Went here a few months ago, only just now reviewing. Â Wish I had reviewed sooner because I've forgotten some details. Â After reading some other reviews I see the same issues we had so I'll write my own. Â Nice looking restaurant, converted from a big old house. Â Originally we were seated outside but it was a bit cold so we went inside (middle of the week, restaurant was mostly empty...a bit too dark inside actually). Â Basically the food was just OK. Â I know this is Hayward and they don't have fancy restaurants here but that's no excuse for the price versus what you get. Â My steak was over-cooked and the sides were nothing special. Â This place is trying to be a super fancy restaurant and the quality just wasn't there that night. Â Debated even writing a review but I saw a bunch of other people who had an overcooked steak so its an ongoing issue. Â Also, my husband wasn't thrilled with the fish he ordered.
Review Source:Not impressed. Â When paying $30+ for a steak then expect me to notice the difference between Medium-rare (what I ordered) and Medium (no moisture inside the steak and barely any pink). Â Restaurants can make an off-meal and still be good. Â Maybe mine was just that unfortunate miss (my mum's rack of lamb was as desired and ordered) Â I won't be finding out.
Review Source:Went here for a business function and featured great shish kabob and meats. Very good service and wine. A little bit away from the rest of downtown but still nice. Â Nice patio area too with a black cat. While you could park nearby in the parking garage, there is potentially closer parking you can get to. It looks like a residential house so slow down to prevent passing it entirely.
Review Source:I would never guess you could find a place like this in Hayward. Cool Napa B&B looking building. It's a little dark in there for me. The food was great the seared scallops in a sweet potato puree was amazing. The only thing that sucked was our waiter was a stub. Dude get over your self. I'm sure he will see this and that's ok because if it wasn't for that it would have been a five star.
Review Source:Fabulous. Â Every part of the meal was phenomenal. First the atmosphere- beautiful victorian house- quaint and inviting. Â When you walk through the door you experience a modern feel that meshes nicely with the victorian appeal. Â Another charming quality is the outside garden in back for a warm evening dinner. Â
The manager is kind, professional and knows his stuff-from the details of the food to the taste and pairing of the wines. Â By the way, the wine selection was great and reasonably priced.
For dinner we had the warm goat cheese spinach salad- yummy, a small plate of the most amazing Cioppino. Â Me- of italian decent- I know Cioppino and this was right on target- delicious! Â It reminded me of my aunts cioppino to a tee! Â I had the trout with cauliflower- wow- Â The seasoning was so on target and the surprise was amazing thinly sliced cauliflower baked to perfection. Â My husband had the tender lamb cooked to a perfect medium rare placed on a bed of a wild rice and thinly sliced potato with a fabulous seasoning.
Enjoy this diamond of a place in all aspects, ambiance, delicious food, and kind and knowledgeable staff. Â You can't go wrong with any part of this restaurant. Â
On a side note, they have parking right in back so you don't have to search the crowded parking on the main street.
I agree with Marylin B's review from 4/14/13. Was surprised at how unimpressive it was for how positive all the reviews seemed. Very pricey for the experience--and in low rent downtown Hayward you'd think they have some budget to work with. When you charge like this, you better deliver. Unfortunately, for us at least, it didn't.
Nice house,decor/ambiance, decent wine list--but hardly "impressive". They keep the wine prices OK but I made the mistake of allowing the server (who waited, somolier'd, and bussed ours and every other table) to suggest the 'house' Mark West pinot. I was hesitant as I've had MW wines before and they are usually on the bar-table at the christmas party--not for fine dining.As feared it was rudimentary, fruity in a dull and unsophisticated way, and I should have trusted my own judgement.
Since the same guy did all the service, it was generally slow. The fact they tacked on a 18.7% "gratuity" (I think you mean an "obliguity") for our party of 7 (and my wife just ordered 2 appetizers) made it all the more irritating at the ridiculous lack of staff. Plus they tipped themselves on the post tax amount. That really ticks me off.
