Chez Panisse Cafe Chez Panisse Cafe

Chez Panisse Cafe

1517 Shattuck Ave. (Vine St.)
Berkeley, CA 94709
510-548-5049
Map
This casual, à la carte sibling to Chez Panisse (located upstairs from the restaurant) offers fresh and memorable fare highlighting the season's best.
Openings: Lunch & Dinner Mon.-Sat.

Features


Chez Panisse Cafe Restaurant Review:


The upstairs café at this venerable location for seasonal California cuisine is equally as beautiful and the food as tasty as its downstairs neighbor. The two differences are that this spot is open for lunch and it offers an à la carte menu for a more casual experience. The comfortable interior dominated by wood, copper and brick continues the Craftsman detailing and decoration. Light and warmth beam through the front windows causing the bar's rows of ready wine glasses to twinkle. Choose from selections such as frisée salad dotted with beets and almonds; or plump, dark figs matched with sheep's milk ricotta and Parma prosciutto. Local sand dabs are roasted in the wood oven and cloaked in a ragoût of sweet onions, pine nuts and raisins. Fresh pasta is stirred with bright green pesto and finished with slices of heirloom tomatoes. Pizza is topped with lamb, pork sausage, leeks and Fontina. The dishes are, for the most part, not heavy, leaving room to indulge in desserts such as Golden Delicious apple tart dolloped with crème fraîche, or a piece of rustic almond-cornmeal cake surrounded by strawberries and raspberries. Knowledgeable staff will be happy to assist you in selecting a perfect bottle or glass of wine.