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Categories: Spanish, Tapas Bars, Basque [Edit]
Neighborhoods: North Berkeley, Gourmet GhettoMon-Sun. 12:00 p.m. - 12:00 a.m.
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This would have been five stars but something seems to have happened recently.
First off, most of the food here is excellent. The fine sliced fried potato is a great dish and the rest of the menu is very good. Portions are smallish - figure two per person if you don't want to be raiding the cereal box for munchies - but quality is usually high.
This is the GF favourite restaurant so we go there more than occasionally. However, there are a couple of bad notes.
Firstly the bacon-wrapped prawns have been both reduced in quantity and quality. Our last meal there we got three rather than four, and when you're a couple no-one wants to fight over the remaining portion. But they'd also smothered them in butter, a major downside since they used to be so delicious.
Secondly the whiskey tasting menu is a tad insulting. Jameson is not a whiskey one drinks for taste; it's a cooking whiskey at best.
Yes, we'll be back because the food is that good. But if they picked up on a few things it would be divine.
Hands down one of my favorite places to go to in north Berkeley to hang out with my friends over tapas and drinks. I can easily spend hours and $$$$$ in here. I apologize to the people waiting at the door and giving me dirty looks! (but not really)
The paella and potatoes are to die for. They make a mean sidecar and a dark and stormy. YUMMY.
Friends and I spent a very cool New Years Eve here. No cover or extra charges! Before midnight they gave all the customers complimentary champagne shots, horns with streamers, and 12 grapes in 12 seconds for good luck (a Spanish NYE tradition). The place was crowded, but not obnoxiously loud or packed. We had a wonderful time.
These vegetarian dishes were my highlights:
Grilled brussel sprouts with parsley garlic oil.
A skewer of garlicky mushrooms (part of a "surtidos de pinchos" combo plate, for sharing with carnivorous friends).
Patatas bravas with alioli. After we ate the potatoes, our server started to remove the plate. But the thick alioli was so rich and marvelous, we couldn't bear to waste it. We kept the leftover sauce around for bread-dipping. Our server laughed and said, "I totally understand."
I was there last week and I was pleased with my experience overall. The service could have been a little better but that's the only issue. The food was very tasty. The shrimp and smoked salmon was exceptional. It is not the kind of place you go to to get full. You attend for well-prepared dishes. The only menu item had good size portions was the paella. Two in the group I was with enjoyed it very much. It is in a good location and the atmosphere is well designed. Although I left hungry, I would happily go back again.
LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!! I've been here countless times and Cesar never disappoints. The food is always so incredibly and consistently good. Also, they have a great beer, wine and cocktail list. For the quality, the prices are reasonable, but it is easy to get carried away, like we did last time. Best to order two or three tapas at a time rather than order everything on the menu and barely be able to finish. The salt cod & potato cazuela is one of my favorites. The roasted cauliflower and fennel was also to-die-for.
If you can, come early on a nice day and snag a table by the window. It does get very crowded later on on any given day.
Pros: lively vibe, interesting dishes, good drinks.
Cons: $$$$$$$$$$$
I can't just have a couple of glasses of wine with a friend and an appetizer and walk out spending less than $50. That's crazy. Also, its really loud and hard to have a conversation. I still like it though.
Great food, good price, nice ambiance, and a descent wine list. Lamb meat ball, cauliflower and fennel, and salt cod were all good, and came very quickly. I especially loved the pork belly sandwich. We'll definitely go back there.
3 1/2 stars, actually. My experience at Cesar: good service, good drinks, but dang expensive. Good for special occasions, wouldn't come here regularly.
