La Note Restaurant ProvencalGood Place!We went her5e for the 1st time and found it a very rewarding choice. Food was excellent--some of the best bouilliabase ever--great salad, good desserts and good wine. Service was also very good--until dessert. Then it fell down--had to wait, no spoon with dessert, etc. Would definitely return.6/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat dining before Berkeley RepI informed our server that we had an 8pm performance at Berkeley Rep (6 of us). We had a great dining experience and still had plenty of time to walk over to the theatre.6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMOoh la la!What a fabulous find! We stayed at the Berkeley City Club and walked the short distance to La Note. We shared the flatiron steak and ratatouille, the flavors were amazing! The dessert menu was so enticing that we decided to go for a walk, let our meal settle and return for the chocolate-rosemary brulee and coffee. I'm very glad we did, it was delicious!6/8/2013 12:00:00 AMA little crowded but worthA little crowded but worth it for the food. Excellent value for the quality of meal.6/7/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat for dinner tooWhile known for brunch, La Note turns out to be a nice spot for lunch or dinner too. The menu offers a variety of choices from meat and fish entrees and pastas, to baguette sandwiches, to fresh, filling salads. It was a warm night (the patio is not open in the evening unfortunately) and my husband and I decided to go for salads and an appetizer of the crostini with salmon and goat cheese. We enjoyed glasses of savignon blanc and finished our meal with the dessert special, a chocolate lavender creme brulee. Everything was delicious, prices reasonable, and the service was excellent. There was even a classical guitarist playing that day, plus La Note donated 25% to Berkeley schools' food education programs. Way to support your community!5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMA French restaurant with pasta?A French restaurant with pasta? My wife had the lasagna and said it was one of the best ones she has ever had. I got the steak and it was amazing. Everything was great about the place. We got a window seat which gave us a lot of privacy. I am looking forward to going back to try a few menu items I didn't get to on the first visit. Overall, a great downtown Berkeley find.5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMGood neighborhood restaurantThe waitstaff is friendly, and the food is fine, especially in view of the relatively low prices. If you are looking for an informal dining experience with a pleasant atmosphere, I would recommend this restaurant.5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMRelaxed dinnerWe arrived a few minutes before opening and it opened right on time, great as we had the two year and two month olds with us. Staff accommodated the over large stroller and seated us promptly. Drink order was taken and bread and water appeared immediately, adult drinks appearing soon thereafter. Surroundings were rustic if not noticeably specifically French, yet were comfortable all round.
Food arrived in reasonable time. We ordered ratatouille with poached eggs and a couple of salmon dishes. All simple but exceptionally well flavored and seasoned. The fish was cooked perfectly, the eggs were poached about right. All around service was attentive and prompt. Enjoyable and easy experience and pleasant early evening meal.5/16/2013 12:00:00 AMParis in Berkeleypretty authentic french feeling.
breakfast is different and excellent.
dinners are excellent and prices reasonable.
a bit crowded and noisy is only problem.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat BreakfastAnd I should know, I'm a cook in a breakfast joint. Egg plates are served with roasted potatoes, as opposed the fried ones you'll usually find, with garlic cloves still in their skin. Yum! Ouefs a le coq are amazing; 3 minute boiled eggs with little "soldiers" to dip in them. Nice ingredients such as farm fresh eggs and good goat cheese. Our waitress even had a French accent, which added to the feeling that we were in a cafe in Provence.5/15/2013 12:00:00 AMWe were there for breakfast.We were there for breakfast. The food was unique and very good. It did take some time however to arrive. It could have been that there was a table of 6 men who got there just before us.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMCharming Touch of the ContinentTo step into La Note is to be instantly transported into a charming up-scale Provencal bistro. You feel like you are in France. It's adorable, but with many modern touches. Framed French posters line the walls, countrified decor, French crockery abounds, but the bar area looks very modern. Sleek staff all in black. Awesome accordian player rounds off the atmosphere. Very good food, just as an aside! My date and I were utterly charmed.5/3/2013 12:00:00 AMLa Note Never DisappointsYet another wonderful lunch in the garden at La Note! My go-to place when out of town guests visit and want "a day in Berkeley."5/1/2013 12:00:00 AMWe went for dinner, and foundWe went for dinner, and found the food somewhat bland. I had the chicken with mushrooms and husband had the garlic sausage and fries. We both had cauliflower soup, and while the crouton was really delicious, it needed a lot more of that flavor to go around.
