Skates on the Bay

Name: Skates on the Bay
Address: 100 Seawall Drive, Berkeley, CA, United States, 94710
Telephone: (510) 549-1900
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.5

4.5 (7603)

$31 to $50

Seafood

100 Seawall Drive, Berkeley, CA 94710

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 22, 2025

8:30 PM

Booked 68 times today

About this restaurant

Great for scenic views
Good for special occasions
Great for brunch

Skates on the Bay is a beautiful and historic waterfront gathering place for fresh seafood and unmatched views of the San Francisco Bay, offering lunch, brunch and dinner dining year-round. Originally opened in 1984 in the Berkeley Marina, the reimagined Skates on the Bay now boasts a modern and stunning decor, a new Raw Bar, elegant Private Dining Room and innovative local-driven menus.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Seafood, Steak, American
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm
Phone number
(510) 549-1900
Website
https://skatesonthebay.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Ryan Karsten
Catering
View our catering menu on our website. Email events@skatesonthebay.com for details.
Private party facilities
Our Private Dining Room offers groups (72 seated and 80 standing) the opportunity to enjoy their special event in a glass-walled private area, without compromising the breathtaking views that Skates on the Bay is known for. For menus and availability call (510) 549-1900 or submit an inquiry.
Private party contact
Jennifer Boland: (510) 549-1900
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Location
100 Seawall Drive, Berkeley, CA 94710
Neighborhood
Berkeley
Cross street
University Ave.
Parking details
Public Lot
Public transit
The AC Transit, #9
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Featured in

100 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Private dining

What 7,603 people are saying

Skates on the Bay reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.5

4.5 based on recent ratings

4.4Food
4.4Service
4.6Ambience
4.2Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

San Francisco Bay Area
Great for scenic views
East Bay
Great for brunch
East Bay
Great for scenic views
East Bay
Most Booked

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Skates on the Bay offers "amazing views" of the Bay and consistently "delicious food." Guests appreciate the "attentive service" and stunning sunsets. While there are occasional service hiccups, the overall experience is enhanced by the "beautiful ambiance" and "extensive menu." Perfect for special occasions and casual dining alike.

