The Alice Collective

I'm only giving it 4 stars cause I didn't get a chance to have a cocktail. Day drinking is bad in a civilized society. It's a stunning place with some really good art. Think coffee shop/breakfast place/bar/ workspace in a really good looking art gallery The outdoor areas are cozy and green. The front entrance all glass, so you feel like you're in a fishbowl. I'm going back!

I stopped in for a meeting and fell in love with this place. They serve Red Bay coffee and all of their pastries are made in house. If you haven't been, their homemade biscuit program is probably the best I've ever had. It's the perfect spot to grab a bite and have a meeting.

Beautiful and sleek space with delicious (and healthy!) lunch with generous portions at great prices. Had the Market Salad and Chicken Curry Naan wrap. Definitely recommend it! Bonus that it used to be Holmes bookstore and still has that charm!

Awesome vibe, great place to socialize or get work done, enough space for everyone. Yosef is there ready with a warm welcome and a solid play list. I only had the tea this time bc I had to get work done but, definitely coming back with friends for the local brews or wine or both 🤷‍♂️

A gem of a spot in the ever evolving downtown Oakland. Go for the biscuits, you will not be disappointed, best I’ve ever had. I’m always looking for more reasons to have breakfast or lunch at this gorgeous place.

Great Job Andy!! Have hosted a few HH's and get together's for Jr league and Spinsters. The ambiance is great for a large group, or small gatherings. And great selection of wine and bubbles.

Went for the first drag brunch. Service was a little slow except for. Y bartender at the right most bar. Excellent flavors, supper attentive and actractive. Good times

Convenient location for a quick espresso! And some of the breakfast items, such as the hand pies, are available in the afternoon, presumably until they run out.

Perfect venue space for multi types of events. I was there for a networking event and things were laid out perfect. They have a bar, the event was sufficient for a DJ set up as well. They also had a nice outdoor terrace type of area so people could flow in and out of the event as needed . It's a very much needed positive space in downtown Oakland.. I would recommend this to people that are looking to book events up to 200 people all the way down to smaller events like the one I attended. The space offers the perfect blend of business and community .

My experience with The Alice Collective's management (Montperi Catering & Events) team is not good. I paid them to provide a food preparation demonstration as a July 5, 2024 birthday present to my colleague. It is now just days away from February 2025 and my colleague still has not received the services. i would never consider using them again.

I've been trying to do more walking during lunch instead of dining out with my co-workers...fail! Too many Yelp bookmarks and great places to eat are not doing me any favors! Sadly, the problem with walking is finding all these new places *squirrel* (distracted) to eat! if you didn't know, Downtown Oakland in changing fast with plenty of new places to see and checkout. The Alice Collective was one of those places you peek in and wonder "what is this place? Is it open to the public? Is it a private office?! I see food!" but hmmmm...Went to Yelp and discovered it's a space for private events, work, and cafe offering Oak & Fig savory pastries/biscuits and sweets along with Red Bay coffee. Cool, I'm there for that sandwich, scone, biscuit.....Er I mean for that "walk" .... Place is airy, full of light with a welcoming feel...the lady at the counter was very helpful since we mentioned it was our first visit. Opted for the steak sandwich with arugula, blue cheese on a baguette and the curry chicken salad on naan...BOTH were super delicious and repeatable! Also tried the biscuits which were buttery and light...to me the texture was a hybrid of a scone/biscuit...I'm a fan! The sweet version had a sprinkling of cinnamon/sugar and filled with a cream cheese-buttercream...loved it! Gluten-free option offered Pricing a little high (average lunch $13/person. No drink) but comparable to prices in the area...so if you're more about quantity ("buffet-ers") vs quality I wouldn't stop here...but if wanting to support local business and indulging in delicious breakfast/lunch offerings with quality ingredients in a relaxing (not a lot of people yet) atmosphere, come here! I'll definitely be returning...

