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Categories: Tea Rooms, Breakfast & Brunch, American (New)
Neighborhoods: Claremont, Oakland Hills
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Sunday Brunch!
4.5/5
The second part of my two-part epic food weekend that began with dinner at Chez Panisse and ends with Sunday brunch at the Claremont:
The Claremont Hotel's website advertises their Sunday brunch as "Sunday Spread." They're not kidding. Indeed, it was a large spread of high quality, well-prepared brunch fare. Cold cut and cheese platters, prepared salads, fresh cut fruit, Yukon Gold potato hash, sausage, bacon, omelette and waffle station, carving station with Virginia Ham and prime rib, some assorted dim sum, and a large set up of fresh shrimp, oysters and mussels. Oh, and did I mention the large dessert table filled with red velvet cake, lemon tart, chocolate goodies assorted berry tartlets and other sweet treats? Granted, a large spread for Sunday brunch doesn't automatically guarantee a great one (believe me, I've been to enough to know), but that's not the case here. Virtually everything was able to leave me sighing in gastronomic satisfaction. The only quibbles I had were that the dim sum were a tad on the mushy side and that the chicken with red beans and rice was a tad on the dry side. Of course, the other qualm I had was that with such a large array to choose from, I wasn't able to taste everything. For me, next to awkwardness and rejection, one of the worst feelings ever is being surrounded by trays and chafing dishes full of mouthwatering food yet being too full to eat it. *sigh* Of course, this definitely means I'll be wanting to come back, most likely when my wallet fattens up again!
Jordan reminds me of the old school dining experience. You dont get this kind of ambiance these days. Most places are contemporary and overly trendy. Nothing wrong with it but if you want to enjoy a nice, quiet dinner with no fuss with parking in the city, this is a great place to go. Food was good but not excellent. Service was good but nothing really stood out for me. THe view would have been magnificent if the sun was not setting and blinding us. :)
We had the pre fixe meal from the Famer's Market.
Mushroom soup - yummy but too creamy for me (cutting down on the cream these days! :)
Tomato Salad - yum
Duck with mashed potatoe and brussel sprouts - surprisingly light and could ahve finished the meal if i didnt just get over my flu
Halibut with sometime of mash - fish was on the dry side
Desserts - bleh. not good at all.
I would go again to try other dishes.
Being that it is inside the Claremont Hotel, I expected better. After having a rather long and alcohol-fueled night (friend's wedding reception at the hotel), we woke up and headed down to Jordan's before their Sunday brunch was to start, with about an hour and a half between.
Through our booking agency, we had a $30 breakfast voucher with Jordan's which stated that it translated to $23 real value ($3 tip and some other charge included). OK...whatever.
We were seated promptly and a server asked if we would like some OJ, which we accepted. A minute later, another server brought the menus. Oh look...$5 per glass of OJ. Well, there goes almost half the voucher! Guess we should have asked, eh?
Our server finally came, a nice young man whose name escapes me but whose resemblance to Moby stuck with me. Took our order and went back to the kitchen. Almost 20 minutes went by and other diners who came after us were already being served. We had enough time to count that our server had 20% more diners than other servers and his were more spread out rather than in just one area. Explains not seeing the guy but not about the food...
The food FINALLY came out and was room temperature which lead me to believe the food sat for a while and was forgotten. Hungry, we didn't want to wait any longer and ate it. Decent food, nothing more, nothing less.
After finishing, we played the waiting game again. The first time we noticed how many tables our server had and the second time we noticed how quick our server was. After finishing at one table, he would dart back to the kitchen and not check his other tables. Each time I'd try to track him down, he'd get back to the kitchen. I finally waited by the kitchen door to ask him for the bill.
So overall, good food, beautiful views, nice setting but we didn't enjoy our experience. Maybe if another friend has their reception at the Claremont, I'll try again but I won't go out of my way to.
My business partner and I went to Jordans this morning to meet and discuss upcoming projects & have breakfast. I made a reservation on http://opentable.com for a 10am reservation. We showed up at 10am and checked in with the maitre d, who was very rude & disheveled. I told him we were there for breakfast to which he responded in a rude & condescending tone "Breakfast???". Um sorry, I meant brunch. Excuse Me.
