Moonglow daydream
Gold Palm (Oakland)
BARS • First Round
The Skinny: The Oakland Floral Depot is a grand Art Deco building constructed the same year (1931) and in the same style as the neighboring Paramount Theatre. In recent years, it’s also been home to a somewhat cursed restaurant space (with the closures of Palmetto in 2023 and Duende in 2024). The owners of nearby Bar Shiru are hoping to change that, with new Pakistani-inspired cocktail lounge Gold Palm, and secret bar-within-the-bar Moonglow, which opened in November and December, respectively.
The Vibe: Many of Palmetto’s thundering tropical design details remain, including black-and-white checkerboard floors, live plants draped over the big curved bar, and potted palm fronds fanning in the center. If you’re drinking at Gold Palm, order at the left end of the bar, then slide into a saddle leather booth. If it’s Moonglow, you’ll slip back to a black door marked only with a sliver of a gold moon, and ring the doorbell, gaining entrance to the dramatic black box with a backlit bar, excellent sound system, and a no photos/video rule, the right math for a truly fun night.
The Drink: Two distinct spaces, two different cocktail menus. Up front, Gold Palm serves up a bourbon punch, tinted with turmeric and washed with coconut milk, which lends aroma and mouthfeel without overpowering the drink with richness. In the back, Moonglow offers martinis and classics like a 90s throwback lychee martini, along with some distinct concoctions of their own (an old-fashioned infused with chanterelles, for example).
The Food: Chef Selasie Dotse, late of Lazy Bear and Hi Felicia, consulted on the opening menu of potato-stuffed samosas, chicken tikka skewers, and fries dusted with masala and dunked in curried ketchup. They’re fun bar snacks, even if some liberties are taken (the samosas come wrapped in egg roll sheets).
The Verdict: Start with a first drink and a samosa snack at Gold Palm to take in the scene, then retire to the secret bar for a second drink at Moonglow, soaking in the afterglow. Whichever adventure you choose, it’s satisfying to see a new party swing into this architectural gem. –Becky Duffett
→ Gold Palm (Oakland) • 1900 Telegraph Ave • Tue-Sat 5p-12a • Walk-ins only.