On a mobile device? Try our mobile site, optimized for faster browsing.
Category: American (New) [Edit]
Neighborhoods: North Berkeley, Gourmet GhettoMon-Thu. 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Mon-Thu. 5:00 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 11:30 a.m. - 3:00 p.m.
Fri-Sat. 5:00 p.m. - 11:30 p.m.
Loading...
My favorite restaurant in the world. Every dish, every bite blows me away.
I'd give it 6 stars if i could.
It's the kind of place where you eat an ingredient and you swear you've never even eaten the ingredient before. Or maybe you were living in a purgatory-like existence and then entered heaven where everything tastes so much better. It looks like a lettuce leaf, smells like one, but tastes like it's from heaven.
Review for the restaurant downstairs only.
Went on a Monday and it was only a 3-course prix fixe dinner.
We started off with a local halibut carpaccio with shaved porcini mushrooms. The carpaccio was pretty good but had sort of a gooey texture. I liked it because it was nothing like I'd ever had before. The mushrooms were a little bitter, which was unfortunate because I love mushrooms and the carpaccio would've been more enhanced with them.
Then the main course was a spit-roasted Peking duck with apricots, quash blossom fritters and turnip greens. The duck was rather mediocre and definitely not the best I've had (if you go to an authentic Chinese restaurant that does Peking duck right, then you know what I mean). However, I must rave about the amazing apricots and turnip greens! They were absolutely fresh, AMAZING, and cooked to perfection. If only all vegetables tasted like that, I'd straight up become a vegetarian in a heartbeat, no kidding. It was when I had the apricots/veggies that I understood why Alice Waters was so famous (because up until that point, I was having serious doubts).
For dessert, there was the almond panna cotta with cardamom and plum coulis. Delish! I love panna cotta and I love almond, so maybe I'm biased with the two of them together in one. A nice bonus was that our server also gave us these complimentary cookie things with chocolate filling, topped with gold flakes and served with sugared ginger snaps.
Other (random) notes:
- The downstairs restaurant area is rather small. If they expanded their area, maybe people wouldn't have to make reservations weeks in advance.
- Don't get their green tea. It's almost $5 and is basically 95% water and 5% tea.
- The server was nice and polite but not to the point where the automatic 20% gratuity was justified.
- The bathrooms are located upstairs and are beyond TINY!! I think there were only 2 stalls for the ladies' room.
- The whole dining experience takes about 2+ hours because they take their time serving the courses, so be prepared to stay there for awhile.
All-in-all, a pretty good experience, but still a tad disappointed because I thought I would be blown away. Maybe going there on a Monday night was the reason? Not sure. Maybe everyone just hyped it up too much. Oh well, maybe one of these days I'll go again but on a Friday/weekend and become an official A. Waters/Chez Panisse worshipper.
People thought this was:
This past weekend we did the 4 course tasting menu at Chez Panisse.
The staff was impeccable. The service was wonderful and attentive and we were both very impressed.
We started with an apéritif, then a bottle of wine. After that, the food started coming.
1. Goat cheese tart with a salad of greens and beans. Oh, this was probably my favorite course. The goat cheese just melted in your mouth, and the greens gave each bite a really nice texture. I really loved this course.
2. Scallops in a red pepper sauce. These scallops were a smaller variety, which is nice. I prefer the smaller scallops, myself. The sauce was creamy, rich and had a nice bite of red peppers to it. The scallops were cooked to perfection and weren't grainy/mealy at all. I dipped the bread into the sauce until it was gone.
3. Now, the "normal" third course was squab with roasted wine grapes, liver pate, a toasted brioche, greens and a type of melon. I don't eat meat, so instead of the liver/squab combination I received this exact dish with chanterelle mushrooms.
Now, as a person that doesn't eat meat, I am not a fan of this kind of substitution. This dish was originally balanced around squab and liver pate, and it really didn't mesh with with chanterelle mushrooms. The mushrooms were so earthy that it really overwhelmed a lot of the other flavors going on. I was disappointed that they didn't plan a separate substitution for vegetarians, which has been the case when I've been to other prixe fixe events.
4. I am not recalling the exact name of this last dish, but it tasted like candied apples (almost gooey, they were very sweet) in a crunchy, crispy pastry shell with homemade ice cream. It was a great dessert, but it was so sweet, and I was getting so full that I couldn't finish it.
We really enjoyed our experience at Chez Panisse, but next time we go we will eat at the Cafe instead of getting the prixe fixe meal.
People thought this was:
While I enjoy frou-frou dining, this place is a nice change. I've dined at Chez Panisse three times this past year and had a great dinner each time. The food here is simple but insanely fresh and couldn't be cooked any more perfect. Service here is great as well; the servers have been sweet and attentive. I always leave feeling satisfied but never guilty.
Elegance in a rustic French restaurant.
I liked this place, my mom was in town and saw an advert about it so we went for lunch. If you're scoping this place out make reservations, for lunch or dinner. Without reservations the wait was only 20 minutes so we ordered wine.
We started with a gorgeous beet salad that was hand tossed in a house dressing. She had the pasta with lamb ragu, I chose the parmesan crusted chicken with chanterelle mushrooms and green beans. Turns out her's was better, the chicken was a little on the fatty side but still delicious with a nice stock base. We ended the meal with grape sherbert floating in champagne.
The dinner looks heavenly with a set 6 course meal, definitely a place to go on a date or for a special occasion.
People thought this was:
In a dozen visits, Chez Panisse has never disappointed. It's like having dinner in my living room -- if my living room were a craftsman Julia Morgan attached to a kitchen staffed by some of the sharpest culinary minds in America. Amidst all the hoopla surrounding Chez Panisse, it's a testament to its underlying culture that the staff and food remain unpretentious. Everything from the supple lighting to the Toulouse Lautrec-style posters to the low-slung domestic ceiling is a subtle reminder that this is a restaurant on its own level.
