Chez Panisse Cafe

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1517 Shattuck Ave (at at Vine)
Berkeley, CA 94709

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(510) 548-5525
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Chez Panisse Cafe - Berkeley, CA
Chez Panisse Cafe - Berkeley, CA
Chez Panisse Cafe - Berkeley, CA
Chez Panisse Cafe - Berkeley, CA
Chez Panisse Cafe - Berkeley, CA
Chez Panisse Cafe - Berkeley, CA
Chez Panisse Cafe - Berkeley, CA
Chez Panisse Cafe - Berkeley, CA
Chez Panisse Cafe - Berkeley, CA
Chez Panisse Cafe - Berkeley, CA
Reviews
( 31 )
( 12 )
( 10 )
( 7 )
( 6 )

Best

The legend that rocked American cuisine continues to delight with simple farm fresh goods cooked into complex flavors. Simple elegance

Worst

The last time that I was there, 2 years ago, it seemed very tired... there was no ""WOW"" to the food nor the service like at Gary Danko... or another that SHOULD be on your list....

Not that ""world class"" 4/17/2006

It was interesting that The Worlds 50 Best Restaurant 2006 list put Chez Panisse at #20 this year. After reading that and not having been (downstairs) for quite a few years we had to give it a try. I must confess that my expectations werent that high; however, Im sad to report that my experience was even lower that my expectations. The Feuillete of asparagus was so underwhelming it could have been served anywhere. The most unjust was the lobster and razor clam risotto. The dish, lovely in theory failed miserably in practice. The actual lobster was overdone and its presence limited as was the dish itself. It desperately cried out for salt to give it a flavor above bland. The best dish of the evening was the Black Sea Bass with fresh fava beans and spring onion over a Jerusalem artichoke puree. Also disappointing is the wine list. Pros: Service, Food Icon Cons: Food , Parking more
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salty! 4/9/2006

we went there on a saturday night... the service was good, but the food left me unsatisfied. i don't know if it was just bad luck, but our food ended up on the salty and greasy side for the most part! the tuna tartar came with some oil dressing that overwhelmed the flavor of the fish. the entrees were also on the salty side too! whta a disappointment. great ingredients, but too much salt; what a waste. more
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Underwhelmed 2/23/2006

This place is all hype with no delivery. My best friend came in from out of town on his 30th birthday and four of us went here for dinner. The menu is sparse at best. After looking at the menu we all looked at each other like is this for real. There was nothing substantial on the menu. So we decided to stay and went grazing. The food is very simple as are the flavors. The quality of the ingredients make the food what it is and not the methods of preparation. The service was cold and the staff seemed like they had an air or superiority. I never understand when service industry workers cop attitude. There are many better restaurants out there that are not clinging to the glory days of being the birthplace of California cuisine. Cons: Lackluster Menu, Poor Service more
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Over Rated 2/10/2006

We went to the down stair's dining room for my birthday. Even though, we had a reservation, we still had to wait one hour for our table. After we had our dinner, we were all still hungry, we had to go to another restaurant for more food. In addition, there were too many homeless people around the restaurant. This place is very over-rated. Big disappointment. Cons: Not enough food, no atmosphere, no choices more
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the best lunch i've ever tasted 10/5/2005

i hadn't heard much about the infamous Chez Panisse when I ate here, so I had no expectations. Lunch upstairs at the Cafe simply blew me away. It was the best meal I have ever eaten. If you are someone who likes many different colorful combinations of flavors and spices, you might not appreciate Cafe Panisse, because the style of cooking isn't intricate or loud. But Cafe Panisse is like nothing I've ever tasted. The quality of the ingredients are incomparable. The chefs picked a few key natural flavors out of each dish and arranged the entire meal so these flavors stood out boldly. It's the ingredients themselves that speak for the entire meal. I highly recommend this restaurant. It has moved up to the top of my ""favorites"" list. Pros: fresh ingredients Cons: small more
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Not Wowed 5/16/2005