Anyway, the food
The warm goat cheese and pear salad was good and fine. Perhaps a bit too much olive oil, and I personally don't like the pear taken down to a compote and made a mushy glop. The goat cheese was crusted and deep fried--was good. My scallops (3 big meaty ones, seared perfectly in butter) were quite good, over a honey sweetened sweet potato mash. It was a bit too sweet and the pinot was a bad choice--too sweet on top of that. The scallops deserved better, like an albarino or verdeho etc.
The rack of lamb was way over cooked and had too much pepper on it. Gross.
Petit filet mignon were nice, small, pieces of meat, not served with any inspiration.
My wife ordered the bruschetta which were way too garlicky. Her salad was OK.
If this is the best place along the I-80 corridor up to Berkeley, then Yelpers, there is still a reason why the East bay is not the place for haute cuisine.
This place was better than anything I could have imagined! The wine selection was great, the food was wonderful and the service was great! I never knew they were in Hayward, and found out they are going into their 10th year. I will be back!!!
We had the house marinated warm olives and steamed clams in the garlic sauce. The clams were so delicious! The olives were good as well. For dinner we had the Grilled Prime Rib, Grill rack of lamb and filet Mignon. The horseradish which came with the prime rib was the best I ever had! All the meat was cooked to perfection.
Excellent food, service and decor - a hidden gem in downtown Hayward. Â They have a somewhat limited selection but, for such a small restaurant, a limited selection assures me that everything is cooked fresh and to order. Â I love that they have a variety of "small plate" items (which I prefer so that I can try several items) in addition to full plate entrees.
Review Source:A diamond in the rough. Â
It's like a small patch of Napa sown into Hayward.
This is a lovely little restaurant with great food and good service..truly a gem in the area.
The few negatives are hardly worth mentioning so I'll leave them out and just say that Neumanali is a perfect place for a date night, special occassion or if you're in the mood for  couple glasses of wine and a cheese plate after work.
Highly recommeded!
Took my cousin here for her birthday, but unfortunately was sick and couldn't really taste anything. Still, the atmosphere and small staff (the host was our server) were lovely -especially, as everyone else says, since it's located in downtown Hayward of all places. Â Great selection of wine. And from the textures of the food, it seemed to be prepared and cooked well (again, I couldn't taste). Definitely want to go back when I can taste!
Review Source:Living in the ever so amazing East Bay city of Hayward a nice dinner always means minimum a 45 min drive out of this culinary deficient town. Well the wife and I really do not feel like driving too far for dinner in the middle of the week so we turn to fellow yelpers to see if there is anything we've missed locally and lo and behold: Neumanali!
I called up around 7:30 and asked if we could still get in for the dinner the very nice host asks my name and puts me down for 8pm. We make the drive and wow, what a beautiful Victorian House (see picture) as we go inside it feels like we are somewhere hidden in wine country! Very romantic low lit lights, nice art on walls, full white table linen (no ugly paper on top) and only maybe 2 other parties in the restaurant though I did see a few people chatting it up in the bar area in the entrance. So the very nice server/host/ owner? Abran gives us a little history telling us the restaurant was coming up on 10 years! (who would have thought?!) and that the original Victorian house was lifted in order to build the restaurant in the first floor/basement! Very nice story! Made us feel right at home and was very knowledgeable and attentive.
Bread and olive oil balsamic are brought to the table and our wine is opened (we always prefer to BYI) however the wine selection they had seem very nice and prices were reasonable. Wife orders a house salad that had some feta cheese and I went for some Cajun shrimp appetizers, absolutely delicious the shrimp had the perfect kick to it. Main entrée she decides to go with filet mignon and I ordered lamb chops. The presentation was impressive and the taste was amazing! Her steak was perfectly cooked though they served it with some type of pasta (a little odd choice but didn't hinder the taste). Finished the night with shared bread pudding and were already making plans to return! Delicious!