My two best friends are moving away from the bay area, so we stopped by Cesar as a special treat and to continue our indulgent evening after double-scoop cones at Ici. We came on a Wednesday evening around 8 pm, and were seated right away (it was surprisingly packed inside though!) Despite what other yelpers write, my personal experience with the service here was very good, our server was attentive and friendly. He took our drink orders promptly, and was helpful when my friend Paul needed advice on what kind of scotch to order. I got a "Tequila Love" cocktail (Herradura silver tequila, moscato d'asti, and some kind of pineapple syrup). It was lovely, but I'm not *quite* sure it was worth the $10 price tag. My friend Maddy ordered a "Blood and Sand" (Black Bottle scotch, some kind of cherry syrup, and something else that I don't remember) which also cost $10, and she loved it.
As far as food goes, the first complimentary bowl of marinated olives were very tasty but we decided against refilling it for $5.75. We knew it was a Tapas place, so we decided to order one small plate for all of us to share so we could try something. We chose the "Coca," which was a flat bread topped with Tuna confit, capers, pequirillo peppers, and arugula. The flavors were very good together, but I think the flat bread crust could have used a brushing of garlic oil or something. It was a bit bland.
We had a great time at Cesar, and all the other patrons I saw looked very happy as well. The price tag is steep, but it's a nice casual place to go to celebrate a special occasion, or to take a date.
Three star food, three star service, FIVE-star tolerance.
Let me explain...
I've never been to the César in Berkeley--I had a friend who worked at the Piedmont location, but due to an ex-boyfriend that screwed her over (borrowed money and didn't return it), and a guy friend of mine that betrayed me (told my girlfriend at the time that I had a history of being abusive in relationships... falsely, I mean... my relationships have historically resulted in *me* being abused... yes, cry for me...), and...
Wow. Long story, huh?
Point being, I feel uncomfortable going back to the Piedmont location.
However, I helped a friend with her computer, and she felt so grateful that, over my protest, she gifted me a token of her thanks, and that token was a $40 gift certificate for César.
At this point, it was two years old, and it just felt like I needed to use it, and a good friend was in town that I rarely get a chance to see (since she's not local), and I thought "ya know, this is the time, I'm trying to save money and César gets a lot more affordable when you start with $40 already paid for," so we met there.
The Berkeley César is loud. LOUD LIKE SO LOUD THAT I HAVE TO TYPE IN ALL CAPS TO CONVEY THE EAR-ABUSE THAT WE SUFFERED. Of course, that just encourages you to get all close and intimate--it's probably a great place for a date.
However, I was with another of my beautiful, intelligent, and simply built of extraordinary quality *platonic* girl friends (I need to start befriending Ugly Betties and dating the gorgeous and brilliant ones--I don't know what's wrong with me), so it wasn't date night. But we did need to have an intimate conversation, so it worked out. More on that later.
We ordered Sidecars right off the bat, and got into our conversation--I guzzled my water and noticed that it took about 20 minutes to get refilled. And then our server sort of huffily asked if we were going to order any food. Anyway, we eventually ordered the charcuterie plate and some kind of cucumber salad with smoked salmon. Enh, they were fine, but really, nothing special. I've had cured meats of the same quality from Trader Joe's, and the cucumber salad was, well, chopped cucumbers with a few strips of perfectly fine but unspectacular salmon sprawled over the top. Not *bad* food, but it was just... nothing special.
The Sidecars were very good, however. I'm not a big fan of the sugared rim (I should've gotten it in a rocks glass, no sugar), but that was my fault, I get it that, over the years, the once proud Sidecar has been reduced to a chick drink (i.e. "I can't even taste the alcohol, tee hee!"), so I got their Manhattan, which I believe is made with Old Grandad--definitely a second-tier bourbon, but one which I am very comfortable with. AND they use, I think, a dried bing cherry reconstituted in brandy, and they *might* use Carpano Antica vermouth, but my palate was fucked by that time, so I can't say for sure.
Their Manhattans were good, is what I'm saying. Of course, for more than $8, they really have to be, but whatever, they deliver on the cocktails.
I anticipated that--I had no intention of eating any of that patatas bravas crap--fried potatoes with some cream sauce all over them?! Hello, Abs in '09! Totally incompatible.
