There is little to say about the martini that hasn’t been said already, though perhaps it’s a drink that transcends language altogether. Generations of writers before me have tried to capture the essence of this perfect cocktail in print, but I’m still not entirely sure it’s possible. Regardless, the clearest description of the martini might come from LA Times restaurant critic Bill Addison: “A martini is a martini, and a martini is more than a martini.”
So true. I might also add that a martini is originally from the Bay Area. The cocktail was invented in Gold Rush-era Martinez, where legend has it a barkeeper poured a concoction of vermouth, bitters, gin and maraschino liqueur for a miner who’d just struck it rich. He called it the “Martinez Special.” As the cocktail spread to San Francisco and beyond, its name and recipe evolved.
Of course, the martini is most often associated with cities like New York and Los Angeles than it is with the Bay. But don’t be fooled. Oakland is also home to many martinis that are more than martinis, and I’m here to tell you about them.
If you’re wondering why you should take my opinions seriously, consider that I’ve almost certainly exceeded the recommended limit on the beverage in my relatively short lifetime already. I’ve had martinis that were unforgettable (Foreign Cinema, February 16, 2023) and martinis that were unforgivable (to the bartender who put kalamata olives in my dirty martini last winter … jail!)
Each year on my birthday, I print out a martini rating rubric and hit three or so spots with my friends to rank martinis by their various characteristics. I’ve slurped down chicken soup martinis, oyster-and-caviar martinis, and martinis that somehow taste like focaccia, rosemary and all. My reverence for this cold, briny beverage runs skin deep; inked into my left bicep is a dirty gin martini sitting pretty in a Nick and Nora, and yes, my parents hate it.
All this is to say that martinis are not just martinis. They are so much more. And because I happen to excel in their consumption, I’m sharing my favorite places to sit down and imbibe. Shaken, stirred, dirty, dry — however you like them, these bars serve the best martinis in Oakland.
Bar Shiru
Jazz and martinis were made for each other, so it makes sense that Bar Shiru, Downtown Oakland’s elegant listening bar, would make a truly excellent martini. There’s a great house martini on the menu, but ordering my go-to, a dirty gin, yields an equally delicious cocktail. It’s punchy and simple, like any good martini is; two parts London dry gin, half an ounce of Dolin dry vermouth and a half ounce of olive brine produce a briny, salty, olive-forward sipper that’s meant to be enjoyed in a low-lit lounge. And if you prefer simply looking at the vermouth bottle across the bar instead of actually drinking it, Bar Shiru makes a well-balanced dry martini, too.
Bar Shiru: 1611 Telegraph Ave. #100 (at 16th St.), Oakland; open Mondays 5 to 11 p.m., Tuesday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 12 a.m., Fridays and Saturdays 5 p.m. to 1 a.m.; barshiru.com
Friends and Family
While this magnolia-hued, queer-owned bar has (deservedly) gotten loads of recent press for its food, Friends & Family excels in most everything it undertakes, and the bar program is no exception. The house martini, called “Grandma’s standard,” is the equivalent of a summer evening in a perfectly chilled glass — Plymouth gin, Dolin dry vermouth and a twist play together delightfully, and the citrus oil’s soft, bright bite greets you immediately. If a twist is not your style, the Colette, offered at happy hour, is superb: gin, bordiga rosso and extra dry vermouth are complemented by a Provençal-style olive brine that quells any thirst for dirtier endeavors.
Friends and Family: 468 25th St., Oakland; open Monday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 11 p.m. (limited dinner options Mondays), Fridays and Saturdays 5 p.m. to 12 a.m.; friendsandfamilybar.com
Jaji
Contemporary Afghan restaurant Jaji recently joined the ranks of Uptown Oakland’s high-spirited dining scene, and the Town is better for it. I stumbled in on a recent Saturday night and sampled the wagyu beef skewers, shola-qorooti croquettes and Bolani triangles — all delicious — but needed a martini to pair them with, and Jaji delivered. The lychee martini, dubbed “Sparks Like Stars,” is a yogurt-washed cocktail of Grey Goose vodka, St. Germain elderflower liqueur and lychee, is tangy and supple, hearkening back to a lychee and sweet basil beverage owner Sophia Akbar enjoyed at Afghan markets growing up. Its sweetness doesn’t overpower, and the ripple of lactic acid provides a depth of flavor that most lychee martinis never see in their lives. Jaji’s cocktail menu, designed by David Kwon (formerly of the Double Standard), also features a signature saffron martini made with Weber Ranch vodka and Apologue saffron liqueur.
Jaji: 422 24th St., Oakland; open Monday through Thursday 5 p.m. to 9:15 p.m., Fridays and Saturdays 5 p.m. to 10:15 p.m.; jajioak.com
Moonglow
There’s probably no finer place to drink a martini than in a dimly-lit speakeasy. To that end, Moonglow, which is tucked away in the back of Pakistani restaurant Gold Palm, is where to pair your cocktail with equally secretive and seductive vibes. Head past the host stand, ring the doorbell and ask for the house martini, a stirred mélange of a gin blend, dry vermouth and orange bitters garnished with olives. Like any martini worth its salt, it’s chilled to perfection and served with a sidecar. (Not enough places do this.) Moonglow also offers a 50/50 and a lychee martini, which, like Jaji’s, reins in the sweetness for a considerably more mature flavor profile.
Moonglow: 1900 Telegraph Ave. (at 19th St.), Oakland; open Wednesday through Saturday 7 p.m. to midnight; instagram.com/moonglowoakland
North Light
The bartenders at North Light could hand me a glass of anything and I, willingly and blindly without so much of a whiff, would knock it down instantly, no questions asked. I’ve been at least 30 times, and not once has a North Light cocktail disappointed me. Possibly its most lauded beverage is the espresso martini, a rich, creamy blend of vodka, cold brew concentrate and oat milk sweetened subtly with demerara sugar. Cushioned in a thick, frothy foam and topped with three espresso beans, North Light’s is the poster child of espresso martinis.
If I’m not in the mood for caffeine, I order a dirty gin martini made with St. George Terroir. And before you email me to argue that St. George Terroir and olive brine are a match made in hell, North Light proves they might actually be soul mates. You know you’re in the hands of true professionals if they can balance out the Terroir’s botanicals with the olive brine’s saltiness. Try it, and thank me later.
North Light: 4915 Telegraph Ave. (at 49th St.), Oakland; open 5 p.m. to midnight Monday through Saturday; northlight.bar
Tallboy
To drink a martini at Tallboy is to be part of history while shaping the present. A pioneering martini bar that popped onto the scene in May 2024, Tallboy’s splendor is in its raw, pared-down simplicity and approachable spin on a normally high-brow beverage. Take the dirty martini, for example: gin and a house-made brine (no vermouth) are vigorously shaken and served with a slim top layer of ice for added texture. The Tallboy martini, stirred with Gordon’s London dry gin, Bombay Sapphire, manzanilla, aromatics and Jacobsen sea salt, is beautifully dry, earthy and saline. A singular speared olive rests delicately atop the glass. And if that doesn’t convince you, just take a look at the price tags — try finding a dirty martini for $10 anywhere else in Oakland, much less the country.
Tallboy: 4210 Telegraph Ave. (at 42nd St.), Oakland; open Sunday through Thursday 2 p.m. to midnight, Fridays and Saturdays 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.; tallboy.bar
