The Lake Chalet Seafood Bar and Grill Review

Pricey. Except happy hour deals. Best patio in the Bay!!!! Worth it for the Lake Merritt view.

I went here for Oktoberfest which was very fun. The food looks good

Under staffed dirty a nd server was rude...won't be back.

Great location. Great views. Lake Merritt at sundown is beautiful. Lake chalet is upbeat. Hip, casual cool vibes. Whether you want a drink and apps. Or dinner and drinks, this restaurant is a great place to enjoy an evening any day of the week.

It was beautiful, and the Gondola Servizo was so romantic.i will most definitely be going by

We held a wedding in the gondola room and the views were breathtaking, the food was amazing and the staff were very accommodating.

Beautiful place with delicious food and gorgeous people

Food is and service are excellent. Expect to pay over $100 for dinner for 2. Great view of lake from the window seats. Valet parking is available if you don't like street parking.

Great atmosphere, good service, good food and a fair value. Highlights are brunches, couples and family outings.

Attended an anniversary party here. We had the private dining room and staff to boot. The food was amazing and the staff was hella attentive!! We had at least 60 people with many requests and lake chalet staff went above and beyond to cater to alllll of us !

The Lake Chalet is really nice. I have lived across the lake from it for 2 years and haven't stopped in, but I'm glad I did this week for my mom's birthday celebration. The staff were very friendly and service was great, and we all enjoyed our food. Plus, we got to overlook the lake which I loved! It was very special.

We attended a wedding here and I really want to start by saying that LONTRELL and JENNIFER from banquet were amazing their hospitality was on a whole different level. They are amazing at what they do, they work amazing together. I felt their amazing energy throughout the entire night they never changed their attitude Lontrell and Jennifer were all smiles the entire night. thank you to Sofie for hosting the event.. I give all my five stars to them. Thank you so much.

Lets start off with the view. This is the perfect place on lake Merritt to eat and look over the lake. The staff was friendly and the food (breakfast) was amazing. The pancakes and eggs Benedict tasted great. If it is a nicer day be sure to sit outside, if not don't worry as the view inside is great too.

Pricey, but tasty. The waitress was super sweet and helpful.

I enjoyed great service at an early dinner. Their seafood linguine is wonderful, with that bit of bite you expect from a good tomato based sauce, plus it complimented the seafood perfectly. The speed of service at 4ish PM on a Thursday afternoon was perfectly timed to allow myself to savor the food and the view. I felt my bill was typical of a good seafood appetizer, dinner, and glass of wine for this area and I will be coming back to treat myself, you should, too.

This place was so beautiful and the waitress was really good food was fantastic would go back any day

Oakland landmark, highly recommended. We came here for Mothers' Day breakfast, don't expect to get in on a holiday without a reservation. A lot of people were turned away at the door for not having a reservation, but the blame lies with them and not the restaurant. Anyways, the place was packed and service was still top notch. We had beignets to start, whcih were a fantastic treat. I followed that with crab cake benedict, which was also great.

Came here for a quick drink pit stop while walking around Lake Merritt. If you are just going for a drink, they have a small outdoor bar space for you and then loungey chairs at the very end of the dock, past all of the umbrellas and nice shaded space.

At the end of the day, I get it. You want to reserve the nice tables for the people who are eating. But if about half of the tables are empty, maybe give us a table not at the very end of the pier to sit at?

Bartender was nice enough, mediocre beer and wine selection. Overall just meh experience and drinks, but beautiful venue and it's so peaceful to sit out there and watch the dragon boat classes and the "Venetian" gondolas going around.

Lake Chalet restaurant is a beautiful space for meetings, small gatherings with scenic views. HOWEVER, the food and service are below subpar and unfortunately it's been that way for years. I went last week in Hope's things might have shifted, sadly no. $40 for poor service and meal I had to send back twice.

Beautiful location! The layout of the various bars makes it really hard to get served during busy times.

Wonderful views,pleasant atmosphere and the meal was delicious!

Really good food. There outdoor seating is first come first serve so you can't reserve it but on a nice day, it's beautiful.

Great for happy hour nd the bands during summer on the dock

The perfect spot for an afternoon light brunch as long as the weather allows and the terrace is open. The food is expensive for what you get, but the atmosphere, the ambience at the terrace compensate it. i highly recommend to make a reservation during the weekends.

A tad on the expensive side, but to be expected on a lake front restaurant. Decent craft beers and fried calamari to die for!

Pretty good food, beautiful location, OK service, at above average prices - guess you pay for the local.

Good food. Bartender was nice and helpful. But the waitstaff was slow, not responsive and lack of care for our table. We were served food without utensils... after we were done with appetizers and recieved the entrees we asked for utensils, twice before we got them. No water was offered to the one person who didn't order alcohol beverage. So yeah... might come back but well deserved 3 starts experience.

Bad customer service but the place is nice. Watress/hosts are not accommodating. Given that they are in the hospitality business. Far from even a 1 star. Well if you re just looking for a good place its ok but never mind about the customer service coz it really sucks. Not a happy customer here.

Terrible service - disrespectful, rude staff. Never coming back to this place again.

