My friend and I finally came here after despite the long wait. This place gets VERY busy especially on the weekends, so be prepared to wait a good 30 minutes or so. We got the lemon gingerbread pancakes and the brioche pan perdu. The lemon gingerbread pancakes werent all that special. I was expecting something ridiculously good but it just tasted like a regular pancake to me with pears on top. On the other hand, I thought the brioche pan perdu was super delicious! The french toast is so sweet and made perfectly. it comes with 6 pieces and if you were to have this by yourself, you would have leftovers for sure. I always feel so fancy when I eat breakfast here haha. **TIPS** 1) Portions are pretty big so share the wealth and split. 2) Enjoy!
(4)
Milton F.
I came here for brunch this past Sunday and it was busy. Well let me rephrase that, it got very busy. Luckily we showed up early, around 10:30 and got seated within 15 minutes. By the time left.. around 11:30, there was at least 15 groups of people waiting outside.. So if you want to avoid long waits, arrive early! They don't take reservations so you gotta come early. This is a french inspired brunch place, so unfortunately there are no eggs benedict, my go-to brunch dish. Instead, I got the two eggs with sausage. It was very good. Their french toast is made with real french bread which is different. You have to try the basket of pastry that comes with an assortment of croissants. They are delicious.. well at least the morning bun and chocolate croissant. I would most definitely come back, but I would not want to wait an hour to get seated. The place is small and intimate. Great place for a date!
(4)
Anahit T.
Oatmeal. Sounds boring, I know! But their blueberry oatmeal was flavorful. It was tart from the blueberries inside and sweet because of the sprinkle of brown sugar. I also had the fruit salad--nothing special, it's seasonal fruit so it's fresh and sweet. Make sure to make reservations ahead of time.
(5)
Andy L.
Came to visit my future sister in law at Berkeley and decided to eat here the day we were leaving. Overall, I must say I am pleased at this place. First, I found an awesome parking spot across the street. I'm pretty sure if I didn't, this review would be much lower. The place is very small but cozy. I forgot what I ordered but I remember it being big and tasty. I do remember the sausage was a surprise as it was lamb sausage. I'm not a big fan of lamb so didn't really like it. Price wise is pretty normal...similar to Mimi's cafe. Its a nice place to take a date to. I suggest ordering one entree and a smaller side dish because the portions are large. I recommend this place for breakfast- but just make sure you swing by Starbucks before going because the coffee here is as bland as it can get.
(4)
Mick A.
In all my dining I do not think I have ever been to an eating house that is more disrespectful of a customer.....! We were walks up and clearly when we arrived it was clear this joint was busy. So we put our names down on the list and understood that we had to wait 90 minutes...ok, all this is fair! We returned some 5 minutes inside the hour and half, and we were initially told to wait another 15 minutes. Still acceptable, and so some of our group decided to go for another stroll whilst others just waited. Then soon we got 'told', your table will be ready in two minutes, to which I replied some have gone for a walk so we will need to find them, to which I was told 'you need to come now or you may loose your table' .... we scrambled and managed to round the others up very quickly! We were ready and a sense of anticipation prevailed...finally. Soon that 'two minutes your table will be ready' blew out to 18 minutes........we finally sat down and the mandatory tap water in the bottle arrived. After a further twenty minutes we requested a menu...eventually it arrived, 'dumped' on the table...another ten minutes and after pleading for service someone came. The order was delivered..phew maybe some joy now! Well 40, yes 40 minutes laters some of the orders started to arrive....the first recipients waited for the other persons dishes to arrive before starting. Another 10+ minutes and now we had some cold dishes....Cradle to grave we waited 188 minutes or simply 3 hours! Some of us did not finish...the Omelette Fromage was awful, so wet that a spoon was the only means of consumption ...and the Short Stack Lemon Gingerbread was not a pleasant eat. The small Nicosia salad was fine and the rest is nearly forgettable - probably 30% of what was put on the table wasn't eaten despite our desire to satisfy our hunger. In the end the part that of this experience that is important is the inexcusable attitude that this eating house thinks its time is more valuable than a citizen. We were pawns abused and even worse our circumstances were taken advantage of .... no ethics or integrity and I left to wonder what happens with the food out of sight! Never ever again ...ever, will I return and this is probably my poorest yelp review. The day was 2 November and our server was Heather who felt sorry for us and who did kindly apologise!
(1)
Kibi Z.
The decorations are really beautiful! People keep telling me this is the best brunch restaurant in Berkeley, this is so true!
(5)
Monique T.
Went here on an early rainy weekday morning before driving back home to Southern California. La Note was almost empty - sat right away! We were offered to choose between a table in the window alcove or a regular table. I chose the window seat :) I got pancakes with a blueberry coulis swirl since they didn't have what I originally wanted to order. (I guess it wasn't ready yet?) They came out warm, fluffy, and delicious! I tried my boyfriend's potatos and eggs - soo tasty! Loved the atmosphere and decor inside. Service was great, given that the restaurant was relatively empty. I would dine here again if I was in the area!
(5)
S B.
Great food. Good service. Nice decor. If you like ratatouille you should order theirs ... Very yummy!
(5)
Steven O.
Randomly came here yesterday with my girlfriend after leaving Brown Sugar Kitchen's horrendous 90 min wait. Of course this place had a waiting time of 30-45 mins, so we couldn't keep moving around looking for a brunch spot. After leaving BSK, my initial thought was to try out Venus. As we were passing by, I seen La Note first and just said Eff it, let's go here instead. I didn't mind the wait because there's a bookstore next door. A good way to kill time before we indulge in brunch heaven. This place definitely has a french feel to it. From their food to the decor you might mistake yourself eating in Paris. Though i've never been, it works for me. Now on to the food: Here is what we ordered: Brioche Pain Perdu (Cinnamon Brioche soaked in orange-water batter, sprinkled with lavender honey) - French toast Creme Fraiche Pancake Omelette Fromage Et Jambon (Emmenthal cheese and ham omelette, with homefries and sourdough bread) Cote EST (Two scrambled eggs, one pancake of your choice and a choice of bacon or homefries) ALL were delicious!! Given this was our first time, we wanted to try out these gems. My omelette was cooked to perfection! Nice and fluffy the way I like my omelette. The bacon was on point. Nice thick perfectly cooked bacon put a smile on face. My favorite was the Brioche Pain Perdu and Creme Fraiche Pancake. Probably one of the best french toasts and pancake i've ever eaten. My girlfriend does not even like or eat french toast, but she ate it and said "I must love french toast now because I just ate 3 pieces" LOL Got Em! The creme on the pancake is superb! You don't even have to put syrup on it, it's that good without it. I can't complain about anything except for the wait, but that was already a given. The service was good and they seem to know the drill of how to get people seated in a timely manner. Our server was friendly and helpful. It didn't take long to get our food so that was also a plus. The place was super busy so give yourself sometime or come early enough to beat the traffic. Parking may be a slight hassle so I suggest have someone put their name down on the waiting list while looking for parking. This is my girlfriends new favorite brunch spot. Looks like we will be regulars. Thanks La Note!
The layout and the decorations are awesome But is too crowded!!! Food is good, I like their tomatoes a lot Really want to try everything in the restaurant!!
(4)
Nancy T.
Honestly the best brunch I've had hands down. Because it's so popular, there will almost always be a line and a wait. Usually it's about 30 minutes to an hour so just come, put your name down and come back. It's Berkeley so there's lots to do while waiting! I got the cote nord. Menu was a little hard to follow so it took a couple of looks over to understand it. The eggs were perfectly fluffy and looked like clouds. It's over a sourdough-like bread with cream or goat cheese (get the goat, it's worth the extra $1). There's must-try roasted tomatoes and home fries with the cote nord. You won't be able to go back to normal breakfast after this place.
(5)
Gaby W.
I give La Note 4.5 stars: 4 for their dinner service, and 5 for brunch. I am definitely a sucker for cute brunch places, and La Note is one of my favorite places to go for brunch! They get pretty crowded during the weekends, so if you want to skip the crowd altogether, I would recommend stopping by sometime during the week. Their patio may not always be opened on the weekdays, however, so call ahead to check if they're seating people in their patio for that day. My go-tos here are usually the lemon gingerbread pancakes with poached pears, Cote Ouest, or Cote Est with homefries. If you love gingerbread cookies, you will definitely love their lemon gingerbread pancakes. Their pancakes are so fluffy and most; it's like eating a gingerbread cookie in pancake form. And with every stack of lemon gingerbread pancakes, you get ~3-4 glazed poached pears and a handful of blueberries sprinkled on top. I definitely recommend getting one of their pancakes if you're craving something sweet for breakfast/brunch! If you're into savory than sweet, get their Cote Ouest (omelette w/ ratatouille on top), served with homefries. Their omelettes are great, but their ratatouille really is what makes me love their Cote Ouest. Where else can you get fresh tomatoes and veggies like that with your omelette? And honestly, none of their Cote dishes are complete without your side of homefries, garlic and all. If you want the best of both worlds, and no one is willing to go family style with you, the Cote Est is perfect to satisfy both your sweet and savory needs. With the Cote Est, you get scrambled eggs, home fries, and your choice of any pancake. If you are with a larger party, however, I do recommend going family style because there are just so many amazing items on their menu that you have to try. While I frequent La Note often for brunch, I have only had dinner here once. I came here with 2 friends who also had never been to La Note for dinner before. Unlike brunch, the atmosphere in La Note was much more intimate and cozy, perfect for a nice, quiet one-on-one date with a significant other. They placed candles on every table which made for a very romantic setting. I had the ratatouille and my friends had the poulet au champignons (chicken) and steak frites persillade (flat iron steak). My ratatouille came with a side of bread which they happily refilled whenever I ran out, and was overall, pretty good. My friends were also content with their dishes, but having been to La Note for their brunch, preferred La Note's brunch/lunch options instead. Overall, decent for dinner dates, but best for brunch.
(4)
Shannon F.
Not bad for a Saturday morning provincial brunch. I am also quite fortunate to have arrived as early as I did ( half and hour before opening) which gave me the first come, first serve, choice preference of my desired seating spot, and just moments before the swarm of bustling crowds came pouring in. I thankfully ended up choosing a little table for just me, muah and myself, towards the back, facing the rest of the restaurant. The ambiance (of course) portrays the illusion of a charming, old world, french country cottage style cafe ( not that I have been to France, but I can imagine) very warm, cozy and non pretentious. After scanning their menu online, I pretty much had an Idea of what I would be ordering. It did take a little long for my waitress to finally approach me upon sitting, especially considering there was only a handful of people in there at the time, though, when she did approach me, she was very pleasant. I decided to try a few things. I went with one single Creme Fraice Pancake and one Single Lemon Gingerbread Pancake with poached pears. I literally have not had pancakes in years, and was giddy as a kid upon anticipation to try them : ) I also got a side order of chicken apple sausage, as well as a cup of my morning companion ...coffee. Coffee was good...really good. Food on the other hand, took forever to receive. Just about 47 min to be exact. Just for pancakes and sausage. A little disappointing if you ask me, but when it did arrive, it was beautiful in presentation and ignited my giddiness again, leaving me almost forgetting about the long anticipated wait. The pancakes turned out to be delightfully fluffy and just slightly sweet. They're nice and ( what tasted to be) home made syrup and strawberry jam, accompanied the Creme Fraishe pancake perfectly. Gingerbread pancakes were nice and tasty, equipped with a nice enhancement of the poached pears and a few blueberries. Chicken apple sausage was savory and good too. Smaller in portion than your regular breakfast joint, though that's french style I suppose. Overall, I enjoyed myself here for the most part. The ambiance is warm and cozy, prices for breakfast were reasonable, service was a little disconnected at times, though, accommodating for the most and though the breakfast was certainly quality and good, it was nothing out of the ordinary. 3.5 stars I would give if I could. I would go back again if in the area.
(3)
Al L.
This little gem was one of the highlights of our vacation. You can tell that everything is made with care. Highly recommend.
(5)
Mina K.
Terrible service and very average food. I've always wanted to try La Note and I got the opportunity when my friend made a reservation for her birthday. We were offered prefixe menu, which was very expensive in retrospect - I.e, sharing the basket of bread with one table, one pancake (one!), scrambled eggs, bacon, and tea was $17! And that does not include gratuity or tip. I don't eat a lot, mind you, but I was still hungry after my meal. My friend also had to pay a $150 nonrefundable deposit just to book the patio! (Pretty appalling since they did not give us any particularly attentive service). The employees also don't seem like they enjoy working there. When we first walked in, the hostess blatantly ignored us (without so much as a "hello", or "I will be right with you") walked around the room for about five minutes before greeting us. Our reserved table was not ready 5 minutes before the time, but that's understandable. She said she would come get us when it's ready but she never did - we went up to her and asked ourselves. Some of us had to leave early from the group and we requested to place our orders first. Our waitress was initially understanding and pleasant. However, after 25+ minutes when we politely requested an update, her brash response was, "it takes time to cook the food you know..." This left a bitter taste in our mouths as we were aghasted at the way she spoke to us. Most people would have said, "it should be coming soon, I'll check on it for you." I'm not sure why she was so rude about it; of course we know food takes a while to cook! The creme fraiche pancake was good, but definitely not anything to write home about. I've had better pancakes elsewhere. I think it would be worth the menu price of $5, but not $17. The kitchen skimped on the scrambled eggs. The food is not worth the hour+ long wait that La Note seems to constantly have. The service definitely needs improvement since the staff is very inefficient and rude.
(1)
Kailin H.
Ambiance: I love the sunny, flowery patio in the back, but the interior is pretty nice as well. The patio is actually quite big and the tables have big umbrellas for shade. Food: La Note is one of my favorite restaurants in Berkeley. Their food is amazing, especially the savory, eggy dishes. I have gotten their note cord with goat cheese and les ouf lucas (or something like that). Both are basically scrambled eggs and the goat cheese goes really well with the eggs. I really enjoy the texture of the scrambled eggs, they're so soft and fluffy. They also serve roasted tomatoes on the side. The tomatoes are super sweet and juicy every time and they're delicious! I brought my mom and sister here when they visited Berkeley and they also loved it. My mom got the creme fraiche pancake and was pleasantly surprised because it isn't overly sweet like pancakes at many other places. Service: The waiters are friendly and although the wait for the food to come is quite long, it's definitely worth it given the quality of the food.
I don't often find myself in the east bay, but I had a few hours to kill before a wedding yesterday so I went in search of a good breakfast spot. La Note came up as one of the most popular places in downtown Berkeley so I put my name down and decided to give it a try. The wait was not that bad, about 15 minutes around 11am on a Friday morning. The coffee came along quickly, along with the friendly waitress to take my order. I opted to try the Brioche Pain Perdu, a single Lemon Gingerbread pancake and an order of the spicy lamb merguez sausage. I realize that this place is busy and they have a lot going on, but this is a small order for one person with nothing overly complicated in it. It really should not have taken 40 minutes to prepare. That was mildly frustrating. Brioche Pain Perdu - While the name is a bit intimidating, this dish was basically cinnamon bread french toast. I was not very impressed with this given how much it was mentioned in the reviews. I did like the subtle orange taste added into it, but otherwise it was fairly plain. The texture was decent, slightly fluffy and not too thick. I ate about half of it and I would not order it again. Lemon Gingerbread Pancake - This is what truly drew my attention while looking for places. I LOVE gingerbread, and I have had delicious lemon+x pancakes at other restaurants recently (Plow comes to mind). This dish came with pear slices and berries on top so it really does look impressive. Unfortunately it was nothing but disappointment. The pancake was too thick and doughy, the pears were clearly out of a can, and the berries clashed with all of the other flavors. I sadly ate less than half of this and was quite dismayed given my high expectations based on all of the attention this order got in other reviews. I would definitely not order this again. Spicy lamb merguez sausage - I only ordered this because the rest of my order was all bread and carbs and I figured I could use some meat to go with it. I'm glad I did because this was by far the best part of my meal. The lamb sausage was nicely flavored, with a juicy texture and just the right amount of oil cooked in. This was very good and I would order this again. Overall, I can see why this place is popular, but I just don't really think it deserves that much hype. Depending on how many other good brunch spots are in the area I could maybe see myself coming back. I'd definitely change my order significantly if I did though. Perhaps an egg dish would turn out better.
(2)
Dan M.
It was delicious but expensive, though that's more or less par for the course in Berkeley. I had the french toast that they advertise heavily and was left wanting bit more. I think the main bummer for me was that I went with my girlfriend who's vegan and she couldn't eat anything really. You don't expect a lot of vegan things at a French restaurant of course, but at least Venus has a vegan tofu option and such. I would recommend but probably won't return until there's more vegan options
(3)
Richie Z.
I highly recommend La Note if you're looking for a fancy brunch place. Lots of great options, but my personal favorite is the gingerbread pancake with poached pear. Really great combo. If you're looking for something more savory, anything with their chicken apple sausage or scrambled eggs are great. For maximum fanciness, make sure to get the Oeuf a la Coque (soft boiled eggs). La Note is the only brunch place near campus that serves the soft boiled eggs in a cup with the top of the shell cut off. La note is a great date place, especially on a sunny day with the outdoor seating in the backyard garden.
(5)
Chival N.
Decent food, wonderful brunch atmosphere but extra long wait. Maybe I'm just hard to wow, but I don't see what all the fuss is about. And I don't understand the super long wait. Look, I get that it's brunch. And I get that it's Berkeley, San Francisco's quirky yet awkward yet astonishingly charming little brother -- at least where food and brunch are concerned. But I judge the wait by the food and if I'm going to wait about 2-3 hours on any given weekend day, I expect the food to be amazing. And La Note, while decently tasty and cutely decorated (think French), is not amazing by brunch standards, sorry to say. Don't get me wrong, it's a great place to catch up, grab a few grapefruit mimosas and lounge in the sun-baked patio. But don't go out of your way to eat here or leave the city to brunch here. You might not be so impressed. Their popular lemon gingerbread pancakes with poached pears and blueberries didn't impress me as much. And I love those ingredients too! However, the dishes I did enjoy here were the creme fraiche pancakes, a unique take on the traditional stacks, grapefruit du midi mimosa and their Oeuf A La Coque, a wonderful take on a French favorite. Two soft-cooked eggs still in their half shells, with grilled tomatoes and toast. Mmm. Mmm. Another great thing about their dishes is that they're so photogenic! Imagine perfectly cut grapefruit slices and soft pears sitting on top of fluffy pancakes and grilled tomatoes in all of their glory, not a single piece out of place. La Note is a great place to photograph your food, sip, mingle, to see and be seen brunching, just not the best place to get your grub on! Take it from me, if you and your hubby or friends or eating companions feel like heading to Berkeley for some brunch, at least make the trip worth it. Waiting 2 hours? It better be dang good. But if it's just decent brunch at best, albeit with a pretty bow on top, I'd rather wait and eat at 900 Grayson in Berkeley instead. Now that is a place worth waiting for!
(3)
Taiwan M.
Great French cuisine for breakfast. Very cozy location for inside/outside eating. Small but very personable eatery. Great menu for just about anyone with any type of eating restrictions as well. Haven't been in a long while, so I need to make a trip to see if it still lives up to its status.
(5)
Chiara A.
It has been a La Note kind of week. I came here for a pre-midterm breakfast. The Mother came her with The Sibling and The SIL for a Sunday Brunch. Then I came back for a chocolat chaud et des patisseries (hot chocolate and pastries). The Mother decided to have lunch with our family friend, The GOH. The Mother was delighted to find out that she could make reservations in which La Note would gladly take on the weekdays as opposed to the weekends. The lunch was good for The Mother while The GOH and I elected to have Les Oeufs Maison for our lunch this time with bacon. I had grilled tomatoes instead of toast and The GOH had sour bread toast. The Mother had Croque Monsiuer, ham and cheese (jambon et fromage) grilled sandwich We were surprised that we got the check rather quickly, don't they serve dessert?! The waitress who served us informed us that the lunch crowd they serve usually does not eat dessert. Well, we were an exception. I had chocolat fondant cake a la mode while The GOH had a sorbet while The Mother had coffee. The chocolat fondant was so good, melt in the mouth goodness! I would definitely return for chocolat fondant cake in a NYC minute. Think it is safe to say La Note is definitely on the list of good to go anytime.
(5)
Vivian C.
Somehow managed to get in here TWICE without a reservation in under 15 minutes. Ok yeah, once was a Monday morning and once was a Sunday night at like 9:30pm. Every other time I've been here the place has been PACKED. I'm just gonna get the negatives out of the way so I can rave about all the great stuff. 1) VERY crowded. Not just the wait but the restaurant itself is just very cramped. 2) Potatoes. I cannot emphasize how much I dislike their potatoes. In both my breakfast and dinner there was a dish with potatoes and both times, it was the worst part of the meal. I'll get more into it later but basically I hate the large potato chunks. 3) Bread. It wasn't BAD but it was honestly pretty tough to chew. Ok now that that's out of the way. Let me talk about reasons I love this place (basically I'm gonna ramble on about each dish). Dinner: 1) Ravioles Au Safran. This was just sooooooooo amazing. Too thumbs up. 10/10 stars. Just friggin' amazing and surprisingly filling. You have to get all the components in one nice large bite and it's just flavor in your mouth. I'm actually not a big fan of ravioli but since we came so late I just asked the waitress for her recommendation and I'm so glad I did. Definitely the best thing I had here. (5/5) 2) Crostone au saumon. It was good but not worth the $13. The bread is just too tough for me. The salmon and cheese were both great but it's not anything special. The roasted tomatoes did give it an extra kick though. (3.5/5) 3) Bagnat au Poulet Grille: This was my friend's meal but I got to take a few bites. Really great sandwich. But now I'm back at the potatoes. My friend ordered rosemary fries. They were less fries, more...large potato chunks. The outer layer was delicious but the inside was just filled with bland potato. It wasn't my meal so I didn't care too much though. I'm personally just a bigger fan of thinner cut potatoes that are crispy. (4.5/5) Breakfast: I just turned 21 and I planned on getting a mimosa but I forgot I was 21 and ordered an OJ... It was good and costs as much as you'd expect. 4) Omelette a la confiture: This was my friend's order. It was very interesting. THe croissant was great and the marmalade was great. I just don't think I'm a fan of orange marmalade omelettes. (3/5 average for the omelette and the croissant) 5) Omelette de pommes de terre: I should've learned from my dinner experience here. Even before I ordered I asked what the potatoes were like. I mentioned that I wasn't a fan of thick potatoes and she said they were medallions of potatoes in an open omelette. I decided to give it a try. BIG mistake. The omelette was just sooooooo bland. Even the portions without the potato. The potato just made it worse. They were cut into medallions but the medallions were approximately 1-1.5 inches thick. The potatoes just made the bland dish blander. (1/5) The sourdough bread w/ the breakfast was great. And the homefries (oh look MORE potatoes) were probably the best out of all the potato dishes. The provencales tomatoes were great. So my overall meal balanced out. (3/5) 6) Lemon Gingerbread pancake and poached pears: I knew even one would fill me up a ton and I was so right. I ordered 1 pancake to split with my friend. The pancake has a unique and delicious flavor. It's also extremely fluffy and on the less-sweet side but they give you some great syrup to put on it. Loved it though it was kinda heavy. (4/5) I'd love to come back again, preferably for dinner. I don't think I'd wait more than 30 minutes though.
(4)
Edna C.
I never understood the hype around the hour-long waits for brunch, but one day I gathered courage to try it on a weekday (no wait but it was still surprisingly crowded) and I now finally have some empathy for La Note brunch pilgrimages. [BRUNCH] With my typical brunch mindset of avoiding scrambles since they are so easy to whip up on your own, we got the PAIN PERDU AU CHOCOLAT and GINGERBREAD POACHED PANCAKES WITH POACHED PEARS, and I would recommend both dishes. The pain perdu was a perfect French toast, made even more perfect with Nutella. It's absolutely perfect--your appetite gets potentiated by the deliciousness, only to be satisfied by the generous portions. The gingerbread pancakes were less dessert-like, but tastes exactly as you imagined, like those gingerbread thins from Ikea only permutated into pancakes plus a topping of blueberries and poached pears. I would say that I've had better poached pears though, because these still taste suspiciously similar to the canned pears. I can't tell whether they were poached per some ancient French recipe, or because they've been sitting in syrup. Since you can order pancakes by 1's, 2's, or 3's, I would take advantage of this: order 1 or 2, and share so that you don't end up with ginormous portions of brunch that you can't finish. Overall brunch is memorable, and the quaint European presentation will make all your Facebook friends jealous when they see your pictures. [DINNER] I liked brunch more than dinner, because dinner can get pricey and the food isn't all too amazing. The complimentary bread and butter (not in brunch) is good and the entrees are not bad, but just not anything that would blow you away. The ratatouille is healthy but unremarkable, the pastas are overpriced for being pastas, though the mussels are decent if you are craving a large bowl of mussels simmered in exotic spices. I would recommend the smoked salmon appetizer though. It's fairly simple, but nothing can beat the rustic bread with cream cheese, onions, capers, and smoked salmon. [SETTING] The ambiance is quite French, though it seems to have become somewhat of an excuse to cram in a bunch of small tables. Otherwise, there is plenty of decor that reminds you of la campagne (desolee, mais si j'ecrit d'un restaurant francais, il faut utiliser la langue). Service was alright overall, though a bit lacking for brunch because it was so busy. Alternatively, perhaps they are just trying to be French and trying to make you take your time and enjoy your meal.
(4)
Anonymous R.
Imagine stepping into a portal that transports you to France. You step into the restaurant, and it immediately feels like a different place! Even the meals are titled in French names. The waiters (mostly) speak French, and I thought all of that was pretty cool. The inside is very small, cramming a lot of people, so that's kind of a bummer. But outside, there's a nice garden where you can sit and enjoy the sun (when it's not foggy). The service is friendly, but the food is even better! We ordered the bread basket to begin with, and the breads were delicious! There were croissants, some pieces of baguette, and sweet bread with cinnamon. (Just a quick note: Do NOT order this if you order a big meal. You WILL end up eating the bread, no matter how hard you try not to.) I ordered the soft-boiled eggs, and the meal can't even be described with words! Such a simple meal, that has been perfected by some great chefs. The potatoes are also amazing, if a bit under cooked. (Probably a glitch.) The food is amazing!! A nice setting, indoor and out, with some of the best food in town, this place is one of the many, many highlights of the gourmet ghetto!
(5)
Captain B.
Our estimated wait for 5 people at brunch was 40-60, and it took about 70 minutes. They sat all 5 of us at a cramped, 2 seat table. The service was incredibly slow and the waitress was rude. The food ranged from "OK" to "meh". Will not return.
(2)
Niku L.
We had a 7:30 pm reservation last Saturday for two. My friend and I came in at 7:00 instead and we were seated relatively quickly. I ordered the steak frites and my friend ordered the bouillabaisse. We also had two drinks-- white wine with black currant and I ordered the diabolo grenadine (pomegranate juice syrup with spritzer). The complimentary bread (4 stars): The bread was good and the butter was salty. I prefer sweet butter, but overall this was good bread and the butter was soft so that's a plus. Steak frites (4 stars): The flat iron steak had parsley butter and it was fine. I've had better steak, but this is probably the best French style steak I've had. The tomatoes on the side were absolutely delicious, which was surprising since I usually only like tomatoes on bruschetta or in pasta. The tomatoes were seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper I think, but it was so good. The fries were okay, not salty, but not too flavorful either which was kind of a let down. Bouillabaisse (?): This is a seafood dish in a broth and served with bread. It had crab, scallop?, mussels, and clam in it. The broth was interesting since I think it had tomato juice and the seafood was cooked perfectly. My friend really liked this dish, but since I'm not a seafood person, I just wasn't that into it. However, it seems really popular with seafood lovers so this is a highly recommended dish to that demographic. Service (4.5 stars): The waitress was very nice and helpful when I asked about which are the most popular meat dishes. She promptly refilled our water glasses and cleaned our table off with dirty dishes too. Also, she offered us more free refills on bread without being asked, so overall service was satisfactory. Yes I would come back to La Note. Is it the best French food I've ever had? No. But it's still quite good and the decor is very charming and quaint. Also, make a reservation ahead of time using open table on their website because it's easier than trying to call in.
(4)
Orhan O.
We went there for dinner; it is a great atmosphere, music was nice, decorations and text made me feel like I was in France. Ordered the steak with fries. Was the best steak I have eaten for a long while. Ordered two deserts and both were fantastic.
(5)
Olga S.
