Top Hatters Kitchen and Bar in San Leandro

Ive been super excited to try this place out for the past 2 years. Upon arrival getting seated took a while. They seem a bit short staffed which I get these days. But wow, I must have waited at least 10 minutes to be seated and had to end up looking for the rest of my party on my own. The woman proceeded to the kitchen and at no point went to look around for the rest of the people I was trying to locate. I would have rather she said go ahead and locate your party yourself.Some really great flavors in everything we ordered. Loved the tapas style so we were able to try just about everything. The spare ribs, potato cake and tissue bread were phenomenal! Drinks were yummy, wish Id ordered another. The mochi dessert I really need the recipe. I wanted to lick that plate clean.Beautiful decor, unexpected for the outside setup. Really pleased with my visit here aside from the hostess. Will definitely recommend!

Overall, I agree with most of the reviews that came before mine: it is a goldmine for where it’s located. A few notes: the table was sticky and my plate wasn’t perfectly clean, and there was one other sanitary issue. In addition, there were no toilet seat covers in the bathroom. Yikes. (And I am totally willing to edit this review if these items are addressed.)As far as the food goes, compared to restaurants of a similar price range, it fell a little short. They are simple dishes which feel a little overpriced. Not terribly complex, but fresh. We ordered the watermelon salad, oxtails and grits (needed to be served hot), grilled oysters and (underwhelming) savory donuts. Drinks were pleasant but we think the dish-ware could have been more advanced/fancy for the price.Customer service was good and friendly, though there was lack of personal connection (i.e. QR code). This is a missed opportunity to really make this place truly worth going back to.

Unexpectedly beautiful atmosphere that I would not have expected to find in San Leandro. The restaurant is right off the freeway, but has a beautiful patio and naturally lit interior that conveys peace and calm. The food and cocktails placed emphasis on the simplicity of fresh ingredients, but felt on the lighter side and are not really made for sharing beyond one other person.

We are a family of three including a 13-yr-old. We popped in having only heard of Top Hatters and driven by it so many times. No reservation, just a walk in and we were sat in minutes, even had a choice between inside and out. Got lucky. We sat outside.Its a concept menu thats not very kid friendly--but we managed. I dont mind QR ordering, though Ive only seen this ordering method at comedy clubs.The menu is very imaginative, and descriptive, though its tough to know if it will be enough food to satiate. The raw oysters were medium sized with an overwhelming taste of citrus--not extraordinary. Our small plate was tender meat bites wrapped in Viet herbs with a dipping sauce (see photo). These were a great way to get the palate jump started. The Kohlrabi Salad offers fresh flavor and crunch as well.Our main dish was a medium-sized Rockfish (see photo). The presentation is impressive, and the flavor pulls through from skin to bone. We were impressed how meaty and hardy the fish was, made for great fish wraps using the herbs and lettuce. Of all the sauces, the tamarind paired best with everything.Our 13-yr-old loved the short rib, especially the ramen that it comes with. We got lucky, but the short rib is likely the only thing Id say is kid-friendly.The front of the menu explains in great detail why they choose to use a QR code for ordering. One of the reasons stated it makes for fewer ordering mistakes. However, we were given the wrong side to our fish and I was left scrambling to my phone to double check. They fixed it, but it was strange I was the one who had to check the order.Service was very friendly and we were checked on by multiple people. The food and drink were well made, flavorful, and satisfying. However, as others have mentioned, it is tough to justify the price point when there are other options nearby that offer more variety.

Three of us had dinner on a week night. They have a reputation for stunning cocktails and they exceeded expectations. Food presentation is beautiful. We were seated immediately and the staff was excellent at explaining and making recommendations. What sets this restaurant apart are interesting dishes that are perfectly executed. The quality of the food was excellent. The flavor contrasts And blending really hit the mark. The seating both inside and out is charming and welcoming. I found the actual temperature to be on the cold side so bring a sweater. We paid $60 per person.

Me and my girlfriend went for a 2 years anniversary celebration dinner. We love the food and cocktails there. We ordered Oxtail, Crispy potato patty, Grilled lemongrass beef short rib, and lemon ricotta zeppole. People there are friendly and nice. Would go again!

The location is a little strange! Park in the residential neighborhood around the corner. Definitely definitely make a reservation. I was really excited to try this place, and it didnt disappoint. We shared a bahn mi sandwich, the crispy rice, the savory donuts, and then the emoji for dessert. Im normally not a huge fan of ordering with a QR code, but I understand that they have to do what they need to because of staffing shortages. It went smoothly, and we got our food within a reasonable time. Service was polite and professional, and the ambience is nice.

I visited with friends. This is my third time having dinner there. I have high expectations for Top Hatters. However, I left a bit unsatisfied with dinner experience given the price in exchange for less than optimal experience. We reserved a table and still waited about 30 minutes to be seated. It was cumbersome ordering through the QR code app given we were a party of 4. Our waitress brought menus and recommended we order off the app for our group so we can get all our food and drinks together and split the bill at the end, but that was after we placed the separate orders via the app. Yes, 2 of us got our order first, the others 20 minutes later. Food is delicious, fresh but the entrees are limited and it seems as if you dont order sides you might not have enough food, but then you order sides to find that you entrees had sides. Just make sure to read and know what you are getting with each plate. I may have missed that. All in all, its a great date ambiance, fine food and delicious drinks.

Amazing place that Im wondering why the hell have I not heard of it!! My wife and I were literally looking for a quick place to stop and get a cocktail and small bite before our kids football game down the street, and I cant believe we randomly stumbled onto Top Hatters! I consider us foodies...and this compares to Michelin rated restaurants weve been to. I loved the ambiance, the patio seating to the inside seating. The place was immaculately clean. The wait staff were perfect... polite, nice, but not overly involved.My only regret was not having more time to explore more of the dishes and cocktails! I should have taken more photos of our experience, but to be honest, I cant stand doing that. I love being in the moment and enjoying the experience.I will 110% be returning to here, and I will ensure I dedicate more time to the menu and cocktails. Recommend completely!

Enjoyed Sunday Brunch at this asian fusion spot! Little bursts of flavor throughout the meal made this a unique restaurant worth returning to. Plus, Ive got to try their cocktails sometime. 😉🍚The seared rice cakes with lap xuong sausage, scallion oil, fried shallots, pickles and pork and shrimp cotton were the star for me, with so much delicious glutenous texture and rich flavor.🥦Next fave was the broccolini with bright citrus in the mung bean cream and a touch of savory from the pork dust.🧀The baptism of pecorino over the savory ricotta donuts was impressive to behold, and tasty to consume, and the baked oysters accompaniments provided a nice shock to the taste buds to start the meal.🦪The tissue bread is an extra thin dosa-like batter with an addictive crunch. We also had an egg custard coffee, which was good but I should have gone with more actual coffee than cream.🍡We ended with the sesame mochis, that impressed me mostly due to the peanut sugar salt on top. Now that Ive had my run of their starter dishes, Ill need to try a main next time or a salad!