We’ve been going to The Fat Lady for close to a a decade now and it consistently kicks butt. Go for the seafood. Go for the cocktails.

Mushroom & Scallop Risotto.
New York Steak.
Calamari.
Belvedere Martini.
Class Azul.
Each dish was FANTASTIC.

Food, service, and ambience were great.

My guest was extremely satisfied with the total experience.

He said he will come again and bring his guests.

Conway

Very cute restaurant! Appetizers (salads and cheese board) were excellent as were the steaks (NY strip). The pastas (gnocchi and cameroni) were very good. The deserts (parfait and cheesecake) were good but nothing to write home about. Still overall very good value for the price which was moderately high.

Great decor and good food. I brought my Midwestern parents and they loved it!

Always a treat to be at the Fat Lady. The Friday night prime rib is great and the ambiance second to none.

Food was great, service acceptable, not too pricey.

The fat lady is a a place every one should try , a hidden gem , it is a place of Intimate dinning stuck in a time we once knew.

I thoroughly enjoyed dining at The Fat Lady again on Monday 2/24/2020. I love the restaurant, the menu and the of course the service. I enjoyed the amazing, tender and flavorful pork chop while my guest enjoyed the cod.

Truly and amazing and historic place, dark, woody and very comfortable. Friendly and attentive service, prices great for the high quality of food.

Very cute place! Prime rib was exactly temperature ordered (mid rare) and well seasoned. Good marbling without overly excess fat caps. The interior is so kitschy but in a warm cozy way. Service was crisp but attentive and not brisk. Deserts are worth the stay. The humble cheesecake is amplified with a sour cream topping and wine reduction.

The food was pricey,but my steak was cooked to perfection and taste great.

Great dinner, great service, and even better environment. We have been here many times (although it had been a few years until our recent visit) and we feel welcome. The look of it really pushes it over the top.

Please keep in mind this review is for Valentine's Day. We made reservations completely unaware the menu would be entirely different because nothing was mentioned on the website. They did not have anything on their special menu I was interested in. We stayed but the couple next to us left after looking at the menu. I wish we had, too. We bought a $48 bottle of wine, 2 steaks, and a side of mushrooms that cost $200. The steak was good, but not what I was in the mood for and I regret paying that much for a meal I didn't want. I wish they had advertised the holiday menu. So be warned in the future.

Food and service are always great. One of our favorite restaurants in Oakland.

LOVE the ambiance! Wonderful little gem, will definitely go back!

Had a great time! Really interesting place, great waiter, food was excellent, a really enjoyable time.

Had not dined at Fat Lady for many years and was Pleasant surprised. Loved the food and great service.

Fantastic service for my husband’s birthday

We honestly loved this place. The food is nothing special, but the ambiance and cocktails are!!

Restaurant had a sign on the door that it was closed. No notice. Update: actually they did give a notice in the morning of our reservation. I didn’t see it so I withdraw my negative comment.

First the atmosphere...the place has been in business for 50 years, but everything looks perfectly cared for and put together. The bar is beautiful and has hints of nostalgia from the rooms days as a brothel. There is an antique cash register behind and mirrors that look like they were cleaned and polished moments before we arrived. The rest of the room maintains this same feeling and attention to detail - everything is perfect.

The food and the service are the same - comfortable, friendly, sheik, and SO yummy! We had appetizers, drinks and dinner. Every item was mouth watering (try the Fat Lady Burger!!). We drove 30 miles to check it out and we can't wait to find an excuse to come back!

Something of note - the place was decorated like a winter wonderland!! Apparently they make a large investment to created incredible themes around Christmas and Halloween...it felt like we had walked on to a movie set - well done! It added so much to the experience!!

Each time I go I look forward to the food, unique atmosphere that changes seasonally, and wonderful service. The Fat Lady never disappoints. The experience at the bar is also wonderful. Put this one on your list

Easily our fave place in the East Bay... and the Bay Area in general! It's wonderful. We keep coming back!

We went to celebrate a birthday and had a very enjoyable time. We were seated and someone took our order right away. We returned ,after having an equally nice lunch ,on another occasion. We will go back again, and have mentioned the restaurant to others as a good choice for lunch.

Portions are small, and prices fairly high. I wasn't too crazy about my Mediterranean chicken pasta, which tasted sour, but I didn't want to pay$35 for a scallop dish. It has good atmosphere and good service. I prefer its brunch menu.

Cozy, fun, delicious and unique. A must! Highly recommend the pâté and lamb.

We always love going to this restaurant. This time the service was slow and we were there for over 2 hours! One member of our party was late, but our server was very slow between check-ins and took so long to get our order for dessert that we just skipped it and went home. We enjoyed the evening but it was REALLY long and a lot of waiting for our server.

LOVE this place!

We love The Fat Lady. The food is always good and if you hit it around a holiday they decorate like no other restaurant I have ever seen. Parking garage right next door. You can't go wrong here.

Had a business lunch. Food was good and service very attentive. My only suggestion is the need for an update. The menu and preparation style is dated and doesn’t really reflect current tastes.

Always terrific, great food, great service

Oh how we love this place. It is authentic, family owned, long lasting and wonderful. We have celebrated countless celebrations here. The brunch is terrific, dinners sooo good. The decor has many antiques and quirky pieces of art but it is especially fabulous during three holidays: Christmas, Valentines Day and Halloween. Those are the times that it is lavishly decorated...and differently each year with creative themes. We were there for a birthday this time, had a charming server (Alice) who is also a talented artist. The owner, Patricia, is almost always present to greet, seat and welcome people. At brunch you will start with a plate of complimentary mini-muffins, at dinner order the fried zucchini as a starter. This is definitely the "antidote" to all the chain restaurants and the slick modern spaces that open and only survive a few years. The Fat Lady has been in business for decades, and it combines tremendous character with delicious cuisine.

Great food and drinks. Always decorated so well for the holidays. The Fat Lady never disappoints!

The food was very good and the service excellent. Unfortunately, it was so loud that we could not hear each other talk without shouting. We probably won't go back unless it's a weekday.

It was the first time at the FL for my 3 companions. They have lived in Oakland for years and didn't know about this gem! They were really impressed and sending pics to friends left and right. We had a great time.

The best place to celebrate the Holidaze with friends! Really the best place to celebrate anything. The service is perfect, attentive without interrupting our party. If you are slow to get into the season get yourself to the Fat Lady and get your winter wonderland spirit on.

Great food, excellent service. An Oakland classic. A real gem.

The waitress we had was not cordial towards minorities, just the white person at our table of four (1 Chinese, 2 African Americans, and 1 Caucasian). I tried to ignore it, but it was obvious she was only comfortable with her own kind. Too bad.

Great evening in every way! The Holiday decorations gorgeous, wonderful meal, such fun!

Yummy food in a fun and beautiful ambience. Copy and busy but not overwhelming, very enjoyable, great service!