GO TO LA NOTE IF YOU WANT TO HAVE NO DINNER ON YOUR BIRTHDAY NIGHT! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!! La Note is a right place to go if you want to not be greeted, ignored, and be provided a table even if you make reservation one week in advance for your birthday!!! I made a reservation online and received confirmation one week before. I even mentioned I would be celebrating my birthday with my son. I asked them if it was possible to give us a table by the window, but didn't really hope for this special treatment. I am usually early for all my appointments, including restaurant reservations, but this time we could not find parking for a long time and had to park very far. We walked very fast with my son despite his headache. Even though it was a 15 minutes walk, we still arrived at 6:34pm (our reservation was at 6:30pm). When we came, I was surprised there was nobody at the desk. Then I saw a lady who was walking back to the desk. She didn't greet us, or smile, but instead went straight to the phone which rang after we had arrived. She talked on a phone for several minutes. When she was done, she finally looked at us and asked us what we wanted. I said we had reservation at 6:30pm. She looked online and said they did not have any table for us because it was already 6:38pm. I told her it was my birthday and she was talking on a phone all this time. She said that's their policy. I was in shock. When we arrived at 6:34pm, there was nobody coming or starting to eat. Clearly, she took somebody before the time of our reservation. I have been to many restaurants in the Bay Area, California, and in many other countries such as France. (I actually lived and studied in France.), but I never had such a bad experience. Treating somebody with a child on their birthday goes beyond simple lack of professionalism or poor customer skills, it tells you a lot about that person. As for business itself, it seems strange to me, there was no manager or anybody with whom I could talk that night. The same lady at the desk said there was no manager and gave me the phone number to call. I called right away, but there was no answer. The business owner of this establishment is clearly resting on his laurels, thinking that one miserable customer is not going to change their reputation. Indeed, one is nothing, but perhaps it is just a beginner of a future fall...
(1)
Saeed C.
Food was great. Our waitress was very nice. The outdoor space in the back is beautiful.
(5)
Stephanie L.
After wanting to come here for about a year, I finally had the chance to eat here when my friend booked the patio area for her birthday celebration. We all drove separately and most of us came on time with a few trickling in a bit later. We were each seated immediately upon arrival. They have indoor seating as well as an outdoor seating area. Very cute place, I really liked the decor, flowers and the entire scenery in the back. I would recommend sitting outside when the weather is nice. It's more cramped inside. A few people had to leave early to catch a game so of course they ordered first before the rest of the group arrived. A basket of assorted bread and water were served immediately. I also ordered a cup of coffee. The bread was decent, it didn't come out warm, but the variety was nice. Now because we reserved the back patio for a private event (had no idea my friend paid a $150 deposit for it and NONREFUNDABLE?!), we were given a prix fixe menu and we voted for menu #1 which included the assortment of bread (to share, 1 basket per table) and coffee/tea/iced tea plus 1 entree per person for $17 per person. Even though some people ordered first, the food didn't come out for a long time, now I'm not exaggerating, it took about 45 mins until their food came out. They informed the waitress they were in a time crunch so if possible to have the food packed to go after waiting 25 mins. They got their food and were able to make it to the game on time. Now, for the rest of us that were still there, we waited about an additional hour until our food came out. By then, I've already had 2 pieces of bread and 2 cups of coffee. Now I understand food takes time to make, we're a large party, and they're busy. But to have to wait that long for food was unreasonable. Even after that long wait, our food didn't seem like it was served right after being prepared. The food didn't come out hot and cooled down by the time they brought it out. So it was most likely sitting out for a while. Unbelievable, especially since we waiting a long time and didn't complain or question the waitress about the whereabouts of our food. I got the lemon gingerbread pancakes with poached pears based on the recommendations on Yelp with scrambled eggs and homefries. I was so disappointed with the pancake after reading all the great reviews and long anticipation. I couldn't even eat the pancake, I didn't like the taste at all. I could taste the gingerbread slightly, but it didn't have much flavor and was very bland. I could barely taste the lemon and I didn't think they complimented each other very well. In the end, I just ate the poached pears and blueberries on top. The only part of my meal I enjoyed were the homefries. These were cooked perfectly, seasoned well and came with large pieces of garlic, which I didn't eat but my friends enjoyed eating. Service was horrendous and nonexistent. Our waitress was rarely near our table. I could tell she didn't want to serve such a large group and she was unfriendly and gave us some attitude. It was difficult to grab someone to refill our coffee, waters, and tea. My friend also brought champagne and wine. They were nice enough to open the bottles for us and bring glasses. I'm sure there's a corkage fee, but I don't know the cost. I had an awful experience here and I definitely won't be returning. You can imagine the price of everything too, $150 deposit to book the patio plus $17 per person (we had a party of 15), plus additional corkage fees, and included gratuity (FOR SERVICE THAT WAS NONEXISTENT) and tax. DEFINITELY NOT WORTH THE MONEY! The only thing that made this day enjoyable was the company and the birthday girl. I definitely left disappointed and felt ripped off. Save your time and money and go somewhere else, it's definitely not a 4 star place.
(1)
Amy F.
I am absolutely in thrall with La Note. Totally enchanted. Came here with my mom for breakfast on a Monday morning as part of a mother-daughter getaway. I must admit that after researching possible breakfast places I was almost as excited to try La Note as I was for our fancy Sunday Brunch reservations at the Claremont. I probably spent hours looking at the menu, deciding in advance what I wanted to try. The restaurant is simply adorable. I love, love, love all of the little touches. The tiny glass water pitchers, the bowl of wrapped sugar cubes like in a real Parisian cafe. The decor in general is just wonderful. I mean, even the bathrooms were cute. Even though I wanted to try everything on the menu, I had decided ahead of time to get the Les Oeufs Maison (poached) with homefries ($10.50). To this I added on chicken apple sausage (an extra $2) and then upgraded the included wheat/sourdough toast to the levain toast for an extra $1.50. And I had to try a the lemon-gingerbread pancake with poached pears, so I ordered a single pancake on the side for $4.95. To drink I had the Diabolo Citron ($2.50). So because I wanted to try everything on my first visit, breakfast was over $20, not including tax or tip. But I knew exactly what I was doing, so I'm not really bothered by it. First of all, the lemon gingerbread pancake was heaven. I'm actually not much of a pancake person, so this is a real compliment. Sometimes I get in the mood for a pancake, only to find myself over the craving after a few bites. But this pancake was not at all heavy, and the flavors were simply delicious. The homefries were also fantastic, perfectly crispy. The chicken apple sausages (2) were bigger than I thought, and also very tasty. The levain toast was yummy and the whipped butter was served in an adorable little crock. The only disappointing thing was that the poached eggs were a little overdone leading to mostly hard, not runny, yolks. But I'm not super picky about that. And I had realized after I received my drink that what I had meant to order was the Citron Presse. The Diabolo with Sprite was too sweet, and usually nothing is too sweet for me. My mom ordered the cinnamon brioche pain perdu with the lavender honey. I realize now that I forgot to try it, so I can't comment on that dish. My mom said it was good, but she's not much of a breakfast eater so I think it was too heavy for her. She was overwhelmed, I think. The service was good. Neither exceptional nor bad. All of our needs were met. The fact that I'm already planning my next visit in spite of the fact that I live 75 miles away is a great testament to how much I enjoyed my first visit. To me it hit the trifecta: good ambience, good food and attention to detail. And I look forward to trying their lunch & dinner options, as well.
(5)
Mauricio L.
The bottom line is that this place has the best breakfast I have ever had. And consistently too. I've lived in San Francisco for two years and I've driven early to Berkeley maybe six times in 2015 alone. I can now say I have had almost everything in the menu and it's all amazing. Even the simplest things are mind blowing. My favorite dish though is the Cote Sur. the restaurant is small and very charming. The only tip I have is to try to arrive early-ish if you can because waiting is very likely.
(5)
Helen S.
Long regarded as the mecca for brunch enthusiasts around the East Bay. And it's no wonder, with their charming, movie-worthy decor and drool-inducing menu. After having eaten here over the last three years, I'm convinced their food quality will be maintained for many a year to come. That's the delicious news! Unfortunately, I've found that La Note's title is a little overhyped relative to the price and potentially exorbitant wait times on weekends. Your best bet to make it to a table and eat before starving is coming in a group of less than 4 people before 10AM or making a reservation on a weekday. Should you be lucky enough to be seated with a party greater than that, keep an eye on your precariously placed dishes and cups. Adding to this overhype is the fact that their movie-worthy decor is in fact, well, movie-worthy in that it looks great but is sometimes highly impractical in reality. By this I mean struggling to sit comfortably on the small wicker chairs and trying to figure out how to use the bathroom sinks, which sport two handles and two spouts - one only hot and one only cold. I had to make do with an awkward ninja swipe back and forth to avoid being burned, so if you know a better way of handling the faucet please tell me! The food itself is tasty, but will probably not blow you away and can be sort of hit or miss presentation wise. - If you do get the Pain Perdu, opt for the regular version if you like having your bread soaked in orange and lavender goodness. The Brioche is larger and fluffier, but dryer. - Oatmeal raspberry pancake is denser than your average pancake, but your tastebuds will thank you! Especially if you add on some of their housemade jam. - Omelette a la Confiture comes with a whole halved grapefruit (not just the half noted on the menu) and one of the best croissants I've had in my life. I don't usually like croissants because they can be excessively buttery, but this one was crispy, flaky, and the right balance of subtle cream. Great with both the butter and jam. Also, this was the first time I've tried a sweet omelette, and the orange marmalade and fluffy egg combo was actually better than I expected. But it becomes overpoweringly sweet towards the end and since there's nothing savory on that plate, you might need to steal a homefry from your neighbor. You can dip your croissant in the tangy marmalade as it leaks out too! I'm hoping to come here for dinner sometime too - updates when that happens!
(4)
Kathleen L.
This place is probably the most popular cute and quaint brunch hotspot for Cal students. This is the place to go if you really want to treat yourself after the eve of a drunken Saturday or to impress a new date. Their food is good, but I think La Note takes its status for granted by offering subpar service. My friend and I waited about an hour to sit, which is expected. We passed our time at Alexander's Books. When the maitre d' sat us, it was clear that she was in a rush and didn't have time to welcome us. Both my friend and I rehearsed our orders since they're in French and we didn't want to look dumb. When my food came out however, it was completely different from what I'd ordered -- I was given scrambled eggs with nothing in them. First I tried complaining to the maitre d' since she walked by, and she simply told me that she wasn't the one to talk to and that I should tell my waitress. When I brought this up to the waitress she insisted I'd said "scrambled eggs". I know I didn't say scrambled eggs because I'd been practicing my order, and even if it was mangled French, it wasn't "scrambled eggs". After what felt like an argumentative exchange, she finally conceded with "well it's loud in here." To appease me she brought me some goat cheese to eat with my plain scrambled eggs -- thanks but it's still not what I ordered. I think this place has it easy. It succeeds because it's renowned as a fancy, romantic, French brunch place and students buy into it. So La Note doesn't really have any incentive to offer quality service when students will arrive in hordes regardless. There are other brunch places near campus with even better food, service, and ambiance. My favorite is La Bateau Ivre. They serve an array of beverages, some even with a bit of whisky if that's your thing. Their ingredients are fresh, and they have a beautiful tree-shaded, street facing patio that's wonderful for people watching. Not to mention it's just south of Dwight on Telegraph.
(2)
Scott S.
Yelp almost ruined my breakfast. I had the unfortunate luck of being seated next to a fellow opinion-holder who just had to run through the all of the things she found irksome, from having to actually wait for her food, to the bacon, which wasn't cooked exactly how she liked it. Her boyfriend dutifully nodded as she came to the somber conclusion she'd have to dock some points as she took her reviews "very seriously". As an aspiring 19 year old food critic, I'm sure she did. Now, back to reality: what makes this place authentically French (aside from the imported French sugar cubes and appropriately strong coffee) is that everything is seasoned and cooked perfectly. The salt and pepper shakers should be permanently sealed shut and used for decorative purposes only. The tomatoes have just the right amount of garlic and char to elevate them to something special, and the scrambled eggs, man are they good. I know of maybe one or two other places that make a proper soft scramble, which takes time and attention, and tastes like custard. It's so much easier to churn out little yellow curds of styrofoam, which is what most restaurants do. This restaurant just does it right.
(5)
Thanh N.
I'm almost sad to say I can't like the place. I don't want to offend the enthusiastic reviewers who gave La Note five stars. I don't want to offend the waitstaff who seemed decent enough, heck, I don't even want to offend the kitchen staff who might have been the cause of our suffering, at the end, life is short so why make it difficult for others, right? Well, our experience at La Note was not exactly at high point. We arrived at 2 pm, got seated right away, ordered, and our drinks arrived in decent time. Then we watched people with plates of food zipped by us. I gave up recalling how many times I told myself this must be ours. My daughter asked me how long it takes to make a pancake. I tried explaining to her the process in a restaurant, then I called upon her patience. After a while, even that stopped making sense because I myself lost my patience. At 2:47 pm, I asked another waitstaff to check our order, and a little past 2:50 pm, our waitstaff appeared with our foods. Thank God because I was this close to just leave hungry! Whatever satisfaction we might have gotten from our foods was unfortunately deeply discounted by the unreasonable long wait. What was going on in the kitchen? Did our order slip through a crack? Who knows and as I'm writing this, I don't care because I won't come back. The creme fraiche was good and the omelette with cheese and jambon was good. The baguette with spicy lamb sausage was overrated and overpriced, I don't know why it was raved about. As we almost finished our foods, the second waitstaff came to check if we were waiting for anything. I reminded her that I asked her to add the coffee cake to our order earlier, but also told her never mind if she had not done so. She said "it has not been done" (??? the kitchen had not started on it yet or my request was forgotten??). I was almost happy for the first time during that meal, because I did not want to spend another dollar there. She said "Sorry" and I wanted to say: "I'm sorry too, my dear". Adieu La Note! There will always be Paris and if that is far, Dottie's True Blue in SF.
(2)
S K.
I came here with a friend for Sunday brunch at around 10am and was told it would be about a 35 minute wait. That is standard and expected (for no reservation) as I learned through many of the tips/reviews on here. Based on my experience, La Note is a solid 3 stars in my book. Our order: · Lemon gingerbread pancakes w/ poached pear, · Brioche pain perdu · Omelette w/ ratatouille (forgot the actual name) w/ homefries · Side of chicken apple sauage · 2 memosas (raspberry & grapefruit) For me, La Note was one of those places where the food comes out very much pleasing to eyes, but not as much to the palate. The food/drinks were not bad by any means, but neither was anything especially good; it was all just alright. I had a moment where I looked over at what the table next to me was having and thought, ''that looks GOOD!''-- I was eating the same thing. So the ''just alright'' food was not worth the twenty min drive to Berkeley and the 2 hours spent waiting and eating in the cold (patio seating). I know for a fact that it wouldn't have been worth it to eat indoors at that time because.. it was cramped, crazy, and loud in there. Not the ideal environment for carrying a nice conversation with a friend. The patio is perfect for that though. I will definitely come back on a nice, warm summer evening, just to sit out on that darling patio while trying out their dinner menu. Next time though, I will be sure to have a reservation! Also, service was very good. Our waitress was extremely friendly, attentive, and helpful with the menu. ______________________________________ Just some insight to my reservation-making experience: I had actually tried to reserve a table online both through Yelp and La Note's website the prior day, but no tables were available for the time slot I wanted. I called the restaurant just in case they took phone reservations, but the call goes to an answering system that tells you to make a reservation online or gives you another number to call to make standing reservations for that day. I don't know if I dialed incorrectly, but that number went straight to a Verizon message that informed me the number I was trying to reach was not available?
(3)
Lissa Maria Q.
We needed to eat breakfast and yelped a place and went here. The brioche was amazing!!
(5)
John K.
Just Wow! Looking for something a little different that your basic eggs and breakfast meat brekkie? This is the right place. First, my hometown sometimes leaves a little to be desired when it comes to the most important meal of the day, so when I noticed an interesting selection of items that are hard to come by I make an effort to break out of the Valley and find a place that will make me feel like I'm on vacation. Also, being a teacher, sitting down for breakfast is a real treat and luxury I can truly find as an indulgence. First, pain perdu (lost bread?) french toast was crafted with a skilled touch in the kitchen. Although not the best I've ever had, (Tower Cafe, Sacramento...check it out), it was nonetheless excellent. The texture was unique, not too much sweetness and just the right balance of cinnamon. No syrup necessary! Why? Let's just say the lavender honey as the accompaniment took care of the need for using Canada's most valuable resource (sorry oil sand CEO and XL pipeline). That would be maple syrup, by the way and I would totally support a pipeline of maple syrup to all major ports of the United States of America :) So, in short, delicious breakfast items but I would recommend trying the more savory items and a pancake/french toast option as well, then please Yelp so I can decide what to order because I'll be at this place again next weekend. Oh, I forgot, excellent local coffee as well and the service was very polite and professional.
(4)
Mel P.
Waited more than an hour for a table and the food took 35 mins on top of that. Not impressed. This place is not worth the price or the waiting time, not to mention berkeley has so many other great brunch places that won't make you wait almost 2 hours to eat!
(1)
Joyce E.
Honestly, I wanted to give this place 5 stars, however, their poor service definitely does not make up for the delicious food. My boyfriend and I came here on a Friday afternoon at around 1pm and was quoted a 20 minute wait time by the friendly hostess. After 15 minutes, we decided to come back and try our luck and they sat us. Our server, Jenae, was friendly and gave us enough time to order, which is nice because it took me a while to process the busy French menu! We settled on their breakfast menu (served all day from 8:00am-2:30pm) and their lunch menu (served 11:00am-2:30pm) I ordered the Cote Est with a side of rosemary garlic homefries, 3 strips of bacon, and my boyfriend ordered their Croque Madame with 1 lemon gingerbread pancake. Cote Est - two scrambled eggs, one pancake of your choice, and a choice of bacon or homefries Creme Fraiche Pancake - The fluffy pancake was a very generous size, topped with creme fraiche (sour cream with a slight sweet flavor to it) and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It somewhat reminded me of delicious crepes as it was very reminiscent of a dessert! Scrambled Eggs - Out of all the things that we ordered, the scrambled eggs were my least favorite, which is ironic because they were the most basic thing on the menu. The eggs weren't fluffy and honestly very watery! Garlic Rosemary Homefries - If you've ever tried my favorite brunch place in SF (Plow) potatoes, then you will LOVE these. I love garlic and potatoes and these were just out of this world! The potatoes were crispy, but were so flavorful as the rosemary really brought out the flavor of the potatoes. Bacon - Bacon is bacon and bacon is good. No complaints here! Croque Madame - I had a bite (maybe 2) of my boyfriend's delicious Croque Madame sandwich and wow, it was so good! I'm not a ham type of girl, but the Croque Madame with the egg on it is just perfection! The bread that they use for the sandwich is delicious as well as my boyfriend pointed out that it was settled on a croissant type bread. Lemon Gingerbread Pancake - This is the reason why I wanted to come here in the first place! We saved the lemon gingerbread pancake for last and although it was cold (not the restaurant's fault, we saved it for last!) the pancake did not disappoint! The poached pears and blueberries on top of a fluffy, gingerbread pancake was awesome and produced a sweet touch to complement the strong ginger taste. As I mentioned before, the service here was terrible! Some of the servers are really nice, but they seem too friendly with each other ie touching the other one on the shoulder or sitting on the other one's lap etc. Our server Jenae was nowhere to be found throughout the duration of our meal. In fact, it took almost 20 minutes to get out check and get this, she overcharged my debit card (specified cash on the tip portion) which means she doubled her tip and thought I wouldn't notice. A quick call to their manager did the trick, albeit I found their general manager very unapologetic even though it was a "computation mistake." So there you go, bring cash and enjoy a nice brunch on the weekdays!
(4)
Natty O.
I love it here. Every time I'm visiting the area I make sure to get a creme fraishe pancake and the eggs Lucas.
(5)
Lauren P.
Favorite brunch spot. My boyfriend and I came last week and had brunch on the back patio. It was a lovely start to our day. The staff is friendly and professional. The service is timed well- quick, no long wait, but relaxed so you don't feel rush. And then there is the food..... We have only had the egg dishes, so I can only speak for those. But what I LOVE LOVE LOVE is that they don't skimp on the cheese! I love my eggs and omelets extra cheesey and La Note doesn't disappoint. The potatoes that come on the side are equally delicious. It's always an internal war deciding which bite to end with.
(5)
Jacques C.
I was here just a few weeks ago on a work trip. It was a lovely mid-day meal, freshly prepared, and beautifully served. My colleagues opted for a breakfast, and a part of me wishes I'd had the pan perdu... My croque Madame was very tasty, and the egg was perfectly cooked. It was just right, not too much of any one thing, or overly buttered. The ham was so lovely! Yes, it's a small place. The tables can be a bit crowded.....just like France. I'll certainly be back next time I am in Berkeley.
(4)
Tesia L.
La Note is such a cute little french place!!! I went on a norcal trip to visit colleges, and I found this place on yelp. The theme of the food presented in this restaurant is french style breakfast. The environment at berkeley is really chill and relax, so all of the restaurants in the area are all ranked and look really nice, because they all have great reviews. This particular resturant is on the zaggat review, and it also is not too expensive for breakfast. My plate was around 11 dollars, which is pretty substantial for the area in the bay, because I think overall the prices are higher compared to the LA area or socal area. I ordered the lemon and gingerbreak pancakes with poached pears. It was super light, and the pancake batter was not heavy at all. I like how it has a hint of cinnamon flavor and vanilla in the pancake. The poached pears were also cooked to perfect, and matched the sweetness of the pancake. It also came with a side of roasted tomatoes with lots of garlic on top, and it was super sweet and sour like, but the tastes were superb. I really like the staff, the only thing I would say is that, because its a small restaurant the bathroom area is small, and the table settings seem very close to each other, but thank god not a lot of people were here to eat breakfast, so it was out in the open more of. Mine also came with scrambled eggs which was super good. :) My friend ordered the ratatouille omelet with toasts, and I thought hers was somewhat whatever like. Her flavors were a little bland, but the textures and the flavors were very light and tasty. Overall the service and the atmosphere was really relaxing. This is definitely a spot to go to after a morning jog or hike. It won't kill your wallet, and it is a convenient spot with a cool atmosphere. I wish they had more options to choose though, because some options on the menu would be good but there would be one or two things that I didn't really find to my liking, which made me change my order a couple of times :)
(4)
Cindy S.
Met up with some friends there and I also brought my niece and brother. Good thing I didn't have to wait that long because they wrote my name on the list already. My friends had window seating, while my family and I had a nice patio seating in the backyard. It is a small but quaint place. I love the rustic vibe, and also the menu. I really had a wonderful brunch here. Lots of people waiting to get in. Ordered some steamed milk, and also creme fraiche pancakes. My niece and brother loved their dishes too! I really had a lovely experience here, plus the service was great. I want to go back here to try their dinner. Can't wait!
(5)
K M.
Had my birthday brunch here this morning. Stepped through the door and I could already tell I would love it! Very French countryside and everything smelled and looked amazing. I ordered a potato and caramelized onion omelette with baked tomatoes. It was superb! J got the raspberry oatmeal pancake which had nice flavor but was dry. She RAVED about the bacon. J got a gingerbread pancake with poached pears which was lovely! Coffee was really good here. This is my new favorite breakfast place!!!
(5)
Ryan K.
Great food, really great food. Horrible service and long waits. Waiters ignore you and watch you die of starvation. Then, they are reluctant to take your money and give the change back.
(2)
Lisa K.
I can't think of any French restaurant better than this one in Berkeley. Once upon a time I was having an immense pancake craving. After hearing about La Note through word of mouth, I knew I had to eat here at least once before the end of my first year in college. My boyfriend and I wanted to go here for a brunch for our Valentine's Day weekend, but it was packed on Sunday so we decided not wait. However, I went on a Friday afternoon later that week with a floor mate. It wasn't as packed so if you're not a patient one, I recommend coming on Fridays for the brunch menu. I adore the interior design of this place. The old school French shoppe feel adds to the warm, welcoming atmosphere. The service is okay, but we waited around 35 minutes for our food. Once we got our meals, any minor detail of the place quickly slipped my mind. Here's what we got: -Creme Fraiche Pancakes Superb. The visual presentation of this meal is breathtaking. They are essentially a stack (or even one) of pancakes with a cream swirl on top. I have no idea what it is, but it's sweet and delicious. If you're a first timer, you can't go wrong with this. -Oatmeal Raspberry Pancakes Just as good as the creme fraiche pancakes. The pancakes are fused with an oat flavor and blueberries. This one also has a blueberry cream swirl on top. I loved these. I still remember myself saying "Mmmmm" after the first few bites. -Ham + Cheese Omelette This is not one of the best omelets I've eaten. I purchased this at the suggestion of my friend (who absolutely loved it). The omelet was a little undercooked and loaded with ham. It could've been better. Overall, this place is awesome. It's romantic, quirky, and inviting. One thing I remember from my experience is the uncomfortable chairs. I feel like no one will address this because it's just a minor detail. I've come here 3 times now and the chairs are literally the only flaw. Anyway, come here with family, a friend, or your significant other! You won't regret it!
(5)
Daniel H.
I came here for a late brunch with some friends recently, and it was my first time here. I was really excited to try it out because I had heard so many good things about it, and after my first visit, I can understand all the hype. Food: They have a variety of different brunch items to choose from, and you can either take the savory or the sweet route (and even both if you're really hungry!). I opted for the Cote Quest option, which was a three-egg omelet served with a delicious ratatouille, home fries, and toast with butter. I also got a side of spicy sausages to have a meat option, which was a nice accompaniment to the breakfast plate. Everything was delicious, and portions are filling but will not leave you overly stuffed, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on how you like your meals to be. I personally wished this dish came with meat because I think it would have made it more complete. The dish plus the sausages on the side came out to be around $17, so it's a bit pricy for the exact amount of food that you get. I also ordered their orange juice, which was pleasant and had a nice latte after my meal too. Service: The service here is very friendly, and they even agreed to move us to another table when we asked, which was more suitable for our party of five that day. However, after we ordered our dishes, the service was a bit lacking and inattentive unfortunately. At one point towards the end of our meal, I asked for another small pitcher of water (which they place at the table), and another one never came out for us, so that was a bit disappointing. They also delivered us our bill before asking if we needed anything more, which was a little awkward because we had wanted to order some coffee before taking off. I felt like this issue could have been addressed had they come to check up on us every so often during our meal, but this never happened. They did allow us to stay in the restaurant and were still really nice to us even after their closing time because they let us order coffee with no problems. Their friendliness was much appreciated again, and made the experience enjoyable. Atmosphere: I really like the ambiance and decoration of this place because it makes me feel like I'm in a cottage somewhere. It's almost like a refreshing, although temporary, escape from Berkeley. It does get crowded though, so when it's busy, it might feel a little bit too cramped for my liking, but it's manageable overall. The noise level is decent, but it does get quite loud because of the crowd and size of the place. However, it's not too hard to hold a normal conversation here, and I actually really enjoyed my time here with friends. Overall, a very solid brunch place in my opinion, and the perfect place to spend in the company of good friends over a meal. I have to caution people about the very long wait times that exist at peak brunch hours though, and they do not take reservations unless you are a party of 8 or more I think. Apart from the slight improvement they could use to have more attentive service, this is definitely a place that I'd like to visit again in the near future.
(4)
Kansas M.
Great ambience Friendly Fresh food Omelette pommes de terre was perfect with the Provençal tomatoes.
(5)
Vicc A.
I've been in Berkeley for almost 4 years, and until recently I discovered La Note. Based on current reviews, my brother and I decided to check it out on a Thursday afternoon (12:30p). Parking wasn't to difficult being that there's a lot of angled parking in the area (I paid about $3). There were about 2-3 groups waiting outside, and our estimated wait time was 20 minutes. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes, but we understood why the minute we were seated. The place was completely full, without any empty tables in sight. It definitely felt cramped (I literally had to move my table to get to my seat, but once seated I was pretty comfortable. The waitress was sweet, and attentive, and to say the least, the menu sounded delicious. Both my brother and I ordered the LES OEUFS MAISON plate (two eggs any style served with homefries) with chicken apple sausages ($12.50) with of chicken apple sausages, and to drink I ordered a mocha ($3.50), and he an orange juice ($2.50). Orange Juice ($2.50): Definitely 100% pure squeezed. It was delicious! I may be wrong but I believe it was served in an 6oz-8oz cup. Mocha: ($3.50): It was served in a cute bowl-shaped mug with powdered French Dark chocolate sprinkled on top. It was definitely tasty, strong, well-prepared, and aesthetically pleasing. Les Oeufs Maison ($10.50 + $2.50 for 2 chicken apple sausages): The homefries could have been a bit more salty but the taste was definitely there. The combination of flavors was incredible. Of course I love to bathe my eggs and homefries in ketchup, but nonetheless it was tasty. The slices of wheat bread tasted wonderful, when spread with a bit of butter, and the chicken apple sausages were extremely well prepared and cooked. I believe our total came out to around $37 dollars (not including tax or tip). Here's what I came up with: OJ: 4/5 Mocha: 4/5 Les Oeufs Maison: 4.5/5 FOOD: 4/5 SERVICE: 4.5/5 ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 PRICE: 3/5 PARKING: 5/5 Total: 4 Stars Conclusion: I recommend this place for sure. Definitely better than other breakfast / brunch places in the area!
(4)
Abigail K.