I had booked a private rooftop venue for my wife's birthday months in advance, only to find out 5 days before the event that there was a 90% chance of rain on our date. So with 5 days to spare, I had to scramble to find an indoor venue to host 40+ people in a private venue. I found Alice Collective on Peerspace, and immediately pinged them to ask about availability. Kristin got back to me right away and was super prompt in her response and communication, went back and forth trying to help me get this planned last minute, talking with her team about ways to make it happen given the ridiculously short turnaround time. We drove by the venue and peeked into AC's windows- my wife fell in LOVE with it, it's so nice, totally our vibe. In the end, the last minute nature of this change meant we needed to find an all-inclusive venue (their catering team understandably couldn't get food prepped for 40 people on 72 hour notice). So we had to opt for a restaurant for my wife's bday, but we're already thinking about AC for our 10-year wedding anniversary last this year for a bigger affair- the space would be perfect for that. And working with Kristin was a treat- I pinged a BUNCH of venues and it was surprising how many either didn't reply or took a very long time to get back to me. But Kristin was on top of it, jumped on a call with us right away, had a proposal in my inbox in a couple of hours and had all of my questions answered before day end. We'll definitely be circling back with Kristin in a few months to discuss the AC!

Art, Coffee, Biscuits Come Together in Downtown Oakland At Alice Collective Café you get beautiful art, great coffee and some of the best darned biscuits around. Located in the historic Holmes Book Company building, this multifaceted space houses an art gallery, event space, café, and a commissary kitchen that serves as an incubator for small local food start-ups. On my recent visit, there was a great art exhibit curated by Vessel Gallery. The café has high ceilings and is roomy and spacious inside. There are also two plant-filled outdoor areas where you can sit back, relax and stay cool -- even in 90'F weather! But if art is not your thing -- and I would encourage you to check out this exhibit anyway -- then you'll probably want to hang out with your laptop and a cup of delicious Red Bay Coffee (who designed the café coffee program). But be sure not to sleep on the café's food menu. Which brings me to the biscuits. A good biscuit is one of those simple things that can be done really well or horribly wrong. There is no middle ground. It will either be like a nice firm pillow or solid and dense like a doughy brick. These biscuits are definitely in the former category. Exec Chef Lance Dean Velasquez has created a small café menu that makes use of house prepared items. And the biscuits are definitely the star of the show. On our visit, we started with the Biscuits and Pork Sausage Gravy. Surrounding the deeply golden brown buttermilk biscuit is a white pepper gravy. Like a baked fortress surrounded by a moat of creamy goodness. We dove right in. The flavors were warm and comforting. Like sitting in your kitchen on a cool Sunday morning might feel like. The white pepper was was a nice way to make the gravy as opposed to my more common experience of black pepper. I may have to try that at home. My companion and I shared the Cheddar and Sausage Biscuit and the "Sweet and Savory" Biscuit. The homemade Duroc pork sausage had a nice flavor and was not overly spicy. It tasted like a leaner version of a good breakfast sausage. The Sweet and Savory is a ham, Swiss cheese, and seasonal sandwich. The combination of Dijon mustard with apricot jam had the right amount of sweet and spicy to go along with the ham and biscuit. I could see making this as a regular lunch staple every day. Each of the sandwiches comes with an arugula salad on the side, lightly dressed, plus a few pickled vegetables thrown into the mix. As my lunch companion said, "They are good because they use *real vegetables*". I'm pretty sure they pickle the vegetables in house as well. If you're looking for a good place to hang out in a beautiful setting, grab truly good coffee, and have some delicious food during your day, Alice Collective Café is definitely worth a visit.

