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A Cote

5478 College Ave
Oakland, CA 94618
Phone: (510) 655-6469
Fax: (510) 655-6716

Ratings & Reviews Summary for A Cote

What Users are Saying:

  • Prompt seating
  • Make reservations
  • Romantic
5 Star Rating
 
(16 reviews)
4 Star Rating
 
(4 reviews)
3 Star Rating
 
(1 reviews)
2 Star Rating
 
(4 reviews)
1 Star Rating
 
(3 reviews)

User Reviews for A Cote

1 Star Rating: Not Recommended

07/12/2007 Posted by farideh

i was overcharged by $428.00 and the restaurant mgr. whose name is Jeff told me that it was my problem and that I had to take it up with my bank myself. then he accused me of slander for saying that the restaurant had overcharged me. i sent him my bank statement to prove that there was in fact an overcharge of $428 but he did not care and hung up the phone on me. i cant believe that someone in hospitality would behave in this ill and disrespectful manner.

1 Star Rating: Not Recommended

04/10/2007 Posted by vjmehta

We went to A Cote last night hoping to celebrate my wife's promotion in style. Instead, we were treated to a never-ending disaster. To begin with, we had to ask for water three times before our waitress bothered to bring us some. We asked for a full, rich red wine to go with our food, and the wine she recommended was about as light as red wines come, and I had to fish out a small piece of cork floating in my glass. The pace of the meal was downright bizarre, with a half-hour plus gap between two of our appetizers. Several things we ordered never arrived at all, though our waitress seemed indifferent to this, shrugging and smiling. The quality of the food was generally good, but many items were not described correctly. All in all, a terrible and disappointing experience. If you want small plates, go to Cesar on Piedmont or Pizzaiolo instead!!

2 Star Rating: Below Average

03/25/2007 Posted by ckyelland

I've been to A Cote a few times, and have desperately hoped for a better experience each time, but frankly I just give up. The cocktails and atmosphere are nice (the cucumber cocktail is heavenly), and the curtained back patio has the potential to be a romantic summertime treat, but this in no way makes up for the neglectful service, mediocre to below-average plates, and inflated Rockridge price tag attached to the whole experience.

Pros: Ambiance, inventive cocktails

Cons: Overpriced, mediocre to below-average food, neglectful service

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

03/11/2007 Posted by ngouabi

This french tapas restaurant is fantastic--great food, great service, interesting and confusing wine list, a bit noisy, but amazing food, especially the mussels with pernod and shallots

Pros: food, ambience, service

Cons: noise

4 Star Rating: Recommended

11/25/2006 Posted by julia13

Very good drinks 10, food is tasty 9, atmosphere is perfect 10+ Prices are on the high side for the service, a 6 at best. Seems like a top down problem.

2 Star Rating: Below Average

08/20/2006 Posted by adamsca

Pros: The atmosphere is nice, place looks hip but that is pretty much it. Cons: Service. The waitress and staff want you out of there so they can serve the next round of diners. Price. This place is also pricey for the amount of food they serve you. Overall, for a nice looking restaurant, there is definitely room for improvement.

Pros: Location

Cons: Too pretentious. Service needs improvement.

1 Star Rating: Not Recommended

08/02/2006 Posted by kategoheen

My boyfriend and I wanted to have a drink at A Cote last Saturday. We arrived at about 10:45. We watched various staff members walk back and forth without making any eye contact with us, and after 5 minutes or so the hostess appeared and told us it would be a few minutes. A group of 4 came in soon thereafter, and we all stood in the doorway watching the staff bustle around empty tables. We could see open tables for one big and 2 small parties. Again, no staff members would look at us- they were so busy doing whatever it was that they were doing, which was clearly not serving customers. After about 10 more minutes, my boyfriend stopped a passing waitress and she curtly said, "The hostess will be with you shortly." At that point we left. I will NEVER go here again and whole-heartedly disrecommend it.