I have never been to an actual French restaurant before so this was a real treat! I had the Cote Nord with goat cheese. Can you say amazing! I wanted to lick the plate when I was done. The potatoes had roasted garlic cloves yum yum! The ambiance was darling and the staff efficient. I highly recommend this place if you are in Berkeley!
(5)
Camille F.
I only came for breakfast, but will definitely be coming back for breakfast, lunch, dinner - everything! I was meeting some friends for brunch on a Saturday so showed up about an hour before our arranged meeting time to put my name in. They estimated 45 minutes, so I hung out until then. Actual wait time is definitely longer than estimated, but about an hour and a bit later we were sat at a tiny cute table in the corner. We ordered the bread basket to start, and I ordered the eggs with chives, goat cheese, and roasted tomatoes as my meal. WOW! The food was incredible. Having spent the summer in Paris, La Note's is wonderfully close to the delicious bread in France. Especially the cinnamon brioche and the lavender honey. The eggs were wonderful, and the goat cheese really added something special. 4 stars because of the long wait and the server messed up the order the first time. But no complaints here really and will definitely be returning to try everything on the menu!
(4)
Iman R.
We came here on a gorgeous day in Berkeley on a Sunday for brunch. I've come here before when it wasn't as busy and a had a really hearty and tasty brunch during that occasion. That put La Note on a list of one of my restaurants to go to! Though I love trying new places, we were all in the mood to return to something delicious and reliable. As usual, it was packed and we had to wait almost an hour. We debated going somewhere else but everyone really wanted La Note! I wanted to try to sit in the back garden area but so does everyone else, so we just decided to stick inside since we were hungry. I love the rustic decor of the place and the service is very friendly. Our food did take some time come, but it made sense since they were so packed. I didn't mind much since I had good company and I was happy to be enjoying a day out. I love their cozy breakfast food since you get big helpings and everything tastes great. I ordered the Les Oeufs Mason, which has two eggs any style (I got them poached), served with homefries and toast. I LOVE poached eggs, so I had to get them! The eggs were delicious and runny and oozed out perfectly. You can never go wrong with potatoes and bread. :) I also ordered an oatmeal raspberry pancake on the side since they had run out of the creme fraiche ones. It also had some chocolate immersed in it which tasted so good. It was a good pancake but it was very large! It was also a little dry since it was oatmeal, but it was very hearty. I never pass up the chance to try fun juices so I ordered the Le Pagnol which consists of orange and cranberry juice with Perrier water. The citrus sweet and sour tanginess works great together and they're some of my favorite flavors. It had the right balance of sweet and sour. My friends both ordered omelettes, the Omelette Au Fromage: Emmenthal cheese omelette, served with home fries and baguette and the Omelette Fromage et Jambon: Emmenthal cheese and ham omelette, served with home fries and toast. They both really enjoyed their meals as well. Overall, it was a great time enjoying a cozy Provencal breakfast catching up with good friends.
(4)
Justine M.
I went here for my birthday and, gosh, I love this place. There's a really nice little patio in the back with flowers and umbrellas etc etc -- very pretty. Everyone here is so nice! And the food is so good! I can't even pick out one thing to recommend, I loved it all so much. I could probably go back for the granola alone. Granola. I went here on a Thursday morning and there were plenty of choices for seating -- probably much, much busier on weekends, so if you can swing it, I'd recommend going during the week.
(5)
Lauren L.
La Note is definitely one of my favorite Berkeley restaurants to come to for a delicious breakfast. Located in a slightly less crazed area of downtown Berkeley, La Note is an authentic Provencal restaurant with beautiful decor, gracious employees, and wonderfully flavored dishes, all presented elegantly. While they do serve breakfast/brunch, lunch, and dinner, I am partial to their breakfast dishes. Breakfast is served Monday-Friday from 8:00-2:30 and brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 8:00-3:00 and boy do locals know it! Before I was able to figure out the most ideal times to dine here in the mornings, I literally found myself having to wait 45 minutes before being seated. Do not let this happen to you! Brunch is especially busy so do yourself the favor and call in for a reservation or arrive as close to the time the doors open as you can. Once inside, you'll see a variety of tables placed nicely across the dining area. The window seating is my favorite! As a nice decorative touch, their walls are adorned with shelves housing lovely pottery dishes available for purchase. I've experienced great service here. The staff are always nice and try to be as attentive as they can, despite having to deal with the large number of patrons. To start my meal, I am a huge fan of ordering one of their delicious lattes, served in generously sized hand-painted bowls. I think my order has stayed the same since I started coming here, which was around the age of 12. Their lavender honey French toast is THAT good! As a side, I am a true fan of their scrambled eggs with goat cheese, chives, and roasted tomatoes. The scrambled eggs at La Note are some of the best I have ever had! They are whipped to perfection and cooked just right (I hate hard-cooked scrambled eggs). Literally, after eating their eggs I was determined to learn how mimic their product and spent a week practicing. I can now say I am pretty damn good at making scrambled eggs! With a lovely atmosphere and a delicious menu, La Note will not disappoint!
(4)
Sharon L.
Been here both for dinner and brunch. Definitely a bigger fan for brunch than dinner. Their highlight is definitely the pancake. I used to live really close to La Note so I usually would get brunch as takeout. If you want to grab a table without much wait on weekend, come early!
(4)
T D.
Great trendy French breakfast, get there 20 mins before opening sat and sun or don't waste your time. Wait staff is generally rude especially when it's busy, get used to it cause it won't change! The window seats are really pleasant so get them if you can. Don't bother with other meals here as breakfast is their only gem.
(5)
Amber S.
Not too sure what all the fuss is about now that I have had breakfast here. Yelp kind of let me down on this one. Came in on a Sunday at 9AM. Hubs and I were greeted upon walking in. The hostess offered to share a table with another couple or we would have to wait. I'm not a huge morning person and I like my privacy so I opted to wait. The wait was about 15 minutes. We were sat at a small table in the dining room, given menus, silverware and waters. I noticed she was seating patrons outside on the patio but she didn't offer to us. Maybe it was full? The menu is not a typical brunch menu. It is two sided but they do not serve the salads and sandwiches on the backside until 11AM. The front had the pastry, egg, pancake, French toast and cereal options. I ordered the Cote Est which has two eggs, choice of pancake and choice of bacon or potatoes. I asked for egg whites and chicken apple sausage with the oatmeal raspberry pancake. The waitress denied me said they don't serve egg whites and substitutions are not allowed. So I ordered the potatoes to share with hubs. Hubs ordered the French toast brioche and sausage since he knew I wanted it but didn't order for myself. Yay he is thoughtful like that. The food took about 20-25 minutes. During that time we had our carafe of water refilled and looked around the restaurant at the decor of baskets and art. Then the plates of food arrived. My meal was okay nothing stood out. Scrambled eggs were plain, pancake was flat, small and didn't have much flavor. The potatoes were good roasted with onion and herbs and you can't go wrong with sausage. Once again Hubs had the better meal. The brioche was great. With the flavor of the cinnamon, the thickness of bread it wasn't soggy at all and sweet without needing syrup. Our waitress was fair. She brought everything we would need with the food but never checked to see if we needed anything else. We were sitting for awhile and asked for her to run the card without being brought the bill. I visited one of the two restrooms and it was in horrible shape. The place needs some TLC with cleanup and with some cosmetic up keep. One other thing I noticed was an employee braiding another employees hair for him behind the bar area. That grossed me out a little. There is a time and place for that. Overall for my rating: 3-for overall food, quality and portions. 2- for waitstaff service. 1- for no substitutions this makes patrons have to order more and restroom being a disaster. Negative stars- hair braiding in plain view of patrons on the dining room floor. Adieu La Note, I don't think I will be back anytime soon.
(2)
Ying Y.
Don't really understand why this place has such a high rating... Came here for brunch one day and the wait was ridiculously long. By the time we were finally seated after more than an hour of waiting, I was already so hungry expecting to satisfy my hunger with some delicious food. But unfortunately the food was so disappointing :( We ordered the tartine with goat cheese and peppers, la ratatouille borghetti with merguez sausage, and pancakes. The tartine was pretty good, the peppers were very fresh but the goat cheese taste was a bit too strong...the ratatouille borghetti taste kinda strange idk how to explain, the sausages on the other hand, were not juicy at all...they were so hard and taste like those chinese sausages wth :O Lastly, the pancakes were decent, but not particularly outstanding. The noise level is kinda on the loud side. Service was fair and the decor is pretty cute. But overall I didn't think this place is that great.
(2)
Nique F.
I was sent here by a friend, who drives all the way from SF to brunch at La Note (unheard of!) She knows I adore anything French and was appalled when she learned I'd never been to La Note, which specializes in hearty Provencial cuisine. So, last Saturday I rolled out of bed just before lunch time and hopped on my bicyclette to fuel up, French style. The infamous waiting line was waiting for us. At least 12 people were gathered outside, listening for their name to be called (or YELLED rather) by the hostess. The wait was only 15 mins for the dining room, and 25 for the back patio. Next time, we'll wait the extra bit for the patio, as the dining room is crowded (I mean, your butt brushing your neighbors face when you get up to use the restroom kinda crowded), and a bit stuffy on a warm day. The back patio is where it's at. First impression: the prices are cheap for brunch, for French food, for the Bay Area in general. Fresh squeezed grapefruit (pamplemousse) for $2.50, a huge basket of baked goods ("Corbeille de Pain") for $6.50, pancakes a la carte for $4-5. Usually brunch requires a splurge for your belly and wallet, but you could be quite modest here, if you wanted to. Clearly, we weren't in a modest mood. We started with the decadent basket of assorted breads (croissant, cinnamon brioche, baguette) with raspberry jam & butter. We've had better croissants at Boot & Shoe (amazing!), these were just okay. Then, I ordered the much-photographed Pain Perdu (cinnamon brioche, soaked in orange water batter, sprinkled with lavender honey). This dish oversold and under-delivered. The bread was soggy and wet, like it had literally just been soaked in water (and not a custard batter), with no crispy crust or tender center. Just a wet piece of sweet bread. I ate one of the six slices. Mon homme had the "Les ouefs Lucas" (two eggs lightly scrambled with goat cheese, chives, served with roasted tomatoes). Definitely better than my pain perdu, but not amazing enough to make me too jealous. The ambiance and potentially awesome food (if you order the right thing) is what makes La Note a gem. They have recreated the bustling French bistro atmosphere incredibly well, and for that, I gotta love them a little. But, between the food misses and the scattered service, I'm currently in an A-OK state of mind.
(3)
Carlos A.
I've been to La Note a million times for brunch but never for dinner. LOVED LOVED the pasta carbonara. The description reads: "*A LA CARBONARA Penne pasta with crème fraiche, shredded ham, and Parmesan 14.50" It is like eggs with pasta. If that sounds appealing to you it is DAMN good. I can't wait to have it again.
(5)
Beca P.
I came here on Saturday for brunch with my grandma, my mom and my boyfriend and we were all very happy with our experience! My boyfriend and I have a long standing tradition of getting brunch each week and like to try new places or go to our usual favorite places. This is one of my favorite traditions that my boyfriend and I do so I am EXTREMELY selective when picking where to eat. Naturally I picked La Note because their food is so delicious and my boyfriend had never been here before. Brunch has to be my favorite meal of the day because its such a nice start to the day. Quite frankly, breakfast for a college student feels like eating at the crack of dawn and I like being fully conscious when I consume my meal. There are a million reasons why I love brunch the best but I'll stop there for the sake of not rambling on and my reason stated is something a lot of people my age relate to anyways haha. I ordered the ratatouille omelet and it was PERFECTION. I substituted the toast for a baguette for 1.50$ more which was totally worth it. My boyfriend ordered the plate with two eggs, home fries and spicy sausage. The sunny side up eggs were cooked perfectly and he ate his plate clean. My grandma ordered the pancakes with roasted tomatoes on the side and she greatly enjoyed it all. I tried the pancakes and I actually don't really like pancakes in the first place but these were delicious! My mom ordered an egg plate just like my boyfriend and she was very happy with her meal. The inside seating is nice and cozy and the decor makes the place feel so homey. The inside of the restaurant was just buzzing with friendly conversation! There is outside seating as well in the garden which I highly recommend on a beautiful Berkeley day! I realize some days look beautiful but are still cold but you should just bundle up, sit in the garden and order a nice hot chocolate! Great food and great experience! Just a note though... The wait here can be brutal!
(4)
Catherine R.
Have been here so many times over the years... Favorite is the poached egg (in an egg cup) with sticks of toast. For lunch, Salad Nicoise is my standard 'go to' unless a special looks especially good (which it often does). Weekends and lunch during the week it gets busy: the wait can be crazy long. Charming little place - if you've family/friends visiting (or if you are) this is a definite must try. It doesn't disappoint. * Weather permitting, Try the outside seating area; glorious! - You can imagine yourself in any number of places -
(4)
Hazel C.
On a Friday morning, the wait was only about 15-20 minutes for brunch. Certainly a lot shorter wait time compared to weekend wait times! One time, my neighbor and I had to wait for over an hour on a Saturday around 1 pm. Don't think I'd wait for that long again, no matter how good the food is! I had a nice brunch here with the hubby this time around. I ordered a hot chocolate, hoping it'd be as good as the one I had in Angelina's in Paris, but sadly it wasn't. This is your typical American kind, way thinner in consistency and not as rich. I asked for an almond croissant, but sadly the almond ones were gone, so I had to settle for a regular one. It was good. Spread a little raspberry jam and you're good to go. The hubby ordered the Omelette at Fromage which had Emmenthal cheese in it , but he had them hold off on the toast and home fries. Our server asked if he'd like tomatoes instead and the hubby said fine. He really liked his eggs with the cheese. I tasted his dish and indeed the cheese was nice and stringy and had a nice flavor. He had a couple of the tomatoes, but he couldn't finish them all. I, on the hand, ordered the Brioche Pain Perdu which is described as "cinnamon brioche soaked in orange water and sprinkled with lavender honey" on the menu. This dish should definitely be shared! It is too much for one person! There were six pieces and I could only eat 3 of them. I gave two pieces to the hubby and had to leave one on the plate. It wasn't too sweet, but it was dense and could taste the cinnamon with a hint of citrus and lavender. I also ordered a side of scrambled eggs. I needed something savory after all the sweet stuff I had. I have had their creme fraiche pancakes in the past and I think I will have that again next time. One of those, a side of bacon and eggs would make a perfect breakfast. Service was great. No issues with our food. Even though I ordered my side of eggs late, our server managed to get it to me ASAP. We've also had dinner here a few years ago before watching a ballet performance at Cal Performances. It's a good pre-theater option as it is only a short walk to Zellerbach. You can also reserve a table during their dinner service, so you can be assured of a table at the needed time. We'll definitely be back, but we'll try to time it so we don't have to wait longer than 30 minutes. Next time I'll stick with the pancakes and try to sit in their garden patio area!
(4)
Peg S.
So the wait for Sunday brunch was about 20-30 minutes at 8:30 am. I guess on a warm summer weekend, shoot for getting there at 8 am (when they open) so you don't have to wait. I can't stand waiting for brunch, but the ambiance, food, presentation, and service made up for it. While I've had many a charming meal in their cramped dining area, I was surprised and delighted to be seated in their lovely back patio (which seemed to open up at 9, as we were one of the first patrons seated there despite the crowd of people gathering out front). The feeling was of more spaciousness, with bright blue/lavender hues and pretty climbing flowering vines. I almost always get the Cote Est, which happily combines my love of sweet (pancake of choice) and savory (2 scrambled eggs + bacon or potatoes). A little French charm goes a long way.
(4)
Connie C.
Coming back after the college days, this place is a disappointment. Expect long lines that are not really worth it. We waited about 30-45 minutes. This time being seated inside by the window, you would think it's more privacy so it's better. Yea it was not as clustered as the rest of the restaurant. But I was constantly visited by flies. That's just straight up annoying when you're trying to eat. The table is already small and wobbly. I fear that my attempt to shoo away the fly might cause a table flip. Anyway, I had their omelette with tomatoes. I wasn't impressed with the food all that much. You know that feeling where it's like "yea, it has my favorite ingredients.. tomatoes, eggs..." but it's just lacking some chemistry. I know my face very well if I enjoy a dish with simple ingredients for the sake of the dish had some amazing flavors or textures or just something that is unusually awesome. Well, seeing such a bad rating, you can tell that I did not have such a moment. Boo hoo. More so, on top of bad food, it's also a grumpy waitress. Yes I see that you're busy, but show some professionalism. You are in the food and service industry, you do want a bigger tip in the end too, right? But yea, unless I'm forced to come back, this wouldn't be a brunch choice for me anymore.
(2)
Misha T.
My mom and I split a tartine, a ham and cheese sando, and a charcuterie and cheese plate, all of which were excellent. The weird thing was outside, in the back, it smells like horse poop. I mean there must be horses around? I don't know if it's there everyday but I sort of learned ot ignore it, though a whiff would hit me every now and then.
(4)
Ronald L.
Oh geez. The line is out the door for this place! I'm a little hyped but a little anxious with the wait. After one hour has passed, the waitress sits my party of 3 next to the window. We proceed by ordering freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and orange juice. Then, we each made a pact to order something different and share the entrees. The entrees are lemon gingerbread pancake with a side of scrambled eggs, oatmeal raspberry pancake, and the two eggs combo with home fries. The lemon gingerbread pancake has 3 sweet pears on top to complement the pancake which literally tastes like a gingerbread cookie. The side of scrambled eggs was creamy and tasty. The oatmeal raspberry pancake reminded me of a bran muffin though. For the two egg combo, well it comes with sausages, toast, and the home fries / potato wedges. It was a hearty and complete meal to start the morning off. Overall, the food and service was good but I wasn't sure if it warrants the hour long wait. I wouldn't mind going again but only if I don't have to wait in line.
Really I'm a positive guy but felt I should clue you in. 1. Hostess was sweet and nice but really inexperienced. Just wasn't sure what to do. Management should give her more training 2. Came here for steak frites. No more steak. How can a French restaurant run out of steak frites? 3. Waitress put on a good front but really knew nothing about French wine. The house red was lousy headache wine. We then took a half bottle which was a chinon that she claimed was deep like a Bordeaux. No it wasn't. It was a chinon. Light, thin and crisp for drinking outside on a hot summer day 4. No steak frites so went for the pasta bolognase. Worst of my life. I swear it was tomato paste out of the can with parsley and cheese on top and some cooked hamburger. Zero flavor except for way too much tomato Would not recommend!
(1)
Lois C.
C'est si Bon! Delicate fluffy and light eggs, fresh herbs and the roasted tomatoes are divine as an accompaniment. Well worth the wait and do plan to wait for a table.
(5)
Allie G.
Worth the wait for sure! My dad and I came here for brunch on a Sunday around 1:30. We had to wait until about 2 to be seated and the place closes at 3 on the weekend so it definitely cleared out while we were eating. We each had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc that I really enjoyed--impressive considering we were in Napa two days earlier wine tasting! I had the lamb sausage on a baguette with sundries tomatoes and it was amazing! My dad had the grilled chicken sandwich and he won brunch. All in all well worth the wait! We left full and happy!
(5)
Jun H.
Pro: Cute restaurant, great pancakes, eggs and service. Cons: very loud at times, a very long wait time if you come at peak hours This is somewhere my girlfriend really loves to go to for brunch and breakfast and now I know why. The atmosphere is very pretty but it was sometimes loud which made it difficult to have nice conversations. I had the blueberry oatmeal pancakes and their build your own lemonade. I highly recommend the pancakes but do be easy on the syrup as at times the syrup would be the only thing I tasted. The lemonade was decent but I did not like that the sugar was not liquid which made it a bit gritty but with a good mix it did somewhat go away. Overall the experience was great and it seems I will have to come back again to try their eggs as my girlfriend tells me that it is something else.
(4)
Charity B.
My kind of spot. Quaint and cozy indoors, beautiful garden seating outdoors (my fave), and quality food. Felt transported to a proper European cafe. Wait is long, but worth it. Took 45mins to be seated at 11am on a Saturday for brunch. Had the omelette de pommes de terre and the tartine mistral. Would recommend just for the baguette and cheese alone. But their sweet menu looks amazing. Will definitely be returning to sample more!
(5)
Thielson D.
Definitely a fan of this place. Usually there is a pretty long wait so go on the earlier side. Came here yesterday on Sunday and the wait was only about 30min and the place was packed! Despite that, once seated they did not keep us waiting and someone came by immediately to help us. Come hungry. There is a lot of really good bread and cheese to be had here. Definitely get the assortment of croissants and baguettes, but the MUST try is hands down the tartine mistral. A baguette with goat cheese, roasted red bell peppers and basil. It seems really simple yet it was awesome! The baguette was nice and warm which made it even better. Also be sure to get a side of the potatoes because they were really good. Oh, and also a side of the chicken sausage. I got the gingerbread pancakes with the compote. It was definitely good, but I thought it was a little dry, but it was definitely interesting to have the peach on there. Next time I would definitely the creme fraiche pancakes or one of the omelettes (particularly the caramelized onion one). Definitely recommend, and remember to get the tartine mistral (practically every other table was having it as well).
(4)
Rech T.
Heads up! Wait time for brunch on a Saturday can typically run 30-45min even for a party of 2. Love the coziness indoor and next time we will have to check out their nice outdoor seating. I ordered their latte to go with my morning bun and chocolate croissant. According to our server he warmed it up a little, which is a nice gesture, but within a minute or so my pastry became hard. It is not something I would order again because it was JUST a morning bun and chocolate croissant. No big deal! I had a few bites of my girlfriend's Omelette Fromage Et Jambon, and THAT WAS TASTY! Minus 1star for the hostess/server who I asked for how long till we get seated and answered "Oh you are nowhere near close to getting seated" and the food runner who used his lobe piercing as a pen holder. Not so sanitary.
(4)
Lisa K.
Was my favorite breakfast spot for yeeeears and after visiting this place again after many many years, it was confirmed. La Note is a special place.... My buddy had the creme fraiche pancake - holy crap why have I never tried this one before?! Lightly sweet and also savory. Mmmmm lordy. The lemon ginger pancake was all right in my opinion although it is apparently the favorite. I can see why. I just thought it was less yummy than the creme fraiche so of course..... The side of tomatoes I must comment on. Roasted and bathed in herbs and heaven... I couldnt get enough.
I had high expectations for this place :( tasted like a regular Okayish breakfast diner. Service: 3/5 came here on a Saturday morning around 12:30. Got to sit within 20 minutes. They Asked if I had waned a a second cup of mimosa, and I said yes. And then they forgot to bring it out or put it in to the computer. Had to ask for it. And they forgot to bring my napkins a couple times when I had requested for it . The Rush was over too.. Food: Creme Fraiche Pancakes: 3/5 Tasted like regular pancakes with powdered sugar and some creme on top. The creme was very plain. Nothing special about it. Ended up drowning it in syrup anyways . Tasted cinnamon broiche: 4/5 Yummy and flavorful. The honey lavender syrup was too sweet where it hurts to eat though.
(3)
anna h.
I love beautiful brunch. We started off with the Brioche Pain Perdu, (Does this translate to Brioche French Toast? I don't know any French). It was a nice appetizer-like dish for the five of us to share. This was less sweet than I expected, even though it was drenched in syrup, which tasted a lot more like honey than maple syrup. Next up was the Oeuf a La Coque. This consisted of buttered bread with two poached eggs IN SHELL, paired with home fries. Okay, I still don't understand how they poached these eggs in shell and managed to keep the their consistency runny. To eat, you basically dips pieces of the bread into the egg. Such an interesting concept! The service was a bit off, even during Wednesday brunch. The waitress didn't give us water until about 20 minutes after we were seated and the food took about an hour to be served. Overall, I thought this was a very cute brunch place. I probably wouldn't battle the crowds on weekends but I would definitely return to try some other dishes.
(4)
Vicky K.
3.5 stars I've been here a couple times through the years since it is a nice brunch place for UCB students and once for dinner. I'd have to say that I enjoy my experience here every time but I still feel like it is over priced. However, if you are looking for a nice place for dinner this would be a good pick. There will be a wait for brunch during the weekends so go earlier or call in and ask the wait time before heading there. Brunch: I've ordered sweet and savory here and I've got to say I enjoy the savory more. If you're looking for a simple brunch for 2 people ordering 2 dishes will be more than enough and you will probably have left overs. Cote Est and Cote Ouest (total ~$30 before tip) Both savory dishes, we had almost two servings of potatoes left over when we were finished. I love the way they make their eggs and it was overall delicious. However, again, it seems a little on the pricey side. Dinner: I still remember my cousins bringing me here for my "congrats and good luck with your first year in college" dinner. We ordered a cheese and fruit platter to share and I ordered the Ratatouille. Keep in mind this was only about an year since the movie came out and I was really excited to try the dish at a French restaurant. Though it was not exactly what I imagined it to be, from the movie, it was still quite enjoyable. It is a vegetarian dish that is heavily tomato based. It was less soupy than I thought it would be but overall I thought it was good. This would be a good choice if you want a light meal and don't want meat.
(3)
Ivana Y.
With not many French restaurants in the East Bay, I can see why La Note is always packed with lines out the doors on the weekends. However, the two times that I've been there have just been okay, and not worth the price. The food tastes like any other cafe, and lacked the true flavors of French cuisine. Also, service is slow, but I guess it's because they are always busy? Not sure I'd come back, unless a friend REALLY wanted to go.
(3)
Shannon N.
French brunch food? Yes, please! Being in Berkeley for about 6 years now, La Note has always been one of my favorite brunch spots, for their egg and pancake/carb filled dishes. Service is always pretty good, and when it's busy they don't come by as often but still try to. Beware that if you go on a weekend at the prime time brunch time (10-11am), you will be waiting for upwards of 2 hrs. I usually come on the weekends right when it opens, at 8am (the wait usually starts building up by the time 8:45 hits). WHAT I'VE GOTTEN (beware, it's a lot): 1) CREME FRAICHE PANCAKES: this will surprise you--it's sweet but the creme fraiche really makes it so you don't get sick of those pancakes after a couple bites. It's my favorite pancake to get! 2) OEUFS LUCAS: One of my favorite egg dishes! The eggs are soft scrambled with goat cheese, topped with chives, and a side of roasted garlic-herb tomatoes and toasted bread (for some reason the bread to me is sooo good, especially with their jam!!). I'm usually too full to finish the whole thing. 3) OEUF A LA COQUE: I subbed the potatoes for tomatoes, but I loved the cut strips of bread that you dip into the 2 soft poached eggs on your plate. If you like runny yolks and bread, you will love this. 4) COTE EST: When you just can't decide between something with eggs or something sweet/with more carbs, get this! Some eggs with a pancake you get to choose?? Yes, and yes. And a choice of bacon or homefries?? Yes. In addition, there is more food in this option (you get a separate small plate of homefries), if that floats your boat. 5) COTE SUD: Simple, 2 eggs sunny side up with sausage, homefries, and toast. Something of a combo you'd find in a typical breakfast place when you don't feel like something that makes you think too much. ;) 6) COTE OUEST: My bf had gotten this, and I will say this option is a bit more on the heavier side, so those with big stomachs, this might be your thing. Pretty good though! 7) COTE NORD: I actually really liked this dish! Don't underestimate the size of the dish...sure, it's 2 eggs scrambled with cream cheese/or goat cheese over toasted bread, but it's bigger than you'd think. I'm a fan though. 8) OATMEAL RASPBERRY PANCAKES: Pretty yummy! I'd get it again but I don't think it was super special...the pancakes are very fluffy though, so I'm still appreciative. 9) BRIOCHE PAIN PERDU: My bf had this before, and again it's goooood but not GREAT! After a couple bites you just kinda get tired of it, but that's just me and french toast. 10) PANIER DU BOULANGER: assorted pastry basket--my friends and I have shared this before, and we went at it like crazy people. The one that stood out the most to me was the almond croissant. I fell in love and have been getting the croissant before my brunch almost every time I come here. 11) COFFEE/HOT CHOCOLATE: coffee--great. hot chocolate comes out in a cute sipping bowl, and is rich/tasty as well, but not as hot as I like my drinks. NOT BREAKFAST: I've also come here for dinner, and I'm a fan of the ratatouille!! Unfortunately, some of their other dishes I've tried aren't on the menu anymore but I'd love to go back and try more! Make sure your stomachs are empty and that you come at a reasonable time to avoid a long wait! People who work here are generally very friendly so that is always a plus!
(5)
Rebecca P.
I wish the wait time did not take so long. Luckily the sleep train mattress is there to help you keep occupied! Their jam and bread is bomb dot com. I would be completely satisfied with just the bread basket. I usually get the Maison which is the two eggs any style with any meat and cottage potatoes. The potatoes are hit and miss. Some days they are great, other days they are okay. My favorite place to brunch!
(4)
Mari Y.
