The Terrace Room At Lake Merritt

We recently celebrated a rehearsal dinner at The Terrace Room. We hosted 52 people the night before our son’s wedding, and he is the first of our children to get married. We (the parents) had a small wedding ourselves and we had NO experience with anything like this. In a word, we were clueless. Candi and Byron were communicating patiently with both parents and also, at times, our son and daughter-in-law. That is, we didn’t get clear on a point person right off the bat. They didn’t seem to mind. They gave us a tour, they gave us clear pdfs of menus and choices, they cheerfully worked with our desire to get desserts from a local bakery, they scheduled a Captain’s Meeting to go over how things would work on the night of the event and carefully confirmed all of the final choices. It really helped to have them provide so much structure. On the afternoon of the event, we arrived to a gorgeous setting. Tables set, windows were being given a final polish, it all looked so attractive and organized. The food was excellent and the friendliness and the supportiveness of the staff began at 4:30 pm and continued until we said goodbye at 9:30 pm. I wanted to whip fresh whipping cream, I asked about space in their fridge for a few large things, I asked for some serving platters. Everything I asked for help with was cheerfully supplied. In addition to Candi and Byron, we want to thank Jose, Jorge, Kay (all so hardworking and easy to talk to) in the front of the house, and Chef Ryan, Rachelle, and Mauricio in the kitchen. We did not get to know the people in the kitchen, but we certainly are grateful for the fruits of their efforts. Without even a smidge of reservation, we recommend these people and this lovely Oakland venue wholeheartedly.

Our experience with the Terrace Room was incredible! Candi, Byron, and Jose are an incredible team that made our big day absolutely perfect! Candi was there every step of the way to answer our questions and make sure everything came together perfectly! The food at the Terrace Room is some of the best, we loved it from the first tasting to our dinner at the reception and our guests did too! The Terrace Room is also such a beautiful venue that felt so romantic and intimate, I feel so lucky that my husband and I were able to get married here. I recommend the Terrace Room for any special event, you won’t be disappointed!

So funny story! Call it fate – or not – we had reached out to The Terrace Room in the early months of venue hunting, but because our schedules didn't align, we weren’t able to book any available tours and didn’t think to check back. Then about a month later, Candi, the coordinator, had reached out to us after our initial communication to see if we were still interested. Oddly enough, we’ve booked a few appointments that weekend in SF, and she was able to accommodate us with our busy schedule. We saw the venue and my partner fell in love with the space. We booked the venue that following weekend and are so glad we did. Looking for a venue can be a nightmare, but Candi made the process seamless. She was responsive and accommodating at every aspect of the planning process through the day of the event. Just so you know, this is a restaurant with full bar – so there are some limitations from what you would find at a venue space. Be sure to research what you are looking for when looking for a venue (things like details – tables chairs, linens, whether you want outside catering or byob, buffet or plated, type of food, etc.) Luckily, I learned all this through Candi because I was clueless on every aspect wedding, and it worked out for us. We also felt that the pricing was especially reasonable for the Bay Area. One thing to note, I am catholic, so we only booked the venue for the reception only. It worked out, because we were able to add what would have been the hour for the ceremony onto our contract – and time still felt like it went by SO fast (so couples – be sure to take time to slow down, it really does go by too fast). Although there is no outside catering (only dessert), the food was better than other weddings I’ve been too and that was enough for me. My parents wanted the traditional 8-course Asian meal, but they got a Boba Bar instead (we added as dessert). Haha! We also opted for the mac n cheese late night snack bar and that did not disappoint. Our guest raved about the space, location, and complimented that we threw the best wedding party they’ve ever been too. A few things that we loved – the curtains! For the grand reveal it felt so special. The views! Even though it was already daylight savings time and sunset was earlier than expected, Oakland’s Lake Merritt boasted a beautiful scene nonetheless. Loved the chivalry chairs, but if your budget allows it, get linens that touch the floor, for the fancier effect (notes from my planner). Some of the reviews mentioned the bar could have been better, but I got no complaints on my end. The guests had no issues with the bar and I heard drinks came out in a timely manner (and my drinks were quite strong). We would recommend the Terrace Room not only for weddings but other events as well! We hope to book them again for another event! Thank you to Candi & Team and my planner, Menage a Trois, for making that happen!

We held our wedding here on 5/14/2022 and it was the most PERFECT day. Candi was so accommodating and helpful during our planning process and made the whole experience so much easier. The food was amazing, the price point was great, overall it was the perfect choice for us. We absolutely would recommend the Terrace Room over and over again!!

