| Inexpensive | ||||||
| Restaurant | Type of food | Address | Phone (510) | When to go | Reservations? | Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Panini | Cafe | Allston @ Shattuck (in Trumpetvine Court, behind Jupiter) | 849-0405 | Only weekday lunch | No | Best sandwiches in Berkeley |
| Udupi Palace | South Indian | 1901 University @ MLK | 843-6600 | ? | No | All vegetarian. The uthappams are unique (to me--I've never had them anywhere else) and delicious. |
| Blue Nile | Ethiopian | 2525 Telegraph near Dwight | 540-6777 | Lunch, dinner (closed Mondays) | Advisable on weekends | Good food, slow service |
| Zachary's Pizza | Chicago-style "stuffed" pizza | Two locations: College Ave (Rockridge) and 1853 Solano | Solano: 525-5950 | avoid weekends | Can't make reservations. Crowded weekends and evenings. | Awesome deep-dish pizza; long waits |
| La Mediteranee | Middle Eastern | 2936 College Ave. | 540-7773 | Weekdays before 6:30 | I don't think they take reservations | Try the lemon-chicken soup |
| Barney's | American (burgers) | Cedar @ Shattuck | 849-2827 | Lunch, dinner | Not needed | Good curly fries. Everything is super-sized. |
| Nefeli | Cafe | 1854 Euclid (near Hearst) | 841-6374 | Good for lunch, but also open for dinner | No | Good sandwiches and salads |
| Cactus | Mexican | 5642 College Ave. near Rockridge BART | 658-6180 | Lunch, dinner | No reservations | Order your food at the counter at this crowded, tasty taqueria. There's also a Cactus on Solano, but the Rockridge one has a different, better menu |
| Smart Alec's | "Healthy" fast food | Telegraph @ Durant | ? | Lunch, dinner (?) | No reservations | Counter service; no atmosphere; but tasty, fast, and relatively healthful. I like the veggie burger with artichoke topping and the sesame tofu salad. The baked fries aren't as good as deep-fried, of course, but they're not bad. |
| Amanda's Feel Good Fresh Food | "Healthy" fast food | 2122 Shattuck | ? | Lunch, dinner | No reservations | Counter service; slightly more atmosphere than Smart Alec's. Small portions (that's how they keep the calorie count low), but tasty. The baked sweet potato fries are particularly good. |
| Moderately priced | ||||||
| Restaurant | Type of food | Address | Phone (510) | When to go | Reservations? | Comments |
| Cha-am | Thai | 1543 Shattuck near Cedar | 848-9664 | Lunch, dinner | Needed on weekends | Considered the best Thai food in Berkeley |
| La Note | French Provencal | 2377 Shattuck near Durant | 843-1535 | Breakfast/lunch daily; dinner Fri. and Sat. only | Reservations advisable for dinner | Home-style French country cooking |
| Caffe Venezia | Italian | 1799 University @ Grant | 849-4681 | Lunch, dinner | Definitely make reservations | Fun, yummy, loud |
| Ajanta | Indian | 1888 Solano near The Alameda | 526-4373 | Lunch, dinner | Needed for dinner | Best Indian food in Berkeley |
| Kirala | Japanese | 2100 Shattuck @ Ward | 549-3486 | Weekdays before 6:15 | No reservations; long waits. Go early on a weekday. | Delicious sushi and grilled dishes. |
| Cha-Ya | Nouvelle Japanese | 1686 Shattuck Ave. north of Virgina | 981-1213 | Lunch, dinner. Closed Mon. | Not sure whether they take reservations. | Vegan. Weird but tasty dishes featuring combinations like shitake mushrooms, corn, and soybeans in strawberry sauce. |
| Khana Peena | Indian | 1899 Solano | 528-2519 | lunch (buffet); dinner | Not sure | More traditional than Ajanta. Food not quite as good, but service better. |
| Kirin | Chinese | 1767 Solano | 524-1677 | Dinner, lunch | Not sure | Eclectic, creative Chinese food, nicer than average atmosphere |
| Expensive | ||||||
| Restaurant | Type of food | Address | Phone (510) | When to go | Reservations? | Comments |
| Rivoli | California | 1539 Solano Ave., Albany | 526-2542 | Dinner every night | Make reservation well in advance | Excellent, innovative yuppie food |
| Chez Panisse Cafe | California | 1517 Shattuck near Vine | 548-5049 | Lunch, dinner (closed Sundays) | Now taking reservations (call at least a month in advance for weekends) | The birthplace of California cuisine; still excellent. |
| Downtown | Seafood | 2102 Shattuck @ Addison | 649-3810 | Dinner Tues-Sun, lunch Tues-Fri, brunch Sun | Advisable | Very fancy and expensive. Raw oyster bar. Non-seafood dishes available (and good). |
| Lalime's | French | 1329 Gilman St. | 527-9838 | Dinner (and lunch?) | Yes (unless you go early) | Food is nicely prepared and presented; a bit rich for my tastes, but that's French food. |
| Fonda | Tapas | 1501 Solano Ave., Albany | 559-9006 | Dinner every night | Need reservations on weekends | Eclectic, delicious small plates and exotic cocktails |
For a more complete list, check out The Poskanzer guide to restaurants in the Berkeley area