However the special sorbet was Pear & Basil - one of the best things we ever tasted.
I was seated facing the window, and as the sun went down it became extremely bright - I couldn't even see across the table. It took them far too long to pull the shade down, while diners were leaning this way and that to try to avoid the brilliant sun. Even sunglasses didn't help!
They were very nice about finding another table for us when the first one was not a good fit for a larger d4/27/2013 12:00:00 AMtook my friend there for hertook my friend there for her birthday, the ambience was very nice and reminded us of provence, lovely 'country' décor and place service . Very friendly staff, excellent food! Definitely a must for those who enjoy 'country' flavor.4/22/2013 12:00:00 AMThe Bouillabaise was goodThe Bouillabaise was good but the flavor wasn't very nuanced. The steak was delicious, as were the salade d'endive and the crouton appetizer. Service was excellent!4/20/2013 12:00:00 AMLocal restaurant -- great brunchAs a popular hang out, this place can get crowded and a so it can be a little noisy. But despite the crowd the place has a relaxed, casual quality. The food is homey. The omelet was fluffy, the pancakes were light.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMThis is the second time IThis is the second time I have been at this restaurant in the last year. I love the food. The service is very good and everyone worked to make it a great experience. When i mentioned that we needed to leave to get to the theater we had our bill in about one minute.
I like the ambience. It has a cozy, and friendly feeling. I would go again.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMLa Note is an adorable restaurantLa Note is an adorable restaurant with delicious food. I especially love the assiette de crudites and the feuillete Saint Jacques.4/4/2013 12:00:00 AMA reliable restaurant thatA reliable restaurant that I have now returned to multiple times. During summer months when the outdoor area is open, you feel transported to a very different place, somewhere in Provence. The daily specials provide some variety for those who seek alternatives to the regular menu, although I confess that I am a creature of habit and more often than not tend towards a very limited number of dishes that I enjoy. The wine list includes some Kermit Lynch selections, and I have enjoyed those that I have tried. The wine selections are somewhat limited but good. Service varies. I have from time to time felt forgotten out on the patio, but other times was well attended to. Do try the generously portioned creme brûlée for dessert.3/27/2013 12:00:00 AMLovely dining experience withLovely dining experience with a small menu of French provincial dishes which were very good. I enjoyed a hearty bowl of ratatouille and sausage. Service is good and the atmosphere is vibrant.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGood food and service trumps noiseAlthough the hostess had given away our reservation just before we arrived, we had to wait only about 10 minutes in the very crowded restaurant. But my ratatouille with poached eggs was heavenly, and each of my three companions had excellent food, too...ham and cheese sandwich, nicoise salad on a roll, and an omelet. Very noisy place; difficult to hold a conversation. But thorough, polite and fast service made it a good experience. I will definitely return.3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMStep into a Paris BistroDining at La Note feels like you stepped into an authentic Parisian Bistro. The atmosphere--right down to the accordionist--is oh-so-French, as is the food. Rich, and delicious. A lively crowd, and incredibly diverse, from college kids to people in their 80s. Our waitress struck just the right note of solicitousness. We'd go back!3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food at La Note hits theThe food at La Note hits the perfect balance of traditional French with a creative twist that blends but doesn't overwhelm the dish you expected to receive. The lemon vinaigrette is that ideal salad dressing that most restaurants can't seem to find. The chicken salad was the best I have ever tasted - starting with the quality of the chicken and just the right mix of herbs.3/13/2013 12:00:00 AMpetit déjeuner c'est merveilleuxI've been shouting from the roof tops for years that La Note has my favorite breakfast in Berkeley. I just love how you feel transported. For lunch I'd rather go to their sister outfit, Cafe Clem just a few blocks away. At some point I'll try dinner. But until then: Cote Est. Eggs, pancake and homefries (or Bacon if your diet permits). How can you go wrong? Especially with homefries filled with roasted garlic cloves. Yum, yum, yum, yum.3/6/2013 12:00:00 AMMy breakfast at La Note wasMy breakfast at La Note was the best breakfast I have had anywhere in years. Everything was great - food, staff, timeliness, presentation, ambiance. I wish I lived in Berkeley - I would go back first chance I got. My wife and two daughters were with me and none of us could stop commenting on how satisfying our experience at La Note was.1/1/0001 4:00:00 PM