Mägo

def. (Spanish) a wizard / a magician / a person with special powers

At our core, Mägo is a neighborhood bistro. It's a place to hang out with family and friends whether you live right around us or coming from further away. It's a place for everyone and it's cozy, unpretentious and fun. Mägo servers dinner and drinks nightly with a weekly changing menu cooked over wood fire. We offer Northern California cooking with an emphasis on affordable high quality food using innovative and inventive techniques.

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Menus

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The menu is an evolving collection of local pure ingredients that are at their peak and we serve them with enthusiasm. Each day we work with a small group of farmers, fishermen, foragers and ranchers that produce high quality, organic ingredients. The menu is arranged by smaller dishes to larger dishes and sweets- we recommend that you start by choosing a few and if you desire more, you can just order continuously.

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Hours & Location

View Mago Restaurant at 3762 Piedmont Ave.,
Oakland, California 94611 on Google Maps
Call Mago Restaurant by phone at (510) 344-7214

Get Directions

Monday - Saturday
5:00PM - 10:00PM

Sunday
Closed

Group Dining

For all inquiries, please fill out the form below and we’ll be in touch soon.

Inquire Now

About Us

Mägo serves dinner and drinks nightly with a weekly changing menu cooked over wood fire. We offer Northern California cuisine that is simple food using innovative, inventive and high quality ingredients.

Mark Liberman

Chef & Owner

Born ins SF and raised in the North Bay and Folsom, Mark Liberman actually spent his youth watching old PBS cooking shows, playing GI Joe with his brothers and being a competitive gymnast. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and has never looked back.

He has had the privledge of working for Chefs Roland Passot, Daniel Boulud, Joel Robuchon and Luciano Pellegrino to name a few. He has opened restaurants for other chefs and with partners in various cities but Mägo is the first solo one.

Mark has seen every episode of Magnum P.I. (Tom Selleck version) and enjoys scuba diving and gardening...not at the same time.

Born ins SF and raised in the North Bay and Folsom, Mark Liberman actually spent his youth watching old PBS cooking shows, playing GI Joe with his brothers and being a competitive gymnast. He graduated from the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park, New York and has never looked back. ...

Theresa Liberman

Owner

Theresa Liberman, co-owner and Mark’s wife, will be teaching classes and sharing her cheese expertise through Mägo’s educational programs. A User Experience Researcher at Google without a professional culinary background, Theresa developed her knowledge of cheese by taking classes at the San Francisco Cheese School. Between educational classes and research, she has taught herself about the vast world of cheese and will be designing the cheese program on the menu at Mägo in addition to creating educational courses for kids and adults to share her knowledge of various types of cheeses, how to select cheeses and the best ways to serve it.

Theresa Liberman, co-owner and Mark’s wife, will be teaching classes and sharing her cheese expertise through Mägo’s educational programs. A User Experience Researcher at Google without a professional culinary background, Theresa developed her knowledge of cheese by taking classe...

Ben Serum

Head Chef

Born in the rural Midwest with a farm upbringing, Ben began working in the kitchen as his first job. Like most chefs, he started as a dishwasher and worked his way up to running his own team. Having moved to Scandinavia in his early 20’s to be closer to his dad, Ben began his working tour in top-tier Michelin starred restaurants, including Noma and The Ten Bells. In 2013, he moved to the bay area and worked at Quince prior to AQ, where he met Mark Liberman. Ben's most recent position was running the modern french bistro Monsieur Benjamin of the Benu restaurant group. He is excited to join the team at Mago Restaurant and reunite with Mark, to explore and create some magic in Oakland.

Born in the rural Midwest with a farm upbringing, Ben began working in the kitchen as his first job. Like most chefs, he started as a dishwasher and worked his way up to running his own team. Having moved to Scandinavia in his early 20’s to be closer to his dad, Ben began his working tour i...

Peter Larue

General Manager

Born and raised in Oakland, Peter spent his childhood traversing Piedmont Avenue spending his allowance on slurpees and baseball cards. In his early twenties he happened to land a job bussing tables at Chez Panisse, quickly he fell into a love affair with restaurants that led to an almost five year stint at Chez and another five years working in New York. He’s thrilled to return to his hometown and old stomping ground to act as Mägo’s general manager and beverage director.

