The Cat House

Very cool and cozy bar. The bartenders are friendly and make the best tasting drinks. Lots of fun cocktail options on their menu! Lots of seating and not too crowded. The decorations include lots of cats and other little details to look at. Great place to spend time with friends.

The bartenders were very cool cats. They answered questions and, despite the waves of customers, were able to keep up with the swirling tides. They had jokes, too.Shots were cheap -- $8/fernet.Tried one of the specialty cocktails. Cannot recall the name (yeah, it was a good night). Final call? Last call? Final hour? Time to stop drinking, old man? Whatever called, the drink was not cloyingly sweet. Made with Chartreuse, among other components, it also had a dried cherry and was served in a martini glass. Foggy recesses of my mind be damned.Cool place. The bar itself had a great vibe. There were tables to my left, and "Hunnies on my right."Will return.Check it out.-- workingman's gourmand

Little hole in the wall bar in a cool area. There are plenty of places to eat around here, including Dumpling Hours (which is amazing)! Great service too!

Wow, this bar felt quite hidden away from the world behind gray doors despite being on a busy commercial stretch of Lakeshore. There was a cat sign, but Jamie W. and I kept missing it as we strolled back and forth just before it opened at 4PM. When we finally entered, it was a stylish space but overly so with vintage accents producing the requisite chill atmosphere.Let me be honest though. We came for the craft cocktails we saw on their website, and Keenan was the cool bartender who was there to make them for us. I tried the $14 Dear Irene, a blended Pina Colada riff with gin, coconut, ginger, mint, cane, and lime. A lovely libation. Jamie had the $14 Blue Meanie which had a more tantalizing tropical taste.It had a nice kick consisting of eight-year-old Haitian & Banana Rum, Giffard Coconut, lime, and blue curaçao (photo: https://yelp.to/1sYcUkcK94). So satisfying that we had another round. I went with the $14 E&E, a vibrant mix of tequila, mezcal, lime, cilantro, pineapple, and jalapeño over rocks. It was like a short margarita. Jamie tried the $14 Mata Hari, which sounds more mysterious than it was.It left out tequila and mixed mezcal, amaro nardini, lime, and tamarind syrup into a saucy, south-of-the-border libation (photo: https://yelp.to/0thoXAbwXW). While Dear Irene was the definitive standout, all the cocktails provided a nice symphony of compatible flavors. Otherwise I was just drunk. Either way, it made for a satisfying visit at this hidden hideaway close to Lake Merritt.COCKTAILS - 4 stars..,well tested libations with the Dear Irene a standout AMBIANCE - 4 stars...stylish, vintage space with a large enough bar at an inconspicuous addressSERVICE - 4 stars...Keenan is a very helpful bartenderTOTAL - 4 stars...a chill hangout on Lakeshore RELATED - Exploring Oakland? Here's a collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2ObVcpQ

Great drinks! Hot prowl - very well balanced and smooth mix of Manhattan and old fashionedE&E - hits the spot with mezcal, tequila, pineapple, lime and cilantro. Savory refreshing feelingPop up gumbo - pretty good! $20 per cup of interested , has shrimp and crab and sausageBartender and pop up Chef were very niceAntique vibes from the venue, music was old school and good!Overall would recommend to come here to start your night!

Love this place! Cool atmosphere, and great cocktail and mocktail options. This is a place I recommend to friends when they need a new place to go.

The Cat House is a cute bar with funky decor (haaay, old piano), kind staff, and solid drinks (shoutout to the E&E). They're dog-friendly and allow you to bring in food if you want to as well. I rate them four stars because, while I appreciate their outdoor patio, it is a smoker's haven. The many times I've tried to sit out there, it transforms into a cigarette smoke cloud and I'm not feeling that.

Love this place soooo much, love the decor , the music the play , the people who hang around here and live the drinks mixed just right. The cocktails are spot on , the beers are perfect. Love this place.

Super cute bay kinda hidden away. I'd walked past it a million times and just happened to notice it the other night. Had a delicious hot toddie and my friend had a beer called death and taxes. Really enjoyed the drinks and overall ambience of the space

The waitress was super sweet and very good at her craft of making delicious alcoholic beverages. Old school cocktails are what's in order at this hipster and cool spot in Oakland. Security at the door and low key style of bar. No food service. I will definitely go back to sample the other concoctions I did not try last time.