Duende

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1. DN

   DavidN

   Los Angeles

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on May 25, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Amazing food and fun people. My new favorite East Bay spot!
   

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2. JS

   JonathanS

   San Francisco

   4 reviews

   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on May 25, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Cocktails and wine were flavorful. Paella was very well prepared and a good meal for two. Service was excellent, frequent enough contact without hovering.
   

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3. DM

   DonMiguel

   San Francisco

   26 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   26 reviews

   Dined on May 23, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   From being warmly greeted to assuring a terrific reunion dinner, I enjoyed my first time here. Very gracious waitstaff.
   

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4. MW

   MichaelW

   Central Coast

   5 reviews

   5.0

   5 reviews

   Dined on May 22, 2023

   overall5food5service4ambience4

   Food was lovely. The space was a bit noisy with music being a bit loud. I had to lean over to hear my dining companion (just two of us). There was a concert at the Fox so that might have added to the chaos, but we had a lovely dinner.
   

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5. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco

   18 reviews

   vip
   3.0

   18 reviews

   Dined on May 21, 2023

   overall3food5service3ambience3

   So, last year Duende was my favorite restaurant. The food is still great (especially the vegetarian paella!) And cocktails good. But the service fell down a notch, less friendly, and some of the most amazing things (e.g. lamb rilette) are off menu. It's still one of the best places in Oakland but needs to go back...
   

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6. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   London

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on May 19, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   Amazing experience. Food was fabulous and the staff were very accomodating and friendly. 10/10
   

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7. W

   Wendy

   San Francisco

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined on May 19, 2023

   overall5food5service5ambience5

   A delightful evening in every way. Table, cocktails, waiter, food, etc. One of my favorite places to eat!
   

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8. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   Washington DC

   4 reviews

   vip
   5.0

   4 reviews

   Dined on May 16, 2023

   overall5food5service4ambience4

   An amazing night! The servers and staff did an incredible job for our dinner. They were very accommodating and easy to work with. The Chef’s menu really made it a ‘wow’ experience for our clients. Thank you Duende team!
   

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9. OT

   OpenTable Diner

   San Francisco

   2 reviews

   2.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on May 15, 2023

   overall2food2service2ambience2

   Huge disappointment. Slow service, average dishes. Value not there. Paul, you need to do much better.
   

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10. JM

    JM98

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Good food and drinks. Nice enough to share. Seated a few minutes early. We also had the special panko-crusted rabbit and it was fantastic. I'd come back just for that.
    

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11. O

    Oaklander

    San Francisco

    30 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    30 reviews

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    Great food and drinks, vibrant atmosphere, pretty good service. My only issue is their new "gender inclusive" bathroom set up, which basically means no privacy. I went it, looked to lock the door...no lock. Went into the stall, at which point a man came in to use the urinal right outside of the stall and I was stuck in the stall until he was done. It was super awkward and uncomfortable. Put a stall around the urinal or a lock on the door!
    

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12. DM

    DavidM

    San Francisco

    33 reviews

    4.0

    33 reviews

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall4food5service3ambience5

    Tasty food, excellent cocktails, great vibe and ambience.
    

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13. MP

    MissPiggy

    San Francisco

    30 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    30 reviews

    Dined on May 7, 2023

    overall4food5service2ambience4

    Food was great, as always. The service was sub-par. I don't blame the wait staff. They got slammed with not enough backup support. It's the reality of eating out these days. There just isn't enough staff; you pay the same (high) prices, but the experience is not what it used to be.
    

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14. HE

    HappyEater

    San Francisco

    16 reviews

    5.0

    16 reviews

    Dined on May 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    The food is always interesting. We have tried many new dishes in the various times we have eaten there and always been pleased. Some have become new "old favorites"! The drinks menu is very good and the cocktails can be very imaginative and good! The service is always excellent and with a smile. The servers seem happy to be working there. It is one of our favorite places to eat.
    

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15. HP

    HeatherP

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 30, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Amazing! I hosted a 12-person 50th birthday party for my husband in the little back room. We had the chef’s premium tasting menu; the food and service were FABULOUS. 10/10 we’d do this again. Thanks!
    

