Encuentro

geezy-​creezy! the food is better than anything you can imagine!!! Little Sis and I were there just yesterday. we had the toastaditas, the macadamia ricotta and split the lasagna. also had the strawberry cheesecake and coffee.
i’m new to veganism and i’m not really one, my little sister is. i didn’t know you could make creams and cheeses from nuts but at this restaurant, you don’t miss the meat. there is so much flavor in everything and it’s so well made. the flavors are so well balanced.
macadamia rocotta? yes please!!! the pecan crust on the cheesecake was so good! and honestly, i’d run somebody over for more of that lasagna ;)
the wait staff was so friendly and the service was well-​timed and attentive.
i’ll have to make up reasons to visit oakland again :)

This place is truly as good as it gets for vegan eating. It’s expensive, but the food is delectable and the portions are reasonable and filling. The salads, the lasagna, the cheesecake; my mouth starts watering when I walk through the door. Wine selection is pretty good as well, I usually start off with something sparkling and get a glass of red with my dinner. For my boyfriend and I, drinks, dinner, dessert, and tip included, we usually spend upward of $ 150 when we come here and it is so worth it.

Fantastic. Just fantastic. What a creative Chef. Avocado Brochette was awesome and unexpected.
The Kale Salad had a wonderful light dressing and delicious roasted vegetables.
Our Entrees were equally as good.
Although the cheesecake was wonderful and expanded desert list would be nice.
The staff was effective, but lacked enthusiasm. When I asked about ingredients they referred verbatim to the menu… needing it to recite items. IF you work in a vegetarian place, at least pretend like you are interested in the food.
The Bus Guy was fantastic… didn’t catch his name. Smaller guy, I think he was blonde. I would train that guy up… He was excited to serve the food.
Not that the rest of the staff was not fine, just kinda luke warm.
I recommend this place to Vegetarians and Vegans for sure. If you are a meat eater and are not familiar with this type of place I would caution you: the dishes are not made to resemble meat dishes. They are what they are. So it is not like Mock chicken type place…
The reason I bring up the staff was that the dishes coming out of the kitchen were incredible and I would hope that would really excite the staff. They are a part of something great.
Also loved the fact that the place is casual. Not stuffy like you can feel at Millennium. (I love Millennium by the way)
We will be back. IT was more pricy then the $$ review system implies. We had a 4 course meal and a tea and with tip (a generous one) it was $ 100. SO to me that is $$$ at least

Service could’ve been better as in time matter. Super nice staff. Food was pleasantly surprisingly delicious. Very well presented food, even better quality. *kale salad is filling and bomb

I AM OBSESSED!!! This is the best vegetarian restaurant in the bay area! Executive Chef/​Owner Lacey Sher seasonally changes up the menu, and there are always new items to try :) My absolute favorites of late are the vegan and gluten free butternut squash lasagna, the kale salad with roasted veggies, and their new revamped pizza crackers — which are now a similar concept to their old pizza crackers, but with slightly different toppings and a cilantro sauce I think… soooo good. I absolutely can’t get enough of this innovative menu! Even if you are a meat eater, you will easily be able to find amazing dishes here that will blow your pallet away (and fill you up too!)

Encuentro was a wonderful find! The food was vegetarian/​vegan and was incredibly delicious! We started off with avocado toast and the baby kale salad. The sunchokes in the salad were incredible! Then we had the gnocchi and the shepherd’s pie which were interesting and flavorful. We also had the cheese plate with the smoked cheddar, macadamia cheese, and sharp cashew cheese — all so yummy. We finished the night with a refreshing mint ice cream. I would definitely come back!