Hands down the best breakfast-brunch place I've ever been, although a bit pricey. I think I'd like to save this place to celebrate brunch-y occasions! They have adequate amount of seating and the ambience is really mellow! But seriously you don't really care about any of that cause you will be consumed by your food(and the other way around). Don't be intimidated by the menu! Although it's written in French and the workers speak French as well the description does a superb job of explaining the food. They portion their food perfectly! I was worried my French toast w/ Nutella would be too Nutella-y but it was peeerf. My friends got their omelettes, which came with potatoes and choice of sour dough or wheat bread. Seriously food is so perfect here. Request their raspberry jam!
(5)
Kaitlynn L.
Delicious food with super nice employees! A cute brunch place that is almost always packed. Just had brunch on a Friday afternoon and luckily we made reservations the day before! I definitely recommend making reservations or else the wait can we quite long. I had the Cote Este, which included two scrambled eggs, a pancake of my choice and homestyle fries. The scrambled eggs were alright but the pancake was delicious! I got the lemon gingerbread pancake with slices of a pear and blueberries on top.The fries were like potato cuts more than fries, and they were seasoned well and very scrumptious. I also got a mocha, which was expresso with dark chocolate. It was served in a cute ceramic bowl without a handle, which was very original. My friend got the oeuf a la coque, which was also very big and yummy. Lastly, we shared a pamplemousse, which was two halves of grapefruit. It was smaller than I thought it would be but a great dessert for brunch!
(5)
Yen P.
Just OK. I think this place is hyped. And that was probably why I came here. I wanted to see what it was all about. Luckily we made a reservation for 10am on a friday or else we would probably have to wait an hour at least. The line were sooo longgg, there were no room inside so people had to wait outside. We were the first table to be seated at the patio and roughly 10 minutes after, it was packed! I heard many good things about the french toast here, but quite frankly, i thought it only tasted "just okay" it didn't blew my mind or did it taste like a $13 french toast. The omelette. Let's see. The huge chunks of potatoes really ruined it, I actually started picking on the eggs and the caramelized union and left the potatoes untouched. I wish they had cut it up or put less of it. The best part about the omelette was the Provencales tomatoes. THOSE TOMATOES WERE AMAZING. Oh we also got the spicy sausage on the side and those were good! It's really not worth the wait or the money.
(3)
Jon G.
Obsession manifests itself in many ways. In this particular instace it comes in the form of Brioche Pain Perdu! Cinnamon brioche soaked in orange, water batter, sprinkled with lavender honey. I'm drooling typing this, but was prepared and put towels on the floor. The wait for brunch is long. Sometimes they say 30 minutes and it takes an hour+. But that's ok. If you are here with your friends or a date, the build up and anticipation make it that much more delicious. There are always people hanging out on the street waiting foe their tables. Every time I've gone I've started with coffee. Not sure what they use, but I'm a fan. Was so hungry I got a great coffee buzz before the food came out. My friends have gotten the omelets, the egg thingy with the top sliced off, pancakes, bacon, etc. I tried the Brioche Pain Perdu and havent been able to keep away! Of course I stole bites of my friends food. Everything was phenomenal! The decor is quaint and there is a piano in the corner. I secretly with someone would play it while we were in there or that I was good enough to play it for other people (I guess I'll just stick to guitar). Don't tell Nique F. but I think french is hilarious to read. My accent is terrible and I struggle through the words (although I am surprised how similar the Latin roots are to Spanish). But My friends and I were cracking up reading the menu out-loud. Here were some of my favorites "Jus du pamplemousse" LOL say that 5 times fast. Grapefruit juice "Le oeufs a la coque" Not sure how to pronounce that last word... But le oeufs is eggs... "Salade de fruit" I think I know what this one means but the accent mades it fun to say. Anyways. I loooove this place. I'll be back many times for sure. Tip - If you hate waiting, come at around 1pm-ish. there is never anyone in line and that's when you'll be seated anyways if you get there at 11:30 like me.
(5)
Rachel L.
I was really excited to try this place because whenever I pass by it, there's always a long line. After browsing their menu, I just had to try it. So we got seated after 10 minutes yesterday, which isn't bad at all. We got there around 1. First thing that turned me off was how tight the seating arrangements were. There is no way I can squeeze into a 3" gap between 2 tables to sit down. The waitress was kind enough to move the table, but I can see how inconvenient that would be with my butt in someone's face. So good thing the guy seated next to us didn't mind. Our table was unstable. If we tried cutting anything, the table would shake and that was annoying on top of the table being so small. We ordered the cinnamon brioche pain perdu and lemon ginger pancake since those were popular items according to Yelp. Honestly, I wasn't wow'd by them. I also ordered the Cote Nord with cream cheese and a side of bacon. It was good as long as I ate it with the tomatoes. The staff was incredible. We had great service. I just wished I enjoyed the food more, but I'm glad I was able to try all these things.
(3)
Giedre D.
Wonderful place for breakfast! Can't be better! Eggs Lucas- delicious!!!! The best breakfast, nice staff, super atmosphere! You have to visit this place!!!!
(5)
Emily S.
This is a special place. With an extremely long wait. even on weekdays. BUT totally worth it. I almost go for brunch. They offer a pastry and bread basket for the table to share. do it. The cote nord is epic (add the goat cheese). Get a side of merguez and thats all you need, except a fresh squeezed grapefruit mimosa. your welcome.
(5)
Ariel S.
I love this restaurant, they have a very home-made authentic way of making French toast. Get your day started like Napoleon by eating here!
(4)
Jessica L.
I am positive it is not worth the LONG ass weekend wait BUT it is good and worth a wait under 25 minutes....I thoroughly enjoyed the cinnamon brioche french toast. I also thought the oatmeal raspberry pancakes were unique and very good as well. My husband did not enjoy his eggs, sausage and toast so there is your tip to not go too basic here. They did a good job keeping coffee and water refilled considering how busy they are this definitely impressed me. I am curious what the patio looks like but the inside is pretty spacious. Next time I am trying a chocolate croissant!
(3)
Sabrina S.
I finally made it to this place for brunch! This is a review that has waited too long. Such a quaint French place and perfect way to spend time with your friends and catch up on life. During the weekend it's quite a long wait so be prepared for that! Let's get to the yummy part, the food! I was adventurous with my food and ordered the lemon gingerbread pancake and poached pears with scrambled eggs and a side of home fries! This was a sweet delight with a savory touch! Definitely coming here again
(5)
Aoi S.
It was my first time trying this place and I have to say, it was super delicious! I've heard from friends about this place and it was definitely worth the try.The wait was 30~45min, but it was enough time for us to walk around Berkeley streets and get some drinks. I got Les Oeufs Lucas- Two eggs lightly scrambled with goat cheese, chives, served with roasted tomatoes. I substituted goat cheese with emmenthal cheese. It was quiet delicious and filling. I would definitely want to come back again and try other delicious brunch menus. Gave it a 4 star because the menu was incredibly hard to read. It was written in a tiny font with some words oddly emphasized with bold letters. The menu overall was disorganized, but the food was superb.
(4)
Raspy J.
Pretty long wait, but if you're in a rush, I'm sure you could find a WacArnolds serving up dollar menu delights in a jiffy. Let me start by divulging my Frenchness to demonstrate my cred, my mom has told us countless times we might be French so there you go... The bread basket is off the hook, ~~ (large sigh) it reminds me of early afternoon Barcelona breakfasts ~~ . I'm not positive on the name because the menu is super French (something something Pain) but it's the first item on the breakfast menu; get it, it'll take you back to the first time you got swept off your feet by a cig smoking Parisian milk man in an alley near the Eiffel Tower. Let's get down to the fudging nitty gritty - the pancakes. My gf showed me yelp reviews that highlighted the importance of the Lemon Gingerbread Pancakes. They sound delicious, but honestly, dey just lite weight aite. Those brazen yelpers should lose all credibility because the Creme Fraiche Pancakes absolutely pulled down their pants and shit all over those Lemon Girlyman Womancakes. Word to Randy Marsh for having for a hardon for Creme Fraiche in the Creme Fraiche episode bc when it was time to order, all I could hear was Randy whispering into my ear "Creme Fraiche" in an uber sexual voice. In short, them Creme Fraiche pancakes was on fleek. I'm an egg guy, shout out Humpty D, so my breakfast game is all about omelettes and homefries, but I ate so much fucking bread I didn't really care about the Cote Oest plate. It wasn't bad at all, but the ratatouille on top of the omelette just wasn't for me. All the food was very good, coffee was solid, but it was Sunday Brunch... WE WANTED MIMOSAS! horrible look La Note. Will come back for that bread basket and Creme Fleek pancakes.
(4)
A M.
Great tasting food in a lovely ambience. On a nice day you can sit on the back deck. There can r a substantial line! Especially for Brunch
(5)
Kelly T.
I got here around 10am on a Saturday and there was surprisingly not that long of a line. We only had to wait about 30 minutes for the inside. But now I know why people wait way longer for the outside patio area.... The inside was kind of dark and really squished together. There were just too many people inside. I mean I understand that they are really popular and that if they took out a couple tables, people would have to wait even longer....but man I felt so crowded. And I was already one of the lucky ones who got the little elevated area next to the window. But okay the mini water pitcher that they give each table is ADORABLE. it's mini-sized! It doesn't hold much water though hahaha sooo if you want to refill your drink...it's not the best? but it's really cute. Anyway, two of us ordered the brioche pain perdu and the third ordered the gingerbread pancakes. Damn way too much. And after eating half of the brioche, you are already a little sick of eating it just because it's so heavy, the brioche is so thick, and you're literally eating a huge portion of bread and syrup. It did get a little dry at times though so I would try putting more syrup... but then too much syrup makes you feel all gross too...so I just didn't know what to do. SO if you want to order it, maybe share it with someone else. And order a savory dish to share too! Oh yeah...the brioche apparently has a hint of lavender honey on it but I couldn't taste it at all ): aw boo. We also ordered a side of home fries and they were just what we needed. A salty dish to offset the sweet. The home fries were really good and even had roasted cloves of garlic! I'm not sure if I would come back though just because it was good but not good enough to wait in the usually looooong long lines.
(3)
RJ S.
My friend and I had an amazing time overall at this restaurant. We made a reservation online on OpenTable, which was definitely a good decision because of how crowded the restaurant was. Between the two of us, we split a Brioche Pain Perdu, or cinnamon French toast, and an Omelette de Pommes de Terre, or an omelette with potatoes and caramelized onions, along with a side of home fries and tomatoes (which came with the omelette). The meal was excellent, and we will definitely be returning!
(5)
Esther A.
If you put your name down make sure you hang around in case your name gets called early. We saw a group of 7 get a table upon walking in because another party of 7 didn't show when their names were called. I would say food is ok/average at best. Perhaps I was expecting excellence seeing how incredibly popular and reading rave reviews La Note is however I was slightly disappointed. In fact I questioned why we drove all the way to downtown Berkeley when there are other great places over in the East Bay. The French Toast was on the dry side and my eggs were really bland and quite frankly not very good. The better part of the meal was the potatoes with garlic. Our server was nice but was rushing too fast. I saw him brush up against our neighbor's purse that was hanging on her chair which then fell off to the ground. He acknowledged it as he turned around to look at it but he kept on going which I thought was incredibly rude. Also while refilling our small table carafe with water he was held up his water pitcher so high water splashing around. It splashed my shirt/face and also a large splash into my cafe creme which was nearby the carafe and it all occurred without an apology but instead he offered a slight giggle. A star definitely deducted for that. Not sure I have any desire to ever want to return. There are far too many other great brunch places to be explored.
(3)
Jen G.
Came here for breakfast given the great reviews. I will start with the good -- the potatoes were awesome -- best breakfast potatoes that I think I have ever had. The garlic was amazing. I don't think I ordered well. They had semolina with egg. I was imagining polenta. This is not polenta. It was pretty bad. Really bland.
(3)
Abby O.
Super tasty, and very filling for the price. I ordered the Sode (sp?) and the sausage was some of the tastiest I've ever had. The plates all come with roasted garlic that is perfection. The appetizer bread that come with basil and goat cheese is out of this world. Service was quick. A little bit of tight quarters, but manageable. Good for groups or dates. Casual atmosphere.
(4)
Beth B.
Very inconsistent -- I've been here at least 5 times. The last time will probably be the last -- we ordered the basket of pastries, and they just sucked. Cold, not good... comparable to pastries in a mediocre coffee shop. Very cute interior and patio, very nice-sounding menu -- but the cooking just isn't consistent enough to make me want to try my luck again.
(2)
Song K.
La Note never disappoints! The pancakes (all the different flavors) were delicious. The flavors were well balanced; nothing was too overwhelming. I definitely recommend you order the pancakes; they will not disappoint. The "fries" aren't actually fried at all; but they're one of the best potato dishes I've ever had. And despite being $$, I've always spent $10-$20 each meal. I really recommend this place for everyone. It's especially a super cute place for a date; my boyfriend took me here for brunch for Valentine's Day.
(4)
Dan M.
Want to give four stars since the food we ordered was good (Cote Est-Two scrambled, homefries, and one pancake of choice, I went w/the raspberry oatmeal for me and girlfriend went with the French toast) but the amount of time we spent here just can't get it over the hump. Let me give you a rundown of our day here: 12:01: I find parking after dropping girlfriend off. We left my apartment around 11:45 am or so. She tells me it's about a 30-40 minute wait. Long, but since we were still kind of early, I figured it was ok, and the other places nearby had similar waits. I was hungry, so we waited patiently for our name to be called like being on line at a brunch DMV. Shiver outside as well since the sun decides to do some Barry Sanders juke moves and not stay overhead. 12:45: Still haven't been called. I go in to ask the hostess when we're next and she tells me it's a few moments. Meanwhile, a four person group goes in ahead of us, even though we arrived before them (unlikely they had reservations, as you need to make them 1.5 hours in advance and most were walk-ins. NYC runs brunch later so I now know why Bay Area places fill up so fast). 1:05: Finally are seated. We have now been at this restaurant in some capacity for over an hour, before even opening a menu. A few tables look open when we walk in. Waiter takes another five minutes or so to come and take our order. 1:30: Receive food. While mine was partially cold, I wasn't sending it back and getting it an hour later, so dealt with it. Again, food was solid, but we've been here over 1.5 hours, and we had wanted to go to the beach after. 2:15: Leave the restaurant. Too late to go to the beach now. Full, but disappointed. Two hours for a restaurant is a tad bit excessive. While I completely understand it was busy and a Saturday, perhaps more staff is needed (unsure if they were low that day) or people need to be ferried out of there quicker, because I really don't want to spend a day at a restaurant, I can definitely think of several better things to do (like going to the beach, for instance). Next time, I'll reserve this early so I can get out before I go gray.
(3)
David L.
Lemon Gingerbread Pancakes with Poached Pears (Single Stack): 4.5 STARS - By far the best gingerbread pancakes I ever had. This place did not over do the ginger taste and the poached pears definitely compliments the pancakes well. Other places would over do the ginger taste making it unbearable to eat. Creme Fraiche Pancakes (Single Stack): 3 STARS - Nothing special about this one. It looked like a large cinnamon roll version of a pancake. The pancake tasted like a regular pancake with icing on top. A little bland for my tasting. Crostone Au Saumon (Valentine's Day Special for Brunch Entree, also on their Dinner Appetizer Menu): 4.5 STARS - First off they offer creme cheese or goat cheese and we took the creme cheese. All the ingredients; creme cheese, egg, salmon, and toast, complimented well with each other and was really delicious. The only thing I would like out of the dish is more flavor from the potatoes, otherwise it would be perfecto! Overall experience: 4 STARS - The staff was nice and awesome and we did not have to wait since we had reservations. We were sat at a table immediately even though it was on Valentine's Day. The food was delicious and the environment was very ambient. This is a nice brunch place to go to if you are in the area of Berkeley!
(4)
Fabian C.
My friend invited me to this place in the morning and it was fantastic. The bread is just amazing. It's warm and freshly made. I got myself a sandwich, which was delicious. My friend got herself a breakfast meal and the homemade fries, eggs, and toast were genuinely good. Definitely would recommend if you're going on a date. However, the wait is long. Might recommend playing a game of chess before getting a table. The place inside is always full, but it leaves a lively atmosphere. Service is very quick, but they're nice for the most part. Despite the cons, they managed to make me happy and the food is definitely worth it. So, if you want to treat yourself to a nice and fancy meal with somebody, definitely go!
(4)
Steve C.
This is coming from a Cal Student's perspective, so meaning eating good on a budget! Either you have 2 choices for brunch, Anne's Kitchen on Telegraph which is convenient and cheap, but the quality of the food isn't the best. And then you have La Note and it's like you got an A on your exam! Yeah you're paying a little bit more, but the quality is so worth it! Omelette with Cheese & Ham - My favorite! I love how fluffy and airy the omelette is, and the gooyiness of the cheese is so good. And the provencales tomatoes are so juicy with a burst of herby flavors. Brioche Pain Perdue - Split this because it's huge! My friend and I and we couldn't even finish one. Also I'm not much of a sweet tooth person, so I could only take a few bites. But it was still delicious and sweet! La Note is too good for it's own sake. It gets so packed and the line can get long, so come early! Also the inside is jammed full of tables and chairs, so don't expect to get the best seats, nor have a quiet morning brunch. You'll definitely be packed in with your neighbors.
(4)
Joshua C.
Probably one of the best brunch dishes I've had in a long time is the Cote Nord. I mean, does this not sound delicious: "Two eggs lightly scrambled with cream cheese, over toasted levain bread, with homefries and tomatoes." Well it was. The eggs were fluffy and the cream cheese on the levain toast was perfect. I love how their homefries had cloves of roasted garlic in it and the tomatoes were a nice touch. Wash it all down with a mimosa and you have the perfect brunch. The end.
(4)
Aly G.
We came here for our anniversary a few months back. Having lived in France for a while, I love finding more authentic French restaurants, and La Note is definitely just that. I felt like I had stepped into a cafe somewhere in Provence - from the decor to the small size of the tables, it's all very authentic. The food is delicious, as well. I've not been for brunch yet, but I have heard amazing things and can't wait to try it out!
(4)
Conny K.
Love , love, love this place... The salmon salad with the goat cheese is my all time favorite! Brunches are the best at la Note, always my place to go to ,when I am meeting my girlfriends.... And yes , you do get that Euro feeling in this restaurant! VIve la bonne ambiance! !
(5)
Grace C.
Ok La Note, if you're going to allow OpenTable reservations, please remember to actually reserve a table and honor the reservations when people show up on time for them. Otherwise, there's really no point. That said, we made an online reservation and still had to wait an additional 20 minutes for a table (I don't think we were the only party that had to wait). We told the hostess we wanted to sit inside (it was a chilly morning) and she kept coaxing us to sit on the patio; she said it would be a longer wait for the inside (this was after we waited 15 minutes already). She told us to follow her outside to the patio to feel the heat lamps. I could see she was very desperate to get rid of us and we were all starving, so we gave in and agreed on the patio seating. The heat lamp, by the way, was very weak (there were only 2 in the entire patio). During our wait, some people without reservations came to check on their wait time and the hostess told them that because a lot of reservations showed up (she sounded so surprised...?) their wait time was increased. Sounds like they need some serious work on organizing those reservations..... So we ordered some pancakes, omelets and scrambled eggs and it took nearly 40 minutes for them to come out. I can wait 40 minutes for bomb-diggity food, but 40 minutes for mediocre food was a huge disappointment. 3 years later, I can conclude that La Note is overhyped. There are a TON of less-crowded eateries with much better tasting food. I do want to say that the wait staff has always been friendly and professional.
(2)
Judy H.
I've been to La Note once before and fell in love with their cutesy French countryside interior and their lemon gingerbread pancakes with poached pears. I'm a sucka for anything gingerbread so when I discovered they made gingerbread pancakes, I got on it like Donkey Kong. The pancakes came with blueberries and pears and the ginger taste was not overpowering nor was it too sweet. Just riiiight. I brought my boyfriend here so he can try it. He is not a fan of ginger but he really liked the gingerbread pancakes. We also ordered the Cote Ouest, which was a ratatouille omelette (lots of yummy zucchinis and tomatoes). OMG the eggs were so fluffy and light. We were even fancyyy and had some apple cider with our brunch. :)
(4)
Stephie D.
As much I like having a car and places to park when I go out where I live in the South Bay, I must admit I love how Berkley is filled with so many small restaurants. I came to La Note for brunch the morning before my trip back home. They had a good size menu filled with a variety of savory and sweet breakfast plates. My sister and I split the nutella french toast and sausage and eggs plate. Although each item has a fancy French name they provide descriptions on the menu for everything and the servers we met were all very kind and helpful. The servings are pretty perfect and everything we ate was delicious and well executed. It's not the tremendous size country American breakfast or anything but perfect for spoiling yourself and actually being able to function afterwards. The place is small and doesn't seem like it seats big parties so it's probably better for intimate brunches, we came in on a weekday around 11 and there was no wait. Even though there's so many places I still have yet to try in Downtown Berkley, I would definitely come back.
(4)
Kathy C.
I came with family for brunch, it's really packed and the tables are small. Not the best place for group meal. (It's good for to come with 2-3 girlfriends though) The price is on the priceier side for simple ingredients. Though you mostly pay for the atmosphere, so I'd say it's a good deal.
(4)
Jackie L.
I love brunch and French themed places and so, I'm a big fan of La Note. I seriously feel so happy when I come here. Everything is so quaint and cute and the food is seriously good to boot. I've had three items on the menu so far: -The omelette de pomme de terrres or whatever the open faced potato and caramelized onion omelette is very good. The roasted tomatoes they give you are also so good and I usually don't like to eat tomatoes. It's fluffy, and the mix of sliced potatoes and sweet caramelized onions is the cherry on top. -The pancake is also very good. Light and fluffy with that pretty spiral pattern on top. It's as pretty to look at as it is to eat. You know what they say, you eat with your eyes first and this definitely didn't disappoint. - The omelette with the ratatouille on top is also so good. As a carnivorous person, I did order a side of chicken apple sausages but I was very happy overall with the omelet. The Rosemary homefries were also very good though i wish they peeled their garlic before roasting them so I could nom on them too :( Service is pretty good considering that they are super packed on Sunday mornings/afternoons and I have yet to have a bad experience. Expect to wait a bit if you arrive after 11 am on a Sunday. Also, their raspberry jam is delish.
(4)
Sandra A.
EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING!!! First off they need a new system on handling customers instead of dump and run from a complaint. Second, do not tell a customer 45 min wait when its obvious that it is a 2 hour plus wait, taking only first names run into the risk of someone else taking the same name on the wait list. You have a 6 to 7 man kitchen crew, with over 40 tables of service(including patio)...it doesn't take a UC Berkeley grad student to figure it out. Whats worse instead of offering a coffee, water or juice they just tell you "sorry we are busy" and show you the door. As a patron of TEN YEARS!!!! I will NEVER go back to this place extremely poor service ...if this wasn't YELP, i would say excuse my French ^&*# off
(1)
Shirley T.
Food is okay but the wait time was way too long. I waited 30 minutes to get seated and another 30 minutes for food after ordering which is 1 hour total. We came here at 10:40 am.
(3)
Erica D.
This place was all about atmosphere for me. Don't get me wrong...the food is SO GOOD. However, I was so enveloped in the experience, I cannot even tell you what I ordered. To be fair, I haven't been in many years and it was only twice. I would still recommend it though (preferable during warm weather because the back patio is a dream). French inspired brunch dishes, homey feel with pots and pans hanging everywhere, an assortment of takes on the standard mimosa. This place is so cute and great for a weekend brunch with friends, family, or SO. Just beware that the citizens of the bay area are very aware that this place exists. As with all the great brunch spots in the bay, there will be a line. I would not recommend taking a large group here on the weekends because it will be cramped and loud and probably more of a hassle than anything else.
(5)
Pearl P.
The ambiance was delightful, the service was great, the food was just "A-OK". A solid three stars.
(3)
Chaya B.
I had never been to La Note until my 38th birthday, even though I've lived in Berkeley for most of my life. I gathered a small group of 4 and went for brunch. I will say it was busy on the weekend, and we had to wait for about 45 minutes. They dont take reservations, during busy times. I got french toast, Brioche Pain Perdu so did one of my guests, another got the Ratatouille, and I dont remember what the other person had, maybe pancakes?! I wasn't impressed at all. In fact disappointed! The french toast was a combination of soggy and dry. I can make better french toast. I really expected greatness because of all the good reviews, and how long it has been around, but instead I got a bad birthday brunch!
(2)
Seth E.
Their nutella french toast is killer. Great cafe atmosphere with healthy (and not so healthy, but tasty) options.
(4)
Jenn T.
Came here for some brunch in Berkeley after a nice visit in the city. It was packed for a Sunday morning, as expected and we waited about 20-30 minutes for a table. The menu is short, making ordering quite easy! I got the ham and cheese omelete, which was delicious. I also tried the french toast, which was good with some cinnamon flavor to it. The service here was a little slow, as we had to flag our waitress down to order and to pay the bill. But the food was good!
(4)
Grace B.
I'm more leaning towards 3 1/2 stars. It was a weekend morning, and I expected it to be crowded, but they pack you like sardines inside, and it just seemed way too overwhelming to the start of your quiet morning. So we decided to wait for the patio, the best thing we could have done, but it's very limited. Ordered the Cote Nord, and for scrambled eggs, home fries, roasted tomatoes, and a slice of bread it doesn't really seem like it is anything close to a $12.95 plate. Ok the bread is "levain" bread, and the tomatoes aren't just tomatoes but roasted (my favorite part of the meal), but almost $13? Really? I think it gets more hype than it deserves. Their coffee is delicious and I kept getting refills of that for sure, and their menu is very French, so it adds a nice dimension to the place but prices are definitely steep and not so sure it warrants what you get. It was a pleasant experience but I don't think I'd come back.
(3)
Fiona H.
I would love to give this place more than just a 3 star rating but our server's lack of attention made our experience not so pleasant. She mistook 2 out of 4 orders (that's 50% wrong) and when we asked for boxes to go, she completely ignored us and threw out our food. RUDE! Had the potato omelette--delicious! I don't normally like tomatoes but the roasted tomatoes that came with it were more than edible. I also tried the french toast which was OK.
(3)
Scott T.
Took some out of town-ers here twice--really the only time I go to Berkeley for French brunch...unless after a long night... Had the ratatouille both times. Once with lamb fennel sausage and once plain. If you get it, or anything add an EGG. If there is one thing that this place does right...it's the eggs. Probably some of the best eggs I've ever had, and it's a friggin egg! But seriously, add the egg. It's like $1.50 ish and worth every cent. I take off one star not for the food, but for the agonizing wait time. I'm a teacher and we are supposed to use wait time as a questioning strategy to allow students more time to think and volunteer. Here, the wait time is like listening to Ben stein saying, "anyone? Anyone?" It's a relatively small place considering the mass of people on Saturday and Sunday before 12 pm. If you don't get there near 10 am be prepared to enjoy your company's stimulating conversation for at least 10-45 minutes (party size).
(4)
Ps B.
The simple cheese omelet was really good, and the home fries were even better. So good! The hazelnut spread french toast in maple syrup were a little soggy for our order. Nevertheless, I recommend this place just for its interior decor and ambience.
(4)
Fatima C.
I ate here every week when I was pregnant with my first child. Love the eggs!
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Brunch Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Beer & Wine Only Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : No Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Amy H.
My friend and I finally came here after despite the long wait. This place gets VERY busy especially on the weekends, so be prepared to wait a good 30 minutes or so. We got the lemon gingerbread pancakes and the brioche pan perdu. The lemon gingerbread pancakes werent all that special. I was expecting something ridiculously good but it just tasted like a regular pancake to me with pears on top. On the other hand, I thought the brioche pan perdu was super delicious! The french toast is so sweet and made perfectly. it comes with 6 pieces and if you were to have this by yourself, you would have leftovers for sure. I always feel so fancy when I eat breakfast here haha. **TIPS** 1) Portions are pretty big so share the wealth and split. 2) Enjoy!
(4)Milton F.
I came here for brunch this past Sunday and it was busy. Well let me rephrase that, it got very busy. Luckily we showed up early, around 10:30 and got seated within 15 minutes. By the time left.. around 11:30, there was at least 15 groups of people waiting outside.. So if you want to avoid long waits, arrive early! They don't take reservations so you gotta come early. This is a french inspired brunch place, so unfortunately there are no eggs benedict, my go-to brunch dish. Instead, I got the two eggs with sausage. It was very good. Their french toast is made with real french bread which is different. You have to try the basket of pastry that comes with an assortment of croissants. They are delicious.. well at least the morning bun and chocolate croissant. I would most definitely come back, but I would not want to wait an hour to get seated. The place is small and intimate. Great place for a date!
(4)Anahit T.
Oatmeal. Sounds boring, I know! But their blueberry oatmeal was flavorful. It was tart from the blueberries inside and sweet because of the sprinkle of brown sugar. I also had the fruit salad--nothing special, it's seasonal fruit so it's fresh and sweet. Make sure to make reservations ahead of time.
(5)Andy L.
