How is Chez Panisse Cafe restaurant rated?

Name: Chez Panisse Cafe
Address: 1517 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA, United States, 94709
Telephone: (510) 548-5049
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.5

Chez Panisse Cafe

4.5

3165 Reviews

$31 to $50

Californian

Top Tags:

Chez Panisse Caf�, located in Berkeley, California, offers a wide range of French cuisine in an upscale casual atmosphere. The caf� setting and fresh food provide a comfortable place for a date or dinner meeting. Chez Panisse Caf� has a full bar which mostly features an extensive wine selection. Try the carrot and rutabaga soup to start out your meal at Chez Panisse Caf�. The menu changes often in order to provide the best that the market has to offer but choose from dinner options like the crispy rockfish with celery root puree or the autumn greens and ricotta ravioli.

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Additional information

Dining style
Casual Elegant
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Californian, Organic, Mediterranean
Hours of operation
Lunch: Monday - Saturday: 11:30am - 3:00pm; Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 10:30pm, Friday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 11:30pm
Phone number
(510) 548-5049
Website
http://www.chezpanisse.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Smart Casual
Executive chef
Alice Waters
Private party facilities
Chez Panisse offers private party bookings in the downstairs dining room for up to 50 guests.
Private party contact
Jennifer Sherman: (510) 548-5066

Location
1517 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709
Neighborhood
Berkeley
Cross street
Vine Street
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
Downtown Berkeley BART station 7 blocks from Chez Panisse
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Little Gems Lettuce$9.00
with radishes, tarragon, and meyer lemon vinaigrette
Cannard Farm Rocket$10.00
with shaved zucchini, mint, and ricotta salata
Marinated Beet and Avocado Salad$12.00
with ginger and green coriander seed,
Garden Lettuces$9.00
Baked Andante Dairy Goat Cheese$11.00
with garden lettuces
Pizzetta$17.00
with Sweet and Spicy Peppers, Rosemary, and Ricotta
Terra Firma Farm Corn and Summer Squash Soup$9.00
with jalapeño butter

Menu Du Jour

Garden Lettuces$30.00
Fazzoletti Pasta$30.00
with basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, and parmesan
Apricot Gelato$30.00
with dirty girl strawberries and biscotti
Fazzoletti Pasta$12.00
with basil pesto, cherry tomatoes, and parmesan
Grilled Cattail Creek Ranch Lamb Chop and Leg$27.00
with succotash, fried new onions, and chile oil
Monterey Bay$22.00
squid cooked in the wood oven with warm potato and purslane salad, black olives, and saffron mayonnaise
California Wild King Salmon$27.00
with green beans, nasturtium blossoms, and tzatziki sauce
Riverdog Farm Chicken Saltimbocca$25.00
with peperonata and grilled fennel
Pizza$20.00
with tomato sauce, eggplant, marjoram, and Parmesan

Side Orders

water provided upon request

A Plate of Olives, Anchovies, or Olive Oil
- each$5.00
A Bowl of Bob's Mulberries, Sunny Slope Black Mission Figs, and Flavor King Pluot$12.00
Fantasia Nectarine Galette$12.00
with crème fraîche
Buttermilk Panna Cotta$12.00
with wood-oven roasted figs and raspberries
Almond Cake$12.00
with apricot gelato, mulberries and blackberries
Caramel and Cognac - Truffle Ice Creams$12.00
with bittersweet chocolate sauce