Then he finally finds our reservation, after I spell my name like 3 times. We just wanted to order off the menu but they said no you can only have the brunch. Um ok, fine. I will pay the ridiculously high $56 per person for your crappy brunch. Just seat us already, I'm starting to get embarrassed at this point.
So you think we'd get seated yet?? Next he brings us to a table and says you can sit here but you will need to leave by 11am. What? Its like 10:10am now. I made a reservation, why am I being treated so poorly? We say, no to that table since we will need to be there longer- so he begrudgingly reseats us after we traipse around the restaurant behind him.
The place was half empty, so I don't understand the difficulty in reseating us. And hellooooo we have a reservation!!! We were so offended and felt so unwelcome by that time, that we decided to go to Rick & Ann's and wait an hour for breakfast instead of staying there. Our bill at Rick & Ann's was $32 with tip & tax. Much better service & quality to boot.
****Honestly a very bad experience, I will never go back****
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I've had several brunches and dinners here. Each time I come, I leave fully satisfied. The food never disappoints. However, the menu is not too memorable. Thinking back, I cannot recall any particular appetizer/entree/dessert that sticks out. The prix fixe menu is a good deal, though.
If you can make a whole day trip out of your visit with a stop to the spa, it's definitely a four-star experience!
This is one of the fanciest restaurants I have been to. The service is so great. Once we had the waiter of the century serve us for dinner. Then the next morning he was our waiter for breakfast. I felt bad because we ate dinner at 9pm and then he was there again at 8am the next day. I felt bad but he said it was fine because he works like firefighter hours. 4 days on 3 days off. Something crazy like that.
Another time we had a large birthday dinner there and one of the specials was Mullard. Some type of farm raised duck. I mis read the menu and thought it said "Mallard". When I ordered it he quickly and kind of snotty like, corrected me. "It's Mullard." What ever dude just put it in front of me.
The food is very good here.
Other than the Mallard experience its an amazing restaurant. They have really fresh oysters and make some really good drinks.
Look at me and my fancy pants.
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I have been going to Jordans for quite a few years now , and I am always in awh of the Jordans experience. The SUnday Brunch is the best and luncha nd dinners are fabulous and the venue itself overlooking the bay area. What a treat, pricey , but one is payingf or the experience of a lifetime.
Pleae take the kids.
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I am still wondering how I could have been in Berkeley for school and not ever step foot at the Claremont until recently but this place is great. Grabbed some breakfast Jordan's which is quite an elegant place.
My eggs benedict rocked, great hollandaise sauce and perfectly cooked eggs on ham and muffin. Not cheap but portions are respectable. Service and quality you expect from a classy hotel.
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I would like to start by saying that the only reason they didn't get 5 stars is the decor... a little stuffy but with breathtaking views of the city...
Okay, so last night I had a birthday dinner here and it was amazing. We started with the Lobster Ravioli appetizer and it was incredible. The broth was almost tomatoey and the pasta was firm and the inside was wonderful!!! Next we split the Hearts of Romaine salad. This was no ordinary Caesar - the anchovies were plump and vinegary and so delish! For dinner I had the Scallops with mashed potatoes and melted leeks. It was splendid! The scallops were seared perfectly and the white truffle oil topped it off perfectly. My date had the Filet Mignon with Jumbo Prawns which I could have easily eaten more than one bite of. The meat just melted in your mouth... amazing!
We shared a romantic dessert - the S'mores and Pot de Creme which was so good with homemade marshmallows. Oh my lord I love homemade marshmallows with a little char on the top... YUM!
All in all this was a very romantic and memorable evening and I would definitely go back but only for a special occasion as it is quite pricey :) But well worth the money!
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A coworker of mine got a Claremont gift certificate and decided that the 3 of us in our department should use it on a dinner at Jordan's.
I had never been to the Claremont before so it was neat to go. We went on a Thursday night and Jordan's was empty. There was one guy eating when we arrived and another party arrived while we were eating. Kinda nice to have a very quiet dining room in which to talk.
I got the crab cake to start. Very good. I then had the filet with jumbo shrimp. Also very good. I sampled some of my friend's lamb and also the lobster ravioli that he started with. All delicious.
I don't go out for fine dining...EVER but it's a nice experience on occasion...and since this was free, even nicer!
I did think that the prices were a bit high, but what do I know? I grew up in western PA where what make me happy is a 18" sub for $7.
