East Bay Spice Company
| Address: | 2134 Oxford St, Berkeley, CA 94720, USA |
| Site: | eastbayspicecompany.com |
| Rating: | 4.2 |
| Working: | 4PM–2AM 4PM–2AM 12PM–2AM 12PM–2AM 12PM–2AM 12PM–2AM 12PM–2AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 35
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D Read
In the categories this place is listed as "Indian Restaurant," and you will indeed find some excellent curries here--but East Bay Spice Company is much more than a restaurant. The front/downstairs is a top quality cocktail bar, with high end cocktails based on house recipes, plus a unique and sophisticated selection of indie beers, not to mention a full selection of all of the brown and clear liquors you could want. I spent two evenings at the bar on a recent trip to Berkeley, and I was most impressed with not only the level of service but the overall quality of the whole experience. At the same time, I did not at any point get a hint of snobbishness or attitude. Skip the bars where the people are stacked three deep trying to get a Jack and Coke and check this place out. And oh yeah, they have a very nice menu of Indian food, with a dining room upstairs and seating on the sidewalk. I did not try everything, but all the cooking smells are amazing.
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Tiana Buttice
I have yet to actually eat here but I have seen many of the plates and they all look and smell amazing. My review is mostly about their drinks. They serve very atypical drinks, all of which are very unique. Be careful because some of them are legitimately spicy... All drinks are nicely garnished. They use fresh ingredients, fresh squeezed juice, etc. They dont offer any drinks that require traditional mixers, energy drinks, etc., which actually kind of bummed me out. While I like their atmosphere and what theyre doing with the place I dont know that its exactly my style. Im leaving a good review but personally I feel like they try a bit too hard to fancy up their drinks, which to me makes them taste bizarre. If youre into that sort of thing then go check this place out lol. Will update when I try their food.
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D B
The chicken tikka grilled plate is great. Its a lot of food and served with naan and very filling. The drinks are lovely too. The place is a bit too loud for my taste - loud music thats not conducive to conversation. Also the crowd skews very young - college students and twenty somethings. Still its a nice stop if youre going to events nearby.
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Zia m
I had high hopes but they fell flat. When we walked in, the bartender was yelling (quietly) at the cook. The restroom was disgusting and the chiken tikka masala didnt taste right, something was definitely wrong with it. The only thing I Can say is that the drinks that were being made looked and sounded fantastic. I still wont return though.
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Patrick Haywood
Fresh herbs and house made syrups make for deliciously balanced and spiced cocktails. High quality liquors sourced by a knowledgeable staff. Amazing Indian food. I stumbled upon this place just wondering around Berkeley, and it ended up being a highlight to my trip in the Bay Area.
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Rishi Chopra
Had an order of the Saag Paneer (~$8): spinach cooked with mild cheese cubes and hot spices. Also had an order of the Tikka Masala (~$9): sauce made of homemade yogurt and spices with protein. Food was delicious, staff was tattooed, and the ambiance was eye-opening.
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Kyle Fletcher
Terrible, they put chicken on a vegetarian dish. Messed up the order as the waiter was attempting to do it by memory and then gave us a bill without service, but demanded service on the final bill resulting in one persons card being charged all service.
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Danell Danielsen
Great spirits and Indian Street food.......the servers Umbar sp? And Alexis were great...one of my best experiences....I heard this is the local hang out for people in this industry....I think I know why...royal treatment for sure! Thank You
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Thomas Vogt
Chill atmosphere and wide variety of drinks. Sit upstairs to people watch or get to know people at the bar. They also play a movie on the wall for extra entertainment. Cocktails are a little over $10, with tasty, Indian-based bar foods.
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Ralph Capper
Friendly and cool, a selection of very classy cocktails and some craft ales. We at sat the bar and had pakoras as a snack which were outstandingly good - a seriously good interpretation of the ubiquitous snack.
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Ashesh Goswami
A good place to grab a drink, enjoy some light food, and hang out. Has some really nice pakodas, and chicken tacos. Open late, and is very close to the campus. Good service and a good ambience.
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Alexander Pinigis
A great place for tasty, original cocktails and good food. The chicken tikka masala pizza is the ideal drunken bar food. Seating is fairly limited, but theyve added more outside, which has helped.
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Natalie Vi
Best kind of cocktails made in Berkeley. Good wine selection as well. The bartenders are artists, they are consistent with making quality cocktails. Be kind and tip them well if you come here.
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Chris Holdgraf
They have really delicious and fancy cocktails here, and surprisingly tasty indian food too (though its definitely more cocktail bar than indian food place). Its all pretty expensive though...
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Simon Maude
Great cocktails, good happy hour, super knowledgeable and passionate staff. Ive only had one meal there (many drink only visits) which was great but will definitely be eating again
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Cyrus Nazarian
A Berkeley treasure in the making! Stellar cocktails, delicious dishes, friendly staff and awesome Dj appearances make this place shine. Finally a quality bar in South Berkeley!
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Greg Douglas
Fantastic exotic cocktails and a different sort of bar snacks. Only draw back is that it can be slow if there are a few other people because the drinks take a long time to make.
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Matthew Smithdeal
Great cocktails and the servers are all super friendly. We got a free pizza because some other table didnt want it and it was incredibly delicious. Really lovely atmosphere.
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Prasanna Bhogale
I had the chicken tikka masala and it compares well with any Ive had outside India. The service was friendly and the samosa was good too. Nice vibe to the place
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Abuahmd Alzhrani
Theives they charged me more than 10 $ more The food is not good my stomach is hurting me I need a restroom Waiters r rude
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Bradford Gibbons
Quite an interesting in-house cocktail selection. Unfortunately, none are very good or memorable. Their outside seating needs lighting.
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Stephen Taylor
Delicious cocktails, really tasty food, cool layout (although somewhat small) and the kind of service that makes you want to come back.
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Vanessa Solis
I have yet to try their food, but their cocktails are amazing and innovative. They also show movies on the wall next to the staircase.
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Garin Anderson
Great place for drinks and a good atmosphere to go along. If you are hungry they have delicious food. Usually busy with college scene.
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Seiyonne Suriyakumar
Spice themed cocktail menu is awesome here, bartending staff uses super fresh ingredients and can make a great custom drinks off menu
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Troy Trevino
Delicious modern Indian fare in a hip environment. The service is usually lacking and the wait for a table can be long though.
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Philipp Urban
Charging $12 for a mediocre cocktail and adding 20% gratuity without even asking is just ridiculous.
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K. Taylor
Love the food, decor, drinks, and the staff! Great experience! Best part is, theyre open late!!!
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William Lee
We only had the night menu, but everything was good. Except for the very limited fare.
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Jon H
Great place for cocktails. Very friendly staff, experienced bar tenders.
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Stephen Flanagan
Nice decor, but frankly the food was mediocre, not authentic Indian fare
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Shlomi Fruchter
Bartenders ignore you, you cant have your drink out side. Awfully slow.
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Nuria Vendrell Llopis
Went here for a cocktail. Over crowded and pricy. Food look good though.
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Matt Trifiro
Great spirit-forward drinks with solid Indian street food to go with it
MA
Mary Kaizer
Amazing Indian food ,amazing Tacos ,cool pepole ,and lovely Cocktail