My partner and I recently hosted our wedding reception at the Terrace Room and we’re so happy we did! Working with Candi throughout the process was great; she was always very helpful and responsive and made us feel comfortable. I was a little apprehensive about the arrangement, since most of the building is a senior living home and the entryway is shared, but besides some extra-strict COVID protocols (masks in the entryway, strict vaccine checks), you wouldn’t even have noticed. The food was really good, much better than I would say the average wedding caterer can provide, and service was fast and professional. The location is great, too, with stunning views over Lake Merritt. Our guests loved it! The only con was that the bar did not live up to the standards of the food service; despite getting the “premium” bar package, the drinks were pretty mediocre, clearly made as simply and quickly as possible as opposed to trying to make them well. But hey, it was an open bar, so everyone had plenty of fun regardless!

We had such a fabulous wedding here this past weekend. Their banquet manager, Candi, is super helpful and very sweet. She made the entire process very easy for us and always promptly answered any questions we had. The views and the vibe of The Terrace Room cannot be beat. All of our guests could not get over how beautiful the space is. It's a place that truly needs minimal decoration. The food was fantastic as well and the pricing, especially for the Bay Area, is extremely reasonable. If you're looking for a venue that has amazing views, wonderful food, and great staff - look no further. We couldn't be happier we decided to have our wedding here. Thanks again for everything! C&J

Thank you to The Terrace Room (and especially Candi Zamora) for helping us have the wedding of our dreams this past Saturday. The venue is unbelievably stunning (truly the best venue in Oakland) and the food was amazing. Our guests had a wonderful time and we received compliments all night about the venue and the food! Their prices are very reasonable for the experience and what they offer. I also appreciate how careful they’ve been when it comes to covid. It made me feel so much better hosting a wedding here. I also want to give a special shout out to Candi for being so responsive and helpful throughout our entire wedding process. She truly went above and beyond for us and we won’t forget it. I highly recommend The Terrace Room to anyone. The entire staff was so nice and helpful. Thank you all again!!

We loved our Terrace Room wedding! We were torn between wanting to get married outside and not wanting our guests to freeze in a Bay Area summer evening. The Terrace Room’s huge windows and gorgeous views were the perfect compromise. We basically didn’t have to decorate at all other than some flower arrangements because the view and the space are so beautiful to begin with. The venue easily accommodated our 120 guests for the ceremony, dinner, and dancing (with a band). We really liked having multiple connected rooms/areas, so guests could choose between the rowdy dance floor and quieter spaces where they could sit around with drinks and talk. It felt very intimate, like having the wedding in someone’s extremely beautiful and spacious home.

It was a dream to land The Terrace Room as our reception venue. The view is absolutely stunning and interior is just super classy. Candi is super responsive and great to work with as The Terrace Room's coordinator. To this day, my guests rave about the food that is served at Terrace Room which for me is a big deal considering most of the weddings I attend have pretty average food. I had a guest count of 120 which was super perfect for this space though they can go up to 180ish.

We had a very small (18 person) wedding and The Terrace Room was so accommodating. Candi was especially helpful during the whole process of planning the wedding. She was always just an email away if we had any questions and extremely organized. They definitely know what they are doing and can customize their space to your specific needs. Also, the location is gorgeous. It was exactly what I had envisioned for our wedding!

The Terrace Room ended up being an absolute DREAM venue for our wedding reception this past October. Guests were super impressed that we were able to host them in a space that felt so elegant, spacious and fancy (even though it was actually incredibly affordable on our end). The different areas that our guests had access to - the large bar, the dining room, and the parlor-like entrance area - all contributed to helping it feel so comfortable for everyone. The food got rave reviews (we did an all-vegetarian menu and it was fabulous), and the staff was lovely. The views are breathtaking, the dining room needs ZERO additional decoration because it's already so beautiful, and the catering/events team was super easy and responsive to work with. We consider ourselves lucky that we stumbled across this gem! Can't recommend it enough.

THE TERRACE ROOM is an amazing venue! Besides the gorgeous views and delicious food, Candi and her team really made our wedding flow seamlessly, especially since we planned our wedding in less than 4 months! The communication and flexibility was really helpful during Our planning! We had so many compliments on the venue and food. Thank you Terrace Room!

My wife and I were very happy with the outcome of our wedding, Candi was amazing guiding us thru the the whole event, it was the best decision we made to let the Terrace Room take of our wedding, food, drinks and Services was outstanding we highly recommended the Terrace Room!!

