I cannot believe this place isn't Michelin Rated. It was my first time here. New hubby surprised me by taking me for a drink inside the Friday night classical piano bar. I felt like royalty there and my eyes were filled with tears of gratitude for the first 30 minutes to be brought to such a romantic location. Drinks were followed by the most memorably delicious dinner I've ever had! Architect Julia Morgan, created her magnificent little castle in Berkeley. I was in such awe at the beauty of this place, the ambiance, how quiet and intimate it was, and the caliber of food served. It was magically exquisite in every way. read more

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This is our go-to place for a nice European style meal especially for special occasions. We are food hounds who sometimes want less edgy and unrecognizable cuisine (we do like that stuff but not always) and this is where we go to relax and simply enjoy great continental (mostly French) cooking and beverages all served with a smile. It reminds me of going to the Fairmont and the Claremont in the 60's and 70's with my parents. Great food with seasonal fresh ingredients. Also, the food selection here is amenable to our elderly guests as well as our younger foodie millennial daughter. The cocktails are definitely good, inventive, and delicious. The service is excellent and attentive (we have only been here for dinner). Now I want to try the tea and brunch! Bonus, the building was designed by Julia Morgan who also designed Hearst Castle (and several buildings on the Mills College campus where my daughter and I attended). I found this place to be a great location for holding women's teas and luncheons and have done so. Put it this way, if you are taking your mom or your aunties and grandma out, this is the perfect place. The seats are comfortable and there is always something for the gentlemen in the party to enjoy, such as a heartier beef dish. It is NOT a place to wear jeans to, there are so many places better suited to that in Berkeley. It is NOT a place to bring small children and infants unless they are well-behaved and quiet. (The DO exist, mine were!) I also love going here prior to performances at Zellerbach. Reserve early and often. read more

Had a truly wonderful dinner at Julia's with my son in college.i wanted to try Julia's for quite sometime but couldn't get a reservation last minute during my prior visits.This time I planned ahead and secured a reservation on a Saturday night. Checking in, we were greeted by name. Our server was welcoming and attentive. We started with a lovely glass of cab and enjoyed the pate and burrata. The duck breast and steelhead were also delicious. The chocolate lava cake unfortunately did not impress and tasted stale and store bought, or maybe I was just too full with all the deliciousness to appreciate it. But overall a lovely mother-son dinner that is worthy of the drive from LA to Berkeley. Probably the best meal I had at Berkeley/NorCal so far. I will definitely make a reservation early next time I go visit my starving college boy. read more

I had wanted to come but was hesitant based on the hit or miss reviews. I finally bite the bullet and made reservation with few friends for restaurant week. Service: it is not perfect, it could be more detail oriented, but it is not a deal breaker. The service is a bit slow and the details could be more fine tuned. Food: it was so good even the vegetarian options! The restaurant week menu was so good and I had enough left over with the porterhouse steak the size bigger than a hand! The dessert was not too sweet and the salad was huge portion. The location is at Julia Morgan's Berkeley City Club, you can't bet the view or the ambiance. Highly recommended to try! read more

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My fiend and I celebrated her birthday at Julia's. The service was lovely, the room beautiful and the food beyond satisfying. My favorite dish was the burrata alla panna appetizer, but close second was the braised short ribs. What makes this restaurant ultra special is the building it's located in. Julia's is in the Berkeley City Club and it is glorious. The staff were wonderful and inviting. We walked about the building for hours and explored the little Julia Morgan exhibit, the pool, all the rooms and nooks and crannies. Superb evening! read more