I noticed that after our third round of drinks (that $17-$20 for each round), my water glass started getting refilled.
This sounds a lot like a three star review, doesn't it? Indifferent service, fair-to-middlin' food... why the four stars?
Well, because we sat there for almost two hours, and my friend sobbed and cried her eyes out, we held hands, and had one of the heaviest conversations I've ever had, and we hugged for forever--at the table--and nobody batted an eye.
As far as I'm concerned, when a restaurant allows two people to go to pieces in privacy, they're AT LEAST a four star venue. Thank you.
To celebrate my BFF's birthday, she wanted to go to Cesar. Great, I said.
They don't take reservations, which is annoying, because for such a popular place, I'd like to know if I'm going to be able to sit there on a Saturday night.
Anyway, we showed up at 7:45, and were told there would be a 25 minute wait for a table for 4. No problem! We head next door to Mintleaf, have a drink, and then go back to Cesar to wait for our table. And waited. And waited. And waited some more. The hostess kept telling us that our table was almost ready. She was just waiting for some folks who had already paid to get up and leave. An HOUR after we got there, we finally sat down. I can't really blame the restaurant or staff for inconsiderate folks who sit at a table waaaay too long when there are other people waiting, but it was frustrating because we were all hungry by then.
Anyway, once we sat down, everything was great. We got a bottle of rioja for the table. I asked the waitress if she would recommend the pic st. loup or the rioja, and she said, "If you like wine that tastes like it came from a funky barn, get the pic st. loup". So.... we got the rioja, which was very good.
For the food, we got a bunch of small thing. The fried potatoes were like french fries, but came with mayonnaise and fried herbs. Very delicious! We also had the toasts with anchovies and brussel sprouts with pesto sauce, both of which were good.
We got the lamb loin, which I thought was going to be bigger for almost $13. It was a tiny piece of lamb, smaller than my palm, with 2 halved potatoes on the side. Granted, it was a delicious tiny piece of lamb and the port sauce was delicious and I know these are "small plates", but it really should be cheaper if they're going to serve that small a portion.
I'd definitely go back, but I'd make sure I wasn't starving because you don't know how long you're really going to wait for a table.
Great tapas and cocktails. Haven't always been a fan of the service at the Berkeley location.
I can't imagine less welcoming service. Perhaps the wait staff thought the "I can't be bothered" expression would make pricey menu seem more legitimate.
When my husband asked our stony-faced server about salads, he was answered with near scorn, then she turned and disappeared before we could get in another "dumb question." The waitress did manage to return to the table twice to see if we wanted more wine. I said, "No thanks, but I'd like more water." (I'd had to flag down another to get the first glass.) Minutes later she dropped another glass of wine on the table.
The paella we'd ordered was so excessively salty I could only eat a few mouthfuls. My husband, who loves salt, fortunately was able to finish it off.
I ended up sick a few hours later.
Something is amiss.
I regret not writing an initial review back when Cesar was at its peak. It seems to be slipping now. The food is still pretty good, but the service (at least last night) was the pits. I miss the Papas Bravas. They used to be in regular rotation.
Hostess- Friendly but half asleep. And is a girl who looks like a 12 year old zombie the image you want for an upscale tapas bar?
The Scowling Server- She didn't know the menu that well, not particularly convivial, and just a little slow in the head.
For any one of my past dozen visits, this would have been a glowing review. I'm really bummed out. I'll give them another chance.
C'mon guys, pull it together! You can do it! Get back to 5 stars!
BAD, REALLY, REALLY BAD SERVICE; rude, borderline violent server guy that all but through our drink and food at us - didn't check-in on us once - had to be flagged down for another drink order. Made me sorry that I stayed to order food.
Speaking of which, the prices are way too high for the food that comes out of the kitchen. The sangria was just OK.
This was my second time there and will be my last. It was anti-thesis of what a tapas bar should be.
i've been to cesar's a few times, & while the drinks & tapas were fine, a recent experience there has me seriously doubting whether i'd go back.
