Great cocktail menu! Nice ambiance and friendly service! Try the Jaguar shark with squid ink!

Great cocktails, decent food and elegant outdoor. I like their curated library shelves! And the staff are super nice.

Food inedible. We ordered the brunch burgers and they were nothing short of inedible - looked like they had been sitting out all night, I asked for no egg and it had clearly been sitting with egg on it as i could taste it and the bun was completely burned black. Hands down the worst burger ever which was so surprising as its a cute space and the service was incredible. Both my friend and i ate a few bites to be polite and since we ordered an alcoholic drink we didnt want to have a completely empty stomach. Service was excellent and all the staff were super helpful/friendly and working hard to ensure we had the best time so the quality of the food was such a shock!!!!! 2 stats for the incredible staff and 0 for the chef.

I really wanted to like this place but was so disappointed in the cocktails. The first few sips are impressive and balanced, and then I noticed that both of my drinks seemed to just have the booze at the top and the taste significantly changed as I sipped down both of them. I got the strawberry fields and the super groovy which were both recommendations for spirit forward drinks and they were not after the first couple sips. I did have the mushroom panino which was great but my partner who got the BLAT was very underwhelmed and said it lacked flavor. If you want nice cocktails I would think of going elsewhere unless you’re okay with cocktails on the lighter alcohol side.

Great vibe! The decor inside the bar and the back patio have a hip feel to them. Back patio also has heating!

Only came in for drinks today, which were on point. Service was well paced, even if in the moment it felt a bit slow. Servers felt space, but were actually there when needed, so maybe its my perception. All in all, would return and eat the food that looked good on other tables.If you came here when it was Marc 49, the only similarity is the main space layout (and thats still different). I loved Marc 49 and would call this an upgrade for the neighborhood.

Happy hour on the patio is dope! Top notch friendly servers, fresh inventive cocktails and delicious healthy bar food. Def will be back!

Talia was the best waiter we have had in CA, she helped us find places we should go after visiting her and also tailored our drinks perfectly to what we wanted! 10 out of 10 for sure

Delicious cocktails, supercozy atmosphere and really friendly people. The back patio on a summer evening is a vibe!

Great cocktails, lovely outdoor seating in the back, nice music, wonderful host

Awesome cocktails, awesome people, wish there was more food but for the kitchen size its perfect.

Super friendly staff facilitated a wonderful brunch vibe on the patio!

Amazing cafe and bar. Drinks are wonderful, food is good, coffee is surprisingly really good too. 10/10 would highly recommend.

Toasty warm back patio and drinks are remarkable

Very delicious and refreshing drinks! Good food and friendly people. The place is clean and inviting.

Cute little place with great cocktails and good eats. Loved the music and the patio thats an indoor/outdoor hybrid.The staff was very courteous. During my visit, my friend and I ended up staying over 30 mins after closing. It was totally an accident and when we apologized, everyone was soo polite and one even said we could still hang out if we needed to call a ride. It was really nice to know that they value the safety of their guests.I will definitely be visiting again in the future.

Amazing drinks and great atmosphere.

Starving today and we discovered this cool lunch spot with the best sangria! Chicken bowl was delicious with the chicken cooked perfectly.The loaded waffle fries balanced a mix of texture, flavor and heat very well, def a repeat order next time. Our server was on their game managing the patio dining with ease. And they are spinning real vinyl!!

Great, friendly service and fresh, tasty brunch. Loved the asparagus frittata.

Love this awesome place. Amazing food and beverages!

One of my favorite brunch spots! The burger was excellent: classic cheeseburger on a Martins portato roll.The grits (herbed ricotta, poached egg, and mushrooms) were creamy and delicious.When described to me I thought North Light sounded like an identity crisis but it manage to accomplish everything it sets out to do; successfully bringing together literature, music, food and cocktails in a comfortable atmosphere with great service.And dog friendly!!

How many times have you thought “someone should really open a casual bar with coffee and good cocktails while selling books and records?” Welp, this is the spot. And they did it right.

Im normally not one to leave reviews, but I was disappointed in pricing. I paid $17 for a simple cocktail (paper plane) which Ive never seen anywhere for more than $12-13. When I seemed concerned the bartender offered me a dollar....Its a cute space but putting down $20 (cocktail + tip) for one drink in Oakland .... Definitely does not encourage me to return.

Equal parts restaurant, coffee house, bar, and bookstore. Laptops welcome during daylight, and they have decent WiFi.The back dining room has the most space, just be aware that, while it has walls, its essentially a covered patio. You wont get rained on, but youre in the outside air.A little pricey, but I like the ginger mint lemonade and the tater tots.

This is my new favorite place.

Fantastic new spot. The cocktails were spot on. I had the honest mistake and it was great. We also tried the old Cuban, young American and penicillin. All were well received. The cold brew was very bitter but adding some vanilla and creme made a big difference.No espresso based drinks.We drank and ate for about 3 hours and had a great atmosphere out on the patio. They can open and close the shade depending on the weather.Nice bar and would go back.Would love it of they added a little bit more to the bar bites. There are lots of salads there were really hard to share with cocktails.

Great atmosphere for chilled drinks with a soundtrack

It’s a cute little place, with outdoor seating. My friends and I all got a burger, and we were pretty disappointed to get a very tiny burger that was $10. Honestly, it just reminded me of the burgers that come in high school lunches. Aside from that, the atmosphere was great and it’s a cute cafe overall.

Such a great concept! I loved the space and food and drinks! Also great to see your favorite artists favorite literature. What an absolute delight!

The drinks are creative & yummy. They have a nice selection of foods to munch on with your drinks.Its a little tight in there, but if you dont mind cozying up with strangers, its a great place to relax & enjoy a drink. Also, their tater tots are super crispy & salty!

