Stylish, gourmet food in a beautiful-people spot: the modern industrial design and snazzy bar scene are sure to impress your date, and the DJ spinning old-school jams adds to your savoir faire. The perfect end after an evening exploring Oakland First Fridays, when Mua stays open till midnight. (You can hit it up until 11 the rest of the week, and 10 on Sundays).

An auto row exterior greets diners as they enter the large industrial-looking space that is Mua. There is no one there as you first enter the ‘unfinished’ building that houses the restaurant. Instead a long bar and balcony lounge are the first things you see.

// Art, cocktails, and inventive bar food collide inside Mua (2442 Webster St.), an industrial space, rumored to be a postgame favorite of Warriors players. Stop by for the daily happy hour when you'll score the best deals on small bites such as shiitake crostini and crispy polenta, plus seasonal cocktails and wine and beer. // The Spanish-inspired Duende (468 19th St.) offers an array of pintxos and tapas, plus larger dishes meant to be split between two to four diners.

I see this neighborhood as having two lives,” said John Mardikian, the head chef and manager of Mua, a swanky bar, restaurant and art space that sprang up three years ago inside of a cavernous former wheel and rim warehouse that sits beside an Audi showroom on Broadway and 25th Street. “During the day, you have the car sales,” Mardikian said. “Then the nightlife comes and… it’s like Uptown but more organic, more urban, more real.

Beet salad dotted with goat cheese, quinoa-squash salad featuring feta and arugula, smoked trout endive salad with aïoli and orange slices. These are just a selection of the small yet sinfully delightful meals you can order at Mua. Mua delivers delicate small plates in a modernist industrial-chic warehouse setting, perfect for a cozy date night or even large-group get-togethers.

Located in downtown Oakland, Mua is a trendy spot with industrial-chic vibes. Their tapas menu features creative dishes like kimchi fried rice balls, glazed pork belly buns, and crispy Brussels sprouts. Mua also has an impressive cocktail list that pairs perfectly with their tapas offerings.

Mua mixes art, food, and cocktails for an experience that defines modern dining. The cavernous space is perfect for showcasing large installations. Enjoy their take on classic French dishes like beef bone marrow and duck confit.

Lower costs on the East Bay have also lured chefs—both established big names and new-gen whiz kids—to open restaurants in settings ranging from Southern French–inspired, Occitania to sleek hipster-chic (Mua).

Some Oakland Favorites: Mua (Broadway at about 25th); Bocanova (Jack London Square); Quinn's Lighthouse (Embarcadero - especially good for seafood...and view). Berkeley has Gather (Oxford, downtown).