The $1M spent on the room shows. They took Paris's Hotel Pigalle ALA 2010 inspired black building, pink and brass chic and placed it in the heart of the fennel, golden poppy, nasturtium laden North Berkeley neighborhood. If I had to guess the investors are not local and have never walked or biked to the location (as most of the prospective clientelle will). None the less great date spot young and old. Back patio looked awesome. Staff young but attentive and competent. Fireplace welcoming. Lounge vibes don't dissapoint. Food however in need of improvement, which I hope will change with time. Electric ovens just don't do it for me at scale. I honestly don't think they are hitting the 750 degrees fast enough and pies with alot of moisture just can't translate. We mistakenly had theGolden Bear. Roasted Brussle Sprouts cut a bit too large so chewier than expected, maybe not cooked enough? Cacio e pepe was the low point. It comes pre-cooked (and I hope whipped in pasta water with lots of wrist action) it is then delivered to the server table side and dumped into a round of Pecorino, spun around for 2mins, then dressed with pre-ground pepper. For $25 this dish was lack luster and needed to be salted and was in desperate need for fresh cracked pepper. By time it hit the plate is was luke warm at best but the chemistry required to get the starch to create that magic cream was gone. Wine list impressive but expensive, no corkage fee is the real winner here for those that collect. Also was bummed to see Fieldworks as the only brew available. Again more big money, not technically local or interesting. Wondorous, Gilman St, Rare Barrel, Original Pattern, Temescal or Ghosttown would have been more welcomed by our table. All said will come back and hit more proteins, the lil spicy suasage pie and the lamb both looked great. Regret not getting the meatballs. All in all worth checking out while open. Hoping menu execution improves with time and they embrace the lounge vibes more.
Three.one four is in a tough position, having to follow the iconic Lalimes, where the food and drinks were fantastic, many a date night, anniversary, birthday... were celebrated, and it had a warm inviting atmosphere. It was a true welcoming neighborhood place to go. Three.one four is very different. The staff and service were fantastic but the food was mediocre. The ambiance is partly warm and partly cold. The small food plates spin like carousels. The beer and wine were good but the lack of cocktails at a “swanky” joint is bizarre. The patio and backyard look really nice and inviting. Perhaps they're still figuring it out and in time they will. But I had high hopes given the location and history, and I wish it was a better experience. There are a lot of amazing pizza options in Berkeley and three.one four needs to up their game to compete. I'll give them time to refine their food and try it again someday.
pksf
we had an early dinner here and it was fabulous. The appetizers - fried zucchini and antipasti were delicious. The pizza we got - the Cablecar was quite nice. The pizza dough is amazing and the toppings were very tasty. The caccio pepe in the cheese round was delicious - could use a little more pepper and a little more pecorino - but very special and wonderful!
Very nice. They're still figuring some things out and it's cute but visible watching the staff react to little fires. The food was quite good, smaller portions. They brought the pizza before the salad, which was strange, but they'll get it all sorted out quickly i assume. Worth going for sure.
Patrick
It was my second time here...even better than the last. It's a fun neighborhood spot with a lot of history. We now have our "usual", The Blueprint with cherry tomatoes and anchovies add-ons and a bottle of Cappone Chianti Classico.
Hello
Service was excellent as well as the ambience but the food was mediocre; pizza was small in size and greasy, salad was not crisp and just paper thin shavings of the fruit...was it a pear or an apple?
DonaldG
We liked the ambience, the food, and the service. A high noise level, which seems to be the norm these day. We were able to talk to each other without having to shout. We'd go again
MadeleineA
Sooooo wanted to love our new neighborhood restaurant- but unfortunately it was just OK, pretty mediocre, and overpriced. The pizzas and the pasta (a tiny portion for $25) were fine. Nothing that I will crave or want to come back and eat. The cocktail situation is just silly. We each ordered tequila and a separate lemonade (they wouldn't combine them for us) and had to mix our own drinks at the table. There wasn't one appetizer that was appealing so we skipped that. I finished my drink and it sat empty for the majority of the meal until I was asked if I wanted another. At $18 for the tequila and $5 for the lemonade, I wasn't interested anyway. The server asked us if we were ready for dessert while we were still eating our entrees. The back area looked nice enough and maybe we will come back for the cheese plate and a glass of wine in nice weather. Hoping they add some more small plates, some basic cocktails, and button up the the service by then. We have been waiting for over a year for this place to open, to finally have a full bar back in our neighborhood (after the previous restaurant Lalime's closed). We are so disappointed that this won't be our new go-to.