Nice decor, beautiful view of the city and bay from the Berkeley hills. Staff was on it and very polite and attentive. I'm only taking off one star because the price, if I had paid for it, was a bit higher than I would have thought necessary.
Best brunch buffet in the bay area. Less selection then Garden Court - Palace Hotel, but what Jordan's offered was more appealing and delicious. Cracked crab craws were my favorite.
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After enjoying a decent dinner at the Paragon Lounge, we ended up at Jordan's for desert.
The ambiance at Jordan's is stuffy and drab. Unlike Paragon, Jordan's needs a serious remodel. Though it does cater to a high dollar crowd, even they would say "WTF." Okay enough of my rant on the decor.
The deserts are really good, and I would highly recommended the chocolate souffle which takes 15 minutes to make, worth all the time. They have nice selection is aperitif's to accompany your desert selections. Some really nice 40 year tawny port's :)
Forgoing the drabby decor, the deserts were really good. And service was up to par with the restaurant.
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Our waiter during our second dinner here in about five years was a very nice guy but had serious memory problems. The day after we ate here, mostly because I was concerned about the guy, I called the restaurant manager who was working that night and left him a message.
I expected the manager to look into the issue and get back in touch with me (although I didn't insist in my message) to explain.
If the food had been high-quality (it was) and also prepared in an original way (it was not) or if the atmosphere (rundown) and view (mostly tennis courts) had been just fantastic I wouldn't have felt compelled to write anything.
But, this experience was enough for me to be confident that for my taste Jordan's isn't comparable in value with the other highly-respected restaurants in the East Bay. (Jordan's entrees seem to average in the high $30s or low $40s with average-sized portions.)
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After seating us the waiter absentmindedly walked away with my wife's napkin; after we ordered one of the specials he described he came back and told us it was no longer available (and we were the first customers that night); he had an embarrassingly hard time remembering (or maybe just articulating?) what the specials were and answering our questions; we ordered dessert telling him that we were in a hurry...he came back more than 10 minutes later to tell us that they were out; he forgot to give us our validated parking ticket...or even a pen to sign bill and write in a tip!
When we went back in to get the parking ticket he didn't apologize -- I think he was aware that he'd made a lot of mistakes -- but tried to joke about it. Incidentally, he smelled so strongly of something -- maybe tobacco -- that I had to wait for a few minutes to eat each time he stopped by the table.
I like the Claremont, which we've stayed at and which my former employer held holiday parties at. I like the bar and restaurant too. This building has a long history which reinforces its elegance and atmosphere. It's too bad that the reality of the restaurant didn't, for me at least, live up to the promise.
We ate a late breakfast there once we arrived in the Bay Area. We had the Jordan's Benedict, the Multigrain Pancakes, the French Toast, The California Omlette.
The Benedict was wonderful. The tenderloin was perfectly cooked. The French Toast was a bit bready. But still tasty. the Pancakes were a little dense, by that I mean, not light and fluffy. The Omlette was just OK as by brother described it.
I would suggest skipping the continental breakfast bar. Its way over priced for what you get. Pastries, fruit, and cereal.
Service was excellent. They were very nice and helpful. Since we ate there late, they gave us a fruit plate free since they were closing before lunch.
So, the Man made reservations at Jordan's for our Valentine's Day dinner; and at a price of $300/couple, I was darned excited come dinnertime. Jordan's is perched atop a slope in the Berkeley/Oakland Hills, and the view from our table was just fantastic. We had an early reservation, so we didn't have trouble getting such a primo table; I did note upon walking in, however, that only a few of the tables in the restaurant are by a window, so I'm glad we were able to snag one.
The ambience was extremely romantic; the lights were very dim, and Jordan's employed a harpist for the dinner entertainment (a very nice touch). Also, I appreciated that our server, while a little frosty, never once tried to speed us along, as I've seen in other restaurants on Valentine's Day (so many reservations, so little time, seems to be the attitude of a lot of restaurants on V-Day).
Dinner was five courses (not counting the two last courses of chocolate - that, after a diabetic-coma-inducing dessert of rich chocolate, sweet caramel, and guava parfait!)
But I get ahead of myself. Here's what was served:
Amuse Buche (kind of like a small, first course appetizer): Sweet Pea Blini, Smoked Salmon and Osetra Caviar. The blini resembled a small potato latke (only made with sweet peas, so the texture was creamier), and on top of it sat very thinly sliced salmon and a dab of the salty, strong-tasting caviar. Both hubby and I enjoyed the flavor of this dish a lot.
