Penrose

This is the most pretentious place I have ever had the unfortunate pleasure to eat at. Not only is the staff incredibly rude but their food is not up to par. If you are going to have a stick up your butts as a «foodie» spot at least have amazing meals to back it up. Their mackerel was literally inedible with the amount of salt poured on it and the waitress literally avoided the table when she noticed our meals weren’t touched. When she finally approached us she didn’t even make eye contact or ask us why our plates went touched. She merely grabbed our plates and brought our check. This was also a meal to celebrate a birthday and needless to say, it wasn’t a great celebration.

I was really expecting more, as a big fan of Pizzaiolo and Boot & Shoe. Food was very good once we finally got it (4 star worthy), but service was poor. We had a reservation, but still had to wait 30 minutes for a table. Granted, it was Oakland Restaurant week, so I understand the crowds, but that’s why we had a reservation! While waiting, we were offered seats at a side table, but it took 15 minutes to get a drink menu.
Table service was also slow. We were told that food would come out as it was fired (generally fine with this), but this seemed like an excuse to throw organization out the window… my pork chop game out at the same time as others’ salads, and their flatbreads didn’t come out for another 20 mins.

Pros: cocktails, service (mostly), crudo, steak, ambience
Cons: Largely overpriced dishes, haughty descriptions, half the dishes we tried were sadly subpar
We wanted to try a new restaurant so we made reservations at Penrose for 9:15 and wandered over. I had picked this place based on the possibility for live music and the vibe the place gave off. Totally forgot it was restaurant week, so it’s a good thing we made a reservation. Seated within 15 of the reservation, no problem.
The problem started when one of my friends I had wrangled into coming wanted to know what she was eating — hopefully on regular nights the staff has time to chat about this because we ended up sneakily googling all the food under the table as the restaurant was so busy. I say sneakily because electronic devices aren’t allowed on the table — which would be great if the menu was self explanatory.
Cocktails and selection were absolutely great.
Food:
Cauliflower soup — no — basically a bowl of unseasoned hot oil (consequently great for a sore throat!)
Flat bread with various dips — good overall — although for the price I was expecting something unique about the yogurt
12 oysters from hog island with rose mignonette — fantastic, recommend
Seabass crudo — good, would recommend
Lamb — sadly disappointing. At $ 30 – 34 a plate, there was barely enough even for one person. Winter veggies were good but overall under seasoned and not an exciting addition
Hanger steak with maitake mushrooms and chimichurri — heavy on the salt, but a beautiful cut and cook on it. Good and would recommend.
Overall, I’d recommend Penrose for drinks and oysters, and make sure you research the musical acts beforehand as well if that makes a difference, can be hit or miss. But the design and décor are good.

My friend and I went for a late dinner last night. We had a reservation. When we arrived the place was busy, and the hostess said that there was no table available (despite that, yes, we had made a reservation). She said that we could sit at the bar until something was available (you know, the way you wait for a table when you have not made a reservation). It was another twenty minutes until something opened up and the whole time I was muttering «I’m so hungry I could die» and my friend was muttering «I’m going to complain.» But our table came, and thankfully we weren’t going to be forced to sit at a loud communal table (who likes communal tables?). We had the albondigas (they’re meatballs, just call them meatballs!) and they were great. We also both got steak, which was well cooked with great chimichurri with assorted tasteless root vegetables. The food was pretty good, but they were out of many of the items we had wanted to try (flatbread, sweet potatoes). Plus having to wait for our reservation and the food (steak took it’s sweet time getting out to us), makes this a place I’d rather skip next time.
On a side note, the owner came out and announced to the whole room that they were going to be featuring «live» musicians at this restaurant and trying to keep this Oakland neighborhood was it has been and what it is. Ummm, ok. Then a bunch of white guys in their 20’s came out and started playing jazz. I think this restaurant (with $ 36 steaks) is exactly what is changing Oakland (for better or worse? who knows?). So own it. It felt a little delusional and manipulative. Plus, who needs live music in a restaurant that is also very, very loud?

