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Weddings

Culinary Excellence

Oakland, CA View map Visit website
4.9 out of 5 rating
26 reviews

About

Culinary Excellence is an exceptional wedding catering company based out of Oakland, California. Owner and head chef, Christian H., and his dedicated team of culinary artists have been providing couples and their loved ones with exquisite catering for decades. Their sole aim is to complement your special day with a unique and unforgettable dining experience.

Cuisine

Culinary Excellence can facilitate a wide range of dining options, including hors d’oeuvres, plated meals, buffets, and family-style dinners. Their versatile menu features dishes from a selection of international cuisines, such as Indian, French, Greek, Italian, and Carribean. Gluten-free, nut-free, halal, and vegan are just some of the many dietary restrictions that the team can accommodate. This company provides delivery, set-up, and clean-up services, as well as a friendly team of servers and bartenders to serve your loved ones.

  • LGBTQ+-owned

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the average catering price per person for plated service?

$90

What is the average catering price per person for buffet service?

$65

What is the average catering price per person for stations?

$85

What is the average catering price per person for hors d'oeuvres?

$55

Which of the following are included in the cost of your full service wedding catering?

Delivery
Set Up
Clean Up
Cake Cutting
Cocktail Reception
Server(s)
Tastings
China
Linens
Flatware
Glassware

Which of the following are included in the starting price for bar service?

Bartender(s)
Champagne Toast

What event services do you provide?

Delivery
Set Up
Clean Up

What catering services do you provide?

Breakfast / Brunch
Buffet
Cake Cutting
Cocktail Reception
Custom Menu
Hors d'oeuvres
Plated
Server(s)
Stations
Tastings

What types of cuisine do you cater?

American
Asian
BBQ
Caribbean
French
German
Greek
Indian
Italian
Latin American
Local
Mediterranean
Mexican
Middle Eastern
Seafood
Southern
Spanish

What dietary needs can you accommodate?

Gluten Free
Lactose Free
Halal
Nut Free
Organic
Vegan
Vegetarian

What bar services do you provide?

Bartender(s)
Open Bar
Champagne Toast
Signature Drink

Which of the following items can you provide?

Chairs
Tables

Which of the following items can you provide?

Barware
China
Chocolate Fountain
Flatware
Glassware
Linens
illustration question

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26 Reviews

Write a review
Rated
4.9
out of 5.0
Recommended by 99% of couples
  • Quality of service
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Average response time
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Professionalism
    5 out of 5 rating
  • Value
    4.9 out of 5 rating
  • Flexibility
    4.9 out of 5 rating

25 User photos

  • D
    Desi M. Married on 07/05/2021
    5 out of 5 rating
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    The BEST It Gets!

    Culinary Excellence and their team were one of the best aspects of our wedding day at the Brazilian Room at Tilden Park in Berkeley. The team was incredibly professional, kind, courteous, and obviously invested in making this a special day for us, our friends, and our family. On the day of, the team was friendly and took great care to make sure the venue looked beautiful. We never had to ask for service or wait for basic needs. They went above and beyond to ensure that our guests had what they needed. Jess, our Day-Of Coordinator, was absolutely phenomenal. Seriously. I have been a wedding/event planner and coordinator for years, and I can say honestly that she is the best of the best. She has a high attention to detail, a kind and fun demeanor, an immense amount of knowledge about the industry, the venue, and her team. I always felt incredibly supported and cared about. She was quick to respond via email when she could, and it is so clear that she invests time, energy, and effort into every event that she oversees. She is a true professional, and I could never share enough to feel like I've adequately explained what a treasure she is. If I could offer one piece of advice to brides, add the day-of coordination package on for your event. You won't regret it - worth every penny and more. Lastly, the FOOD. The team absolutely knocked it out of the park. The food was delicious at the tasting, and even more delicious at the wedding itself. It was presented beautifully, had great flavor, and the family style dinner service was executed perfectly. One of the most special parts of our wedding was that the chef at CE was able to recreate a treasured family recipe for a groom's cake, and it tasted exactly like his grandmother's would have. It was a perfect surprise and so unique.
    We can't thank Culinary Excellence and Jess enough for what they contributed for our wedding day. I could continue on and on about their fantastic service, professionalism, and care. They are the best of the best, and we would recommend them time and time again!

