Yoshi's Romance at Jack London Square

What kind of a club is called Yoshi? And are you in the U.K., eating fish and chips, if you're standing in Jack London Square? In answer to the first question, there are Yoshi clubs and restaurants in Oakland and San Francisco.

The clubs feature live jazz, and the Oakland Yoshi's Club is widely considered to be the best East Bay nightclub with live music. The 320 seat San Francisco branch opened in November 2007. And the restaurants offer Japanese cuisine. I love sushi as much as the next guy, but I'm a lousy food critic, so we'll leave the restaurant reviews for those more worthy (and fat) and continue with question 2 - Jack London Square.

As you might have guessed, Jack London Square is the place to be, if you're in Oakland, CA and in much the same way as all the important hotels in San Francisco are bunched together in Union Square, so the best Oakland hotels boast of a location in Jack London Square. For someone from a big metropolis like New York or Chicago or Miami, the place can seem to be a bit surreal.

It's populated by a whole lot of nerds and geeks, and the pace is slow enough for a turtle to have a hissy fit, go nuts and scream - wake up, do something, faster please! Ok, maybe that's a bit of a whopper, but it's still a good way to understand that Oakland is as good a place as any for romantic getaways where nobody expects you to do anything, and you can get up late, enjoy a leisurely breakfast, stay in your room or laze around in the same spot all day long, and no one will bat an eyelid. Enjoy some light jazz and an excellent dinner in the evening at Yoshi's.

And this is where the appropriately named 'Inn at Jack London Square' comes in. They're offering a Yoshi's Romance special, which includes deluxe accommodations, 2 tickets to Yoshi's Jazz Club, and breakfast in the morning for two. More details here.

You've got each other, a nice private room in the best location in town, free tickets to the best East Bay jazz club, and complimentary breakfast. San Francisco is a ferry ride away, and the Amtrak station is 3 blocks from the hotel. Standard rates from $99 onwards. Have fun!

Info: 233 Broadway Oakland CA 94607; (800) 633-5973 / (510) 452-4565; www.innatthesquare.com