{"id":292562,"date":"2026-04-30T04:18:29","date_gmt":"2026-04-30T04:18:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/292562\/"},"modified":"2026-04-30T04:18:29","modified_gmt":"2026-04-30T04:18:29","slug":"new-bar-is-the-hip-younger-sibling-to-berkeleys-most-famous-restaurant","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us-ca\/292562\/","title":{"rendered":"New bar is the hip younger sibling to Berkeley’s most famous restaurant"},"content":{"rendered":"

Berkeley has plenty of bars, but relatively few that focus on carefully crafted cocktails. Many lean toward student crowds or beer programs. Nearby Oakland has a far more developed cocktail scene, a contrast that can elicit a twinge of envy for those living north of the town line.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s this gap that the newly opened Bar Panisse is helping to close. It\u2019s a neighborhood cocktail bar, not a typical college-town spot. The focus is classic cocktails and a short menu of seasonal small plates.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cWe approached it with the idea of building the kind of place we\u2019d want to visit ourselves \u2026 welcoming, consistent and easy to return to regularly,\u201d manager Zachary Becerra said.<\/p>\n

The bar sits next door to Chez Panisse, in the former beloved C\u00e9sar space on Shattuck Avenue. It\u2019s walk-in only and is now open seven days a week.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The room is compact. If you\u2019re seated, guests waiting for tables may be standing nearby. It\u2019s energetic and a little compressed, closer to a caf\u00e9 rhythm than a formal dining room. If you\u2019ve been to the bar in the Caf\u00e9 upstairs, Bar Panisse will feel familiar, like a modern extension. The craftsman bar and trim match the energy of the restaurants next door. The matte green tables make the food and drinks pop.<\/p>\n

\"\"A bartender holds out The Daisy, Bar Panisse\u2019s house margarita. Credit: Richard H. Grant for East Bay Nosh<\/p>\n

The bar program is the clearest part of the concept. In Panisse fashion, otherwise classic cocktails have seasonal touches, like the lemon verbena in my martini, which was perfectly chilled and well-balanced.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It\u2019s a simple approach: \u201cclassic drinks made with ingredients that reflect where we are,\u201d Becerra said. The lemon verbena came from Seven Moons Farm, and locally grown Meyer lemons are featured in the gimlet. Honey is sourced from the restaurant\u2019s rooftop hives. This philosophy carries over from next door at Chez Panisse and the Caf\u00e9, which fosters close relationships with a curated network of farms and purveyors.<\/p>\n

Cocktails run $12 to $14 (the martini was $12), which feels more than fair for the Bay Area.<\/p>\n

Chef Amelia Telc leads the kitchen. \u201cI write the menu keeping in mind that people may be stopping in for a quick drink and snack or looking for a more casual experience,\u201d she said. \u201cIt suits many different occasions.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Chef Amelia Telc of Bar Panisse, right, supervises orders and kitchen operations during service on April 24, 2026. Credit: Richard H. Grant for East Bay Nosh<\/p>\n

I previously staged in Chez Panisse\u2019s downstairs kitchen, where the menus change frequently and are intentionally restrained. That same structure carries over here, but Telc adapts the format to better serve the pace of the room. Dishes come out quickly and are built to pair with drinks, whether guests are stopping in for a snack or settling in for a longer meal.\u00a0<\/p>\n

I ordered the goug\u00e8res, butter beans, fried scallions and a trifle.\u00a0<\/p>\n

The goug\u00e8res ($6) are cheesy choux pastries served with pickled carrot and mustard, reflecting the influence of Chez Panisse\u2019s pastry program. \u201cI anticipate the goug\u00e8res will be a staple,\u201d Telc said.<\/p>\n

The butter beans ($14) were tender, with nice heat and a bright gremolata. The spigarello broccoli is at its peak this time of year. The broth leaned loose and soaked into the beans.<\/p>\n

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\nClockwise from top left: Goug\u00e8res served with roasted carrots and mustard; fried scallions served with yogurt with honey and thyme; a strawberry pavlova; and Mt. Tam cheese baked with Hakurei turnips and crostini. Credit: Richard H. Grant for East Bay Nosh<\/p>\n

The scallions ($14) were savory, crisp and light. They are dredged in a batter of rice flour, chickpea flour and buttermilk, fried, and then served with Strauss yogurt and honey, bringing acidity and sweetness.<\/p>\n

The trifle ($15) layered almond cake, cream and cherries in syrup. It was fluffy, delicate and not overly sweet. The subtotal came to $61. With tax and tip, the final tab was just under $80.<\/p>\n

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\nLeft: A bartender at Bar Panisse makes a cocktail. Right: Bartender Redwood Hill shakes up a drink for a customer. Credit: Richard H. Grant for East Bay Nosh<\/p>\n

If you go, get there early. The line begins forming around 4:30 p.m. As demand has grown, the team has adjusted how the space is used. \u201cWe\u2019ve opened up more room for guests to mingle and have a drink while they wait,\u201d Becerra said, adding that the bar has also expanded to seven days a week to help spread out crowds.<\/p>\n

While waiting outside, I met Charles Ellmaker, a part-time Berkeley resident who admitted he walked up skeptical. Like many in the neighborhood, he had loved C\u00e9sar and wondered why it took years for the space to reopen. After the meal, we followed up by email, and he said he was pleasantly surprised.<\/p>\n

\"\"Bar Panisse is walk-in only and the line to get in starts forming around 4:30 p.m. most days. Credit: Richard H. Grant for East Bay Nosh<\/p>\n

\u201cWe were quite surprised at how unstuffy they\u2019re playing it,\u201d Ellmaker wrote. \u201cThe staff were professional but affable. It\u2019s nice to see it\u2019s not just the Cheese Board that can get people lined up on this block.\u201d<\/p>\n

The expectations and history surrounding the space may shape how it\u2019s received, but judging by the crowds, Bar Panisse is resonating in Berkeley.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\tRelated stories<\/p>\n

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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\"The\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/a><\/p>\n

\t\t\t\t\t\tThe C\u00e9sar team is staging a comeback, with help from author Michael Lewis<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tMarch 30, 2026March 30, 2026, 3:18 p.m.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\tFor special occasions, it\u2019s hard to beat Chez Panisse<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tDecember 8, 2025Dec. 8, 2025, 3:24 p.m.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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\t\t\t\t\t\tInside Berkeley\u2019s new restaurant devoted to the art of masa<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

\n\t\t\t\t\tMarch 11, 2026March 11, 2026, 3:57 p.m.\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n

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