Some would argue it's a little price for Hayward but seriously what other nice restaurant do we have? I personally had absolutely no problem paying for a nice dinner 10 min from my house! Truly a hidden gem! We will be back!
We had reservations, yes, seats held but also the other kind of reservations about dining here. Â The other reviews sounded too good to be true. Â The restaurant is in a cute Victorian style home and as soon as we sat down inside, we were transported to Napa. Â That's what it felt like! Â We couldn't believe we've lived in this area for over 10 years and have never found this place. Â Shame! Â The food was really good! Â We started with the chopped salad (very flavorful) and the warm brussel sprouts and bacon which is too many greens if you are already sharing the salad. Â Both tasty but a weird combination since one is warm and one is cold. Â The mains were excellent, I loved the filet mignon and spaghetti. Â I know it didn't read that way on the menu, but it is a filet steak and side of spaghetti! Â My husband had the rack of lamb and loved it although he did think it was strange to serve rice AND potatoes on one dish. Â All was good. Â The atmosphere was casual or dress up if you want. Â Just be prepared for slower service when it's busy. Â As long as you order an app and get a drink going, you hardly notice. Â The service was very nice otherwise and friendly. Â The food is a little pricey like Napa, so we're saving this place for date night.
We'll definitely be back!
I had such high hopes of a special evening at this restaurant as the reviews had been so positive and dining in a Victorian house was enticing. Â Well, apparently the restaurant is actually in what probably was the garage at some point...so you're not exactly "in" a Victorian house, but rather a nondescript room pretty much void of any ambiance. I did like the artwork however...most interesting. Â
We were there on a Saturday night and the place was virtually empty...always a concern. Â But that allowed for our group to have a nice quiet meal. Â First off, we were informed that they did not have a full bar (they had a large bar in the entrance too), which was ok, as we were just ordering wine. Â However, when asked for a glass of Sauvignon Blanc, they didn't even have that! Â Really? Â Oh, well.
Service was fine, if not a bit pushy. Â However, our meals were less than satisfactory. Â Salmon was way overdone and dry, pan fried trout was extremely greasy, although the flavors were good. Â Salads were certainly nothing special and limited selection. Way overpriced for the quality of the food...and this is in Hayward!
Another review mentioned lack of parking....not true. Â Had a nice parking lot behind the restaurant, not large, but then neither is the restaurant. Â We like to meet our friends for dinner in Hayward as it's about half-way between our homes in San Mateo & Danville. Â However, we won't be returning anytime soon.
It amazes me that the owners were able to see the need and the desire for a restaurant like Neumanali's the be opened in the Hayward area... especially on B Street. Just down from the bus terminal.
The building was moved to the current location because the owners loved it so - the Victorian really adds to the swanky level of the experience, since Neumanali's is not cheap. It's definitely a special occasion restaurant, so wear a pretty dress and make your man comb his hair.
Our food was great, but the wine selection was excellent. Really just a great restaurant for quiet conversation, romantic evenings, and life celebrations.
If this were San Francisco or Berkeley, I would probably go four stars. But this is head and shoulders of any place along the 880 corridor between Berkeley and Santana Row.
The ambiance is cozy and quirky, and is the building itself. However, the service is professional, and the food is unique and very tasty.
If you find yourself looking for a nice meal in the Hayward area, you owe it to yourself to check it out.
This is a nice place for a romantic dinner - priced for special occassions.
Not a family place for children.
The Mr. and I went on a date on a random weeknight and ended up here.
It was a little on the early side/senior citizen dinner time, so we were the first and only ones there. (Later followed by a senior citizen couple. lol)
We started off with a caesar salad that was very tasty.
I had the rack of lamb - also very tasty. I don't recall what sides they came with... and though they were edible - they weren't very remarkable.
The Mr. had the ribeye. It was HUGE! He asked for it to be cooked medium, but it came out well. He didn't eat much of it. It came with mashed potatoes and sauteed spinach which were really yummy.
The perfect meal woulda been the lamb with the mashed potatoes and spinach. lol.