And yet, what makes Chez Panisse special is that an embodies a democratization of good (read: seasonal, local, organic, sustainable) food that Alice Waters has championed in the community, its schools, and the broader gastronomic discourse. A quick glance around the other top kitchens in the Bay Area reminds you that Chez Panisse is the McKinsey of restaurants, graduating its alums to lead its best peer institutions.
A few tips:
- Upstairs (the cafe) is casual.
- Upstairs is not $$$$.
- If getting a table for 2 upstairs, ask for one under the tree.
- Their Chez Panisse Zin is great.
- They have enough no-shows that you can walk in w/o a res on a Friday night and have a 50/50 chance of getting a table for 2. If the stars don't align, you can go next door for tasty tapas at Cesar.
- The garlic bonanza on Bastille Day is fun -- assuming, of course, you like garlic.
- Ask around about the staff parties in the walk-in freezer during the 80s!
People thought this was:
We had quite a pleasant Monday night at Chez Panisse in the downstairs restaurant. To start, our maitre'd was excellent! He was very attentive and made sure to thoroughly explain each part of our meal and on top of that, really enthusiastic about everything. Love it!
Our pre-fixe meal:
Porc rôti aux coings -light, fresh, crunchy veggies - a nice start and very tasty with our wine pairing which had hints of honey!
Spit-roasted Becker Lane pork loin with quince,
wild mushrooms, and root vegetables - exquisite!! My husband and I were in heaven. The pork was well cooked and balanced so well with our wine pairing. The apricots tasted so elegant with the pork too! This was probably our favorite course!
Chocolate trio bombe - Not sure if that is the official name but I recall it was something to that effect. It was such a wonderful way to end the fabulous meal!! Not too sweet, not too overpowering in chocolate flavor...a delicious medley of ice cream. Everyone loves ice cream!
Service fee is auto added to the bill at 17% but the service is very good and you would probably tip that much at a min anyway.
If I could use a few words to describe Chez Panisse it would be: refined, simple, rustic, non-fussy fresh food.
Can't wait to go back and try the weekend menu!! Chez Panisse is absolutely worthy of their Michelin star!! Alice Waters is a genius!
Last night I came home from going into work, and I was rather grumpy and tired and feeling kind of bitter about how much I have been working as of late. If I got paid overtime, man, I would be a billionaire. Never mind though. I came home and my husband announced that he had a surprise, and that to celebrate out one year wedding anniversary, we were heading across the Bay to Chez Panisse!
Despite some negative feelings I harbor towards this place (I had a really unpleasant experience last year with an individual who works under for the Al ice Waters empire), I wanted to see if this place was all that. I was convinced that the staff there was going to be as snooty and gross as the person I had previously encountered.
We got there a bit early, and our table wasn't ready until a bit late, so we went upstairs to cram into the space near the bar. It is an awkward space admittedly, with people standing all smooshed into a wee area where waitstaff needs to rush through with plates of food perched on palms held high above their heads.
Fortunately, we we in this holding tank for only about 15 minutes, and then were seated downstairs. At Chez Panisse, there is a different set menu every evening, so it was exciting to see what we were going to be munching on.
We started with a glass of prosecco mixed with house made fennel syrup. Yum! The bread was really good, and even their house filtered still water was amazing. We had sea scallops with a tomato, pepper, basil, and cucumber salad for our first course. The second course was an onion soup with red wine, followed by half of a spit roasted game hen. Dessert was a meyer lemon ice cream meringue tart. We split a bottle of prosecco, and finished off with Blue Bottle coffee. Overall, it was very, very good. The produce there is truly unbelievable. The atmosphere is super chill, and the staff was actually very nice and very professional.
The whole dining experience there takes about 2 hours and on a Saturday night the menu runs $95 per person. The staff asked if we were there for a special occasion and when we told them it was, so our little cute meringues had elegant little paper adornments with "Happy Anniversary" on them.
Overall a very nice dining experience and wonderful food. When we left I was totally stuffed--go easy on the bread! Dress in layers though, I was uncomfortably warm at some points and would take off my sweater, then the front door would open and the place would suddenly be very cold. Or maybe I am just having hot flashes :-)
David Kamp's very good book, "The United States of Arugula: How We Became a Gourmet Nation" talks about Alice Waters and Chez Panisse's role in changing American food values and is a good read.
People thought this was:
Mook and I finally visited, after two years of talking about the place. We wanted to see if Chez Panisse lived up to the Alice Waters hype. Unfortunately, we were not that impressed. Granted, we went on a Monday (3 courses), so perhaps that was the problem. But still...
1st course: Frisee, with green beans, cucumbers and mayonnaise'y potatoes with pickled chanterelles. The pickled chanterelles tasted like vinegar (from the pickling, I assume), but no longer like chanterelles, which made me sad, as I love chanterelles. The mayonnaise'y potatoes were like potato salad. I guess the ingredients were a bit of a hodge podge, and even when eaten together, didn't seem to make too much sense. Mook commented that it was like they took whatever was in the kitchen and put it all together.
2nd course: Pork loin with quince, cabbage, roasted shallots and a butternut squash polenta. A+/5-star execution. Delicious! Put all of the items together and it was devine. The quince and butternut squash polenta went perfectly with savory-ness of the pork.. and when combined w/ the cabbage and shallots, it was an unbelievable combination. Flawless.
3rd course: Chocolate, espresso and marscapone ice cream (kinda like a 3 layer cake). Ice cream. Pure and simple. I don't like chocolate, so I'm probably not the right person to rate this course.
Cheeses: There was a really cool goat cheese, which was infused with roquefort mold from Massachusetts. Yum!
I guess in the end everything was fresh (as per all the other comments), but oftentimes, the dishes didn't seem to be that unique or extraordinary (however, I guess that is Alice Water's M-O). However, Chez Panisse has beautiful ingredients.. and given that, why can't they be more memorable?
