Chez Panisse Photos
CHEZ PANISSE ATMOSPHERE
You might also consider
More like Chez Panisse
Recommended Reviews - Chez Panisse
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
My wife and I were excited to celebrate our 12th anniversary at Chez Panisse for lunch in their cafe. Neither of us had ever been, but had always wanted to come here. The restaurant itself is very quaint inside. I made reservations through Resy where it asks if there is a celebration of any kind. I put down it was our anniversary. The food was good but not 'wow'. The rigatoni was definitely the best out of the courses chosen. I would have given the food 4 stars, but our server Ross dropped it down to a 3. He never checked in during any of our courses to see if we were happy with our meal. Strangely enough, I did hear him check in with the other tables close to ours. He also didn't smile and wasn't very pleasant towards us. Prior to ordering dessert, he knew we were celebrating an occasion, but asked if it was a birthday. I can't help but feel that we were discriminated against because we are lesbians. I've never felt this in any restaurant before this dinning experience, which is sad due to the caliber of restaurant and it being Berkeley.
I started with a little gem salad, with cucumbers and cherry tomatoes than was really tasty. I paired it with a Rosé from Provence, that was delightful with strawberry and peach notes with a perfect acidity. As a second course I ordered baked King Salmon, which was a tasteless, I fixed it with pepper and salt, and I paired it with a Beaujolais and it was splendid. I finished it with a Sauterńe and a coffee stracciatela that were magnificent. The ambiance is perfect, the place is beautiful and the staff is kind.
This review is for Cafe Panisse: 4.5/5 All the dishes we ordered here were really great and we're glad to have this cafe available as a more casual alternative to downstairs. The pasta was delicious, all the fish and meat were cooked perfectly, and the desserts were satisfying. The prices were expensive though and there were no standout dishes in my opinion. We made a reservation for 7 for Friday lunch. 2 of us had to cancel last minute, but the staff were really nice about it and we didn't have to pay the $50 cancellation fee, which I really appreciated. The restaurant was beautiful and comfortable. Service was super friendly.
Very excited to finally got a reservation at the downstairs restaurant. We went for my sister's birthday. It was a set dinner for $135 per person. The wine pairing is also available for $85. The food is very good and fresh, the service was also impeccable. The kitchen is an open kitchen. I looked at the food prep while walking to the restroom. There was a lot of food that we didn't get to eat, they were for the upstairs cafe. So it looks like the cafe is a good place to try without being limited to the set menu. Parking is street meters. I also learned there is no handicap access to the upstairs cafe, but you can call and they can set up a table downstairs with the cafe food if you cannot get upstairs. Sounds very considerate.
A gem! Food: 10/10. Each dish was fresh and tasty. The dessert deserves a special shout out, probably top 3 desserts I've had Service: 10/10. Staff was friendly and quick. Each course was well timed and did not feel rushed Ambiance: cute, warm charm. Cozy vibes
It was my wife's birthday so I invited a couple of her besties and we all went to celebrate with all and had an absolutely incredible meal. It's reputation proceeded so I knew everything would taste on point. We all got seated. The restaurant was very busy. The staff was extremely helpful and accommodating. it was very busy. We didn't go on the weekend, but I have a feeling that they are booked all the time. The plates came out with all their different flavors and wonderments, and we all just sat and enjoyed slowly each bite and tried to taste all the subtle qualities of it. It was sort of a fun game and adventure and a wonderful place. I completely and highly recommend this restaurant. It's no wonder that Michelin loves coming in here and talking about how the standard stays high but changes only in new flavor. Thanks
Watch the Netflix video (link below) to fully understand the significance of this, the birthplace of farm-to-table dining and result of decades of stubborn dedication. No wonder every mouthful is perfectly fresh and delicious; beautifully plated by dedicated staff. The Masumoto peaches, when in season, are absolutely perfect and unadorned simplicity. The architecture is delightfully art deco, with pleasant light fixtures and windows. The roasted endive with white bean purée and toasted sage was incredible. The pork loin with red flint polenta was tender and subtly aromatic. The non-alcohol fermented rhododendron tea was exceptional and paired well with savory dishes. https://www.netflix.com/us/title/81712001 (4th episode in series)
Extremely delicious. I had credit to use if I booked a reservation on resy. I checked and saw a lunch time available at Cafe Panisse on a Thursday. It was lovely and surprisingly very full. I was a little late but the staff was extremely kind and accommodating. The food is very fresh. The produce looks amazing and everything was really wonderful. I will say, even their espresso was delicious. I would love to come here again.
