We really love this restaurant for the care taken on how the food is prepared and presented. Everything we tasted was excellent from ribs in a chocolate sauce (don't worry the chocolate is not at all overwhelming) to fancy falafels, everything is balanced to perfection

If you're in the mood for seafood with a Med flare, this might be your place. Went there to celbrate a birthday & had a fun time. There are plenty of choices whether you are ordering small plates of full size. However, the Bombas are plenty for 2 & maybe best shared by 4 people. That way you can order some interesting small dishes as need be. You might think the bombas are a little $$ but if you share, the cost is quite reasonable.

We tried Shakewell on a Tuesday at 5:30, with a moderate amount of customers. The inside decor is fun and has style.

We had what, I would call are designer drinks, and beer. They had many choices. The food was well presented and comes in small, serving designed to be shared.

A few thoughts: The dish entries we tried where good, but deep fried. We felt the menu was a bit tilted that way. All in all, this is a fun place to try, in a safe, busy part of Oakland.

All opinions are my own and I have no affiliation with this establishment.

We previously had brunch here and enjoyed the food and atmosphere. We have a friend from out of state who just moved to SF and for his first visit to Oakland we chose Shakewell as an introduction. It was a bad decision as the unprofessional service ruined the experience. Our waiter, Jason, never came to ask for our drink order. When he came to take our order, he actually took a seat to do so, that was unusual and odd. When the food arrived, only 2 of the 3 entrees order were brought. After a while, we flagged Jason down and inquired about the third entrée. He said he will check with the kitchen. Well, he never came back with an explanation or with the entrée. Meanwhile, the 2 of us who got our food, waited and did not eat. After a long while and the food still did not come, I flagged Jason down again and asked why the food is taking so long and it was then he asked me to “chill”! I have never seen such a response from a waitstaff at a restaurant when obviously the problem resides with the kitchen and the staff. Instead of an earnest apology we got unprofessional service at Shakewell. Well, ‘chill’ is indeed what happened to the 2 entrees on the table when the third one finally arrived. We are truly disappointed our friend’s first impression of Oakland is that of the horrible service at Shakewell and a cold burger.

Quality food, very good service. Nice atmosphere. A great place for a business lunch or romantic dinner. What i like is that the servers are trained chefs - as in they probably went to culinary school. They know their menu, the actual chefs (and owners) and will take great care of you (this is a plug for Mynisha - she rocks!). Lots of gluten free options, although the salted cod (Bacaleo) is apparently dipped in wheat flour (shame!) the Falafel dish was superb. Apparently one of the owners beat Bobby Flay with this dish -- it is fabulous. We also enjoyed some sizzling shrimp. Their rice dishes are great. All is great. Parking is tricky but you can find street parking if you're patient. I've enjoyed lunch here for business -- it is very suitable for a business mtg, you can hear yourself talk and the tables are large.