This place was so good I couldn’t believe our food was vegan! And gluten-​free! If you are a vegetarian and/​or gluten-​free diner this place is a must.
Started with a glass of Russian River Pinot Noir, dates (goat cheese and vegan options) and deviled eggs. All yum.
The best entrée by far was the night’s special: an Italian spring soup seasoned by a genius. Full of beans, potatoes, and magic. Highly recommended. It was creative, comforting, and surprising.
The second best dish was the gnocchi. Not the lightest gnocchi, but hey, they were vegan, made of pumpkin, and still worked. The deliciously seasoned greens and peas were the best part of this dish for me. The shephard’s pie wasn’t as complex as the first two, but I appreciated the fluffy crust!
All the waiters were very attentive, friendly, and great with their suggestions, including the chocolate ganache cake (featured on TV, they said) with a cup of earl grey. It was a wonderful celebratory meal! I’ll be back to try the brown sugar cake…

Amazing vegan food. The avocado bruschetta was insanely tasty. The pecan pâté with mild mushrooms were an earthy paradise, and the fig chutney was marvelous. The turnip cakes were a Japanese/​Chinese fusion that worked really well and the strawberry cheesecake and chocolate cake were true pieces of art. Service is excellent, the music fits the ambiance, and the wine selection is diverse and well picked. Will definitely come back!

TLDR: Reserve table on weekend nights. Food is average but pricey. Pass if you are not vegetarian or vegan.
Be sure to reserve a table on weekend nights as most of the tables are for reservations only. Luckily, we did not have to wait so long to get our table.
If you are vegetarian or vegan, I think this might be worth checking out, but I thought the food was pretty mediocre and pricey. Because my brother is vegan, all the dishes we shared were vegan so I can only speak for those dishes except for the deviled eggs. There was an odd combination of a lot of veggies but it failed to create any depth of flavor.
My vegan brother seemed to like the food so perhaps other vegans might like it as well.
Service was decent.

If I could just eat here for three meals a day I would never feel any craving to eat animal products again. Fantastic vegan food, funny smart bearded server!

Encuentro does vegan & vegetarian fine dining in Oakland’s Jack London Square by the water. I have only been here once for the Happy Hour. I don’t drink alcohol yet came here to meet friends & try the food.
There were three food items on the Happy Hour menu including–
Deviled eggs– non vegan
Stuffed dates w/​a macadamia nut pâté topped w/​an interesting bee free faux honey– vegan
Avocado bruschetta topped with a chili jam sauce– vegan
I had both the vegan items. The stuffed dates were delicious & came in four pieces. I have tried faux honey before yet interesting to offer it up on a menu item as haven’t seen that before. Usually traditional vegan dishes will eschew using honey or raw vegan restaurants will have «raw honey» on the menu which I never quite understood why raw vegans use raw bee products & vegans avoid bee products yet seems like a non issue compared to factory farming. I loved the macadamia nut pâté that the dates were stuffed with & am sure that the nut cheezes on offer on the regular menu are amazing.
The Avocado bruschetta with the chili jam sauce was well presented & flavorful.
The menu items on the Happy Hour were just $ 4 each yet were light bites so you might have to order a few to be satisfied. I would love it if there were more food items on the Happy Hour menu yet was glad two of the three items were vegan or had the option to be so.
The regular menu is a bit pricey yet will come back at some point to try the dinner menu as there are plenty of vegan options on offer. I feel coming here would make a great date night or great night out with some friends to share some entrees. The atmosphere is really nice & is probably one of the nicest places for dinner in downtown Oakland for vegans or vegetarians or the plant based inclined!

This place is way out of my budget but we went with my bf’s parents so we were able to splurge.
Everything was really, really good. They had plenty of gluten free options. Everything on the menu is clearly labeled which is so incredibly helpful for those with food allergies. I had the gnocchi — very good! The desserts were awesome — fresh strawberries and coconut whipped cream!
Even people that eat meat will find something they love.
If you’re willing to spend a bit, this place is worth it.

I try not to give five stars very often, but this was easily the most satisfying meal I’ve had in recent memory. The portions were the perfect size and all of the flavors were subtle, yet distinct. The prices were reasonable, the service good, and the ambiance classy. I’ll definitely be visiting again.
4.75 out of 5 stars

How I love Encuentro! We’ve been going to Encuentro since it was in it’s original location! We love the wine selection! We love the food! This is our go to spot for celebrating! We actually prefer to sit at the bar because Ryan/​Bryan has great customer service skills and is so friendly to talk to! We love the cheese plate, the mushroom pecan pâté, and most sandwiches! If I wasn’t trying to survive on a teacher’s salary I would eat here much more often!