Love the décor. Went on a Saturday night so it was busy. Kinda loud in the restaurant. Food… on point. It was very, very tasty. I had a delicious ricotta salad with pistachios, beets, grilled carrots, and pomegranates– yum. Grilled porkchop was also great. I’m actually salivating a little right now, thinking about it. I tried my friend’s bavette steak in chimichurri sauce with some kind of giant mushrooms– all of it, incredible. Oh and I also had a Pimm’s cup — ok maybe two that was refreshing and lovely. I definitely want to go back.

#4
My friend and I were celebrating a special day and the spot we chose was just closing (I blame him for wanting to watch the last few minutes of the GB/​Vikings game, but I am kinda guilty too, if the Hail Mary had happened… well you know), anyway we were next to Shakewell but then remembered Penrose. We ate there a few times about a year or so ago and I wanted to give it another chance. I have never had a bad experience at Penrose.
We parked down the street and had a tiny walk in the rain and arrived at Penrose about 9 or 9:30ish. The music was loud but really great. There was a live jazz band as you walk in behind the hostess stand. I love jazz and they were really providing some excellent music.
We were given a truly short wait, which was amazing as the place was absolutely packed to the walls. The hostess offered us a seat at a community table which I always appreciate – it reminds me of Germany where almost every place is community seating. We sat at the end of the long wooden table by the window. There was a tiny little candle, the place is dimly lit, the music was great and my company was top notch ;)
There is an open kitchen and a menu replete with options no matter what type of foods you are interested in, though the menu is small.
We first started out with cocktails. Their cocktail menu is pretty amazing. I did a fancy martini and he did a pisco sour. Both cocktails were delicious and refreshing.
Next, we moved on to starters. We shared a couple things:
Feta in Za’atar Oil
Grilled Flat Bread w Jam, Beet Purée, Hummus and Yogurt
The flat bread was grilled on an open flame lightly dusted with oil and salt. The freshly made Jam was intensely amazing, the hummus so fresh and that beet purée – I want to learn what their secret is – yumm yumm! That little jar of feta in za’atar was one of the best feta dishes I have ever tasted. I am a HUGE feta fan, it is pretty hard to impress me, but this was worthy of note. I think I could have done one more jar of it and been totally full. (In fact, I am headed to Oaktown Spice shop today to see if they carry za’atar so I can try and make it at home).
Finally, it was time for the main courses to arrive. We decided to share at this juncture of the meal as well:
Piri Chicken Kebob w Brussel Sprouts, Cauliflower and Harissa
Swordfish w Leeks, Beets, Jerusalem Artichoke, Olives and Lemon
The chicken was delicious. I know it was the harissa that set the dish off. Every time I am in the MIddle East I always try and smuggle harissa paste back. It is such a delicious accouterment to so many dishes I make at home. The way the Penrose chef chose to use it with the chicken kebob was delectable. Let me say this, even though the chicken was wonderful, the swordfish was some of the best fish I have ever tasted. It was salty, lemony, moist – basically perfect. The olives in the dish were outstanding. (I wish I was friends with the chef so I could steal a few secrets from him or her because this was a truly delicious meal).
By the end of our meal, the musicians were still playing, the various service professionals continued to visit us and bring things, remove things and check in on us. There really was a wonderfully romantic, yet energetic vibe to Penrose. I was almost happy we were too late at our first choice ;)
I will most definitely return and bring friends. I think the wait can get long here but go with community seating and you are in super fast. I think we waited less than 5 minutes.
Stephani Smiles for Penrose ;)
#bestmealsofarfor2016

This is what they call mixed grill. 3 pieces of meat with no taste and 2 disgusting sausages. This s**t for the price of 30 $. That means that with taxes and fucking tips this damn plate will cost to me 40 $.

Lovely décor, solid well-​executed food, but extremely small servings sizes– basically everything is small plates at full plate prices! ~$ 25-​$ 35 for 4 – 8 bites of a dish *might* be worth it if it’s foie gras, lobster tail, etc. but for short ribs? a portion of a pork chop? huhh? We ordered 6 dishes for 4 people and still left hungry. I’d consider coming back for happy hour since it’s walking distance from where I live, but not a full dinner.

Always a delightful experience! Visit if you want a fancy cocktail or excellent entrée. Attentive servers, and cool mis-​matched plates. Only dropping a star because the family style service means you never really know what course is going to come out when.

