Climb the stairs at 4935 Shattuck Ave. in Oakland's Temescal area, above Andres Giraldo Florez's Snail Bar, and you'll end up in what used to be someone's living room. It's now Upstairs, a neighborhood cafe and lounge with vintage curtains and throws, an abstract painting on the ceiling, mismatched chairs and a hi-fi playing music, as the East Bay Express describes it.
Second try
The Oaklandside's Nosh column reported that the venue opened about a year and a half earlier and was quickly shut down by the city. It announced a soft reopening on Instagram for Friday, Sept. 4, with limited hours while the team "figure[s] things out."
Who runs it
Florez is in rural France starting an auberge, so creative director Sammy Chang handles everything from espresso to the kitchen. Chang told the Express she started at Snail Bar with no kitchen experience after the sous chef broke his wrist, and has been there five years. She also handled the permits herself.
What's on the menu
Chang calls the current setup "really bare bones," and the menu changes. Recent items include toast with butter and jam ($8), English tea toast ($12), a bacon, egg and cheese breakfast sandwich, and savory hand pies ($9) with apples and Comté. There are espresso and matcha drinks plus seasonal specials. The $8 pumpkin spice latte uses a syrup she makes from a roasted fairytale pumpkin. "Keep it simple, keep it easy and make sure it's good," she said.
Snail Bar downstairs, with chef Zach Breaux's French Louisiana-style cooking, is a separate operation that opens at 5 p.m. Friday through Monday.
Upstairs, 4935 Shattuck Ave., Oakland. Open Friday through Monday, 9 a.m. to 3 p.m., per the East Bay Express.