This place deserves more than 5 stars. We went there for the holidays and wow wow… The ambience, the service and the FOOD !!! … we tried pretty much all appetizers, the lasagna and we also had the soup. The cheese plate was absolutely AMAZING !!! we also had the sweet potato tiramisu that was the best desert I pretty much had in my like. Can’t wait to go back again and again …

By Far one of my favorite restaurants in Jack London Square. It will make any person who’s not a vegan appreciate the food and the wine is pretty awesome !!

My wife and I booked a reservation here on Friday evening at 8pm to celebrate my birthday. In order to book the reservation, I had to jump through their strange hoop of providing a credit card number over the phone and was informed that If I did not show for my reservation my card would be charged $ 25.
I had really high hopes before coming here especially knowing that it was an entirely vegetarian restaurant. I’m not a vegetarian but I thoroughly enjoy vegetables as much as I enjoy meat so I was very excited. I expected them to have a meticulous approach to preparing their dishes and expertly showcasing the ingredients. Unfortunately my expectations didn’t even come close to being met.
A minute or two after we sat down at our table, our waiter walked up to us and said «We have a soup of the day» and then nothing else for about 5 seconds until we both said «…ok?». In all of my years dining out I’ve never had a waiter or waitress approach my table and say only «We have a soup of the day.», not «Good evening, welcome to Encuentro!» or «How are you tonight? Do you have any questions about the menu?» or even just «Hello» — but instead «We have a soup of the day.» So strange, and it turns out that this pretty much set the mood for the rest of the lackluster experience.
We ordered the stuffed dates, seared pear «bruschetta», 14 Carrot and sweet yam gnocchi, and the Winter vegetable pot pie. The best dish turned out to be the simple stuffed dates with goat cheese.
The seared pear appetizer sounded good — basically seared pears with hazelnuts and tarragon drizzled with balsamic served on bread. Unfortunately the bread choice was a dark, dense slice of the most nut and seed packed doughy squishy wet bread I’ve ever had. Why the choice to use this instead of a thin slice of a french or sourdough baguette is perplexing. The texture and flavor of the ridiculous seed and nut bread they chose to use completely overpowered the delicate and nuanced flavors you’d expect from the pears and balsamic.
My sweet yam gnocchi entrée is described on the menu as «14 Carrot and sweet yam gnocchi with spinach basil and walnut pesto, broccoli, english peas and choice of walnut sprinkle or dry jack cheese» — I opted for the «dry jack cheese» sprinkle. When the dish arrived it was a mountain of green and I could barley see the orange gnocchi hiding among the other ingredients — peas, dense undercooked broccoli stems, and undercooked kale. I don’t particularly like kale, so I was surprised at it’s inclusion despite not being mentioned on the menu. The gnocchi were very flavorful, but I don’t understand why there was an enormous amount of other ingredients on the plate when the dish should’ve been showcasing the gnocchi. After I ate all of the gnocchi and left the undercooked and flavorless broccoli stems and kale there was still a basically full plate of ingredients. This dish should be rethought and should focus on showcasing the gnocchi instead of hiding it.
My wife had the vegetable pot pie and generally liked it, but I wasn’t impressed by it. The vegetables inside were flavorless and had that frozen vegetable appearance even though I’m sure they weren’t. The gravy and crust were nothing remarkable and sadly the whole thing reminded me of a frozen Swansons pot pie from the grocery store. I know that seems extreme, but it’s just honestly what came to mind when eating it. The sauteed broccolini served alongside was also undercooked.
I understand not wanting to overcook vegetables, but undercooking can be just as bad in my opinion. Really surprised to see this coming from a place like Encuentro which should be doing everything they can to showcase vegetables and prepare them properly.
Overall an extremely underwhelming birthday dinner, and not worth the high prices. Won’t be returning.