What 3,165 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

4.5

4.5 based on all time ratings

4.6Food
4.5Service
4.4Ambience
3.7Value

Noise • Moderate

3,165 Reviews

ND
NelsonD
San Francisco
11 reviews
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on July 11, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
The food and wine was excellent. Our service was outstanding!
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RP
RPeats
San Francisco
112 reviews
vip
5.0
112 reviews
Dined on July 9, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
We moved to SF from the east bay many years ago so don't get to CP as often as we used to. We did go for dinner several months ago and were disappointed with a lackluster meal. But at the request of out of town guests we went back today for lunch and had the kind of meal that made this iconic place a longtime favorite. Every course we each had was fantastic....in creativity, presentation, and most of all flavor. Everything about our lunch was as good as it gets. Now we'll make a point of getting back there more often as few if any places in the City come close.
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A
Amber
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on July 7, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Thank you for our wonderful visit with my daughter and my best friend.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on July 6, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Every detail was as expected. Our reservation for 4 was 8:15pm; we arrived a few minutes early and were seated exactly on time. The meal de jour was a light bean & pasta and included nice greens and a very nice dessert. The others in my party had fish, chicken, and steak entrees and all were pleased. The service was above average.
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G
Gwenn
Washington DC
11 reviews
vip
5.0
11 reviews
Dined on July 6, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Awesome from start to finish
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TH
TeresaH
San Francisco
28 reviews
vip
5.0
28 reviews
Dined on July 6, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Consistently excellent, innovative food and wonderful service! Delicious!
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JM
JaneM
San Francisco
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on July 6, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience4
Magnificent lunch. My 14 year old son said it was the best lunch he has ever experienced. I took my father (80), daughter(10) and son to lunch on a Wednesday. Every dish was superb. Clean plates for every course a testament to that. The simple ingredients in every dish, so well thought out and unique but so fitting and delicious. It went above all of our expectations. we will be back very soon!!! Fried sage leaves on the chicken to die for. Our waiter was so great, attentive but not overbearing and even brought me a to go box of some of the perfectly salted delicate sage leaves to share with my husband. AMAZING!!!
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DC
DianaC
Austin
6 reviews
vip
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on July 5, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Second time! Wonderful experience! Lucky we were able to get reservation during our vacation. Will definitely try again next year.
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DJ
DrJW
Dallas
19 reviews
vip
5.0
19 reviews
Dined on July 2, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Casual,yet sophisticated without any pretension! Memorable afternoon!
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GP
GeneP
San Francisco
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on July 1, 2016
overall4food5service5ambience4
Once again, and old friend delivers. This is I think the most consistently outstanding dining experience in the Bay Area. Good varied menu and excellent execution in a pleasant atmosphere.
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MB
MelissaB
New York Area
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined on July 1, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Chez Panisse Cafe is consistently wonderful. The food is fantastic, the service outstanding.
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JO
JOEB
San Francisco
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on June 30, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
As expected, the food and service were divine. No corners cut. The experience was worth the wait ... and the expense.
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HF
HawaiiFoodie
Sacramento
16 reviews
3.0
16 reviews
Dined on June 27, 2016
overall3food3service5ambience3
We've been going to Chez Panisse for years and it has always received 5 stars until this time. The service is still exemplary but the food missed the mark on a couple of items and it was particularly noisy. The curry soup was underseasoned and tepid. The meatballs were advertised as spicy but were far from and actually also lacked seasoning. The eggplant salad was excellent but there were very few actual eggplants. The pesto pasta was the highlight. We may be nitpicking but when you are Chez Panisse, this really missed the mark. We'll of course give it another try.
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k
katinthehat
San Francisco
19 reviews
5.0
19 reviews
Dined on June 25, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience4
This was my first time at Chez Panisse. Both my husband and I were amazed by the food, the service was impeccable, and the wine selection perfect. Loved the craftsman look. The portions were good and the price acceptable. We will be returning.
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PF
PaulFrancis
San Diego
5 reviews
5.0
5 reviews
Dined on June 25, 2016
overall5food4service5ambience4
Courteous,great food and one of the best waiters I have ever had.....
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D
Diane
New Mexico
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on June 24, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Met all expectations of excellence freshness of vegetables excellent , lovely service. Our first time for 3 of us. we were from southern California
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p
passion4food
San Francisco
21 reviews
vip
5.0
21 reviews
Dined on June 23, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Brought my adult children and their partners to celebrate wife's birthday. I have not been to Chez Panisse in 20 years, but their reputation is still great as witnessed by the difficulty in securing reservations. All of our dishes were special, perhaps the meatballs being the least so. The fish and the duck were terrific. I savored the veggies with a corn souffle. Everything here is about quality and simplicity and I appreciated that much more as I have gotten older. The wines were also outstanding. The service was first-class and attentive. All in all, we had a great dining experience.
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CD
ChrisD
San Francisco
6 reviews
3.0
6 reviews
Dined on June 23, 2016
overall3food5service1ambience2
The food was outstanding. The service did not match the food.
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JG
JoannaG
Dallas
5 reviews
vip
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on June 22, 2016
overall4food5service2ambience5
The place was lovely. The gentleman who greeted us was incredibly gracious and found us a perfect table. Then our server came and he quickly marred the entire experience. He was pretentious, arrogant, inattentive and generally unhelpful. The food was excellent and everyone else was lovely I just think he either needs a new line of work or it was a bad day.
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t
tomrus
San Francisco
6 reviews
5.0
6 reviews
Dined on June 22, 2016
overall5food5service4ambience4
Chez Panisse maintains its high level of cooking and service. I have never left this restaurant without feeling good.
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KH
KearaH