The Terrace Room was a perfect venue for our February wedding! It was cold and dreary outside but it didn't matter. Guests arrived and gathered next to the fire in the gorgeous art deco welcoming room. The sun set spectacularly behind us during the ceremony, and the rain through the windows during the reception just made us fell more warm and cozy inside. Everyone complimented the food! (Get the prime rib carving station!) Candi was an excellent manager and accommodated our needs such as a few Halal meals and even coordinated with our favorite brewery Woods to offer one of their kegs to our guests from their bar. We highly recommend the Terrace Room!

The Terrace Room was perfect for our wedding. Location was perfect and picturesque, the staff was friendly and easy to work with and it was in our budget, which is a big deal when trying to find a wedding venue in the Bay Area. We worked with Candi from the very beginning and it was a great experience. She was extremely organized, reliable and punctual. She made it very easy to make sure all of the details were handled properly. We had a few special requests and she was very amenable to those to ensure our day was exactly how we wanted it to be. The space itself is super cool. The most grandiose feature are the huge glass windows that you give you a panoramic of Lake Merritt. It's a gorgeous view and once the sun starts to set, it truly creates a magical ambience. The bar area is great as well, as it's nestled between the lounge area and the dining area. It makes you feel like it's separate, while at the same time giving you the feeling like it's all the same space. The lounge is awesome as well, decorated suavely with stylish couches and chairs, as well as handsome piano. The food was excellent. To be honest, we were a little worried during the tasting, b/c the food looked and tasted a little flat. But, the food that came out the day of our wedding was top notch. We got some displays as well, which looked and tasted wonderful. We had an issue with someone arriving at our wedding during the reception who shouldn't have been there. Security helped us remove this person and escort them out. We were super appreciative of their swift and discreet action on that. Overall, we had a tip top experience at the Terrace Room. I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for a picturesque venue with great food/drink who wants to get a ton of quality for a reasonable price.

My husband and I had such a wonderful experience working with the Terrace Room for our wedding, not only on the day of our wedding, but throughout the entire year of wedding planning! The venue is gorgeous and intimate and of course the views are just amazing. The service day of was just fantastic, I didn't have to think about or worry about a thing which is all you can ask for on your wedding day. There were also some really great personal touches that day - we were each brought glasses of wine after our ceremony (very much needed!) and we had a plate of appetizers left on our sweetheart table during the cocktail hour. Candi was incredibly responsive and helpful in responding to all our emails and helping us plan our big day. We were so proud to get married in Oakland, and the Terrace Room was the perfect place to do the deed!

We had our daughter's Bat Mitzvah at the Terrace Room in May 2018 and I highly recommend it. Candi was so incredibly helpful for the many months leading up to the event, and Matt was so easy to work with as we were getting closer to the date. The staff on the night of the event were professional and polite. The room design was perfect for us - with the bar, space for kids and adult buffets, the dance floor, the stage area - everything had a spot that worked. The view can't be topped, and it has so much charm that you feel like you are at a really special event.

The Terrace Room is a gem in the heart of Oakland that was the perfect venue for our wedding. The food was delicious (we chose the buffet option), the service was great (Candi Zamora, the coordinator was such a pleasure to work with!), and the location was the best part. Beautiful during both the day and night, the view of Lake Merritt was stunning through the big windows and added a unique touch to the restaurant. I also loved how the interior design and steel frames in the dining area added a hint of nostalgia. The Terrace Room is the perfect venue for groups of 150 or less. I felt like it was intimate enough to be close with all my guests without feeling too squeezed. With so much to worry about already with planning a wedding, you can trust you're in good hands with Candi as the restaurant coordinator. She was super responsive, always accommodating to our needs, and just a joy to work with.

We celebrated our wedding last fall at the Terrace room and I have to say they really surpassed our expectations. The most striking thing was just how good the room looked. We always visited during the day and the first time I saw it in the evening was at our ceremony. It was so classy and elegant, far more than I realized in our daytime walk throughs. The staff was super helpful and everything went very smoothly. I will also say that after looking at a bunch of venues, I think they are a great value. Much lower price than other places we considered. Would definitely recommend if you want a beautiful space with amazing views.

We celebrated our daughter's Quinceanera at The Terrace Room in September 2018 and had the most beautiful, memorable event ever! Not only are the views breathtaking and the ambiance enchanting and elegant, we found the pricing to be reasonable in comparison to other venues we had considered. We had a wonderful experience from the start of the planning process to the execution of our event. The staff were friendly, helpful and went above and beyond to make sure everything was perfect! We opted for The Terrace Room buffet and our guests raved about the food. The service was top notch too! If you are looking for a beautiful spot to host your wedding or special event, look no further than The Terrace Room!

