Welcome to your new roosting place: Night Heron, a colorful cocktail bar that pays homage to Oakland’s history and diversity through the works of talented local artists. Night Heron is an art-studded destination for craft cocktails, bento boxes, and all the right vibes located across the street from The Fox Theater.
Cocktails On Tap + Bento Boxes
Night Heron specializes in cocktails on draft, which means that the bar’s thoughtfully conceived drinks reach guests more quickly. The menu of 17 cocktails is divided into three distinct sections: Downtown (drinks served on the rocks), Old Oakland (low or no alcohol), and Uptown (drinks served up). Beer and wine drinkers will find plenty of solid options, including Faction Summer IPA, Federation Tepache Ale, Subject to Change Mendocino Field Blend, and Rabble Rosé. For non-alcoholic options, they offer a Seedlip cocktail with sorrel (Caribbean hibiscus tea). Cocktail Highlights
Milk & Honey – whiskey, rum, fino sherry, grapefruit, black tea, tamarind, clarified with coconut milk
Blue Water Road – cognac, sorrel, 151 overproof rum float, nutmeg
Super Hyphy – seasonal, no-waste sangria from which Night Heron will donate profits toward reproductive rights organizing in California including The Yellowhammer Fund and Access Reproductive Justice.
The Girl Who Cried Champagne – vodka, butterfly pea flower syrup, lemon, champagne, Pop Nation coconut Thai herb popsicle
Food is available from neighboring restaurant Itani Ramen, whose chef/owner Kyle Itani curated two Bento Boxes exclusively for Night Heron. Patrons can order via QR code and food will be delivered directly to them. Bento options ($20 each) include Niku Bento (chicken kara’age, pork gyoza, edamame, seaweed salad, senbei rice crackers) or vegetarian Yasai Bento (furikake garlic waffle fries, veggie gyoza, edamame, seaweed salad, senbei rice crackers). Art-Driven Design The visual theme of Night Heron is Oakland’s history, diversity, struggle, and resilience – a story told through the bar’s artwork, curated by Sequoya Lee, an artist who studied community art practice and printmaking at California College of the Arts. Lee collaborated with her network to turn Night Heron into a rich tapestry of murals, neon sculpture, and prints that honor Oakland’s history. The 3,400-square-foot space includes a 20-seat bar framed by color-changing pendant lights, a communal table, three lounge areas that each accommodate 15-20 people, and a special space for public and private events, which features a dedicated bar and an installation of woven light fixtures. All in, the space can accommodate over 100 people. Featured Artwork
A mural by queer Pilipinx-American artist Malaya Tuyay, whose work focuses on personal intersectionality and identity, drawing inspiration from the history of marginalized groups.
A print by prolific activist and graphic artist Emory Douglas, the Black Panther Party’s Minister of Culture and art director of the Panthers newsletter; his iconic work represented the Panthers’ struggle against Black American oppression. The print was sourced from Oakland’s E14 Gallery.
Neon installations from Laura Stevenson of Rite Guy Design, an industrial designer and neon artist whose work can be seen in MoMa, Ritual Coffee, and Atelier Crenn.
Oakland-themed mural from local art gallery Good Mother from artist brothers Ian and Jared Jewthmal.