First course: I had the Ahi Tuna sashimi (with Jalapeno, Garlic Chips and Micro Wasabi, Soy Sauce and Arbequina Olive Oil) while hubby had the Seared Artisan Foie Gras (with Muscat Poached Bosc Pear,
Toasted Brioche and Spiced Gastrique). I love anything ahi tuna seared/tartar/sashimi/related, so I enjoyed my dish. I especially enjoyed the thinly sliced jalapeno, as it paired well with the wasabi chips (which were the size of a pinky-nail, so very subtle). Hubby couldn't be torn away from the foie gras (I wonder if he forgot I was there while he worked on that dish, ha), and upon tasting it, I did enjoy its texture; the sliced cooked pears complimented the foie gras creamy texture as well. But I found it a little too rich for my taste.
Second course: I had the Dungeness Crab and Shaved Fennel Tower
(with Herb Salad and Blood Orange Vinaigrette), while hubb had the
Pan Roasted Squab Breast (with Glazed Parsley Root, Roasted Porcini Mushrooms and White Truffle Essence). Now, I'm a seafood lover, and I thorougly enjoyed the crab (fennel is so mild, but it paired well with the dish because the crab and citrus flavors were so strong and the fennel rather balanced that out). But I had to sneak bites from hubby's dish, if not for the squab (very rich, like a gamey duck), then for the mushrooms in the delicious, gravy-like truffle reduction. Yum!
Third Course: Lemon Rhubarb Granite (a rhubard sorbet), which I found to be a nice palette cleanser with its tart sweetness. I barely had a bite or two, though, as I prepared myself (steeled myself, really, at this point, given we were enjoying a good bottle of Pinot Noir with the meal and I was starting to get full) for the main course -
Fourth Course: Hubby chose the American Kobe New York Steak
(with Herb Roasted French Fingerling Potato and Cippollini Onion
Morel Mushroom-Cognac Sauce), while I had the Tarragon Roasted John Dory fish, with Rock Shrimp and Baby Leek Risotto. Like I said, I usually prefer seafood (my John Dory was perfectly cooked, just slightly crusted on the outside, and firm and flaky on the inside), but I enjoyed the kobe steak as well. Hubby enjoys his beef rare, and I think, while tasty, the kobe would have been a bit better medium rare, as the rare steak made it very similar in texture (and taste, somewhat) to the squab. But both dishes were delicious.
Finally (while I wished for a belt that I could loosen, whoo, so much food), we had dessert to share: a Lover's Chocolate Marquis with Raspberry Coulis, and Tropical Passion Fruit Parfait with Guava Rum Syrup. The Marquis was a dark chocolate cone that, when finally cracked with the edge of our spoons, erupted tooth-decayifying caramel and peanuts. So delicious, but so strong because of the heavy sugar content, that we could only take a few bites. The Raspberry Coulis resembled a flourless chocolate cake made with raspberry essence. But I believe our favorite was the passion fruit parfait; the guava syrup was poured over a tropical fruit jelly mixture, which was layered in the parfait glass with (what tasted like) a heavy whipped cream and some kind of warm bread. I'm not doing this dessert justice, as it was just a fantastic mix of fruity tart and sweet.
We even received (AFTER dessert), another small platter of chocolate AND a box of chocolates to take home. All in all, a truly amazing dinner experience -- and one requiring MUCH exercise to recover from!!
I can't wait to check out the brunch at this place next weekend.
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Usually Upper Crust Eye Soars like this just make me want to be inappropriate in public but the drinks actually were astoundingly good.
Cheers to the man who can cook me up a nice cocktail! Here here!
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I went here with a bunch of girlfriends for a fancy dinner night out. We were looking for somewhere to go where we could really dress up and Jordan's was a great choice for that. Pretty much everyone in the dining room was as dressed up as we were, or even more so.
The food was delicious, though pricy at over $40 a head per entree, plus drinks and dessert. For the atmosphere, though, the portions were sized heartily enough compared to other very high-end restaurants I've been to. I ordered the seared scallops and key lime mousse; both were cooked to perfection and the dishes were nicely garnished with decorative fried vegetables and fancy chocolate designs, respectively.