Though I find the one-​star rating a lil harsh, I think the «Eek! Methinks not» is a perfect characterization of this place. I had heard a lot about it and it’s been on my list for quite the while, as I had a very good experience at Millienium in SF and Rockridge and thought the quality of food must would have bled over into Encuentro (they’re related).
I booked a table for restaurant week and two of my friends came with me. Unfortunately, the food was all very disappointing. Two of us ordered off the RW menu and the third ordered à la carte so she could try the gnocchi, which was not a restaurant week menu option.
Everything was described in such a tantalizing way, I was shocked to find the quality of the food was not on par with its description. I tried the eggplant and the avocado bruschetta — nothing wrong there, just ordinary, and sampled one of the lasagnas, the gnocchi, and I chose the pot pie. The lasagna was okay, but the tofu ricotta definitely tasted like tofu ricotta. I am an avid tofu eater, but it doesn’t sit well with me when disguised as something else. The pot pie was extremely disappointing — the gravy was flavorless; I couldn’t really identify what the veggies were; and the biscuit, not pie crust, that topped the filling was dry and crumbly. The best part of that dish was the broccolini it as served with. I left most of the pot pie untouched. The gnocchi with stinging nettle pesto and kale was tasty, but could certainly have used some cheese.
Chocolate cake for dessert was really good, but the butterscotch pudding and peanut butter sundae were vegan, and I don’t mean that in a nice way. They had a very heavy, off putting coconut flavor.
Funny, Millenium, which is wholly vegan, was SOO much better than Encuentro, which bills itself as vegan/​vegetarian. The dishes all felt like they needed something, though Millenium was quite delicious without any animal products.
I’m sorry to say I would not recommend Encuentro. Pay a few more dollars for Millenium and have an experience that is above and beyond Encuentro. Or go to a Nature Vegetarian or Lotus up in Chinatown for some delicious, cheap, Asian vegan eats.

When I first researched this place I thought it was going to be just Mexican. However, they have a nice balance of options and entrees. We really enjoyed the food here. It’s almost central to Jack London Square and has many options for parking. Expect a wait since it is very popular. In addition, their pricing is very reasonable. The food was also very clean and healthy without a lot of fried options. I have to say very different from the representation made by many of the photos. Don’t miss the desserts. The vegan cheesecake is outstanding. We also got the Pear Bruschetta. Both were outstanding. This would be a 5 star place if it weren’t for the service. I note our rating is in line with Michelin and Zagat (26 Food, 23 — Service, 23 –décor). Overall, a definite place to return to.

Absolutely wonderful meal… the service was gracious (even though I showed up on Saturday night of OAK restaurant week sans reservation), the meal left me feeling inspired and thoroughly pleased with my recent transition back into vegan/​gluten free diet and the wine list was perfect with a lovely Viognier from Hopland (love the south central Mendo appalation for French Whites)…only wish they would serve a Roussanne. Wait! How can I forget: Cranberry «Cheese“cake…I am still thinking about this. The portions were very generous and they were not SF snobby about packing my leftovers. Will definitely be back~

The Pumpkin Tiramisu: Pumpkin cream, vanilla cake, coffee syrup, chocolate sauce and chocolate crumbs is not one to miss.

This place is amazing! How oh how do they get their vegan pâté to taste so good?
Encuentro has it all — great service, wine, ambience, and food.
Whenever I think of going out to dinner, I automatically think of Encuentro.

Expensive and worth the splurge! The first time I visited my friend and I shared a Nicoise salad to start. I almost spit the «tuna» because I tasted it and thought it was actually tuna! The chef reassured us it was all chickpea and sea weeds, so amazingly tasty! We also tried the mushroom pâté and I found it ok but not my favorite. Looking forward to my next visit!

This place is my new favorite restaurant. The entire menu, aside from devil eggs, can be made vegan. Each thing we ordered was artful and delicious. Vegan cheese plate, gnocchi, and the pot pie. I will add a photo of the vegan cheese plate as it is a must try!

What can I say? I’m a lifelong vegetarian who knows how to cook, and I was blown away. Even if you are an omnivore, you’d love this place. The space is warm and inviting without being stuffy. Service is topnotch from the minute you walk in the door. Creative menu that begs you to try every item! A meal to remember.

