Oakland’s Jack London Square has gotten a serious facelift in recent years with more restaurants and weekly events.

Haven, a New American restaurant part of the Daniel Patterson Group, has been on my list for quite some time now but I was hesitant to try it. They offer two menus, a dining room 3-4 course prix fixe menu and a lounge menu with à la carte options. We decided to do the lounge menu so we can choose what dishes we wanted to try.

Burrata Cheese with Spicy Giardinera and Thai Basil served with Focaccia (6.5/10).

Confit Chicken Wings with Harissa Yogurt, Pickled Jalapeño, and Cilantro (8/10).

We started off with Burrata cheese, one of my all time favorite cheeses due to its creaminess. While the cheese was delicious, the spicy giardinera topping (minced various pickled vegetables) was overly acidic to the point that it completely overpowered the dish. However when eaten with the toasted focaccia, the flavors weren’t as pungent and intense. Out of all the savory food, the chicken wings were by far the most successful and delicious. The chicken was moist and juicy and served with a spicy yet cooling harissa yogurt sauce with pickled carrot and jalapeño topped with cilantro blossoms.

Agnolotti stuffed with Pork with Snap Peas and Parmigiano Reggiano Cheese Broth (6.5-7/10).

Tagliatelle with Leeks and Meyer Lemon (6.5-7/10).

The next savory items were the pastas that were both slightly disappointing for me. While both pastas were beautifully presented and handmade well (in terms of the texture of the pasta), the flavors were too subdued. The agnolotti filling needed more flavor and the Parmigiano Reggiano cheese broth was so diluted. The tagliatelle also lacked a wow factor and necessary seasoning.

Butterscotch Pudding with Apricot Jam and Vanilla Ice Cream (8/10).

We ended the meal with the butterscotch pudding, a tasty simple dessert with thick apricot jam and vanilla ice cream.

While all the food looked amazing, there were some problems with the execution of the dishes and seasoning. Therefore my rating is a 6.5-7/10.