Revival Bar+KitchenExcellent food and serviceTerrific kale salad. Pork chop nicely done. Attentive service6/14/2013 12:00:00 AMOne of the best experiencesOne of the best experiences I've had at a restaurant in a long time. Great bar, great service, fabulous food!6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMGood food, drinks and serviceRevival has become our goto place in downtown Berkeley. The experience starts with a many specialty cocktails and a good list of wines by the glass. The menu is varied and nicely done. The charcuterie and cheese plates are great for sharing. The food manages the to be both comforting and unusual (for example, flatbread with goat bacon). There are always good vegetarian choices as well. The wait staff knows the menu and is friendly and attentive.6/12/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was fabulous!What a great spot. Went there for the wife's birthday with our three grown daughters and everyone was very impressed. We're very much "foodies" and hard to impress. This restaurant impressed us!6/9/2013 12:00:00 AMTerrific Berkeley restaurant!Ate here with a friend prior to a performance at Berkeley Rep. Restaurant is wonderful. Server was attentive and made great suggestions. We both enjoyed the duck and shared a warm fruit dessert. We will definetly return, especially before heading over to Berkeley Rep.6/5/2013 12:00:00 AMJust RightWe've been to Revival twice before and liked it but found it to be a little bit fussy with uneven service but Sunday night it was excellent. We were seated by a window, which we liked better than the interior where we had been seated in the past. Our food was subtle and tasty (the apricot salad, the salmon, and the pasta). And our waiter was great: He had just the right combination of helpfulness and reserve. We didn't skip dessert and were happy to have shared the rhubarb crisp, which was delicious.6/2/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat find in "downtown" BerkeleyOne must expect noise in Revival where bartenders create good fun, a place near theaters so one gets and before and after crowd, a place with high ceilings and hard finishes that reverberate. You get used to the energetic feel quickly and almost don't notice that it's pretty loud. The food? Wow! I had lip-smacking good patron peppers - many of them hotter than blazes - and boar steak, pork belly and garlic mashed potatoes. Two friends had a lovely veggie fettucini. We had great pre-dinner moscow mules and a wonderful bottle of tempranillo with our entrees.Yummy desserts. We couldn't have asked for a more informed waitperson who was there when we needed her. A tad pricey and well worth every nickel..5/30/2013 12:00:00 AMLocal Sustainable FoodThe menu is portrayed as locally grown, locally prepared and very interesting. The mixed grill had beef, pork loin and pork belly with kale and grits. All very fresh, well prepared and well presented. While the menu is limited, it does provide both fish, fowl and vegetarian. There is little separation from the bar so if it is noisy, so is your dining experience. An easy recommendation should be out for the nearby theater or music.5/26/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat food in Downtown BerkeleyI made a reservation for 10 here, and they were very accommodating. Don't miss the cocktails -- they're inventive, unconventional, and delicious. I had the duck. The breast was excellent, but the confit leg wasn't the best I've had. Great pate plate to start. Also heard favorable reviews for the goat shoulder. Lots of interesting stuff on the menu, and all of it got thumbs up from my party. Would definitely recommend and return!5/24/2013 12:00:00 AMRevival is awesomeFood was excellent. Menu choices were different but well put together. Met with chef Adrian and was able to talk to him about his recommendations. Great drinks as well.5/23/2013 12:00:00 AMLots of fun, but too much saltWe took my out-of-town family there for a nice dinner after graduation. Overall we were quite happy. The waiter was excellent, and the ambiance was what we were looking for. The food was good (I loved to duck confit and the lamb bacon), but not outstanding --- a few dishes had a few issues, and many things were over-salted. It's not where I'd go for transcendent food, but it's a great place if the primary goal is to talk to other people while the food plays second fiddle.5/22/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious and uniqueThis is a fabulous restaurant in downtown Berkeley. The food was outstanding, especially the duck. The menu is small compared to most restaurants, but everything that the six of us ordered was fantastic. The food is locally sourced, the decor is very impressive, and the service was superb. Highly recommend it!5/21/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious food! Great service.Delicious food! Great service. Interesting casual/rustic atmosphere with just the right touch of fancy. We had a party of 10 and there were no mistakes, food came out at the same time, drinks and apps beforehand. Very pleasant waitstaff that were nice to accomodate seating that was less loud for one of us with a hearing aid, and also took my crutch for me after I sat down.5/19/2013 12:00:00 AMThe new chef fulfills its promise!My husband and I have dined at Revival since it opened, but we often left feeling that the food didn't live up to its description on the menu. (One long-time server even confided that the desserts were the best things on the menu.) Still, we kept coming back because we enjoyed the ambiance and excellent service. Well, after a long haitus, we returned to Revival Saturday night. Three bites into the glorious morel-and-asparagus flatbread, and I immediately asked the server if they'd gotten a new chef! She responded that they had. What's terrific is that the menu has not changed (at least not appreciably); it's finally fulfilled its promise!5/18/2013 12:00:00 AMsmall portions for priceThe food was great. However the portions were small for the price. I don't think it would have cost the resturant any more to make the portions a bit bigger.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMShould be better knownRevival's kitchen has been spot-on the last few visits. This one featured a grilled asparagus appetizer with a delicious meyer lemon sauce, carrot & ricotta ravioli with fresh spring vegetable garnishes in a kaffir lime & cream sauce, and a really interesting mixed grill of goat, the star of which was a confit-style rack of little riblets. Delicious desserts of poached pears with ice cream, caramel and crumbled cookies and a peanut-chocolate mousse-like affair. Each dish is well-balanced, with vivid flavors and fresh high quality ingredients.
