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19 Great Private Dining Rooms in the East Bay

White tablecloths, pretty patios, and more

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The days of hosting elaborate dinner parties in your own home are over — at least, for most of us in the increasingly expensive East Bay and its complementary small living spaces. Luckily, more and more restaurants are building out their spaces with private dining options in mind. Whether you’re looking for a large space for a formal engagement, a lovely patio for a low-key party, or an intimate room for a family holiday gathering, one of these 19 restaurants with great private dining rooms in Oakland, Berkeley, Emeryville, and Alameda should suit your needs.

Looking for private dining rooms in SF? We have those recommendations, too.

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Revival Bar + Kitchen

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Local, seasonal, California fare is the focus at Revival, which offers a beautiful private room with exposed brick and white tablecloths — prime for a special occasion. It comfortably seats 15 to 40 guests.

Located inside a LEED-certified building, hyper-sustainable restaurant Gather offers few dining options for large groups hankering for its Californian cuisine. The open-air patio — with a fire pit lounge — seats 24 guests. The bar area can be reserved for 30 people, standing, drinking, and nibbling on bites. And groups of 24 to 40 guests can be seated on a semi-private, separate end of the main dining room.

Henry's

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Burgers are a highlight at Chris Kronner’s follow-up to Kronnerburger, but Henry’s also serves a wide range of creative salads, small plates, and entrees befitting of a celebration. The old college pub has been totally redesigned into a bright, airy space, including the Durant Room, which can seat up to 50 people.

Albert Law

Gio’s Pizza and Bocce

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Gio’s is a hip Italian restaurant and amaro-focused bar — yes, with an indoor bocce court — in the former Giovanni’s space. A fire burned down most of that historic restaurant, but the new owners kept the entire back dining room intact, which now serves as an old-school, wood-paneled private room, seating about 28 guests.

Gio’s Pizza and Bocce

Oliveto

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Head to stalwart Italian restaurant Oliveto’s upscale Siena Room upstairs for groups of 12 to 28 people. You’ll collaborate with the chef on a four-course menu for dinner or a three-course menu for lunch, with the option of ordering a special cake through the restaurant’s pastry team or adding wine pairings.

As with the San Francisco location, Rockridge’s A16 also serves lovely Neapolitan pizza, pasta, and wine — and offers a private dining room. This one seats 20 to 40 guests.

Trader Vic's Emeryville

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Perhaps no other restaurant on this list offers such festive environs. Trader Vic’s has four private and semi-private dining rooms, ranging from seating 10 to 100, with nautical, tiki, and old world decor. Within those rooms, there are also a lot of options for menus and service styles.

Z Cafe & Bar

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Z Cafe & Bar sits inside a 1925 Beaux Arts building, with huge windows and tile floors that echo a Parisian cafe. That extends to the private room, which seats up to 20 people.

Mua Oakland

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Thanks to its unusually expansive, industrial layout, Mua is a favorite for private events because it offers several rooms of varying sizes across multiple levels. The eclectic menu hits everything from bone marrow toast to chicken milanese to Moroccan lamb tagine.

Hopscotch

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Hopscotch has a whole annex located one door down from the main restaurant, with a full bar and a funky but elegant aesthetic. It seats 30 people, and the Hopscotch team will work with you on a pre-fixe menu or family-style feast costing anywhere from $28 to $60 per person.

Barlago

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Italian spot Barlago is ready to host parties in its private room, which can seat 25 people, with a few set menu options ranging from $22 to $40 per person. Choose from deviled eggs, smoked salmon pizza, and spaghetti carbonara — plus access to a full bar.

Shinmai

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Shinmai serves nontraditional izakaya fare, ramen, sake, and cocktails in a sleek, dark, and moody setting. The private room in the back can seat up to 24 guests.

Jeremy Chiu

For tapas, paella, and other Spanish fare in a gorgeous Art Deco building, look no further than Duende. The restaurant’s mezzanine can seat 45 people, and you can add the bodega side to seat an additional 15.

Itani Ramen

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Decked out in red lanterns and a private bar, Itani Ramen’s Genki Room is a festive spot for ramen and izakaya plates. It seats 26 people, and menu options start at $25 per person.

Mockingbird

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With its exposed brick walls and tasty bistro fare, Mockingbird makes for a warm and welcoming private party destination. Events take place upstairs on the mezzanine overlooking the rest of the restaurant, and it seats up to 30 people.

Peony Seafood Restaurant

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Whether it’s for dim sum or large Cantonese banquets, Peony has remained a staple in Oakland Chinatown. The restaurant does plenty of private events — and weddings — and has an opulent private room with gold walls and 60 seats.

Lungomare

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Lungomare not only attracts diners for its solid Italian fare but its enviable waterfront views on Jack London Square. It also comes with multiple private dining options, including a dining room that seats up to 40 people and a large patio that seats up to 80.

Pacific Lighthouse

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This enormous Cantonese banquet restaurant sits along the water in Alameda and can fit 500 people across its many private rooms on two different floors. With its size and huge chandeliers, it’s popular for weddings, but Pacific Lighthouse’s delicate dumplings, roasted meats, and seafood fetched from a tank suit many occasions.

