"Chez Panisse Café" is a less-expensive alternative to Alice Waters' restaurant "Chez Panisse".   This lively upstairs café has redwood walls , copper lamps and French bistro-style posters. It serves excellent "California-Mediterranean" menu to food-savvy diners who come to enjoy themselves. menu changes daily, chefs have the same eye for freshness and quality as the chefs downstairs in more formal "Chez Panisse".

  sample of menu might include figs wrapped in grape leaves; crispy-crusted pizza with Sonoma goat cheese, toasted almonds and olives; and a spicy pan-fried rock cod with roasted potatoes. pizza is savory, cod is fresh and potatoes are cooked 'al dente'. The desserts might range from an apple-and-candied-kumquat tart to strawberry-orange sherbet and passion-fruit ice cream with gingersnaps. 'prix fixe' (fixed price) menu is also available.

The outstanding wine list is same as one downstairs. However, the cafe's bistro-style food dictates more playful choices. Sonoma goat cheese with either Quivira's or Spottswoode's crisp Sauvignon Blanc is a winner. Diners may bring in bottle, however, there is $15 corkage fee. service depends on how busy the café is.

On weekend nights, it is difficult to get in, especially since reservations are not taken. It is first come, first serve, so be prepared to wait in line if you come during busy hours. waiters are very helpful and knowledgeable about the dishes they serve.

In addition to offering excellent food and atmosphere, this upstairs café is rich in history. The house in which restaurants are located is a culinary landmark in Berkeley's "Gourmét Gulch". It has been 25 years since Alice Waters along with Jeramiah Towers invented "California Cuisine", preparing and serving best of what California gardens and farms have to offer. Since then, this cuisine has spread across country and overseas. food at "Chez Panisse Café" is worth the wait and has received three-star rating (second only to its four-star sister downstairs!)