Live everyone I like to celebrate, be it a birthday, new job or an anniversary. This year I decided to celebrate one of life’s moments at an Eat Bay architectural moment; The Claremont Hotel or more specifically at Paragon in the Hotel. The Claremont has been at its current location since 1906 and has been a resort since 1915.
The Claremont Resort & Spa is a historic hotel that straddles the border between Berkeley and Oakland.. It is located at the foot of Claremont Canyon in the Berkeley Hills, providing the resort with scenic views of San Francisco Bay. It was constructed by a group of real estate developers associated with the Key System. A transbay line ("E" line) ran right to the doors of the Claremont Hotel for those trying to escape San Francisco for the weekend, approaching from between the tennis courts. Thus, Claremont Hotel guests not only had a magnificent view of San Francisco, but they could also go there directly by train. This grand location has kept most of its unique feature of years past.
My wife and I met in Berkeley over 20 years ago but we had never gone to the Claremont together for cocktails or food, so I booked an evening to experience what Paragon had to offer at this unique location. I knew the location would be special. I had arranged a time about 30 minutes before Sunset; it was a little hazy so the Bay View was not as nice as it could have been, but still a great setting.
I have to tell you, that this is location, is a great place for after work, happy hour or getting a group of friends together. The Paragon has a deck and lounge that is perfect to settle in and have a few drinks and talk with friends or a date.
We started with Pomegranate Margarita and Pink Grapefruit from the House Drink menu. Most drink on the menu are $10 and of 14 drinks on the list the diversity offers a little of something for everyone. Paragon offers a limited wine list and a larger after dinner drink list.
For starters we had the asparagus salad and the tuna tartare. The asparagus was crisp and had a lot of flavor. The tuna was spicy with pablano chilies, but it was not overpowering.
We decided on scallops and the pork chop for our entrees. The Paragon has a very limited selection for its entrees, with just six main dishes. The food was consistently prepared, not the best ever, but a solid performance.
Overall the Paragon delivers because its staff was great, the drinks were great, the food was good and the location was outstanding. I would go back, especially to sit on the deck after work and enjoy a few drinks.