Came to visit my future sister in law at Berkeley and decided to eat here the day we were leaving. Overall, I must say I am pleased at this place. First, I found an awesome parking spot across the street. I'm pretty sure if I didn't, this review would be much lower. The place is very small but cozy. I forgot what I ordered but I remember it being big and tasty. I do remember the sausage was a surprise as it was lamb sausage. I'm not a big fan of lamb so didn't really like it. Price wise is pretty normal...similar to Mimi's cafe. Its a nice place to take a date to. I suggest ordering one entree and a smaller side dish because the portions are large. I recommend this place for breakfast- but just make sure you swing by Starbucks before going because the coffee here is as bland as it can get.
(4)Mick A.
In all my dining I do not think I have ever been to an eating house that is more disrespectful of a customer.....! We were walks up and clearly when we arrived it was clear this joint was busy. So we put our names down on the list and understood that we had to wait 90 minutes...ok, all this is fair! We returned some 5 minutes inside the hour and half, and we were initially told to wait another 15 minutes. Still acceptable, and so some of our group decided to go for another stroll whilst others just waited. Then soon we got 'told', your table will be ready in two minutes, to which I replied some have gone for a walk so we will need to find them, to which I was told 'you need to come now or you may loose your table' .... we scrambled and managed to round the others up very quickly! We were ready and a sense of anticipation prevailed...finally. Soon that 'two minutes your table will be ready' blew out to 18 minutes........we finally sat down and the mandatory tap water in the bottle arrived. After a further twenty minutes we requested a menu...eventually it arrived, 'dumped' on the table...another ten minutes and after pleading for service someone came. The order was delivered..phew maybe some joy now! Well 40, yes 40 minutes laters some of the orders started to arrive....the first recipients waited for the other persons dishes to arrive before starting. Another 10+ minutes and now we had some cold dishes....Cradle to grave we waited 188 minutes or simply 3 hours! Some of us did not finish...the Omelette Fromage was awful, so wet that a spoon was the only means of consumption ...and the Short Stack Lemon Gingerbread was not a pleasant eat. The small Nicosia salad was fine and the rest is nearly forgettable - probably 30% of what was put on the table wasn't eaten despite our desire to satisfy our hunger. In the end the part that of this experience that is important is the inexcusable attitude that this eating house thinks its time is more valuable than a citizen. We were pawns abused and even worse our circumstances were taken advantage of .... no ethics or integrity and I left to wonder what happens with the food out of sight! Never ever again ...ever, will I return and this is probably my poorest yelp review. The day was 2 November and our server was Heather who felt sorry for us and who did kindly apologise!
(1)Kibi Z.
The decorations are really beautiful! People keep telling me this is the best brunch restaurant in Berkeley, this is so true!
(5)Monique T.
Went here on an early rainy weekday morning before driving back home to Southern California. La Note was almost empty - sat right away! We were offered to choose between a table in the window alcove or a regular table. I chose the window seat :) I got pancakes with a blueberry coulis swirl since they didn't have what I originally wanted to order. (I guess it wasn't ready yet?) They came out warm, fluffy, and delicious! I tried my boyfriend's potatos and eggs - soo tasty! Loved the atmosphere and decor inside. Service was great, given that the restaurant was relatively empty. I would dine here again if I was in the area!
(5)S B.
Great food. Good service. Nice decor. If you like ratatouille you should order theirs ... Very yummy!
(5)Steven O.
Randomly came here yesterday with my girlfriend after leaving Brown Sugar Kitchen's horrendous 90 min wait. Of course this place had a waiting time of 30-45 mins, so we couldn't keep moving around looking for a brunch spot. After leaving BSK, my initial thought was to try out Venus. As we were passing by, I seen La Note first and just said Eff it, let's go here instead. I didn't mind the wait because there's a bookstore next door. A good way to kill time before we indulge in brunch heaven. This place definitely has a french feel to it. From their food to the decor you might mistake yourself eating in Paris. Though i've never been, it works for me. Now on to the food: Here is what we ordered: Brioche Pain Perdu (Cinnamon Brioche soaked in orange-water batter, sprinkled with lavender honey) - French toast Creme Fraiche Pancake Omelette Fromage Et Jambon (Emmenthal cheese and ham omelette, with homefries and sourdough bread) Cote EST (Two scrambled eggs, one pancake of your choice and a choice of bacon or homefries) ALL were delicious!! Given this was our first time, we wanted to try out these gems. My omelette was cooked to perfection! Nice and fluffy the way I like my omelette. The bacon was on point. Nice thick perfectly cooked bacon put a smile on face. My favorite was the Brioche Pain Perdu and Creme Fraiche Pancake. Probably one of the best french toasts and pancake i've ever eaten. My girlfriend does not even like or eat french toast, but she ate it and said "I must love french toast now because I just ate 3 pieces" LOL Got Em! The creme on the pancake is superb! You don't even have to put syrup on it, it's that good without it. I can't complain about anything except for the wait, but that was already a given. The service was good and they seem to know the drill of how to get people seated in a timely manner. Our server was friendly and helpful. It didn't take long to get our food so that was also a plus. The place was super busy so give yourself sometime or come early enough to beat the traffic. Parking may be a slight hassle so I suggest have someone put their name down on the waiting list while looking for parking. This is my girlfriends new favorite brunch spot. Looks like we will be regulars. Thanks La Note!
(5)Dan M.
So one Sunday morning, the craving for a solid brunch hit and of course the yelp search began. After a quick search, I stumbled upon La Note as the option to go for given all of the raving reviews. We hopped in the car and drove towards Downtown Berkeley and found parking right on Shattuck. We got there around 9 Am which is still pretty early but there was already a 20- 30 minute wait going on. When stepping into the restaurant it is like you are transported to a true French café. I was a fan of the décor and these guys did a good job at setting the place up. There were benches inside and outside the restaurant so I grabbed a seat and waited for my name to be called. Sure enough after 20 minutes, my name was called and we were seated. The server came over immediately and offered us menu and asked us for our drink order. She was very pleasant and was attentive to all of her patrons even though she was quite busy. I ordered a coffee and was pleased to see actual sugar cubes at the table for use. After a bit of perusing we decided to go with the Les Oeufs de maison with the spicy sausage and the Cote Est which came out with scrambled eggs, a pancake of your choice and a choice between bacon and homefries. Since the Oeufs de maison had homefries attached we got the Cote Est with Bacon. The food did not take too long to come out and soon after there was a huge pile of food waiting to be devoured. The pancake we chose was the Lemon Gingerbread pancake which was sweet and tasty. The downfall was that I could only take so much sweetness and the pancake started to get too sweet for me. The pancakes also were also very dense/dry making it hard to eat large quantities. The bacon was of course delicious but how can you hate on a perfectly cooked piece of bacon. The "house eggs" was a great plate as it also came with a couple slices of toast. Yes the homemade jam at every table is absolutely delicious and everyone should grab a jarful for their toast. The spicy sausage was not exactly my favorite and reminded me of a gyro. It was fine but not exactly my cup of tea. The homefries were fine as well so a hearty breakfast. While I love the décor/service... I felt the food overall was a bit overrated especially if I had to wait more than 30 minutes. I think the overall food is OK but not sure this will be my "go to" spot. Still worth checking out if you have never been!
(3)Tung H.
The layout and the decorations are awesome But is too crowded!!! Food is good, I like their tomatoes a lot Really want to try everything in the restaurant!!
(4)Nancy T.
Honestly the best brunch I've had hands down. Because it's so popular, there will almost always be a line and a wait. Usually it's about 30 minutes to an hour so just come, put your name down and come back. It's Berkeley so there's lots to do while waiting! I got the cote nord. Menu was a little hard to follow so it took a couple of looks over to understand it. The eggs were perfectly fluffy and looked like clouds. It's over a sourdough-like bread with cream or goat cheese (get the goat, it's worth the extra $1). There's must-try roasted tomatoes and home fries with the cote nord. You won't be able to go back to normal breakfast after this place.
(5)Gaby W.
I give La Note 4.5 stars: 4 for their dinner service, and 5 for brunch. I am definitely a sucker for cute brunch places, and La Note is one of my favorite places to go for brunch! They get pretty crowded during the weekends, so if you want to skip the crowd altogether, I would recommend stopping by sometime during the week. Their patio may not always be opened on the weekdays, however, so call ahead to check if they're seating people in their patio for that day. My go-tos here are usually the lemon gingerbread pancakes with poached pears, Cote Ouest, or Cote Est with homefries. If you love gingerbread cookies, you will definitely love their lemon gingerbread pancakes. Their pancakes are so fluffy and most; it's like eating a gingerbread cookie in pancake form. And with every stack of lemon gingerbread pancakes, you get ~3-4 glazed poached pears and a handful of blueberries sprinkled on top. I definitely recommend getting one of their pancakes if you're craving something sweet for breakfast/brunch! If you're into savory than sweet, get their Cote Ouest (omelette w/ ratatouille on top), served with homefries. Their omelettes are great, but their ratatouille really is what makes me love their Cote Ouest. Where else can you get fresh tomatoes and veggies like that with your omelette? And honestly, none of their Cote dishes are complete without your side of homefries, garlic and all. If you want the best of both worlds, and no one is willing to go family style with you, the Cote Est is perfect to satisfy both your sweet and savory needs. With the Cote Est, you get scrambled eggs, home fries, and your choice of any pancake. If you are with a larger party, however, I do recommend going family style because there are just so many amazing items on their menu that you have to try. While I frequent La Note often for brunch, I have only had dinner here once. I came here with 2 friends who also had never been to La Note for dinner before. Unlike brunch, the atmosphere in La Note was much more intimate and cozy, perfect for a nice, quiet one-on-one date with a significant other. They placed candles on every table which made for a very romantic setting. I had the ratatouille and my friends had the poulet au champignons (chicken) and steak frites persillade (flat iron steak). My ratatouille came with a side of bread which they happily refilled whenever I ran out, and was overall, pretty good. My friends were also content with their dishes, but having been to La Note for their brunch, preferred La Note's brunch/lunch options instead. Overall, decent for dinner dates, but best for brunch.
(4)Shannon F.
Not bad for a Saturday morning provincial brunch. I am also quite fortunate to have arrived as early as I did ( half and hour before opening) which gave me the first come, first serve, choice preference of my desired seating spot, and just moments before the swarm of bustling crowds came pouring in. I thankfully ended up choosing a little table for just me, muah and myself, towards the back, facing the rest of the restaurant. The ambiance (of course) portrays the illusion of a charming, old world, french country cottage style cafe ( not that I have been to France, but I can imagine) very warm, cozy and non pretentious. After scanning their menu online, I pretty much had an Idea of what I would be ordering. It did take a little long for my waitress to finally approach me upon sitting, especially considering there was only a handful of people in there at the time, though, when she did approach me, she was very pleasant. I decided to try a few things. I went with one single Creme Fraice Pancake and one Single Lemon Gingerbread Pancake with poached pears. I literally have not had pancakes in years, and was giddy as a kid upon anticipation to try them : ) I also got a side order of chicken apple sausage, as well as a cup of my morning companion ...coffee. Coffee was good...really good. Food on the other hand, took forever to receive. Just about 47 min to be exact. Just for pancakes and sausage. A little disappointing if you ask me, but when it did arrive, it was beautiful in presentation and ignited my giddiness again, leaving me almost forgetting about the long anticipated wait. The pancakes turned out to be delightfully fluffy and just slightly sweet. They're nice and ( what tasted to be) home made syrup and strawberry jam, accompanied the Creme Fraishe pancake perfectly. Gingerbread pancakes were nice and tasty, equipped with a nice enhancement of the poached pears and a few blueberries. Chicken apple sausage was savory and good too. Smaller in portion than your regular breakfast joint, though that's french style I suppose. Overall, I enjoyed myself here for the most part. The ambiance is warm and cozy, prices for breakfast were reasonable, service was a little disconnected at times, though, accommodating for the most and though the breakfast was certainly quality and good, it was nothing out of the ordinary. 3.5 stars I would give if I could. I would go back again if in the area.
(3)Al L.
This little gem was one of the highlights of our vacation. You can tell that everything is made with care. Highly recommend.
(5)Mina K.
Terrible service and very average food. I've always wanted to try La Note and I got the opportunity when my friend made a reservation for her birthday. We were offered prefixe menu, which was very expensive in retrospect - I.e, sharing the basket of bread with one table, one pancake (one!), scrambled eggs, bacon, and tea was $17! And that does not include gratuity or tip. I don't eat a lot, mind you, but I was still hungry after my meal. My friend also had to pay a $150 nonrefundable deposit just to book the patio! (Pretty appalling since they did not give us any particularly attentive service). The employees also don't seem like they enjoy working there. When we first walked in, the hostess blatantly ignored us (without so much as a "hello", or "I will be right with you") walked around the room for about five minutes before greeting us. Our reserved table was not ready 5 minutes before the time, but that's understandable. She said she would come get us when it's ready but she never did - we went up to her and asked ourselves. Some of us had to leave early from the group and we requested to place our orders first. Our waitress was initially understanding and pleasant. However, after 25+ minutes when we politely requested an update, her brash response was, "it takes time to cook the food you know..." This left a bitter taste in our mouths as we were aghasted at the way she spoke to us. Most people would have said, "it should be coming soon, I'll check on it for you." I'm not sure why she was so rude about it; of course we know food takes a while to cook! The creme fraiche pancake was good, but definitely not anything to write home about. I've had better pancakes elsewhere. I think it would be worth the menu price of $5, but not $17. The kitchen skimped on the scrambled eggs. The food is not worth the hour+ long wait that La Note seems to constantly have. The service definitely needs improvement since the staff is very inefficient and rude.
(1)Kailin H.
Ambiance: I love the sunny, flowery patio in the back, but the interior is pretty nice as well. The patio is actually quite big and the tables have big umbrellas for shade. Food: La Note is one of my favorite restaurants in Berkeley. Their food is amazing, especially the savory, eggy dishes. I have gotten their note cord with goat cheese and les ouf lucas (or something like that). Both are basically scrambled eggs and the goat cheese goes really well with the eggs. I really enjoy the texture of the scrambled eggs, they're so soft and fluffy. They also serve roasted tomatoes on the side. The tomatoes are super sweet and juicy every time and they're delicious! I brought my mom and sister here when they visited Berkeley and they also loved it. My mom got the creme fraiche pancake and was pleasantly surprised because it isn't overly sweet like pancakes at many other places. Service: The waiters are friendly and although the wait for the food to come is quite long, it's definitely worth it given the quality of the food.
(5)Nicole B.
I have been here for brunch and dinner. Overall the food is delicious. For brunch I usually get the scrambled eggs w goat cheese, Provence tomatoes and lavin bread. It get extremely crowded on the weekend. I have waited as long as 45 minutes . So either come really early or towards the end of brunch. Dinner is usually less crowded. I usually get the filet mignon w/ blue cheese and frites. The steak is delicious. I had the cream brûlée for desert. Which was delicious. Only downside is the wait for brunch and the slower service during evening hours.
(3)Mark O.
I don't often find myself in the east bay, but I had a few hours to kill before a wedding yesterday so I went in search of a good breakfast spot. La Note came up as one of the most popular places in downtown Berkeley so I put my name down and decided to give it a try. The wait was not that bad, about 15 minutes around 11am on a Friday morning. The coffee came along quickly, along with the friendly waitress to take my order. I opted to try the Brioche Pain Perdu, a single Lemon Gingerbread pancake and an order of the spicy lamb merguez sausage. I realize that this place is busy and they have a lot going on, but this is a small order for one person with nothing overly complicated in it. It really should not have taken 40 minutes to prepare. That was mildly frustrating. Brioche Pain Perdu - While the name is a bit intimidating, this dish was basically cinnamon bread french toast. I was not very impressed with this given how much it was mentioned in the reviews. I did like the subtle orange taste added into it, but otherwise it was fairly plain. The texture was decent, slightly fluffy and not too thick. I ate about half of it and I would not order it again. Lemon Gingerbread Pancake - This is what truly drew my attention while looking for places. I LOVE gingerbread, and I have had delicious lemon+x pancakes at other restaurants recently (Plow comes to mind). This dish came with pear slices and berries on top so it really does look impressive. Unfortunately it was nothing but disappointment. The pancake was too thick and doughy, the pears were clearly out of a can, and the berries clashed with all of the other flavors. I sadly ate less than half of this and was quite dismayed given my high expectations based on all of the attention this order got in other reviews. I would definitely not order this again. Spicy lamb merguez sausage - I only ordered this because the rest of my order was all bread and carbs and I figured I could use some meat to go with it. I'm glad I did because this was by far the best part of my meal. The lamb sausage was nicely flavored, with a juicy texture and just the right amount of oil cooked in. This was very good and I would order this again. Overall, I can see why this place is popular, but I just don't really think it deserves that much hype. Depending on how many other good brunch spots are in the area I could maybe see myself coming back. I'd definitely change my order significantly if I did though. Perhaps an egg dish would turn out better.
(2)Dan M.
It was delicious but expensive, though that's more or less par for the course in Berkeley. I had the french toast that they advertise heavily and was left wanting bit more. I think the main bummer for me was that I went with my girlfriend who's vegan and she couldn't eat anything really. You don't expect a lot of vegan things at a French restaurant of course, but at least Venus has a vegan tofu option and such. I would recommend but probably won't return until there's more vegan options
(3)Richie Z.
I highly recommend La Note if you're looking for a fancy brunch place. Lots of great options, but my personal favorite is the gingerbread pancake with poached pear. Really great combo. If you're looking for something more savory, anything with their chicken apple sausage or scrambled eggs are great. For maximum fanciness, make sure to get the Oeuf a la Coque (soft boiled eggs). La Note is the only brunch place near campus that serves the soft boiled eggs in a cup with the top of the shell cut off. La note is a great date place, especially on a sunny day with the outdoor seating in the backyard garden.
(5)Chival N.
Decent food, wonderful brunch atmosphere but extra long wait. Maybe I'm just hard to wow, but I don't see what all the fuss is about. And I don't understand the super long wait. Look, I get that it's brunch. And I get that it's Berkeley, San Francisco's quirky yet awkward yet astonishingly charming little brother -- at least where food and brunch are concerned. But I judge the wait by the food and if I'm going to wait about 2-3 hours on any given weekend day, I expect the food to be amazing. And La Note, while decently tasty and cutely decorated (think French), is not amazing by brunch standards, sorry to say. Don't get me wrong, it's a great place to catch up, grab a few grapefruit mimosas and lounge in the sun-baked patio. But don't go out of your way to eat here or leave the city to brunch here. You might not be so impressed. Their popular lemon gingerbread pancakes with poached pears and blueberries didn't impress me as much. And I love those ingredients too! However, the dishes I did enjoy here were the creme fraiche pancakes, a unique take on the traditional stacks, grapefruit du midi mimosa and their Oeuf A La Coque, a wonderful take on a French favorite. Two soft-cooked eggs still in their half shells, with grilled tomatoes and toast. Mmm. Mmm. Another great thing about their dishes is that they're so photogenic! Imagine perfectly cut grapefruit slices and soft pears sitting on top of fluffy pancakes and grilled tomatoes in all of their glory, not a single piece out of place. La Note is a great place to photograph your food, sip, mingle, to see and be seen brunching, just not the best place to get your grub on! Take it from me, if you and your hubby or friends or eating companions feel like heading to Berkeley for some brunch, at least make the trip worth it. Waiting 2 hours? It better be dang good. But if it's just decent brunch at best, albeit with a pretty bow on top, I'd rather wait and eat at 900 Grayson in Berkeley instead. Now that is a place worth waiting for!
(3)Taiwan M.
Great French cuisine for breakfast. Very cozy location for inside/outside eating. Small but very personable eatery. Great menu for just about anyone with any type of eating restrictions as well. Haven't been in a long while, so I need to make a trip to see if it still lives up to its status.
(5)Chiara A.
It has been a La Note kind of week. I came here for a pre-midterm breakfast. The Mother came her with The Sibling and The SIL for a Sunday Brunch. Then I came back for a chocolat chaud et des patisseries (hot chocolate and pastries). The Mother decided to have lunch with our family friend, The GOH. The Mother was delighted to find out that she could make reservations in which La Note would gladly take on the weekdays as opposed to the weekends. The lunch was good for The Mother while The GOH and I elected to have Les Oeufs Maison for our lunch this time with bacon. I had grilled tomatoes instead of toast and The GOH had sour bread toast. The Mother had Croque Monsiuer, ham and cheese (jambon et fromage) grilled sandwich We were surprised that we got the check rather quickly, don't they serve dessert?! The waitress who served us informed us that the lunch crowd they serve usually does not eat dessert. Well, we were an exception. I had chocolat fondant cake a la mode while The GOH had a sorbet while The Mother had coffee. The chocolat fondant was so good, melt in the mouth goodness! I would definitely return for chocolat fondant cake in a NYC minute. Think it is safe to say La Note is definitely on the list of good to go anytime.
(5)Vivian C.
Somehow managed to get in here TWICE without a reservation in under 15 minutes. Ok yeah, once was a Monday morning and once was a Sunday night at like 9:30pm. Every other time I've been here the place has been PACKED. I'm just gonna get the negatives out of the way so I can rave about all the great stuff. 1) VERY crowded. Not just the wait but the restaurant itself is just very cramped. 2) Potatoes. I cannot emphasize how much I dislike their potatoes. In both my breakfast and dinner there was a dish with potatoes and both times, it was the worst part of the meal. I'll get more into it later but basically I hate the large potato chunks. 3) Bread. It wasn't BAD but it was honestly pretty tough to chew. Ok now that that's out of the way. Let me talk about reasons I love this place (basically I'm gonna ramble on about each dish). Dinner: 1) Ravioles Au Safran. This was just sooooooooo amazing. Too thumbs up. 10/10 stars. Just friggin' amazing and surprisingly filling. You have to get all the components in one nice large bite and it's just flavor in your mouth. I'm actually not a big fan of ravioli but since we came so late I just asked the waitress for her recommendation and I'm so glad I did. Definitely the best thing I had here. (5/5) 2) Crostone au saumon. It was good but not worth the $13. The bread is just too tough for me. The salmon and cheese were both great but it's not anything special. The roasted tomatoes did give it an extra kick though. (3.5/5) 3) Bagnat au Poulet Grille: This was my friend's meal but I got to take a few bites. Really great sandwich. But now I'm back at the potatoes. My friend ordered rosemary fries. They were less fries, more...large potato chunks. The outer layer was delicious but the inside was just filled with bland potato. It wasn't my meal so I didn't care too much though. I'm personally just a bigger fan of thinner cut potatoes that are crispy. (4.5/5) Breakfast: I just turned 21 and I planned on getting a mimosa but I forgot I was 21 and ordered an OJ... It was good and costs as much as you'd expect. 4) Omelette a la confiture: This was my friend's order. It was very interesting. THe croissant was great and the marmalade was great. I just don't think I'm a fan of orange marmalade omelettes. (3/5 average for the omelette and the croissant) 5) Omelette de pommes de terre: I should've learned from my dinner experience here. Even before I ordered I asked what the potatoes were like. I mentioned that I wasn't a fan of thick potatoes and she said they were medallions of potatoes in an open omelette. I decided to give it a try. BIG mistake. The omelette was just sooooooo bland. Even the portions without the potato. The potato just made it worse. They were cut into medallions but the medallions were approximately 1-1.5 inches thick. The potatoes just made the bland dish blander. (1/5) The sourdough bread w/ the breakfast was great. And the homefries (oh look MORE potatoes) were probably the best out of all the potato dishes. The provencales tomatoes were great. So my overall meal balanced out. (3/5) 6) Lemon Gingerbread pancake and poached pears: I knew even one would fill me up a ton and I was so right. I ordered 1 pancake to split with my friend. The pancake has a unique and delicious flavor. It's also extremely fluffy and on the less-sweet side but they give you some great syrup to put on it. Loved it though it was kinda heavy. (4/5) I'd love to come back again, preferably for dinner. I don't think I'd wait more than 30 minutes though.
(4)Edna C.
I never understood the hype around the hour-long waits for brunch, but one day I gathered courage to try it on a weekday (no wait but it was still surprisingly crowded) and I now finally have some empathy for La Note brunch pilgrimages. [BRUNCH] With my typical brunch mindset of avoiding scrambles since they are so easy to whip up on your own, we got the PAIN PERDU AU CHOCOLAT and GINGERBREAD POACHED PANCAKES WITH POACHED PEARS, and I would recommend both dishes. The pain perdu was a perfect French toast, made even more perfect with Nutella. It's absolutely perfect--your appetite gets potentiated by the deliciousness, only to be satisfied by the generous portions. The gingerbread pancakes were less dessert-like, but tastes exactly as you imagined, like those gingerbread thins from Ikea only permutated into pancakes plus a topping of blueberries and poached pears. I would say that I've had better poached pears though, because these still taste suspiciously similar to the canned pears. I can't tell whether they were poached per some ancient French recipe, or because they've been sitting in syrup. Since you can order pancakes by 1's, 2's, or 3's, I would take advantage of this: order 1 or 2, and share so that you don't end up with ginormous portions of brunch that you can't finish. Overall brunch is memorable, and the quaint European presentation will make all your Facebook friends jealous when they see your pictures. [DINNER] I liked brunch more than dinner, because dinner can get pricey and the food isn't all too amazing. The complimentary bread and butter (not in brunch) is good and the entrees are not bad, but just not anything that would blow you away. The ratatouille is healthy but unremarkable, the pastas are overpriced for being pastas, though the mussels are decent if you are craving a large bowl of mussels simmered in exotic spices. I would recommend the smoked salmon appetizer though. It's fairly simple, but nothing can beat the rustic bread with cream cheese, onions, capers, and smoked salmon. [SETTING] The ambiance is quite French, though it seems to have become somewhat of an excuse to cram in a bunch of small tables. Otherwise, there is plenty of decor that reminds you of la campagne (desolee, mais si j'ecrit d'un restaurant francais, il faut utiliser la langue). Service was alright overall, though a bit lacking for brunch because it was so busy. Alternatively, perhaps they are just trying to be French and trying to make you take your time and enjoy your meal.
(4)Anonymous R.
Imagine stepping into a portal that transports you to France. You step into the restaurant, and it immediately feels like a different place! Even the meals are titled in French names. The waiters (mostly) speak French, and I thought all of that was pretty cool. The inside is very small, cramming a lot of people, so that's kind of a bummer. But outside, there's a nice garden where you can sit and enjoy the sun (when it's not foggy). The service is friendly, but the food is even better! We ordered the bread basket to begin with, and the breads were delicious! There were croissants, some pieces of baguette, and sweet bread with cinnamon. (Just a quick note: Do NOT order this if you order a big meal. You WILL end up eating the bread, no matter how hard you try not to.) I ordered the soft-boiled eggs, and the meal can't even be described with words! Such a simple meal, that has been perfected by some great chefs. The potatoes are also amazing, if a bit under cooked. (Probably a glitch.) The food is amazing!! A nice setting, indoor and out, with some of the best food in town, this place is one of the many, many highlights of the gourmet ghetto!
(5)Captain B.
Our estimated wait for 5 people at brunch was 40-60, and it took about 70 minutes. They sat all 5 of us at a cramped, 2 seat table. The service was incredibly slow and the waitress was rude. The food ranged from "OK" to "meh". Will not return.
(2)Niku L.
We had a 7:30 pm reservation last Saturday for two. My friend and I came in at 7:00 instead and we were seated relatively quickly. I ordered the steak frites and my friend ordered the bouillabaisse. We also had two drinks-- white wine with black currant and I ordered the diabolo grenadine (pomegranate juice syrup with spritzer). The complimentary bread (4 stars): The bread was good and the butter was salty. I prefer sweet butter, but overall this was good bread and the butter was soft so that's a plus. Steak frites (4 stars): The flat iron steak had parsley butter and it was fine. I've had better steak, but this is probably the best French style steak I've had. The tomatoes on the side were absolutely delicious, which was surprising since I usually only like tomatoes on bruschetta or in pasta. The tomatoes were seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper I think, but it was so good. The fries were okay, not salty, but not too flavorful either which was kind of a let down. Bouillabaisse (?): This is a seafood dish in a broth and served with bread. It had crab, scallop?, mussels, and clam in it. The broth was interesting since I think it had tomato juice and the seafood was cooked perfectly. My friend really liked this dish, but since I'm not a seafood person, I just wasn't that into it. However, it seems really popular with seafood lovers so this is a highly recommended dish to that demographic. Service (4.5 stars): The waitress was very nice and helpful when I asked about which are the most popular meat dishes. She promptly refilled our water glasses and cleaned our table off with dirty dishes too. Also, she offered us more free refills on bread without being asked, so overall service was satisfactory. Yes I would come back to La Note. Is it the best French food I've ever had? No. But it's still quite good and the decor is very charming and quaint. Also, make a reservation ahead of time using open table on their website because it's easier than trying to call in.
(4)Orhan O.
