, briefed us on Italian history, chatted about his life as a tall, dark and handsome gondolier in Oakland, and belted his Venetian croons as we took in the sunset. We pretty much went around the entire perimeter of Lake Merritt while the BF and I enjoyed our bubbly and dinner we had purchased beforehand. I had brought my own wine glasses but they have them available! They also had heavy blankets for the chilly Bay Area nights.
I can't think of anything they could have done better! -
Review from Vandana M.
Oakland, CA
1/30/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
A totally lovely way to spend an hour or so, and a very cool and different view of the neighborhood. Our gondolier was totally sweet and answered all my husband's nerdy questions about gondolas (which I, equally nerdy, loved hearing the answers to).
Una serata meravigliosa e romantica! -
Review from Verissa S.
San Leandro, CA
1/14/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal 1 Check-in Here
I was quite impressed with the service -- from customer service by phone to the actual excursion. I had to reschedule a few times and they were very courteous and accommodating.
We finally set up a date during the winter. I planned it during the sunset hour. We bundled up and brought blankets and an awesome bottle of wine. We went around the lake with Alessandro. It was a nice time away from the hustle and bustle of every day life to just take a moment and enjoy just being outside.
We ended the evening with Happy Hour Taco Tuesday at Lake Chalet. It made for a great date night! -
Review from Michelle W.
Pleasanton, CA
2/2/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
I had the funnest experience here! It was so romantic and enjoyable. We had a bit of drizzle, and the gondolier was so kind to take us out anyway! We held an umbrella and snuggled while he sang and the view is so gorgeous! You would never know you are in Oakland, because it feels like another world! Do this, it was fun!
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Review from Natalie R.
Concord, CA
12/18/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Had such a lovely and truly unique experience on my Gondola ride this morning. I had decided to take a guy I had just started dating and treat him on our second date to this lovely experience.
Angelino, our Gondolier who is from Northern Italy was friendly, informative and congenial. He also has a wonderful soothing voice and sang for us in Italian.
We were taken on a 50 min tour around the lake and people waved and watched us which was fun ...I hope to try them again maybe next time in the evening whilst the sun is setting!
I also had a yelp deal that was about to expire next week and upon calling friday they were able to accomodate me for Sunday and I didn't have trouble finding parking around 10:45 am -
Review from Shannon L.
Hayward, CA
12/14/2011
We went on a gondola ride last weekend. The gondolier was from Venice and so were the gondolas. He gave us a short history of Oakland and Lake Merritt, followed by a short history of Venice.
Our ride started about 1 hour before sunset and we think that was perfect. The gondolier said he thought the night trips were the best. The gondolier was very nice and the ride was great!
We're giving a Gondola Servizio gift certificate to somebody for Christmas! -
Review from April C. T.
Berkeley, CA
12/13/2011
The rating says it all: As good as it gets!
Angelino is amazing, the gondola beautiful, we sipped champagne and kissed under the full moon too. My beloved and I listened to Italian love songs and heard tales of Venice. Followed by a late night happy hour at Lake Chalet. It was PEFECT!
Give this gift to yourself, and a loved one or two... -
Review from andrea m.
Danville, CA
11/17/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
I had a Yelp deal on this, and we took along some friends. There were 4 of us, and we all had a super time. Our gonolier could not have been more congenial. He knew a lot about the lake, and he could sing. I enjoyed the history of the lake a lot, and we got to see the "Ladies of the Lake"- the elderly rowing team. The bird life was one of the most interesting aspects of the ride, and I wished I'd brought my binoculars. If you are interested in birds (and architecture too) you might want to bring a small pair of binoculars, because it would allow you to get more out of the trip. We thought about bringing wine, but decided against it, since we were riding segways just a little later in the day. You can bring a little picnic or snack with you if you want to.
All in all I thought this was a fantastic thing to do. It was November when we went, so it was chilly, but we still had a lovely time.
I wasn't sure how much to tip, but we ended up tipping 20. I hope that was adequate. -
Review from pam s.
Oakland, CA
1/16/2012 Purchased a Yelp Deal
Awesome. My date and I took a half hour sunset cruise and were regaled by the lovely songs of the gondolier, who was actually from Venice and was a hydrology engineer. We loved it.
