La Note

01/12/2008 Posted by berkeleybartender

First off, the menu is very hard to read and navigate, because I do not know French. Even with that, the choices are few and bland. I ordered french toast, and creme fraiche pancakes. The french toast was not what I was expecting and tasted too eggy and sugary. They sprinkled the entire dish with powdered sugar. Later, I was left with a disgusting egg, sugar and maple syrup after-taste that managed to survive until I went to bed. I was reminded of my mistaken adventure to La Note throughout the day as I fought back the regurgitating egg mixed with maple syrup and powdered sugar. The french toast tasted too "eggy" for my taste. The pancakes also had lots of powdered sugar on them and tasted pretty bland, except for the sugar. Later, we discovered a dead fly lying on the pancakes. The people of La Note were kind enough though to not charge us for that one dish. The total for just the french toast was $11. I thought that going to La Note, I would be getting a unique and French take on breakfast, but I don't think I did. On the good side, the food was nicely displayed, and the decor was pretty.

Pros: Decor, presentation

Cons: overpriced for average quality food

09/29/2007 Posted by andy261

I'm not a morning person, but La Note was worth getting up early for. We started out with the bread basket, which was really good in itself, but when my oatmeal raspberry pancakes came I seriously couldn't put my fork down. Although the wait can be quite long (30-45 minutes isn't unusual), if you have the time, it's well worth a visit!

Pros: food, service

Cons: wait

08/27/2007 Posted by versailles79

Went to La Note for the first time recently and LOVED IT! Food was excellent, delicious, and wholesome (cranberry oatmeal pancakes, lavendar honey, fresh apple juice). The outdoor patio is gorgeous, with overhanging fruit trees, cute tablecloths, and intimidate setting. We waited for about 30 mins for a party of 4 for Sunday brunch. Prices are high, but decent for the quality of food ($60 for 4 ppl). The entire restaurant is just fun and reminds me a French café. The servers there even speak french to each other.

Pros: delicious food, european ambiance

Cons: wait time

04/24/2007 Posted by n8fig1

Me and some friends came to eat at La Note on a Saturday morning (we went early because we heard about the crowds). We were seated immediately by a beautiful hostess with dark hair who let us sit at the big family table in the middle of the restaurant. Our server was prompt and efficient, she took our order and returned almost immedieatley with our drinks and appetizer (the toasted brioche is sooooo good with butter and lavender honey). I had the creme fraiche pancakes, they were pretty normal, but the creme fraiche made them somehow creamy and rich. My partner had the Cote Sud, with these spicy lamb sausages that were to die for! Our server was french, she was pretty and funny in this really blunt french way, tres authentic. She showed us the patio as well, although it wasn't open at the time. I plan to come back in the summer to sit out there and pretend I am in Provence.

Pros: Delicious food, friendly staff

Cons: Long waits, a little pricey

04/14/2007 Posted by chickenbone

I have been to La Note twice for breakfast. The first experience two weeks ago was so-so. I had the pancakes which were OK. (Everyone else I was with made better choices.) The service was a bit slow but tolerable. We went again today at 8:30. We waited an hour to be seated. Granted, we had a party of 9 and it was unusually crowded for that time but table/seating management was horrible. There were at least two instances where tables could have been put together for us but the hostess was waiting for one specific table. (Those people had walked in right before us.) Ordinarily I am a patient man but since our party had two pregnant women and three toddlers who were melting down because they were hungry, I found this to be unacceptable. I had to keep asking the hostess what was going on and felt like I had to help her do her job. We had to be seated in shifts so the kids and mom's could eat. They ordered a croissant to tide over the (crying) kids and that took to a while to arrive. (At lease she brought extra napkins in the meantime) Once we were seated, it took 15+ minutes to get coffee (isn't it already roasted?), and only after I had to remind the waitress. Once our food came, our waitress didn't come to check on us. I tried in vain to flag her down two times for coffee. However, when it was time to pay the bill, that was handled expediently. The food was good (eggs, potatoes and bacon) but the wait and poor service greatly detracted from the dining experience. I advise going only if you have lots of time and are extremely patient.

Cons: Service, Wait time, Service

03/08/2007 Posted by hotcakes

This really feels like France and the food is tasty and creative. However, the lines are very long, the service is slow and doesn't know how to properly keep their waiting list. It's also more expensive than other Berkeley breakfast spots. I'll keep going back once in a while though, just for the atmosphere.

Pros: fantastic atmosphere, good food, feels like France

Cons: poor service, long waits, crowded and good be a better value

12/04/2006 Posted by cuisinenoi

Good breakfast but bad service. This was our first time there so we've only tried their French toast and ham omelette. The French toast was good but only 3 slices of that and didnt come with any sides. The omelette was light and fluffy and you can substitute their potatoes for tomatoes provencale which is better. Food is good but service was very unattentive, mainly our waittress. Took awhile before she would even drop by and take our order. Never once did she check in on us, had to try really hard to catch her attention just to get the bill. However, the hostess was nice and friendly and she even brought us our water and actually checked in on us. The waitress could sure take a lesson from the hostess. As for the atmosphere, it's got a rustic look-n-feel, however, they could sure use a sweeping of their floors and you can see dropped utensils and lots of dust and dirt.

Pros: good food

Cons: unattentive wait staff, long lines, dirty floors

11/16/2006 Posted by ebayfoodie

The first few times I ate at La Note, I came to enjoy their fabulous breakast items. Several meals later I returned for lunch and dinner and discovered that all of their dishes - no matter what time of day - are delicious. I've tried at least half of their menu items during my visits and can say that you will never be disappointed. My favorites are their gingerbread pancakes w/poached pears and their open-face bleu cheese stuffed "burger" served with roasted potatoes and whole garlic cloves. If you go early when they open for dinner on the weekends, you'll be seated quickly, but once 7pm rolls around expect a wait. Service is always friendly and professional and the setting is cozy enough for a solo breakfast on a weekday, but also fitting for a romantic dinner.

Pros: outdoor patio for warm weather days

Cons: parking can be difficult on weekends

10/21/2006 Posted by pualemi

J'adore La Note! When the financial gods are kind (yes, you won't find the cheap prices of an IHOP breakfast sampler), my family and I trek over to Berkeley from San Lorenzo for a great breakfast. My boys (6 & 4) love the the Oeufs a la Coque while my husband opts for the Thon Grille sandwich. Hands down, we all LOVE the Creme Fraiche pancakes! Though we've experienced the pains of an hour-long wait, we usually grace the place between the 8-9am or 12-2p (that way the hubbie gets his sandwich) and are seated promptly. The wait staff is wonderful and friendly. When the weather permits, the outside patio area makes a charming backdrop to a great meal.

10/21/2006 Posted by carstruck

Coming back from France and missing it tres tres - my friend told me about this incredible restaurant to check out for Sunday brunch. All the food was incredibly done - all fresh ingredients, great coffee. Tres bon! Expect lines but the wait is WORTH every minute.

Pros: Fresh ingredients, great coffee, friendly staff

Cons: Loud, European set-up of tables (close to each other), Parking