The 39 best views, scenic lookouts, and viewpoints in Oakland (2024)

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From the Central Valley and dinner plans in the City fell through and I wanted Clam Chowder. Looked on Yelp and this place had good reviews. Headed there around 7pm knowing they closed at 9, according to Google. Get there and parking was surprisingly easy. Didn't have reservation so 45 minute wait. Longer than I wanted but just came from the City so I'll wait. Seated and it's now after 8. Beautiful view on water. That view was the best thing about the place. Our server had only us out there on water and seemed to forget. We ordered 2 bowls of clam chowder, loaf of bread, and fish and chips to share. About 10 minutes later our server said the kitchen was out of chowder. Literally the only thing I wanted but I do realize it was late so we asked for a few minutes to peruse the menu. My teen didn't see anything else she wanted so she settled on her own fish & chips. The server took a very long time to head back and we told her "just another fish & chips." Our bread finally comes. It's grilled AND cold. Hmm...weird. Then, after another long wait, one plate of fish & chips arrives. We said we ordered 2. The guy says he will let the server know. After another long wait our server comes over and says she misunderstood and will tell kitchen to rush another plate. My teen eats the first plate and I get mine about 15 minutes later with an apology. Check comes for $60. I thought maybe they'd comp something or discount but no. I left unimpressed. Especially after I visited the disgusting restroom on my way out. Go for the view, if you must, but nothing special otherwise.

At the Lake Chalet Restaurant with my old pal Fathead Marlow we were at his favorite jazz joint listening to one of the best horns in the country until about 2am last night and nothing goes better to fix a hangover than a bigass fried chicken sandwich, that's for sure.The food was amazing as well as the service. 5 stars ☆☆☆☆☆

This is another gem of the Bay Area that I would skip over without thinking of trying. We finally decided to give it a try. We had the chicken with green beans and potatoes. This was 2/3 out of 5. It was truly bland. I had to add to a of salt pepper and hot sauce to get flavor. The flat iron steak was tender, but didn’t have an iota of seasoning. Again, super bland. We also tried The Lake breakfast. It was room temperature, but tasty.The star of this visit was the manager Dee who came around and did phenomenal service check/ recovery. The staff was the best part of this place. Definitely a must try once if you’re around the lake.

Our waiter had a switch and our oysters on the half shell got lost. I had the shrimp lobster roll and not sure what kind of bread roll was called a roll. But a great view of the lake and a cold beer made the atmosphere wonderful

Awesome views outside on the waterfront of Lake Merritt, downtown Oakland while you dine. I can highly recommend my selections:SEAFOOD DEVILED EGGS (Chefs Special Selection)CRAB + BRIE STUFFED SALMONStuffed with Crab, Brie & Artichoke, Lyonnaise Potato and a Lemon Butter SauceBlack Cherry Cheesecake

The atmosphere is the best part of Lake Chalet. This place is nice to have drinks and drinks only... The food is meh... No flavor... Very basic.. boring. Nothing special. I've had better food at an Oakland buffet.🙄

OK, let me start by saying this...This is a review I WISH I read before visiting this place.I regret to say our much-anticipated date night was marred by a disappointing visit to this restaurant. Here’s how the evening unfolded:- Initial Welcome: We were greeted by a hostess who seemed indifferent to our arrival. Her vague comment, "There's no telling when we can seat you," set a disheartening tone, yet we decided to wait, hoping the night would turn around.- Long Wait: After more than an hour, we were finally seated. The dining room was lively, but we felt isolated as service staff bustled around us, seemingly oblivious to our presence.- Service Oversight: It took a significant effort and patience from my wife to catch the attention of a waitress. Once she came over, she admitted that she hadn’t been informed we were waiting.- Food Quality: The dishes we ordered lacked flavor, which was surprising given the appealing menu descriptions. Even as someone who typically avoids adding salt, I found myself reaching for the shaker, trying to salvage an otherwise bland meal.- Neglected Requests: Initially, we were told our water would be right out, but it never arrived. After a lengthy wait, we had to ask a passing busboy, who kindly brought us some water.- Lack of Empathy: Expressing our disappointment to the waitress elicited a lukewarm apology at best. Her response, "Sorry, can I take your plates?" felt dismissive, especially since our food was largely untouched.- Unhelpful Management: In search of some resolution, we approached the manager. Although polite, she offered only excuses, citing her newness and the restaurant’s busyness as reasons for our poor experience.This was supposed to be a special evening, but it ended with us feeling overlooked and undervalued. For those looking for a memorable dining experience, I would recommend considering other venues.

