Le Bateau Ivre

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mqm2010

Joined 3 years ago

A lovely place for a banquet!. As part of large scientific conference I organized at Berkeley in late May of 2010, I also arranged a reunion dinner at Le Bateau Ivre for roughly 60 of the conference participants. In short, the owner, chef, and wait-staff of the restaurant did a superb job.

The owner, Arlene,was very flexible and patient with my numerous last-minute requests, including increasing the guest list by 10 just a couple of days before the dinner and asking to set up a projector and screen just an hour or so in advance.

WhenI met with the chef to set the menu, and he offered numerous options and suggestions. The guests all spoke very highly of the food, which included cornish game hens, mushroom ravioli, NY strip, and baked salmon. Finally, I note that the staff were extremely attentive to all our guests, not to mention patient to work around the projector I set up in the middle of the main room!

The evening at Le Bateau Ivre was the highlight of the conference for everyone in attendance. I highly recommend this lovely and intimate restaurant both for its food and for its service.

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Jennifer Carrington

Joined 4 years ago

My Favorite Restaurant. I love this place......I work 3 blocks away and have been coming to Le Bateau for lunch 2-3 days a week for the past 7 years. My only wish would be that they were open on Mondays! The food always amazes me, with a large variety of dishes, different from day to day, and they are all prepared elegantly, down to the decorative flowers placed with care on many plates. Compared to the other local spots serving lunch (breakfast-dinner-brunch) they are at the top of my list, and I must say I have tried almost all of them. I don't find the prices outrageous - yes, it's more expensive than McDonalds or Subway but the quality of the food is well worth the price. I can go to lunch by myself, read my book and not feel uncomfortable - the service, on my many visits, has always been friendly and prompt. I was appalled that anyone could find any negative aspects of this fantastic little gem right here in Berkeley.

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rwpinsacto

Joined 4 years ago

Home.. Started coming to Le Bateau as a Berkeley student in the early 70s. This wonderful place has always been an important part of my life, a place to come back to for its tranquility and to share with new friends. Conversation over coffee or wine, great dinners, wonderful long Sunday brunches, or just a pastry, a capp and the newspaper. I've always had great service, everyone is friendly, and the prices are absurdly reasonable, even for a college student budget. Please take the negative reviews here with a grain of salt -- the self-righteous and self-important don't deserve the attention. This is a little bit of French countryside heaven, and Berkeley is lucky to have such a great institution. --RP

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eteniram

Joined 5 years ago

Great place for dinner.... I have been there with some friends for a birthday dinner. Was very good, the taste of the food is perfect.

Good selection on the bar and great servers. The food take time but is perfect.

The place looks very good. Like as Europe. Old place and old style.

If you like great food, have time and money go there.

The food is not expensive but is not a Mc donals.

So, see you there...

****

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mommiedearest

Joined 5 years ago

Wonderful dinner party/banquet venue. This charming European restaurant provided the perfect setting for my son and daughter-in-laws wedding rehearsal dinner. The owners we very helpful and available to me in planning this event. The list of food options for the individualized event menu were extensive providing something for all diners. The wait staff was

pleasant and interactive. My only suggestion would be that waiters be a bit more attentive to the tables between courses to be sure guest requests, drink orders etc. are readily addressed. The food was delicious and presented well. Many positive comments about the food by all in attendance. I would recommend Le Bateau Iver to anyone planning a dinner or banquet event.

Doesn't Recommend

Lochardil

Joined 5 years ago

Good food, but you will wait and wait and the staff will ignore you. I wouldn't chose to go back to this place. The food was excellent when it arrived, but it took over 45 minutes to arrive. We would have ordered more, but you only have one life and I didn't want to waste more of mine sitting waiting. It was difficult to enjoy the food much as we were all so fed up with the wait by this the time it arrived.

Our server seemed to think that the best way to explain their slow service was to pretend we were invisible from the time he took our order to the time (45 minutes later) when it finally turned up - despite attempts to catch him as he ignored us. I would have thought it was just basic courtesy to apologize for a long wait and ask us if we wanted more drinks, but nothing, not even more water!

I finally cracked after 45 minutes and grabbed my nearest server, but he had a very bad attitude, seemed to not care less, he said as he was not our server there was nothing he could do.

A very boring and frustrating way to spend a Sunday lunchtime, I recommend you avoid this place unless you like long waits, being ignored and the staff seeming not to care less.

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roofus

Joined 6 years ago

Best Neighborhood Bistro in the Bay Area. Le Bateau Ivre -- This place is the greatest gem in the Bay Area. Food is excellent. But the ambience is what makes it special -- very continental and Bohemian -- like a neighborhood bistro in France. This isn't a restaurant experience -- it's family. Very comfortable furnishings like a country farmhouse. We've been coming here since it opened in the 70's. Our favorite place to go with friends or to be alone. On Mondays they feature live music at 7 pm Like a caberet/dining experience. Breakfast is inventive as well as traditional, fare is light but satisfying. Ingredients are fresh. Check it out!

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lindsaygun

Joined 6 years ago

Great food, staff and owners!. Bateau Ivre is a little gem of a place. It is:

1. A cozy breakfast nook;

2. A superb place to meet clients for lunch;

3. An all-around wonderful coffee and snack cafe (with free wireless);

4. A romantic dining spot complete with fireplace; and

5. A special place to hear live music on Monday evenings.

The friendly staff and the owners treat everyone like family. if you're ever in Berkeley, check it out! You won't be disappointed!

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bluemoya

Joined 6 years ago

Best brunch and Dinner. Wonderful variety of live music on several Monday nights too!. I feel this is styled more like a country Bistro with some California flare and twists. Brunch is always a pleasure and specials for dinner vary and are quite well done. French onion soup is great. Brunch with Eggs benedict with house smoked salmon is great! Lunch salad composee' always tasty. One of my favorites is the pork chop over spinach salad. Meats are always carefully done to perfection and if you like drinks try their well stocked bar or just splurge on a amarreto shake. Finish off dinner with chocolate sundae or the cheese plate to help you on your way to food bliss. Atmosphere is highly dependant on where you sit. Bruch on the outside patio for fresh air. Dine in the sunny southside room and feel like your in a warm cafe. Dine in the back cosy fireplace room and feel nestled in and romantic. Ooops did I forget to mention you can eat and WiFi the afternoon away if you want too? If your really interested chat up the owner about music or the crazy plans of how Cal Trans is gonna ruin east 14th to telegraph avenue. Or chat up the lady of the house about her latest cookie baking or what she put in the display case to celebrate Bastile day. It is a family run place since the 70's. So longevity comes with some great benefits. Its a fixture and highly involved with the neighborhood. Passionate about the food the area and the future. See you all there soon.

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cafe_hound

Joined 6 years ago

Lovely hangout, wifi. I like this place a lot, I find the staff really nice, a great place to bring friends and sit at the fireplace or alone with my laptop. They have two bathrooms now, also. Perfect outdoor setting also for brunch especially, or dinners when it's warm.

[Editing my earlier review: I am very confused by the several horrible prior reviews by users with numbers in their names. Their reviews don't fit with my experience. I notice they have written only one review each ... makes me wonder if it's the same person under a different name? I don't know, those reviews just seem extreme.]