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My husband and I enjoyed an excellent meal at Julia's for our anniversary and are looking forward to returning again soon! The quality of the food, friendliness of service, and overall experience were top-notch. (And, to be honest, the service was considerably better at Julia's than that at Chez Panisse the following night.) We ordered the Pan Seared Duck Breast and Rack of Lamb as entrees (after having enjoyed the ahi tuna with avocado and mango appetizer in the lounge). Both entrees were perfectly cooked and the accompaniments wonderfully augmented the proteins, adding to the overall flavor and presentation of the dishes. We enjoyed the chocolate lava cake and orange cake for dessert, which were also delicious. Tony's service was friendly with the appropriate level of attentiveness. He happily talked us through the wine menu and brought several tastes to ensure we each had a glass that fit our palates and paired well with the entrees. Others have discussed the beautiful surroundings in the dining room, and it does feel like stepping back into the golden age of Julia Morgan's architecture. The Berkeley City Club opened in 1930, in the midst of ongoing construction at Hearst Castle, Morgan's most famous project. read more

Wow. Wow. Wow. Incredible. Have been a devoted fan for many years, but whoever the 'new' chef is (as of a year or 2 ago?) has hit their stride BIGTIME. I felt like we were at Daniel Boulud's in NYC! I say this because the presentation is phenomenal and the composition of ingredients are stellar. Just a superb dinner with awesome service and the gorgeous ambiance of Julia Morgan's 'Little Castle''s decor. Such a completely unique and special place. We are so spoiled to have this right in our town of Berkeley! read more

Excellent dinner with close friends. Love their escargot and French onion soup. Love their cocktails, too. Very convenient for Sunday supper before a Central Works Play read more

The food was phenomenal. The whole family really enjoyed the salmon in particular. The ambiance of the restaurant was calming and intimate. But by far, the best part of our experience was from our server, Mark. He not only gave us a great dining experience, but also offered us a tour of the building. It was such a lovely experience for the holidays! read more

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Four of us were there for a birthday celebration. Our waitress was lovely and very accommodating, the food was delicious, and the setting was charming and special. read more

Went there with some friends. My flat iron steak came out bloody and slimy (disgusting) and it took them forever to "recook". Everyone was done eating by the time I received my meal. read more

Julia's Restaurant - I ordered medium and got bloody raw. - French Near Me - Berkeley, California

This incredibly lovely restaurant is set inside the Berkeley Club and is a reflection of the architect Julia Morgan's greatest works. Think Hearst Castle, San Simeon. We chose this restaurant for a very special anniversary dinner and we were not disappointed. The salad was a work of art, our rack of lamb was the most tender we've tasted and each dish was prepared with attention to delicious! The fact that I (& the chef) have to work around my numerous food allergies made this meal even more deliciously remarkable. The piano bar adjacent to the dining room helped to create a very romantic ambiance for our evening. We would HIGHLY recommend Julia's to diners looking for a special meal in extraordinary surroundings. read more

Julia's Restaurant - Quinoa & Beet Salad - French Near Me - Berkeley, California

We worked our way through the entire list of top yelp / michelin guide restaurants in the entire east bay and ended the list with Julia's. The reviews talked about how beautiful the inside was, and it was very meh. The service was just so-so, and I was honestly shocked at how mediocre the food was. I think for 3 people we paid somewhere around $150, and with literally every other restaurant on the list I left fantasizing about the next time we could go, trying other things on the menu, etc. and here I left thinking "damn I could have gone back to Iyasare or Belotti Ristorante E Bottega instead of this". Maybe the dinner menu and experience is better, but I'll never know because lunch was such a disappointment. read more

This place is a hidden gem! It's a must not miss eatery of the finest quality! Mark was our waiter and was attentive, professional yet fun. He suggested some great wines, dinner options, and scrumptious desserts. The atmosphere is a castle. We felt like royalty, truly! The food quality was superb and the drinks wonderful. We will be back again and again! Mark, thank you and the kitchen team for a most memorable evening! read more

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First off let me explain how beautiful this building is. I feel like I'm a princess walking in this building. Ladies this is a true Bridgeton fantasy. What a hidden gem in Berkeley. I'm I a princess? or a queen? I feel like both. Beside the building all the staff are super sweet. Great service, Alex such an amazing bartender. Food is fantastic with such a great price. read more

