Eye To Eye

The frames are so beautiful and stylish. The man who owns the shop is a sweetheart too. If I had more $ I’d have gotten my glasses here! Oh well, maybe when I save up some more dough.

One word…
AWESOME!
Check this boutique out — blew my mind. Like a little slice of optical heaven right out of a Parisian movie — right here in the Bay Area!
¹⁰⁄₁₀
Reasonable, brilliant craftsmanship, personal and attentive customer service and frames you won’t find anywhere else.
I’ll be back!

Best frame selection in Berkeley! Good customer service and probably the only place in town you can get customized frame/​lens work done for a fair price.
Just be sure to get an itemize run-​down of lens details (coatings, etc) and frame costs before you pay, since the inventory is not openly priced (i.e. with stickers/​tags).
If you are very picky about your frames or are looking for something unique, Eye is a great place to get glasses!

Many years ago I acquired a spring-​bridge pince-​nez. Twice Xavier has fitted lenses for this, first as prescription glasses and more recently as reading glasses. Now, try taking pince-​nez to Wal-​Mart or Costco for new lenses and see how quickly they show you to the door. More than that, take them to any optician or optometrist, and see how many of them actually know what pince-​nez are!
No job is too difficult for him. I highly recommend.

Xavier has stood by his product. Whenever my glasses need a tweak, he gets right to it. Thank you.

Picked up my new glasses today (first time with Eye to Eye) and couldn’t be more pleased with the craftsmanship and the service. Xavier has a great selection of high end frames, minus the outrageous mark-​ups I’ve seen elsewhere. And I did quite a bit of browsing at both the chain and boutique shops before making my purchase at Eye to Eye.
Xavier also made a new set of lenses for my Rayban frames. Could have had those made at Lenscrafters (where I had originally purchased the shades), but at twice the price.
The window display is what originally attracted me to the shop. The selection, service and price make it very likely I will return. I found the proprietor to be knowledgeable, experienced and energetic. If that equates to «aggressive» in some people’s eyes, so be it. Myself, I’m satisfied with the professional, friendly demeanor extended to me and I can truly report a top shelf buying experience.

I have been buying glasses from Eye to Eye for more than four years, and I’ve been wearing Kawasaki frames for 15+ years. Xavier the owner had custom Kawasaki glasses made for me, frames which were seemingly impossible to locate in Northern California except if I had gone into San Francisco, quite a trek for me, and two round trips! Xavier helped me choose them, which you have to do sort of sight-​unseen. One has to choose the side-​pieces, the nose piece and the lens shape and go on the hunch they would look becoming on ones face. Well, they did! As other feedback here says, Xavier does indeed have an eye for what frames work best on ones face. When the pair came in, the frames had a minor issue with the etching or filament insert. Xavier sent them back to get them fixed (no charge), and I was charmed he cared so very much to make sure they were perfect for me.
Eye to Eye has IMO one of the best frame collections in Northern California, no exaggeration– very unusual, eclectic and chic frames such as those by small European manufacturers and some one-​of-​a-​kind antique frames. I lived in New York City for 29 years where I could go to the best optometrists. Eye to Eye is right up there in quality and high-​end selection with those in New York City.
Xavier owns the business himself, and when that’s the case you are dealing with the boss, so if some of the other feedback is critical of his somewhat eccentric personality, they should go to some chain or franchise where you can not find anything but modified rectangular frames– no round ones, nothing unusual, chic or fabulous. Oh, and in such places, everybody is robot like because they don’t want to lose their jobs. Xavier has great taste, has a fabulous frame collection and is always giving service with a smile.

I have had several pairs of antique frames fitted with my own lenses and he always does a good job. Quick turnaround depending on the style of frames. Friendly and knowledgable if somewhat eccentric service.

I called to inquire about prices on replacement lenses for my favorite old frame. The enthusiastically nice gentleman I spoke with on the phone told me all about why it wold be good to get them from him — I could keep and use my old glasses until the new lenses came in, at which point he could mount them while I wait — but he really needed to see the frame and asked if I could stop by with them. I asked him how late he would be open, he said «until 6:00.» I told him that I would bring them in for a quote later in the day.
I stopped by at 5:45 — figuring that it would only take a minute for him to look at my frame and prescription and give me a quote — only to find his shop closed. Oh well, better now than when I go to pick up my glasses from him — which is not gonna happen as I’ll take my business elsewhere. I guess it wasn’t worth it to him to remain open until 6:00 just in case I came by to arrange to spend hundreds of dollars on two pieces of plastic. Luckily, I live close by and had another errand to do, but I still have a sour taste in my mouth for being stood up.
Eye to eye, here’s your Unilocal

Eye to Eye has a great selection of frames, and stands behind their products. Best of all it’s a pleasure to do business here. I bought my first pair about 5 years ago and went back last year for a second pair. I’ve needed a couple of repairs and everything was taken care of without any problems. I’ll go back.

Truly a wonderful experience! I was greeted with a warm and friendly hello! He helped me find just the right frames for my face and he did a perfect job on my lenses. I’d tell all my friends who wear glasses to go see him! Karen Z.

