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Nightlife in Oakland

11 clubs, live music venues and late-night spots in Oakland.

Ranked with the travel guide's picks and well-known places first.

Nightlife in Oakland

  1. Drink

    Cafe Van Kleef

    Artsy bar with live music. Greyhounds are the house drink--their margaritas are good too. Vodka Greyhounds are the default; if you want gin, you must specify.

    Mon 4PM-2AM, Tue-Fri noon-2AM, Sat Sun 6PM-2AM

  2. Drink

    Cato's Ale House

    A local pub that would look at home in nearly any century, with a long list of both local brews and quality imports. Regular live music events. Online ordering for food pickup.

    Bar: Sun-Thu 11:30AM-9PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-10PM; kitchen: Sun-Thu 11:30AM-11PM, Fri Sat 11:30AM-midnight$10-30

  3. Drink

    Kona Club

    Enjoy a tropical drink in this tiki bar, and lift up the grass skirt on the anatomically correct hula girl statue.

    2AM-2PM daily$15-30

  4. Eat

    New Gold Medal

    Decent to great Cantonese food with fast service, open late. A reasonable option after a late show or club night if you're already downtown. If you like duck, make sure to get some roast duck, and their BBQ pork is equally good. Excellent lobster, too.

    Daily 10AM-3AMSeasonal pricing - check menu

  5. Eat

    Plank

    An unusual mixture of bowling alley, bocce court, pizza and sandwich restaurant and cocktail bar, all rolled into one.

    Daily 11AM-midnight (age 21+ after 9PM)$30-40

  6. Eat

    Ramen Shop

    Well-crafted Ramen bowls with flavorful broth. Typically includes at least one vegetarian option. Excellent cocktail bar. Can be crowded during evenings.

    Daily 5PM-10PM$20 per person without drinks

  7. Drink

    The Coffee Mill

    A nice, friendly little coffee shop and bakery that is in a good spot for having breakfast or lunch inside or outside, depending on the weather. Also has live jazz on Sunday evenings.

    7AM-3PM daily$15-30

  8. Drink

    White Horse Bar

    Friendly gay bar in North Oakland, beware of the $25 minimum charge when paying with a credit card. Frequent stop for karaoke and live music.

    Mon-Fri 3PM-2AM, Sat Sun 1PM-2AM

  9. Drink

    Yoshi's

    Though they serve sushi and drinks, the real draw is the music - Yoshi's is among the most well-known jazz clubs on the West Coast. Online ticketing available for events.

    Dinner: Mon-Wed 5:30PM-9PM, Thu-Sat 5:30PM-9:30PM, Sun 5-9PM; happy hour: Mon-Sat 4:30-6PM

  10. Do Not mapped

    Día de Los Muertos Annual Festival

    An outdoor festival that draws 100,000 people to celebrate Hispanic history and culture in the Fruitvale neighborhood. Live music, family-friendly games, rides and activities, traditional Latin American artisans, and the altar artistic installations created by community members. October 31.

  11. Do Not mapped

    Oakland Art and Soul Weekend

    Four stages worth of live music, in a city with a long history in the arts. Blues, Jazz, Rap, R&B and Indie performances abound.

    Third weekend in August$50-60 at the gate

Listings from the Wikivoyage guide to Oakland (CC BY-SA 4.0).