I wasnt much of a biscuit lover until I tried the biscuits here at Alice. They were the most unique biscuits I've ever had. It had the perfect amount of crust on the outside which was the defining moment for me when I took my first bite. The inside was flaky and light. It didn't crumble through my fingers as I chomped down on them (ughhh). You can tell fresh and sustainable ingredients are being used as the quality shows in the food. Their whole menu is based around their biscuits and they are definitely the star of the show! Whatever you try, you cant go wrong really. Here are some items I tried. Laguna (Fried Chicken) Biscuit - a nice chunk of boneless fried thigh topped with a sort of aioli sauce and their special relish which made it stand out. My one complaint is that the chicken's crust was a little bit under seasoned. I like mine with a little more soul and spice. Felt like the crust wasnt dredged on too well. But I did enjoy it still. Pulled Pork Biscuit - I really liked this one. Its stuffed with a cabbage slaw and a mound of tender pulled pork. Next time I will ask for extra slaw though because I like to have a better meat to veggie ratio. But for you veggie dodging meat eaters, you would definitely appreciate this one. Sausage and Cheese Biscuit - Surprisingly, this was my favorite one! The sausage was so good! No, I'm not talking about Jimmy Dean's lol. Freshly made sausages with melty cheddar to pull it all together. Biscuits and Sausage Gravy - Tied for my favorite! Hefty chunks of sausages mixed into a savory gravy. Even with the biscuit completely coated with the luscious porky drippings, it never got soggy or mushy! Blueberry Scone - Supposedly they sell out quick everyday. My picky son devoured it before I got a chance to take a bite! Cornmeal Biscuit - The texture on this bad boy is on point. Crunchy from the cornmeal but so soft and buttery! We ate it with the in-house made Strawberry Jam and Ash Butter. MmMm. Bacon - How can you go wrong with any kind of bacon, but I feel I need to recognize their bacon because these thick slices of pork belly were to die for. Just get a side of it. You wont regret it.

The Alice Collective has over taken the space previously known as "Ubuntu Theatre", SIlkwood Fabrics", "Holmes Books". it's operated by the same people who opened "The Hall" in S.F. currently, Oak & Fig Bakery is in the basement, a cafe is here 8-3 m-f. space is available for events in the evening. lots of dining area. no signage besides "272" above door and "open"/ "close" sign on front window. offering: red bay coffee, lunch, breakfast, sammies.... eats: market salad(10)"daily mixed salad, seasonal vegetable" -house vinegarette, red potato, red cabbage, cabbage, tomato, lettuce, argula, etc... deliz.. leftovers: -menu on left post near wall, copy of menu on counter -live replica of food offerings seen under front glass counter, bakes labled but not priced. entrees not priced nor labled. priced on menu. -metered parking nearby.

I got to go on an outing with @bayarea_buzz (Instagram) and go to try out 5 of their biscuit sandwiches. The biscuits are fluffy and very tasty and the fillings were quite delicious. The sandwiches are $10 and above but seemed worth it in flavor. The biscuit with mushroom gravy was excellent ! I think they sell them plain or with like butter or jam as well..not definite. The space there is open, well lighted, and a great place to chill out.

My go to spot on mondays 1. Service has gotten better 2. Food menu has expanded to include: frittatas, curry chicken naan, Salads, sandwiches, toasted breads, and others - Highly recommend the ginger snap cookie 3. The true shining star is the coffee !. They serve up red bay coffee and even provide their noted specialties such as the candied yam latte --- seriously - even the red bay coffee trailer on broadway (or is they a telegraph) never has the candies yam 4. Beautiful space: check out the outdoor garden or gorgeously decorated coworking space

Really great space. Such a cool aesthetic with great staff, good drinks and nice food. Also the best drag brunch in Oakland or the East Bay.

This charming and modern art space is an absolute diamond in the rough! The food is great, the drinks are strong, and the art is unique and lovely! Also, they offer the only weekly drag brunch I've come across in Oakland. Prolly Poptart did a FABULOUS job hosting and the talent was honestly unbelievably top notch. I can't wait to go back and see the drag show on a Saturday again!!!!

This place is just lovely. Be forewarned, it was decorated by someone who clearly spends 99% of their time on Pinterest (seriously, Pinterest vomited all over this place) but the result is quite tranquil. It's a great place to go for lunch on those days when you're on the verge of slapping a coworker. They specialize in biscuits, so this is not the place for all you trendy keto folks. The biscuits, however, are killer. I've had both the fried chicken and the veggie sandwich, and although I'm not a vegetarian, I have to say I prefer the vegetarian. There's nothing wrong with the chicken, but that veggie concoction is just delicious, and it is so beautiful! So get yourself on over their for some tasty, pretty, tranquil times.

I LOVE THIS SPACE. Really friendly staff. I think it's more of an event-hosting spot, but during the day it's a great place to stop in for a conversation or to get some work done (provided you have your own WiFi hotspot).

Great and beautiful spot with friendly staff. However, this cafe is constantly closed! Even during their hours, they usually have an event going on, making it really hard to enjoy. I've gone at least 5x trying to get a cup of coffee, and they've been either closed or booked. Please communicate if you are closed online, prior to your customers coming.