What an awesome concept and wonderful addition to the neighborhood. I went for a solo brunch ... browsed the books and bought one to read on their sweet patio while chowing down on the most delicious French toast. And you know what else? The service was excellent and the staff welcoming. I plan on becoming a regular!

By far, the BEST cocktail bar in Temescal.The ambiance is on point. Two record players are on the bar and really set the mood throughout. The entire back patio is covered and heated in the winter months.The drinks are both thoughtfully mixed, original, and reasonably priced. I tried one of theirs & a classic Negroni. Both were amazing.Highly recommend for cocktail enthusiasts, ordering both on and off menu.

I used to like coming here even though its pretty overpriced, because record stores are rare these days.However, after I overheard one day that they are hiring unpaid interns to do basic work like ordering and stocking the shelves, Im just so disgusted.Really, I pay $11 for avocado toast, but you cant afford to pay an employee even minimum wage?This is the future of gentrification, folks. These people dont care about their community or employees, its all about the $$$.

Great vibe, food, drinks and folks. Good spot for a conversation, to crack open a book, or catch up on some work. (WiFi, but no screens after dark). This is a great neighborhood joint!

Great hidden gem. Excellent food and cocktails. Very mellow vibe. A decent amount of outdoor seating.

Great off-menu Ramos gin fizz, friendly and accommodating server, tasty little (definitely overpriced) burger. I did have to wait an Inordinately long time for it. My whole table was done eating by the time it arrived. I dont have the heart to give them a 3 star review, but not entirely sure it was a 4 star experience either.

Such a good spot. Get a martini and some tots and groove on the books. You gotta have a brain tho.

North Light is incredible! Beautiful patio, stocked bar, beautiful space, and vinyl spinning on double decks! Den made me a great pourover coffee this morning and I cant wait to go back for brunch and cocktails!!

Love this place. I wish they had more food options. The drinks were delightful and refreshing on a summer day.

Amazing food! Great service. Wonderful atmosphere! Highly recommend it!

Cool outdoor seating with heating when needed. Decor is nice but not special. Not a great variety of drink or food options. The prices are standard for area.

Place was not full and had to wait 2o mins for a cup of coffee and only got it after I asked again. Then we had wait at least half an hour for food. They served other people who came in after us. I do not recommend this place.Having said this....the server (owner?) apologized and comped us the meal so he gets points for that.

We’ve seen the light and we love it!Amazing place!Books, records, coffee, drinks, even food, what’s not to like?Read on and cheers! 🍻Any place that has rock icon and author Patti Smith as their WiFi password is instantly a fave spot to keep coming back to.Keep rockin’!

Such a quaint atmosphere with fun and whimsical cocktails. Theres also a patio upstairs

Warm, and classy without being snobby, this little hidden North Oakland spot, has great bartenders, and a wonderful rum and tequila selection.

Quaint and welcoming. Only had a beer and app, but they were both top drawer. One suggestion...more beer choice. 😉

Good vibes, cocktails:) Also they have chocochip cookies that serve with milk.

Perfect tots. Wonderful vibe. 10/10 will be back

A much-needed cocktail bar in Temescal.Great for happy hour drinks out on the back patio, weekend brunch, and friendly conversations at the bar. Come for the food and drinks, stay for the people.

Cute little bar with a lovely patio and great tunes! Some bar food selection and interesting drinks. Friendly staff.

Love the idea of curated book lists, my cocktail was great, the meatballs and sauce delicious, service friendly...the place looses a star for the music volume. I liked the music just wanted to have a conversation while I enjoyed the rest.

They have fancy mocktails for the non drinkers! I love that.

Excellent night spot in Temescal. Cool friendly service.

4.3 stars until the menu has more, eventually ?Simple cocktails servers are super nice

Such a sweet setup. Cool staff, open late, good back patio, just a treat altogether

The bar is so cute and they have a great staff

This is a great spot but getting very popular!

Unfortunate drinks, but the atmosphere saved the day in my chance of coming back. My drink tasted like heartburn.

Loved the sangria cocktail.

Covered patio with heaters was nice. Strong WiFi and great horchata and hummus toast. Will definitely come back for a drink at night.

Excellent cocktails, delicious food, and cool vibes. What more can you ask for from a local bar?

Dan the owner is an bright and friendly guy! Good knowledge of Mezcal 😜

Really good cocktails and great outdoor patio

Friendly, classy, but small. Definitely upmarket, not normally what you associate with Temescals off-brand take on the Mission District. Size means it can get crowded, and theres a slight conceptual air to the aesthetic and the music gimmick. (The collection is guest curated by local and national notables; who knew Rebecca Solnit was a DJ?) The food is a bit too on-trend, and a bit too small plate oriented, but the staff is friendly, the drinks are top notch, and if you can get in, its a good experience. (I have yet to try it during the daytime coffee shop hours.) In a part of Oakland with few bars that arent either dive bars or self-consciously fake dive bars that try too hard, this is a welcome addition.

Nice back patio with very refreshing cocktails.

Incredibly small and cramped place that takes a really cool concept and throws it in the middle of hipster central. I was instantly turned off by the pretentious vibe and crowd.

Lovely place, nice staff, lots of books, great food. Try the avocado toast.

Good coffee. Music playing on turntables. Bring your LPs.

Great date spot. I suggest any cocktail named after a Drake song!!!

A wonderful concept brought forth by wonderful people.

Cute outdoor patio and nice cocktails

Its cool. Strange service sometimes but itll do.

Great drinks, awesome patio.

Books and turntables ? How can you go wrong ?

Classy

Meh.