Most excellent food! Wonderful service. Our server suggested a white wine because I couldn't decide and her choice was perfect. This was lunch today. Highly recommend. read more

Had a larger table of six at the cafe and our server, Horace, was sublime! Everyone had a fantastic meal; there was no food left behind. The lamb was extremely tasty (although I felt the shoestring fries were not that right side dish for it and the side spinach was too small for the dish) and my dessert, this passionfruit panna cotta, was sublime. Best thing I've eaten in over a month (I tend to eat well!). Everyone else enjoyed their food too, especially the pizza. The lighting is kind of dim in an old timey kind of way, which adds to its charm. Be careful of the candle towers; they are deceptively hot! Someone burned their hair trying to lean over them to look out the window. read more

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Amazing food and service. I loved every dish we tried- fried goat cheese salad had layers of flavor, butternut squash soup is the best of its kind I ever had, pizza dough was perfect for thin crust, pasta second favorite item of the afternoon- perfectly al dente with textures and flavors from cauliflower, fried sage leaves, lemon. Ice creams were great too, I loved the maple syrup one particularly. service was attentive and personalized. Tough to find reservation but totally worth it! read more

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Uninspired, overpriced food. Noisy 17% "service charge"? That does not include a tip for the server. So my little piece of chicken with a dab of polenta and swiss chard was $49 with tip and service charge and was no better than I can make at home. read more

Lovely dinner tonight and will return more often. We are local and need to dine here more often. Seafood cakes - five stars, salmon salad amazing. Rhubarb galette also great and server helped us pair wine. Pork was very good. I don't order a-lot of pork- Just others dishes a bit better. If you like pork you will love it. Thank you all for a lovely evening. read more

We had a lunch reservation in the upstairs cafe on a Sunday afternoon. It was pretty packed when we got there, and we did have to wait a few minutes, but service was very attentive and clearly a priority at this establishment. The staircase and the upstairs walkways seem pretty narrow but we didn't feel too cramped once we were seated at our table. I am writing this review a few weeks later and I can't remember all the names of the dishes, so I'll just have to summarize the highlights: - Everything was tasty and well-seasoned! Produce was clearly fresh and super vibrant. In particular, anything with tomatoes was incredibly flavorful. - Each dish came with a variety, which I'm a big fan of. I didn't really get tired of anything on my plate. - Plating is clearly important as well and everything was beautiful. - Portions were very filling, especially when ordering a starter + an entree + a dessert. Ultimately I think this was a very pleasant dining experience but I am not sure it wow-ed me enough to return for any particular dish or item. I know their menu rotates a lot, and the downstairs experience is different, so I'd still be open to returning! read more

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Absolutely delicious Valentine's Day dinner. This place still holds up after decades with the best restaurants in the country. read more

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Celebrated my sister in law's birthday here and it was an underwhelming experience for one of the best restaurants in the East Bay. We arrived at 8:20PM for our 8:30PM reservation but did not get seated until nearly 9PM. There's dining available both upstairs (with the bar) and downstairs (for the prix fixe menu). The prix fixe menu comes with a total of 4 courses for $175 and there was nothing about the menu - whether it's the presentation, taste or ingredients - that was worth that price. The serving time between courses was also on the slower side. The standout was the rib eye but that has to be since it's the main entree. Meat was cooked well but was it amazing? No. Each component of that dish looked like it was haphazardly thrown on the plate and I couldn't tell that the salty mushy stuff was eggplant until I checked the menu. Honestly didn't care too much for the salmon tartare salad nor the goat cheese souffle. The salad itself was quite bitter with the frisee and the souffle was just a bit bland. Perhaps at this point, you'd think they'd finish strong but no. The dessert was unpalatable with the overwhelming amount of red wine sauce that just overpowered everything. It would've been better just to serve the stone fruits and sorbet by itself. Speaking of fruit, most of the fruit was tart. Staff was nice but the dining space downstairs is quite small. Maybe the a la carte menu is better? I don't know. read more