The service was extremely professional - though not really friendly.
I'm sure we will be back. Perhaps the ribeye thing was an off-day for them.
Neumali is an unexpected find in downtown Hayward! We had seen the restaurant, but since we are typically downtown on the weekend for lunch it wasn't open. One weekend we parked nearby, went in, and the owner and staff chatted with us. We made reservations for the following weekend 'cause it looked nice and had a good menu.
The spicy shrimp appetizer was delicious (and spicy). My wife really liked her chopped salad. My filet mignon was good, and her trout was really good too. We had dessert and a couple glasses of wine. It wasn't inexpensive, but this is our new local special occasion restaurant.
Fine dining in Hayward? I know, I'm still questioning myself about this. It's an unexpected surprise well worth the effort to check out.
My friend and I literally stumbled upon this unassuming, perfectly manicured Victorian home while on our way to Buffalo Bills. I had read reviews about this place for years so it was natural for me to ask him to go in to check it out. We were immediately impressed from the décor and menu and were seated near the patio entrance.
After putting in our order for the warm goat cheese salad, the clams, the oxtail and the scallop entrees, we then had to figure out our wine. We went with a young Bordeaux, that they were fortunately out of, for our waiter presented an excellent 2007 Bordeaux replacement, luckily at the same bottle price, though the vintage was more superior than our first pick. Safe to say, we had no problem finishing off that bottle of wine during our meal.
I won't go in to a more lengthy detailed account of our fantastic meal, so the highlights: the chorizo sauce for the clams was the best pairing I've ever had for these sweet little bivalves; the correctly seared scallops had this sweet potato mash with maple syrup that made me reminisce of a happier (pancake xoxo) time; and their espresso for their affogato was the perfect end to an amazing meal. Honorable mention to the tender oxtail that was so succulent that it was only appropriate for me to suck those bones dry.
This place is highly recommended for a sure fire way to get your date (who is not paying) to put out. I will be back.
My husband and I stopped in here early on a Tues night. Sat at the bar and had some drinks. We really enjoyed ourselves. Wine and beer selection, while limited, had some good options. The ambiance was welcoming and cozy. We had some great discussions about football at the bar with the bartender and others. We did not eat there but will definitely be back to try some food another time. Within walking distance to bart.
Review Source:Great meal, warm goat cheese and pear salad, lemon&prociutto brussell sprouts, mushroom bruschetta and the grill rack of lamb. My favs of the night were definitely the bruschetta and the lamb which was a perfectly cooked to order medium rare.
They split plated everything for me and my gf without us even asking which was greatly appreciated.
The place is nice, intimate seating with dim lighting. Surprisingly empty, even for a Thursday evening. This place is worth checking out if you are in Hayward, as it may be the only fine dining spot in the area.
I couldn't get myself to give another star to this place.
Neumanali, I really wanted to like you, I did. Â I was so excited to have dinner there since I'd found it on Yelp and they had great reviews except for complaints that the service was slow, and I thought to myself, slow? Â Couldnt be that bad... I was so wrong.
3 of my girlfriends and I planned a date and I made reservations here a month in advance. Â A week before the date, I started looking at the menu, trying to decide what I wanted to get.. it was so difficult to decide between all the entrees, they all sounded delicious!
The day of the date came and I'd finally decided on ordering the lamb chops. Â Unfortunately, they were doing construction and had street closures on Hayward blvd so 2 of us got stuck in traffic. Â The other 2 of our friends got there on time, and ate bread and while waiting for us to arrive. Â We got there nearly 45 minutes late and right when we sat down, our server, who was also our host, goes, "so, you're finally here!" Â I started to complain about the construction situation and he put his hand up and said, "No, I don't wanna hear it." Â I didn't think much of it because I figured he was just joking. Â But after seeing his attitude during the rest of the dinner, I realize that he was being just plain RUDE.
Disappointment #1: They were out of lamb chops, which was not announced by the server when we were given our menus, but I found out from my friend who overheard the table next to her trying to order it.