I wanted to love Café Chez Panisse and my expectations were high. I had dined at the downstairs restaurant, but had never been to the café. The atmosphere was warm and inviting, and the servers were very friendly and attentive. I had the pasta with pesto and olives. It was good, however, the pesto did not have very much flavor and the pasta was a little too firm. The olives did brighten the dish quite a bit. I was famished, but was only able to finish half. My guest had the duck with squash purée and some greens. The duck was perfectly cooked in little medallions and the squash purée and greens were very flavorful and quite lovely. We both had salads which were fresh, but nothing special. For dessert we had the dates with mandarins and the upside down cake with a large dollop of crema. The upside down cake was dense and fell a bit flat with flavor. The dates with Mandarin orange wedges were lackluster. I believe there were four dates total, which actually were exceptional-and an equivalent to two mandarin oranges, sliced into wedges and placed into a golden compote. The mandarins were sweet and tart, but we were hoping they were going to be something special. As far as the 17% service charge (which is in addition to the tip).. perhaps pay the staff a higher wage rather than making your customers confused and question the charge. It potentially leaves patrons with a bad taste as their last impression of the restaurant. Again, the ambience was very warm and inviting, and the staff provided fantastic service, but some of the food did not meet expectations. Will be back to give them another try.
Café review: 4.25: Farm to table indeed - some of the freshest food I've had, and more approachable despite its reputation in the culinary world. Went to Chez Panisse on a Saturday evening, snagging one of the last reservations. I've always been a huge fan of their approach to food and the way they source ingredients. Their Café is both cozy and upscale, almost reminded me of a French restaurant x izakaya. On the cusp of spring, the menu was a nod to the last of winter (citrus, fennel) but the first of spring veggies and flavors (asparagus, mint, pea). For a party of two, we ordered: * Cauliflower and beets with Romesco Sauce (7.5/10) - I loved the freshness of all the vegetables and the lightness of the romesco. I was just looking for a tad more seasoning. * Roasted fennel, caper, and fried rosemary pizza (8.5/10): Absolutely loved how crispy and airy the crust was, and despite no sauce, the pizza was light and filled with flavor. The fennel itself was mild, but the capers added some salt, and the fried rosemary stole the show without upstaging the other ingredients. Ate a bit dry but very yummy. * Ricotta and Green Garlic Ravioli (9.5/10): as our waiter said, spring in a bowl. The pasta quality was immaculate - perfectly thin and light, surrounding creamy ricotta. The filling was so bright with lemon, and the asparagus was cooked perfectly al dente. I didn't taste as much mint/pea, and my only critique was that that filling was piped in such a small space that getting the right bite of pasta ratio to filling was a challenge. * Chocolate Custard with Chantilly cream (8/10): the chocolate custard was creamy and to me felt perfectly in the middle of dark and milk chocolate. The chantilly cream raised the flavor and lightness another level! Overall the food couldn't have better honored its vegetables and really let them sing; my only note was a pinch more of salt or boost of flavor in every dish (I was grateful for the mini sea salt and pepper grinder at each table). Service was nicely paced, with one main waiter but a number of folks rotating to serve us but space between the courses. Overall, we spent nearly $90 per person with two glasses of wine. Lovely experience with great food, just wanted to be a bit more blown away for price/hype for the full 5!
I've been hearing such great things about this restaurant and was finally able to come in and try it. Their menu apparently changes weekly, and our party of four had a reservation for Saturday night. The place definitely has a classic look and feel. Everything we tried that evening was delicious. The corkage fee is reasonable at $40 per bottle of wine, and the service was flawless. We will definitely return--perhaps to try their café lunch menu.
