Julia's Restaurant

This was our first visit to Julia's even though I've lived in the area for most of my life; I wouldn't have known it existed w/out the Open Table recommendation. We went for my birthday and overall it was a pleasant experience. I would say that the food seemed to be hit-or-miss (thus the 3-stars), because my wife's duck was disappointing (overwhelming sauce spread across the plate), but my sea bass was very good. The thing that would bring me back is the atmosphere and setting of the restaurant in a Julia Morgan designed, turn of the century building that was amazing to walk around in and check out.

Felt very special because the building and space is so pretty. You feel like you've discovered something. The room is pretty in a handsome sort of way. The food seemed a bit expensive. The salads really stood out. And I absolutely loved the wine list. Not too much and super well curated. I'll definitely be back. If it wasn't so expensive I'd be back even more! Bar looks like a nice little spot for a drink too. All in all very special.

In a lovely historic building, it is delightful to enjoy a delicious meal in quiet surroundings.

Great lunch as always. Two of our party ordered the steak and really loved it.

Dining with dear friends. Super special building and delicious cuisine!

All around pleasurable, a bit rushed for 8 pm concert, so seating at 6:30 was our error. Food was very good and beautifully presented. Minor issues such as ultra salty pork or wish for crust on duck. But all dishes were prepared to individual's request. Great respect for wishes and excellent sense of good service. Superb prix fixe menu with amazing salad!

We loved Julia's. It is such a civilized setting! We will go back any time we have an event in Berkeley. My dining companion enjoyed the sea bass and I loved the duck (could have been a tad more on the rare side). but was fine. My dining companion had the beets parfait which was very tasty, only he couldn't figure out why it was called parfait. I had the smoked herring. While I love herring in any form, preparing smoked herring in a creamy (mayo and whipped cream?) dressing is not how I would have ordered the dish. Simple vinaigrette would have been fine - with sliced onions, but the toasted quinoa was a nice touch. The restaurant is well worth a trip from the city!

Mixing old world charm with great food and service this is a place for any special occasion like my friend's birthday. Te staff as exceedingly nice!

The woman that was supposed to greet us at the door ignored us while she talked on the phone and, then, failed to check us in as Open Table diners, dispute the fact that I made a point of telling her when we checked in. As we were leaving, the same woman did not even look up to say goodbye. It left a poor Impression on us coming and going to an otherwise lovely dinner.

I asked for medium rare lamb and I got medium chewy.

Expectations where low - my husband works for fine dining restaurant. Had to many disappointments in Berkeley/ East Bay. This was a rare date night. WOW WOW WOW ! We were so impressed beyond our expectations.

Upon entering on the premises was so impressive we have been to famous Hearst Castle (built and designed by same woman architect) we are familiar with Julia Morgan architecture. Our reservation was for evening so it was dark outside.

This is a Castle experience- so grand and regal. We ordered cocktails was delighted served in elegant Waterford style glasses. Love the linen tablecloths service - it’s not stuffy but refreshing traditional elegance true to the landmark. Great background music playing.

Appetizers had the snails & mushroom pate.

For dinner entrees we ordered the pork loin with camargue red rice, husband had the duck breast both excellent paired with red wines.

Dessert Olive Oil cake - I’m not a cake person but this was moist and light. The chocolate mousse was off the menu chef sent it.

We met Chef Fabrice Marcon - true authentic French chef - culinary master.

Dining room is elegant & true to the architecture. This restaurant is inside the Berkeley City Club it’s a US landmark and protected.

Excellent dining experience met Chef Marcon & Miss Desiree gave us a quick tour.

This is a hidden treasure in Berkeley - must have reservations small limited seating. The lighting was too bright for lounge & dining can be dimmed to create ambiance.

Side note- get a chance to look up Julia Morgan’s architectural background and biography before you go get a better appreciation. She’s a UC Berkeley legend.

Great quality and ambience

What a jewel. The restaurant is lovely, food is excellent and service superior.. they should advertise more, as this lovely restaurant was only 1/2 full on a Friday lunch, in downtown Berkeley.

Julia's is a beautiful setting in a beautiful establishment. The menu is intriguing, and speaks to a practiced chef. We were a party of 4 and a bit divided about the food; half of us liked it, the other half did not: it would merit a second try. The service was surprisingly variable. Our server was a touch off; perpetually hurried and hurrying us, somewhat brusque. The busboy, on the other hand, was very helpful and had a quiet relaxed air that seemed perfect for the setting, but appeared to be still learning the job (no harm there: his disposition more than made up for that). The other server we interacted with was also even-handed, so perhaps our guy was simply having an off night.