Disappointment #2: Decided to go with the prime rib. Â Flagged the server down and indicated we wanted to order. Â He nodded but proceeded to get the water pitcher and walk around, filling up other customers glasses instead of taking our order. Â I had a slight inkling that he was upset that we were late, but there's no way to tell for sure.
Disappointment #3: The chef isn't happy with the way the prime rib is turning out, so the server offered to give me the filet mignon at the same sized portion with the same fixings at no additional cost. Â I decided to take him up on the offer.
The spicy shrimp appetizer comes and it's really good. Â The portion was a decent size and the 4 of us all enjoyed sharing it.
Disappointment #4: 1hr 10 minutes after the app - the food finally arrives and I'm given a filet mignon that was NOT prime rib portion, but with the same fixings.  By then, I'm so exhausted from the drive and from waiting for the food that I felt like it wasn't worth it to ask for another steak. Taste-wise, my entrée wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either and the beef lacked seasoning.
We looked around for a manager or anyone else working there to complain about the prime rib situation, but it looked like our server was the only one working. Â After seeing his snappy attitude, the last thing I wanted to do was to deal with him.
Disappointment #5: The bill comes and I'd been charged the filet price for the filet portion. Â Frustrated and tired, I just decided to pay for it, leaving a not-so-generous tip and promising myself I'd never be back.
I know, I should've complained, but I didn't want to ruin our dinner date and trust me, things could get heated REAL fast when I complain. Â One thing is for sure, Neumanali has lost 4 returning customers from this experience.
The best place in Hayward that you've never heard of. Blink and you'll miss it, but the 5 star food is definitely worthy of its elegant, Victorian house setting. They have a lovely, dark atmosphere with a bar on the side. Reservations are a good idea, and if you are a college student like me, save it for birthdays or for when your work bonus is burning a hole in your pocket. Can't wait for the right occasion to visit Neumanali's again.
Review Source:Everything was literally perfect. Neumanali is definitely a "diamond in the rough." the building is a beautiful Victorian house with a dining room inside as well as a garden/patio dining area outside. My wife and I first started with a Wild Mushroom and Brochette that had a Truffle sauce. The mushrooms were cooked perfectly, and you can't go wrong with Truffles. My wife ordered the Bruschetta wrapped Prawns, and I ordered the Rib-Eye. Both Entrees had generous portions, even though my wife's course was considered a "small course." I STRONGLY recommend this place to anyone who lives in the Hayward area.
Review Source:The reviews for this restaurant are pretty accurate. Â The food is good... Â Three stars, but the food comes out really slowly. Â The waiter played both the host/waiter. Â This place is overrated on yelp. Â
I ordered the 3 small plates for dinner and thought the clams, prawns, and shrimp all tasted good. Â I started off with the warm goat cheese salad, but there was nothing spectacular about any of the dishes.
I would've ordered dessert, but didn't want to wait another hour for my dessert to arrive.
The owners should light the restaurant from the outside so the location would pop and they can get more foot traffic. Â Maybe then they can hire some help.
Neumenali is in a very unsuspecting area of Hayward. We thought we had passed it when we passed downtown/City Hall. The restaurant is the downstairs part of a renovated home, which looks like one of those old Victorian homes in the city. When we first parked, I was struck by the outdoors patio in the back of the restaurant, which was strung with beautiful lights - it looked very magical.
Inside, the ambience was quiet and intimate, perfect for a date night. The decor was beautiful and elegant. There are a variety of tables - booths, tables, high tables, and there is a bar as well. I noticed that there was only one server for a handful of tables plus the several patrons at the bar. Although it is a small restaurant, it is "upscale" in a way, and for the prices they charge, I hope they can get more staff to help with service.
So on to the food - Husband and I came here for valentines and spent about $100 on an appetizer, a glass of wine, a soda, and two entrees. I wanted to love it since it was such a special night, but the price wasn't justified by the taste. The mussel appetizer we had was good but not amazing. My chicken entree was undercooked and made me feel sick after eating a few bites. Husbands t-bone was just okay as well.
