I love coming to see Hope. She always treats me with such sweetness and undivided attention. Her mani and pedi's are the best! They last forever! She also has a very big collection of polishes to choose from. I will never go anywhere else :) Read Less

As a person who is really OCD about things and usually rarely tries anything new... As in why fix it if it ain't broken. I recently decided to go outside the box and try something new... I had met hope and she told me she could clean up my nails and they would be more natural... Let's just say I'm never going to anyone else again. Her service was amazing, super nice, no complaints, wants you to leave happy and definitely didn't look at me weird when I saw a spot or ask me about my love life, if I wanted a flower, or that my finger was crooked. I love my nails and I highly suggest you check her out. I know she's in high demand but I wouldn't steer anyone astray when I say it's/she is worth it! Read Less

This is the BEST nail salon in Oakland.  I've been coming to Hope for 7+ years and have never been disappointed.  Having done my own fills for more than 15 years, finding someone with such great attention to detail was amazing!  I look forward to my bi-monthly appointments. Read Less

SHORTEST VERSION: I'm not a Spring chicken and I'm in a business that requires I look smashing from head to toe. I can be a bit of a Diva when it comes to who I will trust my personal care to. Btw, those who know me well, they break-out in belly-laughs at the 'can be a bit of..' Whatever; I can still laugh at myself, smiles! The fact is I want my hands & feet to look and feel 100% spectactular not just during or immediately after but in between Man/Ped's and I don't want to go broke for it. When I first moved to the Oakland area; I tried several other places before finding Hope at Montclair Nails. Hope is tremendously personable, does a fantastic job that she guarantees and does it at a VERY fair price. I've since moved away from the area and now travel regularly from either Sacramento or Fairfield EVERY other week to Montclair for my Mani/Pedi with Hope! On a good traffic day,  that's an hour & a half to two + hours minimum of drive-time away. I could waste my time trying out closer salons but after more than 25 years of paying for "professional nail care" I know exceptional quality, service & price when I see it and as the slogan goes... "I'm worth it!" If you're worth it, enjoy being pampered or you want to give someone special to you an exclusive spa-like gift; you can't go wrong with Hope. You'll love the personal care you receive from Hope at Montclair Nails! FULL VERSION:After reading all the other reviews; I agree whole-heartedly with each of them because they represent my personal experiences with Hope and Montclair Nails, as well. LOL, I especially indentify with a certain part of Jamie R.'s review. Hope is an inordinate amount of fun to chat with and I too have napped or taken business calls during my Mani/Pedi's completely at ease that it was all good in this moment of time. Hope somehow just seems to know if you want to incessantly gab like happy school girls, laugh without a care in the world, talk more seriously about current events or thing's more personal, if you need to quietly rest or... Personally, I think it's well worth the price just to spend time with Hope even if she didn't make my hands & feet look spectacular! (Though I'm quite grateful that she does!!!) Words cannot do justice to just what an incredible person Hope, Proprietor and Manicurist of Montclair Nails, truly is! She's a breath of fresh air, the real deal, genuinely caring, extraordinarily talented! Hope is amazingly authentic all around (increasingly rare, it seems, these days) and much much more! When it comes to spending my hard earned cash; it's important to me that I like and trust the people I do business with. I really liked Hope from the moment I met her! After going to her for two years now I only like her more and I trust her to give me a great Mani/Pedi everytime because she always has!! Also, Hope's been in the business of making her client's fingers and toes look fantastic for over 21 years at the same location in Montclair, so you know you can count on her to be there for you!As a Manicurist; you won't find better! My nails and toes still look gorgeous when it's time for my next appointment, after two full weeks! Recently I had brunch with a male friend of mine who's particularly urban. As we began to say our goodbyes I commented that I was headed to see Hope for a Mani/Pedi. His jaw about dropped as he took my hand to examine more closely and then he literally exclaimed "But your nail's look like you just had then done!!" If that wasn't a "priceless" moment then I don't know what is! Montclair Nails is a pleasantly chic salon where getting a mani/pedi feels luxuriously indulgent from the moment you step in with all of the beautiful things to see and enticing aromas floating about. The one-on-one personal care and attention to detail Hope provides is second to none! If you're looking for the cheapest mani/pedi you can find then Montclair Nails is NOT for you. If you're willing to pay a VERY fair price for EXCELLENT "guaranteed" manicure/pedicure services; give Hope a call. If you like going to, here today maybe gone tomorrow, cheap nail salons where they seldom speak English and you're just one of the many others they take money from as fast as possible that hour; then Montclair Nails is NOT for you and I wish you good luck with your choices.If you are accustomed to exquisite service in every way and love a great deal OR you love a great deal and think you could become accustom to recieving exquisite personal care and attentiveness all while your nails & toes will always be looking like you just stepped out of a great salon; give Hope a call now! Read Less