A couple of friends & I went by the other evening for a drink & bite to eat ~ but because of the late hour, most of the appetizers were not available. We were told that we could come in & stay for an hour if we ordered our drinks within a couple of minutes, which we did. The only food on hand was a cheese plate & bread, and when asked for a description, the waitress pointed to the menu. Thanks, we know how to read, and if we wanted to dig around & find our glasses to read the fine print, we would have - therefore, the direct question ~ that went unanswered.
When the waitress arrived with the cheese plate, she seemed annoyed setting the plate down, as there were drinks on the table. it appeared she wanted us to move things around for her, though we sat at 2 adjoining tables and there was plenty of room for the plate. As a former waitress, i always took great pride in providing excellent, friendly service, but our waitress didn't seem to share that ethic. Her crummy attitude aside, my main gripe is the cheese plate: 3 dinky little scraps of cheese. We should have sent it back ~ it was an insult ~ we were charged $11.75 for 3 bites of cheese that was okay, but the portions were about as mean as one could get. Really...these stingy yet expensive portions along with the downright surly waitress is just too much. I must add that the glass of wine was pretty good, and the bartender was friendly. A little more consistency in THAT direction would be nice.
Overpriced, no atmosphere and the food was inconsistent (some was good some was very very untasty)
However, our server was very nice and he made the experience go from one star to 2.
The wine list was BEYOND extensive. It was amazing. Which raised the rating from 2 stars to three. Nah, I take it back, it was more meh than a-ok.
Overall, I would recommend other places in the gourmet ghetto. Or in the normal ghetto.
Loud and bustling even late at night. Thankfully open late at night so you can have a nice meal after fiesta-ing elsewhere in Berkeley.
Spanish tapas, like dim sum, are meant to be ordered for sharing and variety. It's a dangerous undertaking but someone's gotta do it. Everything was pretty good: trout, pork, potatoes wrapped in bacon (how can you go wrong?). If you like olives you should get some here.
But what you really came for was the bread pudding.
Ya heard me. The bread pudding.
It comes with a orange caramel sauce and is fan-frickin-tastic. I would come back just to have this for dessert. Just so good.
The olive oil ice cream is good, too, but really gooey. The mel i mato is a goat's milk (I think) cheese with poached peaches, almonds & honey. More savory than I expected, but interesting. Not better than the bread pudding, though.
Did I mention I liked the bread pudding? Because you should order the bread pudding. If you don't like bread pudding you should still order the bread pudding because I'll come and eat the bread pudding.
Mm... bread pudding!
probably one of the better tapas restaurants i've been to...it's a somewhat intimate space...theres a communal table in the center of the restaurant with a bar and tables against the wall...dimly lit...it had the atmosphere of a cute little neighborhood restaurant...
although it was a saturday night, we were seated almost immediately. the restaurant wasn't very crowded...perhaps it was the weather...it had been overcast and raining/drizzling most of the day...
the food:
olives
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
charcuterie plate of spanish chorizo, pork sausage, serrano ham, and caper berries
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
patatas bravas with fried sage and rosemary
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
bacalao/potato dip
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
bacon wrapped shrimp
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
sirloin steak, carmelized red onions, and spanish blue cheese mashed potatoes
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
bread pudding with orange-caramel sauce
http://www.yelp.com/bi...
loved everything we ordered...the only complaint i have was the bread that accompanied our meal...it was very chewy and somewhat stale...i prefer a good crusty bread...crusty on the outside and soft/slightly chewy on the inside...only a minor set back...
wanted to try the paella but didn't want to be disappointed...outside of spain, i don't think i've ever had a proper paella =( maybe next time i can work up the courage to try it...
True. The service often is not very friendly and the tapas are sometimes fantastic and others just so-so (exept the potatos, always GREAT). But the cocktails are always superb. I am addicted to the Cesar Martini!!
