Came on a Friday at 5pm. Just starting to get crowded. Warm afternoon by the lake. Plenty of seating in and outside. Great oysters. Happy hour menu. Great staff. A gem in downtown Oakland you've got to try.
Great environment and great food for a casual bite at the bar and Cocktails or a special occasion dinner.
Food was divine, atmosphere was lovely and the service was great. I had a wonderful experience.
Good food. The dock outside seating is great on a nice day.
View, food, service all excellent. Sunday brunch at its finest.
Beautiful venue solid drink and small bites. I did not have a meal
Great ambiance, but food was just ok. Service too. They were out of something we ordered off the menu (truffle fries). Instead of letting us know, they brought us regular fries instead of asking if that was ok. Well it wasn't, and we had to either pay for them, or be jerks.
I don't like being put in that position.
Location is great. Love Lake Merritt. Great place to go with friends on a sunny day. Mood is typically happy/upbeat.
I ve been here three times. Food, drinks and service are so-so.
Last visit, mid-sept 2019, I got a $27 seafood pasta and thought This was fine but I wouldn t order it again especially for that price. My colleague got the tuna sandwich and said the chips were the best part. I also got a margarita and a mojito and thought they were not good.
In summary: You should go, but perhaps eat somewhere else and stick to beer. Enjoy the people and the location.
Great place to meet with friends and have drinks and a bite to eat
Came during happy hour and ordered the Dungeness crab cakes and the buttermilk friend calamari. Very delicious.. The speciality guava strawberry lemonade was a delightful refresher
Weak menu, very slow service good views. The other ratings are way off. Its just a nice place with views of the lake Merritt basic food.
Great service, food and atmosphere! We had a small business group and didn't have to yell to hear each other.
I think they are still working out the post covid-19 kinks cause service was a bit off but still decent food for decent prices and amazing views.
I hate to do this because I actually like the place a lot but I have gotten seriously ill from the food there three times. I know. Why do I go back? Because people keep inviting me there and I like the view. The first time I got sick I was served bad oysters. Like ate one and then realized that the others were visibly bad and milky. Ain't no sick like bad oyster sick. Second time it could have been many things but the last thing was a salad. I got super sick almost immediately. I decided to look up the health reports and boy howdy, they speak for them self! Be warned!
It's ok. View is great. Crowded and the food is good, but overpriced for my taste.
Ok at bar, but we're told 30-45 min wait to sit outside. However there was at least 1 and maybe two tables that were empty the entire hour or so we were in the bar.
Was really good, I have a good time, with my friends
Good food, frienly staff and fair price
Patio seating is great. Spot on when it comes to location, yumminess, and covid precautions. All in all, easy to get seated, easy to order, food came out quickly. We got the Pacific chowder, pan seared mt lassen steelhead trout, the pictured ahi tuna app, fish tacos and some cocktails. Loved everything, especially the trout, but thought the fish tacos were just ok.
It was the best!
Thumbs up to Employees!!!!
Beautiful group of people everywhere
Pretty ok! I have a couple of favorites, and won't be experimenting with new things. The burger is a safe choice.
The food is good, the service is outstanding and The View while dining on the outdoor patio is simply fantastic. When you combine all these factors - good food, good service and a great View - that's a combination that's truly hard to beat.
O being on the water on a beautiful afternoon on a Sunday in September
Gorgeous restaurant, inside and out with killer sunset views on lake Merritt. This has quickly become one of my favorite spots for happy hour or an extravagant night out. The ceviche and smoked salmon deviled eggs are great apps, and the wild king salmon dinner is to die for.
We celebrated my granddaughters 30th birthday there and it was fabulous. That was my first time being there and I truly enjoyed it. The food was good, the drinks were great and sitting by the fireplace was awesome
Good for happy hour out on the dock, but otherwise it is a bit pricey for what you get.
Great place, scenic view, great service, great food, just the wait to sit was 30, but still worth it
GREAT LOCATION... GOOD FOOD... BAR SERVICE HORRIBLE... 3 GIRLS AT MAIN BAR... COMICAL AND SAD- 6 SHAKERS ALL DIRTY FROM MIXING VARIOUS DRINKS WERE USED FOR ICE SCOOPS- NEVER WASHED- ONE BROKE A GLASS HANDLED MUTTLE OVER ICE BIN- NEVER EVEN GAVE THOUGHT TO IT- BAR WAS A MESS- ORDERED A JIM BEAM ROCKS- TOLD ME THEY HAD NONE-BUT HAD JACK INSTEAD... REALLY ANY BARTENDER WORTH A NICKLE KNOWS THEY ARE NOT THE SAME- AT THE TEQUILA BAR- THE "BARTENDER" NEVER EVEN ATTEMPTED TO WAIT ON US... THIS PLACE NEEDS A BAR RESCUE- OWNER NEEDS TO FIND REAL MIXOLOGISTS
Lake chalet never disappoints, the staff, the service, the food and the views are all top shelf.
Lovely outdoor seating, lavender martini was so good it disappeared quickly and ofcourse the food is always good. They have music too.
Came for my best friends birthday dinner along with 6 other ladies. Everything was very good and the waitress was very nice and on top of everything! Good service! And good food! (I had the grand seafood linguini)
Love this place. My go to place to meet with investors.
Car was broken in to while out at dinner. Make sure u go valet even know they were 15 feet away they didnt see anyone break our back window in our truck out.
Good menu, food was mediocre and for the steep prices they charge, the service was terrible, we waited 15min to get a glass of water, we were handed one dessert menu to share amongst a group of 4. If you're charging people the numbers you are, we expect a proper service, period.