If one dines in the restaurant at Chez Panisse, then he/she is seeing high quality ingredients at their best. My parents, sister and I just completed four amazing courses. Here's the prix-fixe menu rundown:
Apéritif of sparking wine and orange syrup
First course: house made mozzarella wrapped around fresh ricotta and basil, with heirloom tomatoes and greens
Second course: Venetian risotto with spot prawn, clams and scallop
Third Course: grilled rack and loin of pasture-raised grass fed veal with wild chantrelle mushrooms, pancetta, and canellini beans
Fourth Course: Hazelnut and Caramel ice cream profiteroles with shaved chocolate
The Mozzarella: pleasing soft and with an alluring briny flavor that went very well the the sweet flavorful heirloom tomatoes
The Risotto: only criticism was that I had more than one prawn because they were OUT OF THIS world. No other shrimp will compare now that I've tasted this beauty. The risotto itself was delicious, heavy on the flavor but not on the palette.
The Veal: their veal was pasture-raised and grass-fed in comparison to the veal you would find in the markets, which is milk-fed and not sent out to pasture. Therefore, it was quite reminiscent of beef with a slight gamey flavor, though it did nothing to subtract to how delicious it was mixed the jus and the pancetta.
The dessert: Ice cream + profiteroles = crispy shell, flavorful hazelnut ice cream, shaved chocolate. Enough said.
The black currant and sour cherry sodas as well as the hot tea and french- pressed coffee were all tops as well as the friendly and attentive service. What was cool was that at the end of the meal we were allowed to walk through and take a tour of the kitchen and prep areas--definitely not something you get to do everyday at a restaurant!
So, the final verdict? The amazing meal/experience was well worth the inevitable hit the credit card bill is going to take.
People thought this was:
Finally, after all these years, I took the parents to this restaurant. It is definitely an institution that's worth visiting. I have the cookbooks from this place and the food comes out pretty good. But, to have a first hand experience eating here is simply incredible.
The only drawback is that the service was on the slow side. The wine selection was also a little more limited that what I am used to. But the food was simply great. We had duck and fish dishes and the desert was absolutely fantastic. Usually I am pretty neutral about coffee after such a meal, but the coffee here was memorable as well.
Group of college buddies came to town for a wedding and we decided to hit up Chez Panisse to catch up on the times. It was definitely a good choice.
Let's go through the items we had on our 6-person, $270 bill. The bottle of NA white wine the waiter helped us choose was perfect. The tartare was good, the mozzarella great, and the vegetable soup really hit the spot. Things took a dive though as the pork loin was a failure (all three plates we had), slightly overcooked and lacking in flavor. Halibut was bland, although it at least came out with a perfect tenderness and consistency.
BUT the brightest spot of the day: their chicken was to die for, according to the two guys who had it. (I did have a bite and it was very impressive, but I did not get to try the entire plate) One of them has enjoyed meals at many well established restaurants in SF and NYC and said that this was by far the best chicken he's ever had. It was rather funny how quickly he devoured his plate while poking fun at our less-than-ideal selections. Since he so thoroughly enjoyed the meal, we're taking his high praise into heavy account for this rating.
Well, the rest of us sat there and finished up our very fresh entrees, which were by no means bad, they just weren't spectacular. Perhaps next time we'll be the ones to get our socks blown off. As with previous visits, it can be hit and miss, but as long as there's a chance for that home run, we'll be back for more.
Just to emphasize once again what a classy joint this is, let me tell you about my experience using a gift certificate here. I bought a gift card for "lunch for two and a bottle of house wine at Chez Panisse" at my law school charity auction, and the boyfriend and I decided to use it for a late Valentine's Day celebration. It wasn't for a set amount, just lunch for two, so I wasn't entirely sure how that would work.
We stroll in and sit down, and I pull out the gift certificate and ask if that means one appetizer and one entree per person, or what now. It does not mean that! No sir! Our server tells us we can order whatever we want! Really? As much as we want? Yes really! It means order whatever you want and are willing to ask for with a straight face. In theory I suppose it means you could order the whole menu and then take everything home in a doggie bag, but presumably they're counting on people to be too tasteful and/or ashamed to do that. Whatever works! Isn't that a great way to handle it? You're just on the honor system to behave decently, and we came away feeling like they were a total class act. So we were able to get oysters and mix it up with some salads and appetizers and dessert without going totally overboard, and it was great, of course. Huzzah, Chez Panisse! You've still got it.
People thought this was:
Lovely! I've been wanting to try this place since I moved to Berkeley, of course, but never got… Read more »
I am on a crusade to eating better food. Local, sustainable, organic, yadda yadda yadda. Alice Waters pretty much championed sustainable eating. My dinner at Chez Panisse was definitely a memorable one. It was four courses of delicious, well prepared, high quality dishes. I loved the tomato and leek tart with anchovy and olives. I never knew I could like anchovies. The Elliott Ranch lamb with shellbeans, romano beans and chanterelles and eggplant was another unforgettable dish. So tender, so flavorful, so good. I definitely liked the downstairs pre-fix menu restaurant better than the more casual a la carte cafe upstairs. Chez Panisse will always be one of my Bay Area favorites. Just a fabulous dining experience!
My 100th review, and my birthday, were recently just celebrated at probably the best restaurant in the Bay Area, if not this side of the the U.S. This was truly my best dining experience. When we arrived we did wait about ten minutes for our table despite having made our reservation literally 1 month and 11 hours in advance. However, they were more than apologetic in making us wait. Next, our waiter greeted us and asked if we had been there before, we had not. Then, he asked the occasion, we said it was my birthday. He said happy birthday, told us he was happy to have us, asked us for our wine choice, and said the show would start momentarily.