MeganC
Really loved the vibe in there! It was loud, but it didn't bother me. Great good with an eensy bit of space to improve and stellar service. The thing that I would change is where the host stand is. It's so near other tables, I felt like I was on top of them. We weren't sure if we should go wait outside, or just stare at the people eating. Other than that, I'll be back!
Kris
We've been looking forward to the opening of this neighborhood pizzeria for two years. With excitement we went for dinner last night. The first thing you notice are the pepto-pink walls and ceiling size artificial trees. Seated in the lower dining area we learned instantly that the promise of top-shelf spirits ended there. No, they won't mix you a drink, you may have yours neat. Major disappointment, followed by beers poured from cans table side. Why not have draft beer at least? Fingers crossed, we ordered the Maestro pizza, little gems salad and brussel sprouts. Sadly we scooped the pizza to our plates with servings spoons, so soggy it had to be eaten with a fork from a tiny, spinning gold metal plate. The undercooked brussel sprouts ($19) were room temperature and garnished with sliced green grapes and big squares of bacon. Not going back, that said, the place was packed and we hope they rally and make that the neighborhood hangout it was before.
My girlfriend and I came here on a somewhat busy Friday night. Overall, it was wonderful food that seemed appropriately priced for a date night and what made it better was the very friendly service and cozy atmosphere. It's a very comfy layout with a sunken/lower area for the indoor dining and a warm wooden bar area near the entrance. It was a little cold on the day we went so we didn't want to sit outside and the glass doors/windows were closed. Apparently these are open on the warmer days which gives a nice view of the charming neighborhood that surrounds the restaurant. Our server, Nami, was very kind and happy which has always been something we value a bit above menu knowledge and experience. Fortunately, she was also knowledgeable and helped us pick out some really tasty choices. It was a celebratory dinner so we ordered a decent amount of food and a couple of bottles of wine. They had a nice wine list and we went with the Gaja, which did not disappoint. Nami suggested we try the pesto and the cacio e pepe which were both delicious. The cacio e pepe was nice and rich so it didn't require a lot of pasta before I had to take a break and alternate to the pesto, which was much lighter and had that fresh basil taste along with little cherry tomatoes that tied the dish together. We also ordered the meatballs and fried zucchini and a side of the roasted Brussels sprouts with crispy bacon. These were really good, though I personally could have done without some of the grapes that were added to the Brussel sprout dish. My girlfriend enjoyed them so that's really more of a personal taste thing. We finished with a couple of pizzas which were the best part of the night. My personal favorite was the spicy soppresata. I love spicy food and this had a very natural quality to it. The meat had obviously been cured and seasoned well because I couldn't get enough. Really excited to see this place grow and get even better over time.
RKoo
Well, as others have said, we wanted to like this neighborhood spot, but after eating there last night for the first time, I'm not sure we'll choose to go back anytime soon. Our first impression, when we stepped inside to check in for our reservation was MAN IS IT LOUD IN HERE!! The place wasn't even full, but it was super noisy. They could really use some soft surfaces in there. Luckily, our reservation was at outdoor seating, so we didn't have to suffer through that (I'm not sure we would have even stayed; it was that loud). The food: We ordered two pizzas: Lalime (which features "braised lamb, among other toppings) and Westbrae (with the speck/ham left off since I am vegetarian). The Lalime was pretty tasty, according to my dining companion, but had, literally, one tiny shred of lamb about the size of a thin mushroom slice (and I don't mean portabella) on each slice. Really skimpy for the price. The Westbrae has tomato sauce on it which was just way too sweet for pizza - and the sauce was the main topping besides arugula (and a few thin bits of actual mushrooms). There was a nice egg in the center. Funny that the menu calls the mushrooms "crimini mushrooms" as if that was something special; it's just the name for the brown variety of ordinary supermarket mushrooms. The beer section of the menu is "ask your server for today's offerings" - all of which come in a 16-ounce can, and we weren't told the price - $12. (Yes, I know we could have asked, but they should give you the full information you need to make a decision). I will say the serving staff was friendly and checked in on us at a reasonable frequency. But the food really needs some polishing, especially at that price, and the "swanky lounge" effect calls for some soft furnishings and cocktails! By the way - I did notice that they have added squid ink to the description of the black tart (responding to another reviewer's comment; we didn't get a starter).
