Friends & Family
Restaurant · Northgate
468 25th St, Oakland, CA 94612
/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/70094801/LindseyShea.0.jpg "Friends & Family by Lindsey Shea")
Highlights
Craft cocktails, small plates, and a welcoming queer-friendly vibe
Craft cocktails, small plates, and a welcoming queer-friendly vibe
"Inside this welcoming oasis on 25th Street is a bar and back patio filled with plants, excellent cocktails, and natural wine. Food comes courtesy of Gaby Maeda, a highly decorated chef who cut her teeth at State Bird Provisions. Cocktails are from owner Blake Cole, a longtime cocktail pro, who opened the bar with an all-female team just as the pandemic began. Friends and Family has received nods from the James Beard Foundation; the pro-move is to order shrimp cocktails to pair with a “grandma’s standard” cocktail made with gin, dry vermouth, and a twist." - Nico Bianchi
"When you’re in Oakland and want a sexy date night spot, all roads point to Friends And Family. The women- and queer-owned cocktail bar is perpetually bathed in a soft pink glow that makes everyone look (and feel) hot. Come here with someone you like and make eyes at each other over rose-infused cocktails, buttery yaki onigiri, and a slice of truly beautiful carrot cake. Even if you’re not here with a special someone, you might be after hitting up one of their queer speed dating events, vintage day markets, or bingo nights (keep an eye on their Instagram for details)." - lani conway, julia chen 1
"Friends And Family is the sexiest date night destination in Oakland. The cocktail bar and restaurant is dark, save for a warm pink glow cast around the dining room. Their back patio channels the same vibe with murals lining the white brick wall and rows of flourishing potted plants. You can also doodle a love note for your date with crayons on the paper-covered tables. Also know that a night here isn’t complete without a slice of carrot cake and a visit to their famously photogenic bathrooms." - julia chen 1, lani conway
"This explicitly women- and queer-led bar brings good food and craft cocktails — both classic and creative — to an inclusive space in Uptown Oakland. Chef Gaby Maeda shaped a personal menu that weaves in food and flavors from her home of Hawaii with techniques she honed at her previous job at State Bird Provisions. Les Eggs is the signature dish that has most caught the attention of diners, including San Francisco Chronicle food critic MacKenzie Chung Fegan, but there are other dishes to enjoy, including the Joodooboo tofu plate with ponzu sauce and chile crunch and the sardine banh mi toast. The drinks are no slouch either, as the bar was named to the number 33 spot on North America’s 50 Best Bars list in 2022. With whimsically named cocktails, like the vodka-based Mom’s Rosy Cheeks, visitors will feel taken care of with drinks, food, and warm hospitality." - Paolo Bicchieri
"This consistently good Oakland bar is beautiful the way an old friend is beautiful: you’ve become accustomed to their lived-in, understated charm. Without any “design” elements, the award-winning bar is still gorgeous — perhaps it’s the soft lighting, the generous bar seating, or the little nooks. On the menu, top-notch cocktails and changing kitchen items — the carrot cake is always a winner — keep things cozy and hospitable." - Flora Tsapovsky