The food was impeccable, of course. To start we had an heirloom tomato and avocado toast. Then, lobster brodo with chantrelle mushrooms. Thirdly, duck. and Finally a great meringue. An added surprise, the waiter, entirely of his own accord, decided to top the meringue with a candle and a little sign that read, "happy birthday". As he set it down he quietly asked if this was not too embarrassing. I said it wasn't and that it was a great surprise. Pretty classy really, but what do you expect.
So there you have it. This review should come to no surprise to anyone. Its amazing. So plan ahead and go.
People thought this was:
Took my girlfriend here to celebrate her birthday. Since her birthday was on Tuesday, we decided to come here the night of her birthday. We had the four course meal for the day:
Catalan antipasto with tomato toasts, almonds, and country ham
Vegetable paella with all-i-oli
Rack, loin, and leg of Cattail Creek Ranch lamb with chorizo, potatoes, and peppers
Caramel flan with Frog Hollow Farm peaches
The menu is fixed and doesn't come out until the week of your reservation. If you don't like what's on the menu you don't have a choice because that's all the kitchen is serving. My girlfriend isn't a fan of lamb, but that's what ended up on the menu the night we went. Luckily, it was prepared well and she ate it.
We enjoyed the food and the service. We also walked through the kitchen after our meal. Unfortunately most of the cooking staff was not at the kitchen at the time, because they were eating their dinner between seatings. There are typically two seatings, and we happened to walk through the kitchen during the between time.
People thought this was:
The things I would do to that food should never enter the thought of any human. I hope they enjoyed our tip. Just the tip. I got the whole banger.
One way to look at the variation in ratings for this place is as a function of expectations and context. The frame of mind with which you put the first bite in your mouth can dramatically influence your impression of the meal.
I'll explain.
If you don't know or care much about Alice Waters and her relationship to American food culture, local and sustainable agriculture, or getting real food into school lunch programs -- you will still have a nice meal, but you are probably more likely to kvetch about the cost and relative value.
And that's understandable, because that context doesn't show up to your table like an amuse bouche. You either bring it with you or you don't.
There's a wonderful line in "The Art of Simple Food" where she says: "What makes a good meal is not how fancy it is, or how difficult and complicated the preparations are, but how satisfying it is."
The dishes at Chez Panisse start with the ripest ingredients possible (this is something you can readily taste) and each dish is cooked to perfection. If you have moderate cooking skill, you might think that preparation of these dishes is well within your grasp -- about which you would be correct.
And isn't that her point?
Like the soundtrack for a feature film, the cuisine provides a sense of continuity and punctuates your meal. It's unobtrusive guidance, but you would certainly miss it were it gone.
This is a long preface, but in the interest of framing the overall review it seems necessary.
Onto the specifics: I was a Monday diner, which means a shorter (and less expensive) prix fixe menu. $60 included:
- Petite friture with purslane, cucumber and lemon salad. Friture describes the two fried smelt that topped the salad course (I had to ask). The fish were wonderful and the purslance was toothsome.
- A brick-cooked chicken leg and thigh in a sweet pepper sauce with romano beans and garlic-fried potatoes. Oddly, the potatoes were the standout of this course -- I didn't ask, but I'm pretty certain they were cooked in duck fat rendering them with a delicately delicious outer crust.
- Black mission fig and raspberry clafouti with wild fennel. The clafouti was distinctly eggy, but still tender. This course was kissed with enough fennel to make it intereting without overpowering the fig and raspberry flavors.
The Monday portions were French in size (though satisfying).
The four of us also enjoyed a bottle from the wine list that ranges in price to accomodate many budgets.
Total split 4 ways was about $93/person.
People thought this was:
The exquisite attention to detail, quality and understated elegance of Chez Panisse, from the food to the service & setting made this a truly unforgettable dining experience.
It took us months to get a weekend reservation and the menu changes day by day, so it would be advisable to plan ahead for a very worthwhile visit.
Chez Panisse could make elephant dung taste good... assuming it is locally grown and organic.
Me and my wife have eaten here once a year for the past 5 years (if the budget allowed it, we'd eat here every day) and the food has been consistently exceptional.
Our last visit a week ago was to celebrate our anniversary. I don't normally eat (or like) fish and duck... but it's a fixed menu... so I sucked it up. If fish and duck tasted like that all the time... I'd probably like fish and duck... and the tomato salad starter was simply amazing... heirloom tomatoes, cherry tomatoes, red pepper relish, egg, anchovies, capers, and a light dressing. The fish was sole with chanterelle mushrooms, grapes, pine nuts, and a buttery sauce that I would have licked off the plate had my wife not forbade me to do so. The duck was a roasted breast, served with okra, corn, beans, and another lick-able sauce. I'm drooling right now thinking about it.
It's worth the wait... I made the reservations a month in advance as suggested... and it's worth the price... which is reasonable for such awesomeness... but can get out of hand depending on your wine selection. They have an excellent sommelier (Robert) who you can trust to suggest the best wine that will pair best with your food.
Tonight... spam and rice... can't wait til next year.
On my first visit to Chez Panisse, I was really interested in whether the restaurant could live up to the hype or whether it would be crushed under the weight of my media-saturated expectations--would fresh ingredients really make a difference? Could simplicity be a strength? Buoyed by years of superlative reviews, would the physical space and its patrons be comfortable, or intimidating and haughty?...(i.e. would I need to wear a tophat and monocle and produce my gold-encrusted invitaition upon entry?)
Yes, Yes, and No. Now I understand the Alice Waters/california cuisine/slow food ethos--and it makes eating all the more an enjoyable experience.
People thought this was:
It's been a little over a month since our reservation and my first attempt to write a review for Chez Panisse. It's hard to explain how great it was, but I'll try:
When we arrived for our reservation at Chez Panisse the day before my birthday, I was struck by how relaxed it was. I knew I was in Berkeley and that they didn't even have a dress code, but I also knew how serious they took food. However, I didn't feel like I was in a food museum or a house of worship like I did in other fine dining establishments (e.g., Per Se). The staff and the way the building is set up made me feel like I was invited to a friend's home for dinner.