This place was kind of hit and miss for me.
+ The olives were great
+ The stuffed squid was nicely grilled and tasty
+ The 'french fries' with herbs and sea salt were money
- The goat cheese pizza was dry
- The paella was too mushy
- A bit pricey even for tapas
If I lived around there it would still be cool to stop by to grab a drink sometime and have a few tapas.
Tuesday I had a long lunch at Cesar, this was not my first visit. But this time the place was wide open which mad the meal great.. It can get pretty crowded and loud, which by it's nature makes it more Spanish.
The food and drinks were great. Get the thin cut fries with aioli, killer.
No complaints. Go with a group so you can sample more dishes.
Salud!
I only came here for a cocktail (or two) before I went to Chez Panisse. But wow. These were some of the best cocktails I have ever had. Granted I usually opt for the beer or a simple yet sophisticated G&T. I decided that it was the night to branch out.
Everything that my friends and I ordered was incredible. And our bartender was insanely knowledgeable (but not snooty) and made all sorts of recommendations for us that hit the spot.
I don't live anywhere close to here, but if I did, I think I would have to become a regular.
The food is three stars. A little pretentious. 3 stars
But the decor, the environment, and the drinks. 4 stars
I do not drink and their non-alcoholic drinks were amazing!
Great place to meet with friends and catch up.
I love love love the drinks.
I was a bartender for 5 years at a fine dining restaurant and basically was dubbed the restaurant mixologist because I loved to experiment, still do. The way I know drinks is nothing less than top-shelf and working in that environment completely spoiled me.
I love Cesars, my man loves Cesars. Theres something special about the bartenders in the Piedmont branch. Sidecars are my favorite and the way they make it in this location has a great balance and just completely perfect. The Sidecar in their Berkeley location is a little too heavy on the rum, I can already hear it now ' there's nothing wrong with more liquor '. Well what makes cocktails great is how each ingredient play with one another, trust me when I say, the Sidecars in Piedmont are better. If they ever change it, it will brake my heart. Also their Sangria, my man's fav, is just delicious. It's so good, everyone we've brought here falls in love with it.
Also I'm no dessert gal but I everytime I go here, I have to have their Bread Pudding or Churros & Chocolate with my Sidecar.
Now a fantastic cocktail and a lovely dessert with my man, that's a perfect night. *sigh*
Oh Cesar , I day dream about your Sidecar and Bread Pudding.
I don't know a thing about Berkeley, but a good friend lives over there so he took us to Cesar one evening. The decor was awesome! I love their door and the contrasting huge wood picnic-like table in the middle of the restaurant.
We ordered some tapas I can't recall, but the paella stood out. Seafood paella with little bits of crisp/charred rice at the bottom.. So delicious! The drinks were awesome, too - I had a few sparkling sangria's and was quite happy. Only thing I'd complain about is the price. Two people = $100. I like Cesar, but I'll only be coming here when I have the change :)
So- I had an old friend over from Marin.... We were gonna go to Chez you know, but they couldn't seat us... I told my friend Cesar was a total option, etc..
Well, by the time our Long and Glorious Evening was done, we had sampled wonderful fare, imbibed, thanked the staff, and I (Berkeley Boy) got to claim that there really wasn't a spot in Marin that had the same Charm... ( Sabor? Haven't tried it yet...) Anyway- I had a great night, and though the food was Great, but not Excellent, it still gets a five for Bartenders and Waitstaff, and Availablitly. $$$$ - But the Marin kid picked up the tab...
A very noisy tapa place with a lot of trendy people. Tapa itself was good, especially the one with prawn. The dessert was a little bit disappointing or we just didn't order the right thing.
The nice part is it opens late till mid night.
So you want to know what it's like to be Asian? Keep reading and you might learn something other than thinking we all have scholastic aptitude with math, classical music instrument playing ability, and rigorous work ethic. Too much time has elapsed for the first two to be remembered, but let me tell a thing or two about work ethic.