This is always a good pick. Pretty packed much of the time, but we have been able to just walk in and have dinner at the bar. Actually liked the bar area, since Hubby tends to not like communal tables. Big windows out to the street and even feels cosy. Food is comforting as well as the atmosphere. Open air prep with big wood fire oven. Service is good and the bartenders nice.

Went in here for a drink. the place seemed pretty fancy and charming. The menu items seemed pretty expensive and it seemed like all the regular drinks couldn’t be made how they’re supposed to.
For example. A tequila sunrise would need something besides OJ because they didn’t have any. No grenadine. because they have some kind of «nectar» instead. I don’t see how a place as fancy as this makes it so impossible to eat and drink something normal. I was a little disappointed but. the Bartender was very nice and friendly.
A nice environment if you’re not picky I guess. :)

The place was simple yet elegant in that exposed raw materials kind of way. I liked the variety of seating. There was bar seating, a little nook, communal hi-​top tables, and dinner tables.
The drinks were fantastic (!!!) and the desserts were solid. Great evening spot, especially when there is live music.

Upon checking in for our 7:30 reservation, we were told our table would be ready momentarily. After an hour passed, the diners were still at our designated table. Much to the restaurants credit, the bartender opened the bottle of wine we had brought with no corkage fee and also brought us a side of warm castelverano olives plus a plate of grilled flatbread with her jam, beet purée, eggplant and yogurt at no charge. This kind gesture made the wait doable. When four seats opened at a communal table, we asked if we could take those and were seated immediately. Our reserved table actually didn’t become available until we were almost finished with our meal so we were happy that we chose the communal table. Obviously, a restaurant can’t ask diners to leave because another reservation is waiting. We were happy with the professional manner in which the staff at Penrose handled our situation. Our orders were brought swiftly. The Fuju persimmon with fennel and pistachio was a delightful beginning as was the marinated beets, leeks, and cauliflower. Tokoyo turnips with sea salt and olive oil arrived hot and tasty. The men in our party were not enthralled with the grilled Monterey bay squid dish indicating that it wasn’t warm enough and the squid was very rubbery. The local swordfish with fried artichokes, green olives, lemon and faro was a huge hit. The mixed grill of don Watson lamb with winter vegetables could have used a bigger lamb chop, yet the flavors were complex and delicious. The menus change daily and Penrose sources it’s produce, eats, poultry, and fish from sustainable farms. We loved watching the open flames of the ovens. This place is popular and jumping. Make a reservation, but prepared to wait.

I finally tried Penrose. Surprised it’s not rated higher. I read some of the other reviews and it sounds like people have fallen out of love. As a newbie, I’m mostly judging it on the food, which is what matters most to me. Everything was really well executed, super seasonal, nice portions. They just didn’t miss a beat.
Started with persimmon salad with fennel and some unknown flower on it that tasted great. Then smooth tuna crudo with celery and lemon. Exquisite! Harissa potatoes — super crispy, great flavor, just the right amount of heat. Main course was a pork chop with more fennel (yay), radicchio, and some other delicious sauce. I could have eaten two of them.
Yes, it wasn’t cheap, but no more than a number of other fancy end restaurants in the East Bay. It’s really a 4.5. Only points off were for slightly undercooking the pork chop and I thought some of the design choices were trying a little too hard. They also kind of messed up a drink order, but then were classy enough to comp it – style points! I want to go back on a Saturday night. I think this place might be a 5 for realz!

Food is great, prices are very high. It’s hard to evaluate the quality: price ratio when the two quantities being compared are off scale.
Four of us consumed two glasses + one bottle of wine, a bowl of warm olives (yum!), three salads (persimmon-​fennel, little gem, ricotta), one side (squash +…), a lamb mixed grill and a plate of petrole sole. The tastes were fantastic, the quantities rather limited. You pay a lot to sit there.
The room is beautiful — exposed brick and wooden beams (which look new). It’s all perfect and now almost a cliché. This is the place to take a prospective employee who currently lives in Brooklyn. All you need is an expense account!

Penrose is unfortunately going downhill, mainly because of service. I have dined there many times. Recently, on two separate occasions the manager/​host «Demetry» was rude, discourteous, and dismissive. He is clearly miserable in his job and takes it out on the customers. I am not willing to experience his nastiness for a third time and therefore will not go back until he has moved on.
The food is OK, but nothing outstanding. If you like loud jazz music, and not being able to talk with others at your table then this is the place for you. For the money, you are better off paying a dominatrix to torture you.