I ate at the Lake Chalet a few times. The highlight is the outdoor seating right on the lake. The food is upscale pub fare, but nothing memorable.

Today, we returned for lunch with our toddler. There were over 12 empty tables when we showed up, around 12:20. I explained to the two seating hostesses - Isabelle and Naia - that our toddler needed to go to sleep by 1:30 so we were looking for a quick bite. Neither seemed to even acknowledge the ask. "30-35 min wait". Was the repeated robotic response. I asked about the empty tables. "30-35 min" was the response again. They seemed bothered by my ask. No eye contact. No signal they understood what i was asking them. I even repeated that if the wait was really 30-35 min, we would have to leave as that didnt work for us.

10 min later, tables around us still empty...I went to ask for a manager. Another 10 min went by waiting for him - Daniel - and him to talk to the hostess. He told us, we would be seated next and left. We waited yet another 15 min and were not seated. Around us, there were at least 8 empty tables. I went to tell the hostess that we were leaving. At which point, she said she just texted us for a table. Needless to say, i never received the text (I am writing the review almost 2 hours later and no text has come through). And we were literally a few feet from her and she could easily have just waved.

We told the manager we were leaving and he also did nothing to apologize.

The attitude of one of the hostesses in particular, Isabelle, is not human. She smirked at us when we left, as if to say "I showed you." People like her should never be in service.

We left close to 1pm and had to rush to a nearest restaurant. In contrast to the Chalet, the waitress at the next restaurant rushed our food, brought a special dish for our daughter early (she was super hungry by now) without us asking, and had our bill ready so we got out super quickly.

There is a world of difference between a human and jerk. The lady at the second restaurant got a 35% tip. The hostesses at the Chalet need to be fired.

Pleasantly pleased with this place ! The chilli lime wings , crab cakes & cocktails were all so delicious. And not to mention the lemon pana cotta was rich and refreshing. The entire restaurant is lovely with views of Lake Merrit, a new favorite.

I was at this restaurant for conference and lunch. This is a beautiful location with a view of the lake. The conference facility was very comfortable with good AV equipment. The lunch was tasty. I had salmon which was poached in olive oil. Excellent. This places would also be good for a date or to take out of town visitors. Parking is not easy in this area, use the valet parking.

This has been one of our go-to pages since 2011. Great ambiance, food and views. We especially like it on a hot day.

This place is FABULOUS!! Delicious salads and everything you would ever want..

Oktoberfest was good. I wouldn't mind going again next year

I love to have lunch on the lake when I fly into Oakland for business. Their shrimp and or crab Louie is delicious.

The Lake Charlet is a restaurant located at 1520 Lakeside Drive, near to the Lake Merritt, in the city of Oakland, CA 94612, that offers a huge variety of dishes, including snacks, soups, salads, meat, pastas, sandwiches, and seafoods.
There are also a large variety of beverages, including wines, whiskies, beers and non-alcoolic drinks.
The place is very confortable and the deck over the lake gives a beautiful view of the lake and the streets. At night, lines of light turn the tables outside very atractive for couples and groups of friends.
I recomend the visit there. Maybe you can see there a venetian boat or ducks flying over the water. It's beautiful and relaxing....

Cool spot to take out of towners. Beautiful being able to eat and drink on a dock on the lake. Food is ok. Definitely go for the scenery.

Went there for a social event. Wedding luncheon.
Clean restaurant
Friendly staff
Good appetizers and meal

The food was very good. Our waiter was Fantastic under a heavy load of customers. We were a party of 4. The 1st 2 arrived a little early and after an initial wait were offered a seat at the bar while the party came together. 15 - 20 minutes later they were still waiting to be asked what they were having to drink. Although I realize it was a busy evening I would not think that strange especially after all the press they got during the Warriors run during the NBA Playoffs and Finals.
Still. Given the volume of people the Hostess & Waiter that ultimatley took care of our party were Excellent!

Great location. Dock is fantastic. Food is good. Service can be spotty. Staff could be more attentive to details like bringing bread to the table timely without having to go to the server and ask for it. Bring a serving spoon for the condiment when you bring an appetizer and don't disappear for extended periods of time. Oh, btw, introduce yourself.

I love this place. Not only do I go with friends but I stop buy and enjoy eating at the bar. Great atmosphere being right on the Lake and awesome staff. I have yet to order a dish that I haven't liked.

Beautiful setting on lake Merritt. Great service. Terrific food.

Oops. Forgot to take pictures, but the food is delish. Big, crispy pieces of french toast with side of regular syrup and strawberry infused syrup. Yum!

This is one of my favorite happy hour places, I enjoy a good drink but when combined with a great location a drink can be so much more. I have definitely enjoyed some unexpected times here. Great people and service.

So relaxing sitting on the dock of the lake. Food was delicious especially the smoked salmon deviled eggs. Looking forward to another evening at Lake Chalet

Beautiful location and great place to meet friends/family as you can walk around the lake before or after. BUT food and service were not good at all. For a restaurant in that location and pricing good customer service could go a long way. I even gave my feedback to the manager and he just walked away.

bougey, expensive mediocrity. the staff and their unwelding friendliness are this place's only redemption

Sevice above self. Very special place wherein myself

Beautiful place to eat. Service is always prompt & the food is delicious

No better place to be on a sunny day in Oakland.