I suggest you steer far away from this place.
I went here about a year ago for my glasses and frames. I was changing from bifocals to progressives. When I got my glasses back, I couldn’t read a thing unless I tilted my head back. When I went back to the store, he made it seem like it was my fault and said that how I wanted them was not the usual way. Grudgingly he fixed them, taking his time.
Today I went for an eye exam and when the doctor looked at my glasses and compared them to the exam results, he told me the glasses had done been done incorrectly. He tested them twice to be sure.
I’LL NEVER GO BACK NOR WOULD I EVER RECOMMEND THIS PLACE.

Wonderful selection of very cool, arty frames. Enthusiastic owner went out of his way to help me with frames that really work on me.
Surprisingly, it was just a bit more expensive than ok frames I’d been looking at (at Kaiser optical, which I assume is pretty well priced), and the service and selection is easily worth the additional cost!
They had frames I’ve not seen at other stores. Very cool stuff. Two thumbs up!

I have a few pairs of super fancy frames from here. No they are not the least expensive place I have ever shopped at that’s for sure but I LOVE my glasses. Cute shop dog too.

I agree with the review about the owner’s anger. I would never give this guy my business again. I ordered a pair of glasses which were not fitting properly. I went in 3 times to have him adjust them, and finally asked him to change the temples which he originally told me he would do. He then insisted that he had told me I was past my 30 days. After some arguing he agreed to call the company. He then called me and told me he could exchange them and that he went to bat for me and I could have them at no additional cost. Whe I went in he changed the temples and then said the charge would be $ 20. The guy is a real bullshitter.
I went to Focal Point Opticians who put a new bridge on and said the bridge was way to wide. The glasses immediately fit. It was not a problem of incorrect temples.
In addtion the owner is extremely unprofessional. When I first went in he was on the phone, and it wasn’t until 15 minutes when I signalled him that he got off the pbone.
He is aggressive and too fast in his fitting of the glasses.

I’ve been to Eye to Eye twice and I’m not going back. Here are the reasons:
1. The guy who owns it is nice, but he’s got an aggressive undertone to everything he does. I feel like he’s about to explode any minute. When I was last there I heard him on the phone ripping into his friend for being late for something. Not too professional when you have a customer in the store (and I had my 7 year old daughter with me).
2. The first order I had him do was to add lenses to frames I had brought him. He charged me $ 130 for single vision transition lenses, which I guess is about standard. The only problem is that my lenses popped out all of the time; they were much more curved than my frames. Yes, I did bring him cheap frames, but I think he could have done a much better job. The original non-​prescription lenses never popped out.
3. I decided to go back because I needed some glasses quickly and he could do a two day turnaround instead of two weeks that UC Berkeley Optometry quoted me. I picked out some frames with transition lenses and he was very wishy-​washy and passive-​aggressive on the price of the lenses. Anyway, I eventually got him to give me a quote of $ 325 for everything. When I went to pick up my glasses, the total came to $ 349. I asked him why they were more expensive than he originally quoted me and he told me the lenses ended up costing a bit more. I would think he would know what the lenses would cost beforehand given that he’s been in the business for so long, but I guess not.
3. I dropped my new pair of glasses from about four feet onto carpeted floor and the left lens popped out.
4. I wanted to order a cheap backup pair of glasses online, so I called him to get my pupillary distance which any eyeglass supplier has the right to give you by federal law (as well as your full prescription) since this is your property. He was pretty dismissive of me and told me he was right in the middle of something and couldn’t pull my file. I told him I would call back. When I called back he went to pull my file. «Yeah,» he said, «I’ve only got your order slip and not your full prescription. I throw out everything else to make room in my files and just keep the order slip.» REALLY? If that’s his standard policy then why didn’t he immediately tell me this when I asked for my pupillary distance in the first place?
My overall impression is that this guy is tired of running his small business, doesn’t give that much thought about customer service (obviously) and is slacking on quality. I will agree with Caitlin F. that he is great at helping you pick a pair of frames that fit your face and style, however my recommendation would be to find someone else who is genuinely nice and offers great quality at a decent price.

The owner was charming and helpful at first but my glasses weren’t ready when he said they would be and he hadn’t called me to tell me there was a delay. When they were finally ready two visits later, he handed them to me with an attitude– no final adjustments. These were expensive glasses and I don’t think the prescription was properly filled. My glasses are sitting in a drawer. Do yourself a favor and pass this place by. There are better opticians who are much more professional!

I was surprised to see the negative reviews. I’ve been going to Eye to Eye for a few years now for glasses and have always had a positive experience. They’ve always been friendly and helpful, and I’ve consistently received good service. The owner is amazing at helping people pick out glasses that look really good on them, and I’ve been super happy with everything I’ve ever bought there. It’s true they’re not covered by VSP, but to me, I think they’re so much better that it’s worth it.

Cool selection of glasses but VSP does not cover much for outside providers (which this place is). Also, the owner refused to tell me the brand name of a pair of glasses I liked after I told him I wouldn’t go with him because of my lack of coverage for outside providers. He also initially overcharged me when I thought I would get the glasses. Simply put, super unfriendly owner.