Bocanova

I had a dinner at Bocanova once and loved it so much. So I decided to host our company holiday party at Bocanova. We booked a private room for a party of 22. There was NO room charge, unlike other restaurants. They served family style meals with various choices and were able to accommodate dietary restrictions. The food and service were great. I definitely would like to come back here and highly recommend it!

Met a colleague here for happy hour. I never knew this place existed! We sat at the bar which was separate from the dining room. I think I may have found my new favorite place in Oakland! We ordered from the happy hour menu, which had a lot of offerings for both food and drink. I had the classic margarita, which was delicious. We shared the beef empanadas, chicken tacos, guacamole and the fish ceviche. Everything was chef kiss! Well, I will say my least favorite thing was the ceviche. The ingredients were fresh, but I didn't taste anything more than sour. I'd be curious how the other ceviches taste. All in all, amazing place, amazing vibe and amazing customer service. I can't wait to come here for dinner.Food ratingBeef empanadas 10/10Chicken tacos 10/10Fish ceviche 7/10Ambiance 10/10Customer service 10/10

This restaurant can be a little hard to find. It is actually on the first floor of a business building and there are multiple doors, not all of which are open. The main entrance is actually through an outdoor patio on the bar side. The restaurant is nicely dedicated and the staff were friendly. I enjoyed everything we ate and our server gave us great recommendations. The ceviche verde tostadas were the star of the show, fresh and phenomenal. The corn bread is really unique and I loved that as well.

Food was tasty; service was attentive; ambiance was corporate; could've used better NA options for drinks. Went for a "feast of seven fishes" special Xmas eve menu, 5 courses for $100. Portions were generous - I deliberately didn't finish every dish so I could at least taste it all. Great deal for the price, and overall the flavors were good enough that I'd go back, especially if I needed this sort of place for a group meal. Also, I didn't know they have a coffee bar, which seems to be separate. Might go back and try that sometime.

I don't know why I don't come here more often! Enjoyed the Cioppino at the bar, the flavors were good and there was a good amount of seafood in the stew! The bar is super chill and the bartender, while busy, was attentive! I also asked for a mezcal drink and the bartender made me his special, which was AMAZING!! Will be back!

Overall the food was delicious. Ordered: Seafood ciopino = B+Flat iton steak= ADevil eggs= AVerde Cetviche= C-Chocolate croissant bread pudding = BService was attentive. Impressed because our waitress also had a large party she was supporting. AAtmosphere was also very nice. Simple eating area spear from bar area A....Only area that would slow me down... at the end of the night 2 ppl ...2 appetizers, 2 main dishes and 1 dessert. Bill was $178. without tip.While the dinner was enjoyable... this bill was easily $50 more than it should have been. The bill seemed like gouging (and this is from someone who Loves Peruvian food and eats it regularly). Way over priced, but enjoyable dinner.

First of all, happy hour everyday and an extensive list of offerings at that. The decor is really lovely. It's currently decorated for Christmas. They have an espresso bar and cocktail bar. Service was quick and helpful! I only tried appetizers because I was there for happy hour, they were all generous portions!

This place was not worth it for happy hour. It was $12 for Ahi Tuna Teradito plate you see in the photo. You get two wimpy slices of tuna covered in micro greens. The sliders were not substantial. Customer service was friendly but really slow.

Hmmmmm.... I'm not sure I understand the hype. So I guess I'll just break it down..5 star - Service. Don't get me wrong - the young lady was exceptional! Although, my coworker is allergic to something in the ingredients. Instead of taking the feedback the manager on duty was upset and was placing a blame and running around asking who made the mistake. Just why? Who reprimands someone on the floor - super unprofessional. Just fix the problem. The dish was remade and thankfully we didn't need to push an epi..5 Star - Ambiance - I had no idea this place had a back dining area! This would be a great location for groups and business meetings. Plus for having a heated patio!1 star - The small plates were exceptional. I highly recommend the empanadas and I'm a sucker for vinegar so I was a huge fan of the Brussels sprouts. The arugula salad top notch! On the flip side - I had the scallops for the entree. The curry sold me, what put me off was the seasoning. Just a tad too much salt.Bonus point 1 - this location is easy to get to and is front and center on 11th and broadway. Maybe if extra care was taken into consideration then a guaranteed 3.5-4 would be spot on. This place is not a 2 for sure. Solid 3-3.5

Bocanova from start to finish was incredible. Such a hidden gem in downtown Oakland, it deserves a lot more attention than most! The service was incredible, and the ambiance was great. You can tell the whole team cares about Bocanova--will definitely be back!