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Review from Jennifer A.
San Diego, CA
10/1/2011 1 Check-in Here
A taste of Italy in Oakland, love it!
A nice date or unique hang out with friends! The gondolier (I forgot the name of ours...dang it!) will take you for a nice ride around Lake Merritt. (Seriously, with the pleasant singing and gliding on the water I wanted to lull off into a relaxing nap).
They let you bring food/wine to munch on (and they were so prepared, asking us if we needed glasses, blankets, etc) which is a nice addition.
We used a yelp deal, but I believe normally it's $40 per 30 minutes.
Definitely recommend! -
Review from Ravi J.
Plano, TX
10/10/2011
My WIFE took me here on a surprise date. I was so delighted to see her plans for this Friday evening. Loved the whole experience and to make things more awesome the weather was so so pleasant.
Our Gondolier was like cherry on the cake, he sang beautiful songs and we felt as if we were in a whole new world .. He checked with us if we need glasses for wine or needs blanket, if we are feeling cold ..
They charge like $60 / Hour, really worth every penny !! and would recommend this place to anyone, who is looking for some place to spent some quality time with someone special. -
Review from joyce l.
9/13/2011 1 Check-in Here
what can i say that hasn't been said before?
SO glad the owner decided to move back to lake merritt.
our gondolier alessandro was fabulous. what a great DEAL for a gondola ride. the cheapest in the nation, no joke. the ones in vegas, central park and long beach all charge $100 upwards for the same ride.
my DH did the 'bad knee trick' on a real venetian gondola so it was nice to celebrate our anniversary on one.
the only downside is the lack of parking but they do offer valet. have a drink at the lake chalet before/after. you can even bring your wine and cheese on board, no extra charge :)
loved our ride so much we bought gift certificates as gifts :) -
Review from Rebecca M.
Oakland, CA
11/28/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
If you haven't found an reason to fall in love with Oakland, than give it one more go and book an hour with Gondola Servizio. You'll be enamored, I promise. I can't speak to authenticity since I've never been to Venice, Italy (someday,tho); however, I would bet the experience I shared with my friend was as authentic as you can get. I recommend booking in advance to get the Sunset hour. You may have to book out a few weeks but it's a treat! The Gondolier sings in Italian, the water laps gently against the hull, you can bring a bottle of wine, some chocolates, a lap blanket, ...swoon...how romantic. Perfect way to share an evening with someone you love. Romance or no romance, the skyline is gorgeous, an ambiance that lends itself to a time when taking things slow and enjoying good company was coveted. Leave you gadgets behind and board the Gondola Servizio for a trip back in time.
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Review from Jennifer Y.
Oakland, CA
8/28/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
This was an incredible ride! I had purchased the Yelp deal awhile back and I've been waiting for the weather to be nice enough and for the boyfriend and I to have a free weekend. We took the 7 pm reservation the past Saturday and it was so romantic! It was still warm enough out for the most part, but as we reached the end of the ride, it got really chilly.
Our gondolier was great! He spoke once in awhile and gave us lots of insight to the city. I had no idea there was a bird sanctuary in the middle of the lake.
I felt like I'd been transported and it wasn't like we were in the middle of Oakland at all! We were able to get drinks from the restaurant bar and bring them on the boat.
I'd definitely recommend this for anybody looking for a great date idea! -
Review from Tiffany S.
Oakland, CA
11/15/2011
Sooooo cute! And the "driver" was very friendly. Too bad it was a little chilly that evening.
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Review from Anne M.
8/6/2011
There's an episode of SATC where the ladies discuss how romance can lose it's way in the hustle and bustle of city life and when something really romantic happens, some of us don't know how to handle it.
I was totally cheesed out when my boyfriend got me a ride on the gondola for my birthday. I was whisked over to the lake after dinner in downtown Oakland. After a couple sips of champagne and some initial nervous laughs, I was able to sit back, relax and enjoy this suprisingly beautiful experience!
Yes, Lake Merritt isn't exactly Venice but our charming Venician gondolier made us feel far from home for a couple minutes. He even sang happy birthday in Italian! It was the ultimate romantic experience. Over the top--in a good way :) -
Review from Nolan K.
San Francisco, CA
7/18/2011
O my goodness.