I really really want to love this place more because of the amazing job they’ve done with the venue here, what with the beautiful wood-​fired oven, open-​air preparation area, and décor that calls into mind the entrances to Paris metro stations. And the ambience is always busy and lively too.
If the menu is any indication, the food sure sounds tempting and even slightly ever so pretentious. Although the execution looks beautiful, the dishes I had didn’t really hit a home run, whether a luscious-​looking avocado and beet appetizer that wasn’t all that memorable going down, a steak entrée that was both too raw and had too much inedible tissue in it, and a strawberries and cream dessert that was merely OK.
Perhaps the saving grace is a lovely cocktail menu, so at least the bar is a good bet.

Penrose is bumping on a Sunday eve. The ambiance is *exactly* what you’d expect to find in a Bay Area hipster establishment: mustachioed bartenders, communal tables, exposed brick, antique lighting, warehouse vibe. Not to be outdone, dishes are *exactly* what you’d expect to find on a Bay Area hipster menu. Familiar buzzwords include little gem, smashed potatoes (because mashed potatoes are so 90s), locally-​sourced-​sustainable, braised things, pickled things (watermelon rinds!), and «fried summer squash and their blossoms.»
Drinks are high-​quality with price tags to match. Expect to pay $ 12 and up for a glass of wine or a shmancy cocktail. There’s live music on certain nights, but there’s no schedule posted online. Dishes are fun, flamboyant, delicious, and unexpected. Meat options include lamb, quail and pork chop, and there are a variety of local seafood options (here’s hoping they’re not from Lake Merritt. Shudder).
A good option for a romantic dinner, drinks with friends, or a beer on a sunny Saturday.

Penrose has been a bookmark for me since they opened, but kept bumping it, due to their ‘no reservation’ policy. In the last year they went live on Open Table. Hooray!
Menu is ever changing. Looking on their site will give you an IDEA of their offerings, had my heart set on salmon and whole trout. NADA.
I like to PLAN. In this case, it was nice to deviate, I was able to try items I didn’t overthink in my head the night before AND it was delightfully good!
Ordered:
–Blue heron farms little gems with crème fraiche, dill cherry tomatoes and ricotta salata, buttery leaves and a rich dressing balanced with the dill and pop of the tomatoes
–Piel de sapo melon, kadota figs, jamon serrano & crema, beautiful dish, kind of wish we stuck this at the end, could SO be a pseudo dessert
–Halibut crudo with avocado, cucumber, green coriander, ginger, get ready for a WHOLE avocado in your mouth, they don’t skimp on that! Super light and gently graced with spices
–Penrose albondigas & minted yogurt, tender balls of meatiness and pine nuts interwoven
–Milk fed lamb tartare with green olives, fried sunchokes, fine herbs and grilled bread, loved the entire meal, but if asked, this would be my favorite, best lamb tartare, perfection, must order
A glass of pinot gris and pinot noir were great pairings with this selection.
Service is straightforward and super professional. I was wavering between two whites and the server offered to bring over both for me to try before buying. Nice! After my selection, she asked for my permission to pour into the same glass I sampled from. THAT is respecting your customer. THANKS.
An improvement: switch out plates in between courses, or at least once during the meal.
Cautionary note: portions are TAPAS sized here, I would say 2 – 3 pp would be a nice light meal.
LOVED this meal. From the service, to the airy space and how surprisingly light and satisfied I felt after this meal. Rare is it that restaurants are able to bring flavor without all the guilt associated. On my Oakland short list. Great, great eats.

Beautiful space, long wooden tables and dim lights. An open kitchen with a wood fire grill blaring. Great music on at the right volume too! I just had such a great time here.
Lots to share and service was good. They were attentive but not overbearing.
Red wine and warm olives to start.
Arugula salad with watermelon radish was refreshing and had pomegranate that pops in your mouth.
Brussels sprouts with shaved parm, wasn’t my favorite but still good. A tad salty, unevenly salted.
Big bowl of mussels with grilled bread. So good that we asked for more toast and they brought so much out. No charge. Yay!
We also had a fried chicken dish and it tasted like really good chicken karaage.
We really enjoyed our dinner at Penrose.