My husband and I had a beautiful wedding reception at the Terrace Room earlier this month. Candi and her team were great to work with and very responsive over email. The Terrace Room is beautifully located over Lake Merritt with lovely views, and the food was fantastic, which was really important to my husband and I. During our tasting, we met with the chef who was really eager to make sure the food was what we were looking for. Everything was delicious, from the appetizers, to the plated dinners. We felt that the pricing was quite reasonable for a reception venue, and it was great that the Terrace Room had everything we needed, from seating, to linens, and we didn't have to rent anything. We would definitely recommend the Terrace Room to other couples looking for a lovely wedding venue in Oakland.

The Terrace Room was such a great fit for us! Tommy called me back literally 45 minutes after I emailed with some questions about quotes, and they were easy to contact and responsive through planning and event. The staff was a pleasure to work with, and during hectic wedding planning that was so helpful. Their professionalism made it almost easy. We loved the Art Deco architecture, Jazz vibe, beautiful view of the lake, and space to host all our guests indoors in the fall, just in case. We enjoy the food on a regular Friday night, and it was great on our wedding! (We actually did eat every bite, thanks to my dad!) We love the Terrace Room. We were nervous about our guests finding street parking, as there is no parking lot. However, on a Saturday night there is evening free street parking, and our guests all seemed to arrive without trouble. Because it's a working restaurant, you only get a few hours in advance of the event for load-in. A few of our friends came by right after the ceremony to decorate, with lights and centerpieces. One of the things we loved about The Terrace Room is that it's architecture and view really speak for themselves, so we kept it simple and it looked perfect!

I was married at the Terrace Room in March 2018 and I cannot say enough good things about working with their team. My guests also can't stop telling me what a great wedding it was. We partly selected them because when we were in early discussions and pursuing quotes their catering and events team were by far the most communicative and professional of all the venues we spoke with, which made them stand out to us, along with the beauty of the venue and the ease of all-in-one for food, tables, chairs, linens and venue space. All of our meetings and discussions before the event were very smooth and service day-of was exceptional. I have never been at a wedding where food service was accomplished so speedily and professionally, no one was kept waiting for food which mean we had even more time than we hoped for dancing. I was very impressed with the quality of the food, and the chef was eager to please our guests with special dietary needs, including vegans, gluten-free, kosher and lactose-intolerant guests. The food was exceptional, and I was especially pleased our vegetarian guests enjoyed their dishes so much and didn't feel their meals were an afterthought. Bar service was also incredible, the bar tenders were friendly with our guests and kept everyone well topped-off. The premium cocktail package was well worth it with our group, and guests enjoyed the signature cocktails we planned with the bar, as well as working up other premium cocktails with the bartenders. Beyond the amazing service, the venue itself is beautiful, we appreciated it needed minimal additional decoration, and the amazing views over Lake Merritt by day and night are incomparable. I'm very glad I chose the Terrace Room, we had exactly the wedding we hoped for, and I would recommend it to anyone.

Having our wedding reception at the Terrace Room was the cherry on top of our perfect day. The design of the venue is beautiful. The floor to ceiling windows provided a breathtaking backdrop of Lake Merritt. Our guests were blown away by the view and were treated with the opportunity to watch the lake change from a soft, orange sunset to a cool, serene evening. The interior is very elegant and classy – this was a big plus since we didn’t have to do much to decorate. The space felt intimate yet had enough space for our 200 guests to be comfortable. There was more than enough room on the dance floor (never empty) and lots of room at the bar (also never empty). Working with their staff was amazing. Candi, Tommy, and Matt were professional and always made us feel very comfortable. They have great communication – very detailed walkthroughs, they made themselves available whenever we had questions or concerns, and made sure we were on the same page every step of the way. They were also very flexible when it came to accommodating a few requests we had, and helped us find solutions whenever we came across a hiccup in the planning.

My husband and I exchanged our vows here on Saturday, April 8, 2017. I could not be happier with the beauty of the venue or the efficiency of the staff. The event manager, Matt, made sure that our wedding program went off without a hitch. The catering managers, Tommy and Candi, made sure that the decor was perfect. The chef, Jack, had our guests saying, "The food was delicious," all night long. The bartenders kept our guests hydrated and deserved all of the tips that they were given. If I could re-do our wedding day, I would choose The Terrace Room all over again. The view is gorgeous, both during the day and at night. The wall of windows lent our wedding the perfect amount of natural light. The decor is elegant and classic, perfect for a night time wedding reception. The lay out is so spacious that there is no issue navigating a room full of over 150 guests. If you are looking for a place to host a party, I highly recommend working with The Terrace Room. They amazed me at every turn with their patience, accommodation, and knowledge of the wedding planning process. They made our wedding beautiful, organized, and perfect.