It's a fairly big and spacious restaurant, but lively, with a range of ambience depending on whether you are at the bar, in the middle, or near the windows. Good friendly service.5/12/2013 12:00:00 AMHappy to return hereI seek low salt menu options and this can be hard to find in a place that specializes in charcuterie. But I was happy to find the parsnip soup and the salmon (prepared on request without the preserved lemon) were extremely good and also low salt. I do wish there were more options like this on their menu. My husband enjoyed the meatballs appetizer (perfectly spiced) and the goat mixed grill. The service was excellent and the martini was very good.5/8/2013 12:00:00 AMReally convenient and a veryReally convenient and a very pleasant spot for Berkeley theatre and movie nights - food, service and ambiance are consistently very good!5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMWhat a surprise!It was good, portions are HUGE... no complain at all!5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMloveI love Revival. I've eaten here three times, and it's consistently excellent. The specialty cocktails change all the time and I've enjoyed each one I've tried. I tried goat (Moroccan goat tagine) for the first time there and it was tender and juicy with amazing flavor. The desserts are yummy and the made-to-order Blue Bottle coffee is a great pre-theater pick-me-up. I would recommend Revival to anyone.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMEnjoyed the whole mealI chose Revival because the reviews were good, the menu interesting, but mostly because it was close to the Shattuck BART station and we had a plane to catch. When we ordered I warned our server of our time constraint and she did an excellent job of making sure that we even had time for dessert before we had to take off.
The menu was interesting with the focus on a few meats - duck, goat, beef and halibut. Food was all beautiful - but especially the composed salad - the prettiest thing I have ever been served. Delicious, too. I'd go back for that alone. Desserts were a hit with our party - especially "Snickers Bar" another beautifully composed dish with chocolate, peanut, peanut butter elements.5/5/2013 12:00:00 AMPerfect supper before the theaterWe reserved at 6pm before our 8pm Aurora play. We enjoyed wine by the glass (good recommendations from our server and my date). Our lettuce salad came with lots of shaved carrots and radishes, and just the right amount of vinaigrette. The pâté plate was generous enough for two as an appetizer and came with mustard, pickles and bitter orange marmelade - the mustard and marmelade I would normally have ignored, but they were excellent with the pâté and the baguette toasts. We chose the goat merguez (sausage) flatbread with parsnip cream, basil aioli and onion - wonderful combinations! Too full for dessert, we opted for cappucinos. Timing was perfect, as was the service.5/2/2013 12:00:00 AMWe eat here often and haveWe eat here often and have had some very poor service -- this time was great. We thought our waiter was very attentive and helpful. The restaurant was very full so more wait staff must have been hired as things went very smoothly! We also greatly enjoyed the 3 courses we ordered -- very delicious and beautifully presented.4/16/2013 12:00:00 AMa specialty restaurantIt's a kind of specialty restaurant with an unusual menu. Hard to find things to order as main dinner courses. We always end up with the flatbread. It's very good, but not exactly a conventional main course. We were feeling limited in our choices. Wine was wonderful.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMWe go to Revival every timeWe go to Revival every time we are at the theater in Berkeley - we've been there about 12 or 13 times and they never disappoint. RIght now they have goat on the menu and it is wonderful.4/9/2013 12:00:00 AMComfort With A TwistNose to tail focus creates some very interesting dishes. The menu changes regularly, but the quality and variety doesn't. It's a great place, casual but very together. And I enjoy the recycled decor, almost as inventive as the food. Consistently great service too.4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMThe food was delicious, andThe food was delicious, and the service excellent. Highly recommended!4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMFantastic food and sustainable.Amazing place to eat just before an evening at the theaters .4/6/2013 12:00:00 AMJust go, just eat, just enjoyRevival just gets better. We had a large birthday party dinner and they handled it magnificently. The food is getting more sophisticated—there was an amazing potato side dish to my (delicious) ribs. They have rethought the kale salad and improved it considerably—and I thought it was great before! And the prices are still reasonable. Vegetarians and meat eaters, those with insatiable appetites and those trying to keep skinny, we were all completely satisfied.
