The Best Bars for a First Date in Berkeley

Take in the Berkeley skyline from the 12th floor of the Residence Inn at Study Hall Rooftop Lounge, a downtown rooftop bar. Heaters take the edge off cool nights, and a few TVs and casual table games are on hand. It is great for groups.

The menu mixes Pacific, Oceanic and Asian flavors, and the dress code is casual. Hours are 4:30pm to 10pm Monday through Thursday and Sunday, and 4:30pm to midnight Friday and Saturday, when DJs and live music are on the calendar. Book a table through the hotel's booking link.

Live local music plays several nights a week at Tupper & Reed, a downtown cocktail bar in a former 1920s music store. Upstairs, a listening room has booths and old gramophones.

The menu changes with the seasons, and a Cask membership comes with spirit flights.

Cornerstone is a go-to for concerts, with live music and room both indoors and out. Craft beers rotate on tap, and the food side covers comfort dishes, meat and cheese boards and vegan options. Expect busy weekends and late nights.

Stop in at Tipsea, a downtown bar on Shattuck Avenue.

Settle in with a curated wine list and small plates at Adega Azul Wine Bar, a Brazilian-inspired wine bar and shop in Westbrae. The setting is cozy, and guests must be 21 or older.

Hours are Tuesday through Thursday and Sunday from 1pm to 9pm, and Friday and Saturday from 1pm to 10pm. It is closed Mondays. Reserve through the link on the website.

Have a cocktail in a Julia Morgan building at Morgan's Bar & Lounge, set up for a sophisticated night out inside the Berkeley City Club near campus. The lounge serves a full cocktail menu.

Linger over a gimlet with Meyer lemon cordial at Bar Panisse, the bar attached to Chez Panisse in North Berkeley, which opened in December 2025. A soft golden glow and a cozy, lived-in room make it an elegant place for a tete-a-tete.

Classics are reworked, non-alcoholic shrubs are on the menu, and the small plates change with the season. Bar Panisse takes walk-ins only and is open daily from 5pm to 10pm.

Work through a flight of natural wines at Donkey & Goat Winery & Tasting Room, a relaxed, cozy tasting room in the Fourth Street area.

Bottles to look for include orange wines, pet-nats and chillable reds.

Craft cocktails, beer and wine are the draw at Roses on Adeline, a relaxed neighborhood bar in South Berkeley's Lorin District, away from the downtown buzz. Local honey goes into the Bees of Berkeley, a citrus-forward cocktail.

Tangerine and coconut meet makrut lime leaf in the Seasonal Smash, built on Don Q rum. Walk-ins are welcome.

Raise a glass under a festive-lit indoor canopy at Revival Bar + Kitchen, a California brasserie and cocktail lounge downtown, where theater row ends. The room is airy and warmly lit, and a second bar is good for people-watching.

Happy hour runs at the bar, and the location is steps from Berkeley Rep, so a show before or after is easy. Book a table online.