If you're looking for a nice date spot - this is probably your best bet to wow that girl in the area. However, I would take my money elsewhere for GOOD food.
We were looking forward to trying this restaurant for months, friends rave about it and it looks gorgeous and romantic, perfect Valentine's Day spot.
We made reservations weeks in advance and were seated right away. Each ordered just an entree.
Two hours later we were still waiting. We parked at 7:15 and it was almost 10pm before our two plates hit the table. We were apologized to several times by the waitress and we weren't the only ones, we saw other parties waiting just as long as us, I just don't understand how this happens.
When I made reservations I was told they knew they were going to be packed, so how they were unprepared is beyond me. We were minutes away from just walking out.
The meal that finally came was tasty, and desserts were comped, but after a two+ hour wait we were both pretty miserable, tired and worried about relieving the babysitter. They also shuffled my plate away mid-pork chop for our desserts so it felt slow and then rushed out to allow them to close or something.
Very disappointing first impression.
What a disappointment this place was. From the moment that we arrived, I felt unwelcomed. What should have been a nice evening for my bf's mother, and my bf and I, started off terribly and failed to get any better. When we first walked in, the greeter/waiter pointed us to a table that was right by the door. As it was cold that night, I asked if we could sit elsewhere. He then pointed us to a table that was right by the kitchen...I guess this was an improvement because it was warmer over there, but his attitude about it was anything but warm.
Once we were sat, I ordered a glass of wine, and my bf and his mom both had starters. One soup and one very chopped salad. I think those two dishes were the best things on the menu. After they finished their appetizers and I (gasp) finished my glass of wine (which never happens before the meal comes, this should have been a red flag here!!)...our entrees finally arrive. The bf ordered two small plates; scallops and a mashed potato puree and a spicy shrimp dish. The scallops were good, but the shrimp were really overdone.
My bf's mom ordered the shrimp dish too and the cioppino. Both were underwhelming. But at least the cioppino dish was really hot....so hot in fact that she had to wait about 10 minutes before she could eat it. My dish was the worst offender of them all. I ordered the trout,. It arrived almost burnt on the top and the "crisp" cauliflower that arrived with it, was chewy and burnt. I ended up giving most of it to my bf, who will eat just about anything. I had a couple of his scallops and most of the mashed potatoes, which were quite good.
After about an hour and a half, spent mostly in silence and disappointment, we were (finally) Â handed the check. We had no idea why the service was so slow, when we were only one of two tables in the place. As we were making our getaway, the Chef came up to us and wanted to know how our meal was. She was a little late. Throughout dinner we noticed that she was chatting up some people that were convening in the lounge session, but had she checked in with us at any point throughout the evening, she would have seen how disappointed we were the whole time. I mean, she was literally mere feet away from us.
She did offer my bf's mom a couple of gift certificates, which was a nice gesture, but served up little consolation for a lady that had to suffer the atrocities of a very subpar birthday dinner.
Food - 4 stars
Dog friendly - 3 stars
Yes, dogs are welcomed on the back patio. You are informed that you will have to leave if other diners complain about your dog. If I complain about other diners, do they have to leave?
Thankfully, we were the only ones that Wednesday night so it wasn't an issue. Â Food is terrific. Hubby and I always share the chopped salad because it's too filling to eat by yourself. Â Their steaks are the best. I like mine well done with no pink and they somehow can grill my steak so it's well done but still butter soft so that it can be cut with a fork.
Right across from BART in an old Victorian house.
This would be a one-star but i like the look of the restaurant.
I've been here twice. Â The first time, it was good but overpriced. Â The second time, not good and overpriced. Â I had a whole fish, that was salty and way overcooked for $29.50. Â Are you kidding me?!? Â I sent it back to the kitchen. Â The waiter was apologetic and sincere, but nothing he could say or do would make up for the food.