It has been many years since I last ate here. So when a friend suggested coming here for lunch, I was looking forward to it! Parking was fairly easy, there were 2 hour parking on the street just a block or two away. Ambiance is still wonderful. Service is still great. Food is still the tops! It's the original farm to table approach - Alice Waters started the movement! They took our drink order fairly quickly and then brought us a bread. We were famished so we ate up the bread! The beet salad and the baked goat cheese salad were both amazing. My daughter and I shared the carrot and rutabaga soup - it was good but not that innovative. I had the roasted pork loin which I didn't really like. Meat was chewy and not as flavorful. The rigatoni with chanterelles was absolutely delicious. I would highly recommend this dish. The Moroccan chicken and the rockfish were fine but to me, the pasta was the star entree! My daughter and her friend loved the apple galette. Highly recommend!
The OG of all restaurants in our book. We went to the cafe after our courthouse wedding ceremony in 2002, and we returned for our anniversary last night and we're still so impressed. The service is impeccable, the food is fresh and healthy, and the ambiance is lovely. We ordered the bread and anchovies, baked goat cheese salad, kind salmon, and grilled chicken and it was all perfectly cooked, nicely seasoned, and well plated. The best part was dessert - I'm so glad we saved room for it! We got the lemon ice cream on a meringue with a blueberry compote and it was to die for. The textures and flavors came together beautifully and it was not too sweet or heavy. We were tempted to lick the plate clean. Definitely our favorite special occasion spot in the Bay Area.
I came to Chez Panisse to celebrate my anniversary with my boyfriend. It is a charming restaurant in North Berkeley and I was very excited to eat here because of the hype and rave reviews that I had heard. The interior is elegant and welcoming. We sat downstairs and had a view of the open kitchen which was neat. The menu changes daily and we made a reservation about 3 weeks in advanced. We had the dinner set menu which was $175 per person. The service was good and the servers were kind. When each course is brought out the server tells you about the food and where some of the ingredients are from. As for the food itself, I was disappointed. The food was cooked well but overall none of the dishes were exciting to eat! The best thing that I ate was the bay scallop bite which was a pre-appetizer course. The quail was the entree and the meat itself was moist but the food was barely warm when it arrived to our table which was a huge let down :(( ! The salad had chanterelle mushrooms but I felt that the flavor of the mushroom did not come through because of how much vinaigrette was on the salad. The pasta was perfectly al dente and had a nice eggy taste which I enjoyed. I appreciated their attention to detail and was pleasantly surprised by the happy anniversary decoration on our dessert. Given how expensive this meal was, I don't think it was worth it. The service was not stand out and the food was mediocre at best. The most memorable aspect of my dining experience was the fact that the food was so UN-memorable. I now understand why this restaurant no longer has a Michelin star. read more
Celebrating a very belated birthday, I finally got to try the cafe at Chez Panisse! The highlight of the meal was the cream puff. Amazing! I thought my salad with the goat cheese was pretty tasteless. The creamy basil dressing on my bf's little gem salad was delicious though! I found the duck confit salty, loved the sweet figs with it. The rib eye definitely had some tough parts to it, but we could not stop talking about how crisp those onion rings were! Wish they offered a side of just those! A few in our party ordered the halibut and said the aioli was so good! They even asked for more bread to sop it all up. We thought the portions were on the small side, but all of us ordered three courses and were stuffed. Service was good and friendly with helpful suggestions. A meal at the cafe will easily set you back more than $100/pp if you order a salad, entree and dessert. Reservations are available on Resy 30 days in advance. A 17% automatic service charge is added to the bill. Street parking available and I was told we could also park at Andronico's across the street. read more
7 months ago
10 months ago
7 months ago
1 year ago
Baked goat cheese and lettuce: 3/5. The lettuce and vinaigrette dressing was good with portion on the smaller side. The baked goat cheese was interesting but flavor was bland. Main dish (forgot the whole name): spinach / eggplant / chicken. 5/5. All components were well made and overall a pretty balanced dish. read more
So so so good. After reading Alice Waters and Chez Panisse, I was on a mission to come here asap. Everything lives up to the hype and even dishes you aren't excited about will be the best version you've ever tasted. My favorite of the food we had was the ribeye. So much flavor and cooked perfectly. The pizza was surprisingly delicious and for so many onions being there it did not taste overwhelmed by onion at all. I love mulberry so I was very excited to try the cardamom pana cotta with mulberry sauce - divine! But my surprise favorite was the plum galette. I don't like plums and I don't particularly like galette either (normally it is too moist and lacking flavor) but this was exceptional. The flakiest and most flavor packed galette. Drool. Great service, great vibe, can't wait to go back. read more
