Top Hatters Kitchen and Bar

Highly recommend. Food, drinks, service and atmosphere all incredible. Love this gem. We recently went for Valentine’s and was overwhelmed by the special experience of unique menu and attention to detail. You have to check it out.

Was meeting up a friend for a Saturday brunch and looked up places in San Leandro. Found a lot of reviews on this spot so I easily made a reservation on OpenTable for a Saturday for 2 at 12:00pm and it wasn’t too busy. I wasn’t sure where to park but there is street parking up front and it’s also located residentially but also very close to the freeway and there’s some parking nearby. Service was great, there were paper menus as well as a QR code to order on your phone. I asked the server for some suggestions. Since it was a weekend brunch we went with the rice paper rolls, grits and fried egg, banh mi bread pudding, and focaccia. The portions at first seemed small but it was a lot for 2 of us. I had to try their Vietnamese egg custard coffee and it was so strong and good. They definitely have unique fusion Vietnamese dishes and the egg and grits had a nice spicy kick to it if you like spice! Their focaccia was so nice and warm too. Overall it’s a nice vibe inside, variety of things to order for the entire family.

Finally walked in after years of passing by. Rating: 5 Stars I’ve lived about four blocks from this spot for over two decades. I’ve walked past it dozens of times, always smelling the kitchen from the sidewalk and telling myself I’d eventually eat there. Tonight, I finally followed through on a reservation, and honestly, the food totally lived up to those smells I’ve been experiencing for years. We arrived right at opening and asked to sit on the patio instead of inside—it wasn't a problem at all. The patio is a nice little sanctuary right off the 580 freeway. We ordered through the QR system and everything came out in a timely manner. The waitstaff was very pleasant and I actually enjoyed hearing the kitchen staff calling out orders; you can tell they really know what they’re doing. The standout dishes: The Grilled Whole Rockfish: This was excellent. The presentation was beautiful with earthy colors, and the skeleton was incredibly easy to remove. The sauce and toppings really pulled all the flavors together. Seared Rice Cake: Highly recommended. The outside was firm and crispy (though not a hard "crunch"), but when you combine it with the sausage and other ingredients, it’s amazing. Meat Lettuce Wrap Platter: We did the short rib, pork, and chicken. The short rib had the most intense flavor, but all three were great. My only small note is the lettuce didn't really hold up against the fillings, so I ended up eating a lot of it like a salad, which wasn't a big deal because the meat was so good. Lemon Ricotta Zeppole: A great way to finish, so delicious! It’s rare to have that much buildup for a restaurant and not be disappointed. Great food, nice soundtrack, and a solid neighborhood vibe. If you’ve been walking past and smelling it like I have, just go in. It’s worth it.

Just solid food all around! A pleasant surprise in San Leandro. The food is phenomenally curated. To me it's sort of wine bar-ish food with Asian inspired ingredients but with western technique. We ordered the tissue bread, halibut tartare, oxtail, mushroom course, beets and rice cakes. The rice cakes were my favorite. Service was great. Savan was really helpful. Indoor outdoor space with nice bar seating. Would most definitely come back.

If you are very hungry - you'll have a massive tab, the serving sizes are delicate, to put it politely. The presentation is flawless although if you like to shake up your taste buds, that's not happening here - like the sizes, flavors are delicate too. Our hosts were thrilled to bring us here - I hope they don't see my review! We did thoroughly enjoy their company in the wonderful outdoor ambiance with excellent service.