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I went here for a birthday celebration and didn't know what to expect. Lets just say $2000 later, none of us were impressed. You would think for this style of food and dinner, everything would be explained to you. Every time food came out, we had different waiters come out, place the food in front and walk off. I had no idea what the first "appetizer" was and it was not on the menu. It tasted good but we had no clue what we were eating. Although some may argue that the rest of the dinner was listed on the menu, I still would appreciate someone explaining it to me as there are some things on there I've never heard of. I didn't feel that anything wow'ed me and for the price, definitely was not impressed. One person at our table was vegetarian and even though they have a set course, I was a bit disappointed in how they subbed the proteins. They replaced it with more leafy greens that our salad came with but charged the same price. Again, I understand it was a set menu but I've seen some restaurants put together a better vegetarian dish than a few pieces of leafy greens and dressing then want $200. The person that helped get our seats and coats did NOT look like she wanted to be there. The lay out of the restaurant is a bit strange too. You have to walk through the kitchen to get to the bathroom. At first I thought what a cool experience, but I felt like I had to run through to not get in anyone's way. read more

CAUTION! Had birthday lunch at Chez Panisse Café with two friends last week. We have all been here a number of times. On this occasion, the food was very fresh, servers excellent. BUT CAUTION! Be very careful heading towards the back dining room if that's where they seat you. The host Danny told us to "watch our step" over the fairly long hump in the floor that slopes up and then slopes down on the way to the back dining room. The floor is extremely slippery highly polished wood, there are no handrails to hang onto. We have all been here a number of times and have never been told to watch our step before. My one friend thinks she remembered there may have been a nonskid mat or non-skid strips there but there is no mat or no non-skid strips on the sloping floor now and you can't really see where it starts, and where it stops because of the color of the floor and the polished wood. Even though we were "watching our steps" over it and we thought we were on the other side my right foot just skidded out from under me and I landed on my right hip. Even though we enjoy dressing up for fine dining like Chez Panisse, and at least wear business attire at the café, I was not wearing high heels, but was wearing leather business attire shoes. If I ever go back, I will be wearing tennis shoes and I highly recommend that you do also. After the skid fall, I had to be treated at urgent care that afternoon and have not healed sufficiently to be able to do my daily hikes or even comfortably climb my stairs at home. It is EXTREMELY IRRESPONSIBLE AND UNFORGIVABLE for them to continue to have an unsafe condition that they are well aware of, and that subjects their staff and their customers to possible injury like mine, and not do anything about it. It should be repaired or there should be carpet or mats over it so you don't skid down the backside of the hump. Clearly, they are aware of this because they warn you about it. That is unforgivable. read more

This is THE farm to table. Really fresh seasonal ingredients, thoughtfully but not complexly prepared. No outrageously unique ingredients or stories, just simple good food. Very professional service and very festive ambience (lots of celebrations). I think I would like to try the cafe next time! read more

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Reserved 2 months in advance. Needed to see if farm to table is all that. Pre fixe meals that change daily. Was it worth it? The one Michelin star establishment has a very cool vibe. The first floor is the main dining; the upper floor has a tiny bar, more seats and the cost/rest room. It's packed tight up there. Upon entering you'll notice right away the service is great and important to them. The open kitchen is in the back and you can see them making masterpieces. Each of the four dishes are beautifully plated. The waiter explains what you're about to enjoy. On our day, we had a small aperitif to kick it off and then an anchovy salad with squash tempura. Very delicately cooked and quite nice. The next dish was seared sea scallops. Also quite nice. Very well prepared; perfectly cooked in fact. The main was a rack of lamb. I truly enjoy lamb but this one had a faint taste of cumin which I don't think belongs with lamb. But I'm biased because I also don't like lemon in my food, which it also had. So I was not thrilled with this one. And for dessert was a fig galette with ice cream. Very nice sweet to finish off the meal. The ice cream had a Marsala taste which was, interesting. So is this place all it's hyped to be? I'm going to say it highly depends on what you happen to be served. I suppose you can cancel after you see the menu which posts on Monday, but after waiting so long for the reservation, who would do that? I enjoyed it quite a bit but certainly wasn't floored. That said, the diving experience was wonderful. read more

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Very disappointed in the lunch I had there today 8/7/25. The food was not good. They are living off their brand hype, not up to their brand hype. And so expensive. The skin on the chicken al mattone was rubbery, not brown and crispy like it should be. The polenta was tasteless. At least the chard and pea pods were done correctly. The description of the pizza with tomato sauce and pancetta didn't mention red pepper flakes which completely ruined the taste for me. I hate red pepper flakes and would never have ordered it if the description had included it. Plus the crust was burned. So salty you could hardly eat it. I'm still drinking water two hours later. Service was fine. Bread for the table was good. But a $170 lunch should be spectacular - not meh. So sad because I have eaten dinner there twice and felt it was worth every penny for exceptional food. I'd forgo upstairs cafe for lunch. Go to your favorite diner or pizza place and the food would be better. read more