I can’t say enough nice things about the Terrace Room. I just had my wedding there and the Terrace Room helped make the day everything I could have wanted and the compliments from guests keep rolling in. First off, the venue itself is beautiful. The decor sets a classy tone and the views of Lake Merritt create a perfect backdrop. Elizabeth and Matt made everything leading up to the wedding day about as easy as something like this can be. They walked us through everything that we needed to do, from the food tasting to the floor plan. Elizabeth checked in frequently as we got close to the date and was very flexible. And then they completely blew my mind on the day of. The staff was incredible, even my guests commented about how wonderful the waiters and bartenders were. Matt kept everything running smoothly and the food was great. We opted for the sundae bar which was a huge hit and I also highly recommend the ceviche appetizer which people just kept devouring. If I had it to do over again, I absolutely would have chosen the Terrace Room.

We had both our evening ceremony and reception here in December 2013 and it was absolutely beautiful. The necklace of lights were on around the perimeter of the lake and the view was gorgeous. The staff at the Terrace Room are so responsive and attentive. We have gone to the Terrace Room for brunch and have always loved their food but the food they prepare for events was uncomparable. Our guests still haven't stopped raving about the kobe sliders and chicken. The breathtaking view and food didn't come cheap, but a great wedding venue will come at a cost. I would definitely reccomend this venue to brides all over the Bay Area, it's a hidden gem and definitely worth every penny.

Beautiful for non-traditional venue site. ARt deco decor and beautiful lake background that is lit up at night. Cons are that you have to do street parking or nearby garage and catering is through the venue restaurant.

I was thinking about giving this place a 2-star, but I'm giving this place 3 stars because it is a beautiful venue for weddings, or whichever type of party you'd like to host. The panoramic view of the lake is amazing. Also, the food was great. All my guests really enjoyed and have given great feedback about the food. With the exception of these two great points, we were very unhappy with the below notes: 1) The coordinator is not a very friendly person and sometimes borderline rude and not helpful. Planning a wedding is stressful and I need people who are helpful. I've often met with rudeness. I visited the venue one day to meet with my friend as we want to discuss the wedding onsite. The wedding coordinator saw us and completely ignored us. She often gave off the impression that she was annoyed by our questions and was not happy to be working with us. Her job is to help people plan their happy moments in life, but instead, she sucks the joy out of planning for me. 2) This place has a day-of-event manager (different person) and this person was equally rude. She threatened to kick my brother's girlfriend out because one of my guests fell asleep in the corner. I understand sometimes at wedding people have too much to drink and they need to be cared for, but to threaten to kick my brother's girlfriend out of the party is crossing the line. We paid good money for this party and did not deserve to be talked to like that. 3) The place did not have air conditioning on the day of our wedding because they neglected to get it fixed on time. This was a big miss in my mind. All of my guests complained that it was too hot to be able to enjoy the overall wedding. We paid too much money to have experienced this on top of the rudeness. 4) This is minor but we also received complaints that the bread was as hard as rocks. I did not touch the bread and was surprised to hear this because the salad and entree were delicious. I hope this review helps. I highly recommend the location. However, be cautious of the service and make sure to double check to ensure they have everything working appropriately.

I am so happy with the Terrace Room as my wedding venue. The venue is vintage art deco right across from Lake Merritt. This offered beautiful views throughout the entire afternoon/evening and allowed for some amazing photo opportunities! The food was delicious, the prices were affordable and the staff were very friendly and helpful from day one until the very end! Elizabeth Wells is amazing and Heidi was great the day of! My wedding was the best day of my life and I couldnt recommend a better venue!

Our 'theme' and this is used loosely, was Art Deco supper club, Oakland,CA has many art deco buildings and this venue fit the bill perfectly, the entire back wall was floor to ceiling windows that featured the beautiful Lake Merritt. The staff was great and the food very good for the budget we had;The staff is great here but i don't think they are very receptive to wedding planners, thought about having one for the day of the wedding and that was not received enthusiastically, i decided against the planner and everything was fine

I love the beauty of the lake right outside the main window. The night lights reflected off the dance floor and presented a beautiful glow inside. It was just gorgeous. And the food was absolutely amazing.;The event coordinator was not on hand as she was contracted to be. The flow events did not run on a timely manner due to the lack of communication from the coordinator which is provided when booking the venue.