The beauty of the ride! All of it. . from the gondola carefully and intrically crafted to the view of the buildings and lights when youre out there.. everything!
My 50 minute package sure felt very short. more like 1/2 hour. that's what it felt like. i could be on there for so much longer.. haha!
One of the greatest things in the Bay -
Review from P L.
Oakland, CA
8/25/2011
Yep, this really is terrific.
The boats are truly beautiful - a real Italian built gondolas. The guys who run it are fun and friendly - ours sung us a song for our anniversary in between filling us in on interesting facts about the lake. The views of Oakland are surprisingly grand. And access is easy - especially if you're having a meal upstairs at the wonderful Lake Chalet.
My advice? Bring a light coat for evenings since it can be a little cool on the lake. And spring for the wine / dessert package - the sweets are mediocre, but sipping wine adds to the fun. -
Review from Andrea C.
6/28/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal 1 Check-in Here
Bought this deal when yelp had it's special for the 50 minute ride for 2. It was totally worth it! One of the cool things about this place is that it's something different. I mean, who would've thought you could ride a gondola around here?
When the weather finally cleared/warmed up, I took my bf on a surprise date here. I booked it at 730 so it would be about sunset time. The ride itself was great! As soon as we got on the gondola, our gondolier says "Welcome to Venice!" =) he was really nice.. sang a little.. talked a little about venice and about the boat.. It was a little chilly during the ride, but they had blankets so it was perfect. We also brought a bottle of wine and they provide glasses, so that was really nice.
Overall it was different, romantic, and relaxing. We both really enjoyed it =) -
Review from Lailani A.
Oakland, CA
5/31/2011
Everyone in East Bay should do this at least once. A night time ride around little Lake Merritt in a gondola with a stripey-shirted man singing in Italian.
Gorgeous, wonderful time. -
Review from Roxanne P.
Oakland, CA
9/29/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
First, the service was amazing! The woman who does the reservations was really nice and they work with you to get exactly what you want. I need to stay out of direct sunlight so we did an evening ride, and I highly recommend it! All the lights from Fairy Land and the surrounding buildings sparkle off the lake, and it's just beautiful.
Second, Alessandro was amazing! Not only is he dead sexy (come one, if you've seen him, you know what I'm talking about), but he is also the perfect gondolier! He sang softly in Italian sometimes, sometimes he gave us history lessons about the gondola itself, gondolas in general, and about the lake. I'm sure if we hadn't seem interested he would have quietly backed off. He was friendly and personable but also knew when to fade into the background.
We brought a bottle of wine with us and were offered cups and an opener, but we were already all set with that stuff. Next time I think I'd like to do the longer tour...I'd like a little extra time to enjoy my wine. :) -
Review from Brian L.
San Rafael, CA
3/11/2011
BEE-YOO-TIH-FUL.
A gondola ride in The Town? What?
If you and yours want a romantic night out or you need to score some extra points, let the people at Gondola Servizio take care of you.
The great experience started with the friendly staff who patiently answered questions on the phone and ended with the awesome gondolier who chatted with us just enough to make us feel comfortable, but not so much that it was annoying.
Truly a must-try-once for you and your loved one in the Bay Area. The lights of the buildings and the string of lights reflecting off of Lake Merritt make for a romantic scene.
BYO bottle of wine, some treats to eat, a warm jacket or blanket, and sit back to enjoy the ride! -
Review from June W.
Pleasanton, CA
10/23/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
We did our Yelp deal ride today. Beautiful day on Lake Merritt. Our gondolier was friendly, but not too chatty, which was perfect for us. He gave us some good insights and information about the Lake Merritt area. Very nice, and I would do this again!
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Review from Kermy K.
Fremont, CA
3/9/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
I bought the coupons from Yelp for my family for xmas. It finally cleared up a few weeks ago so I booked a saturday ride for my family. The guy was nice enough to tell me that it's $10 to add a person, so I should save the other coupons for another day. Sadly, it started raining that weekend but they told me I could use it another time.
Really nice service, I can't wait to actually get on here and cruise with my family. -
Review from Brian Y.