We arrived early, and when we first walked through the door, we were hit with the smell of delicious food cooking in the first floor kitchen. What an appetizer.
As the second party sat for dinner, our table was located as far as possible from the kitchen. First, we were given a small plate of warm almonds that were drizzled with oil and sprinkled with salt and thyme. Yum.
I found myself straining my neck to see what was going on in the kitchen. Our server encouraged us to not be shy and to get up from our table to see what was happening. We followed our noses to the edge of the dining room where we saw pork roasting over an open flame, the smell of which was heavenly.
We eventually made it back to our table, where one of our servers brought over a basket of delicious bread. We tried not to eat too much of it, but it was difficult. Acme Bakery makes _the best bread_, and we were helpless to fight the urge to eat it.
That night, the menu consisted of:
Chino Ranch melon carpaccio with mint and basil
Monterey Bay calamari with garlic, hot pepper, and linguine
Spit-roasted Magruder Ranch pork loin with fresh shell beans, porcini mushrooms, and polenta
Santa Rosa plum and raspberry sherbet coupe with cava gelée
After eating the calamari and linguine dish, I got up again and went to the kitchen. When I walked up to the edge of the room again, the head chef called out to me: "Why don't you give yourself a tour of the kitchen?" "Sure!" I said! Score!
The kitchen seems to be set up to be explored. The room is long and narrow, with counters down the middle. The chefs cook at their stations, mostly facing the pathway. It was really easy to meet their eyes and talk with them about the dishes they were making, how they did it, and why. I was surprised that it seemed like I was the only one in the full dinner service that seemed interested in the kitchen.
When they served the pork loin et al, I was a little disappointed with the small portion size of the polenta. It was deliciously creamy and tasty with sweet corn throughout. When our server came by to check on us, I asked if it would be possible to get a little more of the polenta. "I'm not sure, but I'll see what I can do!" she said.
A few minutes later, she brought over a bowl of polenta, shell beans, porcini mushrooms, and RIBS FROM THE PORK LOIN. Oh God.
I thanked her profusely and happily split it with my sweetie. A-maz-ing. What other words could describe that experience?
When we were getting ready to leave after dessert, we decided to go thank everyone in the kitchen for such an amazing experience. We felt so close to them, the chefs seemed so approachable, that it only seemed right.
Chez Panisse is not like other fancy restaurants I've been to. It doesn't matter what you're wearing or what fork you're supposed to use. All that matters is that you enjoy the food and you enjoy yourself. It was a success!
People thought this was:
When walking into THE Chez Panisse, one has high expectations. I'm so thrilled to say that my incredibly high hopes for this meal were exceeded, in so many ways!
The all-fish menu my friends and I enjoyed last night was absolutely phenomenal and delicious. The ingredients, as promised, were fresh and bursting with flavors. The dishes were perfectly seasoned, nothing overdone. Everything was simple, but outstanding. I enjoyed every bite of the 4-course meal, and our entire crew used the fresh bread to soak up every last drop of sauce.
This was our incredible menu:
--King salmon carpaccio with cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, and basil
--Fritto misto of calamari and shrimp
--Grilled local albacore with shell beans, romano beans, sweet corn, and roasted peppers
--Blackberry, peach, and almond ice cream bombe
(The set menu price was $75 per person, which was absolutely worth it!)
The decor was beautiful and upscale, but still very homey, intimate and comfortable. The copper accents (lights, lanterns, bathroom fixtures, etc.) added a down-to-earth feel. The space is sort of craftsman style with exposed wood beams, brick, simple decor, a low ceiling with baskets of produce and bread.
One of the coolest parts about the space was the open kitchen. You can watch the chefs work and even walk through to the bathroom in the back. I was intimidated to do say when our (lovely, Italian) waiter suggested it, but I was warmly greeted with "hello"s and "how are you"s.
All in all, a wonderful, unforgettable, all-around-enjoyable experience that I would highly recommend!
People thought this was:
This place is a bit overrated. true. however it makes you feel nice going there. its soooo expensive! and the people put on your coat!
I had the grilled salmon, duck, and some kind of pasta.
the pasta was amazingggg!!!! my favorite. the portions seems too small but at the end i got pretty damn stuffed.
the wine is suppose to be great but i didnt order it
I don't know if I just had too high of an expectation but my birthday dinner at Chez Panisse was so disappointing! Of the four courses, the first was okay (tomato carpaccio), the second was horrible (gnocchi or more like raw dough in broth), and the third/fourth courses were good (pork loin/tiramisu). It was also a bummer they didn't have a full bar.
This review is for lunch in the upstairs cafe.
1. Over priced
2. Average service - Any place that adds their own tip to a bill for a table of 2 is arrogant. The service was sub par, maybe they thought since the tip was in the bag, why try? And we were the first seating.
3. Food was not the best. The shrimp still had partial shells on 2 of the prawns. Chicken batter was S A L T Y. I did like the fresh sardine pizzeta and the polenta was good.
4. Noisy
People thought this was:
oh oh totally seriously amazing food. Generous servings but we still managed to finish all our food despite seriously stuffing ourselves with in and out burgers and animal style fries only 2 hours prior. Just proves to show how good the food was. BTW, i did regret the burgers...
have to book a month in advance but well worth the wait. You can get matching wines for $40 too
Service was excellent, love how the waiter addressed us as "friends"
wine was delicious and setting was intimate even though it was packed to the hilt, you seem to still be able to find your own world (helps if you have good company).