Chez Panisse - Chicken al Mottone - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

I have been wanting to eat here for years...make that decades, but the opportunity never arose. Usually it was because I was with family or had other obligations, and scoring a last minute reservation is next to impossible. But this trip to the Bay Area was different. Not only did I have the time to go, I lucked out and was able to grab a table to celebrate our anniversary. Upon arrival, we were warmly greeted by the host. Being that we were a few minutes early, we were offered seating just outside the restaurant or we could head upstairs to the bar. We opted to sit nearby since our reservation time of 8:15pm was quickly approaching. At precisely our reservation time, he seated us, something that rarely happens at restaurants these days. The interior of the restaurant was reminiscent of a Craftsman home and featured warm wood accents throughout. From our table, you could look into the kitchen which made it feel like you were dining in someones home. Watching the staff prepare the food was like watching a carefully choreographed ballet. Everyone moved with purpose yet no one was hurried. Our server was excellent! I found out he had been there almost 16 years and it showed. He knew every detail of the menu which is impressive given that their menu changes daily. His passion for their food was quite admirable and his attentiveness to our needs was spot on. Throughout the meal, he was assisted by another server who had only been there a couple of months yet she also knew every ingredient in every dish. Impressive! Our 4-course meal started with an amuse bouche and an aperitif. What a nice surprise! The amuse was a small crostini topped with ricotta, finely diced melon and anise hyssop, a delightful herb from the mint family. The aperitif was a wonderful glass of Prosecco that had been augmented with peach and something else that I don't remember. It was a great way to start the meal. Our first course was a gazpacho made with Early Girl tomatoes and topped with finely diced cucumber, slices of tiny cherry tomatoes and crispy fried squash blossoms. The gazpacho was light and watery, the result of straining the tomato pulp twice and the squash blossoms were fried to perfection. Our second course was pan-roasted rockfish served with a succotash of shell beans and fresh corn kernels. Alongside the fish was a romesco sauce and a roasted Jimmy Nardello pepper. As expected, the fish was cooked perfectly and the succotash was outstanding. But the star of the dish was that romesco sauce. I was ready to marry the chef just to get the recipe for that! LOL! Our third course was slices of grilled duck breast au poive served with pickled peach slices, romano beans, and zucchini gratin. The duck was also cooked perfectly and had a light kiss of smoke flavor. The romano beans were nice and crisp and the picked peaches provided a nice contrast to the fat of the duck. The zucchini gratin was another revelation in itself. It had layers of green and yellow zucchini in an almost custard like base that was simply cream and parmesan. I could have eaten an entire pan of it! Our final course was a raspberry frangipane tart with crème fraiche. They celebrated our anniversary by including a nice note alongside the tart. The raspberry flavor shined through and the buttery shortbread crust was one of the best I've ever had. What a great ending to the meal...or so we thought. After learning our table, they brought us a steaming glass filled with a delicious tea they made using lemon verbena and spearmint. It was meant to be a digestivo and certainly hit the spot. Then a small plate arrived with two small chocolate truffles and two small candied fruit pieces to officially end our anniversary meal. I went in with high expectations and they were exceeded. This was definitely as close to a perfect meal as one could have. From the outstanding service to the perfectly paired wines to the excellent food, this was a meal to remember. And to have it on our anniversary made it all the more special. We certainly look forward to returning in the future to this iconic restaurant. Kudos to Alice Waters and the entire Chez Panisse team!!! read more

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Food and service underwhelming. Dungeness crab salad to start had part of a knuckle. Don't call it a crab salad if it's just a garnish.