If this place was in san francisco, it wouldn't last  very long, but since it's in hayward I think it will survive.  It's one of few "fine dining" options in the area. Â
If you want to spend way too much money on okay food in hayward this is the place to go.
I should caveat that I haven't been here in at least a year, so perhaps it has improved, but I doubt it.
This place has a menu that sounds great and I'm sure that if you are from Kansas it would be the best restaurant ever, but it can't compete with the competition in Oakland and Berkeley (not to mention SF). Â The prices are high and the food is just OK. Â Every time we eat here, we decide that it's not worth it for the money (pretty pricey) when there are so many other choices.
Our best experience here was coming for a special happy-hour event with cheap appetizers and drink specials. Â That was great. Â But for dinner? Â Head up to A Cote or Pizzaiolo instead.
I ate at Neumanali over a month ago and I can't get this negative experience off my mind... I NEED to write about it and forget it.
My friend ordered a chicken breast dish- rolled and filled with Havarti cheese and asparagus. We were engrossed in our conversation and she failed to notice that the center of the chicken roll was raw. She ate 1 of 4 of the rolls before we looked down to see a pink center. Â We quickly got the attention of our waiter and quietly to not disturb or gross out other patrons explained the problem. Â The waiter took away the dish and brought my friend a menu to select something new. Â She selected the scallops. Â At this point, we are both a bit grossed out. Â She ingested raw chicken, that's serious. Â
Long story short. Â I don't feel management took the necessary follow up for this indiscretion. Â By no means did I expect our meal to be comped, but when we finally got the bill... nothing was comped. Â They took the raw chicken dish off the bill and replaced it with the scallops. Â They even charged us for the two cups of coffee we had at the end of our meal. Â I purposely did not cause a scene to give them the opportunity to make the situation right. Â I will not go back or recommend this restaurant, on the basis of poor customer service. The chef did come out and apologized... but that apology should have been reflected on the bill as well.
I really wanted to love this place. Â A romantic hidden gem, right here in Hayward! Â That's what I was looking for. Â A special date night place, where I don't have to drive to Rockridge or across the bridge. Â
Maybe my expectations were too high from the previous reviews. Â Or maybe our exceptional visit to Citron two weeks ago spoiled it for us. Â But we were unimpressed.
Our server was very good. Â The clams appetizer was also good. Â But the $32 filet was overcooked and dry (asked for medium rare, got medium-medium well). Â The trout dish was good, but not great. Â The creme brulee was very good, but the chocolate/mousse/ganache cake was on the bland side... PW Market's cakes are twice as good as this, as are the desserts at nearby Buon Appetito. Â
All in all, pretty spotty for what I expected, and for what we paid. Â We will continue our search for nearby excellence (haven't tried Rue de Main nor A Street Cafe yet...). Â But probably not before another trip to Citron.
We are SO glad Neumanali has come to Hayward. Â It is nice to be able to go to a nice bistro/wine bar type of place, order somewhat gourmet food, have an extensive wine list and to be able to enjoy live jazz (on certain nights). Â While it is just a bit more pricey than I expect, the complex flavors in the dishes show a sophisticated palate in the kitchen. Â The staff is helpful and friendly, and despite being a wine bar, we have no problems describing the type of wine we like, giving the waitstaff our budget, and then being presented with the loveliest choice of wine. Â They even offer to replace the bottle if it's not to our liking.
The food - well, the salads range from the simple to the complex. Â The steak, rack of lamb and the duck have all been more than we expected. Â They are usually stacked on top of the selected starch and vegetable, so you don't always see what you're eating - but the flavors will just melt in your mouth.
Desserts are a little pricey, but the quality of ingredients used clearly stand out and so, make it worth ordering. Â
Maybe it's just our timing (usually Fri/Sat nights), but this restaurant seems to attract well-heeled, older (mid-50s) clientele. Â This is fine, but almost every time, we've been treated to a loudmouth who's had too much to drink and needs to take their conversation outside. Â It's a small place, so if you get a choice of tables, make sure your fantastic meal isn't soured by the nearby company.