My advice to you: tip your Encuentro staff RIGHT BEFORE you leave. Here is why.
Customers love restaurants that take reservations. It is a tough decision though when walk-​in people are lined up to be seated and the restaurant has open tables. Should they leave the table open for a whole hour and a half because of the reservation 1.5 hr away or go ahead and seat people who are waiting?
If you decide to seat people, that was your decision as a business to increase revenue and risk not having the open table for the party with reservation. We are no less important than the people who have a reservation. We bought appetizers, glasses of wine, entrée and dessert. We tipped over 25%.
While we were enjoying conversations after the dessert, the hostess came over and asked us to leave because of the reservation she needed to seat. I can understand the pressure she was feeling, but she was quite rude and snappy about it, and other people at the table heard it and they were more angry than I was. I was very polite and told her that we were leaving very soon, to which she said nothing and turned around and walked away. Could I have changed our 25% gratuity? The receipt was taken before they kicked us out. Smart!
I had a great time at the restaurant up until that point. It is a shame that one person can ruin the great job the restaurant did that night. You should never ask customers to leave to seat the next party and if you must, «thank you so much. «or «I am so sorry» goes a long way.
I was going to give three stars, but if you see in their past reviews, this has happened to other customers and they seem to continue with the practice of kicking people out after spending $$$. Just read the reviews yourself from the following dates. 1÷25÷15, 1÷30÷15, 5÷30÷2015.
I should not hate on the hostess. It’s probably the owner’s idea. Encuentro should add to their policy by saying, «If your reservation is at 700pm and if you cancel at 430pm, we will charge your credit card $ 25. (Read the cancellation policy.) Oh BTW, we ask you to leave when the next reservation shows up at 830pm.»
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The restaurant has a parking lot. I didn’t know, but hopefully you can find it.
The farro verde was delicious but very salty for me and my tongue is still dry the next day. I do realize that everybody is different on that. All the dishes we witnessed that day looked amazing. The dessert was also excellent and I have never enjoyed dessert as much as I did that night at Encuentro.

Encuentro is still killing it, and if it’s on the menu, just go ahead and get the gnocchi. We love the cozy atmosphere, incredibly friendly and knowledgeable staff, and rich and flavorful food.
The plates are a bit expensive, but there are many starters and small plates, my husband and I usually get a few small plates, a salad, and share a main dish. And like I hinted above, it’s alsmost always the gnocchi, although we need to branch out next time!
I miss the days when they had a soup prominently displayed every day, but if there is one, you can be sure that it will be a winner, every time.
If you’re not sure what wine to pick, you’ll find that all of the staff are incredibly approachable and will make a great suggestion after asking a couple of questions!

I am a recent vegan convert, and I have been searching for wonderful vegan and omnivore friendly restaurants. My sister and I chose this place for its ambience and extensive wine selection (for my sis).
Water must be requested because of the drought in Cali, so if you know you can wing it without water, keep on! We kicked off the night by ordering wine, a cherry blend for my sister and just water for me. We ordered the vegan charcuterie platter, which was delicious! It came out a few seconds after the main entrées arrived, which was a little weird.
My dish– I had the seared radish entrée that was topped by crispy noodles. The radishes were in a lightly crisp cake form (think crab cakes) and sitting in a savory broth with some veggies. It was warm and satisfying.
My sister– She had the 14 carrot entrée, which honestly looked like a hot mean green amalgamation of veggies, but it was surprisingly good. We considered it atonement for the terrible food we had eaten days prior and the fatty food we’d be having in a few days for Thanksgiving. It was well seasoned and flavorful, and dense enough to make you full but not guilty.
Dessert was the bread pudding with coconut ice cream. It was PHENOMENAL. I love that it was just an effortlessly tasty dessert without being overly sweet.
It was not a busy night, and the waiter took a while to get to our table, but was always enthusiastic and helpful throughout the night when he was there. Overall the service was good.
Summary: Eat here for good food that will let you feel good and not guilty about indulging.