8 months ago
Had been on our list to try for a while and finally got reservations to try the downstairs prix fixe meal with wine pairing. Food was delicious 10/10. Perfectly cooked and high quality ingredients. Although some items weren't that exciting- stuffed pork loin was well cooked but nothing memorable. The wine paired well with the courses and were good, but none of them particularly impressed us on their own. The service was the most disappointing aspect. Given the price, I was not expecting to wait over 20 minutes for water and bread to start. I would not go back to the downstairs given the price and service, but I am interested to try the upstairs cafe next time so I can pick the food items instead of prix fixe. Amazing meal, but a one time experience given the high price. read more
8 months ago
11 months ago
3 years ago
This review is for the Cafe upstairs. Visited this Michelin Green Star for dinner with 2 friends in December: We made reservations beforehand. However, we arrived an hour earlier -- the staff at the restaurant greeted us courteously and seated us in the bar area to begin perusing the menu. They were able to seat us at a dining room in less than 10 min, which was much appreciated and surprising as it was around the holidays. They don't have a coat room, but have coat hangers near the top of the stairs, and staff will help you remove your coat and hang up for you - you grab it yourself on the way out. The space was nice and warm. The wooden interior and decor was cosy and inviting. Although where we were seated - at the far end along the windows - we did find it a bit drafty. Later in the meal, the host - while seating a new party beside us - noticed the draft and adjusted the temperature. We loved how open kitchen was in view - so we could see how food was prepared. Their team seemed well coordinated, and our server was absolutely lovely - answering all our questions (all of our first time here) and when she wasn't sure she made sure to check with her manager and then return confidently with answers. I also found she paced our meal well. Not rushed, but she'd check in on us regularly. The food was wonderful! Here's what we had: 1. We tried the Local Halibut Brandade Toast - it was reminiscent of bacalao and was a great appetizer for those who love fish. 2. As the place that invented the "California style pizza" we tried the Pizza with Tomato Sauce, Pancetta and Black Olives - it was perfected done with a thin and beautiful crust, well seasoned, balanced and sauced. 3. The Bucatini with Tomato sauce, Anchovies, Capers and Breadcrumbs was a satisfying pasta dish with salty notes. Which was nice after having the chowder... 4. The crowd pleaser was the fantastic Clam & Smoked Black Cod Chowder! WOW. Deliciously savoury and you can taste all the fresh seafood ingredients. The soup was not too thick, and the accompanying toast was a perfect pairing to use for sopping up any remaining soup. 5. Lastly, we ended on the Persimmon Pudding which was fantastic! Great texture, very moist and not too sweet. To top off our wonderful meal, we actually got to meet founder and original head chef Ms. Alice Waters! She happened to be dining there that very night, and her staff very kindly helped us ask her if she would sign her autobiography for my friend (who just bought a copy at the restaurant) -- and Ms. Waters graciously came over, shook each of our hand and signed the book! My friend is a BIG fan of Ms. Waters and her impact on culinary industry. So this just topped our incredible experience. read more
Legendary restaurant that focuses on fresh local, sustainable ingredients with French techniques. This results in simple, elegant, accessible, delicious food. There is a tasting menu you can book where you would dine in the downstairs area or the Cafe area upstairs where you are able to order more a la carte. The service is wonderful as you would expect from - I would say a higher end restaurant, but casual enough to not feel overly stuffy. There's also a dedicated sommelier (at least I think there was). Came here recently with a pretty large group of family and friends. We opted to make reservations for Cafe to order a la carte. Such a delightful experience! Okay, so I have to admit...I was probably going to love this place, unless they majorly dropped the ball. Fortunately, they provided a wonderful, delicious experience to back their reputation. This is not just a farm-to-table restaurant, I would argue that this is THE farm-to-table restaurant with it being credited as one of the biggest influences of the farm-to-table movement and California cuisine as we know it today. I've been wanting to come here for so long. I even bought the book 'The Art of Simple Food' back in 2007. Some of my favorite chefs/pastry chefs in LA mention in their bios that they previously worked here. I grew up in the East Bay and