It sucks.
Ingrained in my head from decades of parental discipline comes a form of guilt that makes me stay well past closing while suppressing the word "no" from spoken diction when handed large projects. Long hours stuck inside windowless offices brings out the Virginia Woolf in me; slow welling of tears from deep within the recesses of my eyes; filling them; quivering lower lip; the illusion of happiness disappearing into horrid and melancholy truth once solidarity is assured past business hours and no one is here to hear you weep...
Question: What do you do when work makes baby Jesus cry? http://www.flickr.com/... . No, that's not me showing you the size of my turd. That would require two hands *wink*
Answer: You drown away your woes with a lot (take that Pboody!) of food and drink, preferably copious quantities of the sweet and fermented types. I also stand up on my desk and scream "PENIS!" at the top of my lungs but that's another story.
Fortunately for me, since my relocation to the East Bay, Berkeley's famous Gourmet Ghetto bisects my work and residence and provides me with delectable delights such as The Cheeseboard, Chez Panez, Saul's, and Cesar http://static.px.yelp.... . Cesar is the only one that's open late without requiring a reservation. This not only makes it a great place for lunch and dinner, but also for a late night libation and appeaser of the evening sweet teeth.
To wet our chops, my companion and I decided on the port flight http://static.px.yelp.... which consisted of a 95 Niepoort Colheita, 92 Dow's Colheita, and Graham's 20 year old Tawny all for a recession busting Andrew Jackson. I was tickled pink by the taste, no pun intended. Being Asian makes me turn hella red when I drink. I instantly became of a fan of the Nieport. The Dow's and Tawny were good, but I would not revisit them.
By now, my mouth had enough drool to help the passage of dessert down the hatch. We chose to share the bread pudding http://static.px.yelp.... and Mel I Mato. The bread pudding swam in an orange caramel sauce. This combination was quite pleasant. The perfectly cooked, moist, and warm bread was slightly cooled by the sauce and whipped cream.
The Mel I Mato http://static.px.yelp.... came drizzled with a generous amount of honey, sided by poached pears and almonds. This cheesy adventure makes my stomach a tiny bit uncomfortable (lactose intolerance for the lose) but was good enough to warrant eating the entire piece.
So what did we learn, besides that Cesar is awesome, Asians turn red from alcohol, and have difficulty digesting dairy?
Perhaps that we have a stronger command of the English language than you think, stand up to our bosses at work, and more importantly, date white women.
Die, lame talk threads ;)
I have been going to this joint for ever, since they opened. A lot of things had change, the server, the bartender, but the wine and food are still solid as ever.
I missed the time when this place is under the radar, when I head out there on a weekday night, it is not crowded and we actually get to talk to the owner, and get to know him a little better. We were treated well, and there is even a time the bill got comped by the owner when 4 things we order were out. Most of the patrons are from the neighborhood, and the servers know you by your first name.
Now, the place still service up good tapas, and still has a killer wine menu, just getting a table is a little painful on a regular night out. There are other places sprinted up similar to Cesar, so I don't go back there as often as before.
I wish I can go back in time. I missed the time when my friend and I share a corner at the communal table having a great conversation amidst a room full of academia.
Maybe my expectations were too high after passing by here many times and having my wife tell me how much she loved the place, but I was pretty disappointed with the food.
Besides the anchovy matrimonio, which I liked so much that I ate it as slowly as possible, the rest of the tapas I ate were uninspired and boring. There was a sausage dish that, although it had three different types of meat on it, seemed to have no variety of taste. The salt cod thing just tasted like potatoes.
I had a good glass of wine but overall I felt like Cesar is another one of those overpriced bay area restaurants that looks really cool and attracts a hip clientelle but doesn't actually serve good food.
I have heard about Bar Cesar for over a year and I finally got to try it on a gorgeous Sunday. My friend and I sat at the communal table and enjoyed some wonderful tapas. I also enjoyed a glass of albarino, which was excellent.