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 22, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Welcome - charming; ambience - congenial; service - efficient; food - fabulous; view of kitchen - fascinating; chez panisse is not to be missed.
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CA
CAROLYNC
San Francisco
5 reviews
4.0
5 reviews
Dined on June 22, 2016
overall4food4service5ambience5
The service was excellent. The meal was not as interesting as other lunches I have had there.
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CS
ChristineS
San Francisco
20 reviews
5.0
20 reviews
Dined on June 22, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
always a great experience eating at Chez Panisse. Took a friend who had never been there and of course the meal was a hit with her.
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2
2localdiners
San Francisco
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on June 20, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience4
Always great food and service. The pork ragu was delicious. Berries with meringue refreshing.
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r
rosee
San Francisco
9 reviews
5.0
9 reviews
Dined on June 18, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
we have never had a bad meal in over 30 yrs. ambience is great.
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RV
RichardV
Dallas
19 reviews
vip
5.0
19 reviews
Dined on June 17, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Whenever we are in the San Francisco bay area we always enjoy eating here. The food is so unique, healthy and outstanding with outstanding service, too.
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C
Conversationalist1
Berlin
31 reviews
vip
4.0
31 reviews
Dined on June 16, 2016
overall4food4service4ambience3
Nice, but a bit pinched.
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BT
BerkeleyTravel
San Francisco
7 reviews
5.0
7 reviews
Dined on June 15, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
After several decades Chez Panisse is still the best.
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WH
WuinH
San Francisco
6 reviews
vip
3.0
6 reviews
Dined on June 14, 2016
overall3food1service2ambience4
Food and service not as great as we have had in the past. Fish was overcooked and the menu was uninspired. Nice atmosphere. Not in a hurry to go back. Too bad!
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p
patriciah
San Francisco
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on June 14, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
We were at Chez Panisse for my husband's birthday. It has been our favorite restaurant for over 20 years. And, the experience has always exceeded our expectations. The food is consistently delicious with an excellent wait staff. We usually go during the week for lunch and have never had a problem getting a reservation.
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ER
ExRa
San Francisco
22 reviews
3.0
22 reviews
Dined on June 13, 2016
overall3food4service3ambience3
Steak night at Chez Panisse is always a treat. The steak was delicious and the sides were tasty, too. The wine was lovely.
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u
up2date
San Francisco
38 reviews
vip
5.0
38 reviews
Dined on June 13, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Chez Panisse continues to be a delightful and delicious experience. The food is always fabulous and the service is amazing.
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DB
DaveB
London
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on June 13, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience4
Out of many meals in the past year at places at a similar level, my two favorites were Chez Panisse Cafe and Trattoria Corso. Every other meal, someone would have ordered differently in hindsight. At both of these meals, we could have played musical chairs and everyone would have been thrilled with their new dinner. That's hard. This pairing makes a great case study in French versus Italian. Both meals realized amazing flavors. The Italian meal was passion over technique, or an advocate might claim the best Italian technique is transparent. The French meal featured impeccable technique. Ask how the salmon was cooked; I have considerable French training for a home cook, and I was surprised. Chez Panisse Cafe is "supposed" to be good. I'm surprised that Trattoria Corso doesn't review higher, and is so easy to reserve. Likely this is reputation lag and a new cook? Chez Panisse service is in its own league; many three star restaurants in France have less fun offering stiffer and less attentive service. Fear of Michelin? Also rans nearly in the same league, but always with at least one dish one wouldn't order again: A16, Enoteca Molinari.
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F
Fischnasty
Washington DC
3 reviews
vip
5.0
3 reviews
Dined on June 13, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Wow! How does this place not have a Michelin star?
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B
Bpfvan
Vancouver
49 reviews
vip
4.0
49 reviews
Dined on June 11, 2016
overall4food4service3ambience3
Great food. Extremely well prepared. Servers could be a bit more attentive.
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P
Pei2
Los Angeles
15 reviews
2.0
15 reviews
Dined on June 11, 2016
overall2food2service4ambience4
The food was mediocre, actually. The service was very nice. All in all, another overpriced East Bay establishment.
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
1 review
4.0
1 review
Dined on June 10, 2016
overall4food4service4ambience4
Nothing negative about food or service, Only one thing that is confusing is they automatically charge 17 % "Service Charge" on the bill. They states it is Not TIP. What is "Service Charge"? What "TIP' one should leave additionally? Please help.
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S
ginfoodSat
San Francisco
9 reviews
3.0
9 reviews
Dined on June 10, 2016
overall3food2service4ambience3
I've been going to Chez P. since the '70's and it has gone through noticeable changes. It is no longer a cutting-edge experience or even a great place for California cuisine. My friend and I ate at the Cafe, whose noise level is expected. Space between the tables worked well so we could hear each other. Our waitress was knowledgeable and helpful in finding my friend a wine she liked, and she loved her meal of salmon. Unfortunately my duck confit arrived too soon and was very over-salted (too much salty brine?) and the pommel frites were greasy and also too salty. While I realize I should have told the waitress, I didn't want to delay our meal and convey disappointment to my friend. The best part of the meal for both of us was the wonderful apricot tart. We weren't asked if we wanted coffee or tea. Overall, Chez P. is another good place to eat with spotty service/dishes that can be wonderful with a bit more attention.
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k
kims
Los Angeles
4 reviews
5.0
4 reviews
Dined on June 9, 2016
overall5food5service5ambience5
Alice Waters is to be thanked for cultivating the creative food scene in California as well as fresh and healthy elegant dishes. The legacy lives on!
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OT
OpenTable Diner
San Francisco
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined on June 9, 2016
overall5food4service5ambience5
I booked Chez Panisse to celebrate my partner's 50th. We flew in from Sydney and my sister flew in from Scotland So it was a special occasion. The staff were attentive, the cafe not too noisy, the menu beautifully descriptive and ample choice for the 3 of us to be very happy choosing separate dishes - up until dessert when chocolate won 2 of us over. The stand out moment was the birthday candle arriving in my partner's dessert, no prompts to the staff- our server had picked up on the congratulatory glass clinking. We would go back again and are all avid followers of the slow food movement which Alice Waters and her staff are a credit to.
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FAQs