Best Drag Brunch in Oakland! Went for the Poly Poptart & The Queerios brunch this weekend. Was super fun and the food was delicious!!!

The customer service is great. The food looks beautiful and tastes just as good. Will definately be back.

Nice, new cafe with local vendors. Food is great - especially love the baked goods from Oak and Fig Baking. Its a beautiful space that has an outdoor area that is perfect to get some work done. Highly recommend the ginger cookies and the salads. Excited for the Alice Collective!

Best drag brunch in the East Bay. The food was delicious, the queens were so entertaining, and Poly Poptart hosted a phenomenal and hilarious show. Will definitely be going back to this weekly show once quarantine is over.

BEST DRAG BRUNCH IN OAKLAND!!!! I feel so lucky that I was able to discover this gem. I've been to a good amount of drag brunches all over the country (Chicago, New York, LA), but The Alice Collective's just might be my new favorite. The show itself was a blast. Each queen brought her own special sauce and really served it up hot. The host, Polly Poptart, did BACKFLIPS in COSTUME with out messing up her hair or make-up. The show does a wonderful job of interacting with the audience. At the end of the show the crowd was so hyped that a dance party just kind of naturally happened....at 1pm on a Saturday afternoon. Loved it. Beverages were refreshing and perfectly mixed. Not too sugary or too strong, but had enough of a kick that they snuck up on me in a good way. The food was fantastic. Lots of flavorful options and good portions. Everything was very reasonably priced! Expected to spend more money on food and drinks than I actually did... so I was able to give the queens those extra $$$! Don't forget to tip your queens! The space is beautiful. High ceilings, nice bathrooms, and a cool outdoor area. Would be great for small events or parties too. I have recommended this to friends and am so looking forward to the next time I can go again. If you are looking for a fun way to kick off your Saturday, definitely stop by The Alice Collective's Drag Brunch!

I just went here for the first time. The atmosphere is so comfortable and modern. The furniture is comfortable. The food is out of this world. The biscuits are packed with flavor and flaky delightfulness. I got the pulled pork buttermilk biscuit sandwich for lunch with a side salad that has yummy beets. My kids got the buttermilk biscuits with butter and strawberry jam. Yum!

Today was my second time here. Likes- The biscuits are tasty. My friends and I have tasted the Buttermilk biscuit, Cheese Biscuit and Ham Biscuit. All are wondeful. Dislikes - The lady that makes the food uses her hands to grab the biscuits. No Napkins, no tongs, no food paper, no gloves, just her bare hands. Today- She was also completing administrative work on a clip board while waiting for my biscuit to heat. I watched her write with one hand and scratch her cap with another . She then takes my food out of the oven, and grabs the biscuit with her hands to wrap it. I was rushing, as I paid for parking, and no receipt printed... I didn't want a parking ticket. I call to speak to a manager when I get to my job - Guess who is the manager....The woman making the food. I suggest that she uses SOMETHING to handle the biscuits, because I noticed that she used her hands. Her response : I wash my hands 47 times a day. My response: Well, I saw you scratch your cap, and I noticed that you used your hands the last time that I was here as well. Her: Do you want me to make your sandwich over? Me: No ma'am I don't have time, I am at work now... Her: okay. Me : Okay To Chef Lance- Your biscuits are great. It is my hope that the level of service regarding food handling is addressed and rectified ... :(

This coffee place is different. I guess they share office space with others? Before you walk in, it does not feel like the business is for the public. It's a little hard to find this place since there isn't a clear sign of it's business. After you walk in, there is a lot of space and an island where you order your drink. I asked if they have syrups for the drink, the lady there told me you'd go to the bar to see what they have. That confused me. Paid, walked up to the bar, the lady there was very sweet. The coffee and chocolate chip cookie are pretty good. I grabbed my stuff and left. I'm not used to this kind of vibe. I didn't feel welcomed and will not return. I'm sure others like these type of places and that's fine. Just didn't work for me.

loved this place when we visited for a friends event (and not just because they had a great caterer and a fascinating guest list and performers). very nice space to fill up with your own great party.