The crowning touch for me was the live piano music, played by a talented musician at the reception area of the restaurant. His delightful playing drowned out the loud music of the three weddings taking place at the hotel that night, so our evening was as relaxing as if we were the only ones there.
The one downside was perhaps the parking -- valet was available but it was a little harder to find a spot for self-parkers. All in all, it was a great experience, though, and we'd return in a heartbeat.
After a wonderful massage at the Claremont spa, we went to dinner at Jordan's, where my friend remembered having a delicious brunch last year. Because I am a vegetarian, we had looked online to make sure there would be menu options for me, and were pleased to see that there is a "vegetarian menu." When we walked in, we were a bit concerned that the place was basically empty (at 7:45 on a Saturday night), but the one good result of that was that we were seated by the window -- a very romantic corner table with a great view.
Unfortunately, the view was not enough to distract us from the terrible dining experience. When our waiter came over with the menus, I looked and saw that the salads were the only meat-free option. We asked about the vegetarian menu and the waiter looked a little surprised but went and got us a copy of their vegetarian menu. It included two of the salads from the main menu, a soup, and two pasta dishes. The dishes were a mushroom and truffle ravioli, and a mushroom risotto with truffle oil. Hmm.... not a lot of variety but as a vegetarian I've learned that beggars can't be choosers. I ordered the risotto, and my friend ordered the ravioli.
Neither of us like onions. At all. The risotto said it came with "braised leeks" and although they are onion-ish, i figured the braising would make them okay. What neither my friend nor I could believe was the quantity of raw (or completely undercooked and crunchy) onions in each of our dishes. He had to pick through huge chunks of onion and also whole pearl onions to locate his ravioli. The one positive thing was that at least the ravioli had some flavor. The risotto was white rice, completely flavorless, and white onions, which took up more real estate on the plate than the rice did. Again, huge chunks of crunchy onion and also pearl onions. I picked through literally about one fourth of the rice and found over forty chunks of raw onion.
This was literally the worst meal I can ever remember eating in a restaurant, made even worse by the fact that the meal (our two pastas, two salads, and a glass of wine each) cost nearly $200. We should have eaten at Paragon, also in the hotel. Macaroni and cheese would have been far better!
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The service was AWESOME. We were seated immediately, as we had reservations for dinner. Our waiter was very attentive and personable. Anywhere you sat, you were able to have a good view of the bay.
We started off w/ the seared artisan foie gras & roasted heirloom beet salad for appetizers. For entrees, we had the barbarie duck & the lamb loin. I really enjoyed my salad, which included organic baby beets & crusted goat cheese. Very simple, but so tasty! As for my entree, i was a bit disappointed bc I wanted my duck medium well & crispy on the outside, and it came out slightly raw & chewy, and reminded me too much of red meat (which i don't eat). It came w/ a side of cranberry & wildrice pilaf, and escarole, which i felt were both a bit on the salty side.
Overall, we had a good dining experience. Not too sure if we would come back here as it is quite pricey. But it's a nice restaurant to go to for a special occasion. I hear their sunday brunches are fabulous though. Thanks meuy s! you're the best =)
Service: 5 stars
Food: 3.5 stars
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One of the great things about being an only child of a fabulous woman who can't cook is her suggested alternatives to holiday meals. You see, even if mother dearest could cook, it is impractical for a family of this size to make a giant meal, as there would be too much food wasted after wards (there are left overs and then THERE ARE LEFT OVERS).
One year we decided that it would be really lovely if we celebrated Thanksgiving at Jordan's at the Claremont.
There were so many large families there, it was really cool to know we weren't the only ones who didn't celebrate our holidays at home.
As you can imagine, dining at the Claremont is great because (they have good food?) the interiors are so beautiful, and not something you'd see very often around these parts. It's a real treat. For the full effect, I suggest having brunch there.
The food was good. They had a wonderful prefix menu. The ambiance was nice. The one problem I had, and this is why they get 3 stars, was that I didn't feel comfortable. Maybe it's because Dad wasn't there, but I honestly felt shafted by the staff. My mother and I also got some strange looks from larger, more robust families. So! What did I learn? The Claremont is a fantastic place to have a holiday meal, but make sure you bring your family of 6, not your family of 2.