Just go, just eat, just enjoy—but give yourself enough time to savor the food!4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMGood, not greatGreat service. Constantly refilling our waters and clearing empty plates.
The food was good, but not the best.
The duck was cooked to perfection. The main dishes in general were awesome, but I can't say I would highly recommend the desserts and starters.
Great ambiance, stocked bar, and vibrant feel.4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMFood was wonderful, serverFood was wonderful, server was wonderful....bus boy/clearers try to take your food to quickly....I was mid way through my salad and he must have asked/tried 4 times to take my plate....4/5/2013 12:00:00 AMbEST bAR IN bERKELEYAmazing bar scene - and lots of options; Their drink of the month Toronto very good and immediately had a nice alcoholic buzz.
Duck - best ever!
Wonderful paced restaurant - with a great bar scene. Plan for a relaxing leisurely dinner....
close to theaters and music halls so good pre-show place as well.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMEverything was delicious!Everything was delicious! We recommend the nettles flatbread, the sunchoke / artichoke plate, turnip soup, the sublime composed salad with pickled green strawberries, fava beans, kumkuats, and 'soil', the braised short ribs (always a favorite!) and the Meyer lemon pie, plus the chocolate pot de creme.... Can't go wrong!
ENJOY3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMDelicious, creative organicDelicious, creative organic fare from the fabulous Chef Amy Murray!3/30/2013 12:00:00 AMOverviewEnjoyed the restaurant and was glad to be seated by a window in the back. It was a little quieter.3/29/2013 12:00:00 AMThis spot is perfect for diningThis spot is perfect for dining before attending one of the local theaters or concert venues. One can order a full meal or small dishes. The ingredients and preparation are outstanding. The people behind the bar are attentive and fun to watch if one sits at the bar. It is a bit noisy.3/26/2013 12:00:00 AMFinger-licking good goatGOOOOOD food. It was a wee bit too loud for me but that wouldn't deter me from coming back.3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMFabulous evening all aroundEverything was absolutely fabulous - genius lurks in this kitchen... The salads are inspired, especially the blood orange with lettuces and almond hummus. The trumpet and hedgehog mushroom flatbread w goat bacon....yum!!! Plus the sunchoke / artichoke starter and the veggie fritters - we left w full but healthy bellies.
Actually, we snuck in a wedge of the Meyer lemon pie - what a delight! With a tart little grapefruit rind sprinkling, HEAVEN.
Edible Spring!3/23/2013 12:00:00 AMLoved it! Out for a celebrationLoved it! Out for a celebration for friends. The server was patient with our desire to drink and visit, as well as eat. I had the duck for the second time. It was just as good as last time. We shared the lemon meringue pie. It was delicious, but tiny. Watch out for those cocktails - they mean business!3/15/2013 12:00:00 AMGood as always - great saladsGood as always - great salads and appetizers - really liked the sardine3/13/2013 12:00:00 AMnice venue, close to theater,nice venue, close to theater, excellent food and service.1/26/2013 12:00:00 AMGreat variety ,innovativeGreat variety ,innovative cocktails, tasty apps and sides. Never a disappointment1/13/2013 12:00:00 AMLiving Up to its PotentialThis restaurant has experienced a quantum-leap. Another in a series, actually. Every time we eat here feels like one of the best meals I've ever had! Revival has always been good, but lately... just superb. Highlights: artichoke & sunchoke appetizer (subtle, succulent), goat sampler (rich, tender, thoughtful accompaniments), duck (a must-have, in my book), and the Silk Road Sour cocktail (welcoming and lively). Finished with the meyer lemon meringue pie, and walked out pleased and satisfied. Service was polished, timely, and unobtrusive.
Our earlier visits to Revival showed a lot of promise, but the place was still finding its footing. They are now on solid, adventurous culinary footing. Excellent.3/31/2013 12:00:00 AMWe had a fabulous night.We had a fabulous night. I have come here for both romantic special occasions and fun nights out with friends. The ambiance seems perfect for both. The food is great--locally sourced and organic, but, for those who don't care about that, each dish was amazing. The trout was the best I have ever tasted. My whole table of 8 was happy with all that we ordered. My salad was remarkable. I love their flatbread. The chocolate pot de creme was perfect. Great bar. .3/30/2013 12:00:00 AM