I’m not a vegetarian, and I’ll still say that Encuentro is a MUST TRY restaurant for everyone who finds themselves in the Oakland area.
It’s definitely pricey, and I highly scrutinize restaurants with higher price points. If you are going to pay $ 10+ for apps and $ 20+ for entrees, they better have satisfying portions and taste phenomenal. Encuentro delivers on both counts! The smoke pecan pâté was the single most delicious things I’ve ever eaten, and they didn’t skimp on the serving size. You can’t seem to go wrong with anything on their menu (my group tried a ton of different items), but the pâté was out of this world.
The ambiance is great. I’d highly recommend making a reservation.
The staff was down a server when we were there, and there wasn’t a single open table, so the service was slow but still professional and friendly. The kitchen was slammed and our dishes came out pretty far apart, but we were all sharing and it just gave us more time to savor every bite. I left the restaurant totally stuffed and euphoric.
Long story short– go to Encuentro, NOW!

I’ve been to encuentro at it’s old location and absolutely loved it (more surprisingly, the bf who is a meat lover enjoyed it as well) so I had high expectations for the new location!
The new location is very open and spacious. We came on Friday night around 6:15 with no reservations, and decided to sit at a table in the bar area.
I loved the smoked pecan pâté the last time I had it, so I knew it was a must. I also wanted to try the macadamia nut ricotta (vegan cheese!) and there was a special for the night which had it on a thick piece of toast with baby beets and apples and a apple cider glaze. BF wanted to try the deviled eggs as well. Since we ordered 3 appetizers, we decided to split the 14 carrot and sweet yam gnocchi.
The pecan pâté was as good as I remembered! And the macadamia nut ricotta was so incredibly creamy, it reminded me so much of burrata! The deviled eggs were good, but nothing remarkable. The gnocchi was my least favorite. It was a tad on the dense side, but the bitter greens helped offset the sweetness from the yams. The dish was just very heavy.
After being handed the dessert menu, we couldn’t resist not ordering something! So we decided on the pumpkin tiramisu. SO DELICIOUS. I think this was just a seasonal special, but I hope they keep this on the menu. BEST VEGAN DESSERT EVER. Perfect ending to a great dinner!
Service was friendly.
Great place for a date night, for both herbivores and carnivores!

I tried Millennium the night before I went back to Encuentro. Encuentro is the clear winner;
Nut Pâté plate; Encuentro had the option of gluten free crackers, which are great for those of us with yeast or gluten allergies who are sick of lettuce.
Quesaditas; Delicious spiced sweet potato stuffed, crunchy tortilla shells.
Sweet Potato Gnocchi; the «pesto» was really the star; heaping piles of basil and spinach dotted with other veggies and the right amount of pasta.
We had no room for dessert, because the portions are a good size, but I’ve had the cashew cheesecake before, and it’s decadent and amazing.
The service was also good. Attentive but not overbearing. My only complaint was that we were seated at the community table next to a couple who were at times practically climbing all over each other. So, maybe avoid the community table if you can.

E is for Encuentro
Visit Date: 11÷1÷2015
Cost (incl tip): $ 55
Number in party: 2
Food: We ordered to share, Stuffed Dates, Baby Kale Salad, 14 Carrot and Sweet Yam Gnocchi and lastly beer on tap. It’s rather impressive to visit a vegetarian establishment and not find tofu on the menu, that’s saying something about the creative choices made by the chef. The dates were packed with flavor, and perfectly bite sized, though I think they were missing bacon (at this vegan locale) and regrettably were small and too few for the price. Salad was absolutely spot on! Textures, crunch, chew, knife cut sizes, perfect. We could eat this every day, so tasty. Gnocchi had wonderful flavor, though the gnocchi itself was a bit mushy. It’s hard to get the perfect textured pasta and it was evidenced here. It was still full of flavor. Beer on tap are distinctive local tasty choices. Food 4 out of 5
Service: Recommend a reservation prior to your visit, otherwise, while there are empty tables in the main room, you’ll be seated at a small café like table near the entryway, as we were or the bar. The gentleman who greeted us was perceived as a bit pretentious when we said we didn’t have a reservation, service got better after that though. The dates made it to the table quickly, the salad arrived in a reasonable time thereafter and somehow the gnocchi took nearly 25 minutes after the salad plates were removed. Our wait staff were friendly and was willing to answer questions, asking about food allergies and vegan or vegetarian choices. Service 4.5 out of 5.
Ambiance: the general dining area looked comfortable from what we could see where we were seated. Lighting was dimmed for a romantic feel. Noise level was such that you could carry on a conversation maturely. Ambiance 4 out of 5 since we were in the non-​reservation common persons seating area.
Yes, visit Encuentro. Make a reservation. Expect to pay a bit more than you’d expect. The food is very enjoyable. Service is good.