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The restaurant had a nice ambience and the view was decent. I could see 2 bridges, SF city lights and fireworks but they were distant. I did not feel the hospitality from the staff.
For dinner, we started with crab cake. That was delicious, fresh crab meat, probably the best I've had. Then the scallops and the short ribs came. Scallops were large and flavorful. It was slightly overcooked for taste. I also thought the short ribs were a bit dry, but it was amazingly tender. Nevertheless, I expected more for $150.
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Jordan's at the Claremont spreads out a gorgeous Sunday Brunch in a beautiful setting. The views are outstanding, and the service has always been friendly and accommodating.
We also came here for a graduation luncheon, and it was lovely.
I love all the choices, and wish they offered more fish choices. The dessert offerings are outstanding.
TIP: Go ahead and have the valet park your car, and be sure to get the ticket validated inside. Then be aware that you still have to pay for the parking when you exit the lot. We thought the parking would be free with validation, so gave the parking attendants some hefty tips, but then got to the exit to the lot and had to pay again. I think they should offer free parking with the Sunday brunch -- it seems excessive. I don't mind tipping the attendants generously if I don't also have to pay the fee.
If you're seeking a more reasonably priced Sunday Brunch buffet in the East Bay, try the Pleasanton Hotel -- it is excellent!
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Dined here with two of my gfs during Gourmet East Bay.
The service was terrific, everyone greeted us, catered to us and said farewell to us.
Entertainment: They pay a dude to play the piano in the restaurant.
Sightings: USC football team were police escorted into the Claremont when we arrived in the parking lot, so we got in for free, usually there is a charge, but you can have your parking validated.
Food not so good. The girls ordered off the GEB menu:
Mixed greens salad, solid, nothing special.
Chicken and mash, everything UNDERNEATH the chicken was good.
Creme brulee w/fresh berries, delicious, loads of berries.
I ordered:
-Watercress & baby frisee salad, looked the same as the mixed greens, pears and quince marmalade were thrown in. Good.
-Alakan Halibut, I loved the Italian butter beans, the fish was fine, but just not a lot of flavor. The seasonings were tomatoes and pickled cucumbers. Ugh. Topped with salted micro greens.
-Chocolate mocha mousse w/vanilla bean ice cream. Very good. Domed cake, with dark chocolate on the exterior and a light fluffy texture inside.
Peanut brittle is given at the end of the meal.
Great views of the bay area, talented pastry chef, warm service, but the flavor & recipes fade into the foreground.
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On Sunday, November 5, 2006, I dined at Jordan's for Sunday Brunch with 3 of my closest friends to celebrate my birthday. I was taken by surprise when in the middle of our meal, we were asked to change tables to accommodate a larger party that was not even present at the time. Not only were we asked to stand up and move our full plates of food to another table, mid-bite I might add, but we were the center of attention with many people staring and whispering in confusion. When the tables were moved to accommodate a larger party, the tables were soonafter moved BACK to their original position as the larger party failed to show up! After we complained, the manager of the restaurant had promised to give us champagne and drinks as compensation for the inconvenience they caused us, but the drinks and champagne never came, even after we asked about them.
While I understand that the weekends are undoubtedly one of the busiest times for the hotel, I would have appreciated more consideration. Choosing to relocate my table while we were in the middle of our meal was totally inappropriate and rude.
I gave them a star because after repeatedly informing the staff that what they did was unacceptable and embarassing, they finally discounted 50% of our bill. But at that point, the damage was already done.
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Dined here last weekend for a special occasion. I had high hopes for the Claremont but was disappointed with the food and service. It took 20 minutes for us to get water and I found the service to be rather inattentive. The wine list was missing a mid-range list of wines (only cheap $40 and expensive $150+). I had the lamb loin and found it to be cold and yet still flaverful (with yummy prunes, just too many).
One major silver lining was the view is spectacular... only their tennis court lights interfered with the view.
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THIS is supposed to be a 4 or 5 star restaurant. Personally it was all show and no taste. It was downright bland and my god the attitude when I asked for "on the side". I'm sorry, I know your food is perfect and wonderful, but I still want it "on the side". I'm paying A LOT for the meal (and yes for the lovely view) but cut the snottiness. So RUDE. All fluff, no substance I say.
Eat at Paragon's grill in the same building. SOOOOOO much better.