Moraga, CA
8/24/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal 1 Check-in Here
Nice and charming! A little bit on the pricey side, but hey it's a fun experience I definitely would recommend doing it at least once if you live in the east bay/oakland area. You get about 30 minutes, so if you're going to eat on the boat I would recommend eating something portable...the gf and I went with pizza and bottled sodas. Our gondelier was funny, informative, and respected our privacy. Anyways, to make a long story short, go and do this before it gets too crowded.
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Review from Will H.
San Francisco, CA
10/1/2011 6 photos
There's nothing more romantic for a wedding than to see your future wife coming across the lake in a classy gondola ride....we absolutely love the gondola folks and they made it very convenient for us to make our wedding dream come true...5 stars WAY up!
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Review from Angelina M.
Pittsburg, CA
4/11/2011
We had the best time!!
Yelp offered a half price deal so I was interested. After doing some research and reading all of the great reviews on Yelp, I knew I I had found gold.
My BF and I went out on Sat. for a half yr (1.5, 2.5, 3.5...you get the point) anniversary. It was FABULOUS! We brought blankets, a small cooler with wine and chocolate covered strawberries. ( When I made the super easy reservation, I asked what we could bring. A simple "whatever you want" was the response. YAY!). After seeing our cooler, they graciously asked if we needed glasses, but we had that covered.
I thought it was going to be all weird...all these people around this lake staring at you but after about 10 sec of being in the gondola you forget all about those people. Our gondalier softly sang in the background and allowed us to have our conversation. Only a few times did the gondalier make conversation with us, which we welcomed.
Half way through the tour, we were talking about when to come back again!! What a relaxing, romantic, unique experience. The icing on the cake would be if Yelp did another great deal for this place when we went back. ( greedy, I know).
Make sure to bring cash for a tip! This is well worth the extra stop to the ATM before hand.
Totally recommend! Trust me, I'm hard to please and I hardly, hardly ever take the time to write a review. -
Review from Dipleen K.
Fremont, CA
11/18/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
The setting is great, we had a nice dinner at Lake Chalet prior to the ride. The lady at the servizio shop was very nice and courteous. The evening was going perfect, until our gondolier, who talked a lot, decided to also make phone calls while rowing, in fact, he stopped rowing for a few minutes so he could focus on his conversation w/his friend. That really spoiled our evening. He then, quickly took us back - it took him 45 minutes to go one side and just 15 minutes to get back. What started off as a great evening, with good food, and romantic start to the boat ride under the full moon actually ended up us waiting to get off the boat b/c of him. Overall, I think it's a great getaway, if you get a better gondolier.
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Review from Ian E.
Berkeley, CA
2/23/2011
Full Disclosure: This outing was comped because I was writing about it for Weekend Sherpa (http://www.weekendsher...).
Simply put, the owners, April and Angelino are a treat. They run this business with incredible enthusiasm.
As for the outing itself, I actually went in to it a bit skeptical - the whole idea seemed kind of silly. But I was wrong. Floating around Lake Merritt with my significant other was an incredibly relaxing, and yes, romantic, experience. We went out around sunset, which as others have noted, is probably the best time to go.
I'd highly recommend giving April and Angelino a call. It's a totally unique way to enjoy the Oakland outdoors and it's like nothing you've ever experienced (unless you've been to Venice of course). -
Review from Laura C.
Oakland, CA
11/16/2010
So whaddya do when it's 80 degrees in November and it's going to be a gloriously beautiful evening on the water at sunset on Lake Merritt? Why, you go for a gondola ride with your sweetie!
It was P and I's seventh anniversary and we needed a plan to celebrate. Go to the wine country.... too hot. Go to the coast? maybe, but don't feel like driving a long ways, drinking/eating and then having to drive back.
So, since we've always wanted to give the gondola a try, what a perfect solution. We brought our own champagne and Angelino guided and sang to us for a lovely 30 minutes on the lake. We then went upstairs to Lake Chalet for a lovely meal. Nothing like keepin' it local.
Thank you Gondola Servizio for making Oakland just a little classier! -
Review from Derya A.
Oakland, CA
I loved the gondola ride my boyfriend and I took for our anniversary. We were lucky and scored a gorgeous. warm January day; we didn't even need jackets.
The gondola itself was absolutely beautiful and comfortable. Our gondolier told us it was made in 1992 and was used in Venice before it was brought here. He'd also been a gondolier in Venice. How cool!