Inaugural
Very nice beginning to a much-anticipated restaurant. Staff was friendly and attentive. Food was good, albeit a bit uneven. Prices a little high but that's par these days. Remodel is simply gorgeous. We look forward to trying it again -- and again.
This is a charming, fun new restaurant with great ambiance and delicious food! Our group of 5 shared one starter, 2 pizzas, a small pasta, and a salad. Everything was superb. I can't wait to go back.
ZacR
Let me start off my saying I really wanted to like this place as I live right around the corner and fondly remember Lalime's. BUT, the food was just fair to okay. We got the Blueprint pizza and it was good. The Caesar salad was only good if you got a piece of anchovy, otherwise very little flavor - certainly nothing special, especially for the price. The Black Tort had very very little brie and was on this stiff tasteless dark flatbread that added nothing to the dish, we just ate off the toppings which just were not that special. And of note, although they have spirits, they do not have any mixers, and no gin at all so can't even get a Martini, not even a Vodka Martini, only spirits straight up or on the rocks. Weird. They do have beer and wine, and we had a couple of glasses of red. Quite expensive by the glass and served way too cold so took quite a while to open up. Hmmm. We sat in the lower front room which is open, too bright and loud. There is also a serving station right in the middle which we were next too and therefore we seemed to be in the way. There is also a big ADA lift right in the middle that just breaks up the space and makes the lower level not relate to the upper at all. The upper is darker, cozier and looks much more quaint, hopefully it is quieter too. Also all the staff seemed new. Obviously it's a new restaurant so yes they are new, but I mean new to the industry. Maybe it's just me but they certainly were not polished - not swanky. Still lots of wrinkles to iron out. Hopefully they will iron out the bugs, improve the food and the service and maybe even rearrange the interior a bit over time. Will I try them again in 6 months? hmm. Not sure, I guess it will depend on what I hear about 3.14 over time, hopefully they live up to their Swanky name.
The $1M spent on the room shows. They took Paris's Hotel Pigalle ALA 2010 inspired black building, pink and brass chic and placed it in the heart of the fennel, golden poppy, nasturtium laden North Berkeley neighborhood. If I had to guess the investors are not local and have never walked or biked to the location (as most of the prospective clientelle will). None the less great date spot young and old. Back patio looked awesome. Staff young but attentive and competent. Fireplace welcoming. Lounge vibes don't dissapoint. Food however in need of improvement, which I hope will change with time. Electric ovens just don't do it for me at scale. I honestly don't think they are hitting the 750 degrees fast enough and pies with alot of moisture just can't translate. We mistakenly had theGolden Bear. Roasted Brussle Sprouts cut a bit too large so chewier than expected, maybe not cooked enough? Cacio e pepe was the low point. It comes pre-cooked (and I hope whipped in pasta water with lots of wrist action) it is then delivered to the server table side and dumped into a round of Pecorino, spun around for 2mins, then dressed with pre-ground pepper. For $25 this dish was lack luster and needed to be salted and was in desperate need for fresh cracked pepper. By time it hit the plate is was luke warm at best but the chemistry required to get the starch to create that magic cream was gone. Wine list impressive but expensive, no corkage fee is the real winner here for those that collect. Also was bummed to see Fieldworks as the only brew available. Again more big money, not technically local or interesting. Wondorous, Gilman St, Rare Barrel, Original Pattern, Temescal or Ghosttown would have been more welcomed by our table. All said will come back and hit more proteins, the lil spicy suasage pie and the lamb both looked great. Regret not getting the meatballs. All in all worth checking out while open. Hoping menu execution improves with time and they embrace the lounge vibes more.