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This place is on top of things! let me tell you! My family went to Jordan's for a birthday dinner.. their staff was so on.. my girlfriend said in a very quiet voice that she didn't have any mushrooms.. and out of nowhere.. and i mean NOWHERE.. a waiter came over and said.. oh my! you don't have any mushrooms! that was a mistake, we will bring you some right away! Whoa! LOL That was awesome.. The food was delicious. I've never had such tender steak. wow.. and the mushrooms? YUM! amazing food, amazing service.. and thank goodness I didn't have to pay for ANY of it! ha! Thanks Dad!
Nice place to bring a date to impress if you have the cash. ;)
Oh.. I do think they should skip playing 76 Trombones on the Piano though.. That was a little silly. :P
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My hubby and I went here to celebrate on a night we were not up to driving all the way to SF.
We arrived early 6:30 and managed to get a window seat - what a great view of the bay!
We had champagne and the waiter did a great job of sensing when to approach us about ordering. We both went with the tasting menu with the wine flight.
The tasting menu is 4 course dinner with dessert.
Every dish was wonderful.
AMUSE BOUCHE - was an amazing stuffed sardine even my hubby who hates fishy fish enjoyed it.
FIRST COURSE - Asparagus salad - the wine was perfectly matched with the white asparagus, Serrano ham and Recotta Salata Cheese that they make at the Claremont (YUMMY!)
SECOND COURSE - Seared Foie Gras served with a quince compote - perfectly balancing the richness of the Foie Gras
THIRD COURSE - The Dayboat Scallops with White Truffle Oil scented parsnips - this dish stood out above all! WOW they just melted in mouth - I have never had scallops like this in my life.
FOURTH COURSE - Roasted Rack of Lamb - so tender it was like butter.
DESSERT - Vanilla Cream Brulee - in a huge bowl - it was enough for an entire family, but I managed to find room for it.
All the dishes were very good and the servings were huge! We took almost 3 hours to enjoy our meal and we were both so stuffed we could barely walk - quite a deal for $90!
The wine was perfectly paired with each dish, so I recommend forking over the extra dough. If you go here, I say go all out... but don't eat lunch ;-)
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My girlfriend's Aunt found out about a prix fix dinner here, so we thought we'd give it a try. Had a great time, and the food was excellent. The dessert was extra excellent.
Out dinner ended up being salmon, which I generally don't care for. The six of us all agreed that the salmon was top notch and well coordinated with the other flavors on the plate. Best salmon I've ever had. I enjoyed the caesar salad served before as well.
Dessert was a cofee creme brulee which was spectacular and ultimately the reason I'm still awake to write this.
We did not experience any of the snottyness alluded to in other reviews and we did ask for a few things to be served "on the side". We did find the service quite good, but overly solitious.
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It's hard to say whether I enjoy going here so much because of the food/environment of the restaurant itself, or because every time I eat here it's following an indulgent trip to the Claremont Spa. I very well may be under the influence of extreme relaxation.
But own its own, Jordan's has a spectacular view of Berkeley and the city beyond, and great menu choices and flavors.
It's sophisticated and French/Californian fare, upscale and pricey, but not ridiculously extravagant if you want to pop in for lunch after a spa treatment.
For lunch I usually get the shrimp and crab sandwich or the roast pork loin sando, or caesar with crab. I've had the goat cheese raviolis which were tasty too.
I'd like to try brunch here, when I save up the dough.
Also might be a fancy alternative for dinner if you're looking for a spot outside of the city with a nice view.
Or the obvious choice f you're on an expense account and can swing staying here, getting a spa treatment, and want to complete your bay area socialite experience in dining. Order the tasting menu, the chocolate souffle, and bottle of the Chateau Margaux Bordeaux. Go nuts. For me.
People thought this was:
Overpriced, boring hotel food. I would only eat there again if I was staying in the hotel and could charge the meal to a company funded expense account.
My family and I used to have some of our special family dinners at Jordan's. The food is excellent and yes, it's pricey, but it's almost an afterthought. You go there for service and the view. The view is so spectacular that it will make you understand why people move to the SF Bay Area. And the service is usually very good. If you get bad service, it is an aberration and that is unacceptable.
Definitely complain to the manager and write a letter. I used to work for the Clairmont and at that time they lived and breathed on the comments cards. They put a premium on good service and the employees who have compliments are richly rewarded, while the employees with bad attitudes hear about it from their bosses.