Julia's Restaurant - Today special - French Near Me - Berkeley, California

UPDATE: I had dinner at Julia's Restaurant last Saturday, before attending a Central Works play on the floor below. (Theatre-goers get a 15% discount on food.) Everyone at our table enjoyed the entire eXperience and thought that the food was eXcellent. What a bonny surprise! I'LL BE BACK read more

Had the most amazing dinner at Julia's last night. The food was delicious- we ordered everything from the Stuffed Acorn Squash to the steel head trout and duck. Each order was cooked perfectly. As fantastic as the food was- the service and kindness of the staff was even better. The front desk person ran up and down stairs to make sure we got the reservation. Maria in the restaurant organised every perfectly. And Mark was a shining star of a server. Kind- so helpful going above and beyond at every turn. Thank you all! Can't wait to go back read more

This food was absolutely delicious. I went here as a Valentine's day celebration and my partner and I loved their duck. A bit hard to locate on a map, but if you do find it, it's worth every penny! read more

Afternoon tea is served on Saturdays. Bottom tray: - Finger sandwich of smoked salmon, cucumber and chèvre - Finger sandwich of curried egg salad - Caprese open sandwich with early girl - Pig in the blanket - Tart Provençal Middle tray: - Raisin scone, with Devonshire crème, butter and strawberry jam - Bomboloni - Financier Top tray: - Chou à la crème - Lemon tartlet - Macaron chocolat read more

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I've been to Julia's mostly for dinner with friends, but I came here for brunch just yesterday. I'm shocked that there seems to be little to no yelp reviews on the brunch. The food, as always, was fantastic! I was also happy to see that the waiters were accommodating to my service dog and gave him water. I know not too many places are as accomodating. Will def be coming for brunch more often! read more

Julia's Restaurant - French Toast w/ berries, whipped cream and poached egg w/ Hollandaise sauce yum - French Near Me - Berkeley, California

Service and food was wonderful Great food, nice quiet place for lunch. Could not ask for a more beautiful Julian Morgan setting. read more

Came to Julia's for dinner today, had a great time again. I think it wasn't quite as good as the first time for a couple of reasons, but it was still 4.5 stars. They just changed their menu last night, so I was excited to try some of the newer dishes. The cheese plate wasn't as good this time in my opinion, I think because the cheese just wasn't as flavorful. It might be partially my fault for not asking for more recommendations. Jam and bread were still tasty. I felt like the lamb was a little bit tough / difficult to cut through. I wasn't a huge fan of the pea puree that came with the dish, but it was definitely interesting. I think I preferred the steak dish I got last time. The mini creme brulee was a perfect size for a single person. I'm glad that they offer something like that. I think I'm used to the top of my creme brulee being a little bit harder. I prefer it to be hard on top and warm underneath, but I think the top broke apart a bit too easily for this mini creme brulee. It was honestly still super tasty and I would order it again. I'm a huge creme brulee fan no matter what pretty much. Service was still great. Super helpful that the waiter remembered my order from last time. I think the bottle of sparkling water was smaller this time, kind of an odd detail. I'd still come back here and it's one of my favorite restaurants in the area, but not quite so good that I'd become a regular considering the dishes have been a little bit hit or miss for me. read more

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We just went there for the first time with friends and were very happy with the experience. All four of us loved our dishes, great cuisine, plentiful servings, beautiful presentation. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. It isn't mentioned enough in here that the name Julia's refers to Julia Morgan, the legendary architect (the first female graduate of the school of architecture at Cal) who designed the historic gem of the Berkeley City Club where the restaurant is located. Ambience can't be beat. We'll be going back. read more

Excellent food, service, and ambiance. A "one of a kind" restaurant. The portion sizes were full-size, unlike some gourmet restaurants in Berkeley. read more

