Chez Panisse — Restaurant in Berkeley

A Journey to Chez Panisse: A Culinary Pilgrimage

Every so often, you embark on a dining experience that transcends the ordinary—a meal so exceptional it feels like an adventure, an exploration of flavors, and a journey into the soul of culinary art. Chez Panisse, nestled in the heart of Berkeley, California, is exactly that place. With its legendary reputation, emphasis on farm-to-table ingredients, and a menu that tells a story with every bite, I knew my visit to Chez Panisse would be unforgettable. What I didn’t expect was just how deeply it would resonate with me as not just a meal, but an experience.

Anticipation Meets Reality

Walking up to the ivy-covered facade of Chez Panisse, I felt the excitement of visiting a culinary icon. Founded in 1971 by Alice Waters, the restaurant has been a pioneer of the farm-to-table movement, emphasizing local, organic ingredients long before it became trendy. The warm, understated charm of the building immediately sets the tone: this is a place where substance takes precedence over flash, where the food speaks louder than anything else.

The interior is intimate and welcoming, with soft lighting, wooden accents, and an open kitchen that draws you into the rhythm of the evening. There’s a tangible energy in the air, a sense of something special about to unfold.

The Start of Something Magical

My evening began with a cocktail at the upstairs café—an elegant, lively space perfect for easing into the night. I sipped on a refreshing spritz infused with seasonal citrus, paired with a small plate of olives and house-made bread. The bread alone was enough to hint at the artistry ahead: warm, crusty, and accompanied by the creamiest butter I’ve ever tasted.

Soon, I was ushered downstairs into the main dining room, where the prix fixe menu awaited. Chez Panisse changes its menu daily, each dish curated to reflect the season’s best offerings. The night’s theme was a celebration of winter flavors, and the excitement built with every course description.

A Symphony of Courses

Amuse-Bouche: The meal opened with a small plate of Dungeness crab with Meyer lemon aioli, delicately balanced and bursting with freshness. The sweetness of the crab paired with the tangy, aromatic lemon set the stage for what was to come.

First Course: A chicory and roasted beet salad arrived next, garnished with toasted walnuts and a drizzle of citrus vinaigrette. It was simple but profound, each ingredient shining in its own right while coming together harmoniously.

Main Course: The star of the evening was a grilled rack of lamb served with creamy polenta and a side of braised winter greens. The lamb was cooked to perfection, tender and flavorful, with just the right amount of char from the grill. The polenta was rich and buttery, the greens adding a hint of bitterness to balance the dish.

Dessert: The finale was a pear tart with almond frangipane, served alongside a dollop of whipped crème fraîche. The crust was flaky, the filling luscious, and the pears caramelized to perfection. It was pure comfort, elevated to an art form.

Each course was accompanied by a perfectly paired wine, chosen by the sommelier with care and precision. The wines enhanced every flavor, making the entire experience feel seamless and intentional.

The People Behind the Magic

What truly elevates Chez Panisse is the people. The staff are knowledgeable without being pretentious, passionate without being overbearing. They speak about the food and wine with the reverence of storytellers, connecting you to the farmers, bakers, and winemakers who made the meal possible.

Midway through the evening, the chef came out to greet the diners—a humble and heartfelt gesture that underscored the ethos of the restaurant. Chez Panisse isn’t just about food; it’s about connection: to the land, to the community, and to the people at your table

Reviews by...

This place is highly recommended by my airbnb host as must go place in downtown Berkley. There is restaurant owned and crated by Alice Water back to 1917 as one of the best restaurant in Berkley downtown.

There is Restaurant on 1st floor and cafe on 2nd floor. The restaurant open for dinner Monday through Saturday, by reservation only. Restaurant has fixed menu only that consists of three to four courses and changes nightly, each designed to be appropriate to the season and composed to feature the finest sustainably sourced, organic, peak-of-their-season ingredients, including meat, fish, and poultry. Prices for the Restaurant are $75 on Monday, $100 Tuesday through Thursday, and $125 Friday and Saturday (not including beverages, a 17% service charge, and 9.25% sales tax).

The cafe is on 2nd floor which order moderate price and menu. It has an open kitchen along one side with a charcoal grill and wood burning oven. The menu is inspired by the market and changes twice a day.

I thought I will have to give it try. I went visit for a lunch in Cafe on the 2nd floor (restaurant is on first floor). I'm give it overall 3 start and here are why. This is based on one visit and one order. I will update it when I get to visit again.

