Love it or hate it, Valentine’s Day is nearly upon us.
This is possibly exciting news for long-term partners or newly-fledged situationships. But if you’re single, it might be a little stressful — and maybe you’re wondering if there’s still time to ask someone out on a cute Valentine’s date. There are dating apps, sure, but the East Bay is brimming with romance, and if you know where to look, finding your next Valentine’s Day date IRL is completely achievable.
Here are some of Nosh’s favorite East Bay spots for making new connections.
Berkeley Thai Buddhist Temple (Wat Mongkolratanaram)
Hear me out: there’s almost nothing that says love at first sight like sharing heaping plates of authentic Thai food on communal tables with friends and strangers alike. Wat Mongkolratanaram, Berkeley’s Thai Buddhist temple, is definitively the place to do this. Every Sunday, scores of people across all age groups dig into noodles, curry, Thai tea and dessert items freshly made by the temple’s monks. It’s cash only — you exchange cash for tokens, which are used to pay for the food — and it’s best to show up on the earlier side, around 10:30 a.m., to avoid long lines. Tables are long and the place gets packed, so you’re sure to elbow up next to someone you haven’t met before.
Wat Mongkolratanaram, 1911 Russell St. (at Martin Luther King Jr. Way), Berkeley
Best Friends
Wine bars are an obvious choice for sparking new romantic connections, but Best Friends, the Albany wine bar and specialty goods shop, is a standout in this category. Beyond serving wine, beer and small bites, Best Friends offers ample opportunity to meet people at their many public events. Go meet a cutie at one of its secondhand markets! Fall in love at a winemaker talk! Hit it off at a comedy show! The opportunities are endless here. And even if you’d prefer to just hang at the bar for a drink or two, there’s something about this place that makes it feel like you and your neighbor might walk away as more than just friends.
Best Friends, 901 San Pablo Ave. (at Solano Avenue), Albany
Clio’s Books
If there’s anywhere in Oakland to make a good romantasy come to life, it might be Clio’s, the bar/bookstore named for the Greek muse of history. The low lighting here is about as romantic as it gets, and the big, cozy armchairs were made for unwinding with a drink and a good read. Clio’s has a full bar and offers small bites like cheese plates and olives, so despite the emphasis on reading here, it’s still a great setting to meet fellow book lovers and cocktail connoisseurs alike. Better yet, Clio’s implores its dear readers to resist using phones and laptops while in the space. (I think we can all agree that screen-free romance is the best kind of romance.) Who knows? You might just kick off a love story that’s better than fiction.
Clio’s Bookstore, 353 Grand Ave. (at Perkins Street), Oakland
Faction Brewing
I am a firm proponent of drinking al fresco, as this may be the most effective way to turn strangers into friends and friends into lovers. There’s just something about a 65-degree day, sunshine and sweeping Bay views that pairs well with a cold beer and the thrill of new romance on the horizon. Faction Brewing in Alameda delivers all of this, plus loaded bar food like the blueberry burger, garlic fries, falafel and crispy fried Brussels sprouts. Pour up a Pils, chat with your neighbors and see where the day takes you — this area is ideal for bar-hopping, with Almanac Brewing, Saltbreaker and the St. George distillery all within walking distance.
Faction Brewing, 2501 Monarch St., Alameda
The Factory Bar
If you’re laughing, you’re more likely to make a romantic connection. It’s science. Laughter facilitates the release of endorphins, which in turn helps build emotional bonds, reduce stress, and make it easier to connect with others. Every first Wednesday of the month, Richmond’s Factory Bar hosts a comedy night, including some shows headlined by comics with Netflix and HBO specials. On Feb. 4, Paul Conyers, whose debut stand-up special “Above The Fray” can be found on Amazon Prime, will take the stage. Even if you can’t make the comedy show, the Factory Bar is still fertile ground for sowing the seeds of a new relationship. The truly brave can turn out for Tuesday karaoke nights to cast a siren song on fellow singles in the crowd with their best ballad. The bar also hosts a rotating cast of food trucks, and frequently schedules DJs and live music (especially on Thursday nights), so there is always something new to spark up a conversation about.
The Factory Bar, 12517 San Pablo Ave., Richmond
La Loulou
In true French fashion, I do think La Loulou really is for lovers. The beauty of this Parisian-inspired, Art Nouveau wine bar is matched only by its stellar French wine program, which was highly praised by voters in last year’s Nosh awards. (A newcomer to the scene, La Loulou took home the title of the East Bay’s best wine bar). It’s so flush with patrons on weekends that crowds often spill out onto the sidewalk, cab sauvs and pinot noirs in hand. There is, of course, an inherent romance — or perhaps a certain je ne sais quoi — to sipping wine on the sidewalk as the sun sets on Piedmont Ave.
La Loulou, 4250 Piedmont Ave., Oakland
Jupiter
The Garden of Eden-esque quality to Jupiter, Berkeley’s mainstay brewery, is all I really need to be convinced that love exists. And yes, I believe you can find it here, amongst the hanging vines and wood-fired pizzas on a languid evening. Each pie is named for a celestial body (Andromeda, Pluto, etc.), which seems like a clear sign that this is the place for star-crossed lovers to meet. Also, you get free drink refills here. Sounds like real love to me.
Jupiter, 2181 Shattuck Ave. (at Allston Way), Berkeley
Small Change Oyster
If you’re a seafood lover, Small Change Oyster has all the right ingredients for meeting a future Valentine’s date. There’s intimate indoor bar seating, which provides ample opportunity for solo diners to strike up conversation. There’s also the outdoor patio space, which is perfect for intermingling in larger groups. Natural wine is as abundant here as the fresh oysters, clam chowder and fish and chips. If seafood isn’t your style, the chicken wings, salads and garlic parm fries are there for you. But by the way: oysters are aphrodisiacs. Just thought you should know!
Small Change Oyster, 5000 Telegraph Ave. (between 49th and 51st), Oakland
Viridian
I can’t think of a bar much sexier than Viridian, where tequila tomato beef cocktails, caramelized crab sauce wings and miso garlic noodles nearly outshine the splendor of the interior neon blues and pinks. Nearly. I do think the food and cocktails are the main draw here, but the atmosphere undoubtedly is the right one for cultivating meet-cutes and stealing glances across the bar. Again, solo diners and bigger groups all thrive here, so be prepared for anything. And if you’ve met someone and really want to sweeten the deal, order the Pandan créme brûlée and thank me later.
Viridian, 2216 Broadway (at Grand Ave. and 22nd), Oakland