I've wanted to eat at Chez Panisse for years (We live in Texas) and finally got the chance. Although the food was nicely prepared, there were no spectacular dishes. Fresh ingredients prepared simply is nice but not worthy of top notch billing. My main beef - EVERYONE eats the same thing. Everyone at your table or any other table. You never see any variation. IMHO top notch restaurants have to be able to serve 20 or more perfect dishes each night. NOT 4. Sorry, won't be back. Pros: Nice food Cons: Expensive, Little variety more
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still the best 2/14/2005

this is my favorite restaurant, and i'd say the most high quality food i've had. i don't mean high quality because it's ""gourmet"" or because of a chi chi atmosphere (which it certainly doesn't have in the cafe--if anything, it's cramped, a bit noisy, and the wooden benched hurt your tush after a while). i mean that the food, especially the vegetables, are incredible. the vegetarian entrees are so tasty--i didn't know veges could be that good! even my carnivorous boyfriend couldn't stop eating the vege couscous dish i ordered. nothing is too salty or too garlicky or too anything, but every dish has plenty of flavor. the entree portions are surprisingly large. salads can be a bit skimpy. Monday-Thursdays they have a three-course prix fixe menu for about $27. Pros: the best ingredients, not too salty Cons: cramped, okay service, hard benches more
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Overpriced bland, boring food 1/12/2005

We were very disappointed with our lunch at Chez Panisse Cafe. It is definitely over-hyped and should not have such a high rating. The food was very bland and boring - not at all innovative. I should have read the last review before I went with my family. I could have had a much better meal, at half the price, elsewhere! more
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No WOW, just solid cooking 1/9/2005

Last Saturday our dinner was impecably prepared, but there was nothing on the menu that was innovative or in the least bit provacative. It was just simple flavors prepared at their most expert level. And yes, I was slightly disappointed. The service was average. I would have liked the plates cleared a bit faster and I've had waiters that were more attentive about filling wine glasses. But we weren't hassled for bringing our own wine selections (as I worried we might be). All in all, I won't be making a trip back. I'd always wanted to eat there, but was really hoping for more. There are a lot more innovative/interesting restaurants in the bay area. If you're looking for safe and impecable, this is it. Pros: impecible preparation, clear, simple flavors Cons: , nothing innovative more
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nouveau tourist trap 6/22/2004

The place over the years has become a hectic tourist trap. It even sells souvenirs in the form of books. Will keyfobs be next? The food is good but seldom inventive instead relying on ingredients named after the producers -- Bobs Lettuce, for example. This is part of the pretense of the place that impresses the tourists I guess. Unfortunately it appeals to an over 60 (or70) crowd nowadays. Lot of white shoes. The entire complex has not been the same since a friend of the owners rated laughable as the top restaurant in the country. It's not even the top restaurant in the Bay Area anymore. Pros: quality ingredients Cons: , disorganized, trendy for older folk more
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calidomination 4/7/2004

I go to chez panisse semi-regularly, but last month was the first time with our little baby. The reservation person on the phone tried to dissuade us from bringing him, but he's too small to stay home, so we called again: second time was a charm. We went on a Monday for the 2nd service. Everything was perfect. They secured the table by the kitchen so we could park the baby car seat in the corner. Food was as amazing as ever: bright focused flavor that explode in your mouth. When I requested the candied lemon rinds that I had before at the end of the meal, the waiter explained they don't usually serve them on Mondays but he brought some for me. Nice touch. Pros: california's best, beyond expectation->, food and service Cons: , to find one more
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Dining Could Have Been Better 4/5/2004

I went with a friend because we had heard of its reputation - they have a chef who is among top 10 celebrity chefs (Citysearch Editors pick). After being seated, for first 15 minutes we only had water service. During the third refill, I asked if we could get anything else but water. Shortly, a waiter came. We ordered a bottle of Pinot Noir. It came 5 minutes later. This restaurant has only one fixed menu a night. That Tuesday, if you didnt like pork and ice-cream you were out of luck. Artichoke salad was good. Main course consisted of 4 slices of pork loin. Slices were largely overlapping, so that (good) sauce couldnt get to the majority of the meat. Pork was tasteless as cardboard. In the bill they included 15% tip (they call it service). This was first time ever that my friend and I gave no tip. Pros: Food Quality Cons: , Services and Parking, Business Philosophy more
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Exceeded Expectations 3/21/2004

Chez Panisse has quite a reputation, the bar was set very high and they jumped right over it! Perfection in dining without being pretentious. more
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Not up to Par 3/14/2004

