Berkeley Restaurants

  1. 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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  2. 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.

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  3. 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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  4. Blue Nile

    Serves great Ethiopian food in a peaceful, pleasant setting.

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  5. 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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  7. 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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  8. 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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  9. Cheese Board Collective

    This place offers a vast selection of gourmet cheeses and homemade breads, enabling you to put together a fantastic lunch. Head next door for a take-out slice of pizza that'll knock your socks off.

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  10. Chez Panisse

    Chez Panisse is the Church of Alice Waters, inventor of California cuisine. The restaurant is as good and popular as it ever was, and despite its fame the place has retained a welcoming atmosphere. It's in a lovely Arts and Crafts house and you can chose to pull all the stops with a prix fixe meal downstairs, or go less expensive and less formal in the café upstairs. Reserve weeks ahead.

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  11. Downtown

    This is the cool spot downtown. The long bar is great for schmoozing, the open brick oven fends off the Berkeley/SF chill, and the French-Californian cuisine will warm any heart. Most nights feature live jazz or blues after . It's easy to find - just a few steps from BART.

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  13. 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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  14. La Note

    Downtown, La Note is a rustic country-French bistro serving superb ham-and-Gruyère omelettes, rich French toast and other fabulous dishes.

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  15. 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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  16. Trattoria La Siciliana

    An Italian hotspot south of campus among the restaurants of the charming Elmwood District.

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