We went there for dinner; it is a great atmosphere, music was nice, decorations and text made me feel like I was in France. Ordered the steak with fries. Was the best steak I have eaten for a long while. Ordered two deserts and both were fantastic.
(5)Olga S.
GO TO LA NOTE IF YOU WANT TO HAVE NO DINNER ON YOUR BIRTHDAY NIGHT! !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!Â!!!! La Note is a right place to go if you want to not be greeted, ignored, and be provided a table even if you make reservation one week in advance for your birthday!!! I made a reservation online and received confirmation one week before. I even mentioned I would be celebrating my birthday with my son. I asked them if it was possible to give us a table by the window, but didn't really hope for this special treatment. I am usually early for all my appointments, including restaurant reservations, but this time we could not find parking for a long time and had to park very far. We walked very fast with my son despite his headache. Even though it was a 15 minutes walk, we still arrived at 6:34pm (our reservation was at 6:30pm). When we came, I was surprised there was nobody at the desk. Then I saw a lady who was walking back to the desk. She didn't greet us, or smile, but instead went straight to the phone which rang after we had arrived. She talked on a phone for several minutes. When she was done, she finally looked at us and asked us what we wanted. I said we had reservation at 6:30pm. She looked online and said they did not have any table for us because it was already 6:38pm. I told her it was my birthday and she was talking on a phone all this time. She said that's their policy. I was in shock. When we arrived at 6:34pm, there was nobody coming or starting to eat. Clearly, she took somebody before the time of our reservation. I have been to many restaurants in the Bay Area, California, and in many other countries such as France. (I actually lived and studied in France.), but I never had such a bad experience. Treating somebody with a child on their birthday goes beyond simple lack of professionalism or poor customer skills, it tells you a lot about that person. As for business itself, it seems strange to me, there was no manager or anybody with whom I could talk that night. The same lady at the desk said there was no manager and gave me the phone number to call. I called right away, but there was no answer. The business owner of this establishment is clearly resting on his laurels, thinking that one miserable customer is not going to change their reputation. Indeed, one is nothing, but perhaps it is just a beginner of a future fall...
(1)Saeed C.
Food was great. Our waitress was very nice. The outdoor space in the back is beautiful.
(5)Stephanie L.
After wanting to come here for about a year, I finally had the chance to eat here when my friend booked the patio area for her birthday celebration. We all drove separately and most of us came on time with a few trickling in a bit later. We were each seated immediately upon arrival. They have indoor seating as well as an outdoor seating area. Very cute place, I really liked the decor, flowers and the entire scenery in the back. I would recommend sitting outside when the weather is nice. It's more cramped inside. A few people had to leave early to catch a game so of course they ordered first before the rest of the group arrived. A basket of assorted bread and water were served immediately. I also ordered a cup of coffee. The bread was decent, it didn't come out warm, but the variety was nice. Now because we reserved the back patio for a private event (had no idea my friend paid a $150 deposit for it and NONREFUNDABLE?!), we were given a prix fixe menu and we voted for menu #1 which included the assortment of bread (to share, 1 basket per table) and coffee/tea/iced tea plus 1 entree per person for $17 per person. Even though some people ordered first, the food didn't come out for a long time, now I'm not exaggerating, it took about 45 mins until their food came out. They informed the waitress they were in a time crunch so if possible to have the food packed to go after waiting 25 mins. They got their food and were able to make it to the game on time. Now, for the rest of us that were still there, we waited about an additional hour until our food came out. By then, I've already had 2 pieces of bread and 2 cups of coffee. Now I understand food takes time to make, we're a large party, and they're busy. But to have to wait that long for food was unreasonable. Even after that long wait, our food didn't seem like it was served right after being prepared. The food didn't come out hot and cooled down by the time they brought it out. So it was most likely sitting out for a while. Unbelievable, especially since we waiting a long time and didn't complain or question the waitress about the whereabouts of our food. I got the lemon gingerbread pancakes with poached pears based on the recommendations on Yelp with scrambled eggs and homefries. I was so disappointed with the pancake after reading all the great reviews and long anticipation. I couldn't even eat the pancake, I didn't like the taste at all. I could taste the gingerbread slightly, but it didn't have much flavor and was very bland. I could barely taste the lemon and I didn't think they complimented each other very well. In the end, I just ate the poached pears and blueberries on top. The only part of my meal I enjoyed were the homefries. These were cooked perfectly, seasoned well and came with large pieces of garlic, which I didn't eat but my friends enjoyed eating. Service was horrendous and nonexistent. Our waitress was rarely near our table. I could tell she didn't want to serve such a large group and she was unfriendly and gave us some attitude. It was difficult to grab someone to refill our coffee, waters, and tea. My friend also brought champagne and wine. They were nice enough to open the bottles for us and bring glasses. I'm sure there's a corkage fee, but I don't know the cost. I had an awful experience here and I definitely won't be returning. You can imagine the price of everything too, $150 deposit to book the patio plus $17 per person (we had a party of 15), plus additional corkage fees, and included gratuity (FOR SERVICE THAT WAS NONEXISTENT) and tax. DEFINITELY NOT WORTH THE MONEY! The only thing that made this day enjoyable was the company and the birthday girl. I definitely left disappointed and felt ripped off. Save your time and money and go somewhere else, it's definitely not a 4 star place.
(1)Amy F.
I am absolutely in thrall with La Note. Totally enchanted. Came here with my mom for breakfast on a Monday morning as part of a mother-daughter getaway. I must admit that after researching possible breakfast places I was almost as excited to try La Note as I was for our fancy Sunday Brunch reservations at the Claremont. I probably spent hours looking at the menu, deciding in advance what I wanted to try. The restaurant is simply adorable. I love, love, love all of the little touches. The tiny glass water pitchers, the bowl of wrapped sugar cubes like in a real Parisian cafe. The decor in general is just wonderful. I mean, even the bathrooms were cute. Even though I wanted to try everything on the menu, I had decided ahead of time to get the Les Oeufs Maison (poached) with homefries ($10.50). To this I added on chicken apple sausage (an extra $2) and then upgraded the included wheat/sourdough toast to the levain toast for an extra $1.50. And I had to try a the lemon-gingerbread pancake with poached pears, so I ordered a single pancake on the side for $4.95. To drink I had the Diabolo Citron ($2.50). So because I wanted to try everything on my first visit, breakfast was over $20, not including tax or tip. But I knew exactly what I was doing, so I'm not really bothered by it. First of all, the lemon gingerbread pancake was heaven. I'm actually not much of a pancake person, so this is a real compliment. Sometimes I get in the mood for a pancake, only to find myself over the craving after a few bites. But this pancake was not at all heavy, and the flavors were simply delicious. The homefries were also fantastic, perfectly crispy. The chicken apple sausages (2) were bigger than I thought, and also very tasty. The levain toast was yummy and the whipped butter was served in an adorable little crock. The only disappointing thing was that the poached eggs were a little overdone leading to mostly hard, not runny, yolks. But I'm not super picky about that. And I had realized after I received my drink that what I had meant to order was the Citron Presse. The Diabolo with Sprite was too sweet, and usually nothing is too sweet for me. My mom ordered the cinnamon brioche pain perdu with the lavender honey. I realize now that I forgot to try it, so I can't comment on that dish. My mom said it was good, but she's not much of a breakfast eater so I think it was too heavy for her. She was overwhelmed, I think. The service was good. Neither exceptional nor bad. All of our needs were met. The fact that I'm already planning my next visit in spite of the fact that I live 75 miles away is a great testament to how much I enjoyed my first visit. To me it hit the trifecta: good ambience, good food and attention to detail. And I look forward to trying their lunch & dinner options, as well.
(5)Mauricio L.
The bottom line is that this place has the best breakfast I have ever had. And consistently too. I've lived in San Francisco for two years and I've driven early to Berkeley maybe six times in 2015 alone. I can now say I have had almost everything in the menu and it's all amazing. Even the simplest things are mind blowing. My favorite dish though is the Cote Sur. the restaurant is small and very charming. The only tip I have is to try to arrive early-ish if you can because waiting is very likely.
(5)Helen S.
Long regarded as the mecca for brunch enthusiasts around the East Bay. And it's no wonder, with their charming, movie-worthy decor and drool-inducing menu. After having eaten here over the last three years, I'm convinced their food quality will be maintained for many a year to come. That's the delicious news! Unfortunately, I've found that La Note's title is a little overhyped relative to the price and potentially exorbitant wait times on weekends. Your best bet to make it to a table and eat before starving is coming in a group of less than 4 people before 10AM or making a reservation on a weekday. Should you be lucky enough to be seated with a party greater than that, keep an eye on your precariously placed dishes and cups. Adding to this overhype is the fact that their movie-worthy decor is in fact, well, movie-worthy in that it looks great but is sometimes highly impractical in reality. By this I mean struggling to sit comfortably on the small wicker chairs and trying to figure out how to use the bathroom sinks, which sport two handles and two spouts - one only hot and one only cold. I had to make do with an awkward ninja swipe back and forth to avoid being burned, so if you know a better way of handling the faucet please tell me! The food itself is tasty, but will probably not blow you away and can be sort of hit or miss presentation wise. - If you do get the Pain Perdu, opt for the regular version if you like having your bread soaked in orange and lavender goodness. The Brioche is larger and fluffier, but dryer. - Oatmeal raspberry pancake is denser than your average pancake, but your tastebuds will thank you! Especially if you add on some of their housemade jam. - Omelette a la Confiture comes with a whole halved grapefruit (not just the half noted on the menu) and one of the best croissants I've had in my life. I don't usually like croissants because they can be excessively buttery, but this one was crispy, flaky, and the right balance of subtle cream. Great with both the butter and jam. Also, this was the first time I've tried a sweet omelette, and the orange marmalade and fluffy egg combo was actually better than I expected. But it becomes overpoweringly sweet towards the end and since there's nothing savory on that plate, you might need to steal a homefry from your neighbor. You can dip your croissant in the tangy marmalade as it leaks out too! I'm hoping to come here for dinner sometime too - updates when that happens!
(4)Kathleen L.
This place is probably the most popular cute and quaint brunch hotspot for Cal students. This is the place to go if you really want to treat yourself after the eve of a drunken Saturday or to impress a new date. Their food is good, but I think La Note takes its status for granted by offering subpar service. My friend and I waited about an hour to sit, which is expected. We passed our time at Alexander's Books. When the maitre d' sat us, it was clear that she was in a rush and didn't have time to welcome us. Both my friend and I rehearsed our orders since they're in French and we didn't want to look dumb. When my food came out however, it was completely different from what I'd ordered -- I was given scrambled eggs with nothing in them. First I tried complaining to the maitre d' since she walked by, and she simply told me that she wasn't the one to talk to and that I should tell my waitress. When I brought this up to the waitress she insisted I'd said "scrambled eggs". I know I didn't say scrambled eggs because I'd been practicing my order, and even if it was mangled French, it wasn't "scrambled eggs". After what felt like an argumentative exchange, she finally conceded with "well it's loud in here." To appease me she brought me some goat cheese to eat with my plain scrambled eggs -- thanks but it's still not what I ordered. I think this place has it easy. It succeeds because it's renowned as a fancy, romantic, French brunch place and students buy into it. So La Note doesn't really have any incentive to offer quality service when students will arrive in hordes regardless. There are other brunch places near campus with even better food, service, and ambiance. My favorite is La Bateau Ivre. They serve an array of beverages, some even with a bit of whisky if that's your thing. Their ingredients are fresh, and they have a beautiful tree-shaded, street facing patio that's wonderful for people watching. Not to mention it's just south of Dwight on Telegraph.
(2)Scott S.
Yelp almost ruined my breakfast. I had the unfortunate luck of being seated next to a fellow opinion-holder who just had to run through the all of the things she found irksome, from having to actually wait for her food, to the bacon, which wasn't cooked exactly how she liked it. Her boyfriend dutifully nodded as she came to the somber conclusion she'd have to dock some points as she took her reviews "very seriously". As an aspiring 19 year old food critic, I'm sure she did. Now, back to reality: what makes this place authentically French (aside from the imported French sugar cubes and appropriately strong coffee) is that everything is seasoned and cooked perfectly. The salt and pepper shakers should be permanently sealed shut and used for decorative purposes only. The tomatoes have just the right amount of garlic and char to elevate them to something special, and the scrambled eggs, man are they good. I know of maybe one or two other places that make a proper soft scramble, which takes time and attention, and tastes like custard. It's so much easier to churn out little yellow curds of styrofoam, which is what most restaurants do. This restaurant just does it right.
(5)Thanh N.
I'm almost sad to say I can't like the place. I don't want to offend the enthusiastic reviewers who gave La Note five stars. I don't want to offend the waitstaff who seemed decent enough, heck, I don't even want to offend the kitchen staff who might have been the cause of our suffering, at the end, life is short so why make it difficult for others, right? Well, our experience at La Note was not exactly at high point. We arrived at 2 pm, got seated right away, ordered, and our drinks arrived in decent time. Then we watched people with plates of food zipped by us. I gave up recalling how many times I told myself this must be ours. My daughter asked me how long it takes to make a pancake. I tried explaining to her the process in a restaurant, then I called upon her patience. After a while, even that stopped making sense because I myself lost my patience. At 2:47 pm, I asked another waitstaff to check our order, and a little past 2:50 pm, our waitstaff appeared with our foods. Thank God because I was this close to just leave hungry! Whatever satisfaction we might have gotten from our foods was unfortunately deeply discounted by the unreasonable long wait. What was going on in the kitchen? Did our order slip through a crack? Who knows and as I'm writing this, I don't care because I won't come back. The creme fraiche was good and the omelette with cheese and jambon was good. The baguette with spicy lamb sausage was overrated and overpriced, I don't know why it was raved about. As we almost finished our foods, the second waitstaff came to check if we were waiting for anything. I reminded her that I asked her to add the coffee cake to our order earlier, but also told her never mind if she had not done so. She said "it has not been done" (??? the kitchen had not started on it yet or my request was forgotten??). I was almost happy for the first time during that meal, because I did not want to spend another dollar there. She said "Sorry" and I wanted to say: "I'm sorry too, my dear". Adieu La Note! There will always be Paris and if that is far, Dottie's True Blue in SF.
(2)S K.
I came here with a friend for Sunday brunch at around 10am and was told it would be about a 35 minute wait. That is standard and expected (for no reservation) as I learned through many of the tips/reviews on here. Based on my experience, La Note is a solid 3 stars in my book. Our order: · Lemon gingerbread pancakes w/ poached pear, · Brioche pain perdu · Omelette w/ ratatouille (forgot the actual name) w/ homefries · Side of chicken apple sauage · 2 memosas (raspberry & grapefruit) For me, La Note was one of those places where the food comes out very much pleasing to eyes, but not as much to the palate. The food/drinks were not bad by any means, but neither was anything especially good; it was all just alright. I had a moment where I looked over at what the table next to me was having and thought, ''that looks GOOD!''-- I was eating the same thing. So the ''just alright'' food was not worth the twenty min drive to Berkeley and the 2 hours spent waiting and eating in the cold (patio seating). I know for a fact that it wouldn't have been worth it to eat indoors at that time because.. it was cramped, crazy, and loud in there. Not the ideal environment for carrying a nice conversation with a friend. The patio is perfect for that though. I will definitely come back on a nice, warm summer evening, just to sit out on that darling patio while trying out their dinner menu. Next time though, I will be sure to have a reservation! Also, service was very good. Our waitress was extremely friendly, attentive, and helpful with the menu. ______________________________________ Just some insight to my reservation-making experience: I had actually tried to reserve a table online both through Yelp and La Note's website the prior day, but no tables were available for the time slot I wanted. I called the restaurant just in case they took phone reservations, but the call goes to an answering system that tells you to make a reservation online or gives you another number to call to make standing reservations for that day. I don't know if I dialed incorrectly, but that number went straight to a Verizon message that informed me the number I was trying to reach was not available?
(3)Lissa Maria Q.
We needed to eat breakfast and yelped a place and went here. The brioche was amazing!!
(5)John K.
Just Wow! Looking for something a little different that your basic eggs and breakfast meat brekkie? This is the right place. First, my hometown sometimes leaves a little to be desired when it comes to the most important meal of the day, so when I noticed an interesting selection of items that are hard to come by I make an effort to break out of the Valley and find a place that will make me feel like I'm on vacation. Also, being a teacher, sitting down for breakfast is a real treat and luxury I can truly find as an indulgence. First, pain perdu (lost bread?) french toast was crafted with a skilled touch in the kitchen. Although not the best I've ever had, (Tower Cafe, Sacramento...check it out), it was nonetheless excellent. The texture was unique, not too much sweetness and just the right balance of cinnamon. No syrup necessary! Why? Let's just say the lavender honey as the accompaniment took care of the need for using Canada's most valuable resource (sorry oil sand CEO and XL pipeline). That would be maple syrup, by the way and I would totally support a pipeline of maple syrup to all major ports of the United States of America :) So, in short, delicious breakfast items but I would recommend trying the more savory items and a pancake/french toast option as well, then please Yelp so I can decide what to order because I'll be at this place again next weekend. Oh, I forgot, excellent local coffee as well and the service was very polite and professional.
(4)Mel P.
Waited more than an hour for a table and the food took 35 mins on top of that. Not impressed. This place is not worth the price or the waiting time, not to mention berkeley has so many other great brunch places that won't make you wait almost 2 hours to eat!
(1)Joyce E.
Honestly, I wanted to give this place 5 stars, however, their poor service definitely does not make up for the delicious food. My boyfriend and I came here on a Friday afternoon at around 1pm and was quoted a 20 minute wait time by the friendly hostess. After 15 minutes, we decided to come back and try our luck and they sat us. Our server, Jenae, was friendly and gave us enough time to order, which is nice because it took me a while to process the busy French menu! We settled on their breakfast menu (served all day from 8:00am-2:30pm) and their lunch menu (served 11:00am-2:30pm) I ordered the Cote Est with a side of rosemary garlic homefries, 3 strips of bacon, and my boyfriend ordered their Croque Madame with 1 lemon gingerbread pancake. Cote Est - two scrambled eggs, one pancake of your choice, and a choice of bacon or homefries Creme Fraiche Pancake - The fluffy pancake was a very generous size, topped with creme fraiche (sour cream with a slight sweet flavor to it) and sprinkled with powdered sugar. It somewhat reminded me of delicious crepes as it was very reminiscent of a dessert! Scrambled Eggs - Out of all the things that we ordered, the scrambled eggs were my least favorite, which is ironic because they were the most basic thing on the menu. The eggs weren't fluffy and honestly very watery! Garlic Rosemary Homefries - If you've ever tried my favorite brunch place in SF (Plow) potatoes, then you will LOVE these. I love garlic and potatoes and these were just out of this world! The potatoes were crispy, but were so flavorful as the rosemary really brought out the flavor of the potatoes. Bacon - Bacon is bacon and bacon is good. No complaints here! Croque Madame - I had a bite (maybe 2) of my boyfriend's delicious Croque Madame sandwich and wow, it was so good! I'm not a ham type of girl, but the Croque Madame with the egg on it is just perfection! The bread that they use for the sandwich is delicious as well as my boyfriend pointed out that it was settled on a croissant type bread. Lemon Gingerbread Pancake - This is the reason why I wanted to come here in the first place! We saved the lemon gingerbread pancake for last and although it was cold (not the restaurant's fault, we saved it for last!) the pancake did not disappoint! The poached pears and blueberries on top of a fluffy, gingerbread pancake was awesome and produced a sweet touch to complement the strong ginger taste. As I mentioned before, the service here was terrible! Some of the servers are really nice, but they seem too friendly with each other ie touching the other one on the shoulder or sitting on the other one's lap etc. Our server Jenae was nowhere to be found throughout the duration of our meal. In fact, it took almost 20 minutes to get out check and get this, she overcharged my debit card (specified cash on the tip portion) which means she doubled her tip and thought I wouldn't notice. A quick call to their manager did the trick, albeit I found their general manager very unapologetic even though it was a "computation mistake." So there you go, bring cash and enjoy a nice brunch on the weekdays!
(4)Natty O.
I love it here. Every time I'm visiting the area I make sure to get a creme fraishe pancake and the eggs Lucas.
(5)Lauren P.
Favorite brunch spot. My boyfriend and I came last week and had brunch on the back patio. It was a lovely start to our day. The staff is friendly and professional. The service is timed well- quick, no long wait, but relaxed so you don't feel rush. And then there is the food..... We have only had the egg dishes, so I can only speak for those. But what I LOVE LOVE LOVE is that they don't skimp on the cheese! I love my eggs and omelets extra cheesey and La Note doesn't disappoint. The potatoes that come on the side are equally delicious. It's always an internal war deciding which bite to end with.
(5)Jacques C.
I was here just a few weeks ago on a work trip. It was a lovely mid-day meal, freshly prepared, and beautifully served. My colleagues opted for a breakfast, and a part of me wishes I'd had the pan perdu... My croque Madame was very tasty, and the egg was perfectly cooked. It was just right, not too much of any one thing, or overly buttered. The ham was so lovely! Yes, it's a small place. The tables can be a bit crowded.....just like France. I'll certainly be back next time I am in Berkeley.
(4)Tesia L.
La Note is such a cute little french place!!! I went on a norcal trip to visit colleges, and I found this place on yelp. The theme of the food presented in this restaurant is french style breakfast. The environment at berkeley is really chill and relax, so all of the restaurants in the area are all ranked and look really nice, because they all have great reviews. This particular resturant is on the zaggat review, and it also is not too expensive for breakfast. My plate was around 11 dollars, which is pretty substantial for the area in the bay, because I think overall the prices are higher compared to the LA area or socal area. I ordered the lemon and gingerbreak pancakes with poached pears. It was super light, and the pancake batter was not heavy at all. I like how it has a hint of cinnamon flavor and vanilla in the pancake. The poached pears were also cooked to perfect, and matched the sweetness of the pancake. It also came with a side of roasted tomatoes with lots of garlic on top, and it was super sweet and sour like, but the tastes were superb. I really like the staff, the only thing I would say is that, because its a small restaurant the bathroom area is small, and the table settings seem very close to each other, but thank god not a lot of people were here to eat breakfast, so it was out in the open more of. Mine also came with scrambled eggs which was super good. :) My friend ordered the ratatouille omelet with toasts, and I thought hers was somewhat whatever like. Her flavors were a little bland, but the textures and the flavors were very light and tasty. Overall the service and the atmosphere was really relaxing. This is definitely a spot to go to after a morning jog or hike. It won't kill your wallet, and it is a convenient spot with a cool atmosphere. I wish they had more options to choose though, because some options on the menu would be good but there would be one or two things that I didn't really find to my liking, which made me change my order a couple of times :)
(4)Cindy S.
Met up with some friends there and I also brought my niece and brother. Good thing I didn't have to wait that long because they wrote my name on the list already. My friends had window seating, while my family and I had a nice patio seating in the backyard. It is a small but quaint place. I love the rustic vibe, and also the menu. I really had a wonderful brunch here. Lots of people waiting to get in. Ordered some steamed milk, and also creme fraiche pancakes. My niece and brother loved their dishes too! I really had a lovely experience here, plus the service was great. I want to go back here to try their dinner. Can't wait!
(5)K M.
Had my birthday brunch here this morning. Stepped through the door and I could already tell I would love it! Very French countryside and everything smelled and looked amazing. I ordered a potato and caramelized onion omelette with baked tomatoes. It was superb! J got the raspberry oatmeal pancake which had nice flavor but was dry. She RAVED about the bacon. J got a gingerbread pancake with poached pears which was lovely! Coffee was really good here. This is my new favorite breakfast place!!!
(5)Ryan K.
Great food, really great food. Horrible service and long waits. Waiters ignore you and watch you die of starvation. Then, they are reluctant to take your money and give the change back.
(2)Lisa K.
I can't think of any French restaurant better than this one in Berkeley. Once upon a time I was having an immense pancake craving. After hearing about La Note through word of mouth, I knew I had to eat here at least once before the end of my first year in college. My boyfriend and I wanted to go here for a brunch for our Valentine's Day weekend, but it was packed on Sunday so we decided not wait. However, I went on a Friday afternoon later that week with a floor mate. It wasn't as packed so if you're not a patient one, I recommend coming on Fridays for the brunch menu. I adore the interior design of this place. The old school French shoppe feel adds to the warm, welcoming atmosphere. The service is okay, but we waited around 35 minutes for our food. Once we got our meals, any minor detail of the place quickly slipped my mind. Here's what we got: -Creme Fraiche Pancakes Superb. The visual presentation of this meal is breathtaking. They are essentially a stack (or even one) of pancakes with a cream swirl on top. I have no idea what it is, but it's sweet and delicious. If you're a first timer, you can't go wrong with this. -Oatmeal Raspberry Pancakes Just as good as the creme fraiche pancakes. The pancakes are fused with an oat flavor and blueberries. This one also has a blueberry cream swirl on top. I loved these. I still remember myself saying "Mmmmm" after the first few bites. -Ham + Cheese Omelette This is not one of the best omelets I've eaten. I purchased this at the suggestion of my friend (who absolutely loved it). The omelet was a little undercooked and loaded with ham. It could've been better. Overall, this place is awesome. It's romantic, quirky, and inviting. One thing I remember from my experience is the uncomfortable chairs. I feel like no one will address this because it's just a minor detail. I've come here 3 times now and the chairs are literally the only flaw. Anyway, come here with family, a friend, or your significant other! You won't regret it!
(5)Daniel H.
I came here for a late brunch with some friends recently, and it was my first time here. I was really excited to try it out because I had heard so many good things about it, and after my first visit, I can understand all the hype. Food: They have a variety of different brunch items to choose from, and you can either take the savory or the sweet route (and even both if you're really hungry!). I opted for the Cote Quest option, which was a three-egg omelet served with a delicious ratatouille, home fries, and toast with butter. I also got a side of spicy sausages to have a meat option, which was a nice accompaniment to the breakfast plate. Everything was delicious, and portions are filling but will not leave you overly stuffed, which can be a good or a bad thing depending on how you like your meals to be. I personally wished this dish came with meat because I think it would have made it more complete. The dish plus the sausages on the side came out to be around $17, so it's a bit pricy for the exact amount of food that you get. I also ordered their orange juice, which was pleasant and had a nice latte after my meal too. Service: The service here is very friendly, and they even agreed to move us to another table when we asked, which was more suitable for our party of five that day. However, after we ordered our dishes, the service was a bit lacking and inattentive unfortunately. At one point towards the end of our meal, I asked for another small pitcher of water (which they place at the table), and another one never came out for us, so that was a bit disappointing. They also delivered us our bill before asking if we needed anything more, which was a little awkward because we had wanted to order some coffee before taking off. I felt like this issue could have been addressed had they come to check up on us every so often during our meal, but this never happened. They did allow us to stay in the restaurant and were still really nice to us even after their closing time because they let us order coffee with no problems. Their friendliness was much appreciated again, and made the experience enjoyable. Atmosphere: I really like the ambiance and decoration of this place because it makes me feel like I'm in a cottage somewhere. It's almost like a refreshing, although temporary, escape from Berkeley. It does get crowded though, so when it's busy, it might feel a little bit too cramped for my liking, but it's manageable overall. The noise level is decent, but it does get quite loud because of the crowd and size of the place. However, it's not too hard to hold a normal conversation here, and I actually really enjoyed my time here with friends. Overall, a very solid brunch place in my opinion, and the perfect place to spend in the company of good friends over a meal. I have to caution people about the very long wait times that exist at peak brunch hours though, and they do not take reservations unless you are a party of 8 or more I think. Apart from the slight improvement they could use to have more attentive service, this is definitely a place that I'd like to visit again in the near future.
(4)Kansas M.
Great ambience Friendly Fresh food Omelette pommes de terre was perfect with the Provençal tomatoes.
(5)Vicc A.
I've been in Berkeley for almost 4 years, and until recently I discovered La Note. Based on current reviews, my brother and I decided to check it out on a Thursday afternoon (12:30p). Parking wasn't to difficult being that there's a lot of angled parking in the area (I paid about $3). There were about 2-3 groups waiting outside, and our estimated wait time was 20 minutes. We ended up waiting about 30 minutes, but we understood why the minute we were seated. The place was completely full, without any empty tables in sight. It definitely felt cramped (I literally had to move my table to get to my seat, but once seated I was pretty comfortable. The waitress was sweet, and attentive, and to say the least, the menu sounded delicious. Both my brother and I ordered the LES OEUFS MAISON plate (two eggs any style served with homefries) with chicken apple sausages ($12.50) with of chicken apple sausages, and to drink I ordered a mocha ($3.50), and he an orange juice ($2.50). Orange Juice ($2.50): Definitely 100% pure squeezed. It was delicious! I may be wrong but I believe it was served in an 6oz-8oz cup. Mocha: ($3.50): It was served in a cute bowl-shaped mug with powdered French Dark chocolate sprinkled on top. It was definitely tasty, strong, well-prepared, and aesthetically pleasing. Les Oeufs Maison ($10.50 + $2.50 for 2 chicken apple sausages): The homefries could have been a bit more salty but the taste was definitely there. The combination of flavors was incredible. Of course I love to bathe my eggs and homefries in ketchup, but nonetheless it was tasty. The slices of wheat bread tasted wonderful, when spread with a bit of butter, and the chicken apple sausages were extremely well prepared and cooked. I believe our total came out to around $37 dollars (not including tax or tip). Here's what I came up with: OJ: 4/5 Mocha: 4/5 Les Oeufs Maison: 4.5/5 FOOD: 4/5 SERVICE: 4.5/5 ATMOSPHERE: 4/5 PRICE: 3/5 PARKING: 5/5 Total: 4 Stars Conclusion: I recommend this place for sure. Definitely better than other breakfast / brunch places in the area!