I brought the wine, they provided the glassware. We did the 50 minute ride which was so relaxing and fun. We'll definitely do it again sometime in the future!. -
Review from Joni M.
Sausalito, CA
5/31/2011
Such fun and very romantic. Highly recommended. It was such a gorgeous night and I really loved it.
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Review from Heather C.
Walnut Creek, CA
2/11/2011
This was a fun experience! Before our boat tour/ride... we grabbed drinks at the beach house. Whatever we had was delicious!
Our guide on the boat was super nice, friendly and personable. His singing was great, the conversations never stopped. We enjoyed getting to know a little more about the area and the history of the boats.
Tip these guys well, they deserve it. Early evening, sunset-ish time is ideal for a boat ride. Enjoy! -
Review from chris M.
Oakland, CA
11/16/2011
A MAGICAL sunset/moonrise party at Gondola Servicio was the plan for my 60th birthday party. As the day turned to night, all our guests got on the gondolas. IT WAS FANTASTIC - everyone was transported to another, more graceful and beautiful world (who knew Oakland was so beautiful under the moonlight?). All the folks at Gondola Servicio went out of their way to help us make the party a memorable, once-in-a-lifetime event.
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Review from Vanessa W.
Hayward, CA
8/22/2011
Took my bf on the gondola boat in lake merritt, great experience! Very cozy and romantic. The boat itself has a couple of seats, a blanket and glassware options if you bring wine. Cost was $65 for 1hr or $55 for 30 mins. We took the hour ride at 8:30 pm, lake was lit up, definitely recommended at night/ this is a must go if you have someone special!
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Review from Valerie A.
Walnut Creek, CA
11/2/2011 Purchased a Yelp Deal
We had such a great time on our gondola ride! We felt disconnected from the Bay Area the whole ride... we had brought our kids with us (they were about to leave to their grand-parents' for the summer and we wanted to do something special the four of us and this was it!), and we all had so much fun! Our guide was so nice and friendly, even singing us Italian songs... It was like being in Venice, but cheaper :)
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Review from Dave H.
Oakland, CA
7/19/2011
Delightful, Romantic and Rare! What a treat to have an authentic Italian gondolier here on our Lake. I must recommend this treat to anyone and everyone who wants to experience the best of our town. They also have a great Italian import store that additionally features local artisan's jewelry and other wonderful gifts. The owners April and Angelino run the operation and Angelino will even sing Italian songs to you while you are a drift!
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Review from Hillary F.
Lafayette, CA
6/2/2010
Bro and Sis-in-law gave us a Gondola Servizio gift certificate for Christmas; we finally used it a couple of weekends ago. It brought smiles to our faces for the entire ride! According to our gondolier both he and the gondola are actually from Venice. Alessandro told us stories and sang to us quietly while he paddled.
It was lovely. This is now on our list of great gift certificates for friends and family. -
Review from Sierra M.
6/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Splendid experience drifting around the lake.
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Review from JaySkillz S.
Oakland, CA
11/11/2007 ROTD 8/28/2008
Fellas! If you want to score some brownie points with your girl, Gondola Servizio is the way to go. Ask any woman what her dream vacation is and she'll probably tell you 3 places in Europe. One of them being Italy. Well if you can't afford to bring your girl to Italy. Bring Italy to your girl!
Gondola Servizio is the perfect date. Just go to their website at http://www.gondolaserv... and book a reservation for 2. You won't regret it, I swear!
The gondola ride was one of the best dates my wife and I have ever had. You ride in this authentic gondola built in Italy around Lake Merritt.
I brought some wine, cheese and crackers along to snack on. The captain will sing songs in Italian, giving the experience that extra special romance. If you book your ride around sunset, you get the bonus of the beautiful sunset and the Lake Merritt lights.
Tell your girl to drop all her plans for the night. You got something you want to show her. Don't tell her what. Just show up to Gondola Servizio, and watch her mouth drop.
So lets recap:
http://www.gondolaserv...
Book reservations for 2
Show up surprising you woman
Wine and cheese
Italian man singing Italian love songs
Sunset
Lake Merritt lights
You Can't Lose!
Enjoy!