Environment & decoration: 8 start

This place is classic, tastefully designed and decorated. A lot of natural light. I sit in the inside area where there is a sky light with colourful glass. A lot of wood and classic decors give this place a cozy and energy.

Noise level: 3 star It is quite loud to my liking for lunch. Not so much of music, just everyone talking really loud. People next to my table talking so loud and so stressfully loud.

Services: 5 star It was very busy lunch time around 1:30. Server is attentive but not overboard. I had reservation and I waited shortly around 5 min pass my reservation before I was sited.

Food: 3 star This is based on one order: I ordered Elliott Ranch lamb leg with snap peas, Tokyo turnips, and salsa di dragoncello, $30 paired with 2016 Chez Panisse Zinfandel, Green & Red Vineyards, Napa Valley $10. The lamb is very chewy and it was served almost cold. In a white table environment, it is embarrassing to deal with none chewable food. Overall taste plain, platting is is not exciting. Wine is good.

Price: 3 star $52 for a simple launch, the price is not bad. What is disappointing is there is services charge of 17% included in the bill. There maybe a reason why restaurant owner does this, I just never a big fun of taking away customers' preference on how much they want to tip. Quite "cheap" way in a famous place like this. (Note: this is for Cafe, the restaurant is set menu around $110 per person.)

Reservation: yes.

Others: something else a little bit awkward - on their website there is suggestion not to use cell and computer on the table, not it is a bad thing... saw a few customer secretly looking at phone - like mum is checking dinner table, a little bit funny.

Overall a nice place to go, maybe just that one order was not impressive, I will definitely try again when I'm visit...

First ate at Chez Panisse in 1972, at age 17, multiple times since, then last night for my and my monozygotic twin's 65th birthday. I have dined at many Michelin 3 star and superb tasting menu restaurants over the years (Louis 14th in Monaco, Le Cocodile in France, Manresa, French Laundry, Chez TJ, Elizabeth Daniel, Ambiance, Papillon, and many others. Two major facts: 1) they are all the offspring of Chez Panisse and Alice Waters, and 2) I have never been disappointed at Chez Panisse. Last night was no exception. We walked into the warm wood waiting area, where we were warmly greated, and coats taken, then graciously seated, with the table pulled out for the gals to sit on the padded bench, and then moved back. The meal started with an amuse buche of fennel shavings and such on toast, paired with a lovely proseco. We did the wine pairings, chosen by the sommelier, which were a bargain at $85/pp. The 1st course was Seared Nantucket Bay scallops with Belgian endive, frisee & Meyer lemon mayonnsise, paired with a 2018 Patrick Puize Vendanges Chablis terroir de Fye, that had the perfect minerality and acid to marvelously pair with both the seared buttery scallops (perfectly cooked) and the citrus dressing. Accompanied by the always yummy sour dough batons.

The 2nd course was Cappelleti stuffed with chard in roasted Red Kuri squash brodo (broth) with Parmesan, paired with an appropriately much less acidic white, the Fiano di Avellino "Calli di Lapio" Romano Clelia. And, of course, sourdogh baton to sop up the delightful broth.

The final savory course was Grilled Stemple Creek Ranch grass-fed beef rib-eye au poivre, with wild mushrooms, roasted cartots, and "shoestring potatoes" (actually, scrumptious fried shavings - see photos). The steak was PERFECTLY cooked - please see last photo of single piece. This course was paired with a delightful 2015 Marengo Barola, that perfectly complented the steak.

Dessert was Bosc pear feullete (pear tart) with huckleberry ice cream, paired with a 2017 Domain de Durban Muscat de Beaumes de Venise. Delicious!

A few more sweet bites ended the meal, and the total bill for 4 was considerably less than at any of the above mentioned restaurants (approximately 25% of our recent meal at Chez TJ).

Does Chez Panise serve 8 course tasting menus replete with molecular gastronomy flourishes? No. But it consistently delivers delicious 4-course meals, with wine pairings that are $85 instead of $245. The service is always spectacular, the ambiance is superb, and we have NEVER been disappointed. Do yourselves a favor if you've never dined at this Mecca of the food movement, the place where it all started. Ignore any restaurant review in the Chronicle that suggests it has "lost its lustre", as that is completely untrue. You owe it to yourself to eat at Chez Panisse...