Born and raised in Oakland, Peter spent his childhood traversing Piedmont Avenue spending his allowance on slurpees and baseball cards. In his early twenties he happened to land a job bussing tables at Chez Panisse, quickly he fell into a love affair with restaurants that led to an almost five ye...

Our friends, craftsmen and artisans

Wylie Price- architect

Leaves and Flowers - teas

Proyecto Diaz Coffee - coffee roasters

GDS - apron designs dining room

Lundy Way - apron designs kitchen

Amanda Lynn - artist

Pinkowski Construction- general contractor

Main Street Launch - SBA loan

Field Millworks - custom cabinetry and steel

Morcella Wild Foods - forager

Omegha Light and Design - lighting

Jereds Pottery - ceramics

Carole Nielson - ceramics

Solstice Press - print/business cards

Etta + Billie - soap

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Mägo Mean?

Mägo is Spanish for magician or wizard. It was a nickname given to Chef Mark at a previous job and he always liked it.

What are my reservation options?

The chef's counter and dining room are available for online reservations but we keep a majority of seats available for our neighbors on a first-come, first-serve basis.

For reservations for 7 or more, call the restaurant or contact us by email at info@magorestaurant.com

Our bar seating offers the full dinner menu and is reserved exclusively for walk-ins.

What is the difference between the counter seats and the seats at the tables?

The seating is divided between kitchen counter and a more traditional table setting. At the chef's counter guests sit slightly elevated with a full view of the kitchen and more opportunity for interaction with the cooks and the chef. The guests sitting in the dining room tables will enjoy a more traditional dining setting.

Are you able to accommodate dietary/allergy restrictions?

We want everyone that dines at our restaurant to do so happily and safely so we take dietary/allergy restrictions very seriously. If you are unsure if we are able to dine with due to these restrictions, please contact us via email and communicate your needs.

Dress Code

There is no dress code at Mägo, please feel free to dress however you are most comfortable.

Credit Cards

We accept all major credit cards.

What's the corkage fee?

The corkage is $30 per bottle for the first two standard (750ml) wine bottles; $45 for each additional bottle.

Is Mägo kid friendly?

We welcome kids of all ages and have concise kid's menu available for children under 12. Additionally, we are happy to adapt current menu items to make them more kid friendly when possible.

Upcoming Classes

One Pot Cookery

Cheese 101

Spring Cheese + Wine

Long Lazy Lunch

Fundamentals of Braising

Work With Us

We’d love to have you join our team! Please use the form below to apply. Feel free to send in your resume even if you don't see the position you're looking for listed.

Apply Now

Contact Us

Send us a message and we’ll get back to you as soon as possible. You can also reach us by phone at (510)344-7214. Looking forward to hearing from you!

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Mägo

Menus

Snacks

Warm olives, fennel, orange peel and white wine

Strawberry aguachile and cream

Heirloom melons, bear lime and gochugaru

Focaccia with seaweed tapenade

Grilled king trumpet mushroom, sesame-beef fat

Plates

Beets, flavorossa pluots, mint and labneh

Asparagus and burrata, warm chorizo vinaigrette

Brentwood corn soup, rattlesnake bean salad

Potato gnocchi with summer squash, angelica pesto

Wheat tagliatelle, meyer lemon and pink peppercorn

Smoked cabbage okonomiyaki, macadamia nut salsa seca

Halibut with onion soubise, sungold tomatoes, pursulane leaves

For the Table

Beef ribeye smothered with spring vegetables, shishitos and soy-honey glaze

After dinner

Ripe cheeses from near and far

Warm bing cherry claufotis, vanilla ice cream

Rocky road

Visit Us

Hours & Location

Group Dining

About Us

Mark Liberman

Chef & Owner

Theresa Liberman

Owner

Ben Serum

Head Chef

Peter Larue

General Manager

Our friends, craftsmen and artisans

FAQs

Frequently Asked Questions

What Does Mägo Mean?

What are my reservation options?

What is the difference between the counter seats and the seats at the tables?

Are you able to accommodate dietary/allergy restrictions?

Dress Code

Credit Cards

What's the corkage fee?

Is Mägo kid friendly?

Upcoming Classes

One Pot Cookery

Cheese 101

Spring Cheese + Wine

Long Lazy Lunch

Fundamentals of Braising

Work With Us

Contact Us