Called this morning to make sure they were open. They were. Drove six miles - with great anticipation to try their biscuits. Have wanted to try them for months. Alas, no biscuits. Very disappointed. I hope to change this rating in the future, but they'll need to correct whatever is wrong with their operation.

They have the platonic ideal of what a scone should be. I love their scones- they're fluffy but satisfying and just the right amount of butter in the bite. I would go there just for the scones but the space is wonderful too!

This place never seems to be open when it says it is. Too bad, because it can still be a bit of a ghost town in this neighborhood on the weekend. I just want to try your coffee Alice! Help me help you

Best drag show in Oakland! The space is bright and creative, the staff are lovely and friendly especially given the large crowd. The process of taking orders and producing food orders could be more aligned but I think that just takes time. The food was delicious, drinks are strong and everything was reasonably priced. Will be back.

Very cool mixed use space including a bakery (get the chicken curry sandwich) and coffee shop. Local art from 4th and 7th graders is on the wall and there is plenty of great working space with awesome people.

Love this place! Can't wait for the quarantine to end to host a big ass get together there. The drag show is amazing! Stay home so we can enjoy the sickening drag brunch again!

Was impressed by the cold brew, freshly baked scone and friendly people. Unusual layout for cafe operations, but a nice space. Look forward to trying more of their offerings!

My new favorite place downtown. Gorgeous space and the best biscuits I've ever had. I had a scallion biscuit with spicy jam, my friend had sausage butternut squash frittata. Omg. Scones give Arizmendi a run for their money too, plus Red Bay coffee. Can't wait to go back for lunch to try the soups and sandwiches.

Before coronavirus, me and my partner went to see Poly Poptart at the Alice Collective and it was...well...the BEST DRAG BRUNCH IN OAKLAND! Poly was hilarious, the food - delicious, and the atmosphere was extremely relaxing (thanks, booze!). Will definitely return post-quarantine.

Man, I really wanted to love this place. I love a good biscuit sandwich, so when a pic of one of their sandwiches popped up on my Instagram feed I knew I had to check them out. I missed breakfast the first time I stopped by so I had a lunch sandwich and it wasn't bad. It comes with greens on the side but the biscuits are smaller than I anticipated, especially at the $12+ I paid for lunch. The second time I barely made it for breakfast but I wish I would've ordered lunch because the egg and cheese biscuit was even smaller. At first I thought they forgot the egg, but it was there, just tiny and hiding. Drip coffee is $3.75, and I don't care what anyone says, that's expensive for a black cup of joe. I do like the workspace, lots of places to sit, but there just aren't a lot of outlets. I don't live or work in the area, so the two times I've eaten/worked here it was intentional. I'm going to give it another try and try out the pastries or something else on the menu. I just don't think the biscuit sandwiches are a good value, and the biscuits themselves aren't all that amazing.

Hands down the best biscuit I've ever eaten. Sadly they don't do sandwiches or any kitchen-prepped food anymore - just baked goods. But seriously. The biscuit was so incredible. Great space, great staff. Would be awesome for a party. Would visit again to hang out and eat biscuits.

Wow I had the most amazing twice fried chicken sandwich on a fresh made biscuit here at the beginning of October. I had jury duty and was so excited to find this amazing spot for lunch. Each time I tried to go back it was closed for private party or closed on Mondays. Much to my dismay when I returned at the beginning of November they stopped serving food. So so sad. Another two customers walked in with me and were just as confused.

Really cool space. Be forewarned this isn't a place to eat lunch

Love this place. Great open space with tables for meeting over a latte and a super delicious biscuit of the day. Matched it with a salad to lower the guilt, but damn those biscuits with butter are amazing. Can I order a box of them to go?

Beautiful, modern space for a quick and delicious breakfast sandwich (had the bacon egg and cheese on brioche!) and a latte from none other than Red Bay (awesome!). I sat on the back patio which is like a zen oasis in the middle of Oakland and checked email in the morning with my breakfast... and could've stayed for hours. The place is a venue space in the evenings, and I'm going to find out how to host a holiday party there -- the space is bright and open and would be perfect for an event. Will back for lunch tomorrow to try the chicken curry flatbread or the market salad, and of course the Oak and Fig ginger cookies. Looking forward to having this neighborhood cafe/venue close by.