Venus Venus

Venus Awards

Organic, sustainable and nourishing cuisine at a relaxed neighborhood restaurant.
Openings: Breakfast & Lunch Mon.-Fri., Dinner nightly, Brunch Sat.-Sun.

Features


Venus Restaurant Review:


The cozy brick-walled dining room is where local purveyors head when they crave an über-fresh meal crafted from their own lovingly grown products. Here, they sit shoulder-to-shoulder with diverse Berkeley couplets and foursomes, sharing delight in the organic, sustainable menu, where the flavors of fresh produce are allowed to shine, but dishes still manage soul-warming richness. Wild California bass sits on a mountain of heirloom rice that soaks up creamy green coconut curry like a pudding, and it’s hard to pick a favorite bite from a plate of tender roast chicken, flavorful mashed butterballs, and nourishing greens dotted with cherry tomatoes. Some choices need work on balance, but it’s difficult to fault naturally sugary kernels for corn flan that’s a tad sweet. It’s worth lingering for desserts such as the uplifting buttermilk panna cotta with summer berries or moist Scharffen Berger chocolate cake. Devotees return for brunch when they can start their day with more chocolate, this time atop flapjacks. Owned and operated by Amy Murray for 16 years, Venus is now a sister restaurant to Tigerlily up the street.