This Section includes not only reviews of neighborhood food businesses throughout Berkeley, but also news about food products or services that our reviewers find interesting. On occasion, we might even offer a recipe or two. Our reviewer will always be anonymous, and usually, a resident of Berkeley. We accept reviews from our readers — send to bnc50@berkeleyneighborhoodscouncil.com and include your name and contact information which we will not publish. We really would love to hear from you about that neighborhood gem that you loved, or even the one you didn’t!
At the beginning of November, while one of our food critics was watching T.V. with all the ads about the short-term rentals in San Francisco an idea hit — why not see what visitors thought about Berkeley restaurants? Were we surprised!
The reviewer went to TripAdvisor.com (TA) and found out that they ranked 560 Berkeley restaurants according to reviews they had received. Yes, we know that people don’t have to be a “traveler” or “visitor” to write a review, and that there have been known instances of false reviews. We are not saying this has or hasn’t happened on TA, our reviewer is simply mentioning this for your information. In the name of transparency, we also want to advise you, that our BNC critic frequently uses TA when traveling.
BNC can’t list all 560 restaurants, but we are going to show you the ranking of the first 20. We also include some info provided by TA and an edited remark from the most recent review that is shown on the TA website for that particular listing. (Please keep in mind that most reviews say “great food” — we’re not going to repeat that part because it goes with every restaurant on the list. However, we will show what else was mentioned in the review, if anything.) One thing that stands out is that the #1 and #2 restaurants in this list are right across the street from each other.
- Chez Panisse: 1517 Shattuck , 548-5072
Price $25 — $100, Travelers’ Choice 2015 Winner
Review comment: Iconic but still amazing - Cheeseboard: 1504 Shattuck, 549-3183
Price $20, Certificate of Excellence*
Review comment: Live music - Rivoli: 1539 Solano, 526-2542
Price $25 — $40, Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Relaxing ambiance - Zachary’s Chicago Pizza: 1853 Solano, 525-5950
Price $20, Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Deep dish pizza - Rick and Ann’s: 2922 Domingo, 649-8538
Price $20, Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Berkeley institution, does catering too, wait on weekends - Bette’s Oceanview Diner: 1807 Fourth Street, 644-3230
Price $20, Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Always fun - Skates on the Bay: 100 Seawall Drive, 549-1900
Price $15 — $50
Review comment: Right on the water. - La Note: 2377 Shattuck, 843-1535
Price $20 — $30, Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Best for brunch. - Gather: 2200 Oxford Street, 809-0400
Price $12 — $25. Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Farm to table - Jupiter: 2181 Shattuck Avenue, 843-8277
No price given. Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Really cozy, drinks are a bit pricey - Julia’s at Berkeley City Club: 2315 Durant, 280-1547
Price $15 — $25, Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Lovely atmosphere due to architecture and windows - Trattoria Corso: 1788 Shattuck, 704-8004
Price $25 — $100, Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Cozy - Angeline’s Louisiana Kitchen: 2261 Shattuck Avenue, 548-6900
No price given. Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Good location, entree portion size adequate - Comal: 2020 Shattuck Avenue, 926-6300
No price given. Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Large bar area - Zut! 1820 Fourth Street, 644-0444
Price $20 — $40, Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Less than ideal service, loud interior - Berkeley Bowl: 920 Heinz, 898-9555
No price given.
Review comment: Berkeley’s largest grocery store - Kirala: 2100 Ward Street. 549-3486
Price $31 — $40, Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Straightforward Japanese food - Venus Restaurant: 2327 Shattuck Avenue, 540-5950
Price $30, Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Heard great things about brunch - Lyasare: 1830 Fourth Street, 845-8100
No price given.
Review comment: Can eat outside with therapy dog - Vik’s Chaat Corner: 2390 Fourth Street, 644-4432
No price given. Certificate of Excellence
Review comment: Indian food, level of spiciness is easily bearable
*The “Certificate of Excellence” is described as follows:
TripAdvisor awards a Certificate of Excellence to accommodations, attractions and restaurants that consistently earn great reviews from travelers.
So, there you have it. BNC encourages your response to this list. Let us hear from you about whether TA is right on target and/or about your recent trip to one of these restaurants.