Salad: Best course of the night. the fluffiest ever goat cheese lightly crumb and pan fried served with home grown salad and cherry tomatos drizzled with light oil. the cheese was very very special and my boyfirend couldnt stop raving about how fresh the greens tasted
Starters: Kingfish
beautiful fish pan fried so tender on inside and crispy skin. although near the skin was slightly overcooked
Entree:
Duck breast fillets served with potato fillets drizzled with sweet sauce (i think its plum). Delicious and tender, perfectly cooked - though my boyfriend thinks he's had better.
Dessert:
Can't remember but i remember making my boyfriend give me half of his.
LOVE IT LOVE IT LOVE IT. Food, the next best thing to LOVE.
People thought this was:
Based on the other ratings I hope Chez Panisee was having an off night, because we were pretty disappointed by our meal on a Tuesday evening. The menu sounded great but honestly most of the dishes fell flat. They offer an alternative vegetarian/seafood alternative menu upon request, but it's the exact same dishes as the regular menu minus the meat. Tax is 9.75% and service is an automatic 17% so don't tip twice! Corkage is $25 per bottle and $45 per magnum. Dinner seems cheapest on Monday evenings for $60 but there are only 3 dishes, Tues - Thurs $75 (4 courses), and Fri & Sat the most expensive at $95 (5 courses including an apertif).
I have been wanting to eat here for so long, and I feel let down! Ambiance has an antiquated Berkeley feel to it, and it is very low lit and fairly cramped inside. They use Heath Ceramics dinnerware so not everything is old. The upstairs cafe looks like it is still a nice place to eat with white tablecloths, and in my opinion, less stuffy than the upscale restaurant downstairs. Service was nice though and they gave me a candle on my dessert for my birthday. However, It wasn't our waiter who checked in on us or cleared our dishes. We only saw him at the beginning and very end of the meal. We saw the bus boy for most of our meal, so that was a bit impersonal I felt.
1st course: the warm green bean salad was tasty, but lukewarm and fairly oily. 2nd course: the hand-cut linguine with clams had the wrong textures and did not come together well at all. Main course: Amar's quail was dry and it tasted like chicken. I requested fish as my main course. It was overly salted and dry, and I swear they used the same sauce that was in the linguine with clams. Dessert: pluot tart was probably the best tasting menu item and it's not even from CP's kitchen since it's from Frog Hollow Farm :(
People thought this was:
It seems fitting that my 700th Yelp review should be for Chez Panisse. Ever since I've really started being interested in food and learning about different types of cuisine as well as the food culture and history in San Francisco I've been aware of the role Chez Panisse has played in California's food revolution. Eating at Chez Panisse is paying homage to Alice Waters and how she's influenced food in America. It's not the fanciest food you'll ever eat and it's not even the best meal you'll ever eat but without a doubt you will never have another meal that respects the purity of the ingredients as much as this one. Every ingredient that goes into your meal has been selected at its peak so even though your meal will be seemingly simple, each ingredient is so perfect and well prepared that it comes together into something transcendentally delicious. All the other components of your meal are top notch as well, the service is impeccable, the restaurant itself is beautiful with an open kitchen for you to see all the different chefs (it seemed like there were 30 of them in that one, small kitchen) working hard to put your meal together. This is a not to be missed experience for anyone who loves food.
I couldn't wait to go here after hearing so many great things about this epic landmark in Berkeley. We arrived a bit early so we decided to take a stroll up to the cafe to see what that was all about while waiting for our reservation time. Literally, as the clock turned 8:30, our reservation, the hostess came to greet us and bring us to our table. Whoa.
The ambiance of Chez P is great. It is not overwhelming by any means and really quite lovely. We started with an aperitif which was so good! I want to recreate it at my house. Since the menu changes everyday, I won't really go into the details of the food. But all I can say is that everything was so fresh! The tomatoes were out of this world and the canenneli beans were indescribable for our first course. I give this review 4 stars because of the 2nd dish of sea bass. I felt like it was too dry which was rather disappointing. The third course was also amazing. Who would have ever thought that I would have enjoyed squab? Not me, but boy was it good. Lastly, a refreshing desert to top it all off.
All in all, the experience was great and something that everyone should have the opportunity to try. The portions are not huge, but the right size. And lastly, don't forget to make your reservations the exact month in advance. I can't wait to come back and see what my next Chez P experience will be like!
Alice Waters & some of her idealistic friends opened Chez Panisse in 1971. The high-end the restaurant & café was named after a character in Marcel Pagnol's 1930's trilogy of movies ("Marius","Fanny", & "Cesar").
The Restaurant is open for dinner only Monday through Saturday. Reservation is required. (unless you are famous, I suppose.) The dinners have a fixed-price menu, each consisting of three to four courses. The menu changes every night, designed to be appropriate to the season & tailored to show off the finest ingredients obtainable including meat, fish, & poultry. Where possible, they use locally grown ingredients.
Prices for the Restaurant are $60 Mondays, $75 Tuesdays through Thursdays, & $95 Fridays & Saturdays, not including beverage, a 17% "service charge" (read: mandatory tip) & 9.75% tax. Monday night menus are generally simpler & more rustic or regional than what the restaurant serves on other evenings. Friday & Saturday night menus are somewhat more elaborate. They now list the menus a week in advance.
I strongly prefer & recommend the Friday & Saturday options, which comes w/ an apéritif & dessert. Monday menu is neither filling nor worth $60.
The Café at Chez Panisse, located upstairs, opened in 1980 to offer an alternative to the set menu served in the Restaurant downstairs. The Café offers a less expensively priced à la carte menu for both lunch & dinner. It has an open kitchen along one side of the room with a charcoal grill & a wood burning oven. The style of the menu is inspired by the market; consequently, the menus change every day. Reservations are recommended.
They allow outside drinks, but levy a $25 per bottle/$45 per magnum corking fee. Yikes! I'll stick w/ the carbonated drink. :D
Santa's Yelper sez: " Yummy shi-shi food, nice service, super pricey, & a must try at least once!"
