Chez Panisse

We were fortunate to score a reservation at the Cafe (upstairs). The curated wine list is excellent and includes many new discoveries. The service is impeccable and sets the standard for exceptional.The menu changes daily based on the fresh foods delivered each day. Prices are modest for Amazon experience and food quality. We each had a glass of wine as an aperitif, salads, entrees, and shared a bottle of wine and dessert. There was a lot of positive energy in the restaurant: lively but not loud. The entire experience was exceptional.We can't wait to go back. Highly recommended!

We had reservations at Chez Panisse for Thursday February 13th and we were so excited for the experience. Chef Aloce Waters founded the restaurant in the 70's and with it being such an iconic establishment in the food industry we had to try it out. The good:1. Food was excellent and super flavorful. 2. Courses came out in a timely manner.3. The portion sizes for each plate were above average in my opinion. 4. Apertif was amazing and one of my favorites of the night. The "bad":1. Service was not what I was expecting. Waitress didn't introduce herself with her name.2. Bread and butter was a little meh. I wish they were both warmed up slightly. Would've elevated the experience a little more. 3. We did have to wait around 10-15 minutes after our reservation started to be seated which I thought was a little strange. Overall we would recommend and come back. It's an amazing restaurant, but not cheap. For the price, I do hope some of the kinks I mentioned are worked out. It would make the dining experience so much better.

It seems superfluous to add a review to the mounting level of Chez Panisse opinions on Yelp but I can't resist. We had a nice evening here. Our initially tight waiter loosened as the night progressed and ended up making the evening more memorable. We moved upstairs for our meal as the Wood Snake New Year's menu didn't suit our habits. Upstairs, the menu was on par with the things we've been cooking at home so nothing was standing out as particularly desirable. We settled on two salads and pizza. The modest sized sausage pizza was scantly dressed but full of flavor wi to a perfect crust. My salad had little gems and lovely lettuce but lacked anything special, the mint was nearly undetectable and the crème fresh was watered down as a dressing. It was the loser of the evening. My fiancés salad was lovely; baked goat cheese and beautiful greens and a well balanced dressing and memorable flavors. Our deserts were the shining stars-with the true winner being the lemon ice cream with huckleberry. We are indeed crazy about their use of huckleberries. The pave with Earl Gray ice cream was subtle but beautiful. Of course, the burnished beauty of the space is always a solid 5 stars. It was filled with classy bustle, warmth and coziness on a cold, misty Bay Area evening.

Little Shop of WatersLocated in Berkeley's "Gourmet Ghetto" neighborhood, Chez Panisse is one of the Bay Area's most legendary restaurants. Founded in 1971 by iconic author, food activist and restaurateur Alice Waters, who is credited with the creation of the farm-to-table dining. While lots of restaurants claim farm-to-table, Chez Panisse puts them to shame, as most (±75%) of their produce is grown by their farm, The Edible Schoolyard, and the rest of the ingredients--meat included!--are sourced from within a fifty-mile radius of the restaurant. Chez Panisse is also one of the Bay's most critically acclaimed restaurants as they were named "Best Restaurant in America" (2001) by Gourmet magazine; from 2002-2008 it was named one of the Top-50 Restaurants in the *WORLD* by Restaurant magazine; and was awarded a coveted Michelin Star (2006-2009) for four years. They currently have a Michelin Green Star for "Sustainable Gastronomy," because of the reasons mentioned above.Dining at Chez Panisse has two options: either a fixed four-course dinner ($$$$) downstairs or an á la carte lunch in the upstairs café ($$$). We chose the latter, for obvious reasons. :)The Good:*Reservations only and they can be booked thru their website or Resy. *The building is beautiful and the giant Monkey Puzzle tree outside is a-mazing! The art deco interior is also gorgeous and classy. *Service, by Hasti, was exceptional, as it should be in a place like this. *Both salads we ordered were the highlights of meal, as they were both executed beautifully in taste, texture, and presentation. The Wood Oven-roasted Broccoli & Delicata Squash w/ breadcrumbs and chili oil was phenomenal. If it's still in the menu when you get here, we highly recommend it. *Both entrées were also executed to perfection as the proteins were cooked perfectly, as even the finicky halibut was so moist and delicious. The little crispy rib that came with the grilled pork loin, was full of flavor and smoky goodness and the Gaufrette Potatoes (i.e., crisscut fries) were perfectly fried and crispy. *Both desserts were again technically great dishes. The persimmon pudding had a nice creamy texture that paired well with the tart pomegranate seeds. The apple galette was delicious as well with its buttery crust and lightly sweet, tart and thinly-sliced apples. The Meh:*The (complimentary) Acme Sourdough Bread & buttah' at the table was great but we just wish they'd warmed up the butter a touch. Trying to spread cold butter on room temp bread isn't a fun endeavor. *Beer and wine only, which works for us, but if you're looking for something a little stiffer maybe best to pregame outside. ;)*Portion size is definitely well-below American "normal," If you catch my drift. The Ugly:*As mentioned above by the "$" signs, this place ain't cheap and probably a special occasion only type of place for us plebes. We dined here on NYE, so it was justified in our minds. :-)Conclusion: Firstly I would like to say it was an honor to eat at such an iconic restaurant and despite my gripes about the $$$$, I would gladly do it again. You don't come to Chez Panisse to be blown away by wild, new inventive flavors. No, you come to Chez Panisse for exceptionally fresh food, prepared simply, and executed perfectly.