The local birds have done a real number on the deck furniture, though -- could use a good scrub down every once in awhile.

Delicious food and a beautiful view. Make sure you come early or make a reservation, because the place fills up fast for brunch!

What a great place. Planning to go back later this week.

Great place to eat, drink and just enjoy relaxing in an amazing atmosphere.

Beautiful view, good food. Perfect brunch place. A little pricey but you're paying for the scenery.

The view and ambience are worth 5 stars. The food is expensive and the menu didn't match the order. I ordered what was described as a half a chicken and received one half breast with half a wing attached on a large plate. Must've been a paraplegic chicken. They tried to camoflauge all the blank space on the plate with a ton of gravy...very odd. I was starving and would've normally complained or sent it back, however, I was with a group and didn't want to cause a scence. I would not recommend it if you are actually hungry. If you just want to snack on appetizers, have a couple drinks and soak in the view it's great.

Just walked out and must say:

Food was horrible
Service terrible
Wait time long

The only thing they were good for was taking my money and the views.

I had to stand up and order my food from the bar otherwise no one would have taken my order.

Pretty good. Table service outside closes early, around 9. You can still sit outside at the fire pits but have to go back inside to the bar to order. Really chill atmosphere and nice views of the lake. Better than I thought it might be.

Excellent Taco Tuesday. A great shrimp tostada. IPA was delicious. Will definitely go back.

This is a seriously romantic place where you can enjoy high quality fare and views Lake Merrit. The Lake Chalet is a sister resturant to the Beach and Park Chalets in Sf. It has the best views of the lake especially on a warm sunny day out on their own privat pier. I love coming here for happy hour drinks and food specials.
I say this is romantic because this place used to be the Oakland boat house and still fronts actual Veranda rides just like you'd expect in Venice Italy. Get tanked up on food n drinks go for a boat ride of the lake and return for dessert, date night done!

This place is awesome! Happy hour specials were great. Get the sliders and tostadas! $7 margaritas on the waterfront. Doesn't get any better on a sunny afternoon. Service was good and food was awesome.

Awesome appetizers - I like making a meal out of small plates.

I was at the Lake Chalet yesterday with a group of lady friends. Our experience was wonderful. It started when I called for reservations & I was asked if it was a special day for anyone and if anyone had food allergies. That was a first & very thoughtful. I got a reminder call the day before our visit, an another first. I asked for a inside table by a window, it was perfect. The wait staff were great. I wanted to get a bottle of champagne for the table & we were given a taste of 3 of the choices to make our decision easier. Our waiter was very helpful with lunch menu choices & very attentive, but NOT OVERLY. The six ladies all enjoyed our food so in all we had a great experience & we will do it again. Mother Nature was good to us that day as well. This is the first review that I have ever written, but i felt that the experience should be shared.

When here for Sunday brunch. Customer Service was sub par. Food was ok. Atmosphere was nice. Street parking and valet parking offered.

Not served nor spoken to or acknowledged after waiting at the inside bar for 10 mins. It was not crowded. Around 3pm. Made long eye contact with several employees behind the bar, they said nothing, not even a gesture. Other customers were at the bar with food and drinks. There was three of us and no one could get anyone to communicate with us, very surreal. We eventually left. I've been here many times, first time anything like this occurred, but I bumped my stars down and I'm reluctant to go back.

Delicious food. Open for takeout, sit by the lake, eat and enjoy the pelicans.

Beautiful outdoor tables on the lake, in addition to indoor seating. Good tacos (especially good value on Tuesdays) and wings starter. Margarita was okay.

Sunday seating on the doc (August 2018). Valet was full, but it s been busier before and not full. Outdoor seating had a 35 minute wait, but 12 tables were unoccupied. 1 of 2 bars closed. Tequila bartender is always a little annoyed. Table service was slow. Ordered chips and guacamole to have them come back 30 minutes later to say they don t have it on Sundays. Clearly understaffed, which is poor management. Do not expect good service, you re paying for the lake experience, nothing more.

A great place for lunch. I had the fish and chips. Very good. The view is marvelous.

Geat out doors experience!! Over looking the lake is very relaxing & refreshing!!...& great food!!

Lake Chalet has soooo much potential. I go there when I have out of town guests because the restaurant is so nice and the vibe of sitting outside, overlooking the water and facing all that is pretty in Oakland ALWAYS impresses my guests.

On weekends, they have a lounge area on the deck, they open the outside bar, and it's so relaxing to enjoy the weather while munching on appetizers and nursing cocktails. They have nice lounge music that is just perfect volume and adds to the ambiance.

I gave the restaurant three stars because the food is mediocre at best and that is a constant. I go there for the ambiance and I should add, the service has also always been great, but never the food. C'on Lake Chalet, I'm rooting for you! Step up your food game.

Fun atmosphere, killer view, great unique drinks. Food is pretty good, love that seafood Louie salad.

Fab waterfront dining experience! Great venue for events!

Used their bathroom, sorry, that's my only experience. On that note, it was spotless.