Very nice hidden gem. Julia is a traditional French cuisine restaurant (aka not necessarily a Instagram/foodie spot, not for family with kids). With that being said, the interior decoration is elegant and reminiscence of a French countryside farmhouse. The food is well-executed overall. The corn soup is sophisticated with multiple level of flavor profile. The salad has a great balance with different taste notes of vegetables. Quiche is hearty and warming. Croquette is overflowing with cheese. Portion is quite large. The overall experience is pleasant for a quiet weekend brunch. read more

The one thing I love about Restaurant Week is it opens my eyes to restaurants I had no idea even existed and finding that gem that I would return to again throughout the year, often introducing others to my new find. The location is rave worthy in itself. Nestled in the Berkeley City Club, a historic hotel, private social club, and event venue is Julia's. Named after Julia Morgan whose architecture is throughout this place, you might just feel like you are dining at Hearst Castle instead of Berkeley between campus and downtown. You ring the bell, get buzzed in and go up the stairs to the second floor where Julia's is at the right of the stairs. Unfortunately parking can be a challenge especially if you happen to be here when there is a Cal game and a Cal Performance the same night like we encountered. It ended up taking hubby almost an hour to find parking and then had to hike in since all the lots were full. Without the multiple events however, there is a lot on Ellison close by. Members get a discount when dining at Julia's so the clientele does tend to be more mature and therefore a dressier establishment (jacket not required but no jeans and sneakers either). However, it never feels stuffy, but instead intimate and quiet provided there isn't an event being held on the other side of the floor. Service was excellent and our server Jessica came around periodically to keep me company while I was waiting 40 minutes for hubby to show up because of the parking. Between the two of us, I had ordered the two appetizer choices, the steelhead and short rib for entrée, and chocolate bar and crème fraiche panna cotta for dessert. I had started on my roasted red beet appetizer while waiting and they were so considerate to hold off on the kabocha soup until he arrived so it would be nice and hot. Every bite of the roasted beets and the kabocha squash soup left you wanting more that it was a wonder there was any beets left when he arrived. The poached steelhead was perfectly cooked and tender served over a bed of spinach while the saltiness of the short ribs was offset by the creamy polenta. Personally I preferred the poached fish as the short rib was a bit too salty for me, but again, I understand that they need bold flavors to stand up to the polenta. It was probably because I had the chocolate first that made the panna cotta seem bland in comparison but I really enjoyed that chocolate ganache bar paired with a light lavender Chantilly cream. I rarely like floral flavors in my food and often lavender overpowers a dessert but this one gave me just the perfect hint of lavender to go with my rich chocolate ganache and cake bar. After dinner, we walked across the hall into what looked like their library filled with vintage books for the second time making me feel like I am in Hearst Castle or Downton Abbey's Highclere. I couldn't help but linger secretly hoping that an after dinner drink would appear in my hand along with Lady Mary. read more

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We stayed at the Berkeley City Club, which provided comped continental breakfast for guests. You service yourself like a buffet. There were coffee, tea, several juices, cereals, danishes, bagels, fresh fruit, and oatmeal. No hot food was available, unfortunately. The plates were replenished and the tables were cleared quickly so that new customers are able to enjoy their breakfast. The room was beautiful with huge windows overlooking Berkeley. Such a nice place to sit and enjoy a cup of coffee and read the paper. We wanted to dine here for dinner, but unfortunately, we weren't able to squeeze in a reservation. read more

Wow, this place is amazing! I came here on a recommendation from my friend Madison and wasn't disappointed. Just came back from London over the summer and this place serves afternoon tea the same! I will definitely be back soon to enjoy the bar area again, saw some amazing drinks and had to try then! The bartender, Mark, is really sweet. Below is a butterfly tea infused vodka drink and a Rogue Mule, which has strawberry infused vodka. Very refreshing and fresh ingredients! read more

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Excellent food and service. Old world/European ambience. I especially enjoy the seafood entrees m.

