Bar Panisse

Not sure what’s with all the haters but the food was INCREDIBLE as was the service from start to finish. Moreover, the wine was impeccable. Prices reasonable? What more could you ask for. Chez pansies sexy younger sibling is off to a BANGING START.

A cozy and vibey spot! The cocktails were awesome (especially the gimlet). The food was reasonably priced and I really loved the greens and the flatbread!

Like many of us in the North Berkeley area, I've been a Chez Panisse fan for many years. While I generally think the main Chez Panisse restaurant (both cafe and dining room) does an excellent job of interesting food & great service, I was unfortunately disappointed by my experience at Bar Panisse. Let's start with the positives. The space is beautifully done with natural wood and soft lighting everywhere. The bar does a great job of feeling cozy, yet open. The designers clearly put a lot of work into the space and it shows in many ways. Additionally, everyone we spoke to was kind, friendly, and welcoming. Kudos to the staff for the effort they are putting in; it doesn't go unnoticed. Unfortunately, that's about the extent of our positive experience. In regards to their drinks, the cocktail menu is uninspired; it's classic hits without anything interesting or unique to draw me back. I would've liked to see more original or unique inventions, such as cocktails made with local/natural aromatics or liquors. I would also like to see drinks that match the current season and farm-to-table ingredients. After all, this is what put Chez Panisse on the map originally, so it's odd to see this omitted in the cocktail menu. Additionally, the my sazerac cocktail should have been served in better glassware, ideally with a large cube of ice. (seriously, look at the photo - I almost laughed when it game out). Looking around, it generally seems like cocktail presentation is lackluster at best. The glass and presentation I got was not deserving of the Chez Panisse name, and I hope they will review it. We also ordered some food, but it didn't come out after about ~30 minutes of waiting, so we gave up on it. Thankfully, the staff (who were overall excellent) were understanding and removed it from the bill. We left without eating. That's a real bummer because I think the small bites is where Bar Panisse could really shine, and I think it's an opportunity to differentiate themselves from other bars with local & farm-to-table food. The bar is new and there will definitely be some growing pains. There is also a lot of hype surrounding this opening and the wait can be many hours. I think I'll give them another chance later down the road when things are more organized. That said, I'm in no hurry to come back, and, with the excellent selection of creative bars & eateries in Berkeley, it's hard to recommend this place to anyone who isn't a die-hard Chez Panisse fan.

Popped in for a cocktail and snacks on a Friday night. It was packed and we didn't have reservations but the hostess was able to get us in at the bar after a short 15 minute wait. Great cocktail program and delicious snacks. We'll be back to try their dinner menu!

An absolute delight—drinks, food, service were all perfection. I was there with a big group, so we ordered almost everything on the food menu, and it was all delicious. I especially appreciated my mocktail, the Bitter Mule. The space is gorgeous too, though it was so packed with people it was difficult to take in all the details. I can’t wait to return when it’s a little less busy and raucous—though that was fun too.

This was excellent, one of the best of its kind I’ve been to in a while. Sat at the bar and had an excellent bartender. Great drinks, great bites (crab beignets omg), and great service. No idea what’s with some of the bad reviews here, maybe they’re comparing the service to next door (at 10x the price)? This spot is an excellent value.

I was a bit under impressed for such a pricey place. For example, we ordered anchovies and we got 6 salted halved-anchovies in olive oil, something you can buy at stores, instead of fresh fish. Overall, the food was good and the service was not slow. Not sure if I would go back soon though, due to high prices for such small portions.

Very tasty food, nice atmosphere and good service with one glaring exception. We celebrated a birthday tonight with nine people in our party. Occupying four tables, we asked the server if we could scoot the tables closer together. We were told of course, seeing how it would only benefit the other tables at either end of ours by giving them more room. A good deal of money was spent on delicious food and drinks, but this being a special occasion that was fine. The serving staff was very friendly and competent and thanked us when we were done. However ,as we were leaving an employee, I'm not sure if he was a Maitre d or manager, informed us not to put the tables together next time, and not in a friendly manner either. It was an unfortunate way to end an otherwise perfect evening.

We are so happy this place finally opened in downtown Berkeley. We arrived at about 5:45pm this evening and had a 30 minute wait, which went by quickly. There's no standing room so you're pretty much guaranteed to wait on a weekend night. We had a couple of cocktails and bites and found the experience overall was exceptional. Hits: - anchovy fritters were salty, crispy, and tasty. 5/5 stars - cauliflower and broccolini was exceptional. So crispy and delicious! And vegetarian. - martini and spritz were both really good - servers were present and attentive. Came by often to check. It seems that the issues mentioned in earlier reviews have already been fixed. - beautiful wood paneled interior Misses (very minor): - We sat in the back corner and heard the clanking of the dish bins all night. I highly recommend they either put up a curtain to muffle the sound or move the dish bins - one drink was missed and never put in the system. They remedied it quickly when we mentioned it. - it's very noisy. Shouldn't bother most people but just an FYI that this isn't a quiet, intimate spot Lastly, I really hope they open up a remote waitlist that can be joined when you're on the way, as there's really no place to go while you're waiting for a table. That or perhaps allow standing by the bar. We can't wait to go back!

Nice addition to Chez Panisse. Came here for a cocktail after dinner. Just opened and very popular. Had to wait 1/2 an hour on a Monday to get a table. The hostess was very nice and accommodating. Great stop before or after dinner for drinks and snacks but would def prefer upstairs for a meal.

Beautiful tasteful classy renovation. Food and drink not up to snuff. Spritz cocktail served in a glass so wrong for the beverage that it made me feel sad. A spritz is big, bodacious. They served it imprisoned in a lowball glass. And the death-rattle for a sophisticated cocktail: it was too sweet. My friend ordered a gin gimlet which they did not mess up. (But anyone who knows what a gimlet is would then ask the question, how could you mess it up, even if you tried?) The fried cauliflower was ALSO overly-sweet, I was alarmed because I would only make it this sweet myself if I was trying to get my 8 year old to eat his vegetables and he'd refused prior attempts. Mostly, I was surprised that after all this time, this is what Bar Panisse hath wrought. I will go back to try the steak. I hope they are open to making a few tweaks.

Recently opened casual cocktail bar and appetizer restaurant opened alongside Chez Panisse. I believe that the team is still working out kinks of serving on busy evenings, as my wife and I struggled to track down dishes and drinks we ordered, though the team trying their best to make everything right. Drinks were tasty, food was fine. We will try it again in a few months.