Chez Panisse, Berkeley CA

Finally came around to visiting this place! Really enjoyed our dinner experience here. All courses were well thought out and used fresh ingredients. Our favorite thing on the menu was the apricot galette.

They lost their claim to fame Michelin star in 2010.
Maybe because:
- efficient staff and cute raspberries on stems do not compensate for cold bread, tepid soup, & room temperature ribeye roast.
- infusing Prosecco with thyme and apricot does not compensate for insufficient refrigeration.
- bathroom door should not be only 3 feet away & facing the dessert assembly station in a facility which charges upwards of $500 for dinner for 2.in fact it should not be facing ANY cook station.

Not sure what’s going on here.

We went to the cafe for lunch. The service was excellent and we were quite impressed with the originality and taste of the appetizers/salads and desserts. The entrees were unfortunately a bit underwhelming given the reputation of the place.

The cafe is their low key affair but you still can spend 2 hours for dinner. The food is pretty to look at and tastes quite good, the service is attentive and well done.

Casual elegance with cuisine focused on the source. Well presented and balanced flavors in each dish. Vegetables not soggy or over cooked, Proteins near melting tender. Wonderful wine list with high quality European selections any Somm (like me) could delve into. Outstanding California wine selections from smaller artisan producers. And most of all, gracious, highly professional servers that are knowledgeable. I love the Cafe and I shall return!

An iconic restaurant with delicious food and excellent service. Never disappoints. If you haven't been, definitely should.

Incredible food that lives up to its historic legacy. If you can afford it, do yourself a favor and have a meal at this historic Californian institution.

After reading many reviews my expectations weren't too high but I was pleasantly surprised. The food was delicious, the service was excellent but not pretentious and the ambiance was great. I only have two small cons: 1. The rib eye had too much butter for me 2. The wine pairing was over priced for the wines (it was $85 for 4 pairings, approximately 2 glasses, and they were good but not expensive wines)

Chez Panisse Cafe

OVERALL: 5/5
Food: 5/5
Drinks: 5/5
Service: 5/5
Ambiance: 5/5

A birthday celebration with my besties. They are the best to spoil me!

Everything about the evening was excellent. We were in the café upstairs. The wood paneling created a cozy atmosphere. Felt like we were dining at the a friends home.

We enjoyed.
- Carrot Soup – Sorrel
- Little Gems Salad – Cucumbers/Beets/Kumquats
- Pizza with tomato sauce
- Northern Halibut – Snap peas/Turnips/Potatoes
- Fiorelli pasta – Basil/Zucchini/Squash blossoms

Talk about fresh food! All we could taste was farm fresh produce with just a hint of additional ingredients to enhance the natural flavors.

Note to self – Make more trips to the farmers market this summer.

6-7-2023 – Dinner – Table for 4

A wonderful meal. Perfect table to watch the kitchen. Good service. As I said to the waiter, the rockfish course was one of those dishes that makes you realize that you have been making the underappreciated rockfish all wrong. It was an emotional experience.

Mistakes: light pours for the wine pairing; pouring too early so by the time the course came.it took a while, nothing or almost nothing was left to pair with the food (though the waiter did add a very small bit after noticing) ; not serving the very salty rib with the pork tenderloin and saying it was a bonus from the chef (next table got it with their main plate), not giving me the leftover bread to take home as I requested; and going somewhat negative when the people at the next table started a conversation with me and we likely went over the expected time.

Eating in a highly acclaimed Californian restaurant, the Sunday dishes of my late marseillaise mother in law made me smile. Before my visit to Chez Panisse, I was not aware how precious this local southern french cuisine can be in far away countries. Paper on the table, arrogant and untrained service and too small bistrot wine glasses don't help swallowing an overpriced (but perfectly executed) dish. This is Disney-Provence.

I have to say it was a very good dinner. I am not a fan of lamb, but here it's worth tryinging it. The fried olive appetizers are excellent. The onions and olive pizza salad are good but were my least favorite. Finally, the flan and berries are delicious. I feel it's a bit overpriced. A different menu every day. You must try it

Tasted very fresh and expertly cooked. Alice Waters essence was there and every bite was well worth it. My partner had the time of her life there and it’s now her whole personality is this restaurant. We’re definitely coming back!

Excellent service from wait staff. Thank you for making a special day extra memorable. Celebrated our Cal daughter's 21st bday. Requested via their reservation website and got a small cake with a candle.

Good service - food was very underwhelming.

We were recommended the rigatoni but was shocked by how bland it was. It literally tasted like just noodles. The pizza was good but it did not offset the disappointment of the rigatoni

Cozy French restaurant. Impeccable service. Great food. Expensive & small portions.it's French remember? You decide if it's worth it.

Visited the cafe in Chez Panisse for a birthday dinner in January and it was divine. Each course tasted so fresh and delicious. The sommelier was really chatty and helped us to choose a lovely bottle of wine from the Sky vineyard. All the staff were super friendly. I loved the decor of the cafe and the whole experience was brilliant. Can't wait to go back.

So glad Chez Panisse still going strong!
Met fun folks from LA, SB, Montecito randomly celebrating the memory of enjoying Chez Panisse before. Thanks for maitre d' Veronica and Reené. Tried their house brand Chez Panisse Zinfandel, Green & Red Vineyards, Napa Valley, California, and Entre-Deux-Mers, Vielleis Vignes, Château Sainte- Marie, Bordeaux, France

Very good food in a cozy restaurant with friendly service but a bit expensive. If it's for workers' wages, it's okay!

I would agree with the other reviews of describing it as extremely underwhelming. The staff are unprofessional for this level of restaurant. Our waiter could not pronounce any of the wine selections and provided us with false information on a few of the bottles.