Three.one four is in a tough position, having to follow the iconic Lalimes, where the food and drinks were fantastic, many a date night, anniversary, birthday... were celebrated, and it had a warm inviting atmosphere. It was a true welcoming neighborhood place to go. Three.one four is very different. The staff and service were fantastic but the food was mediocre. The ambiance is partly warm and partly cold. The small food plates spin like carousels. The beer and wine were good but the lack of cocktails at a “swanky” joint is bizarre. The patio and backyard look really nice and inviting. Perhaps they're still figuring it out and in time they will. But I had high hopes given the location and history, and I wish it was a better experience. There are a lot of amazing pizza options in Berkeley and three.one four needs to up their game to compete. I'll give them time to refine their food and try it again someday.
we had an early dinner here and it was fabulous. The appetizers - fried zucchini and antipasti were delicious. The pizza we got - the Cablecar was quite nice. The pizza dough is amazing and the toppings were very tasty. The caccio pepe in the cheese round was delicious - could use a little more pepper and a little more pecorino - but very special and wonderful!
Very nice. They're still figuring some things out and it's cute but visible watching the staff react to little fires. The food was quite good, smaller portions. They brought the pizza before the salad, which was strange, but they'll get it all sorted out quickly i assume. Worth going for sure.
It was my second time here...even better than the last. It's a fun neighborhood spot with a lot of history. We now have our "usual", The Blueprint with cherry tomatoes and anchovies add-ons and a bottle of Cappone Chianti Classico.
Service was excellent as well as the ambience but the food was mediocre; pizza was small in size and greasy, salad was not crisp and just paper thin shavings of the fruit...was it a pear or an apple?
We liked the ambience, the food, and the service. A high noise level, which seems to be the norm these day. We were able to talk to each other without having to shout. We'd go again
Sooooo wanted to love our new neighborhood restaurant- but unfortunately it was just OK, pretty mediocre, and overpriced. The pizzas and the pasta (a tiny portion for $25) were fine. Nothing that I will crave or want to come back and eat. The cocktail situation is just silly. We each ordered tequila and a separate lemonade (they wouldn't combine them for us) and had to mix our own drinks at the table. There wasn't one appetizer that was appealing so we skipped that. I finished my drink and it sat empty for the majority of the meal until I was asked if I wanted another. At $18 for the tequila and $5 for the lemonade, I wasn't interested anyway. The server asked us if we were ready for dessert while we were still eating our entrees. The back area looked nice enough and maybe we will come back for the cheese plate and a glass of wine in nice weather. Hoping they add some more small plates, some basic cocktails, and button up the the service by then. We have been waiting for over a year for this place to open, to finally have a full bar back in our neighborhood (after the previous restaurant Lalime's closed). We are so disappointed that this won't be our new go-to.
Really loved the vibe in there! It was loud, but it didn't bother me. Great good with an eensy bit of space to improve and stellar service. The thing that I would change is where the host stand is. It's so near other tables, I felt like I was on top of them. We weren't sure if we should go wait outside, or just stare at the people eating. Other than that, I'll be back!
We've been looking forward to the opening of this neighborhood pizzeria for two years. With excitement we went for dinner last night. The first thing you notice are the pepto-pink walls and ceiling size artificial trees. Seated in the lower dining area we learned instantly that the promise of top-shelf spirits ended there. No, they won't mix you a drink, you may have yours neat. Major disappointment, followed by beers poured from cans table side. Why not have draft beer at least? Fingers crossed, we ordered the Maestro pizza, little gems salad and brussel sprouts. Sadly we scooped the pizza to our plates with servings spoons, so soggy it had to be eaten with a fork from a tiny, spinning gold metal plate. The undercooked brussel sprouts ($19) were room temperature and garnished with sliced green grapes and big squares of bacon. Not going back, that said, the place was packed and we hope they rally and make that the neighborhood hangout it was before.
