Flora Restaurant & Bar

I had a rep meeting here for work before going to the fox theater to enjoy a concert. I have to say, this place is pretty nice. The ambience is on the fancier side with the lights dimmed down and candles placed on tables. A good place for a date night. Enjoy a nice dinner and then go watch a show at the Fox theater right after. The Fox theater is right across the street, can’t miss it. You can literally see the big flashy red sign from inside the restaurant. The Bart station is close as well for those that commute.
I ordered the grilled chicken and it was cooked well with veggies on the side. It was good but next time I will have to try their steak… I mean their steak looked delicious! The food is also filling! Or at least the chicken was. Usually I’m still hungry when I eat at fancy restaurants because the quantity tends to be small but I was satisfied by the quantity here.

This is one of my go-​to spot for brunch (we come here about once a month). Their menu changes from time to time, but it’s always excellent. A couple of items on my must-​get list every time I go: beignets and yogurt. Both are amazing dishes, highly recommend especially if you go in groups. They sometimes have a pastry sampler on their menu, which is great for sharing. They usually will have a version of eggs benedict and chicken & waffle on their menu. Both are staple items that are highly recommended. Another recommendation is their waffle, especially if you’re looking for something that’s not too highly. Only downside, they’re a bit overpriced. Usually, a meal between my boyfriend and I will come out to be about $ 50 – 60. But that hasn’t yet stopped us from coming back!

I save my 5 stars for those once in a lifetime spots — otherwise this would be a five! Stopped by for an impromptu dinner with my husband. Wasn’t feeling exceptionally hungry but when my delicious roasted halibut and lemony sautéed spinach came to the table, I was suddenly ravenous. Really that first bite was astonishing! It’s everything I like about great dining in Oakland. The menu is varied and relies on fresh ingredients without trying too hard. The entire wait staff was accommodating, friendly, and really paid attention to make sure we were well cared for. The food, ambience, and servers present a very unified experience; that of an upscale yet still very comfortable urban bistro with a neighborhood feel. Can I give it 4 and ¾ stars? We will definitely return!
PS Don’t forget to look up when you are outside the building. It’s an architectural gem to beautiful to miss!

Great food, great service. The chicken and waffles were amazing. Kitchen staff was friendly and fun to watch!

I’ve visited about once a year for special occasions, and Flora never disappoints. Steak is grilled perfectly, the salads and desserts are innovative. The wine list is fabulous also. Their art deco theme is fun and classy. I also donated to the kickstarter for their waiter’s medical bills when he was attacked with a hammer by a protester during some rioting and demonstrations a few years ago outside Flora. This restaurant has seen it all with its location being in downtown, but I applaud it for continuing onward. My only wish is if their price point could be slightly less such that I could visit more than once a year.

It gets pretty packed here for Sunday brunch but despite walking into a very crowded house, I got seated immediately. I really like the classic, vintage feel of the interior of Flora, with the dark wood tones, black and white tile floor, and white linen. The menu is varied and there were more than a couple of things I wanted to try, but I ended up going with the chive scrambled egged with potatoes and sour cream and a side of toast.
Portions are very generous here, judging not only from my own but from the plates of the patrons around me. I had a big pile of perfectly cooked scrambled eggs on my plate, and the chives were a really great addition that livened up a typically simple dish. The potatoes were also cooked well, tender but still firm, not mushy, and the sourdough toast was a nice accompaniment. I actually ended up taking home what I had left, which I haven’t had to do at most of the other restaurants I’ve eaten at for brunch.
Despite the number of people, service was quick and the waitress was very pleasant. Definitely a place to check out.

Great place for brunch.
Minus 1 star. I expected to see fried chicken on the menu, but the menu changed.

Overall the experience was nice but the waiter messed up my order twice. It was not a big deal but it did kind of kill it for me. The food was ok, but nothing over the top.

I struggled with a score for this one. My five stars are usually the kind of places that should be on your short list if you are in town visiting for a couple days. My four stars usually have a clear knock that I can point to. This place doesn’t fall into either category, which meant it deserved a 4.5. Since I can’t give it that and since Christmas is coming, it gets a 5.
The room is filled with lots of natural light and is a perfect corner location in Downtown Oakland. The setting is pretty great.
Service was great. Drinks were always full and the food was served quickly.
I ordered Beignets, which were quite good. Fried dough is usually a winner and this was no different.
My entrée was the chicken and waffles, which isn’t usually my go-​to, but this was solid. The chicken was crisp and the waffle was the perfect soft pairing.
Ordered a side of bacon because it should be illegal not to have bacon with breakfast and it was much better than expected. This is really high quality stuff.
Again, no real knocks here. They checked all the boxes and the food was delicious.