Chez Panisse is everything you want in a restaurant: classy decor, amazing service and seasonal food prepared perfectly. But it comes with a price. We made reservations for New Year's Eve and had a wonderful meal. Our salads were our favorite part of the meal. John was a bit disappointed that they didn't have lamb or duck on the menu but that's what you get when you roll the dice and their menu changes every day. Everything was delicious but be prepared that the portions are small especially for the price. But part of the price includes the experience in my opinion. To finally taste and experience Alice Waters' food is worth it.

This was my first time at this very well known restaurant by everyone except me. My son, who just moved to Berkley told us that we must come here based on our love of great food and we managed a reservation for the cafe. Street parking was relatively easy, actually we parked a block ahead of the restaurant only to find plenty of street parking ahead.The Cafè is so cozy with a very classic-comfortable venue. The open kitchen was visible from our table and I couldn't take my eyes off of all the action while we were dining. Our server came over to us seconds after we sat down to introduce himself and give us an overview of the restaurant.We'll start wit the bread which was nice and warm and the butter was excellent. After perusing the menu we decided on the Rock Fish for me and the grilled Pork main dish. We had decided earlier on the share the goat cheese salad. The main dishes were amazing. So fresh and tasty, There was something about the meal that made it special.Service was incredible and we felt very comfortable with the team confirming with his that all was good and we did not need anything in addition to what we had. Dining here is on another level. We were so happy to be able to secure a reservation and look forward to our next visit. It was also fun to be able to photograph the kitchen staff after dinner. Everyone is so friendly here.KUDO's to the tam at Chez Panisse.

Absolutely delicious Valentine's Day dinner. This place still holds up after decades with the best restaurants in the country.

For how fancy and high quality this restaurant is, prices are very reasonable! We ordered two main dishes and two desserts and it was a truly delicious experience. How can one make carrots or spinach taste so amazing, it is a culinary mystery!

It's been a LONG while and it was glorious! (eating at the Chez Panisse Cafe~upstairs)Walking past the kitchen and seeing the beautiful fruit tart always triggers me to plan for the desert and then figure out what I am ordering.We were a group of five and so ordered drinks and a bottle of bubbly. The staff were so lovely in basically seeing how much we were in love with the ins and outs of Chez Panisse that ~they offered us a behind the scenes tour after our meal.Downstairs is a SET MEAL (prix Fixe) and I still have never done it. I do like choosing my meal A la cafe style for how rarely i come over here. It's always by season so a good reminder to get yourself in quarterly.Since i knew i was having the tarte I planned backwards. We started with a bottle of bubbly and delicious- i believe we had a second. Had to start with the classic Goat Cheese salad, then

Always love the atmosphere here but what has happened to the food??? I have been twice in the last 4 months and both times the food was disappointing. It perhaps let its reputation cover the decline in attention to taste and detail. I will not go back anytime soon.