What a great little place! Located in a hotel that is nestled in a neighborhood near downtown Berkeley, I would've never found this place if it wasn't for restaurant week. Honestly, I thought we were lost when my friends and I pulled up to the location. We walked up to the front doors, rang the door bell for service, stated we were there for dinner, and were buzzed in. Julia's is on the second floor of this beautiful historic hotel. The restaurant itself is about the size of a small conference room but definitely very classy - the decor was so elegant and the service was great. I ordered the kabocha squash soup, the braised short rib, and the chocolate ganache bar. The soup could have been a bit thicker in consistency but tasted great. The braised short rib was so delicious! Every bite was melted in your mouth and full of flavor - even the sautéed kale at the bottom was yummy. I'm a huge chocolate person so the ganache bar was amazing - the lavender chantilly was a bit overpowering but it was a good pairing with the thick chocolate consistency of the rest of the dessert. If that sounds too sweet for you, I would recommend the pan cotta - very refreshing and just as good. Enjoy! read more

Julia's Restaurant - Braised short rib - French Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Came here for Berkeley Restaurant Week for my first time and 100% would come back again! The first thing I noticed was how beautIful and elegant the interior design was, and how accommodating and kind the staff were. For the appetizer, I got the beet hummus platter, which was really light and fresh! For the entree, I chose the Le Choux Fleur, which is cauliflower cake with curried apple, celery, lacinto kale, and vadouvan salad--a delicious plant based option! It was really filling, flavorful, and I left very satisfied :) read more

Julia's Restaurant - Le Choux Fleur - French Near Me - Berkeley, California

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I don't know what it is about this place that attracted Hubbers, but he REALLY wanted to try it. I was a bit hesitant since there weren't a lot of Yelp reviews and didn't really know how to feel about it. But! There was no harm in trying, so, we went. We made reservations for dinner - 830pm (TIP: This is the latest reservation you can make here.) Party of 3. It was a little tricky trying to find it as there were no visible signs outside. (It didn't help that it was dark either.) Parked across the street and decided to just figure out where it is. We noticed a few people going inside a random building, so we asked if they knew or if they were familiar with the restaurant. They told us we were at the right place. So we enter the building - huh, it's a hotel! It has that old historic feel to it. I felt like I was walking into the past. I bet these walls have stories to tell! We were informed the restaurant is upstairs. We were a bit early, so we hungout at the lounge for drinks. Wasn't long until the host called us for seating. I really adored the structure of this building, even more the inside of the restaurant. There weren't very many tables - they could probably sit 60 people at the most. We noticed every table was occupied. Our server came not too long after armed with the menus. I went for the beer, the rest of my party went for wine. We ordered the following: gougeres, chicken liver terrine, burrata cheese, roasted duck breast for Hubbers, roasted halibut for me, grilled flat iron steak (rare) for our guest. We decided on the fromage du jour as a finish. We ordered the gougeres because we had NO idea what it was, so we thought it'd be kinda cool to find out! It's cheese bread. I've had my share of cheese breads and this had some kinda WOW factor to it! It was delicious! We don't know what kinda cheese they used, we didn't care. No regrets. The terrine was also very good, especially when paired with the balsamic and the jam. The sourdough was toasted perfect and really carried the flavor of the terrine. The burrata cheese was very light and creamy. It was pretty good WITHOUT the crostini. I paired them up on the next bite - also good. We all shared our dishes. The halibut was cooked nicely. It was moist and seasoned right. Went well with the mousseline and the vinaigrette. The steak came in its perfect RARE. The polenta, however, was a little too TOO buttery - so buttery that it dominated the steak's overall flavor when put together. But overall, still good. We all agreed that although the halibut and steak were darn good, the best dish on the table was the duck. When this was ordered, our server asked, "How do you like it cooked?" We never knew this was an option for duck! She mentioned the chef would suggest medium rare - that is how it is best prepared. Who would go against a chef's suggestion, right? Not sure how they seasoned it, but that meat was nice, juicy, TENDER, yummy-licious. Paired with the kale and beans, wow. It was very impressive. We wanted a finish and chose the fromage du jour. I believe our server mentioned the cheese is English. The cheese itself was a bit strong, almost blue cheese like level, but pairing it with the peach and the crostini - thumbs up! Oh, and the presentation on all the plates! Extraordinary. Pricey, but worth it. What an amazing dinner experience. read more