Trabocco Kitchen and Cocktails

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Alameda’s best Italian restaurant offers a small private room for up to 16 guests, ideal for a family gathering over a few blistered pies and wine.

Revival Bar + Kitchen

Local, seasonal, California fare is the focus at Revival, which offers a beautiful private room with exposed brick and white tablecloths — prime for a special occasion. It comfortably seats 15 to 40 guests.

Gather

Located inside a LEED-certified building, hyper-sustainable restaurant Gather offers few dining options for large groups hankering for its Californian cuisine. The open-air patio — with a fire pit lounge — seats 24 guests. The bar area can be reserved for 30 people, standing, drinking, and nibbling on bites. And groups of 24 to 40 guests can be seated on a semi-private, separate end of the main dining room.

Henry's

Burgers are a highlight at Chris Kronner’s follow-up to Kronnerburger, but Henry’s also serves a wide range of creative salads, small plates, and entrees befitting of a celebration. The old college pub has been totally redesigned into a bright, airy space, including the Durant Room, which can seat up to 50 people.

Albert Law

Gio’s Pizza and Bocce

Gio’s is a hip Italian restaurant and amaro-focused bar — yes, with an indoor bocce court — in the former Giovanni’s space. A fire burned down most of that historic restaurant, but the new owners kept the entire back dining room intact, which now serves as an old-school, wood-paneled private room, seating about 28 guests.

Gio’s Pizza and Bocce

Oliveto

Head to stalwart Italian restaurant Oliveto’s upscale Siena Room upstairs for groups of 12 to 28 people. You’ll collaborate with the chef on a four-course menu for dinner or a three-course menu for lunch, with the option of ordering a special cake through the restaurant’s pastry team or adding wine pairings.

A16

As with the San Francisco location, Rockridge’s A16 also serves lovely Neapolitan pizza, pasta, and wine — and offers a private dining room. This one seats 20 to 40 guests.

Trader Vic's Emeryville

Perhaps no other restaurant on this list offers such festive environs. Trader Vic’s has four private and semi-private dining rooms, ranging from seating 10 to 100, with nautical, tiki, and old world decor. Within those rooms, there are also a lot of options for menus and service styles.

Z Cafe & Bar

Z Cafe & Bar sits inside a 1925 Beaux Arts building, with huge windows and tile floors that echo a Parisian cafe. That extends to the private room, which seats up to 20 people.

Mua Oakland

Thanks to its unusually expansive, industrial layout, Mua is a favorite for private events because it offers several rooms of varying sizes across multiple levels. The eclectic menu hits everything from bone marrow toast to chicken milanese to Moroccan lamb tagine.

Hopscotch

Hopscotch has a whole annex located one door down from the main restaurant, with a full bar and a funky but elegant aesthetic. It seats 30 people, and the Hopscotch team will work with you on a pre-fixe menu or family-style feast costing anywhere from $28 to $60 per person.

Barlago

Italian spot Barlago is ready to host parties in its private room, which can seat 25 people, with a few set menu options ranging from $22 to $40 per person. Choose from deviled eggs, smoked salmon pizza, and spaghetti carbonara — plus access to a full bar.

Shinmai

Shinmai serves nontraditional izakaya fare, ramen, sake, and cocktails in a sleek, dark, and moody setting. The private room in the back can seat up to 24 guests.

Jeremy Chiu

Duende

For tapas, paella, and other Spanish fare in a gorgeous Art Deco building, look no further than Duende. The restaurant’s mezzanine can seat 45 people, and you can add the bodega side to seat an additional 15.

Itani Ramen

Decked out in red lanterns and a private bar, Itani Ramen’s Genki Room is a festive spot for ramen and izakaya plates. It seats 26 people, and menu options start at $25 per person.

Mockingbird

With its exposed brick walls and tasty bistro fare, Mockingbird makes for a warm and welcoming private party destination. Events take place upstairs on the mezzanine overlooking the rest of the restaurant, and it seats up to 30 people.

Related Maps

Peony Seafood Restaurant

Whether it’s for dim sum or large Cantonese banquets, Peony has remained a staple in Oakland Chinatown. The restaurant does plenty of private events — and weddings — and has an opulent private room with gold walls and 60 seats.

Lungomare

Lungomare not only attracts diners for its solid Italian fare but its enviable waterfront views on Jack London Square. It also comes with multiple private dining options, including a dining room that seats up to 40 people and a large patio that seats up to 80.

Pacific Lighthouse

This enormous Cantonese banquet restaurant sits along the water in Alameda and can fit 500 people across its many private rooms on two different floors. With its size and huge chandeliers, it’s popular for weddings, but Pacific Lighthouse’s delicate dumplings, roasted meats, and seafood fetched from a tank suit many occasions.

Trabocco Kitchen and Cocktails

Alameda’s best Italian restaurant offers a small private room for up to 16 guests, ideal for a family gathering over a few blistered pies and wine.

Related Maps