I wasn’t really impressed with dinner.
The food was subpar, the price was pretty expensive for average food. Average $ 15 for small plate, $ 28 for main entrée. dinner price at Flora compared to Michelin star /​bib gourmand restaurants, your money is better spent elsewhere. And oh, undercooked chicken — resent back to kitchen. Twice!
The lighting could be brighter in the restaurant. Are we in a strip club? Although they had one tiny candle lit on every table, it was still dark. I saw two separate tables with senior citizens using a smartphone as a flashlight to read the menu. Sheesh.
However two big plus stars to our server last night. She was really great, and fantastic. Wonderful personality. Very accommodating. Thank you very much!

Pulled pork benedict was out of this world. The pulled pork was pure savory deliciousness!
Mimosas were on point.
Shrimp and grits were seasoned to perfection.
I will be back.

My friend brought me here many months ago as a farewell brunch of sorts and overall, it wasn’t the best brunch I’ve had (I was visiting from Brooklyn, the undisputed kingdom of brunch) and was content with the food here (when in doubt, go for the waffle) — the service could be a bit better in terms of timing and general vibe, but other than that, it’s a perfectly normal place to stop by. Maybe I’m too young to appreciate table clothes in restaurants but I’ll take a wooden bench and some french toast made with local, organic eggs and gently coated with fresh berries over anything any day so… perhaps I’m biased.

Solid, art deco-​esque venue that does a great job with either dinner or weekend brunch. Their take on chicken and waffles, for example, is solid, with the chicken fried to a delicious crisp on the outside while maintaining lovely juiciness on the inside. The beignets, meanwhile, are heavenly. It all pairs well with a refreshing mimosa, and there’s a good beer and wine menu too.
The ambience is lively without being overwhelming, as there are lots of smiling Oakland folks simply enjoying a nice meal and each others’ company. Service is knowledgeable and engaging too. Definitely recommended, especially if you’re in the area for a show at the Fox Theater or another venue.

It’s better than A-​OK, but I’m not really a full fledged brunch fan, and based on my very complex algorithm this place is somewhere between 3.2187 and 3.6339.
What works:
1. I really like French press coffee and this place has 16 oz and 32 oz pots. And whatever they brew, I like.
2. The pictures of their mini donuts. I poured over all the Unilocalers’ photos and I really want some of their donuts. But all they had was beignets, which I passed on. Maybe one day.
3. Shrimp and grits. A friend ordered it, and he let me try the grits, and I wished that I had ordered it. Darn.
What didn’t work:
1. Chive scramble with bacon and potatoes. Underwhelming. And kind of watery.
2. The large amount of mayonnaise on the BLT.
3. The overcooked, dry waffle that accompanied the fried chicken. I just have to say that if you’re making waffles, and it turns out that damn crunchy (and I actually cherish some crunch in my waff) you should throw it away, and start over. Or sell it as a frisbee. It’s like 8 cents of waffle batter you”re wasting, I promise. You will still make a profit on your $ 16 plate.

Granted we only had dessert here – salted caramel pudding. Omg thank you to our waitress, who looks a bit like Jennifer Garner, for being gracious about us stopping in for dessert! (Which I swear is the first time we’ve ever done this. We normally eat full meals. My gf just really wanted me to try the pudding.) You were so sweet!
The pudding itself was delish, although there was too much salt on top. We tried to mix it in to distribute it, but that was a mistake because then the whole pudding was really salty.
The atmosphere is postmodern and unusual, but actually a little staid. Could do with a few more decorations to fill out the cavernous space.
I’m looking forward to coming back to try more of the menu!

I’ve never been so torn – FLora gets 4.5 stars. Let’s start with the good first – the excellent, actually. The food here is amazing. Generally I liked my beignets filled with something that isn’t good for me, like Nutella or crawfish in a savory cream sauce. But nay, these beignets were simple and plain, with a lavish dusting of powdered sugar. Holy crap were they good. After bouncing back and forth for a long time between the shrimp & biscuits and potatoes O’brien, I went with the former and I regret nothing. What is the opposite of regret cause I’m that. It. Was. Delectable. The shrimp gravy was amazing. I don’t know how else to describe it. It was smoky but not spicy, and seasoned perfectly. There were also quite a few scrimps up in there but this may be because they were being generous because of how sweltering hot it was in there.
That, my friends, brings me to the bad. The bad came in the form of non-​insulated, partially tinted windows on a 100+ degree day. There wasn’t even a fan going in there. The ventilation was AWFUL, and the three of us were actively sweating just sitting there. At times, moving my plate so my sweat wouldn’t drip into it was severely interfering with my dining experience. I will say the staff was quick with refilling our water that we chugged almost immediately, but no one even addressed the fact that AC or a fan were absent. It’s like they were wishing it away. Well, news flash, you can’t wish away the napkins I stuffed under my pits! I may or may not have done that.
Other dishes at our table included the potatoes O’brien and chive scrambled eggs, both of which were also raved about. I would hands down come back here again, but only between October and February.