I am not a vegetarian but if I could eat food from Encuentro every day, I could easily become one!
For appetizers, we shared the stuffed dates, burrata, and the marinated mushrooms. Everything tastes delicious. The burrata was topped with an heirloom salad on top of grilled bread. The mix of the tomatoes and burrata and the crunchiness of the bread was a great balance. The mushrooms with the smoked pecan pâté, house fig chutney was so good on the crisp crostini.
For the meal, we shared the seared turnip cakes in a smoked dashi, mushrooms, and crispy noodles on top. Very tasty broth and who would have thought that turnip cakes would be so good!
The servers were all attentive and pleasant.
I can’t wait to go back to Encuentro!

New location is fab, last time I dined here was 2011 at the old joint.
This time it was takeout:
–super friendly staff
–my food was done in the time quoted, 15 mins
–lovely interior and urban alfresco seating
–quesadita, comes with 3, ORDER THIS! Bursting with flavor from the roasted chipotle and sharp cashew cheese and wow, top it off with their charred green chili crema, manifique! Comes with a smattering of micro greens and baby arugula, $ 10
-«PLT», smokey Portobello, two generous tops, heirloom tomato, little gems, basil aioli and smoked pecan vegan cheese, came with roasted potatoes, side salad AND pickles. THIS is a huge portion, easily can feed two. Every detail on the dish was executed and cooked to perfection.
Skip: Korean BBQ tempeh, I must remember I am Asian and don’t like the Westernized version of Asia, a little too sweet, a splash too much of vinegar and heavy on the ginger. Rice, mushy.
Improvement: lighter handed with the salt, the tempeh was unbearably so, so much I had to grudgingly toss it, the portobello caps were borderline
All the items I ordered were GF and vegan. Full of flavor, fresh, organic and reasonable prices. Really great to revisit them on this summer night!

I’ve been here once.
I’m not a vegan.
I’m not a vegetarian.
It’s on the pricier side.
Now that we got that out of the way… I heart Encuentro. I love the rustic, upscale vibe with plenty of seating and a nice long bar to enjoy as well. I love the hipstery servers wearing all black. I love that the chefs make the food fresh in a somewhat open kitchen.
It’s honestly a very well rounded restaurant (minus meat). Many options can be made gluten free and vegan, but also options for us dairy fiends — read real goat cheese, deviled eggs, etc…
Prices are high, but the value is there. Apps ranged from the $ 8 – 15 range and entrée’s were priced at $ 18 or $ 21. Everything is fresh and made with quality ingredients and portion size is up there. I left beyond full.
I loved the «pâté» with almonds and mushrooms. 100% order that. The strawberry and sprouts salad was a great portion size with crazy bright and fresh veggies and delicious goat cheese adorned strawberries. My sweet potato and carrot gnocchi with walnut pesto was dense, rich and magical sitting on top of broccoli rabe and peas. Definitely a great dish to share as the flavor profile was a a lot to handle in one sitting. The Moroccan puff pastry filled with cauliflower was spiced perfectly.
Desserts featuring the peanut butter cookie ice cream sandwich and blueberry cheesecake were huge and finger licking good. Don’t miss either of these desserts, although one would have been more than enough to share amongst 2 – 3 people.
Wine on tap, a great beer list, delicious freshly brewed ice teas and coffees makes Encuentro a lovely night out amongst friends or lovers (bow chicka bow bow), vegans, vegheads and meat eaters alike.