come to visit the area multiple times a year for family and for some reason, I just never visit until recently. Okay, back to the experience - we booked a table for 10 (only 9 was able to make it, which wasn't a problem). We ordered a few dishes to go around and salad to start, some bottles of wine (and some unfermented grape juice for the teenagers, haha), and pretty much an entree each. I enjoyed the anchovies especially adding them on top of my buttered bread. Olives were great too. I got to try the parsnip/ carrot soup from my brother. So comforting and tasty. The Belgian endive roasted in a wood oven with marinated beets, mustard dressing, and egg was so great. You can tell the ingredients were really fresh and the dressing brought everything together so well. This salad reminds me of a beet salad with eggs and shrimp (with a similar Dijon dressing) my mom makes on some special occasions. I got a bite of the grass fed short rib-eye, which was wonderful, but I really enjoyed my chicken braised in red wine. I thought it was cooked perfectly with so much flavor and a slight crisp. Finished with the apple / cherry galette, which was a winner! Such a fantastic meal and experience. I feel like it was subsidized a bit from my non-alcohol drinking teenage niece and nephew, but the price per person felt super reasonable. Parking - It was a Saturday night that we all went, but street parking was very easy to find in the area. read more
3 years ago
We ate upstairs in the more casual section. We got there right when it opened and were able to get a table for three without a reservation. Great ambiance - even with all the tables full, it didn't feel too loud or crowded. Service was excellent, attentive but never overbearing like at many other restaurants. As far as the food, we all enjoyed our meals. We started out with the complimentary bread - light and fluffy with a chewy crust. I wish it had been warm but that's a minor complaint. For my main I ordered chanterelle mushrooms, served with beans, a fried polenta cake, and an arugula and fennel salad. The mushrooms were delicious but my favorite part was the polenta - crispy on the outside but creamy inside. For dessert we split the apple cranberry galette, served with vanilla ice cream. The tartness of the cranberries balanced beautifully against the sweetness of the apples and creaminess of the ice cream. We all left full and satisfied! read more
This place really delivers the wow factor. As in wow what a freaking joke. It started off poorly as we were waiting upstairs while our table got ready. I ordered three $14 glasses of red and one $13 glass of white I gave the bartender my card and when I got the bill back to sign it was $93 with no itemized receipt. When I asked the bartender why the bill was so much and told her what I ordered she just said "oh sorry I thought you ordered something else". No offer to remedy the situation she just nonchalantly went back to what she was doing. It was busy and I was hosting my partners parents so I decided to let it slide. On to the main event. It took 2 hours and 45 minutes to get through 3 courses. The pacing was absolutely abysmal. The portion sizes were laughable which was accentuated by the fact that the food somehow all came out luke warm. Nothing was bad per se, but nothing was great either and I really can't understand how the food comes out luke warm at a place with a pre fixe menu and a small dining room. I had high hopes for this meal, but I really can't recommend this place especially at the $195 price point. It is definitely a place for people with too much money that want the status of telling people they at Chez Panisse. Next. read more
4 months ago
This review is for the cafe up stairs! We had a reservation at night and it was straightforward and easy to be seated. The complimentary bread was great! We had the Parsi style braised duck with cardamom rice, gingery cauliflower and cilantro-coconut chutney, which was amazing! The duck was cooked to perfection and the rice and vegetables complimented the protein very well. The mezze maniche pasta with chanterelle mushrooms, borlotti beans, gremolata and Parmesan was not it for us. We couldn't really taste the mushrooms and it was bland compared to the duck we had previously. The radicchio Salad with duck rillettes croutons and sherry-shallot vinagrette was my favorite thing! The salad was airy, light, and the sauce on top paired amazingly with the duck, it was delicious. To top it off, we had the vanilla ice cream affogato with the almond-anise biscotti which wasn't amazing, but tasted okay! My favorite part was the vanilla ice cream but the chocolate fudge was a little too decadent for me. There is street parking and window seating! read more
9 months ago
1 year ago
10 months ago
5 months ago
3 years ago
