The Laney Bistro on the Laney College campus in Oakland is a hidden gem! Located near the estuary that fills Lake Merritt with water from the Bay, it is operated by the Laney College Culinary Arts Department and is staffed by students cooking in the kitchen and waiting tables. The Bistro serves a prix fixe three course dinner on Wednesdays and Thursdays. It's the training ground for budding chefs and restauranteurs; many of the top Bay Area chefs have trained here. At a flat fee of $30 for food and beverage (not including service), it's a bargain! I visited on Wednesday March 19th and the food and service were both outstanding! I thought I would have the trout but the server, Danni, suggested I try the ratatouille saying it was her favorite. I'm glad I did...it was delicious. The bulb of fried goat cheese looked like a Christmas tree ornament on top of the veggies, beautiful and savory. The mushroom soup was so yummy I went back the next night and got it again as carry out. If you are looking for an inexpensive way to enjoy truly gourmet food, the Laney Bistro is your joint.

Once again, we are enjoying a meal at the Laney Bistro. The menu changes every week. Chef Martin and her crew of future culinary masters produce a fascinating variety of the most delicious food of generous proportions for a very fair, if not economical price. The program requires students to be experienced in the front end of the business by waiting on tables. Remember to bring cash for a tip, and don't forget that they are newbies at serving .

Food is such a great value. Servers are those in the culinary program and not skilled waiters but are brimming with enthusiasm for your positive experience! To avoid disappointment, make reservations via email before Noon on the day as the afternoon is spent preparing your evening meal. Bring your own wine/corkscrew. Great non-alcoholic choices available as well. Can you tell I'll be going back soon?

It's open Wed & Thurs night now. $25 for 3 course meal. Friendly student servers and great food. Presentation, taste and quality of food is amazing. Quite and soothing place serve as an escape in the downtown Oakland urban environment.

OMG....this is a definitely a hidden gem. I'm afraid if people knew, I wouldn't be able to get a seat. I'll be going every week. The food and quality is amazing. The presentation is upscale. A one biter (amuse bouche), appetizer, entrée and dessert for $25 with no tax. Yes, please. What a steal. Menu changes weekly. Open Wed/Thurs 5-6:30 pm. As of spring 2024, Wednesdays are busy but Thursdays are half empty fir some reason. I recommend getting there latest 5:30 since can take up to 1.5 hrs to go through the courses Bathroom is very nice too! Tips Fall semester is their international menu Spring seems more your typical contemporary cuisine Bring cash since you tip with cash and not on the card. It's not true there's no tip. It's based on your discretion.

Bistro at Laney college. Open during the school semester for dinner. Prix Fixe menu that includes appetizer, entree and dessert. All preparations are done by student chefs under the direction of Dept. Chair Chef Chantal Martin. Beyond good.

Support Laney Culinary students and come here for your next date night! Their menu changes every week and they only serve dinner on Wed/Thurs nights 5-6:30 when school is in session. We came on their Lebanese/Persian night and their South American night. I liked their Lebanese night a little better but both times we came, the food was amazing. I am so impressed with the beautiful plating and the advanced understanding of flavor and texture combinations the students are able to display in their work. Some of the highlights for us from our last visit were the ceviche and whole roasted trout dishes. Dinner includes 3 courses (appetizer, main, dessert) and an amuse bouche for $25 pp. There is no taxes or tips I believe because you are dining at school so be nice to the staff!

Okay, I take back everything negative that I said previously. Laney Bistro is great! It turns out that the IT department at Laney is not good at following through with website requests and didn't update the calendar. Just make sure it's not a campus holiday and that classes are in session before you go. We had a fabulous dinner tonight! The food was delicious and elegantly presented. The menu was nicely thought out and available to preview on the website. The halloween-themed desserts were fun and delectable. The prix fixe offering is three courses plus an amuse bouche for only $25! The value for the quality is just off the charts. I'll be coming back again and again.

I know if I talk about this place more people might show up and I would rather it stay the quiet secret that it is , but they are just sooooo sweet and attentive and yummy that I don't have the heart to gatekeep. I mean you get a 3 course meal for under $30! And the students, they're not the jaded waitstaff you normally encounter. They are trying to learn their selected trade and are very attentive. I cringe when I see people (curmudgeons and the like) go out of the their way to be mean to them like they were in an average diner. But I digress. They are open Wednesday and Thursday evenings. If you are in the area (you can park in the lots for free) there is no reason to not spend the $30 in your pockets (well your card). What are you waiting for? You only are missing out on the next food star , before they were a food star :) You

This has got to be one of the best kept secrets in Oakland - a real treasure! The food is delicious, presented beautifully and incredibly inexpensive! All the work is done by students of Laney College under the direction of Chef Chantal Martin. Currently (September 6 - November 18, 2023) they are serving dinners on Wednesday & Thursdays only from 5:00pm - 6:30pm. Each week they offer dishes from a specific country or region. Last week (their first this season) was for China, this week was Japan and Korea. Next week (9/20&21) will be Vietnam, Indonesia and Thailand. After that is , in order, India, France, Italy, Spain, Greece/Turkey, Lebanon/Persia, Africa, Caribbean, Mexico and South America (on 11/17&18). No dinners will be served on 10/18 or 11/23/23. This week's meal was a real bargain at $25 for a 3 course dinner plus an Amuse! With each course you can choose from several dishes including vegetarian options. It began with a beautiful eggplant Amuse on a mushroom/vegi base. My chosen first course was called an appetizer but could easily have been a main course - a Korean Crab Gimbap which were toasted seaweed rolls of fresh crab, soy-roasted Portobello mushrooms and many other goodies. It was delicious! My main course was a Chicken Ramen dish (I totally forgot to take a photo!) but, though a bit small was quite tasty. It had all the ramen goodies including the soft boiled egg, ginger-poached chicken, noodles, etc. I opted for the cutely named Fluffy, Jiggly Japanese Cheesecake. I was surprised upon Googling to learn that this is a real thing. It was soft and rich and quite tasty. You can check out their menu which seems to be updated on the actual day of the dinner at: https://laney.edu/bistro/menu/ Even if you do not know what you are going to have or what country it is from, this place is worth a try. The only difficulty may be finding it on the Laney College Campus. It is beautifully situated right on the Lake Merritt stream to the bay just south of the college's swimming center. Here is a Google Map link showing you it's location: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Laney+Bistro/@37.7960405,-122.2622961,513m/data=!3m1!1e3!4m14!1m7!3m6!1s0x808f87ed6a6d104d:0x61ffcb19382dcc68!2sLaney+College!8m2!3d37.7945491!4d-122.261122!16zL20vMDUwOXE0!3m5!1s0x808f87339962e3eb:0xb3ea27c363cfa2c6!8m2!3d37.7956065!4d-122.2620727!16s%2Fg%2F11cmy6p6m1?entry=ttu Pro Tip: They do not include a space for a tip when you pay by credit card. The servers, however, will be overjoyed if you tip them directly.