I had been waiting a year to go to Chez Panisse and sadly the food was not all it is cracked up to be and definitely not worth the money. The food was prepared with perfect technique and looked great, but was decidedly light on flavor. I have been to many other top-rated restaurants around the country which lived up to their repuation... Chez Panisse did not. Go to Liason, Betelnut, Chow, Ebisu, Slanted Door, Izzy's, Amber India. All great Bay Area restaurants. Just don't go to Chez Panisse expecting world class food. Pros: Great Atmosphere Cons: , Slow service more
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Worth it, but pricey!! 1/26/2004

After all the hype about Chez Panisse, I finally went to the Cafe because my girlfriend's pseudo-vegetarian diet prevented us from going to the downstairs restaurant (fixed menu, mostly meat). The cafe's ambience was fantastic, the food was phenomenal, but so was the price tag ($180 for 2 w/ wine). ""Cafe""? Yeah, whatever!!! Pros: Food, Wine, Service Cons: $$$ for a cafe, non? more
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Lives up to high expectations 6/9/2003

It is rare that a ""living legend"" can match unbelievably high expectations, but this one definitely delivered. The food (and the philosophy behind it) is wonderful, and the atmosphere is perfect (not nearly as stuffy as most top-notch places). While everyone is entitled to their opinions, I'm really confused how the disgruntled reviewers on this list got so upset or had bad experiences. Perhaps they dont like having no choices, or perhaps they didnt like that evenings menu (not that I understand how that would be possible). But, at least for my night in Berkley, I walked away feeling unbelievably pleased with my experience at this temple of California cuisine. Pros: Service, Philosophy about food, Quality more
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next 12/27/2002

Very slow service,2 1/2 hours for lunch! arrogant attitude from the maitre d'. On hearing my complaint, his reply was ""I don't understand how you could be unsatisfied, all my other guests are very happy!. The food was just ok, but not worth the price. The overall presentation was very poor, the cheese plate at $8.50 was three small fingers of cheese served with the same bread as with lunch. No garnish, fruit or chutney or colour. At these prices and the reputation of cp, we were all very dissapointed. A world class restaurant, I don't think so! Pros: nice waitress, clean Cons: slow service, arrogant attitude, poor quality food more
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wow wow wow 12/17/2002

all i can say is that the food was out of sight. we started with a romaine salad covered in a green godess dressing (avocado/oil) and pickled beets. for the main we had a nice light pasta dish with fresh clams, at first i thought it was bit salty but by the time i finished i discovered that it was perfect. for desert we split the cheese selection and a stuffed pare with fresh vanilla ice cream. the wine selection was also fair, only very expensive. they do have a cork fee so i would suggest spending the extra $15 to bring your own. they allow you two bottles. all i know is we loved it and with a bottle of wine and tip it was under $150 for the two of us. the prefix was only $26 per person so you can eat here reasonably cheap. Pros: super fresh, romantic, great servers Cons: little small more
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Excellent Food 9/18/2002

Food tasted fresh and delicious. Service was great. Would highly recommend this restaurant. Pros: Excellent Food Cons: Crowded more
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good but not great 9/4/2002

Coming from New York, we were ready to be wowed. We weren't. The meal was ok, not great. The course we liked the best (gnocchi with morels) was so small ""it wouldn't hurt your foot if you fell on it."" But we appreciated what they try to do here: we ate in April, when there isn't a lot fresh available, and as someone who cooks, I learned a lot. Cooking from the books makes better food than we ate there that night, though Pros: service, decor, wine list Cons: lack of choices, pacing of the meal more
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Menu for Chez Panisse Cafe


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Editorial

  • The Scene
    Located upstairs in the same wood-paneled Craftsman bungalow as Chez Panisse, the Cafe is where Berkeley's literati toast their successes over rustic French- and...

  • 12/7/2006 Provided by Citysearch
Additional information
  • Hours: Mon.-Sat. 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m.; Mon.-Thu. 5 p.m.-10:30 p.m.; Fri.-Sat. 5 p.m.-11:30 p.m.
  • Payments: American Express, Diner's Club, Visa, Discover, Master Card
  • Neighborhoods: North Berkeley
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