Real china and white tablecloth restaurants are far and few in downtown Hayward. Hence Neumanali is a hidden gem. It's located in an old Victorian across from city hall and has two separate dining areas - the main room downstairs and an upstairs area that probably use to be somebody's parlor but now doubles as an art gallery/dining room. Â
The food is definitely fancy for Hayward standards but then again, anything that isn't served out of a paper bag could be considered hoity-toity. Cream of mushroom soup drizzled with truffle oil, prosciutto-wrapped prawns on a bed of greens, pan-seared halibut, and steak sandwiches. Yes, quite a departure from the Taco Bells, McDonalds, and El Pollo Locos that flood this city.
While I've only been here for long working lunches, I am guessing that this could be a rather nice locale for a romantic rendezvous as well. Perhaps as a New Year's resolution I can work on how to: Â
Dip my pen in the company ink
Fish off the company pier
Drink from the company fountain
Party in my britches with the company bitches
I'll keep you posted...
What a gem! The atmosphere is cozy in this beautifully restored Victoria and the food is wonderful!
This was our first trip, but this will be one of our regular spot from now on - no need to drive to SF when we can eat here ;-)
I ordered the crab with avocado and fresh gazpacho. Perfect! For my main I ordered the Spicy Clams and was not disappointed. So many times when I ordered clams or mussels they are overcooked and dried out - NOT at Neumanali! The clams were plump and sweet down to the last one. The sauce was smoky and sweet thanks to a perfect combination of paprika and chorizio.
My husband ordered the Vegetable soup. It was chock full of fall veggies. He also ordered the boneless ribs - WOW! They were fork tender and rich - he only let me have one tiny bite.
We shared an apple caramel Napoleon for dessert, the perfect finish to a delightful meal.
The most amazing thing - 2 course, bottle of wine, dessert and espresso was just around $100!!! We will be back in the next couple of weeks.
This was my 4th trip to this delightful venue in downtown Hayward. We also lucked out because they have live music on Wednesday and Thursday evenings. I think the instrument was a marimba, but don't hold me to that! The music was primarily 40s standards with a little bossa nova tossed in.
The odd thing is that while this is a lovely wine and beer bar, I drink neither (is that called an anomaly?). However, the bartender gently took my uneducated palate by the hand-or would it be tongue-and poured a little something white and fruity for me. I have no idea what it was but it was delicious!
Given the recent rainy turn to the weather, the atmosphere was very cozy and inviting. For once, we sat in the first floor dining room, as opposed to the patio or the 2nd floor (which houses an art gallery). The dining room is small-don't ask me how many it seats; it's small! The service was wonderful; the staff was uber-friendly and accommodating.
The menu is seasonal, so repeat visits are never dull. We had butternut squash soup-perfectly seasoned. Followed by an appetizer of prawns tightly wrapped in prosciutto, garnished with a spring mix and thin pear slices. Divine. The entree was braised shortribs (boneless) attended by Yukon Gold mashed potatoes, and cabbage something (I didn't eat that). Scrumptious. The waiter even gave us an extra dish of potatoes because we were splitting the entree. The potatoes were warm and so good, it was crazy. Don't you hate it when the potatoes come and they're instantly cold? Also enjoyed at the table was a Caesar salad and a pork chop with autumnal baby vegetables that was completely gobbled up by the diner. The ribs were spectacularly tasty. I don't usually eat ribs because I don't like to make a mess in public, but the boneless nature made them tidy and easy to eat.
We were all too full for dessert, but the items looked extremely inviting.
Bill for 3 people, including a 20% tip and liquor: $130.00.
Important factoids: they have a tiny parking lot; but there's also free street parking. The bar doesn't carry hard liquor. Reservations for dinner are recommended. One shared bathroom is all that's available in terms of facilities. On weeknights, the last seating is at 8:30.
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