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16. VR

    VivianR

    San Francisco

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on April 30, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    The food was great. We had this olive toast with grilled shrimp on top, and the whole grilled sea bass. Our server, Kate, was fantastic. The hosts were gracious and welcoming. Loved our dinner, it was so fun
    

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17. BB

    BunnyB

    Baltimore

    17 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on April 29, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    I absolutely love Duende. Been a couple times now. The food is consistently amazing, the servers are great and i know I’ll have a good time.
    

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18. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Joaquin

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on April 22, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Duende is basically the perfect date night spot! It has a fun, romantic vibe that allows conversation to flow freely. The food is AHmazing!!! The tapas are fantastic! I was really happy with the vegetarian options and my partner loved the fish choices. The service was top notch, everyone made our night easy and special! We will definitely be back!
    

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19. N

    Ninafel

    San Francisco

    18 reviews

    3.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on April 20, 2023

    overall3food3service4ambience4

    We had the paella with sausage, mussels, and beans. They were absolutely delicious--the mussels melted in your mouth, the sausage was nice and meaty, not too spicy, and the butter beans were tasty and tender. The spicing in the paella was very good, and the aioli was excellent. However, it seemed like the dish had too much oil, and although we finished it, we felt overfull from too much fat.
    

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20. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 17, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Tried something new before a concert at Fox Theater and ecstatic that it resulted in us discovering this place! We had a reservation (a must if it’s a show night and you don’t want to rush the kitchen due to poor planning), and they sat us right down on time. The food was superb and a mix of unique dishes (we had whole branzino with greens, Duende burger) and classic tapas (we had mixed olives, patatas bravas). We loved being able to watch the chef cooking snd were surprised at how quiet it was given the large space. Beautiful ambiance and decor befitting the delicious food.
    

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21. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    vip
    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 17, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience5

    Several plates were lukewarm as if the tapas were sitting waiting to be delivered too long
    

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22. BA

    BrendaA

    Los Angeles

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on April 16, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great food and the staff was so accommodating and friendly with our two young kids. Good drinks too!
    

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23. ES

    EmilyS

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    This is a great 'go for the experience' type of place. The food is delicious and the ambience is nice, great service. This is definitely reflected in the price, dishes are expensive for relatively smaller portions.
    

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24. p

    ptsteno

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on April 9, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience4

    The PAELLA de VERDURAS is a fantastic dish for two people. We enjoyed the veggies, rice and egg on the paella. The inside of the restaurant offers a lot of space and the service is excellent. Will go again in the future.
    

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25. O

    Orville

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on April 8, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great place with amazing drinks, tapas, & paellas.
    

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26. t

    tanyay

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 4, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4

    Great experience overall. The food was yummy, various options to satisfy every need.
    

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27. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on April 2, 2023

    overall1food4service1ambience2

    This was the worst dining experience. We had such high hopes and had the best attitudes upon arrival as we had just picked up our daughter from the airport, returning home after being away for 3 mos. We never got our dinner and had to make ourselves food at home at 10:15pm. To say the service was slow is an understatement. We were basically forgotten about. We arrived for our 7:45pm reservations and after a few min, the host said to me “right this way” but oddly the group next to us started following him so we just waited at the desk confused. No worries, they apologized and led us to a different table behind the bar. The service was very slow from the get go- it took forever to get our drinks but we were all smiles and just happy to be out together. But then when the food we ordered didn’t come for 30+ minutes we started to feel neglected. Our waitress never checked on us. And then the ENTIRE room of patrons vacated before we ate anything. We were alone, forgotten about and hungry. We did not get checked on and when we finally got our tapas they came out incredibly slowly one at a time. Our waitress was kind but didn’t manage the situation at all. When we asked why everything was taking so long, she said - “your order went in at the same time as a large party upstairs.” She didn’t proactively address the issue. I even said, “considering how long everything is taking, can you take our dinner order now?” And then we never received our dinner. Ever. At 9:20pm I got up from my table to find the manager. Again, nice woman but just nodded and agreed that the service was slow and didn’t offer to find out when our food was coming. Her remedy was, “why don’t I send you over some tapas?” as if she didn’t really understand that we weren’t getting our food to being with! I sat down for a bit and after no one addressed the issue, we got up to leave. I found the manager serving other guests and let her know we were leaving. We left a tip but did not pay. Not worth it!
    

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28. r

    rspollock

    San Francisco

    12 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on April 2, 2023

    overall4food4service2ambience4

    Our waitress was great at first but when we finished the main course she had vanished. We asked another server for the check and then she came around and just dropped it off. Really didn't warrant 20% service.
    