People thought this was:
top notch service. top notch food. More to come in this review. Too tired.
I used to always make fun of a friend who would spend $200+ on dinners. "Why spend so much? Dinner's so ephemeral, spend $200 and it's gone in 3 hours."
After going to Chez Panisse, my opinion changed 180 degrees. To eat there at Chez Panisse is such an experience that you will appreciate every bite of every dish -- words cannot do it justice.
I've been there a total of three times now, and after moving out from California, it would be the first place I would go eat if I were to go back to visit Berkeley in the future (of course with the 30-day reservation in place first). Also, in comparison to the French Laundry ($550 for 2 people...), Chez Panisse offers so much more at $200 for Friday/Saturday dinner. I felt sick after the 4-hour extravaganza (8::30 PM to 12:45 AM) at the Napa Valley restaurant with the glut of food they serve you. Chez Panisse, however, is just right for what a fancy cuisine should be: the right amount of food with the absolute right, delicate taste, served to you in the right amount of time, and priced at the right price point.
People thought this was:
Chez Panisse still rocks after all these years. I hadn't been in a while, and was so happy to see that it is as great as ever. Everyone should try it at least once.
People thought this was:
I feel bad for rating Chez Panisse 3 stars only, but I think I had great expectations that were not met, unfortunately. I seem to be the anomaly as it appears that this place has received mostly 5 stars. I did go to dinner on a Wednesday night; maybe Wednesdays are not so hot.
The food was not bad; it was not so amazing. I had been to NOPA in San Francisco the night before and I think I enjoyed the food at NOPA more than I did here. It makes me wonder if paying more for food doesn't necessarily mean you will receive better quality or flavor. But then again, $75 for a 3 or 4 course meal is not so bad either.
Again, the food was good (I just expected something more mind-blowing). The first course, antipasto with mozzarella, prosciutto and roasted sweet peppers, was my favorite part of the dinner. The flavors complimented each other so well. Second course was a linguini dish with little-neck clams, which I thought I could make a very similar dish at home (this either reveals the level of mediocrity of the dish or my extreme lack of taste) and the third was a grilled quail with a side of beans in a tomato-based sauce, which was interesting. Dessert was plum ice cream profiterole with blackberries and nectarines, which was pretty good but not amazing.
Service was excellent. Everyone was really nice, and the ambiance was laid back and unpretentious.
If for some reason I had to go back, I may try for a weekend. There must be a reason why dinner is more expensive on a weekend and I am still wondering about all the 5 stars.
People thought this was:
We came here tonight en masse and had a wonderful time. My Aunt was visiting from Florida and this is a restaurant we've tried to make it to before, but she'd been ill. Anyway, its all about the ingredients here. The very best, treated simply. Not an oh-my-god-that-was-the-best-meal-I-ever-had kind of place. But it is where a lot of that started. And the servers were terrific. Friendly. Fun. Made us feel very much at home even though we brought grocery store wine and paid corkage. They still have a bottle of Rodney Strong my Uncle got and since I made the res its down there in the wine room with my name on it. Must slink in and retrieve it!
They served oak grilled porcini's with purslane. Just a very mushroomy experience. Wonderful.
Followed by chicken marinated in almond milk and green garlic and served with a nettle flan (could have been spinach souffle to my mind) and green peas and fennel slivers. It was delicious. It was "just chicken" and at the same time perfect chicken. Brined, seasoned and served two ways: a fried breast and a braised leg. The leg reeked of almond and was fall apart yummy delicious outstanding.
For dessert they found, somewhere, the strawberries that existed before Lucky and Safeway got them. Tiny berries with all the flavor compressed into them of the big berries. These along with raspberries and black berries served in a simple pastry tart shell with a little heavy cream at the bottom. I ate mine and most of my Aunt's and even though dessert isn't my thing, loved it.
To top it off, our waiter took my Aunt back and showed her the kitchen, introduced her to the chefs. Again, they just made us feel so welcome that it will be a standout dinner whenever we get together and recall past meals.
People thought this was:
I was so excited to finally try Alice Water's restaurant. We arrived about 10 minutes early and of course had to wait. Finally we were ushered to our table another 10 minutes later than our reservation time.
I love the ambiance and decor of the place. I thought of a country cottage. The staff were very friendly and accomodating when we tried to ask specific questions, they were quite knowledgeable. I was impressed.
The tasting menu is always a good way to get a feel for the true talent of the chef. We also had the wine pairing. I was so excited when the first wine came and I abolutely loved it. I'm not sure that the amuse bouche pairing was a match, but OK.
The courses were slow and delayed. I don't know if it was for effect or the timing was just off. The food was at best "unimpressive". This was until the main course which was a lamb. Finally, I was so excited and unfortunately it was tasteless, even lacked salt. The temperature was overdone side and I actually sent it back for another cut. The next cut came out with more sinew and worse than the previous one I sent back.
If this were any other restaurant I wouldn't have given it 1 star. However I couldn't believe that a place like this could have a dinner service so off the mark, it really disappointed me. I tried to express this to my wife and she agreed. The table next two us had two young guys ( they looked like Berkeley students, from all the cheezy Cal Bears emblems on their clothes) who were having their romantic evening together, ruined by their eavesdropping of our conversation.
I'm stubborn enough to try this place again to disspel my negative first experience.
People thought this was:
The meal was good. I guess I was expecting too much? I don't know but I left slightly disappointed. I've had way better meals for the same if not less... Why is this restaurant in 1000 Places to See Before you Die? I think I would have died happily without having eaten here and with 340 something dollars in my pocket instead. Or with 340 little one dollar snacks. or cookies.
I'm not saying it wasn't good, I'm just saying I've had better. Maybe they had an off day.
