One Shattuck Avenue address offers two different ways to eat. Choose between the downstairs set menu and the upstairs café before looking for a reservation at Chez Panisse.
Sources & reporting note
This guide was prepared from official menus and public sources. It is not a firsthand dining review.
Before you order
Choose the dining room first.
A few details to check before making plans.
A Berkeley address for seasonal cooking
Chez Panisse is at 1517 Shattuck Avenue in Berkeley. The MICHELIN Guide identifies Alice Waters’s restaurant with California cooking and seasonal ingredients. For someone planning a first visit, the most useful distinction is between its two dining rooms.
Downstairs, the Restaurant serves a set dinner. Upstairs, the Café offers an à la carte menu, meaning that guests choose individual dishes. The names matter when booking: a Café reservation and a Restaurant reservation lead to different meal formats. Official information
Downstairs: read the menu for your date
The Restaurant menu page publishes dinners by date. The week checked for this guide includes different preparations of fish, meat, vegetables and dessert each evening. This format suits a diner who wants to follow a planned meal rather than assemble an order at the table.
Do not assume every night has the same number of courses or price. The September 21–26, 2026 page, for example, lists a three-course Monday dinner and four-course dinners later in the week. Read the entry for your own date, along with the current substitution policy, before reserving.
Upstairs: use the sample menu for orientation
The Café page explicitly labels its posted summer menu as a sample. It includes salads, pasta, pizza, fish and meat dishes, followed by desserts. That gives an idea of the range, while leaving the actual order to the menu offered during your visit.
An à la carte meal may suit a group whose members want different combinations of dishes. You can compare a starter and main with a smaller order, then ask what is available that day. Treat a named dish on a sample menu as an example, not a promise attached to a reservation.
Book the room, then plan the day
At the time checked, Chez Panisse says reservations open one calendar month ahead at 9 a.m. Pacific through its website links and Resy. It recommends Resy’s notification feature when a table is unavailable. Review cancellation terms and supplementary charges as part of the booking process. Reservation information
For lunch, check the Café’s service schedule; the downstairs Restaurant serves dinner. Dietary requests also deserve a conversation before booking, since a set menu offers less choice at the table. The Roundmoa profile keeps the location and official links together for your Berkeley plans.
Plan your visit
Plan a visit to Chez Panisse.
Use the restaurant’s own links for current menus, opening hours and availability.
Chez Panisse
1517 Shattuck Ave., Berkeley, CA 94709Official menuROUNDMOA / EDITORIAL
Sources & editorial note
Sources checked September 25, 2026. Dated menu examples may change. AI assisted with drafting and translation.
- 01Chez Panisse: dining rooms and reservations
- 02Chez Panisse: dated downstairs menus
- 03Chez Panisse: sample café menu
- 04MICHELIN Guide: Chez Panisse
This guide was prepared from official menus and public sources. It is not a firsthand dining review.
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