Quiet space, old world. Very good, friendly service. A place to take your time and enjoy
the moment. Food is adequate, so-so...

The menu at Julia's is small but every dish is well though-out, perfectly prepared and exquisitely presented. And delicious! The staff is highly knowledgeable about the food and the wonderful French leaning wine list. The service was attentive but not cloying and the building itself is a gem of California architecture. (I almost want to keep the whole place a secret.)

Wonderful surroundings -- a treat for visitors to Berkeley. The food is very good, though a bit pricey. The menu seems to remain unchanged -- would be great if it could vary somewhat.

Beautiful and romantic, food was delicious and service was superb.

My lady and I had an EXCELLENT dinner at Julia's
We started off with escargot (snails) for me. Beet salad for her.
With the escargot came six small slices of toasted french bread.
We used them to lap up the escargot juice's UMUM good.
Best escargot I've had in years. Beet salad was very good.
For entrees She had a Filet Minion steak and I had the sea bass
entree. Both entrees were delicious. Her steak Might have been a half
pound. She took some home for her dogs. Lucky dogs!!
Coffee and a shared dessert were very good.

The only gripe I have is PARKING!! No pay lot parking near by.
We had to park on the street three blocks from the restaurant.

Dinner before Cal Performances. The setting was glorious. The food was most tasty. The service was elegant

The food is reasonably good but not worth the price. Several good dishes but mostly food is drenched in butter. I would still recommend it for service and ambience. Quality of food has declined.

Julia's is a very fine restaurant on the second floor of the Berkeley City Club. You don't have to be a member to eat there. It's the perfect place for a special occasion or just to grab a bite for lunch. The service is eccellent though it can get slow when it is crowded, so it's best to go there when you're not in too much of a rush. I highly recommend their steak and the chocolate ganache for dessert.

Had a great dinner at Julia's. The sea bass was excellent, perfectly prepared, and the potatoes on the side were an excellent choice to accompany the fish.

Everything was excellent. It's pricey for brunch but probably comparable to other venues in Berkeley of a similar standard.

Every year four of us gather for our college reunion, and I was looking for a special spot for brunch.
We toured every room of the Berkeley City club, the pool and learned the history of Julia Morgan, then had brunch at Julia's. It's quiet and beautiful and the food was delicious.
We then walked across campus for the matinee at the Berkeley Rep.
A fabulous afternoon!

Nice Spot for a romantic dining. Good food. A bit pricey, but a good splurge for special occasions.

The food was fantastic!

Superb food. Wonderfully prepared and beautifully served. Also delicious and interesting!

Beautiful location! Great selection of wine by the glass. Enjoyed the offering of filet mignon, escargot and creme brulee. Service was friendly and prompt. Would come again.

Actually, we liked Julia’s a lot and would certainly recommend the restaurant to friends. I must be in a hard grading mood today.

What a gem this Restaurant is! Great meal. venue for Valentine's Day

Room is COLD. It's winter right now. Is your governance of this business seasonally minded?
Board of Directors: your decision on this costs Julia's's customers in terms of comfort and ease.
Idea: provide lap-blankets!

It was great to be at a restaurant with wonderful service, real tablecloths and fine food. Enjoyed getting my first opportunity to be inside the building design by Julia Morgan -- hence the restaurant's name --more than 40 years after graduating UC-Berkeley. Thought it was a bit on the expensive side, but I plan to return.

Very good food in an elegant, quiet space. Very good service. A wonderful place for a special meal with friends and family whom you really want to talk to.

The food here is always good but I wish they had a more extensive menu, or changed their menu offerings every couple of months.

Lovely venue, excellent service. Limited menu, but something for everyone. My salad, though tasty, was drowning in dressing - seriously overdressed.

The room evokes a past era of elegance. The food was prepared well and the service was great.

An oasis of quiet and elegance. I would suggest they dim the lights slightly, and add music.

The BCC is such a special place. The food was good. The beet salad was my favorite thing. Our waiter, Tony, is the best I’ve ever encountered. I just love him. He’s a star.

It was my friend’s birthday and I let Open Table know, but we didn’t get a birthday dessert or song like the people at the table next to us. It was too dark and we needed flashlights to read the menu. It was cold and stormy outside and adequate lighting would have made the environment less gloomy. When I asked for the lights to be turned up, they were for a minute, but turned back down again.

The room is spacious and the tables nicely separated. The service was professional, friendly and prompt. The crepe and the frisee and egg salad were both absolutely delicious and shared by husband and me for a lovely, quiet lunch. Of course, being in the historic 1929 Julia Morgan Berkeley City Club added elegant interior proportions and views to discuss and enjoy.