superb. small menu as in one choice. so your annoying aunt who takes forever to order won’t have a chance to be indecisive. Also I learned about d’arbo syrups here. I love their elderflower flavor. One can use it instead of st germain. And at about 60 percent of the cost! also recommend her bio !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Julia Steck
I loved everything about this restaurant. We had lunch at the cafe upstairs and brought our young daughter. From the moment we walked in, we felt so welcomed and comfortable. The team offers a true expression of hospitality. The food is of course fresh and delicious, and the space itself is beautiful. Definitely recommend and hope to return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
jerry lewis
Just took the family out to eat here what a wonderful experience. The food was excellent, and the service was top-notch. A real treat for all of us. My son and daughter are grown with kids and it was great to see everyone enjoy the food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sanjay Pichaiah
Bit overrated.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Siwei Shen
Ambience is awesome! Food is average, considering the $175 price tag. The main course is particularly disappointing.
What annoyed us was that the restaurant charged 11.9% tax on the food (as opposed to the lawful 10.25% for Alameda County). Upon inquiry, the manager said tax was calculated on top of the subtotal plus 17% mandatory service charge. Ok, it wasn’t great but not unheard of either. But the way the line items were laid out in the bill (see photo) clearly indicated the restaurant’s attempt to obfuscate this.
Unfortunately, mandatory service fee and tax on top of service fee have become an increasingly common practice in the Bay Area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Trian Gunney
Staff is the definition of professional and classy. food is wholesome and perfection
S Sallehy
I think this place used to be epic but hasn't kept it's original commitment to excellence. The food was ok. The quality of ingredients were very good and showed a lot of promise but the main dish was a huge bust. Butter beans were not seasoned or fully cooked. I've never met a butter bean I didn't like until I had it here at Chez Panisse. The lamb was so undercooked you had to really wrestle with your knife to cut it. The chantrelle soufle tasted like an eggwhite omlette and more appropriate for a breakfast or lunch at best. The wine pairings were really lovely. But all in all, even if our bill was a quarter of what it was I wouldn't go back. I was sad to see that the culinary innovation of this historic place is all but gone. Save yourself the $600 bill and go anywhere else.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Tim Odom
Chez Panisse – A $700 Disappointment at the Icon of Farm-to-Table Dining
Chez Panisse, founded by Alice Waters and celebrated as the birthplace of California’s farm-to-table movement, carries a legendary reputation. The setting remains charming — rustic, warm, and inviting. But our recent dinner, a prix fixe menu with a $95 wine pairing, fell far short of what such an institution should deliver.
From the start, we were seated beside an excessively loud party, which undercut the atmosphere. Service was slow, detached, and indifferent. Our table was even served the wrong course, a misstep that’s hard to excuse in a set-menu format where timing and pairings should be precise.
The food had uneven moments: the lamb, intended as a highlight, was unexpectedly tough and uninspiring. The wine pairing, which we had carefully selected, was mishandled — the dessert wine never came with its course. Instead, two wines and tea were dropped at the very end of the evening, long after the intended pairing had meaning. For a restaurant of this stature, that mistake was particularly glaring.
The bill came to $700, and while Chez Panisse’s legacy suggests excellence in every detail, the experience instead felt scattered, inattentive, and unfinished.
Chez Panisse is an icon of American dining and farm-to-table philosophy, but this visit fell far short of its history, its reputation, and its price tag.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 1
Rachel
Thank you for the delicious food and service
Rodney
Good options in the menu. Outstanding quality. Pleasant atmosphere. Decent Service
It’s always good to visit Chez Panisse, my late sister’s favorite. We had reservations for 7:45 but had to wait to be seated, and the maître d’ didn’t explain the menu or that a waiter would take our order—he even served the wrong starters. Busy night aside, the food was excellent: Borlotti bean salad, braised lamb with polenta, David’s molasses ginger cake, plus a great wine selection. Top-notch quality, though service could improve.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
I H
The food was fresh and not pretentious. The staff was friendly, attentive, and also not pretentious. Each course played perfectly with the last. I cleaned my plates. Don't get me started on the dessert. And we were able to tour the kitchen and even had a quick conversation with a couple of the chefs. Totally awesome! Very special restaurant for very special occasions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lakshmi Ramgopal
It is definitely an icon not to be missed Fresh food and fantastic flavors
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Siduo Jiang
Food near as some of the best we've had. Service is not that you'd expect in the Bay area. I'd recommend using the bathrooms at the USPS next door though.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 5
John Konkus
Everything about it, the history, the atmosphere, the service and of course the food was perfect. 🤌
superb. small menu as in one choice. so your annoying aunt who takes forever to order won’t have a chance to be indecisive. Also I learned about d’arbo syrups here. I love their elderflower flavor. One can use it instead of st germain. And at about 60 percent of the cost! also recommend her bio !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I loved everything about this restaurant. We had lunch at the cafe upstairs and brought our young daughter. From the moment we walked in, we felt so welcomed and comfortable. The team offers a true expression of hospitality. The food is of course fresh and delicious, and the space itself is beautiful. Definitely recommend and hope to return.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Just took the family out to eat here what a wonderful experience. The food was excellent, and the service was top-notch. A real treat for all of us. My son and daughter are grown with kids and it was great to see everyone enjoy the food.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bit overrated.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 3
Service: 2
Ambience is awesome!