We were fortunate to score a reservation at the Cafe (upstairs). The curated wine list is excellent and includes many new discoveries. The service is impeccable and sets the standard for exceptional. The menu changes daily based on the fresh foods delivered each day. Prices are modest for Amazon experience and food quality. We each had a glass of wine as an aperitif, salads, entrees, and shared a bottle of wine and dessert. There was a lot of positive energy in the restaurant: lively but not loud. The entire experience was exceptional. We can't wait to go back. Highly recommended! read more

Came here for a birthday celebration and had a wonderful dining experience! You can either book a reservation at the restaurant (pre-fixe 4 course menu) or at the cafe (a-la-carte ordering) They accommodated my vegetarian diet with each course, and the wait staff were attentive and friendly :) read more

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Last Saturday the Mrs. and I had lunch at the venerable Chez Panisse which had been on my list of culinary institutions to visit. The restaurant and its menu were established on the principle that it was of primary importance to use food that was fresh and in season, grown locally, organically and sustainably. Better known as farm-to-table. Because the ingredients are procured locally in California, the food has a very Californian character, hence creating California cuisine which Alice Waters is considered a pioneer in the California cruise and farm-to-table movement. Chez Panisse has a had many notable chefs de cuisine. Jeremiah Tower, Paul Bernoulli, and Jean-Pierre Moulle. Now to my review. We had a reservation for 12:30. I had read that the parking situation was difficult so I was prepared. I dropped the Mrs. off at Chez Panisse at 12:36 then proceeded to find parking. It took me about 25 minutes. Not kidding. But it was Saturday so I wasn't surprised. Parking is metered and the business that have large parking lots are very territorial. I managed to find a spot three blocks away. I walked up the beautiful craftsman framed structure that is Chez Panisse. I opened the door, walked past the famed first floor dining room that holds dinner service. Peeking in like a wide eyed child looking for Santa Claus on Christmas morning. I made my way up the stairs to the cafe which was beautifully decorated. The Mrs. was seated at a table for two in front of a window. Todd greeted me as I sat down knowing the challenge I had finding parking. We dove into the menu. Reading every detail of every dish. Finally arrived at a decision on what would be our Chez Panisse culinary journey. We started with the Smoked Salmon Frisée Salad. An incredible dish with the best smoked salmon I've ever had. Each bit had a salty bitter taste to it. The salmon meshing perfectly with the crisp frisée lettuce. Our second dish was the Radicchio salad with marinated beets, toasted hazelnuts, and sherry vinaigrette. I'm not a fan of beets but I was converted because of this salad. The bitterness of the radicchio and the tanginess of the beets paired perfectly well. It was incredible refreshing. Our final dish was the Tomato Pizza topped with Prosciutto and black olives. One of the best pizzas the Mrs. and I have ever had. We finished the entire thing. Mind you, the pizzas are small. Todd did an excellent job at pacing our meal. We ordered two glasses of wine which Todd forgot about until we reminded him. He was very apologetic and offered dessert to make up for the mistake. We ordered the chocolate cake with the ice cream. I don't remember what flavor the ice cream was but it was the best dessert I've ever had. As an added surprise, Todd arrived with a small bowl of Passionfruit ice cream that was adorned with a banner that read Happy Anniversary. He said the host told him it was our anniversary which was actually two weeks before. Such a great way to end an incredible meal. Finally, our Chez Panisse experience came to an end. We walked back down the stairs. Again, passing the famed first floor dining room. This time I could see chefs prepping for dinner service. I also heard two women chatting in the dining room over a meal. Their flatware clanking against their plates like the keys on a piano. I listened intently as I had recently seen Alice Waters on tv. Alice, was that you? read more

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I was pleased with our visit yesterday. They have solid food, the fish was the standout dish for sure. Out of 6 dishes we ordered, 3 were perfect. I did expect a bit more uniqueness from a place so long standing. The service was top of the line. Loved the ambiance of the restaurant being transformed from what looked like it was originally a house. Highly recommend trying it. Heres to 50 more years! read more

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Though *most* every taste is elevated, not all, nor even most, are. I had the August tomatoes. and with a glass of wine and delicious sourdough with butter- and I should have stopped at that perfection. There is an air of snobbery that pervades the whole CP "experience", from unwelcoming reservation *request* process through the table service. read more

I've been going to Chez Panisse for years. I was excited to bring my husband after a Berkeley play. I was so embarrassed. The mushroom pasta was mounds of overcooked mushrooms. Very little pasta. No seasoning. They were swimming in oil. And not an interesting one at that. I never thought I'd complain about too many mushrooms. But they were unappealing. His pork was okay, but the side dish was literally cold. One side was heated. The other was very cold. The topping had the crunch of crushed glass. The baked goat cheese salad was good. But the smallest portion I've ever been served. We paid. We tipped. We left. I won't be back. Such a disappointment. read more