The coca, a flat bread with wild mushrooms, onions, spinach picada & queso blanco, was great. The combination of flavors was perfect. The tuna was overcooked but the lentils that came with it were delicious. The skewers of chicken were my favorites and had the most amazing spices.
I am looking forward to coming back and trying the fried potatoes; they looked so good but I was with my health conscious friend.
Even though I had a mild allergic reaction to the paella, the food here was pretty good. How does that make sense, how do they manage to get 3 stars anyway? Allergic reaction = pain in the ass = 0-1 stars, I know. But! The bill ($130 for 5 people...ouch) was graciously paid for, everything I ate before the paella was good, the paella was STILL good while eating it. It was when I got home, that I noticed the scratchy throat. I popped Benadryl the moment I got home though. I'm alive, and that's all that matters. I should, however, ask them next time what the hell was in that paella.
I wouldn't seek out this place on my own, although I have passed it many times before. Invited as a guest or not, it was a good experience. And tapas are usually a good call in my book. The squid stuffed with chorizo was unexpectedly very good. My favorite was the lamb sirloin kebabs. They were on tiny skewers, but the meat was tender and flavorful. We also had a plate of some thinly sliced chorizo, ham and I believe, prosciutto to be eaten with bread. The bread was slightly unimpressive though. Sliced French I think, but meh, not very soft or warm. The plate of fried potatoes with sea salt, served with some kind of aioli mayo was decent. They should definitely pile them on a bigger plate, or put the mayo in another small dish. The thing was overflowing, and the table didn't look so pretty afterward with bits of fries and sauce that fell.
The servers here are attentive, and the ambiance is nice. Definitely a good date place for an older crowd, I would say. That was the general observation I got on Saturday. Maybe not so much for the college student, unless you can afford it and/or want to impress a lady.
We were in San francisco last february and we came over to Berkeley specifically for a cake + baking supply store, and discovered this little gem. We were looking for a place for lunch and neither of us were familiar with Tapas, so we just ordered three plates. First we had these paper thin sliced deep fried potatoes with deep fried sage leaves. They were delicious, the sage just dissolved as soon as it hit your tongue. Next we had satays, they were alright, given the option i probably wouldnt order them again. And for the creme de la creme, the Salt cod and potato cazuela, i had never heard of this dish before and ordered it on a whim. This may be hands down one of the top 5 best things i have ever had. It came in a little ramekin, and it was like a cod mousse, so flavouful and light, i could have eaten 5. I cannot wait to go back to Berkeley because this place is a must.
Th potatoes with herbs an mayo are were excellent. Thinly sliced, well seasoned, and fried to a crisp. A must try.
The scallop empanada was fair, the greens inside were unappetizing and had a odd flavor to them. I'm not a fan of collar greens, but if you are you might like this.
The chicken skewers were excellent, and a perfect size. The oil they were served in was great for the chewy french bread to sop up.
And the paella..... let's just say I'm not a fan. They was waaaaay too much chorizo, the chicken in it was like the wings from a bar, and the clams... yuk! Someone forgot to purge the fricken clams! (let the clams sit in water and spit out all the sand and crap inside them).
However, they comped me for the paella, so its 3 stars instead of 2. I'd go back with a group of friends for a couple of drinks and those potatoes thou.
Love at first bite.
I celebrated my 35th birthday here with my family last Saturday and it was my first time dining at Cesar. Both of my parents are regulars and were dying to take me and Ken here. We had to get here early since it's first come, first serve and they don't take any reservations. It's a casual tapas bar with ample seating and has a long communal table where we actually dined.
I let my mom do the ordering since she knows what's good. We noshed happily and sipped on their house sangrias made with Moscato D'Asti (very refreshing). My dad ordered a bottle of Salamon Reisling as we cheered and toasted to my birthday and new year!