7,604 Reviews

E
Eric
San Francisco Bay Area1 review
4.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Service was excellent, view was beautiful and the food was great! Will definitely come back again!
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R
Ron
San Francisco Bay Area12 reviews
3.0
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
Great view and ambience as many have noted. Server was friendly but quite rushed, seemingly they were short-handed. She does need to be coached not to reach in front/across diners (repeatedly). One of our party of four got sick hours after the meal (lobster bisque?).
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D
Dina
San Francisco Bay Area5 reviews
2.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
First checked in since we did have a reservation, Told we had to wait in bar area til 1pm, 15 minutes waiting. Then had to wait 17 minutes til our bread served to table, took drink and menu order, unfortunately salad came with dressing, asked for it on side, our meals came before the fixed salad came back. Jay did apologize for that mistake. Then because took so long for check in, we decided no dessert, didn’t want to stay longer, no refill on bread, waters refilled by bartender gal and she was super friendly and nice. After we had paid bill waiter apologized again as he was slammed, no help in his section. He said never that busy for a Thur or since he had been there 8 months. Told us to come back another time. Lastly forgot to bring a small fork for my stream clams. Hard to pick out of shell w large eating fork. He said he forgot that too.
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K
Kiara
San Francisco Bay Area1 review
1.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 1
2. Food 2
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 3
our reservation was at 7 PM. We weren’t seated until 715. We waited 30 minutes for our drink order to be taken. But no one showed up to our table. We were going to leave, but the staff apologized and sat us at a window table. Our kids food came out first. By the time the adult food came out the kids had already finished. My husband salmon was raw. So we sent the salmon back and just ordered a steak to go. Overall, the experience was poor. I’ve been here several times before in the service has always been great. So this was a sad experience for me. Hopefully I can come back one day and have a better experience.
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T
Tammy
Charlotte1 review
2.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 2
2. Food 2
3. Service 1
4. Ambience 4
The service was incredibly slow. It was Father’s Day and the restaurant was very busy. The food was a préfixe menu so you would think that things would be ready to go. Our waitress was so nice and even compensated our bill for the slow kitchen service and missed drink, but we won’t be back.
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D
Debbie
San Francisco Bay Area29 reviews
3.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 4
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 2
This is not my first time at Skates. Because it was a holiday, it was crowded, it was noisy, it was very busy. The food was good (as always! which is why we come back!). It was a one price menu at $62 plus drinks and appetizers (and the bill was overly complicated! Why does the starter, the entree & the dessert have to be listed separately? Just have a $62 charge and then list the appetizer and drinks!) The view over the water was stunning, but that sun off the water was blinding and for reasons unknown they pulled up all the blinds just before sunset! I had to move my seat! But my real issue with the evening was the restaurant was over booked for the number of wait staff. Our server was RUNNING! And we still did not get water until after our appetizer. We waited a long time for our bill, then there was an error which needed to be corrected. For such a busy night, it would have made more sense to have extra help to keep things moving so the tables could be turned more quickly. I sound like I hated the evening. I did not. But I was a bit disappointed in the experience. I will think twice before dining on a holiday at Skates again. I hope you will take my comments as a chance to add staff when you know it will be extra busy. I know servers want the extra tables for the tips, but superior service makes for happier customers and therefor, better tips! The food is always delicious and normally things are brought out quickly and smoothly. Often more than one server will assist to make the experience better. That didn't happen this time. I'm sure I will be back, but maybe not on a holiday.
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T
Tina
Las Vegas1 review
2.0
Dined on June 15, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 2
it was father’s day early dinner to celebrate my husband. Great seating, decent service, limited food menu, long wait with many mistakes, the fish was very dry and chicken was dry and lack of flavor( after they sent us the wrong bf dish) . and the desert came with the $62 prefixed menu was not ready after the long wait. At the end, they gave us the wrong check with $100 more than our bill. overall, Skate on the bay is a good place to have drinks on a month holiday time, don’t have high expectation for the food and service. I was hoping the service got better since last time we were there but it didn’t.
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N
Nooresha VIP
San Francisco Bay Area5 reviews
3.0
Dined on June 15, 2025
1. Overall 3
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 5
Great location and splendid views, though extremely slow service. It took forever for our food to arrive.
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B
Bill
San Francisco Bay Area26 reviews
4.0
Dined on June 15, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 2
4. Ambience 4
Recognizing that today was Fathers’ Day and you were very busy, there was a 15 minute delay in our being seated. The Waite staff seemed inexperienced and overwhelmed. The failed to bring bread to the table and had to be reminded. The individual who brought the food seemed to be confused by who was to receive which dinner, she placed the wrong order in front of me and seem get upset when corrected. Our food was delivered cold, but we didn’t complain. We took our food with us. Service was very poor today.
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N
Nancy
San Francisco Bay Area1 review
4.0
Dined on June 15, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
The restaurant was not adequately staffed to handle to Father's Day rush. Therefore, in spite of having a reservation, we waited 30 minutes for a table. Service once we were seated was poor as a result of the staff being stretched too thin.
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FAQs

Skates on the Bay offers delivery in partnership with Uber Eats. Skates on the Bay also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (510) 549-1900.

Skates on the Bay is rated 4.5 stars by 7603 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jun 22, 2025

8:30 PM

Booked 68 times today

100 Seawall Drive, Berkeley, CA 94710

Additional information

Cross street
University Ave.
Neighborhood
Berkeley
Hours of operation
Mon–Thu, Sun 11:30 am–9:00 pm Fri, Sat 11:30 am–10:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Seafood, Steak, American
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Public Lot
Public transit
The AC Transit, #9
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Ryan Karsten
Additional
Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Counter Seating, Full Bar, Happy Hour, Indoor Fireplace, Non-Smoking, Private Room, Takeout, View, Weekend Brunch, Wheelchair Access, Wine
Delivery & takeout
Order direct

Website
https://skatesonthebay.com/
Phone number
(510) 549-1900
Catering
View our catering menu on our website. Email events@skatesonthebay.com for details.
Private party facilities
Our Private Dining Room offers groups (72 seated and 80 standing) the opportunity to enjoy their special event in a glass-walled private area, without compromising the breathtaking views that Skates on the Bay is known for. For menus and availability call (510) 549-1900 or submit an inquiry.
Private party contact
Jennifer Boland: (510) 549-1900

Featured in

100 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Skates on the Bay

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Featured in

100 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day

Private dining

Bay View Room/Private Dining Room

Custom inquiry

Menu

What 7,603 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

Does Skates on the Bay offer delivery through OpenTable or takeout?

How is Skates on the Bay restaurant rated?

Is Skates on the Bay currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information

Featured in

100 San Francisco Bay Area Restaurants to Love This Valentine's Day