Finally booked a meal at Chez Panisse! We booked exactly a month in advance to guarantee our preferred Friday night dinner time. My immediate impression upon entering the restaurant space was how cozy and warmly-lit everything looked, as well as the homey feel of the kitchen nearby. It was packed but we were warmly invited in. The menu for the night included a nice mix of salmon, chicken, and vegetarian options. We also did the wine pairing, all of which we enjoyed except perhaps the dessert pairing. Our hosts were sure to educate us thoroughly about the farm-to-table processes. My only complaint was that over the course of the 4 dishes, the dishes came out with 30 minutes in between each dish. Cornish hen was a bit dry, but I thought all of the vegetarian options were amazing! Nonetheless, would definitely come again. read more

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Lovely attentive (just right) who offered helpful suggestions that resulted in a very nice meal and experience. I'm happy to post a very positive review as I was a bit trepidatious given some recent reviews. I'm an out of town first timer. Ambiance A, service A ( very adequately staffed, attentive efficient), food delivers what it sets out to do very well. Appetizer of carrot soup hit the mark with flavors colors and textures. Seasoned subtlety and expertly. Cod filet seared well with nice accompanying vegetables. Mint choc chip cream and chocolate sauce/ biscotti simply divine. Wines well recommended and delicious with our choices. Only observation was it was an efficiently timed service.. in and out in an hour, as we arrived at 5 and we supposed they might be aiming for three seatings. If you want highly seasoned food, go ethnic, the cafe delivers fresh, carefully prepared cuisine. read more

Our lunch was amazing today Loved it all . Bread, salad,CHICKEN was over the top Service was wonderful! Can't wait to go back read more

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

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We came here for a girls night out and had a wonderful time! We had made a reservation a few weeks out for the upstairs section (cafe). We were seated right away and saw the menu had so many delicious options to choose from! We decided to start with a beet salad, goat cheese salad, and Caesar salad. I would say my personal favorite was the beet salad with the marinated carrots - very fresh in all aspects. For my main course, I went with the rockfish. It was perfectly cooked and easily flaked off. Each bite felt decadent in texture. The taste profile was a bit off for me - felt a bit salty and was hoping for more complex spices. I did a have a bite of my friend's ribeye and that was definitely the star, especially the butter it was served with. For dessert, I went with the chocolate pave with hazelnut ice cream. Absolutely delicious! The pave was not overly sweet and the chocolate shone through. I loved the crispness of the nuts that it was coupled with. Definitely my favorite part of the meal. Our server was super helpful and patient. We enjoy catching up and didn't feel rushed in any way to leave. Would definitely come back to try other dishes! read more

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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

Chez Panisse - New American Near Me - Berkeley, California

Ever since I received a copy of "Fanny at Chez Panisse" for my 8th birthday, I've always wanted to come dine at the historic and iconic Chez Panisse. Treating my mother to Chez Panisse was so wonderful. I'm so happy to FINALLY dine at Chez Panisse, even if it's just the upstairs section. We skipped appetizers, and I ordered halibut while my mom ordered duck. For dessert, I ordered the apple galette, and my mom ordered the almond cake. The halibut was very fresh and soft. My mom kept wanting more of it because she actually enjoyed it more than her duck! She also really liked the crust of my galette, which was so flaky and crispy and crunchy. I did like her almond cake and how soft and spongy it was, especially the sweetness of the huckleberry sauce. It was such a cozy, intimate dining experience. My mom was so happy I treated her. She said she'd like to come here again for her 60th birthday, and on that day, she wants to eat in the restaurant downstairs. My Dad remarked in Chinese, "There's a lot of people who are taking pictures outside of the restaurant," and my mom replied, "Yes, it's a very famous restaurant!" In addition to the pictures we got while dining (thank you wait staff for helping us take pictures), we also got pictures together under the arch sign at the entrance too, because you have to when you're here! read more