    Culinary Excellence's reply:

    Desi,
    Your sweet kind words mean so much to me and the team! You were so amazing to work with, and I know all of my staff truly loved working for you. The thank you note you gave us ahead of time, really made their day!
    We are so thrilled for you and Andrew, and hope we get to see you both soon.
    Love you two!
    Jess and the CE team
  • J
    Jenelle S. Married on 05/22/2021
    5 out of 5 rating
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    Great food and service

    We were so glad that we chose to work with Culinary Excellence for our wedding in May 2021. The food was amazing and all of our guests commented on how delicious the appetizers and food were. We also had them supply some of our furniture and beautiful drapes for the wedding. Samantha was so great to work with. She was our primary contact point and our day of coordinator. She really helped us stay on task during the wedding and helped as we planned. We had booked them pre COVID and there were lots of changes along the way, but they were very flexible during all the up and downs and reassuring as we went. The serving staff and bartenders were really friendly and did a great job. I would highly recommend them for your wedding!
  • Michaelyn
    Michaelyn R. Married on 02/06/2021
    5 out of 5 rating
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    HIGHLY recommend!

    We cannot recommend Culinary Excellence more! I intentionally left "Catering" off that last sentence because they are so much more than just a catering company. For starters, they include linens for NO additional cost. They have anything else you could possibly need for rental at a very reasonable cost. And most importantly the food was delicious - we received many compliments from our guests. We worked with Jessica Murphy, Senior Event Coordinator - she is AMAZING! Jessica is professional, responsive, efficient and wonderful to work with. She worked with us to keep our needs within budget, made the most beautiful floral bouquets and provided day-of coordination help which kept things moving to keep within our venue timeline. I don't know how we would have gotten through the stress of a COVID wedding without her.
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Awards

26
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2020 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2017 Winner
WeddingWire Couples' Choice Awards 2010 Winner

Professional Network & Endorsements

1 Endorsement
Fog City Entertainment Fog City Entertainment Wedding DJs

I love this team. Chris, Jessica, and Danny are great and they are my favorite caterer to work with.

Map

8210 Capwell Drive Oakland, CA, 94621
9259471090
Location of (Culinary Excellence)

Culinary Excellence frequently asked questions

At Culinary Excellence, the cost of the full wedding catering service includes:
  • Delivery
  • Set Up
  • Clean Up
  • Cake Cutting
  • Cocktail Reception
  • Server(s)
  • Tastings
  • China
  • Linens
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
The bar service starting price at Culinary Excellence includes:
  • Bartender(s)
  • Champagne Toast
Culinary Excellence offers the following event services for weddings:
  • Delivery
  • Set Up
  • Clean Up
Culinary Excellence offers the following catering services for weddings:
  • Breakfast / Brunch
  • Buffet
  • Cake Cutting
  • Cocktail Reception
  • Custom Menu
  • Hors d'oeuvres
  • Plated
  • Server(s)
  • Stations
  • Tastings
At Culinary Excellence, you can find the following types of cuisine:
  • American
  • Asian
  • BBQ
  • Caribbean
  • French
  • German
  • Greek
  • Indian
  • Italian
  • Latin American
  • Local
  • Mediterranean
  • Mexican
  • Middle Eastern
  • Seafood
  • Southern
  • Spanish
At Culinary Excellence, the following dietary needs can be accomodated:
  • Gluten Free
  • Lactose Free
  • Halal
  • Nut Free
  • Organic
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
Culinary Excellence provides the following bar and beverage services for wedding events:
  • Bartender(s)
  • Open Bar
  • Champagne Toast
  • Signature Drink
To cater to all tastes, Culinary Excellence offers the following food and beverage items:
  • Barware
  • China
  • Chocolate Fountain
  • Flatware
  • Glassware
  • Linens
Culinary Excellence is recommended by 99% of couples who have used their services. Their overall rating is 4.9 out of 5 with the following breakdown: 5 in quality of service, 5 in professionalism, 4.9 in average response time, 4.9 in flexibility and 4.9 in value.

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