Need restaurant recs near UC Berkeley
My daughter will be starting UC Berkeley next month so since I will be going there to visit her quite a bit I would love to learn about your favorite restaurants near the campus. Anything from casual to nice, breakfast, brunch, lunch and dinners. Thanks
Linda Perry
Linda at peachhead dot net
Jul 10, 2016
Parent Replies
Congrats to your daughter!
A few of our favorites:
La Note - Delicious brunch, on the pricey side but so worth it. Great outdoor patio, too.
Cancun - burritos
Gather - Farm to Table style lunch and dinner
Southside (Telegraph Ave) - mostly cheap but with some surprisingly good quality: Taco Sinaloa and Gordo Taqueria for Mex. D'yar for falafel or shwarma. All of the noodle places are pretty good and reasonable.
Westside (Downtown) - on the cheap side I like Sliver pizzeria (slices and pies, similar to Cheeseboard), PIQ (Ital deli/bakery), Fresca (Mex), Imm (Thai), Udupi Palace (veg. Indian). Upscale - Revival, La Note (French), Alborz (Persian), Angeline's (cajun), Bistro Liaison (French on Northwest corner of campus).
Gourmet Ghetto - these are easy to find online but go north on Shattuck and park near Cedar or Vine. Gregoire, Chez Panisse, Cheeseboard, Cesar etc.
You will almost certainly find something you like.
There are honestly so many great places within walking distance of campus - the food around Cal is nothing short of amazing. You can find high quality options, at all price points, for about any type of cuisine.
Some favorite cheap eats: Top Dog (grilled hot dogs), Gordos (burrito/tacos), Ici (ice cream), Cafe Strada (mostly coffee but it is an institution), Zachary's (would be a longish walk).
Sit down/when parents are in town: Gather (good for vegetarians), La Note (French comfort food), Comal (hipster Mexican/Latin), Trattoria Siciliana (Italian).
Breakfast/brunch: Rick & Ann's, La Note, Venus.
You're in for a treat--there are so many yummy places to go! Of course, everyone's taste is different, but here are some of mine:
1. La Note (French style, very lovely setting!)
2. Venus Cafe (excellent food)
3. Jupiter (lovely outside setting if the weather is nice, good food and lots of beer choices)
4. Henry's (in the Durant Hotel)
5. Five (in the Shattuck Hotel)
6. Cancun (burrito joint with a great salsa bar!)
7. Thai House
8. Tacos Sinaloa (the real deal)
9. Musical Offerings (lovely quiet spot opposite campus)
I'm sure there are more nearby, but these are the first that come to mind. There are certainly LOTS more all around Berkeley--don't miss The Cheese Board for pizza!
Have fun and bon appetite!
A campus staff foodie
I love the recommendations on this site. It's kept up to date and the reviews and comments are fair. http://www-rnc.lbl.gov/Restaurants/ Enjoy!
My colege friends like Bongo Burger north of campus.
Tralee
Steve Sugarman who teaches food law at UC Berkeley has an amazing restaurant guide. You can find it online at:
https://www.law.berkeley.edu/our-faculty/faculty-sites/steve-sugarman/s…
I want to second the recommendation for Lucille Poskanzer's restaurant reviews at http://www-rnc.lbl.gov/Restaurants/ - there is no better website for finding a good place to eat in Berkeley, whether you're new to the area or you're a long-time local. She also reviews restauarnts in Oakland. Her website has been online forever, and she keeps it up to date, adding new restaurants before you even knew they have opened, and noting restaurants that have recently closed. What I like about her reviews: she doesn't review EVERY restaurant, just the ones that she likes, or the ones that are notable. She reviews both high-end and low-end restaurants and everything in between. Her reviews are straightforward, unpretentious and fair -- she gives you a short summary of the ambience, general menu offerings, how expensive it is. In just a few sentences she hits the high points - it's noisy, or there's a nice patio, or there a crowds waiting to get in, etc. Just enough info so you can quickly narrow down a list of possibilities or try out a new place you haven't been to before. Highly recommended!
My top vote is Angeline's on Shattuck Avenue--delicious cajun with generous portions. If you're not looking for sit-down, but something to grab and go, the new Ike's (also on Shattuck) is also top notch. And then for desert you can get an ice cream cone for $1.25 at John's, which is a pretty good deal.