ACRE Kitchen and Bar

4.5 (750)

$30 and under

Mediterranean

5655 College Ave., Oakland, CA 94618

Make a booking

2 people

29 Apr 2025

April 2025

7:00 pm

Booked 37 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Neighbourhood gem
Good for special occasions
Good for groups

Right in the heart of Rockridge, Oakland, ACRE Kitchen & Bar is all about simple, seasonal food done right. Led by Chef Dirk Tolsma, we source from the best Northern California farms and purveyors to create dishes that are fresh, honest, and made to be shared.

Our fresh ground brisket burger on a house-baked bun? A local favorite. The berbere-spiced fried chicken? Crispy, bold, and packed with flavor. Some dishes rotate with the seasons, but the commitment to great ingredients never changes.

We work with FEED Sonoma Co-Op, Star Route Farms, Full Belly Farm, Monterey Fish, and Rocky’s Chicken to bring you the best of what’s local.

Proudly awarded Gold for Best New Restaurant in the East Bay Express Best of the East Bay Awards, we’re here to serve up great food with a true taste of Northern California.

*20% gratuity will be added to all parties 8 or more.

Dining areas

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$30 and under
Cuisines
Mediterranean, Californian, American
Hours of Operation
Cafe Daily 11:30–14:00 Mon–Thu, Sun 16:00–20:30 Fri, Sat 16:00–21:00 Restaurant Mon–Fri 11:30–14:00 Fri, Sat 17:00–21:00 Restaurant Mon–Thu, Sun 17:00–20:30 Upstairs Bar Mon–Thu, Sun 17:00–20:30 Fri, Sat 17:00–21:00
Phone number
(510) 250-3790
Website
https://www.acrekitchenandbar.com/
Payment Options
AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Casual Dress
Executive Chef
Dirk Tolsma
Catering
Enhance your home celebrations and office gatherings with ACRE Catering. Chef-curated menus and ACRE classics are all available for pick-up and delivery. Let ACRE do the cooking while you entertain and mingle with colleagues, friends, and family.
Private party facilities
We love a good party! Our private Mockingbird Room seats 25 guests with personalized service and a custom menu. The downstairs Café hosts 32 seated or 50 standing for lively gatherings. Need more space? Partial and full restaurant buyouts are available. Let’s make it happen!
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Location
5655 College Ave., Oakland, CA 94618
Area
Oakland
Cross Street
Shafter
Parking details
In the evening, there is free parking in the BART parking lot. During the day, parking is available in the Market Hall parking lot.
Public transit
Rockridge BART stop is across the street
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Cafe, Cocktails, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Delivery, Dog Friendly, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeaway, Vegan, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

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Experiences

Neighborhood Night on Wednesdays!
Multiple dates available
Enjoy live jazz music every Wednesday, from 5:30pm-8:30pm, in our upstairs dining area!
ACRE After Hours (Southern Comfort Night)
1 May 2025 only
Join us for the launch of ACRE After Hours—a new late-night series at ACRE Kitchen & Bar where the lights dim, the music flows, and the cocktails keep coming. Our first installment, Southern Comfort, invites you to kick back and soak in the sounds of The Wallers with Sandy Rothman, a celebrated local bluegrass band bringing foot-stomping, soul-soothing energy to the heart of Rockridge. Doors open at 10PM, and the vibe rolls until 1AM—or whenever the evening winds down. Whether you're capping off your night or just getting started, come sip, snack, and sway with us at ACRE After Hours.

Offers

Tuesdays Uncorked
Multiple dates available
Tue - 5:00 pm - 8:30 pm
Enjoy 1/2 off bottles of select wines every Tuesday after 5pm!
Cheers to Brunch: $30 Mimosa Pitchers Available!
Multiple dates available
Sun - 11:30 am - 2:00 pm,Sat - 11:30 am - 2:00 pm
We offer $30 pitchers of mimosas every brunch service (Grapefruit, Orange Juice, Pineapple Juice, Cranberry).
Varsity Hour in our Cafe & Upstairs Bar
Multiple dates available
Sun - Sat - 4:00 pm - 6:00 pm
Paying homage to Oakland history-about 100 years ago there was a lounge and club called the VARSITY LOUNGE located in our same location, who knew! In digging up old Oakland memorabilia, we found an old menu. To our surprise-they were well known for two things the Varsity Martini and Conga Lines!! While we aren’t ready for a conga, we are ready for the Varsity Martini and other drink specials. Come join us every day from 4pm-6pm in our cafe and 5pm-6pm at our upstairs bar.

Popular dishes

What 750 people are saying

ACRE Kitchen and Bar reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.5Food
4.5Service
4.6Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

East Bay
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

ACRE Kitchen and Bar offers a vibrant dining experience with "inventive preparations" and "excellent food" that consistently impresses. The ambience is "lovely and airy," and the staff is "wonderful and attentive." ACRE is a "hidden gem" in Oakland, perfect for special occasions, with standout dishes like hummus, flatbread, and pizza.