What an absolutely stellar dining experience! I believe this spot used to have a Michelin star, and can definitely understand why. After being a Cal student for 4 years, I finally decided to come visit this iconic Berkeley spot in celebration of graduation. I made a reservation beforehand, and the earliest spot was for 9pm so definitely try to book very ahead of time if you can. The outside is super cute and looks like your entering someone's home, and the inside is just as cozy. The dining area downstairs is for the fixed menu, whereas I chose to dine at the cafe upstairs where you order items a la carte. After checking in, I only had to wait a few minutes were I was guided to my table in the corner of a small side room which was nice and quiet. The lighting here is pretty dim and the ambiance is great, and there were so many other diners that seemed to all be enjoying a nice evening. Once seated, the waiter brought over a plate of sourdough bread and butter, which was super soft and fresh. I decided to get the pork loin with shoestring potatoes, radish, and greens for my main entree. It came out quite fast, and was seriously so incredibly fresh, tasty, and comforting! The pork was so tender and juicy and topped with a delicious chili sauce, the potatoes were nice and crispy, and the vegetables were so well seasoned yet maintained their original pure flavor. I was so impressed by the balance of it all and how they were really able to make the ingredients themselves the stars of the show. This was my first time really understanding "Californian" cuisine, and I can see why this spot is so highly regarded. Once I finished my entree, they handed me a dessert menu. I wasn't too interested in dessert since I was quite full from my entree already and was going to pass, but the waiter came back and asked if I had allergies and then brought out a complementary dessert for me :") It was the vanilla cream puff with custard and strawberries, and was seriously so good. The puff was soft, the custard was perfectly sweet, and the strawberries balanced it all out so well. I also loved the little "congratulations" tag that the put on top of it! Overall, I had a more than stellar dining experience here, and would definitely recommend anyone to come try it at least once. Thank you, Chez Panisse! read more
Chez Panisse Restaurant 4-course Set Menu review -- definitely not worth it. We snagged a mid-week evening booking that freed up last minute for grad celebration, and I did not come back until 8 months later to try their À La Carte, which I found as an option that made more sense and came with more flexibility. If you are looking for a reason to give Chez Panisse a shot, please check out my previous À La Carte review and disregard the rest of this post. The menu for our Wednesday evening visit was (i) Golden beet and fennel salad with picholine olive tapenade and marjoram, (ii) Bodega Bay rockfish bourride with green garlic crouton, (iii) Becker Lane Farm pork loin stuffed with Armagnac soaked prunes and pistachios and spit-roasted; with glazed carrots, mustard greens, and crispy potatoes, and (iv) Walnut torte with burnt honey ice cream and Pixie tangerines. They release daily menus for the entire week at the beginning of the week. Perhaps guests who booked before us cancelled upon seeing the menu, which freed up the spot we got. We would have been happier with a duck or lamb main dish. The salad and rockfish were flavorless; I do not remember what it tasted like. The pork loin wasn't as dry as I thought it would be. I would say dessert was the best course of the evening, and it came with a cute "Congratulations" cardboard banner. We added the cheese plate with almonds (definitely recommend this, super worth the $20 -- close to favorite/2nd favorite course) but were too full/sleepy towards the end to finish. We ate for more than 3 hours. There were many fancy-looking, dressed up diners who seemed like they were celebrating something super important, so I felt uneasy when we sat down already. Servers were really busy. We had a view of the Open Kitchen, which I adored; wished we were able to watch them cook and prep food. I will make a comment about the price -- the tax and 17% service fee are not included in the original price they post for dinner. Transparency would have been appreciated! read more
2 years ago
What an amazing experience! The ambiance felt just like being in a cozy home in Berkeley, California. The service was attentive, and the food was good, but unmemorable. I'll always remember that post-meal lemon verbena tea though! I love drinking lemon verbena tea after meals now. read more
1 year ago
I'm sorry I can remember what the dishes were but they were delicious. No matter when I go here, the meal has always been excellent. Both the cafe and restaurant. I love everything about this place, the service and ambiance and I feel it's well worth the price. read more
2 years ago
I was invited to a birthday dinner upstairs at the cafe and was so impressed with the service and quality of food. I will be thinking about this meal for a long time! It's so fun to watch the team do their jobs and everyone seems so skilled at what they do. Hopefully I can find another reason to come back soon! read more
3 years ago
This was one of the restaurants we were most excited to visit on our trip here. We had reservations for lunch and was seated right away. The environment was so cozy and quaint, it added so much to our experience. We had: -Belgian endive with yellowtail tartare: amazing, so fresh and flavorful -chickpea soup: my least favorite out of all our order but the texture was very smooth -grilled pork loin with polenta: I loved this dish. Pork was so soft and perfectly cooked -ricotta and mushroom ravioli: we love mushroom so we loved this but it's definitely very mushroom forward so be cautious! -meyer lemon ice cream meringata for desert: perfectly sweet and sour This meal was wonderful and we can't wait to go back. Highly recommend. read more