One of the earliest romantic dining experiences that my fiancée and I had when we first began dating was at the original Encuentro. Since then we had returned for several date nights, often during Oakland Restaurant Week.
In fact, I had always preferred the casual wine bar dining experience found at the old Encuentro to even Millennium in SF. We both told each other that this place was perfect, if only they had a better view and location. Be careful what you wish for…
I had made reservations for an early date night dinner. Perhaps the only advantage they have over their previous location. You can make reservations, regardless of the number in your party.
The space is larger, certainly, however you’ll notice that just means more group tables available than before. The number of couples tables appears roughly the same. And you still have to sit unromantically across from one another.
The cheese plate is still the main event here as far as I’m concerned. However Vegan cheese has made a nearly mainstream splash into grocery stores, that it’s just not as special as it once was. Thankfully it looks like they’ve increased not only the amount of cheese on the plate, but also the variety of other treats such as poached pears to the point that we ran out of bread. Usually we have more bread than we know what to do with. Extra baguette will set you back $ 1.50 FYI.
The tres taco appetizer was quite delicious. Encuentro really seems to nail it on their Latin dishes for some reason. Perhaps they should focus more on upscale tacos, burritos, and nachos. Because the next dish I ate? Phew!
I always tell myself to just order multiple appetizers here since the entrees are usually overpriced, and generally not all that great. Then of course something always catches my eye.
I’ve been into a burger habit lately. When I saw the Black Bean and Pecan Burger, I figured I would give it a whirl. Huge mistake! While the flavors of the patty are actually pleasant, the consistency was pathetic. The bun was harder than the mush that comprised the burger. It was more pâté than patty. I honestly should have sent this back. It was terrible. As a human garbage disposal, I trudged on, then regretted it afterwards.
The Sweet Potato and Carrot Gnocchi was as delicious as usual. Although the gnocchi itself wasn’t really all that well made. Soft and not really shaped like gnocchi at all. More like just chunks of dough. Perhaps they were going for a rustic theme? Thankfully that Walnut Pesto was fantastic that I didn’t care so much about what it was covering.
The final step in Encuentro’s downward spiral from my personal top restaurants list was dessert. We ordered the ice cream sandwich, which basically sounded like a gourmet It’s It. Nothing wrong with that. When you’re Vegan, you’ll be surprised at how the simplest things can often be the best. However when our waiter delivered our dessert with a steak knife, I was worried. Yep, the ice cream brick of a sandwich was that tough to cut through. We were actually laughing at how rock solid this sucker was. I thought at first the steak knife wouldn’t be necessary, but in reality a chainsaw would’ve been more appropriate.
Service was downright rude and overall terrible. From the hostess to our main waiter, there wasn’t a pleasant person among them. There was one nice guy, however he only came to our table once and that was to ask if we needed more bread. For a $$$ establishment, that’s unacceptable.
I can tell you, I’m in no rush to return. Especially now that Oakland has seized Encuentro’s famous all-​Vegan cousin from across the bay.

I rarely go out to dinner and feel virtuous about it afterwards. Nobody feels virtuous going home with a 2^nd trimester food baby, ya know? But Encuentro makes the restaurant experience guilt-​free with their veggie-​laden menu; filling and gourmet, without the usual meat & carb overload. The copious wine list doesn’t hurt either!
The vibe is superb: lofty and spacious with soft lighting. Similar to their old digs, only bigger. The bar is the centerpiece of the space, with cozy seating all around it. They can accommodate large groups much better now, but it’s still prime for date night and 2-​tops.
We came for Oakland Restaurant Week, and the $ 30 dinner deal was mostly great. Soups and salads are exquisite here — veggies are their jam! Had a creamy herb soup, then a delicata squash salad with fried leeks and goat cheese, then some crispy tofu with parsnip purée, kale and butternut squash. Virtous eating at it’s most delicious! The dessert was the only let-​down. The butterscotch pudding was strangely watery vs. creamy. But we were really too full to mind skipping it.
Our server was on top of things, despite a packed house on Saturday night. Will definitely return when I feel like going out, herbivore style. Wine + well done veggies is pretty much my ideal combo!
***Yes, their reservation policy is a little weird. They require a credit card to hold your reservation, no matter the size. I guess you could call it a zero tolerance no-​show policy, which I can understand from a biz owner standpoint, though it feels odd for a party of 2 (esp. considering they always have a steady waitlist to fill any empty tables).