750 Reviews

R
Roger
San Francisco12 reviews
3.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
Food is good. but service was not so good. The bus staff was attentive in keeping our water glasses filled and removing dirty plates, but our server was hard to find and we waited long periods of time to get drinks, to order, etc. Also entrees were not all delivered to the table in a reasonable amount of time. The youngest (15 year old) waited a long time for her entree - it arrived as others were finishing. He did apologize for his lack when he gave us the bill, so he was aware. We had leftover pizza we wanted to take home but after it was removed from the table it never made it back. This was my second visit to Acre. My previous visit the food was good and the service was good. I think this experience may have just been a fluke. Maybe the server was new?
1 person found this helpful
C
Carla
Alabama8 reviews
3.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
The food was delicious, but the server was horrible.
1 person found this helpful
J
Joe VIP
Phoenix9 reviews
2.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Unfortunately, the food quality has declined at Acre over the last few months. On my most recent visit, the soup, which is a staple on the menu, lacked its normal rich flavor and was swimming in olive oil. Likewise, the tuna melt was tasteless. You can find better tuna melts at almost any diner. Acre is an important anchor in the College Avenue food corridor, so I am hoping the food quality will soon return to its normal higher standard.
1 person found this helpful
J
Judy
San Francisco12 reviews
4.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Great food here. First class ingredients with inventive preparations especially when it comes to the small plates. The focaccia is light and non-greasy some of the best I've ever had and the flavored butter accompanying it is also yummy. Our apple and beet salad was a great mix of beets that tasted just off the farm, apples, lettuce with just the right amount of dressing. We asked to split it and they obligingly served it on two plates. Scampi with pasta featured pasta that was obviously made in house and plenty of big, tasty shrimp. The orange olive oil cake was dense but light and the orange scented creme fraiche added a perfect finishing touch . Even the coffee was good. Service was ok. We were asked a few too many times if everything was ok. While I appreciate the sentiment, they might want to tone it down a notch. On the other hand, we had to ask for water a couple of times and there there was confusion about who was doing what. Food this good deserves more professional service. The room itself is light and airy and the noise level gives the place a nice buzz while being quiet enough that it's background to your conversation. Acre truly has outstanding food and the dining room is a lovely airy place. This is my second visit and I will definitely be back.
1 person found this helpful
K
Ken VIP
San Francisco152 reviews
5.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
As always great dining! Great food, great service and great ambiance.
1 person found this helpful
L
Lee
San Francisco2 reviews
2.0
Dined on 20 April 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 2
We waited a long time (20 min after our reservation time) to be seated despite a reservation. When we finally got seated there were 2 other tables that could have fit our party that were also empty for the duration of our dinner. Those dinners could not have left another way as we waited by the exit. We then waited another 10 min to get water and 10 more to place our orders. Our steaks were all overcooked and the celebrated pizza had an unnamed topping that made it not taste good. We were celebrating a birthday and needless to say this dining experience missed the mark. Won’t be back.
2 people found this helpful
D
Douglas
Los Angeles8 reviews
5.0
Dined on 19 April 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
the perfect choice for dinner! excellent food, wonderful and attentive staff, and a lively atmosphere. in from los angeles and have now gone there twice in the last couple of months. we stick to the mediterranean options like their exquisite hummus and flatbread, along with their chewy and flavorful pizza... they might be our fav's of all time! keep up the good work, Acre, and establish oakland as a culinary mainstay (rockridge area).
1 person found this helpful
A
Anne
San Francisco2 reviews
4.0
Dined on 19 April 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
I came here for my birthday dinner with a group of friends because I had previously been here and enjoyed my meal. I love the ambience and the relaxed vibe of the place. The service is excellent--attentive, but not intrusive. Our server, Andre, was very professional and low key, and took great care of us. Everyone is so friendly. The food was very good--I feel like the menu could be expanded slightly; it leans heavily towards Italian fare, but everything we had was tasty. My friend was not happy with her meal, and the server offered to replace her dish, no questions asked. To me, that is a hallmark of a good place---great customer service. We left very happy and satisfied. I would go back anytime to Acre, especially for a special occasion meal.
2 people found this helpful
M
Mitchell
Chicago1 review
5.0
Dined on 18 April 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
I was well taken care of by the host and Calvin. Thanks!
1 person found this helpful
G
Gabrielle VIP
New York City2 reviews
5.0
Dined on 15 April 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Wonderful place and wonderful good and friendly atmosphere. Come here often
2 people found this helpful

FAQs

ACRE Kitchen and Bar offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (510) 250-3790.

ACRE Kitchen and Bar is rated 4.5 stars by 750 OpenTable diners.

ACRE Kitchen and Bar does offer gift cards which you can purchase here.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.