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After a week deep in the mountains, I desired an elegant place in the Bay to reincorporate myself, and Julia's provided in spades. Ariel, the bar manager heard me lament the lack of available tables and was able to finagle a reservation for my friends and I. We enjoyed some of their signature cocktails, a hibiscus margarita stands as a highlight of fresh and balanced. From a fresh burrata app to the rack of lamb I felt attended to thoughtfully by our server Mark and, in fact, I probably should have taken his wine pairing recommendation. All in all a delightful dining experience, though I'd never heard of this place before. Would be happy to return read more

Terrible Service! Despite being told to come in on a Wednesday night and arriving 75 minutes before closing with several empty tables, wait staff and bartender were prohibited from waiting on us because "the General Manager says we cant serve anyone else tonight". Finally got something from the bar. Complete disorganized mess. read more

After returning to Berkeley for three years, I finally had the chance to check this place out during Berkeley Restaurant Week. As I am allergic to gluten, I asked my waiter for gluten free options. Not only did he go over them with me, he also brought out warm gluten free bread for me. This is the first time that I have the pleasure of having gluten free bread at the same time my dinner companions are enjoying their bread. I almost cried. For some reason, my arugula salad tasted extremely salty. This was the first time I have done that and my waiter brought me a freshly made salad that didn't taste like a salt lick. My sole was good, but my friend's treasure box mushroom risotto was to die for. I ended the night with the creme brulee. Took a star off because it took over 20 minutes to split our bill. Thank you for making a gluten free person's night! read more

We reserved a table for 7pm but weren't seated until 7:35. Appetizers were okay despite that the portion size is huge compare to normal French restaurants. Love the blue cheese. Since there were four of us we decided to order four of the five entree so we can try most (no duck). The pasta is actually the best one and I would definitely go again just for it. The acidity is amazing and the house made pasta is just of the right texture. The sole is quiet nice. Nicely seasoned and seared. The pork and beef tenderloins were total disappoints. We ordered medium rare for the steak and medium for the pork but they showed up both medium well. Very chewy and there really wasn't much flavor. The plating was very "american fastfood style"： a pile of mash potato with a pile of green beans under the beef and a pile of cabbage under the pork. The only highlight at the second half is our waitress. She is such a sweetheart. Sorry I don't quiet remember her name (so bad at names). Overall a three star. I would go again for the wild mushroom but others are just nah read more

Julia's Restaurant - French Near Me - Berkeley, California

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Grand dinner in an equally grand space. The stuffed squash was dark and savory, perfect vegetarian comfort for a cold winter night. For balance, have the lemon Creme brûlée for a bright citrus finish. Wait staff were cheerful and crisply efficient. This is truly one of Berkeley's many gems. read more

Beautiful quiet space in a glorious historical building. Exceeded my expectations. Traditional French food and attentive professional service. read more

service was excellent, food was excellent drinks were excellent, and prices were excellent: constructive comment and a suggestion: the employees need to be dressed more formally and the china and dishes should be of better quality. Other than that a definite 4.5 stars. read more

Julia's is housed in the Berkeley City Club, one of the loveliest buildings in the Bay Area. Formerly the Berkeley Women's Club, it was designed by Julia Morgan, after whom the restaurant it named. It's worth it to eat here just so you can come in, wander around and admire this amazing building. We came here for an anniversary lunch. We ate on the veranda, which overlooks the courtyard garden. The dining area is covered by fabric & has lights and heating lamps, so we were quite comfortable although the weather was cool. Food was great, the server was prompt, attentive and gracious, and the setting was to die for. Tables were spaced at least 6 ft. apart, and the waiter as very careful, so we felt quite safe. read more