5 months ago
3 years ago
The food is a bit of a hit or miss, but Chez Panisse is a local legend! Check their Wiki page for the rundown-- a true pioneer in the CA culinary scene. You have to be glad that the business is still going strong half a century later. We had a chance to visit for my late birthday celebration but had heard plentifully from friends (in fact, a close friend kindly gifted us a gift card here). Book far ahead of time as it's quite popular. Our experience was mixed. BAKED GOAT CHEESE: The... Tiniest little discs of cheese, with spring mix. Meh. PIZZA: Very thin crust. Savory, tangy, unique on its own-- minimal sauce to accentuate the fish. RIGATONI: Is it terrible to say that this felt bland? Very al dente, very dry. BITTERSWEET CUSTARD: Exactly as expected, a dark chocolate pudding with whipped topping. GALETTE: Light dessert. Also quite dry and bland, but nice of them to add a little bday flair. Accolades and historical significance aside, the food is... Ok. I think my expectations were too high. They might have been the first to start farm-to-table, but IMO other than freshness, the flavors and textures aren't mind-blowing unless you really just love New American food. Revolutionary for their time, but the times have gone and passed. read more
I've wanted to try Chez Panisse (cafe) for the longest time and am so happy I was finally able to. I have never been to a restaurant that has such attentive staff. You can tell they really care about service and they pay attention to all the small detailed. Bread and water came out as soon as we sat down and food followed shortly after. The food was delicious as well, although I wish they had more items to pick from on the menu. We had the plum galette for dinner which was definitely the standout of the night. Can't wait to go back! read more
Chez Panisse is a Berkeley institution and the brain child of Alice Waters (whose daughter I went to school with at École Bilingue). Just dined here the other day for my moms birthday. We ate lunch upstairs in the café near the back. We sat at a table with a banquette against the wall on one side with cushions and chairs on the other side. The service was excellent. The aesthetic is very French with rose gold tinted mirrors across the edge of the room (which is very French for people watching if you didn't know). The food was excellent. They use the best ingredients. Preparing each item perfectly. I would recommend everything we got. They keep their menu seasonal and so dishes come and go. They made my moms birthday dessert special by including a handwritten birthday banner and candle. It was quite special. The only downside is it gets quite loud but with food like they serve it's not enough to deter me. We had the: -Carrot soup with turmeric, yogurt and fried curry leaves -Little gems lettuce with crème fraîche, radishes, chives, and spring blossoms -Celery root rémoulade with marinated gulf shrimp, roasted beets, and Meyer lemon -Fettuccine Verdi with asparagus, cream, black pepper, mint and Parmesan -Northern Halibut with snap peas, roasted potatoes, and citrus beurre blanc -Huckleberry Ice Cream and Meyer Lemon Sherbet Meringata read more
1 year ago
3 years ago
Iconic! At the invitation of a special friend we dined at the cafe recently. We have been here maybe once or twice before with this same friend which makes the meal that much more special. On this occasion, we started with a shared roasted fennel pizza and proceeded to our salads which were two Caesars and the fried goat cheese salad. The Caesar was delicious and generously dressed alongside croutons, shave parmesan and a couple of anchovies which were maybe fried? Delicious! Hubby got the goat cheese salad and ate it all up. For entrees, I ordered the roasted pork loin with olive tapenade, hubby got the tagliatelle with mushrooms and fried got the quail. Everything is fresh and flavorful. My pork had a little pink on the outside but I have no problem with this. The crust was filled with flavor from the seasonings that were applied. The baby broccolini was tender and seasoned perfectly alongside the fried potatoes. For dessert we had the olive cake which was moist and had the intense flavor of olive oil. I had a taste of the strawberry ice cream. It was like eating a fresh juicy strawberry. To end the meal, we had mint tea. I am generally not a mint fan but this was perfect as the tea cuts any fattiness from the meal. What a special evening! The staff is attentive and warm. The room has a wonderful ambiance and coziness that is unique to Chez Panisse. Our host comes here regularly so the staff came by to chat with her and greeted us as well. Street parking is available. Love this place. Please support this local business. read more
6 months ago
1 year ago
1 year ago
More info about Chez Panisse
Chez Panisse Reviews in Other Languages
Ask the Community - Chez Panisse
Is there take out available?