(4)Abigail K.
I have never been to an actual French restaurant before so this was a real treat! I had the Cote Nord with goat cheese. Can you say amazing! I wanted to lick the plate when I was done. The potatoes had roasted garlic cloves yum yum! The ambiance was darling and the staff efficient. I highly recommend this place if you are in Berkeley!
(5)Camille F.
I only came for breakfast, but will definitely be coming back for breakfast, lunch, dinner - everything! I was meeting some friends for brunch on a Saturday so showed up about an hour before our arranged meeting time to put my name in. They estimated 45 minutes, so I hung out until then. Actual wait time is definitely longer than estimated, but about an hour and a bit later we were sat at a tiny cute table in the corner. We ordered the bread basket to start, and I ordered the eggs with chives, goat cheese, and roasted tomatoes as my meal. WOW! The food was incredible. Having spent the summer in Paris, La Note's is wonderfully close to the delicious bread in France. Especially the cinnamon brioche and the lavender honey. The eggs were wonderful, and the goat cheese really added something special. 4 stars because of the long wait and the server messed up the order the first time. But no complaints here really and will definitely be returning to try everything on the menu!
(4)Iman R.
We came here on a gorgeous day in Berkeley on a Sunday for brunch. I've come here before when it wasn't as busy and a had a really hearty and tasty brunch during that occasion. That put La Note on a list of one of my restaurants to go to! Though I love trying new places, we were all in the mood to return to something delicious and reliable. As usual, it was packed and we had to wait almost an hour. We debated going somewhere else but everyone really wanted La Note! I wanted to try to sit in the back garden area but so does everyone else, so we just decided to stick inside since we were hungry. I love the rustic decor of the place and the service is very friendly. Our food did take some time come, but it made sense since they were so packed. I didn't mind much since I had good company and I was happy to be enjoying a day out. I love their cozy breakfast food since you get big helpings and everything tastes great. I ordered the Les Oeufs Mason, which has two eggs any style (I got them poached), served with homefries and toast. I LOVE poached eggs, so I had to get them! The eggs were delicious and runny and oozed out perfectly. You can never go wrong with potatoes and bread. :) I also ordered an oatmeal raspberry pancake on the side since they had run out of the creme fraiche ones. It also had some chocolate immersed in it which tasted so good. It was a good pancake but it was very large! It was also a little dry since it was oatmeal, but it was very hearty. I never pass up the chance to try fun juices so I ordered the Le Pagnol which consists of orange and cranberry juice with Perrier water. The citrus sweet and sour tanginess works great together and they're some of my favorite flavors. It had the right balance of sweet and sour. My friends both ordered omelettes, the Omelette Au Fromage: Emmenthal cheese omelette, served with home fries and baguette and the Omelette Fromage et Jambon: Emmenthal cheese and ham omelette, served with home fries and toast. They both really enjoyed their meals as well. Overall, it was a great time enjoying a cozy Provencal breakfast catching up with good friends.
(4)Justine M.
I went here for my birthday and, gosh, I love this place. There's a really nice little patio in the back with flowers and umbrellas etc etc -- very pretty. Everyone here is so nice! And the food is so good! I can't even pick out one thing to recommend, I loved it all so much. I could probably go back for the granola alone. Granola. I went here on a Thursday morning and there were plenty of choices for seating -- probably much, much busier on weekends, so if you can swing it, I'd recommend going during the week.
(5)Lauren L.
La Note is definitely one of my favorite Berkeley restaurants to come to for a delicious breakfast. Located in a slightly less crazed area of downtown Berkeley, La Note is an authentic Provencal restaurant with beautiful decor, gracious employees, and wonderfully flavored dishes, all presented elegantly. While they do serve breakfast/brunch, lunch, and dinner, I am partial to their breakfast dishes. Breakfast is served Monday-Friday from 8:00-2:30 and brunch is served Saturday and Sunday from 8:00-3:00 and boy do locals know it! Before I was able to figure out the most ideal times to dine here in the mornings, I literally found myself having to wait 45 minutes before being seated. Do not let this happen to you! Brunch is especially busy so do yourself the favor and call in for a reservation or arrive as close to the time the doors open as you can. Once inside, you'll see a variety of tables placed nicely across the dining area. The window seating is my favorite! As a nice decorative touch, their walls are adorned with shelves housing lovely pottery dishes available for purchase. I've experienced great service here. The staff are always nice and try to be as attentive as they can, despite having to deal with the large number of patrons. To start my meal, I am a huge fan of ordering one of their delicious lattes, served in generously sized hand-painted bowls. I think my order has stayed the same since I started coming here, which was around the age of 12. Their lavender honey French toast is THAT good! As a side, I am a true fan of their scrambled eggs with goat cheese, chives, and roasted tomatoes. The scrambled eggs at La Note are some of the best I have ever had! They are whipped to perfection and cooked just right (I hate hard-cooked scrambled eggs). Literally, after eating their eggs I was determined to learn how mimic their product and spent a week practicing. I can now say I am pretty damn good at making scrambled eggs! With a lovely atmosphere and a delicious menu, La Note will not disappoint!
(4)Sharon L.
Been here both for dinner and brunch. Definitely a bigger fan for brunch than dinner. Their highlight is definitely the pancake. I used to live really close to La Note so I usually would get brunch as takeout. If you want to grab a table without much wait on weekend, come early!
(4)T D.
Great trendy French breakfast, get there 20 mins before opening sat and sun or don't waste your time. Wait staff is generally rude especially when it's busy, get used to it cause it won't change! The window seats are really pleasant so get them if you can. Don't bother with other meals here as breakfast is their only gem.
(5)Amber S.
Not too sure what all the fuss is about now that I have had breakfast here. Yelp kind of let me down on this one. Came in on a Sunday at 9AM. Hubs and I were greeted upon walking in. The hostess offered to share a table with another couple or we would have to wait. I'm not a huge morning person and I like my privacy so I opted to wait. The wait was about 15 minutes. We were sat at a small table in the dining room, given menus, silverware and waters. I noticed she was seating patrons outside on the patio but she didn't offer to us. Maybe it was full? The menu is not a typical brunch menu. It is two sided but they do not serve the salads and sandwiches on the backside until 11AM. The front had the pastry, egg, pancake, French toast and cereal options. I ordered the Cote Est which has two eggs, choice of pancake and choice of bacon or potatoes. I asked for egg whites and chicken apple sausage with the oatmeal raspberry pancake. The waitress denied me said they don't serve egg whites and substitutions are not allowed. So I ordered the potatoes to share with hubs. Hubs ordered the French toast brioche and sausage since he knew I wanted it but didn't order for myself. Yay he is thoughtful like that. The food took about 20-25 minutes. During that time we had our carafe of water refilled and looked around the restaurant at the decor of baskets and art. Then the plates of food arrived. My meal was okay nothing stood out. Scrambled eggs were plain, pancake was flat, small and didn't have much flavor. The potatoes were good roasted with onion and herbs and you can't go wrong with sausage. Once again Hubs had the better meal. The brioche was great. With the flavor of the cinnamon, the thickness of bread it wasn't soggy at all and sweet without needing syrup. Our waitress was fair. She brought everything we would need with the food but never checked to see if we needed anything else. We were sitting for awhile and asked for her to run the card without being brought the bill. I visited one of the two restrooms and it was in horrible shape. The place needs some TLC with cleanup and with some cosmetic up keep. One other thing I noticed was an employee braiding another employees hair for him behind the bar area. That grossed me out a little. There is a time and place for that. Overall for my rating: 3-for overall food, quality and portions. 2- for waitstaff service. 1- for no substitutions this makes patrons have to order more and restroom being a disaster. Negative stars- hair braiding in plain view of patrons on the dining room floor. Adieu La Note, I don't think I will be back anytime soon.
(2)Ying Y.
Don't really understand why this place has such a high rating... Came here for brunch one day and the wait was ridiculously long. By the time we were finally seated after more than an hour of waiting, I was already so hungry expecting to satisfy my hunger with some delicious food. But unfortunately the food was so disappointing :( We ordered the tartine with goat cheese and peppers, la ratatouille borghetti with merguez sausage, and pancakes. The tartine was pretty good, the peppers were very fresh but the goat cheese taste was a bit too strong...the ratatouille borghetti taste kinda strange idk how to explain, the sausages on the other hand, were not juicy at all...they were so hard and taste like those chinese sausages wth :O Lastly, the pancakes were decent, but not particularly outstanding. The noise level is kinda on the loud side. Service was fair and the decor is pretty cute. But overall I didn't think this place is that great.
(2)Nique F.
I was sent here by a friend, who drives all the way from SF to brunch at La Note (unheard of!) She knows I adore anything French and was appalled when she learned I'd never been to La Note, which specializes in hearty Provencial cuisine. So, last Saturday I rolled out of bed just before lunch time and hopped on my bicyclette to fuel up, French style. The infamous waiting line was waiting for us. At least 12 people were gathered outside, listening for their name to be called (or YELLED rather) by the hostess. The wait was only 15 mins for the dining room, and 25 for the back patio. Next time, we'll wait the extra bit for the patio, as the dining room is crowded (I mean, your butt brushing your neighbors face when you get up to use the restroom kinda crowded), and a bit stuffy on a warm day. The back patio is where it's at. First impression: the prices are cheap for brunch, for French food, for the Bay Area in general. Fresh squeezed grapefruit (pamplemousse) for $2.50, a huge basket of baked goods ("Corbeille de Pain") for $6.50, pancakes a la carte for $4-5. Usually brunch requires a splurge for your belly and wallet, but you could be quite modest here, if you wanted to. Clearly, we weren't in a modest mood. We started with the decadent basket of assorted breads (croissant, cinnamon brioche, baguette) with raspberry jam & butter. We've had better croissants at Boot & Shoe (amazing!), these were just okay. Then, I ordered the much-photographed Pain Perdu (cinnamon brioche, soaked in orange water batter, sprinkled with lavender honey). This dish oversold and under-delivered. The bread was soggy and wet, like it had literally just been soaked in water (and not a custard batter), with no crispy crust or tender center. Just a wet piece of sweet bread. I ate one of the six slices. Mon homme had the "Les ouefs Lucas" (two eggs lightly scrambled with goat cheese, chives, served with roasted tomatoes). Definitely better than my pain perdu, but not amazing enough to make me too jealous. The ambiance and potentially awesome food (if you order the right thing) is what makes La Note a gem. They have recreated the bustling French bistro atmosphere incredibly well, and for that, I gotta love them a little. But, between the food misses and the scattered service, I'm currently in an A-OK state of mind.
(3)Carlos A.
I've been to La Note a million times for brunch but never for dinner. LOVED LOVED the pasta carbonara. The description reads: "*A LA CARBONARA Penne pasta with crème fraiche, shredded ham, and Parmesan 14.50" It is like eggs with pasta. If that sounds appealing to you it is DAMN good. I can't wait to have it again.
(5)Beca P.
I came here on Saturday for brunch with my grandma, my mom and my boyfriend and we were all very happy with our experience! My boyfriend and I have a long standing tradition of getting brunch each week and like to try new places or go to our usual favorite places. This is one of my favorite traditions that my boyfriend and I do so I am EXTREMELY selective when picking where to eat. Naturally I picked La Note because their food is so delicious and my boyfriend had never been here before. Brunch has to be my favorite meal of the day because its such a nice start to the day. Quite frankly, breakfast for a college student feels like eating at the crack of dawn and I like being fully conscious when I consume my meal. There are a million reasons why I love brunch the best but I'll stop there for the sake of not rambling on and my reason stated is something a lot of people my age relate to anyways haha. I ordered the ratatouille omelet and it was PERFECTION. I substituted the toast for a baguette for 1.50$ more which was totally worth it. My boyfriend ordered the plate with two eggs, home fries and spicy sausage. The sunny side up eggs were cooked perfectly and he ate his plate clean. My grandma ordered the pancakes with roasted tomatoes on the side and she greatly enjoyed it all. I tried the pancakes and I actually don't really like pancakes in the first place but these were delicious! My mom ordered an egg plate just like my boyfriend and she was very happy with her meal. The inside seating is nice and cozy and the decor makes the place feel so homey. The inside of the restaurant was just buzzing with friendly conversation! There is outside seating as well in the garden which I highly recommend on a beautiful Berkeley day! I realize some days look beautiful but are still cold but you should just bundle up, sit in the garden and order a nice hot chocolate! Great food and great experience! Just a note though... The wait here can be brutal!
(4)Catherine R.
Have been here so many times over the years... Favorite is the poached egg (in an egg cup) with sticks of toast. For lunch, Salad Nicoise is my standard 'go to' unless a special looks especially good (which it often does). Weekends and lunch during the week it gets busy: the wait can be crazy long. Charming little place - if you've family/friends visiting (or if you are) this is a definite must try. It doesn't disappoint. * Weather permitting, Try the outside seating area; glorious! - You can imagine yourself in any number of places -
(4)Hazel C.
On a Friday morning, the wait was only about 15-20 minutes for brunch. Certainly a lot shorter wait time compared to weekend wait times! One time, my neighbor and I had to wait for over an hour on a Saturday around 1 pm. Don't think I'd wait for that long again, no matter how good the food is! I had a nice brunch here with the hubby this time around. I ordered a hot chocolate, hoping it'd be as good as the one I had in Angelina's in Paris, but sadly it wasn't. This is your typical American kind, way thinner in consistency and not as rich. I asked for an almond croissant, but sadly the almond ones were gone, so I had to settle for a regular one. It was good. Spread a little raspberry jam and you're good to go. The hubby ordered the Omelette at Fromage which had Emmenthal cheese in it , but he had them hold off on the toast and home fries. Our server asked if he'd like tomatoes instead and the hubby said fine. He really liked his eggs with the cheese. I tasted his dish and indeed the cheese was nice and stringy and had a nice flavor. He had a couple of the tomatoes, but he couldn't finish them all. I, on the hand, ordered the Brioche Pain Perdu which is described as "cinnamon brioche soaked in orange water and sprinkled with lavender honey" on the menu. This dish should definitely be shared! It is too much for one person! There were six pieces and I could only eat 3 of them. I gave two pieces to the hubby and had to leave one on the plate. It wasn't too sweet, but it was dense and could taste the cinnamon with a hint of citrus and lavender. I also ordered a side of scrambled eggs. I needed something savory after all the sweet stuff I had. I have had their creme fraiche pancakes in the past and I think I will have that again next time. One of those, a side of bacon and eggs would make a perfect breakfast. Service was great. No issues with our food. Even though I ordered my side of eggs late, our server managed to get it to me ASAP. We've also had dinner here a few years ago before watching a ballet performance at Cal Performances. It's a good pre-theater option as it is only a short walk to Zellerbach. You can also reserve a table during their dinner service, so you can be assured of a table at the needed time. We'll definitely be back, but we'll try to time it so we don't have to wait longer than 30 minutes. Next time I'll stick with the pancakes and try to sit in their garden patio area!
(4)Peg S.
So the wait for Sunday brunch was about 20-30 minutes at 8:30 am. I guess on a warm summer weekend, shoot for getting there at 8 am (when they open) so you don't have to wait. I can't stand waiting for brunch, but the ambiance, food, presentation, and service made up for it. While I've had many a charming meal in their cramped dining area, I was surprised and delighted to be seated in their lovely back patio (which seemed to open up at 9, as we were one of the first patrons seated there despite the crowd of people gathering out front). The feeling was of more spaciousness, with bright blue/lavender hues and pretty climbing flowering vines. I almost always get the Cote Est, which happily combines my love of sweet (pancake of choice) and savory (2 scrambled eggs + bacon or potatoes). A little French charm goes a long way.
(4)Connie C.
Coming back after the college days, this place is a disappointment. Expect long lines that are not really worth it. We waited about 30-45 minutes. This time being seated inside by the window, you would think it's more privacy so it's better. Yea it was not as clustered as the rest of the restaurant. But I was constantly visited by flies. That's just straight up annoying when you're trying to eat. The table is already small and wobbly. I fear that my attempt to shoo away the fly might cause a table flip. Anyway, I had their omelette with tomatoes. I wasn't impressed with the food all that much. You know that feeling where it's like "yea, it has my favorite ingredients.. tomatoes, eggs..." but it's just lacking some chemistry. I know my face very well if I enjoy a dish with simple ingredients for the sake of the dish had some amazing flavors or textures or just something that is unusually awesome. Well, seeing such a bad rating, you can tell that I did not have such a moment. Boo hoo. More so, on top of bad food, it's also a grumpy waitress. Yes I see that you're busy, but show some professionalism. You are in the food and service industry, you do want a bigger tip in the end too, right? But yea, unless I'm forced to come back, this wouldn't be a brunch choice for me anymore.
(2)Misha T.
My mom and I split a tartine, a ham and cheese sando, and a charcuterie and cheese plate, all of which were excellent. The weird thing was outside, in the back, it smells like horse poop. I mean there must be horses around? I don't know if it's there everyday but I sort of learned ot ignore it, though a whiff would hit me every now and then.
(4)Ronald L.
Oh geez. The line is out the door for this place! I'm a little hyped but a little anxious with the wait. After one hour has passed, the waitress sits my party of 3 next to the window. We proceed by ordering freshly squeezed grapefruit juice and orange juice. Then, we each made a pact to order something different and share the entrees. The entrees are lemon gingerbread pancake with a side of scrambled eggs, oatmeal raspberry pancake, and the two eggs combo with home fries. The lemon gingerbread pancake has 3 sweet pears on top to complement the pancake which literally tastes like a gingerbread cookie. The side of scrambled eggs was creamy and tasty. The oatmeal raspberry pancake reminded me of a bran muffin though. For the two egg combo, well it comes with sausages, toast, and the home fries / potato wedges. It was a hearty and complete meal to start the morning off. Overall, the food and service was good but I wasn't sure if it warrants the hour long wait. I wouldn't mind going again but only if I don't have to wait in line.
(3)Food C.
The cutest little French cafe in the Bay Area. I love French cafés and brasseries. The patio definitely has the French country ambiance. I love every little detail- from the table clothes, water pitchers, baked bread, French sugar. My favorite is the soft boiled eggs with sour dough bread and home fries. The eggs are cooked perfectly and there are whole roasted garlic cloves to spread on your bread. Yum! I would wait in line every time for this place!
(5)Michael C.
Really I'm a positive guy but felt I should clue you in. 1. Hostess was sweet and nice but really inexperienced. Just wasn't sure what to do. Management should give her more training 2. Came here for steak frites. No more steak. How can a French restaurant run out of steak frites? 3. Waitress put on a good front but really knew nothing about French wine. The house red was lousy headache wine. We then took a half bottle which was a chinon that she claimed was deep like a Bordeaux. No it wasn't. It was a chinon. Light, thin and crisp for drinking outside on a hot summer day 4. No steak frites so went for the pasta bolognase. Worst of my life. I swear it was tomato paste out of the can with parsley and cheese on top and some cooked hamburger. Zero flavor except for way too much tomato Would not recommend!
(1)Lois C.
C'est si Bon! Delicate fluffy and light eggs, fresh herbs and the roasted tomatoes are divine as an accompaniment. Well worth the wait and do plan to wait for a table.
(5)Allie G.
Worth the wait for sure! My dad and I came here for brunch on a Sunday around 1:30. We had to wait until about 2 to be seated and the place closes at 3 on the weekend so it definitely cleared out while we were eating. We each had a glass of Sauvignon Blanc that I really enjoyed--impressive considering we were in Napa two days earlier wine tasting! I had the lamb sausage on a baguette with sundries tomatoes and it was amazing! My dad had the grilled chicken sandwich and he won brunch. All in all well worth the wait! We left full and happy!
(5)Jun H.
Pro: Cute restaurant, great pancakes, eggs and service. Cons: very loud at times, a very long wait time if you come at peak hours This is somewhere my girlfriend really loves to go to for brunch and breakfast and now I know why. The atmosphere is very pretty but it was sometimes loud which made it difficult to have nice conversations. I had the blueberry oatmeal pancakes and their build your own lemonade. I highly recommend the pancakes but do be easy on the syrup as at times the syrup would be the only thing I tasted. The lemonade was decent but I did not like that the sugar was not liquid which made it a bit gritty but with a good mix it did somewhat go away. Overall the experience was great and it seems I will have to come back again to try their eggs as my girlfriend tells me that it is something else.
(4)Charity B.
My kind of spot. Quaint and cozy indoors, beautiful garden seating outdoors (my fave), and quality food. Felt transported to a proper European cafe. Wait is long, but worth it. Took 45mins to be seated at 11am on a Saturday for brunch. Had the omelette de pommes de terre and the tartine mistral. Would recommend just for the baguette and cheese alone. But their sweet menu looks amazing. Will definitely be returning to sample more!
(5)Thielson D.
Definitely a fan of this place. Usually there is a pretty long wait so go on the earlier side. Came here yesterday on Sunday and the wait was only about 30min and the place was packed! Despite that, once seated they did not keep us waiting and someone came by immediately to help us. Come hungry. There is a lot of really good bread and cheese to be had here. Definitely get the assortment of croissants and baguettes, but the MUST try is hands down the tartine mistral. A baguette with goat cheese, roasted red bell peppers and basil. It seems really simple yet it was awesome! The baguette was nice and warm which made it even better. Also be sure to get a side of the potatoes because they were really good. Oh, and also a side of the chicken sausage. I got the gingerbread pancakes with the compote. It was definitely good, but I thought it was a little dry, but it was definitely interesting to have the peach on there. Next time I would definitely the creme fraiche pancakes or one of the omelettes (particularly the caramelized onion one). Definitely recommend, and remember to get the tartine mistral (practically every other table was having it as well).
(4)Rech T.
Heads up! Wait time for brunch on a Saturday can typically run 30-45min even for a party of 2. Love the coziness indoor and next time we will have to check out their nice outdoor seating. I ordered their latte to go with my morning bun and chocolate croissant. According to our server he warmed it up a little, which is a nice gesture, but within a minute or so my pastry became hard. It is not something I would order again because it was JUST a morning bun and chocolate croissant. No big deal! I had a few bites of my girlfriend's Omelette Fromage Et Jambon, and THAT WAS TASTY! Minus 1star for the hostess/server who I asked for how long till we get seated and answered "Oh you are nowhere near close to getting seated" and the food runner who used his lobe piercing as a pen holder. Not so sanitary.
(4)Lisa K.
Was my favorite breakfast spot for yeeeears and after visiting this place again after many many years, it was confirmed. La Note is a special place.... My buddy had the creme fraiche pancake - holy crap why have I never tried this one before?! Lightly sweet and also savory. Mmmmm lordy. The lemon ginger pancake was all right in my opinion although it is apparently the favorite. I can see why. I just thought it was less yummy than the creme fraiche so of course..... The side of tomatoes I must comment on. Roasted and bathed in herbs and heaven... I couldnt get enough.
(5)Wayne K.
Ya gotta get to La Note for an early breakfast or late lunch or ya gotta get a reservation for 10. That was the number in our group. I'm not sure if you can get a reservation for less. Regardless, for our group, we were seated immediately even though there was a line out the door. Previously, I've been with a group and our accommodations/service were equally good. I agree that for a couple, they are likely to get seated much more quickly than for small groups. We like the patio seating in the back. Once seated, service is excellent and all the food items are outstanding. All selections were fresh and tasty and served quickly and hot off the grill. For our group, we enjoyed a prix fix brunch with a varied selection of breakfast, brunch and lunch entrées. I recommend it highly but I agree that an hour wait is tough to swallow.
(4)Jenny N.
I had high expectations for this place :( tasted like a regular Okayish breakfast diner. Service: 3/5 came here on a Saturday morning around 12:30. Got to sit within 20 minutes. They Asked if I had waned a a second cup of mimosa, and I said yes. And then they forgot to bring it out or put it in to the computer. Had to ask for it. And they forgot to bring my napkins a couple times when I had requested for it . The Rush was over too.. Food: Creme Fraiche Pancakes: 3/5 Tasted like regular pancakes with powdered sugar and some creme on top. The creme was very plain. Nothing special about it. Ended up drowning it in syrup anyways . Tasted cinnamon broiche: 4/5 Yummy and flavorful. The honey lavender syrup was too sweet where it hurts to eat though.
(3)anna h.
I love beautiful brunch. We started off with the Brioche Pain Perdu, (Does this translate to Brioche French Toast? I don't know any French). It was a nice appetizer-like dish for the five of us to share. This was less sweet than I expected, even though it was drenched in syrup, which tasted a lot more like honey than maple syrup. Next up was the Oeuf a La Coque. This consisted of buttered bread with two poached eggs IN SHELL, paired with home fries. Okay, I still don't understand how they poached these eggs in shell and managed to keep the their consistency runny. To eat, you basically dips pieces of the bread into the egg. Such an interesting concept! The service was a bit off, even during Wednesday brunch. The waitress didn't give us water until about 20 minutes after we were seated and the food took about an hour to be served. Overall, I thought this was a very cute brunch place. I probably wouldn't battle the crowds on weekends but I would definitely return to try some other dishes.
(4)Vicky K.
3.5 stars I've been here a couple times through the years since it is a nice brunch place for UCB students and once for dinner. I'd have to say that I enjoy my experience here every time but I still feel like it is over priced. However, if you are looking for a nice place for dinner this would be a good pick. There will be a wait for brunch during the weekends so go earlier or call in and ask the wait time before heading there. Brunch: I've ordered sweet and savory here and I've got to say I enjoy the savory more. If you're looking for a simple brunch for 2 people ordering 2 dishes will be more than enough and you will probably have left overs. Cote Est and Cote Ouest (total ~$30 before tip) Both savory dishes, we had almost two servings of potatoes left over when we were finished. I love the way they make their eggs and it was overall delicious. However, again, it seems a little on the pricey side. Dinner: I still remember my cousins bringing me here for my "congrats and good luck with your first year in college" dinner. We ordered a cheese and fruit platter to share and I ordered the Ratatouille. Keep in mind this was only about an year since the movie came out and I was really excited to try the dish at a French restaurant. Though it was not exactly what I imagined it to be, from the movie, it was still quite enjoyable. It is a vegetarian dish that is heavily tomato based. It was less soupy than I thought it would be but overall I thought it was good. This would be a good choice if you want a light meal and don't want meat.
(3)Ivana Y.
With not many French restaurants in the East Bay, I can see why La Note is always packed with lines out the doors on the weekends. However, the two times that I've been there have just been okay, and not worth the price. The food tastes like any other cafe, and lacked the true flavors of French cuisine. Also, service is slow, but I guess it's because they are always busy? Not sure I'd come back, unless a friend REALLY wanted to go.
(3)Shannon N.
French brunch food? Yes, please! Being in Berkeley for about 6 years now, La Note has always been one of my favorite brunch spots, for their egg and pancake/carb filled dishes. Service is always pretty good, and when it's busy they don't come by as often but still try to. Beware that if you go on a weekend at the prime time brunch time (10-11am), you will be waiting for upwards of 2 hrs. I usually come on the weekends right when it opens, at 8am (the wait usually starts building up by the time 8:45 hits). WHAT I'VE GOTTEN (beware, it's a lot): 1) CREME FRAICHE PANCAKES: this will surprise you--it's sweet but the creme fraiche really makes it so you don't get sick of those pancakes after a couple bites. It's my favorite pancake to get! 2) OEUFS LUCAS: One of my favorite egg dishes! The eggs are soft scrambled with goat cheese, topped with chives, and a side of roasted garlic-herb tomatoes and toasted bread (for some reason the bread to me is sooo good, especially with their jam!!). I'm usually too full to finish the whole thing. 3) OEUF A LA COQUE: I subbed the potatoes for tomatoes, but I loved the cut strips of bread that you dip into the 2 soft poached eggs on your plate. If you like runny yolks and bread, you will love this. 4) COTE EST: When you just can't decide between something with eggs or something sweet/with more carbs, get this! Some eggs with a pancake you get to choose?? Yes, and yes. And a choice of bacon or homefries?? Yes. In addition, there is more food in this option (you get a separate small plate of homefries), if that floats your boat. 5) COTE SUD: Simple, 2 eggs sunny side up with sausage, homefries, and toast. Something of a combo you'd find in a typical breakfast place when you don't feel like something that makes you think too much. ;) 6) COTE OUEST: My bf had gotten this, and I will say this option is a bit more on the heavier side, so those with big stomachs, this might be your thing. Pretty good though! 7) COTE NORD: I actually really liked this dish! Don't underestimate the size of the dish...sure, it's 2 eggs scrambled with cream cheese/or goat cheese over toasted bread, but it's bigger than you'd think. I'm a fan though. 8) OATMEAL RASPBERRY PANCAKES: Pretty yummy! I'd get it again but I don't think it was super special...the pancakes are very fluffy though, so I'm still appreciative. 9) BRIOCHE PAIN PERDU: My bf had this before, and again it's goooood but not GREAT! After a couple bites you just kinda get tired of it, but that's just me and french toast. 10) PANIER DU BOULANGER: assorted pastry basket--my friends and I have shared this before, and we went at it like crazy people. The one that stood out the most to me was the almond croissant. I fell in love and have been getting the croissant before my brunch almost every time I come here. 11) COFFEE/HOT CHOCOLATE: coffee--great. hot chocolate comes out in a cute sipping bowl, and is rich/tasty as well, but not as hot as I like my drinks. NOT BREAKFAST: I've also come here for dinner, and I'm a fan of the ratatouille!! Unfortunately, some of their other dishes I've tried aren't on the menu anymore but I'd love to go back and try more! Make sure your stomachs are empty and that you come at a reasonable time to avoid a long wait! People who work here are generally very friendly so that is always a plus!
