Chez Panisse Cafe

I wasn't as wowed by the food as I expected. The ingredients are very fresh and the food well cooked, but I think the flavors are too simple. I lik... more

oh yeah its so good when i go there with my girlfriend, we end up ordering... 3 or 4 apetizers, 2 entrees,... more

excellent and upbeat service great menu quality is obvious when you smell and taste the food cheaper... more

oh yeah its so good when i go there with my girlfriend, we end up ordering... 3 or 4 apetizers, 2 entrees, and 2 deserts more

excellent and upbeat service great menu quality is obvious when you smell and taste the food cheaper (generally) that the chez panisse downstair... more

This is of the two best restaurants in the world I have been to (my other favorite is Babbo in NYC). The decor is warm and inviting. I have always been treated with warm, attentative, non-pretentious service, and have been floored, each time, by the freshness of the food and the depth and amazing combinations of the flavors. This is all the more impressive with the ever-changing menu. The wine recommendations are always excellent. In my experience (I have been here a handful of times), it is absolutely consistent in its quality. I have a friend who used to work in the kitchen, and vouches for the meticulous preparation of the food. Everything is hand-made. The experience of eating here is worth every penny.\r \r I must sound like I work for them, but trust me, I don't! I'm just a poor graduate student who gets her parents to take her here every time they come to town. Pros: Food, service, atmosphere more

From the low-lit candles to the warm hospitality, Chez Panisse definetly lives up to its reputation. We ordered the pork shoulder and the duck breast and were plesantly surprised by the tenderness of the meat and the flavors from both dishes. The service was wonderful and the meals brought to the table quickly and most importantly, very hot. We would definetly return at any opportunity. more

My family and I ate there this Wednesday and were very disappointed. Over the past few years we have eaten in the Cafe and Restaurant several times and felt that it was well worth the hype and price. The other night, however, our experience in the Cafe was very mediocre. Before, it seemed like both the service and food were well calculated and top notch. The lincod with scallops was served cold (it tasted like it was sitting around the kitchen for awhile before it reached our table) and the spaghetti with sqid was bland and all of our dishes lacked the usual amazing fresh garnishes (the short rib and polenta were pretty good though). For dessert, our pudding tasted like it could have been bought from Whole Foods and the apple tart was different (in a bad way) than before. Our service was terrible (he more concerned that everyone's watercup did not go past the half way line)... we waited a good 20 minutes to put our order in (and we had to flag him down) and it took us a good 10 minutes to get our check after our dessert. I'm hoping last night was a fluke, but I do not think I will be going back for long time... has anyone else experienced this lately? What happened? Pros: Good Ambience still Cons: not worth the price/hype this time, service, presentation, cold food more

Chez Panisse is fresh. It's all about taking simple ingredients and making it into healthy, fun food! Alice Water is amazing. For my appetizer, I had a dungenous crab salad and it was spectacular. For the who prefer non-alcoholic beverages, I highly recommend getting a bottle of grape juice. I swear it tastes just like wine. more

One of the five best meals I've had. Super service and ambiance, but the food is out of this world. Excellent all the way around. more

There's not much to say that hasn't already been said. The food downstairs is wonderful. Some of the dishes... more

although fr/the outside it isn't quite impressive and easy to miss when driving down shattuck, chez panisse... more

There's not much to say that hasn't already been said. The food downstairs is wonderful. Some of the dishes at the cafe upstairs are hit-or-miss.... more

although fr/the outside it isn't quite impressive and easy to miss when driving down shattuck, chez panisse serves excellent dishes w/professional ... more

The interior was very nice but the food was bland and uninspiring. I do not understand why this restaurant is so highly rated-requiring reservations so far in advance. Sure, organic food is great and I believe in supporting that. But it must TASTE good. Very disappointed. Pros: the ambiance is nice Cons: the food!!!and the price more

My wife and I are well traveled and well eaten to say the very least.\r We are lucky enough to have sampled culinary exellence the world over and are consistently disappointed with California's offerings.\r That is, until we visited Chez Penisse on the advice of a friend. \r Harking originally from London, where good food is expected and often found, we felt like we'd come home. \r Sophisticated, innovative, delicate and tasty are just some adjectives that go a little way to describing what a remarkable eating experience this restaurant offers.\r The food is essentially simple but never fails to hold your interest. \r We started with a salad and raw halibut, both outstanding in their respective finesse. \r I had the duck to follow, the best example of the meat I've had the pleasure to have tried in some time, while my wife chose the king salmon which was served with a mint, chive and cream sauce. It was heavenly, as were the glasses of wine that were available on the 'mini' menu. We did not order a bottle as we were driving. Luckily, I was the designated drinker and was able to enjoy a fine Cote du Rhone followed by a charming Moscat-de-Beaume-de-Venise to accompany my 'affogato' coffee and ice cream desert.\r In short, I can't recommend this restaurant highly enough, given that I live in Los Angeles, where one can drive 50 miles, bend over backwards and still often end up rather disappointed with the meal you get at the end of it.\r Book early and enjoy! more

I visited Chez Panisse downstairs for the 2nd time last night on an impromptu blind date - it was the perfect spot. I had forgotten had intimate, cozy the downstairs space is. Exactly like eating in someone's dining room. Although the room was filled, you feel like you have your own little space, conversations are hushed enough and despite the cozy interior space, you still feel like you have privacy.\r \r The food was amazing. So simple yet fresh and favorful. The herbs and light oils hint as well as emphasize. We started with eggplant wrapped over ricotta cheese salad - it was interestingly balanced. The eggplant and frisee were light and summery while the cheese gave it substance. The entree was quail kebabs, and while it was a bit tricky pulling the quail legs off the kebab sticks and trying to get the meat off the bones in a polite manner, the sauce and flavors were superb. Each dish came at the right time b/c after the main course, we were both feeling full. Dessert was a delightful summery concotion of fresh peach half drizzled with a cream sauce and fresh berries. Yum!\r \r The date started a bit awkwardly but the food gave us an additional topic when there were those awkward pauses. Whew! :) Pros: Ambience, decent parking, great service Cons: Book in advance & fixed menu more

I've been there 3 times over many years. It lives up to its reputation. But i think it became overpriced. Last time i had a stew of calamari, amazing with its flavors and freshness. I'm not a calamari-octopus eater, but i was intrigued by that dish. Hats off!\r My friend had a kinda sauerkraut with homemade sausage (very good) and roasted of pork (still pink!) I wasn't used to pink pork, but my friend told me that it's common.\r Pros: Hat off for its creativity Cons: Expensive more

We went here for my girlfriend's grandmother's birthday. It was loud inside, and paries of five get seated at booths with a chair at the end--to share the aisle with servers and people walking to the restrooms. The menu is not exactly imaginative. It is a nice selection of food. We had morel mushroom lasagna which was bland, though the pasta was just right and the mushrooms were tasty. I had the pork, which... tasted like a good piece of pork. And some sea bass, which was (like the pork) good fish. But for all of the hype, I was expecting more. I guess that is not their fault, right? Pros: Great Service Cons: Over-rated more

My husband and I have eaten downstairs a handful of times. The best food we have ever eaten was at Chez Panisse. The fixed menu is no worry -- even foods you think you don't like you will love there.\r \r The winelist is impressive and reasonably priced, so you are better off ordering from it than paying corkage. Pros: Great food, beautiful building, excellent service Cons: Very hard to get reservations more