This is a great spot in Oakland’s Uptown neighborhood.
Creative drink menu, plenty of great top-​shelf and boutique liquors to choose from, tasty food options to nosh on, friendly staff. I will be back again and perhaps bring in a bit more detail and expand the review, just wanted to get this out there that it’s a spot you should bookmark for sure.

Restaurant Week 2015
$ 40 Dinner Option
Flora has been on my to-​try list, so I was excited about its participation in Restaurant Week. Even more exciting was their multi-​course menu, which allowed me to sample an array of dishes.
Atmosphere-​wise, it was an intimate, art-​deco place. It was too dark in there though. The place was lit by a single small candle on each table. We couldn’t really see what we were eating. (Also, this is why there are no pictures with this review). Overall, food was good with some misses.
Amuse
Parsnip purée with parsley oil (3.5÷5): Served in a tiny cup. Since it was dark, we didn’t realize the parsley oil was on the top and took a big sip of it. Bleh. Once we got to the purée, it was nice and sweet.
First Course
Dungeness crab cake (⁵⁄₅): Served with chicory, citrus salad and green goddess dressing. This was delicious! The crab cake was nicely fried and seasoned. The grapefruit and chicory were nice complements.
Intermezzo
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​mousse crostini (¹⁄₅): I don’t remember what this was on the menu. It was some sort of mousse on top of a crostini, topped with a sliver of fruit and heavily drizzled with some sort of oil. Bleh and bland. This was not good at all. We couldn’t taste what the mousse-​like thing was since it was overpowered by the oil. The crostini was too hard. Being that an intermezzo is typically a palate cleanser, this was anything but. After our meal, I still felt queasy by that oil.
Second Course
Grilled trout with artichoke spinach barigoule (⁴⁄₅): The menu advertised that it’s served with clams, but I was told no clams. The trout was grilled nicely, and the barigoule was delightful. The flavors were light.
Gnocchi with chicken and mushroom ragu (3.5÷5): The bf got the gnocchi and said it was too salty. I had a few bites and found it to be more flavorful compared to the trout. The chicken ragu was very tender. But I agree with the bf that it would be too salty if I had the dish to myself.
Dessert
Caramel pudding (⁵⁄₅): Served with toasted pecans, whipped cream and salt. This is also on the 7×7 Big Eat Oakland List. Yummy! The pudding was not too sweet. The pecans were freshly toasted. The salt was the best part!
Poppyseed cake with lemon meringue (²⁄₅): The cake was dry and the meringue was yolky.
I did like Flora and would like to come back for their regular menu. I just wish I can actually see what I’m eating! Haha.

One weekend night, I was feeling a little low key and wanted to try a spot that seemed a little more low key. Passing this joint before, I can tell it’s more of a high end type of place.
When you first walk in, you’ll notice the dim lighting throughout the place. This is definitely an intimate spot for date night or an elegant evening out. The cream colored walls, eclectic artwork, white table cloths and candles on each table is super consistent to the elegance of the restaurant. The bar has a low lit back lighting and the bartenders give off that speakeasy vibe. Super cool! The service seems to be top notch from both the wait staff and bar staff. I was sat at the end of the bar, closest to the service well and could hear a little bit of bickering with the wait staff. The servers seem to talk a little badly about other staff members and even guests. Might want to watch that, you never know who’s listening.
For my visit, I decided to get a few drinks and dessert. For my drink, I got the Gold Rush for $ 12: Four Roses single barrel bourbon, lemon and honey. This drink is on point! If you like bourbon, you need to try this one. The honey hint helps to make the bourbon manageable and the lemon presents a very clean taste. Loved it! For dessert, I got the chocolate pecan tart for $ 9: Cocoa nibs, brown butter caramel, spiced mascarpone cream, pecans in a tart shell. This dessert is awesome as well! The creamy, butter caramel was smeared all over the plate and really helped enhance the overall dish. The mascarpone cream was scooped onto the tart and really meshed well. This dessert is decadent and a wonderful delight!
I’m definitely coming back to try their full menu. Some of things really caught my eye and I’m sure it’s just as good as my drink and dessert combo. If you’re ever in this area, please come by and check them out. You will NOT be disappointed!

Delicious brunch, great staff, and an overall amazing experience at Flora.
The Chicken and Waffles dish was out of this world, so yummy! My girlfriend had the grass-​fed burger, no bun (due to allergies), and she loved it!
I appreciate when a restaurant can accommodate people with allergies or sensitivity to certain foods.
Also, our waitress was wonderful and delightful.
I’ll definitely be coming back on the regular.