Restaurantji Recommends
My girlfriend and I came here on a somewhat busy Friday night. Overall, it was wonderful food that seemed appropriately priced for a date night and what made it better was the very friendly service and cozy atmosphere. It's a very comfy layout with a sunken/lower area for the indoor dining and a warm wooden bar area near the entrance. It was a little cold on the day we went so we didn't want to sit outside and the glass doors/windows were closed. Apparently these are open on the warmer days which gives a nice view of the charming neighborhood that surrounds the restaurant. Our server, Nami, was very kind and happy which has always been something we value a bit above menu knowledge and experience. Fortunately, she was also knowledgeable and helped us pick out some really tasty choices. It was a celebratory dinner so we ordered a decent amount of food and a couple of bottles of wine. They had a nice wine list and we went with the Gaja, which did not disappoint. Nami suggested we try the pesto and the cacio e pepe which were both delicious. The cacio e pepe was nice and rich so it didn't require a lot of pasta before I had to take a break and alternate to the pesto, which was much lighter and had that fresh basil taste along with little cherry tomatoes that tied the dish together. We also ordered the meatballs and fried zucchini and a side of the roasted Brussels sprouts with crispy bacon. These were really good, though I personally could have done without some of the grapes that were added to the Brussel sprout dish. My girlfriend enjoyed them so that's really more of a personal taste thing. We finished with a couple of pizzas which were the best part of the night. My personal favorite was the spicy soppresata. I love spicy food and this had a very natural quality to it. The meat had obviously been cured and seasoned well because I couldn't get enough. Really excited to see this place grow and get even better over time.
Well, as others have said, we wanted to like this neighborhood spot, but after eating there last night for the first time, I'm not sure we'll choose to go back anytime soon. Our first impression, when we stepped inside to check in for our reservation was MAN IS IT LOUD IN HERE!! The place wasn't even full, but it was super noisy. They could really use some soft surfaces in there. Luckily, our reservation was at outdoor seating, so we didn't have to suffer through that (I'm not sure we would have even stayed; it was that loud). The food: We ordered two pizzas: Lalime (which features "braised lamb, among other toppings) and Westbrae (with the speck/ham left off since I am vegetarian). The Lalime was pretty tasty, according to my dining companion, but had, literally, one tiny shred of lamb about the size of a thin mushroom slice (and I don't mean portabella) on each slice. Really skimpy for the price. The Westbrae has tomato sauce on it which was just way too sweet for pizza - and the sauce was the main topping besides arugula (and a few thin bits of actual mushrooms). There was a nice egg in the center. Funny that the menu calls the mushrooms "crimini mushrooms" as if that was something special; it's just the name for the brown variety of ordinary supermarket mushrooms. The beer section of the menu is "ask your server for today's offerings" - all of which come in a 16-ounce can, and we weren't told the price - $12. (Yes, I know we could have asked, but they should give you the full information you need to make a decision). I will say the serving staff was friendly and checked in on us at a reasonable frequency. But the food really needs some polishing, especially at that price, and the "swanky lounge" effect calls for some soft furnishings and cocktails! By the way - I did notice that they have added squid ink to the description of the black tart (responding to another reviewer's comment; we didn't get a starter).
Very nice beginning to a much-anticipated restaurant. Staff was friendly and attentive. Food was good, albeit a bit uneven. Prices a little high but that's par these days. Remodel is simply gorgeous. We look forward to trying it again -- and again.
This is a charming, fun new restaurant with great ambiance and delicious food! Our group of 5 shared one starter, 2 pizzas, a small pasta, and a salad. Everything was superb. I can't wait to go back.
Let me start off my saying I really wanted to like this place as I live right around the corner and fondly remember Lalime's. BUT, the food was just fair to okay. We got the Blueprint pizza and it was good. The Caesar salad was only good if you got a piece of anchovy, otherwise very little flavor - certainly nothing special, especially for the price. The Black Tort had very very little brie and was on this stiff tasteless dark flatbread that added nothing to the dish, we just ate off the toppings which just were not that special. And of note, although they have spirits, they do not have any mixers, and no gin at all so can't even get a Martini, not even a Vodka Martini, only spirits straight up or on the rocks. Weird. They do have beer and wine, and we had a couple of glasses of red. Quite expensive by the glass and served way too cold so took quite a while to open up. Hmmm. We sat in the lower front room which is open, too bright and loud. There is also a serving station right in the middle which we were next too and therefore we seemed to be in the way. There is also a big ADA lift right in the middle that just breaks up the space and makes the lower level not relate to the upper at all. The upper is darker, cozier and looks much more quaint, hopefully it is quieter too. Also all the staff seemed new. Obviously it's a new restaurant so yes they are new, but I mean new to the industry. Maybe it's just me but they certainly were not polished - not swanky. Still lots of wrinkles to iron out. Hopefully they will iron out the bugs, improve the food and the service and maybe even rearrange the interior a bit over time. Will I try them again in 6 months? hmm. Not sure, I guess it will depend on what I hear about 3.14 over time, hopefully they live up to their Swanky name.