Chez Panisse Cafe is rated 4.5 stars by 3165 OpenTable diners.

Not available on OpenTable

Unfortunately, this restaurant is not on the OpenTable reservation network.

If you like, we'll notify you by email if this restaurant joins.

Is this your restaurant?

Claim this listing

1517 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94709

Additional information

Cross street
Vine Street
Neighborhood
Berkeley
Hours of operation
Lunch: Monday - Saturday: 11:30am - 3:00pm; Dinner: Monday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 10:30pm, Friday - Saturday: 5:00pm - 11:30pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
Californian, Organic, Mediterranean
Dining style
Casual Elegant
Dress code
Smart Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Public transit
Downtown Berkeley BART station 7 blocks from Chez Panisse
Payment options
AMEX, Carte Blanche, Diners Club, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Alice Waters
Additional
Bar/Lounge, Beer, BYO Wine, Corkage Fee, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.chezpanisse.com/
Phone number
(510) 548-5049
Private party facilities
Chez Panisse offers private party bookings in the downstairs dining room for up to 50 guests.
Private party contact
Jennifer Sherman: (510) 548-5066

Chez Panisse Cafe

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information

Main

Little Gems Lettuce$9.00

Cannard Farm Rocket$10.00

Marinated Beet and Avocado Salad$12.00

Garden Lettuces$9.00

Baked Andante Dairy Goat Cheese$11.00

Pizzetta$17.00

Terra Firma Farm Corn and Summer Squash Soup$9.00

Menu Du Jour

Garden Lettuces$30.00

Fazzoletti Pasta$30.00

Apricot Gelato$30.00

Fazzoletti Pasta$12.00

Grilled Cattail Creek Ranch Lamb Chop and Leg$27.00

Monterey Bay$22.00

California Wild King Salmon$27.00

Riverdog Farm Chicken Saltimbocca$25.00

Pizza$20.00

Side Orders

A Plate of Olives, Anchovies, or Olive Oil

A Bowl of Bob's Mulberries, Sunny Slope Black Mission Figs, and Flavor King Pluot$12.00

Fantasia Nectarine Galette$12.00

Buttermilk Panna Cotta$12.00

Almond Cake$12.00

Caramel and Cognac - Truffle Ice Creams$12.00

Overall ratings and reviews

FAQs

How is Chez Panisse Cafe restaurant rated?

Not available on OpenTable

Additional information