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The Cool Kids

A curated guide to the most interesting places in your city. Like Michelin, but for everything worth knowing about.

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15 places worth visiting

Vibe: Cozy
Tallboy
🧊🧊
Food & Drink$

Tallboy

Martini dive bar slinging hot dogs until 2 a.m. on weekends

Temescal, Oakland
CozyDate NightSolo-Friendly
Sante Adairius Rustic Ales Oakland Arbor
💨
Food & Drink$$

Sante Adairius Rustic Ales Oakland Arbor

Old Oakland charm meets serious craft beer

Downtown, Oakland
CozyDate Night
Ming's Tasty
🧊
Food & Drink$

Ming's Tasty

The dim sum spot that made everyone stop looking elsewhere

Fruitvale, Oakland
DeliciousCozyDate Night
Bardo Lounge & Supper Club
💨
Food & Drink$$

Bardo Lounge & Supper Club

Mid-century dinner party energy in the heart of Grand Lake

Grand Lake, Oakland
DeliciousDate NightCozy
Walden Pond Books
🧊
Shopping$

Walden Pond Books

The kind of bookstore where staff actually know what they're talking about

Grand Lake, Oakland
ArtsyQuietCozy
Bake Sum
💨
Food & Drink$

Bake Sum

Asian American pastries that taste as good as they look

Grand Lake, Oakland
DeliciousInstagrammableCozy
Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon
🧊🧊
History$

Heinold's First and Last Chance Saloon

Oakland's oldest bar has been pouring since before the 1906 earthquake

Jack London Square, Oakland
CozyHistoric
The Wolf
🧊
Food & Drink$$

The Wolf

Piedmont Avenue's California-American spot wrapped in Steven Anderson color

Piedmont Ave, Oakland
CozyDate NightInstagrammable
Cat Town
🧊
Self-Care$

Cat Town

Meet your next best friend at this Oakland cat rescue and cafe

Uptown, Oakland
CozyPeacefulQuiet
Poppy Bagels
💨
Food & Drink$

Poppy Bagels

Hand-rolled bagels that taste like New York but taste like Oakland

Temescal, Oakland
CozySolo-Friendly
Bar Shiru
Featured
🧊🧊🧊
Nightlife$$

Bar Shiru

Oakland's listening bar where full vinyl albums matter more than small talk

Downtown, Oakland
ArtsyDate NightCozy
Almond & Oak
🧊
Food & Drink$$

Almond & Oak

Chef Rico's Grand Avenue kitchen trades trends for actual technique

Grand Lake, Oakland
DeliciousCozyDate Night
Sirene
🧊
Food & Drink$$$

Sirene

Italian seafood done right, in a dining room that actually lets you taste your food

Grand Lake, Oakland
CozyDate NightHistoric
Golden Outside
🧊
Food & Drink$

Golden Outside

Coffee, plants, and a whole lot of wellness in Cleveland Heights

Cleveland Heights, Oakland
HipImmersiveInstagrammable
Mother Tongue Cafe & Bar
🧊
Food & Drink$

Mother Tongue Cafe & Bar

Coffee, cocktails, and small plates in a neighborhood sweet spot

Uptown, Oakland
CozyHip
🪦 The Graveyard

Cool spots that have closed or moved on