If you have a chance to dine downstairs at the restaurant GO! This is my favorite special occasion place. The food is always so delicious. I love the fixed menu with its delightful surprises. The service is friendly and attentive, never intrusive. And the dining room is gorgeous, full of people enjoying themselves.Vegetarian options: Request this in advanceDietary restrictions: Request in advance
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Boligala Raju
Excellent food with fresh and innovative
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Bysshe Easton
Great, food and expertly prepared but a little less creative than other options around this price point for the fixed menu. Still excellent overall. Would like to try the cafe next time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Micah Helle
From the moment I showed up for lunch in the cafe as a party of one I received excellent service.Sunchoke and carrot soup, chanterelle pasta, and blood orange sorbet. Sparking pear cider Bev. All simple and elegant homages to ingredients esp California citrus.Dessert was the stand out and prices were reasonable for quality. I can't wait to try the course meal downstairs!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Howard Mordoh
Best of Berkeley and San
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Lathe Gill
Upscale, famous farm to table with a fixed menu each day. Several parts of the meal were extraordinary. The prosecco aperitif and the non-alcoholic citrus sage alternative were pleasant. The bread was very good. The chicory salad had good texture and complex, subtle flavor. The Monterey Bay squid pasta was phenomenal. it had tart, complex sauce with delicious and crunchy bread crumbs and perfect fresh pasta. The steak, alas, was oversalted and too rare for three of our party of four. They served with it a small piece of roasted meat that was wonderful. But the steak itself was disappointing and not very big. The dessert, a hazelnut éclair, was also exceptional, with honey and nuts and candied kumquat slices. The meal finished with tiny shortbread cookies work berry centers and chocolate dusted almonds and a very light mint tea. At the end, I don't think I liked it as well as when I visited the upstairs Cafe several years before. But the service was very attentive and friendly. The kitchen is visible and very interesting - and clean. Much about the meal was excellent. But I can't help feeling disappointed when three of the guests disliked the main course.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Lou Cornum
We had lunch in the cafe on a rainy day. The atmosphere and surrounds of the upstairs were so warm and welcoming. However service was spotty. We were given the wrong dish once and multiple times were left without serving utensils. The food overall was excellent. Every vegetable tasted like the essence of its flavor plus more. But the main chicken dish had a very uninspired accompaniment (a puree) that led to watery plating. Dessert, a ginger cake, was a perfect ending. The service charge business was not. If it costs more to run the restaurant why not reflect this in the prices rather than a confusing extra charge?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Natasha Bajc
Its still an amazing food place. Everything is precise..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Monica Silva-Gutierrez
Never disappoints. Food was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Amir Massood Abdolahzadeh
Chez Panisse restaurant offers excellent service and a wonderful atmosphere. However, while the food was satisfactory, it didn't quite meet expectations. Additionally, the menu of the day, although ok, felt excessively overpriced at $500 for two people, including one beer and one glass of wine.Wheelchair accessibility: Not accessible
The vegetarian food, spot-on service and ambiance in the Cafe were wonderful. Our server, Lucas, went far above and beyond after we inquired about the history of the restaurant, giving us a brief tour of the Cafe (including the amazing view from the front "porch") as well as the first floor restaurant and even the kitchen! Amazing! These Minnesotans were duly impressed and grateful!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
David Sweeney
Every time I eat at Chez Panisse I wonder how it's possible for each leaf of lettuce to be perfect. How each slash of oil in a soup, each tender bite of pasta, every perfectly braised piece of meat can just be so - freaking - perfect.I don't know. It just is. Thank you again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Barbara Loughrey
Has the great chef learn how to cook risottos? No! Hard and disgusting! This place is not worth your money! Time to retire lady!
If you have a chance to dine downstairs at the restaurant GO! This is my favorite special occasion place. The food is always so delicious. I love the fixed menu with its delightful surprises. The service is friendly and attentive, never intrusive. And the dining room is gorgeous, full of people enjoying themselves.Vegetarian options: Request this in advanceDietary restrictions: Request in advance
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Excellent food with fresh and innovative
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4
Great, food and expertly prepared but a little less creative than other options around this price point for the fixed menu. Still excellent overall. Would like to try the cafe next time.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
From the moment I showed up for lunch in the cafe as a party of one I received excellent service.Sunchoke and carrot soup, chanterelle pasta, and blood orange sorbet. Sparking pear cider Bev. All simple and elegant homages to ingredients esp California citrus.Dessert was the stand out and prices were reasonable for quality. I can't wait to try the course meal downstairs!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Best of Berkeley and San
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Upscale, famous farm to table with a fixed menu each day. Several parts of the meal were extraordinary. The prosecco aperitif and the non-alcoholic citrus sage alternative were pleasant. The bread was very good. The chicory salad had good texture and complex, subtle flavor. The Monterey Bay squid pasta was phenomenal. it had tart, complex sauce with delicious and crunchy bread crumbs and perfect fresh pasta. The steak, alas, was oversalted and too rare for three of our party of four. They served with it a small piece of roasted meat that was wonderful. But the steak itself was disappointing and not very big. The dessert, a hazelnut éclair, was also exceptional, with honey and nuts and candied kumquat slices. The meal finished with tiny shortbread cookies work berry centers and chocolate dusted almonds and a very light mint tea. At the end, I don't think I liked it as well as when I visited the upstairs Cafe several years before. But the service was very attentive and friendly. The kitchen is visible and very interesting - and clean. Much about the meal was excellent. But I can't help feeling disappointed when three of the guests disliked the main course.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
We had lunch in the cafe on a rainy day. The atmosphere and surrounds of the upstairs were so warm and welcoming. However service was spotty. We were given the wrong dish once and multiple times were left without serving utensils. The food overall was excellent. Every vegetable tasted like the essence of its flavor plus more. But the main chicken dish had a very uninspired accompaniment (a puree) that led to watery plating. Dessert, a ginger cake, was a perfect ending. The service charge business was not. If it costs more to run the restaurant why not reflect this in the prices rather than a confusing extra charge?
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 3
Its still an amazing food place. Everything is precise..
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Never disappoints. Food was
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Chez Panisse restaurant offers excellent service and a wonderful atmosphere. However, while the food was satisfactory, it didn't quite meet expectations. Additionally, the menu of the day, although ok, felt excessively overpriced at $500 for two people, including one beer and one glass of wine.Wheelchair accessibility: Not accessible
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 2
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad
Restaurantji Recommends
The vegetarian food, spot-on service and ambiance in the Cafe were wonderful. Our server, Lucas, went far above and beyond after we inquired about the history of the restaurant, giving us a brief tour of the Cafe (including the amazing view from the front "porch") as well as the first floor restaurant and even the kitchen! Amazing! These Minnesotans were duly impressed and grateful!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Every time I eat at Chez Panisse I wonder how it's possible for each leaf of lettuce to be perfect. How each slash of oil in a soup, each tender bite of pasta, every perfectly braised piece of meat can just be so - freaking - perfect.I don't know. It just is. Thank you again.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Has the great chef learn how to cook risottos? No! Hard and disgusting! This place is not worth your money! Time to retire lady!
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 1
Service: 3
It's always a pleasure to dine here.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Salad
Will visit it again for sure!
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 4