Food is average, considering the $175 price tag. The main course is particularly disappointing.
What annoyed us was that the restaurant charged 11.9% tax on the food (as opposed to the lawful 10.25% for Alameda County). Upon inquiry, the manager said tax was calculated on top of the subtotal plus 17% mandatory service charge. Ok, it wasn’t great but not unheard of either. But the way the line items were laid out in the bill (see photo) clearly indicated the restaurant’s attempt to obfuscate this.
Unfortunately, mandatory service fee and tax on top of service fee have become an increasingly common practice in the Bay Area.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Staff is the definition of professional and classy. food is wholesome and perfection
I think this place used to be epic but hasn't kept it's original commitment to excellence. The food was ok. The quality of ingredients were very good and showed a lot of promise but the main dish was a huge bust. Butter beans were not seasoned or fully cooked. I've never met a butter bean I didn't like until I had it here at Chez Panisse. The lamb was so undercooked you had to really wrestle with your knife to cut it. The chantrelle soufle tasted like an eggwhite omlette and more appropriate for a breakfast or lunch at best. The wine pairings were really lovely. But all in all, even if our bill was a quarter of what it was I wouldn't go back. I was sad to see that the culinary innovation of this historic place is all but gone. Save yourself the $600 bill and go anywhere else.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 2
Service: 1
Chez Panisse – A $700 Disappointment at the Icon of Farm-to-Table Dining
Chez Panisse, founded by Alice Waters and celebrated as the birthplace of California’s farm-to-table movement, carries a legendary reputation. The setting remains charming — rustic, warm, and inviting. But our recent dinner, a prix fixe menu with a $95 wine pairing, fell far short of what such an institution should deliver.
From the start, we were seated beside an excessively loud party, which undercut the atmosphere. Service was slow, detached, and indifferent. Our table was even served the wrong course, a misstep that’s hard to excuse in a set-menu format where timing and pairings should be precise.
The food had uneven moments: the lamb, intended as a highlight, was unexpectedly tough and uninspiring. The wine pairing, which we had carefully selected, was mishandled — the dessert wine never came with its course. Instead, two wines and tea were dropped at the very end of the evening, long after the intended pairing had meaning. For a restaurant of this stature, that mistake was particularly glaring.
The bill came to $700, and while Chez Panisse’s legacy suggests excellence in every detail, the experience instead felt scattered, inattentive, and unfinished.
Chez Panisse is an icon of American dining and farm-to-table philosophy, but this visit fell far short of its history, its reputation, and its price tag.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 1
Thank you for the delicious food and service
Good options in the menu. Outstanding quality. Pleasant atmosphere. Decent Service
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Restaurantji Recommends
It’s always good to visit Chez Panisse, my late sister’s favorite. We had reservations for 7:45 but had to wait to be seated, and the maître d’ didn’t explain the menu or that a waiter would take our order—he even served the wrong starters. Busy night aside, the food was excellent: Borlotti bean salad, braised lamb with polenta, David’s molasses ginger cake, plus a great wine selection. Top-notch quality, though service could improve.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
The food was fresh and not pretentious. The staff was friendly, attentive, and also not pretentious. Each course played perfectly with the last. I cleaned my plates. Don't get me started on the dessert. And we were able to tour the kitchen and even had a quick conversation with a couple of the chefs. Totally awesome! Very special restaurant for very special occasions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
It is definitely an icon not to be missed
Fresh food and fantastic flavors
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 3
Food near as some of the best we've had. Service is not that you'd expect in the Bay area. I'd recommend using the bathrooms at the USPS next door though.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 5
Service: 5
Everything about it, the history, the atmosphere, the service and of course the food was perfect. 🤌
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
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