The Alley

"Photo-filled lounge with dining, cocktails & live piano or guitar music with participation singing."

The Alley is an Oakland piano bar and restaurant founded in 1934, offering nightly live piano and guitar music with open-mic singing, cocktails, and dinner service. The Alley is known for its participatory sing-along format around a grand piano, a menu of classic American fare including hamburgers, cornmeal crusted fried chicken, and steak, and walls covered with approximately 40,000 to 50,000 business cards stapled up by visitors from around the world. Founded in 1934 and described by the East Bay Express as 'Dashiell Hammet in Disneyland,' The Alley has been designated a Heritage Property by the City of Oakland and has been listed in the Lonely Planet Guide, Rough Guides, and the GrassRoutes Travel Guide to Oakland. Located on Grand Avenue in Oakland, CA, near the Grand Lake Theatre and the Lake Merritt estuary. Reviewers call it one of the most memorable and unique experiences in the area, consistently praising the casual sing-along atmosphere, the resident pianists, and the food, particularly the steak.