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29. HN

    HeatherN

    San Francisco

    4 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on March 26, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience5

    Super fun place with great food. Had the Oakland Restaurant week special and it was a great value and yummy food.
    

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30. AM

    AnneM

    San Francisco

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 26, 2023

    overall4food5service4ambience5

    Great choice before a show at the Fox! I would return!
    

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31. S

    Shayla

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on March 25, 2023

    overall4food3service5ambience5

    Beautiful ambience with excellent service from Taraneh! We came for Oakland Restaurant Week and thought that it was a nice showing of their apps and entrees. The Sangria and Cava were both very tasty. Absolutely adored the ensalada de col and the buñuelos de dos quesos! The salad was so citrusy and refreshing. The buñuelos were delightful. The Pintxo duende was not in fact a “pintxo” that you’d find in Spain, but rather a super tiny tapa of charcuterie and olives. Wouldn’t get them again. We chose the Paella de Carne which was good but not mind blowing. I felt that the rice needed more spices. We didn’t enjoy the burnt bits of the rice at the bottom of the pan though. It’s my favorite thing about paella! We were all disappointed in the dessert. The chocolate pot de creme was more like a chocolate pudding cup from Jell-o. We brought our concerns to Taraneh and she was super sweet and accommodating, and took off one of the apps as a supplement for the disappointing dessert. They have many other desserts, so I’d suggest trying something other than the pot de creme. The ambiance is stellar! Very colorful and festive artwork and decor. They have an entire back away that’s tucked away and you wouldn’t even know that it existed unless you walked back there. There’s also a cute upstairs area. Didn’t get to go back there, but it looked cozy from a distance. Very fun and hip atmosphere and they play great music. All in all, it was a fun experience and I will definitely be back for the salad, buñuelos, and to try some different food and drinks off of their menu.
    

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32. u

    up2date

    San Francisco

    38 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    38 reviews

    Dined on March 24, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Delicious food, energetic vibe! Stellar service. We only wish Paul had been there.
    

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33. MJ

    MirandaJ

    San Francisco

    17 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    17 reviews

    Dined on March 23, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience3

    Great food! Friendly staff. The ambiance is....industrial warehouse.
    

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34. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    Chicago

    29 reviews

    4.0

    29 reviews

    Dined on March 23, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4

    We had the Restaurant Week menu, which was a solid value. Service was friendly and truly efficiently paced--they got us out of there exactly when our 1.5 hour time slot ended, without making us feel at all rushed. We don't eat in restaurants very often, so we found the food a tiny bit saltier and more highly flavored than what we're used to at home. Luckily we had a pitcher of good sangria to help out with that! Spanish food is always a challenge for us because we've spent a lot of time in Spain and have set ideas about what paella etc. should taste like. But last night we were hungry enough to throw our preconceptions out the window and thoroughly enjoyed the meat (chorizo and mussels) paella, as well as the rest of the meal!
    

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35. AW

    AudreyW

    Exclusive

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on March 21, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4

    food was original and outstanding. The squid ink paella and Fideau(SP?) were easily worth 5 stars. Also, the octopus appetizer was exceptional. We sat in the back room for the first time, which was a treat as it was a lot less noisy than where we usually sit.
    

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36. BP

    BernardP

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 21, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Great atmosphere, food, and service. I will return often.
    

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37. DA

    DerekA

    San Francisco

    7 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on March 21, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience5

    Pállela was burnt. Sangria was the best part of the meal.
    

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38. JM

    JeffreyM

    Detroit

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on March 19, 2023

    overall4food4service3ambience4

    Excellent food, good selection of cocktails and wine. Very courteous service, but very slow at the hosting stand (one person was greeting, going off to find open tables, helping to bus the tables, then walking guests to the table! Maybe someone didn't show up for work that night?). And there was a very long, unexplained delay in bringing out our third round of food (entrees) ... enough so that they delivered an extra small plate without our asking. But, despite the glitches, excellent meal, excellent evening, will go back again.
    

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39. MB

    MiguelB

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on March 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Unexpectedly nice restaurant and with good Spanish food. We went for Oakland Restaurant Week and everything was delicious!
    

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40. OT

    OpenTable Diner

    San Francisco

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 12, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5

    Food was delicious!!! Service was great and overall great vibe.
    

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