If you are a guy, looking for a place providing nail services, this is YOUR place. It's up close & personal. Hope the owner & manicurist, goes out of her way to accommodate your every need. You're not sitting amidst a bunch of women here, just you & Hope. Her work is excellent, her prices are fair and like I said earlier, she will make your experience extremely comfortable. I'm on the older side and really need help with doing my feet. Her normal seating was too low for me so she brought in a taller seat so I'd be able to participate more comfortably. I found that the seat on the new chair was a little slippery so she picked up some rubber mats so I wouldn't slip while sitting. Don't laugh, it worked!Her salon on the second floor, is small and is a pleasant spot to spend an hour. In my opinion, this is the perfect place to go for guys and ladies too.To all you older folks, if you've never had a pedicure you are really missing out. Give Hope a call and setup an appointment. You won't be sorry you did. Both my wife and I go monthly. It's money well spent. Read Less

Montclair Nails is perfect in every way! Hope has been making my hands and feet beautiful for over 10 years and, like the other reviewers, she always makes me feel like I am her most important client.  The room is beautiful, clean and relaxing.  The manis and pedis are first rate and LAST!  Hope is great fun to chat with, but she also lets me nap (or take work calls) when that is what I need.  Worth every penny! Read Less

Do you ever go to a business and think "Why didn't I start coming here earlier?!?" That is how I feel with Montclair Nails. I have been getting my nails done for years. Finding a place that does silk nails/wraps is harder than you can imagine. I used to go to a place in Public Market, that is now "The Lounge." They no longer do silk wraps. Searching for another place to get my nails done, I ended up at another nail salon in the Emeryville area. They did an OK job, but it was OBVIOUS the lady doesn't like to do silk nails. She kept telling me how time consuming it is, etc..etc. I realized that going back to her, especially since it took her over 2 hours to do a full set was not an option. On the hunt for a new nail salon I go, that's when I came across Montclair Nails. All the reviews I read of their's are 5-stars. I wasn't due for a fill for a few weeks, so that was going to have to be put on hold. Well, last night one of my nails broke (pretty common with a new set of silk nails). Around 11am today I called and spoke with Hope, she is the owner of Monclair Nails. She was very nice and said she could take me at 12:30pm (which ended up being during her lunch hour). I got there a little early, she took me right in, fixed the nail and did a MUCH better job than the previous nail person (or really any nail person I've had frankly). She wasn't even going to charge me anything, I had to give her something for basically giving up her lunch for someone who wasn't even a normal client. While my nail dried she speed ate a bowl of soup, before the next client arrived around 1pm. This is not your typical, large (cattle like) nail salon where they get you in & out as fast as possible and customer service isn't their strong suit. Hope is the owner/manicurist of the salon and its a small office/suite within a business building above Starbucks. She is VERY nice and prides herself on doing a great job. You really can't go wrong with her. As you can imagine, she is VERY busy. If you are interested in an appointment, especially a Saturday appointment, I recommend calling a week or so before you intend to come in and see her. She also works evenings. I have already scheduled my next appointment and am looking forward to seeing her.Read Less

Montclair Nails is the kind of business that you recommend to your friends, in other words, a great find. Hope, the owner, has been making my hands and nails look great for years and whenever anyone asks who does my nails I share my secret -- Hope at Montclair Nails. I won't trust my hands to anyone else and so when I'm away for any length of time I just warn her that she's going to have to perform a miracle on my tattered nails when I finally get back in there, and she manages to do her miracle work every time! Read Less

I have been going to Hope for years.  I certainly agree with reviewer Feliz D.  When you see  her she definitely makes you feel like you are  the most important client of her day.  She is your therapist and friend while you get a first class professional manicure and pedicure.   Her salon is warm and inviting but cleanliness and sterile instruments are her first priority.  She is worth the wait and time to get an appointment.  A rare gem in this age of mass produced rush you in and out nail salons. Read Less

Hope is a class act. It's great to get one on one attention when getting your services. Her place is nice & cozy. She uses Tammy Taylor products which are the best on the market. My nails never break or chip Ike the other shop cheap stuff does. If you want professional nails get an appointment right away. Read Less

I've been getting my nails done by Hope for a very long time. Each time I see her she makes me feel like I'm the most important client. Aside from doing a great job she is one of the sweetest people I know. If you are looking for a good manicurist, you will not be let down if you see Hope. Read Less

Hope is the best.  Courteous, professional and personal.  She aims to please and I appreciate how she attends to each client's individual needs.I highly recommend this gem of a business hidden in the Montclair Village. Read Less