What a place! Great music, on the waterfront, nice, trendy great menu especially the lobster sausage.
Not mellow. Staff distant Each time I come back to Oakland and visit Lake chalet becomes more boring
Loved the view and ambience. Although very friendly, our waitress was an amateur...we constantly asked for things that should have a given, such as water for everyone (it was 90 degrees today and they DO NOT have AC), ketchup for a burger, etc. I was also disappointed with the menu options. Ordered the lobster mac-n-cheese, fried calamari and Caesar salad. Each of them were descent, not delicious, but good.
The food here is well... not up to par (certainty not for the price). It bothers me. I desperately want to dine here because they have an amazing view over the water, and it is particularly nice to sit out on the dock on a sunny day. It is unfortunate that a restaurant serving bad food is stage hogging water front property. If I come back it will certainly not be for the food, but maybe I'll have one of their mediocre drinks.
I always feel very welcome when I go to Lake Chalet. They always seem to know what I'd like to drink and they have a great happy hour :-).
Had a wonderful dinner, excellent beer and Burgers are amazing, especially the sliders we're the tastiest. Very reasonable price, I would suggest to go there during night times with your beloved
Mediocre food high prices. *Only went once during covid...would possibly give them another shot.
A beautiful happy hour spot with lovely views and delicious cocktails. Excellent service.
Great place for a large group lunch. Both the food and the service were excellent!
Ate here for the first time for a friend's birthday and didn't realize it was as upscale as it is; came in in a nice t-shirt and jeans and was blown away by how many people were in blazers and slacks. Nice views of Lake Merritt. Get a pitcher to share instead of separate beers, it is MUCH more economical.
Oysters were on point and the Calamari was done just right
Maybe it was all the Xmas parties but bar service was challenging. May want to avoid south end of the bar aka the waste management facility.
Tried a meal here on a whim. Service and food was above average.
Pricy but good food. Best time I had was with friends during their happy hour. Drinks and appetizers were ask we had and the four of us were full.
Great ambiance and taco Tuesday is a great deal for quality tacos and beer on tap
The brunch is amazing! The dinner is mediocre. Come here for the brunch menu & service. French toast is divine & so is the seafood juevos rancheros. Ellegant service...& lovely outdoor seating that is welcoming for ESA or service dogs.
Wonderful waiter, and service! Generous portions, courtesy division of all dishes was much appreciated.
Beautiful lake and Venetian gondola boat ride service! Our rower also sang beautiful songs in italian
Great happy hour, other wise a little pricey.
Lake views are awesome
I often take my friends to this restaurant with my warmest recommendations. I go to this restaurant often. I get very good feedback from my friends. The the cooking is flavorable and the team is very friendly and cooperative. Every time we visit this place we enjoy a lovely time. I warmly recommend this restaurant.
The food is nothing short of amazing. The view is absolutely gorgeous. And, the service is impeccable. I highly recommend this place, and will visit it again in the future.
My favorites are the short rib (which is so tender and huge!) and the rainbow trout stuffed with Dungeness crab.. plus u can schedule a Gondola ride and bring wine on the Gondola as you cruise around the lake for a hour.
Beautiful location. Nice getaway right in the city#
They control the flow in and out and have adequate spaces between the outside tables. The music was great Latin mixes and the food was fantastic. The service was good Great outing!
We came here for taco Tuesday.. While we had to wait an hour to be seated, we simply walked the lake with our "beverage" . Once we were seated, we quickly noticed that the prices weren't so happy! My biggest issue with this place is that with Covid goin around, why WOULD U BRING MY SIDE OF RICE WITH ANOTHER PERSONS BEANS OUT ON THE SAME PLATE
? WITHOUT prior knowledge of this, I started eating both sides. Then the other diner at our table asked where his beans were, she pointed to MY PLATE and said right there. Now, at this point, was he supposed to scoop the remainder of the beNs off? They also did the same thing with the tacos!
Beautiful setting but so-so food by Bay Area standards. Go for the bar setting and food and skip the restaurant. You'll thank me!
Lake Chalet used to be awesome. The service has gone downhill recently as the place has gained more foot traffic. Would usually recommend to friends, but not anymore.
Very nice place on Lake Merritt, the gem of Oakland. It's upscale so formal attire and special occasions welcome but can also be semi-casual as well. Great place for groups. The beverage pairings are on point. Unique attributes include outdoor deck seating, live bands on Sunday and taco Tuesdays! Food is a tad over priced for the quality but as expected being the only spot on the lake.
Great property and enjoyed our meeting with a great view
High end restaurant overlooking Lake Merrit. Reasonably good service, but can get a bit crowded.
Great lakeside spot for al fresco dining when the weather is nice.
Food & drink are good/tasty, but come at a little $ premium because of the prime location.
Be aware that the outdoor tables are reserved for parties who plan to eat, with a separate section for those who simply want cocktails.
Where the Warriors will celebrate if they win the championship. Also where they will film first take.
Fabulous time, great customer service. Beautiful ocean view. Great spot to eat while vacationing.
Great lake view. Little to no wait at noon on Thursday.
I very much enjoy coming here. It's beautiful and there's always a place to sit. However, every time I come here it's always 4 star. Either the food was not quite perfect, or the server was awkward, or the hostess forgot to seat me and sat several other similar size groups before us.
They never happen on the same trip, but it's always one little thing.
All that being said, I come here often and always enjoy myself.
thelakechalet.com