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

06/13/2006 Posted by ediblecomplex

This place was the winner pertaining to dinner contemplations after reading reviews and perusing the online menu briefly, and suffice it to say we were not disappointed. Seating took nearly an hour but it was well worth the wait. Baby arugula with Rinier cherries, almonds and smoked chicken was a nice starter; initially the chicken was a bit heavy on the smoky flavor but the peppy arugula was able to temper it after several bites. We couldn't have asked for a better warm starter- mussels roasted to perfection with a whisper of Pernod was rich but not weighty, and the crostini accompanying them made a nice contrast to the toothy mollusks; if only they absorbed the wonderful juices from the bowl better! I think they should serve that dish with soup spoons- the lingering liquid was just as good as the shelled contents! Next up was flatbread with crimini mushrooms, spinach and caciotta al Tartufo, another winner with flavors all marrying well and the flatbread was wonderfully crispy at the edges. The pancetta wrapped roast quail with morel mushroom bread pudding was a bit of a let down following the outstanding mussels, but it was not bad per-se. It just didn't have the same charisma to keep the momentum of the meal going. We opted for the peach gratin with buttermilk ice cream instead of something heartier as the meal was very close to overwhelming, even for two voracious appetites. The dessert also wasn't a show-stopper, but the buttermilk ice cream certainly did help it along. Wine pairing was settled with their only true cabernet sold by the glass, and it was interesting to say the least- not to be read as bad, but the beginning and finish were quite different from each other- we didn't bother venturing further down the list. To say we would return is mildy stating it- I'm daydreaming of their mussels right now. The only thing that keeps me from returning every night is that my gym membership hasn't been used in quite some time...

Pros: food, service

Cons: long wait for a table

5 Star Rating: Highly Recommended

02/15/2006 Posted by Andreotti

We tried a little bit of everything, taking advantage of the suggested wine pairings and the recommendations of our fabulous waiter. It was crowded, but we waited at the bar. The food was nearly all delectable, except for a beef/noodle dish. We enjoyed the whole atmosphere and experience!

Pros: Service, Ato

2 Star Rating: Below Average

01/28/2006 Posted by oakland123

Food is very good and ambience is great (try the mussels). Wine menu is entirely French and very extensive. No reservations are accepted, so go early if you don't want to wait an hour standing (on weekends). Serving sizes are just right. Wait staff and hostess are quite polite -- but they are more than happy to tell you "this is tapas" when you ask where the heck your food is (it took almost 45 minutes from serving the first plate to serving the second plate for a party of two). ...I've been to France and Spain and, sorry, tapas is not served like this. They do not have the timing perfected for an enjoyable relaxing multi course meal, if that's what they're aiming for. Maybe it's the extra time that it takes to prep the food that makes it _so_ good, but they should drop the pretense.

Pros: Atmosphere, Delicious food, Looong wine list

Cons: SLOW, Noise, Pretense

Editor's Review

A Mediterranean small-plates restaurant with big personality.  See the full editorial review.

Insider Tips

When to Go

To avoid the walk-in hordes waiting for a table during peak hours, opt for one of A Cote's few reservations for early or late seating.

More Insider Tips

Restaurant Information

Parking

  • Metered

Hours

  • Sun-Tue 5:30pm-10pm
  • Wed-Thu 5:30-11pm
  • Fri-Sat 5:30pm-12am

Cuisines

  • Tapas / Small Plates
  • French

Payment Types

  • Visa
  • American Express
  • MasterCard

Meal Price

  • $$$

Amenities

  • Group Dining
  • Online Reservations
  • Notable Wine List
  • Special Occasion Dining
  • Family Style
  • Outdoor Dining
  • Fine Dining
  • Late Night Dining
  • Notable Beer List
  • Bar Scene
  • Dine at the Bar
  • Date Spot
  • Romantic Dining
  • Open 7 Days

Recognition for A Cote

2005 Audience Winner - See and Be Seen Bar

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