HITS:
- Paella - delicious with shrimp, squid, chicken, chorizo, peas in a lobster broth
- Marinated olives - love it
- Mahi mahi with pimenton-roasted cauliflower - excellent
- Pork chops with port, orange and pomegranate sauce - so moist and tasty
- Matrimonio - pickled white anchovies & olive oil-marinated anchovies; my favorite thus far!
- Fried potatoes with herbs and sea salt - so fun to eat and yummy!
- Salt cod and potato cazuela - it was OK for me - although my mom loved it..she kept on dipping the bread into the thick sauce
- For dessert, crema catalana ice cream with burnt sugar - TO DIE FOR..holy cow..it was my happy ending. =) HAHAHA
MISSES:
- A plate of jamon serrano, buttifara and soria - meh, would not order this next time
At least I know what NOT to order the next time I visit Cesar. Our servers were awesome and very knowledgeable. I was quite impressed and pleased with the service we had.
I'm definitely a fan and will come back soon!
We just took a friend for a birthday lunch. The food was for the most part up to their usual standards, except for the Paella which was a soggy, disappointing mess. The waiter was iffy (pleasant but with more attitude than attendance, for instance, no one introduced the cheeses. They just dropped the plate and ran. The roast chicken was wonderful, juicy and flavorful. The canneloni was also first rate. Since it was a birthday lunch, we also ordered desserts. They were outstanding. All in all, I'd say the place is still worth a visit, but it is pricy and they seem to be slipping. At these prices, the servers should always be on their game. - If you want the full write up, visit my blog http://eastbayfoodscen...
Cesar is a 10 minute walk from my house, it is generally very crowded, and I want to really like it. But its just okay. I must admit, the tapas are good. I've had the patatas bravas, butter lettuce salad (with apple and smoked trout), and the Brussels sprouts - each was excellent. But the large plates - of which there are very few options - have been average at best, including the paella and the grilled chicken. So, it you just want to have drinks and a light snack, Cesar is not a bad choice. But if you are looking for a solid meal, walk a couple of blocks in either direction and you will find better options, including Dopo and Bay Wolf.
One more thing -- the bread pudding is terrific.
Dinner at Cesar--a little sangria, a little of the hanger steak and gambas de la plancha--will make you love life. The atmosphere is perfect--intimate without being squished, hip without being trendy, and lively without being overwhelming. Go there on a date or with a small-ish group of friends.
Viva!
After inhaling a week's worth of sweets at Bakesale Betty's, my friend and I checked out this place for lunch (life's short--eat dessert first). I enjoyed the patio seating, which enabled me to people watch. For a wrinkle in time I forgot all about law school hell. And it was delicious.
I had the boccadillo with portobello mushroom, piquillo pepper, queso fresco, basil and balsamico ($10.75), and my friend had the potaje de cesar with chorizo, morcilla sausage, greens and garbanzos ($8.75). My boccadillo was solid despite it being completely vegetarian--the portobello was meaty, the peppers smoky, and the bread crunchy. Yum. The potaje was flavorful and rich with tasty bits of chorizo.
As far as tapas go, Cesar is on the expensive end but not outrageous. If I come back, I'm getting the paella. The last time I had it I was 20, in Barcelona, drunk off white sangria, high off hostel-living--it was too long ago!
I love Cesar. This place most times has a wait, but I think its worth it. The atmosphere is perfect. I love the ambiance and the decor. I could spend tons of time just sitting at the bar looking around at everything, it is absolutely beautiful.
I love the drinks, everything is made with the best ingredients, and tastes amazing. One of the best things I like to get here is a traditional margarita, or some sangria.
Personally, one of my favorite touches about this bar are the olives. I think it should be a standard, at most any place, that if you're coming in for a drink or dinner, or what have you, there should be something on the table, and the olives set foot in the right direction.
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
Category: Indian
Neighborhood: Uptown
Category: Coffee & Tea
Albany, CA
Category: Nightlife
Neighborhood: North Oakland
Category: Tapas Bars
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
Category: French
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