It's not that kind of place. It's a premiere boutique restaurant that started the entire farm-to-table movement in the restaurant industry. To get an idea, watch this: https://youtu.be/U0qjCWc-mDc?is=zh8uHZyAKpKRJ5dv
Does the restaurant/cafe have a dog friendly patio? Traveling with my dog and have this hiccup.
There's no patio dining here.
Is the restaurant accessible to a person with a walker?
Only the downstairs dining room (I believe there's an ADA ramp). But no elevator to the Café on the second floor.
Is there an elevator to get to the second floor cafe?
Definitely not. I was on crutches and had to hop up the stairs to the cafe! It was scary and dangerous.
Are they still requiring proof of Covid vaccine and booster to dine here?
NO. It said that when I went but they didn't ask.
Are they still serving the late night steak frites?
We asked for it in March 2023 and our server said they haven't offered it in years! So sad :'(
Do they have outdoor seating to eat there or is it all indoor and takeout only?
All indoors
How long does it take to eat dinner there? We have an appointment at 7PM elsewhere in Berkley and I want to know if we can make it given a 5:30pm reservation.
No way. 2 hours min.
Do they cater to vegans in the restaurant for dinner?
They're only able to accommodate vegetarians.
Is there a dress code?
Honestly, not really. There were super casually dressed people and business casual. I am not sure if they have a "no shorts" policy, but otherwise, you should be good. Enjoy :)
What do you tip at Chez Panisse? I was so confused by the 17% service charge - do you top that up by 3% to 20% or do you add an additional 20% of the subtotal to the bill?
According to the note. 17% service charge goes back to restaurant so they can pay their (good?) wages & benefit. If you want to tip the server, you can add on top of the 17%. This one will goes directly to the waiters/server.
Is there any parking at the restaurant?
There may (don't really recall be valet parking, but there's only street parking (no parking lot) some of which is zoned for local residents only during certain hours. We only did lunch and parked a block and a half away. Ate upstairs. It's a…
Not sure, but are kids welcome? Doesn't sounds like it.
We brought our daughter when she was 5 or 6, but she eats everything so the food was not an issue for her. They were super nice to her and even gave her a tour of the kitchen.
Do people know if the cafe is still serving the late night steak dish past 930 pm?
Do not know as we dined in the ground floor dining room.
Does any one know how to confirm reservation? They called me asking to confirm by calling them on my voicemail but their number won't accept Messages... and no one answers.
How bizarre! Make sure you call back during business hours, which are 9am to 9:30pm, PST Mon-Sat. I had no problem getting live people on the phone to make my reservation as well as confirm it. Keep trying!
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
247 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
19 years ago
14 years ago
11 years ago
14 years ago
2 years ago
8 years ago
3 years ago
15 years ago
14 years ago
2 months ago
17 years ago
1 year ago
3 years ago
20 years ago
10 years ago
14 years ago
16 years ago
13 years ago
