Mimosa Champagne Lounge

Night Writer: Oakland’s Mimosa bubbles with style

It’s no joke that sparkling wine goes to our heads, or that bubbles combined with beats and eats can make for a great time. So it always surprised me that the Bay Area had only one night life spot dedicated to Champagne, the Bubble Lounge in San Francisco’s Financial District.

The Bubble Lounge is fabulous, but not always the right fit for an East Bay sparkling wine lover who doesn’t feel like crossing the bridge for a glass of prosecco.

I think the good folks behind Mimosa, Oakland’s newish Champagne lounge, figured as

Champagne cocktails such as the regular mimosa, grapefruit basil, honeydew melon and pomegranate…

Inside, exposed gray vaulted ceilings set an urban vibe. Soft, leather sofas line the perimeter of the space. Mimosa’s a classy joint but doesn’t try too hard, which I like. Pearly tiles dangle from two chandeliers and rod-iron wall art borders an enormous TV screen. During our visit, we caught “Training Day” and “Tropic Thunder.” Both winners in my book.

My husband and I walked in around 8:30 on a rainy Saturday night and were surprised to see less than a dozen people seated at one of two long communal tables. A server blamed the low turn out on the crummy weather and encouraged us to come back. So, we did.

An hour later, the place was hopping with couples, big groups and dapper gentlemen with flashing Bluetooth devices. The ratio of women to men was two to one, and I’ve heard that even thought it’s not a dance club, there’s been known to be a little booty-shaking between tables.

Mimosa’s one of those places for great people watching and lounging: Everyone’s stylish and put together, and the house music is loud enough to get your toes tapping, but not to ruin a conversation. Also, the service is excellent: warm, attentive and quick.

We spent a good 10 minutes perusing Mimosa’s list of bubbles. It is broken down into mimosas (5), Champagnes (23), California sparkling wines (11) and a selection of Italian and Spanish sparklers (8). I wanted a bit more diversity in terms of price and geography. According to owner Chris Rachal, Mimosa’s house brut and house brut rose are Charles Lafitte, which impressed and made me wonder why they don’t offer similar producers on their list. Some of the most interesting and affordable French sparkling wines are made outside of the Champagne region.

Wine mark-ups are high, I know, but I noticed a few situations where a value brand was marked up 250 to 300 percent. Almost all sparkling wines are more than $10 a glass, but there’s a pretty thorough selection of still wines by the glass, and several are under $10. We went straight for the mimosas, both for curiosity and the $8 price tag.

I tried the Ruby Red Grapefruit and Basil, house brut with fresh grapefruit juice, simple syrup and a twist of fresh basil. You’d expect the cocktail to be overly tart or acidic, but it was balanced and refreshing. My husband got the Amaretto and loved it. It is made with house brut and an almond-infused liqueur, and had a mild marzipan aroma and finished with just a hint of sweetness.

To accompany our drinks, we ordered a Lobster Ceviche ($14) and a Goat Cheese Bruschetta ($8) from Mimosa’s small bites menu. The lobster had a wonderful tangy kick, and the bruschetta portions (four thick slices of bread) were generous. All the fare is light — mostly salads, fish and shellfish — and meant to pair with sparkling wine.

We heard heartier dishes such as chicken satays will be added to the menu as the weather continues to cool. I’m putting in my vote for French fries, or some such salty fried potato item, which is my favorite thing to eat with Champagne.