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I've heard a lot about this place from locals after moving in town and decided to book to see what all the talk was about. So far I've been here twice so far and can't describe in words the sheer disappointment I felt after leaving both times! First visit was not the best but decided to give it another shot a few months later to then be disappointed again but this time with even worse service, was left unattended by the wait staff for a long period of time where they forgot about the main corse, which honestly was portioned like an appetizer! Definitely would not recommended nor come back again unless major issues are sorted out. read more

Chez Panisse was everything I expected, and more. This is a must-try for every local and visitor alike. Chef Alice Waters earned a Green Michelin Star for this restaurant, with all ingredients farm-to-table and "virtually no landfill waste". Wow! The sustainability alone is impressive, and you can taste the freshness in every bite. My group of four decided to order multiple dishes together, which helped minimize the cost while maximizing the number of dishes we could each try. We were so glad we did this! Everything was unique and packed with flavor -- the fact that the menu changes daily made it even more special, since the meal we were eating would never be replicated quite the same again. It adds to the magic and upscale feel of this Berkeley legend. This is fine dining, so we were expecting a hefty price tag, but the entrees were (relatively) affordable -- pretty much all in the $30-40 range. The appetizers were about $20 each, with the desserts rounding off around $15. Be prepared to spend, but if you're smart you can comfortably dine for 2 under $150 total. Standouts were the garden lettuces and green goddess dressing (I need a recipe for this!) as well as the wild king salmon toasts. The asparagus with my halibut was unreal -- bouncy and fresh with an intensely bright flavor I've never tasted in asparagus before (that's gotta be the organic locally-sourced specialty shining through!) Be sure to make your reservation well in advance; this place is worth every bit of planning it takes to get there. I'm saving my next visit for a special occasion, because this is exactly the kind of place you'd want to go to celebrate something big or someone special. Viva la Chez Panisse! read more

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Superb food! Their menu changes everyday too FYI :) our group especially liked the root down farm chicken al mattone w/ butternut squash gratin & kale. Everything tastes so fresh, clean and not overpowering. The Pizza de Michele with goat cheese, prosciutto and rosemary is also a hit in our table-- it's a very light pizza, perfect for an appetizer. I wish my mezzi rigatoni with asparagus cream, black pepper, mint & pecorino had protein like chicken on it or something in my opinion. However, the sauce still tasted amazing :) My favorite would have to be the desserts. We ordered all of them-- and when I asked what's the best one, the server said the galette. And it truly was the highlight of our dessert tasting! The pink lady apple-sour cherry galette with vanilla ice cream complemented each other. The chocolate cake (Lindsey's chocolate cake with bourbon caramel) was bomb too. It would have been better if there were more candied pecans to it! :) Overall, 10/10! Would definitely recommend the cafe upstairs. They also have dinner service downstairs for a 4 course set menu ($175 per person). read more

I was recently in the bay area and very excited to go to Chez Panisse (actually the cafe upstairs). Alice Waters is someone I have long admired. The salads were fabulous. Very fresh. The entrees, honestly were disappointing. All 4 of us were underwhelmed. the thing that bothered me the most was the 17% service charge that went to the house. I've been in the food business and have seen that before and recognized that it was not a tip that went to the server. Everybody at my table insisted it was the tip. i amended my part of the bill and added more but the others didn't. I'm sure most of your guests (except regulars) would think the 17% goes to the server and do not add an additional tip. It really bothered me that your servers would often not be tipped. I think it wasn't made clear and that is WRONG. read more

Four of us dined in the front alcove of the upstairs cafe. Tables are tightly placed so sometimes the staff finds it a challenge. Everyone gives it rave reviews but for us the food was great but not amazing. None of the appetizers, entrees or the desserts were memorable. Staff did an excellent job. Will not be in a rush to return. read more

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

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Service was good. Ambiance was great. Food was terrible. Not what it used to be for sure. It seems like my plate was made off the bottom of the pot that cooked for hrs bc it was mushy and salty. I didn't eat it. Defiantly, not what is used to be. read more

Always perfect! This place is a must for anyone wanting to have the real culinary experience in Berkeley. The salads are delicious and everything you order you will not be disappointed. Must make reservation. 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

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We came here for my birthday a few weeks ago and had a fantastic time! The food was all really tasty and the staff were super friendly. They have a great wine selection and we also had a bottle there. It's a really cool restaurant, especially if you can get a space near the patio. It has a very cozy vibe to it! read more

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

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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

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