(5)Rebecca P.
I wish the wait time did not take so long. Luckily the sleep train mattress is there to help you keep occupied! Their jam and bread is bomb dot com. I would be completely satisfied with just the bread basket. I usually get the Maison which is the two eggs any style with any meat and cottage potatoes. The potatoes are hit and miss. Some days they are great, other days they are okay. My favorite place to brunch!
(4)Mari Y.
Hands down the best breakfast-brunch place I've ever been, although a bit pricey. I think I'd like to save this place to celebrate brunch-y occasions! They have adequate amount of seating and the ambience is really mellow! But seriously you don't really care about any of that cause you will be consumed by your food(and the other way around). Don't be intimidated by the menu! Although it's written in French and the workers speak French as well the description does a superb job of explaining the food. They portion their food perfectly! I was worried my French toast w/ Nutella would be too Nutella-y but it was peeerf. My friends got their omelettes, which came with potatoes and choice of sour dough or wheat bread. Seriously food is so perfect here. Request their raspberry jam!
(5)Kaitlynn L.
Delicious food with super nice employees! A cute brunch place that is almost always packed. Just had brunch on a Friday afternoon and luckily we made reservations the day before! I definitely recommend making reservations or else the wait can we quite long. I had the Cote Este, which included two scrambled eggs, a pancake of my choice and homestyle fries. The scrambled eggs were alright but the pancake was delicious! I got the lemon gingerbread pancake with slices of a pear and blueberries on top.The fries were like potato cuts more than fries, and they were seasoned well and very scrumptious. I also got a mocha, which was expresso with dark chocolate. It was served in a cute ceramic bowl without a handle, which was very original. My friend got the oeuf a la coque, which was also very big and yummy. Lastly, we shared a pamplemousse, which was two halves of grapefruit. It was smaller than I thought it would be but a great dessert for brunch!
(5)Yen P.
Just OK. I think this place is hyped. And that was probably why I came here. I wanted to see what it was all about. Luckily we made a reservation for 10am on a friday or else we would probably have to wait an hour at least. The line were sooo longgg, there were no room inside so people had to wait outside. We were the first table to be seated at the patio and roughly 10 minutes after, it was packed! I heard many good things about the french toast here, but quite frankly, i thought it only tasted "just okay" it didn't blew my mind or did it taste like a $13 french toast. The omelette. Let's see. The huge chunks of potatoes really ruined it, I actually started picking on the eggs and the caramelized union and left the potatoes untouched. I wish they had cut it up or put less of it. The best part about the omelette was the Provencales tomatoes. THOSE TOMATOES WERE AMAZING. Oh we also got the spicy sausage on the side and those were good! It's really not worth the wait or the money.
(3)Jon G.
Obsession manifests itself in many ways. In this particular instace it comes in the form of Brioche Pain Perdu! Cinnamon brioche soaked in orange, water batter, sprinkled with lavender honey. I'm drooling typing this, but was prepared and put towels on the floor. The wait for brunch is long. Sometimes they say 30 minutes and it takes an hour+. But that's ok. If you are here with your friends or a date, the build up and anticipation make it that much more delicious. There are always people hanging out on the street waiting foe their tables. Every time I've gone I've started with coffee. Not sure what they use, but I'm a fan. Was so hungry I got a great coffee buzz before the food came out. My friends have gotten the omelets, the egg thingy with the top sliced off, pancakes, bacon, etc. I tried the Brioche Pain Perdu and havent been able to keep away! Of course I stole bites of my friends food. Everything was phenomenal! The decor is quaint and there is a piano in the corner. I secretly with someone would play it while we were in there or that I was good enough to play it for other people (I guess I'll just stick to guitar). Don't tell Nique F. but I think french is hilarious to read. My accent is terrible and I struggle through the words (although I am surprised how similar the Latin roots are to Spanish). But My friends and I were cracking up reading the menu out-loud. Here were some of my favorites "Jus du pamplemousse" LOL say that 5 times fast. Grapefruit juice "Le oeufs a la coque" Not sure how to pronounce that last word... But le oeufs is eggs... "Salade de fruit" I think I know what this one means but the accent mades it fun to say. Anyways. I loooove this place. I'll be back many times for sure. Tip - If you hate waiting, come at around 1pm-ish. there is never anyone in line and that's when you'll be seated anyways if you get there at 11:30 like me.
(5)Rachel L.
I was really excited to try this place because whenever I pass by it, there's always a long line. After browsing their menu, I just had to try it. So we got seated after 10 minutes yesterday, which isn't bad at all. We got there around 1. First thing that turned me off was how tight the seating arrangements were. There is no way I can squeeze into a 3" gap between 2 tables to sit down. The waitress was kind enough to move the table, but I can see how inconvenient that would be with my butt in someone's face. So good thing the guy seated next to us didn't mind. Our table was unstable. If we tried cutting anything, the table would shake and that was annoying on top of the table being so small. We ordered the cinnamon brioche pain perdu and lemon ginger pancake since those were popular items according to Yelp. Honestly, I wasn't wow'd by them. I also ordered the Cote Nord with cream cheese and a side of bacon. It was good as long as I ate it with the tomatoes. The staff was incredible. We had great service. I just wished I enjoyed the food more, but I'm glad I was able to try all these things.
(3)Giedre D.
Wonderful place for breakfast! Can't be better! Eggs Lucas- delicious!!!! The best breakfast, nice staff, super atmosphere! You have to visit this place!!!!
(5)Emily S.
This is a special place. With an extremely long wait. even on weekdays. BUT totally worth it. I almost go for brunch. They offer a pastry and bread basket for the table to share. do it. The cote nord is epic (add the goat cheese). Get a side of merguez and thats all you need, except a fresh squeezed grapefruit mimosa. your welcome.
(5)Ariel S.
I love this restaurant, they have a very home-made authentic way of making French toast. Get your day started like Napoleon by eating here!
(4)Jessica L.
I am positive it is not worth the LONG ass weekend wait BUT it is good and worth a wait under 25 minutes....I thoroughly enjoyed the cinnamon brioche french toast. I also thought the oatmeal raspberry pancakes were unique and very good as well. My husband did not enjoy his eggs, sausage and toast so there is your tip to not go too basic here. They did a good job keeping coffee and water refilled considering how busy they are this definitely impressed me. I am curious what the patio looks like but the inside is pretty spacious. Next time I am trying a chocolate croissant!
(3)Sabrina S.
I finally made it to this place for brunch! This is a review that has waited too long. Such a quaint French place and perfect way to spend time with your friends and catch up on life. During the weekend it's quite a long wait so be prepared for that! Let's get to the yummy part, the food! I was adventurous with my food and ordered the lemon gingerbread pancake and poached pears with scrambled eggs and a side of home fries! This was a sweet delight with a savory touch! Definitely coming here again
(5)Aoi S.
It was my first time trying this place and I have to say, it was super delicious! I've heard from friends about this place and it was definitely worth the try.The wait was 30~45min, but it was enough time for us to walk around Berkeley streets and get some drinks. I got Les Oeufs Lucas- Two eggs lightly scrambled with goat cheese, chives, served with roasted tomatoes. I substituted goat cheese with emmenthal cheese. It was quiet delicious and filling. I would definitely want to come back again and try other delicious brunch menus. Gave it a 4 star because the menu was incredibly hard to read. It was written in a tiny font with some words oddly emphasized with bold letters. The menu overall was disorganized, but the food was superb.
(4)Raspy J.
Pretty long wait, but if you're in a rush, I'm sure you could find a WacArnolds serving up dollar menu delights in a jiffy. Let me start by divulging my Frenchness to demonstrate my cred, my mom has told us countless times we might be French so there you go... The bread basket is off the hook, ~~ (large sigh) it reminds me of early afternoon Barcelona breakfasts ~~ . I'm not positive on the name because the menu is super French (something something Pain) but it's the first item on the breakfast menu; get it, it'll take you back to the first time you got swept off your feet by a cig smoking Parisian milk man in an alley near the Eiffel Tower. Let's get down to the fudging nitty gritty - the pancakes. My gf showed me yelp reviews that highlighted the importance of the Lemon Gingerbread Pancakes. They sound delicious, but honestly, dey just lite weight aite. Those brazen yelpers should lose all credibility because the Creme Fraiche Pancakes absolutely pulled down their pants and shit all over those Lemon Girlyman Womancakes. Word to Randy Marsh for having for a hardon for Creme Fraiche in the Creme Fraiche episode bc when it was time to order, all I could hear was Randy whispering into my ear "Creme Fraiche" in an uber sexual voice. In short, them Creme Fraiche pancakes was on fleek. I'm an egg guy, shout out Humpty D, so my breakfast game is all about omelettes and homefries, but I ate so much fucking bread I didn't really care about the Cote Oest plate. It wasn't bad at all, but the ratatouille on top of the omelette just wasn't for me. All the food was very good, coffee was solid, but it was Sunday Brunch... WE WANTED MIMOSAS! horrible look La Note. Will come back for that bread basket and Creme Fleek pancakes.
(4)A M.
Great tasting food in a lovely ambience. On a nice day you can sit on the back deck. There can r a substantial line! Especially for Brunch
(5)Kelly T.
I got here around 10am on a Saturday and there was surprisingly not that long of a line. We only had to wait about 30 minutes for the inside. But now I know why people wait way longer for the outside patio area.... The inside was kind of dark and really squished together. There were just too many people inside. I mean I understand that they are really popular and that if they took out a couple tables, people would have to wait even longer....but man I felt so crowded. And I was already one of the lucky ones who got the little elevated area next to the window. But okay the mini water pitcher that they give each table is ADORABLE. it's mini-sized! It doesn't hold much water though hahaha sooo if you want to refill your drink...it's not the best? but it's really cute. Anyway, two of us ordered the brioche pain perdu and the third ordered the gingerbread pancakes. Damn way too much. And after eating half of the brioche, you are already a little sick of eating it just because it's so heavy, the brioche is so thick, and you're literally eating a huge portion of bread and syrup. It did get a little dry at times though so I would try putting more syrup... but then too much syrup makes you feel all gross too...so I just didn't know what to do. SO if you want to order it, maybe share it with someone else. And order a savory dish to share too! Oh yeah...the brioche apparently has a hint of lavender honey on it but I couldn't taste it at all ): aw boo. We also ordered a side of home fries and they were just what we needed. A salty dish to offset the sweet. The home fries were really good and even had roasted cloves of garlic! I'm not sure if I would come back though just because it was good but not good enough to wait in the usually looooong long lines.
(3)RJ S.
My friend and I had an amazing time overall at this restaurant. We made a reservation online on OpenTable, which was definitely a good decision because of how crowded the restaurant was. Between the two of us, we split a Brioche Pain Perdu, or cinnamon French toast, and an Omelette de Pommes de Terre, or an omelette with potatoes and caramelized onions, along with a side of home fries and tomatoes (which came with the omelette). The meal was excellent, and we will definitely be returning!
(5)Esther A.
If you put your name down make sure you hang around in case your name gets called early. We saw a group of 7 get a table upon walking in because another party of 7 didn't show when their names were called. I would say food is ok/average at best. Perhaps I was expecting excellence seeing how incredibly popular and reading rave reviews La Note is however I was slightly disappointed. In fact I questioned why we drove all the way to downtown Berkeley when there are other great places over in the East Bay. The French Toast was on the dry side and my eggs were really bland and quite frankly not very good. The better part of the meal was the potatoes with garlic. Our server was nice but was rushing too fast. I saw him brush up against our neighbor's purse that was hanging on her chair which then fell off to the ground. He acknowledged it as he turned around to look at it but he kept on going which I thought was incredibly rude. Also while refilling our small table carafe with water he was held up his water pitcher so high water splashing around. It splashed my shirt/face and also a large splash into my cafe creme which was nearby the carafe and it all occurred without an apology but instead he offered a slight giggle. A star definitely deducted for that. Not sure I have any desire to ever want to return. There are far too many other great brunch places to be explored.
(3)Jen G.
Came here for breakfast given the great reviews. I will start with the good -- the potatoes were awesome -- best breakfast potatoes that I think I have ever had. The garlic was amazing. I don't think I ordered well. They had semolina with egg. I was imagining polenta. This is not polenta. It was pretty bad. Really bland.
(3)Abby O.
Super tasty, and very filling for the price. I ordered the Sode (sp?) and the sausage was some of the tastiest I've ever had. The plates all come with roasted garlic that is perfection. The appetizer bread that come with basil and goat cheese is out of this world. Service was quick. A little bit of tight quarters, but manageable. Good for groups or dates. Casual atmosphere.
(4)Beth B.
Very inconsistent -- I've been here at least 5 times. The last time will probably be the last -- we ordered the basket of pastries, and they just sucked. Cold, not good... comparable to pastries in a mediocre coffee shop. Very cute interior and patio, very nice-sounding menu -- but the cooking just isn't consistent enough to make me want to try my luck again.
(2)Song K.
La Note never disappoints! The pancakes (all the different flavors) were delicious. The flavors were well balanced; nothing was too overwhelming. I definitely recommend you order the pancakes; they will not disappoint. The "fries" aren't actually fried at all; but they're one of the best potato dishes I've ever had. And despite being $$, I've always spent $10-$20 each meal. I really recommend this place for everyone. It's especially a super cute place for a date; my boyfriend took me here for brunch for Valentine's Day.
(4)Dan M.
Want to give four stars since the food we ordered was good (Cote Est-Two scrambled, homefries, and one pancake of choice, I went w/the raspberry oatmeal for me and girlfriend went with the French toast) but the amount of time we spent here just can't get it over the hump. Let me give you a rundown of our day here: 12:01: I find parking after dropping girlfriend off. We left my apartment around 11:45 am or so. She tells me it's about a 30-40 minute wait. Long, but since we were still kind of early, I figured it was ok, and the other places nearby had similar waits. I was hungry, so we waited patiently for our name to be called like being on line at a brunch DMV. Shiver outside as well since the sun decides to do some Barry Sanders juke moves and not stay overhead. 12:45: Still haven't been called. I go in to ask the hostess when we're next and she tells me it's a few moments. Meanwhile, a four person group goes in ahead of us, even though we arrived before them (unlikely they had reservations, as you need to make them 1.5 hours in advance and most were walk-ins. NYC runs brunch later so I now know why Bay Area places fill up so fast). 1:05: Finally are seated. We have now been at this restaurant in some capacity for over an hour, before even opening a menu. A few tables look open when we walk in. Waiter takes another five minutes or so to come and take our order. 1:30: Receive food. While mine was partially cold, I wasn't sending it back and getting it an hour later, so dealt with it. Again, food was solid, but we've been here over 1.5 hours, and we had wanted to go to the beach after. 2:15: Leave the restaurant. Too late to go to the beach now. Full, but disappointed. Two hours for a restaurant is a tad bit excessive. While I completely understand it was busy and a Saturday, perhaps more staff is needed (unsure if they were low that day) or people need to be ferried out of there quicker, because I really don't want to spend a day at a restaurant, I can definitely think of several better things to do (like going to the beach, for instance). Next time, I'll reserve this early so I can get out before I go gray.
(3)David L.
Lemon Gingerbread Pancakes with Poached Pears (Single Stack): 4.5 STARS - By far the best gingerbread pancakes I ever had. This place did not over do the ginger taste and the poached pears definitely compliments the pancakes well. Other places would over do the ginger taste making it unbearable to eat. Creme Fraiche Pancakes (Single Stack): 3 STARS - Nothing special about this one. It looked like a large cinnamon roll version of a pancake. The pancake tasted like a regular pancake with icing on top. A little bland for my tasting. Crostone Au Saumon (Valentine's Day Special for Brunch Entree, also on their Dinner Appetizer Menu): 4.5 STARS - First off they offer creme cheese or goat cheese and we took the creme cheese. All the ingredients; creme cheese, egg, salmon, and toast, complimented well with each other and was really delicious. The only thing I would like out of the dish is more flavor from the potatoes, otherwise it would be perfecto! Overall experience: 4 STARS - The staff was nice and awesome and we did not have to wait since we had reservations. We were sat at a table immediately even though it was on Valentine's Day. The food was delicious and the environment was very ambient. This is a nice brunch place to go to if you are in the area of Berkeley!
(4)Fabian C.
My friend invited me to this place in the morning and it was fantastic. The bread is just amazing. It's warm and freshly made. I got myself a sandwich, which was delicious. My friend got herself a breakfast meal and the homemade fries, eggs, and toast were genuinely good. Definitely would recommend if you're going on a date. However, the wait is long. Might recommend playing a game of chess before getting a table. The place inside is always full, but it leaves a lively atmosphere. Service is very quick, but they're nice for the most part. Despite the cons, they managed to make me happy and the food is definitely worth it. So, if you want to treat yourself to a nice and fancy meal with somebody, definitely go!
(4)Steve C.
This is coming from a Cal Student's perspective, so meaning eating good on a budget! Either you have 2 choices for brunch, Anne's Kitchen on Telegraph which is convenient and cheap, but the quality of the food isn't the best. And then you have La Note and it's like you got an A on your exam! Yeah you're paying a little bit more, but the quality is so worth it! Omelette with Cheese & Ham - My favorite! I love how fluffy and airy the omelette is, and the gooyiness of the cheese is so good. And the provencales tomatoes are so juicy with a burst of herby flavors. Brioche Pain Perdue - Split this because it's huge! My friend and I and we couldn't even finish one. Also I'm not much of a sweet tooth person, so I could only take a few bites. But it was still delicious and sweet! La Note is too good for it's own sake. It gets so packed and the line can get long, so come early! Also the inside is jammed full of tables and chairs, so don't expect to get the best seats, nor have a quiet morning brunch. You'll definitely be packed in with your neighbors.
(4)Joshua C.
Probably one of the best brunch dishes I've had in a long time is the Cote Nord. I mean, does this not sound delicious: "Two eggs lightly scrambled with cream cheese, over toasted levain bread, with homefries and tomatoes." Well it was. The eggs were fluffy and the cream cheese on the levain toast was perfect. I love how their homefries had cloves of roasted garlic in it and the tomatoes were a nice touch. Wash it all down with a mimosa and you have the perfect brunch. The end.
(4)Aly G.
We came here for our anniversary a few months back. Having lived in France for a while, I love finding more authentic French restaurants, and La Note is definitely just that. I felt like I had stepped into a cafe somewhere in Provence - from the decor to the small size of the tables, it's all very authentic. The food is delicious, as well. I've not been for brunch yet, but I have heard amazing things and can't wait to try it out!
(4)Conny K.
Love , love, love this place... The salmon salad with the goat cheese is my all time favorite! Brunches are the best at la Note, always my place to go to ,when I am meeting my girlfriends.... And yes , you do get that Euro feeling in this restaurant! VIve la bonne ambiance! !
(5)Grace C.
Ok La Note, if you're going to allow OpenTable reservations, please remember to actually reserve a table and honor the reservations when people show up on time for them. Otherwise, there's really no point. That said, we made an online reservation and still had to wait an additional 20 minutes for a table (I don't think we were the only party that had to wait). We told the hostess we wanted to sit inside (it was a chilly morning) and she kept coaxing us to sit on the patio; she said it would be a longer wait for the inside (this was after we waited 15 minutes already). She told us to follow her outside to the patio to feel the heat lamps. I could see she was very desperate to get rid of us and we were all starving, so we gave in and agreed on the patio seating. The heat lamp, by the way, was very weak (there were only 2 in the entire patio). During our wait, some people without reservations came to check on their wait time and the hostess told them that because a lot of reservations showed up (she sounded so surprised...?) their wait time was increased. Sounds like they need some serious work on organizing those reservations..... So we ordered some pancakes, omelets and scrambled eggs and it took nearly 40 minutes for them to come out. I can wait 40 minutes for bomb-diggity food, but 40 minutes for mediocre food was a huge disappointment. 3 years later, I can conclude that La Note is overhyped. There are a TON of less-crowded eateries with much better tasting food. I do want to say that the wait staff has always been friendly and professional.
(2)Judy H.
I've been to La Note once before and fell in love with their cutesy French countryside interior and their lemon gingerbread pancakes with poached pears. I'm a sucka for anything gingerbread so when I discovered they made gingerbread pancakes, I got on it like Donkey Kong. The pancakes came with blueberries and pears and the ginger taste was not overpowering nor was it too sweet. Just riiiight. I brought my boyfriend here so he can try it. He is not a fan of ginger but he really liked the gingerbread pancakes. We also ordered the Cote Ouest, which was a ratatouille omelette (lots of yummy zucchinis and tomatoes). OMG the eggs were so fluffy and light. We were even fancyyy and had some apple cider with our brunch. :)
(4)Stephie D.
As much I like having a car and places to park when I go out where I live in the South Bay, I must admit I love how Berkley is filled with so many small restaurants. I came to La Note for brunch the morning before my trip back home. They had a good size menu filled with a variety of savory and sweet breakfast plates. My sister and I split the nutella french toast and sausage and eggs plate. Although each item has a fancy French name they provide descriptions on the menu for everything and the servers we met were all very kind and helpful. The servings are pretty perfect and everything we ate was delicious and well executed. It's not the tremendous size country American breakfast or anything but perfect for spoiling yourself and actually being able to function afterwards. The place is small and doesn't seem like it seats big parties so it's probably better for intimate brunches, we came in on a weekday around 11 and there was no wait. Even though there's so many places I still have yet to try in Downtown Berkley, I would definitely come back.
(4)Kathy C.
I came with family for brunch, it's really packed and the tables are small. Not the best place for group meal. (It's good for to come with 2-3 girlfriends though) The price is on the priceier side for simple ingredients. Though you mostly pay for the atmosphere, so I'd say it's a good deal.
(4)Jackie L.
I love brunch and French themed places and so, I'm a big fan of La Note. I seriously feel so happy when I come here. Everything is so quaint and cute and the food is seriously good to boot. I've had three items on the menu so far: -The omelette de pomme de terrres or whatever the open faced potato and caramelized onion omelette is very good. The roasted tomatoes they give you are also so good and I usually don't like to eat tomatoes. It's fluffy, and the mix of sliced potatoes and sweet caramelized onions is the cherry on top. -The pancake is also very good. Light and fluffy with that pretty spiral pattern on top. It's as pretty to look at as it is to eat. You know what they say, you eat with your eyes first and this definitely didn't disappoint. - The omelette with the ratatouille on top is also so good. As a carnivorous person, I did order a side of chicken apple sausages but I was very happy overall with the omelet. The Rosemary homefries were also very good though i wish they peeled their garlic before roasting them so I could nom on them too :( Service is pretty good considering that they are super packed on Sunday mornings/afternoons and I have yet to have a bad experience. Expect to wait a bit if you arrive after 11 am on a Sunday. Also, their raspberry jam is delish.
(4)Sandra A.
EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTING!!! First off they need a new system on handling customers instead of dump and run from a complaint. Second, do not tell a customer 45 min wait when its obvious that it is a 2 hour plus wait, taking only first names run into the risk of someone else taking the same name on the wait list. You have a 6 to 7 man kitchen crew, with over 40 tables of service(including patio)...it doesn't take a UC Berkeley grad student to figure it out. Whats worse instead of offering a coffee, water or juice they just tell you "sorry we are busy" and show you the door. As a patron of TEN YEARS!!!! I will NEVER go back to this place extremely poor service ...if this wasn't YELP, i would say excuse my French ^&*# off
(1)Shirley T.
Food is okay but the wait time was way too long. I waited 30 minutes to get seated and another 30 minutes for food after ordering which is 1 hour total. We came here at 10:40 am.
(3)Erica D.
This place was all about atmosphere for me. Don't get me wrong...the food is SO GOOD. However, I was so enveloped in the experience, I cannot even tell you what I ordered. To be fair, I haven't been in many years and it was only twice. I would still recommend it though (preferable during warm weather because the back patio is a dream). French inspired brunch dishes, homey feel with pots and pans hanging everywhere, an assortment of takes on the standard mimosa. This place is so cute and great for a weekend brunch with friends, family, or SO. Just beware that the citizens of the bay area are very aware that this place exists. As with all the great brunch spots in the bay, there will be a line. I would not recommend taking a large group here on the weekends because it will be cramped and loud and probably more of a hassle than anything else.
(5)Pearl P.
The ambiance was delightful, the service was great, the food was just "A-OK". A solid three stars.
(3)Chaya B.
I had never been to La Note until my 38th birthday, even though I've lived in Berkeley for most of my life. I gathered a small group of 4 and went for brunch. I will say it was busy on the weekend, and we had to wait for about 45 minutes. They dont take reservations, during busy times. I got french toast, Brioche Pain Perdu so did one of my guests, another got the Ratatouille, and I dont remember what the other person had, maybe pancakes?! I wasn't impressed at all. In fact disappointed! The french toast was a combination of soggy and dry. I can make better french toast. I really expected greatness because of all the good reviews, and how long it has been around, but instead I got a bad birthday brunch!
(2)Seth E.
Their nutella french toast is killer. Great cafe atmosphere with healthy (and not so healthy, but tasty) options.
(4)Jenn T.
Came here for some brunch in Berkeley after a nice visit in the city. It was packed for a Sunday morning, as expected and we waited about 20-30 minutes for a table. The menu is short, making ordering quite easy! I got the ham and cheese omelete, which was delicious. I also tried the french toast, which was good with some cinnamon flavor to it. The service here was a little slow, as we had to flag our waitress down to order and to pay the bill. But the food was good!
(4)Grace B.
I'm more leaning towards 3 1/2 stars. It was a weekend morning, and I expected it to be crowded, but they pack you like sardines inside, and it just seemed way too overwhelming to the start of your quiet morning. So we decided to wait for the patio, the best thing we could have done, but it's very limited. Ordered the Cote Nord, and for scrambled eggs, home fries, roasted tomatoes, and a slice of bread it doesn't really seem like it is anything close to a $12.95 plate. Ok the bread is "levain" bread, and the tomatoes aren't just tomatoes but roasted (my favorite part of the meal), but almost $13? Really? I think it gets more hype than it deserves. Their coffee is delicious and I kept getting refills of that for sure, and their menu is very French, so it adds a nice dimension to the place but prices are definitely steep and not so sure it warrants what you get. It was a pleasant experience but I don't think I'd come back.
(3)Fiona H.
I would love to give this place more than just a 3 star rating but our server's lack of attention made our experience not so pleasant. She mistook 2 out of 4 orders (that's 50% wrong) and when we asked for boxes to go, she completely ignored us and threw out our food. RUDE! Had the potato omelette--delicious! I don't normally like tomatoes but the roasted tomatoes that came with it were more than edible. I also tried the french toast which was OK.
(3)Scott T.
Took some out of town-ers here twice--really the only time I go to Berkeley for French brunch...unless after a long night... Had the ratatouille both times. Once with lamb fennel sausage and once plain. If you get it, or anything add an EGG. If there is one thing that this place does right...it's the eggs. Probably some of the best eggs I've ever had, and it's a friggin egg! But seriously, add the egg. It's like $1.50 ish and worth every cent. I take off one star not for the food, but for the agonizing wait time. I'm a teacher and we are supposed to use wait time as a questioning strategy to allow students more time to think and volunteer. Here, the wait time is like listening to Ben stein saying, "anyone? Anyone?" It's a relatively small place considering the mass of people on Saturday and Sunday before 12 pm. If you don't get there near 10 am be prepared to enjoy your company's stimulating conversation for at least 10-45 minutes (party size).
(4)Ps B.
The simple cheese omelet was really good, and the home fries were even better. So good! The hazelnut spread french toast in maple syrup were a little soggy for our order. Nevertheless, I recommend this place just for its interior decor and ambience.
(4)Fatima C.
I ate here every week when I was pregnant with my first child. Love the eggs!
(5)