Absolutely, not an escape from the ordinary. It's very subpar for the price. Cold fish tacos on taco Tuesdays, the Ceasar salad has no punch. The dressing tasted like flavorless Mayo. The sauce that comes with the truffle fries was good, though. Service smh... With service this bad, the food should at least be good. In my 4 visits, I don't recommend any of the food on the menu, not even the cheesecake brownie. The drinks are the highlight of every expensive meal I've had here. I think I've finally learned how to save money, I'll go for the fries and cocktails, that's it.

Seriously. Why is management allowing such an establishment to be so… below mediocre. This is prime real estate and I’ve recently came back here for a second time and I was reminded of why I won’t be returning back again. The service could’ve been better. Again, management needs to do better on scoping how many people should be working and when. The servers are nice but overly worked and SLOW. And the food…… just embarrassing!! You come here for a nice view. The venue is to die for. The food, however, will kill your good vibe. DO NOT COME HERE EXPECTING GOOD FOOD.

I was still hungry after paying for my almost $60 dollar meal. 3 spears of asparagus and a small 3 oz steak 4 PCs of shrimp. My boyfriend took me here I loved my time with him. But you will still be hungry after eating here

I was looking for someplace nice to take the family and was not disappointed. The atmosphere is excellent and the staff was attentive. The toughest decision was whether to eat outside on the dock or indoor overlooking the lake. Both the food and drink had excellent flavor and presentation.

The service at Lake Chalet restaurant was incredibly disappointing, from the hostess to the manager. My dinner date with my husband on May 11, the day before Mother’s Day, was completely ruined. We waited almost 1.5 hours before being seated and another 20 minutes before I managed to flag down a waitress. It took an additional 15 minutes just to get water. After waiting about an hour for our food, it arrived bland and lukewarm. I could only manage two bites before complaining about the tastelessness of the dish, to which the waitress nonchalantly asked if she could clear it away.After settling the bill, we spoke with the manager, Dee, who was unapologetic and dismissive, attributing the poor service to being understaffed. Her lack of concern was startling. The hostess was equally unprofessional; she initially refused to seat us, claiming she couldn’t find our reservation in her system. It was only after I showed her my online reservation that she reluctantly seated us, handling the menus immaturely.If I were the owner, I would prioritize hiring a manager with better interpersonal and management skills, a more competent chef, and a friendlier staff. The location might be great, but the service and food were the worst I’ve experienced in this area. If you’re considering dining here, I suggest you save your time and choose a place where you can at least expect better food or service, because you certainly won’t find it here.

One of my favorite spots with a great view in OaklandOutdoor seating is lakeside, and there's heaters for added comfort.Service was great, food was delicious and parking was fairly easy for a Saturday evening.

The Lake Chalet is a massive restaurant...tons of space with beautiful outdoor seating. It is, however, very dated. The inside of the restaurant has an odor...fairly certain it's the aged carpet. All staff were very friendly and our waiter was helpful in recommending favorites. My dish, Ahi Tuna Bowl, was mediocre, but my friend had good things to say about the salmon. The butter cake was tasty. I would frequent this restaurant again, but only for outside seating.

Food is great. But when I visited during happy hour today, the bartender was extremely rude to multiple guests at the bar. He made several sarcastic comments that were super off-putting. Whenever anyone asked questions about the food menu (they serve food at the bar), he responded passive aggressively and reminded them he is responsible for making drinks only. I wanted to order the seafood deviled eggs, but he couldn't tell me what type of seafood was in them and wasn't willing to find out?? At one point, he told a guest who was trying to get his attention that he "had about a hundred other things to do." He was also pretty mean to a couple who came in at the end of happy hour and couldn't decide what to order (although this was kinda their fault too). I've been here a handful of times, and although the service is typically a bit slow, I'd never experienced anything like this before. Makes me think they are probably very understaffed. The host was sweet, though! TLDR: come for the food, but don't expect the best service.

I’ve passed the location on numerous times and finally decided to dine there. Very impressed with the staff, views, and the food was so good!! Definitely would go back again.

We were traveling with the UT Men’s lacrosse team and the restaurant and the manager Kevin could not have been more wonderful!! They set the parents in a private room and the team all in one area!The food, drinks & service were exceptional! If you are having any kind of event this is the place!!

I recently had to join a work Zoom call and charge my phone at this location.- The top floor offers a spacious and comfortable setting with great views- The fish and chips they serve are beer-batter-delicious- The servers are attentive and understanding (allowed me to have the privacy I needed to focus on my work during the Zoom call- The view was beautiful, showcasing the natural beauty of the lake that was not visible during my zoom call but left a lasting impression on me

Nice place to have a late lunch at a bar. Plus, it also has a great view. Very happy with my first experience and looking forward to more!

1520 Lakeside Dr, Oakland, CA 94612, USA•http://www.thelakechalet.com/•(510) 208-5253•