People thought this was:
Chez Panisse far exceeded my expectations. I think I've always associated good expensive eats with large cities (not that Berkeley isn't a fairly large city, but I think of places like New York, San Francisco, etc when I think of a place with good eats). Here, the meals aren't as expensive but the amount of food and the rich flavors you get is a much better value than anywhere that is higher priced. My boyfriend liked it here more than French Laundry!
First, it didn't take me 30 days to get reservations. I was able to get Wednesday evening dinner reservations about 2 weeks in advance. OpenTable said they were booked but I just called, and that did the trick (reservations the old fashioned way!). Next, I loved the restaurant - it was quaint, inset from the road, had rich wood and subdued lighting, and it was cozy and romantic. Finally, the service was impeccable - always around when needed but not hovering, constantly filled water glasses, and the dishes came out at a great pace - sometimes meals take a long time with multiple courses but here the dishes came out regularly.
First, our appetites were whetted with a plate of seasoned almonds. My boyfriend ate one, I ate the rest of the plate. Next, we had two kinds of bread (white/wheat), both were great. Then, our first course - heirloom tomato salad with anchovy, capers, basil, and aoili. WOW is what my taste buds said. I've never had such a vibrantly flavorful dish - the tomatoes were popping in my mouth, the basil was refreshing, and the capers were smooth. There was a bit of garlic toast that I wasn't too keen on, but the vegetables themselves - wow. They weren't kidding when they said quality ingredients. Most supermarket tomatoes are dull and lifeless. Not these!
Next, we had sole with a meyer lemon sauce with chopped cucumbers. Amazing - delicate lemon flavor balanced with crispy cucumbers and a smooth fish that was fresh and not at all fishy! And this dish came with two large slices of fish, not a bite like most other tasting menu/prix fixe meals.
Our third dish was grilled lamb covered in a thick olive sauce with romano beans, green beans, and fried onion rings. Again, another wow - I do not like lamb, but this dish had me swooning for lamb! It wasn't gamey, it was fresh, and the green beans again were popping with flavor and freshness.
Finally, our last course was an apricot tart with a burnt honey ice cream. I didn't like the ice cream, unfortunately, but that's also because I don't like honey. The tart had a very soft but crispy crust and the apricots were tart and fresh.
We got a final plate of treats - meyer lemon shortbread cookies and chocolate covered almonds. Yum!
Since we went on a Wednesday, the price per person before tip/tax was only $75. I would have gladly paid $150 or more for a similar meal if they had charged us that much.
Cannot wait to come back!
Hello, is anybody out there?
You better watch whose ear you be shouting in, boy!
Oh my, pardon me, ma'am. I just ended up on this delightful plate, and I'm still trying to piece together my whereabouts as my eyes have gone missing. Though I must say, now I'm a rather lovely potato and smell quite fantastic.
Well, no need to get hoity-toity there. We all were lucky enough to land here. All the other artichokes in the sack were just a-jumpin' to be picked but by the good boardy. I knew I would be chosen, I could feel it down from my heart to the tip of my spines, sure did.
Oh oh, yes us too! Since the moment we were pulled from the ground we dreamed of meeting the Panisse knifes. All the other green garlic girls in the garden talk about how smooooth they are and how they dice you up so it tickles so nicely. Can you still see our afterglow?
Well, you certainly do have a bright, fresh picked look about you, ladies. It's quite becoming.
Why thank you, Mr. Potato.
It's Fingerling, madames. Russet Fingerling. Much obliged.
Hush now, someone'll wake the entree!
*rumble*
See, look what you done now!
*giggles*
Hello there, Mr. Goat. We've been admiring your grill marks and are really enjoying bathing in your juices. They're like nothing our stalks have seen before. You look sooooo tender.
Why hello little ladies. I was a mite tired after all that hot iron that I had to catch some shut eye, but my ribs got a good stretch now, and I'm feeling just fine.
Ahem, excuse me sir, but would you mind if I sopped up a bit of your juice too?
Be my guest, partner.
Well, I surely don't need none of that. But at least you ain't lippy like that lobster before us. Wooowhee, it was hootin' and hollerin' like a banshee talkin' like it knowed a thing or two it was so fresh. Them scallops just kept telling 'im to can it, and the endives laid up on 'im to shut 'im up but it wasn't doing a darn thing. Then the blood orange vinaigrette came in all tart and showed 'im who was boss. But that was before your time, anyway. I bet you youngins cain't even 'member that.
No, ma'am. I sure don't but I do reckon there was a soup before us 'cuz I remember the sunchokes had a mighty good time spinning around that blender till they was as silky as butter. And then the black truffle came in and really gave it to 'em goooooo...
*chomp*
'Tis a pity, he was the first to go. No doubt I'm next, so I bid you all adieu and shall see you on the other side. Good day to you.
They sure don't teach politeness like that no more.
Yeah, we heard the pink lady apples had a little thing for him and his sweet skin and the cherries were all sour about it. But that's before they heard that they were going to be baked and coming out with vanilla ice cream.
Those hussies! Got that red rouge on 'em like some Jezebel.
No, no ma'am. They don't have anyyyything on them, not even wax. They're what Fingerling would call 'au naturale' beauty. If we didn't have our green stems we'd be super jealous.
You girls are just fine, ya hear. Now quiet down, we got some nourishing and pleasing to do.
People thought this was:
Tuesday & Sunday $20 Lobster
Neighborhood: Montclair Village
Sundays & Mondays NFL Ticket
Neighborhood: Old Oakland
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
Category: American (New)
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
Category: French
Neighborhood: North Berkeley
Category: Local Services
Berkeley, CA
Category: American (New)
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Everybody seems to have their list, so here's my…
My mission is to try all Top 100 restaurants…
In other cities you might dress up to eat at these…
One of the many reasons i was so excited to move…
Some of my favorite dining destinations in the…
Some simple but sophisticated locations for that…
