Restaurants in Berkeley
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A
La Note
A good spot to fuel up before exploring, La Note serves a French-cafe menu of omelettes and pancakes at breakfast, and croques monsieurs, Niçoise salads and baguette sandwiches at lunch.
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Berkeley Bowl
A Berkeley institution since 1977, the Berkeley Bowl got its name from its original location in a former bowling alley. Its narrow aisles offer the absolute best and worst of Berkeley: produce, deli goods, wines and organic dry goods of the very highest quality threaten to topple off the shelves, while incredibly cranky and arrogant shoppers try to navigate oversize carts through the gridlock.
The self-centered rudeness amidst piles of celery and bulk granola bins can be exasperating and at times downright laughable. (Yoga, so popular in Berkeley, doesn't seem to put people in a positive mindset for the Bowl.) Get a picnic lunch here (weekdays, well ahead of the dinner ru…
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Cafe Intermezzo
Great for quick, filling meals, Intermezzo holds the title for the biggest and best sandwiches and salads; the bread's homemade too.
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Gregoire
The best takeaway by the bay offers classic French. The weekly menu features what's in season locally, maybe grilled artichoke with aioli, impeccably fresh salad, steak in a wine reduction and always, the ethereal potato puffs. Just a few blocks from the park-like UC campus or the Berkeley Rose Garden (on Euclid at Rose), this is a perfect place to outfit a picnic.
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E
Chez Panisse
[ourpick] Chez Panisse Genuflect at the temple of Alice Waters: the birthplace of California cuisine remains at the pinnacle of Bay Area dining. Book one month ahead for its legendary prix-fixe meals (no substitutions); or book upstairs at the less-expensive, a-la-carte café.
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F
César
This airy tapas bar recalls a rustic Andalucían taverna with its heavy wooden benches and tables and open hearth. It turns out simple and delicious small dishes that change with the season. It's jammed at mealtimes, but is a perfect spot for an impromptu snack or a lazy afternoon beer.
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Zatar
Zatar’s mishmash Mediterranean–Middle Eastern cooking spans Morocco to Iran. We like the bold spicing, homemade Iranian bread and fresh ingredients – many from the restaurant’s own organic garden – but the food’s pricey and a tad precious.
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Cafe Fanny
North of University Ave is this café owned by Alice Waters. As you'd expect, it serves excellent cafés au lait, homemade pastries and poached-egg dishes.
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Bette's Oceanview Diner
The diner food is fresh and well-prepared at this hugely popular spot. Table waits can be long, but you can opt to take out from the adjacent deli counter.
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Masse's Pastries
Makes excellent, inventive cakes and buns and you can enjoy a coffee at sidewalk tables at the edge of the bustling Gourmet Ghetto.
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Cheese Board Pizza
Along Shattuck Ave north of University Ave, are the fabulous Cheese Board Pizza for knockout artisanal pizzas.
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Vik's Chaat Corner
This is our favorite Berkeley cheap-eats, with all-fresh-made Indian classics (no tikka masala here) ordered at the counter.
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Jupiter
For the best social introduction to Berkeley's bar scene, head to the back patio at Jupiter.
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Trattoria La Siciliana
An Italian hotspot south of campus among the restaurants of the charming Elmwood District.
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Juice Bar Collective
A tiny storefront cafe, Juice Bar makes tasty polenta pizzas, quiches, sandwiches and dee-lish smoothies.
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Downtown
Smack in downtown, this is an ideal spot to start an evening. While the California fare is solidly good, it’s not particularly innovative, but the bar makes great cocktails and the tasty appetizers appeal to peckish eaters who don’t want to fill up before a performance.
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Q
Beckett's Irish Pub
The cozy but spacious and beautifully restored French-provincial building that houses Beckett's puts it way above your average fake-Irish pub. It serves hearty Irish meals and a decent Guinness.
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