Slug
Wine bar · Downtown ·
Natural wine bar with DJ, small plates, and late-night vibe
Natural wine bar with DJ, small plates, and late-night vibe
"The sister business to Michelin Bib Gourmand wine bar Snail Bar announced it will close on August 4 as the team decided it was time to move on and will lease the space turnkey; Slug Bar was known for pop-ups and lively parties." - Paolo Bicchieri
"I noted that Slug, the funky natural-wine sister bar to Snail Bar, opened downtown Oakland about a year earlier as an expansion from chef Andres Giraldo Florez and became popular for roving pop-ups and industry events, but announced via Instagram that it would close in late July for “personal reasons” despite Snail Bar earning a Michelin Bib Gourmand in July." - Lauren Saria
"I noted that Slug, the second Oakland wine bar from chef Andres Giraldo Florez, is set to close on Friday, August 4 — an announcement Florez made via an Instagram post citing personal reasons — and the post teases a possible move to a new location while guaranteeing the “turn-key” space will be listed soon for anyone interested in running a wine bar and restaurant. Debuting in July 2022 in downtown Oakland and originally led by chef Spencer Horovitz (who left in the fall), the kitchen turned into a rotating pop-up residency featuring businesses such as Fish and Bonez, That Smax, My Friend Fernando, and more. Despite ups and downs over the last year, including a controversy in August 2022 over service charges at Slug and Snail Bar going to managers, the closing post promises a big First Friday party with the Bussdown Collective on August 4 and frames the closure as “not a sad good bye it’s a simple see you later.”" - Dianne de Guzman
"Although Slug is cut from the same cloth as its sister spot, Snail Bar, pouring glasses of natural wine alongside small plates, think of this as perhaps a harder partying younger sister. At night, this downtown Oakland spot features a gliterring mirrorball and a DJ spinning tunes, as you shimmy along in your seat and sip a glass of pet-nat." - Dianne de Guzman, Matt Lardie
"I exited Slug in Oakland late last year after three months at its helm due to an escalating and persistent back injury and because the kitchen at the wine bar–slash–restaurant was set to pivot to a more casual menu that better fit the downtown Oakland space." - Dianne de Guzman