People thought this was:
Beautiful spot with great food and a beautiful view. For a Sunday Brunch for my birthday, there was seafood, crab legs, prawns, mussels, fresh fruit, pastries, assorted salads, an omelette station, fish, sausage, eggs, bacon, eggs benedict, a carving station and an impressive dessert bar.
A live band played, 3-piece if I recall correctly. The staff was friendly and helpful. Recommended for a special occasion or if you plainly just have money. It was pricey.
It was like I died and went to brunch heaven.
seriously, my version of heaven has jordan's sunday brunch in it, where everyday i can eat all my favorite brunch foods to my heart's content.
talk about buffet, they offer everything you could want or crave for breakfast, plus more (shrimp, crab legs, DIM SUM??!!). and to top it off there is a dessert extravaganza.
I have no idea how costly it was because i was here for an engagement party, but i'm coming back for sure with boyfriend who also loves brunch in tow. truly, i feel everyone who has not been here needs to go or life just isn't complete.
man i wish brunch this good was anywhere in the city. which at jordan's you get a beautiful view of, and you feel all dirty dancing, nobody puts sarah in a corner, because of the regalness of the claremont.
Calling all Bay Area foodies.....the East Bay Gourmet week started and ends on the 11th of November. This is your chance to scope out new restaurants.
I decided to check out Jordan's and I was very surprised with the beautiful ambiance and view of SF across the bay. You walk into a lounge area with a live band welcoming you. You may sit here, enjoy a drink and wait for your tardy party, like I did.
The chicken that came with the prix fixe was delicious with the mashed potato & spinach. My friend ordered the scallops and it was perfect when paired with Cakebread's Sauvignon Blanc. The creme brulee with fresh berries & chocolate souffle sealed the deal.......mmmmmm.
I went here with my fiance and a couple of friends we haven't seen in a while for brunch it was a great experience. The food spread was awesome! LOTS of variety from chilled seafood to salad s to fresh fruit to breakfast items, create your own omelette and carved for you meats. They kept it fresh - as food ran low and got crusty it was quickly replaced by a fresh batch. Most importantly, they had the biggest display of desserts I've ever seen!!! I really thought the food was great and would totally go back. The staff was friendly and attentive without being too in your face. The views were great and the place didn't feel crowded though there must have been at least a hundred of us there!
UPDATE 6.23.08:
Went here again yesterday as fiance's sister was in town visiting. It was a bad experience I must say. The crab in the seafood bar was just watery or dry - either way, without much flavor. The shrimp and smoked salmon were good though. The salad bar was kind of plain and the pre-made salads didn't look appealing at all - dried out noodles or wilted from the dressing. The cheese blintzes were totally dried out too and the dim sum was super doughy to the point that we all had to cut out bits of the dough. My biggest disappointment was that the food was pretty much EXACTLY the same variety as last time - maybe 2 dishes changed, it was poorer in taste and presentation but the price increased by $10...it is now $56 per person for the buffet with or without champagne (same price for all). I'm NOT going back for sure!!! Definitely not worth the money. Dropping my rating from 5 to 3 stars.
People thought this was:
I ate here several years ago and my dinner was one that I have never forgotten or the wine they recommended which is now and has been my favorite chardonnay for years. However, I do not recommend the brunches and think it is really way overpriced for the quality of buffet type food.
People thought this was:
wonderful!
I love this place!
I had a recent dinner with my wife. It is a view restaurant so be sure to ask for a window table. We had asked for a window table when we made the reservation but the hostess was sitting us on the inside even though there were several window tables available. When we asked, she immediately gave us a window table.
We had a special fixed price menu with three courses for $35 - this made it quite affordable and not bad value. The normal menu is very expensive and way overpriced. The salmon was very good and the dessert (creme brulee) excellent.
Do they have waiters that don't have a hearing problem and can speak English? Will not ever eat there again.
Tuesday & Sunday $20 Lobster
Neighborhood: Montclair Village
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Berkeley, CA
Neighborhood: Claremont
Category: Jazz & Blues
Berkeley, CA
Category: Hotels
Neighborhood: UC Campus Area
Category: French
Neighborhood: Rockridge
Category: American (Traditional)
Berkeley, CA
Category: American (Traditional)
I have always considered Berkeley as my own…
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