Downtown

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2102 Shattuck Ave
Berkeley, CA 94704

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(510) 649-3810
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Restaurants

Related categories:

Food & Dining

Reviews
( 6 )
( 7 )
( 3 )
( 1 )
( 6 )

Best

We had great pasta and halibut at downtown! Good music, but a little loud for conversation--maybe would try sitting in the back room? Pros: Food! Cons: parking

Worst

Downtown is a chic spot for a pre-theater dinner or post theater drink. Located on the same block as the Berkeley Rep, Aurora Theater, Jazz School and Capoiera Arts Cafe, downtown...

Great spot for pre-theater bite 3/8/2009

EssEffMom Provided by Partner
We started by sharing the veggie fritto plate -- delicious zucchini and fennel -- then sampled several of the entrees. Everyone enjoyed their meals. Pros: Great location; nice, open space; enjoyable food Cons: We had to leave before sampling dessert more
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Food is really good, definitely pricey, but... 12/11/2007

sabrinat Provided by Partner
Food is really good, definitely pricey, but the experience was worth it! Very classy. more
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Food is really good, definitely pricey, but... 12/11/2007

sabrinat Provided by Partner
Food is really good, definitely pricey, but the experience was worth it! Very classy. more
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Big disappointment 10/20/2007

janzgemz Provided by Partner
Our server acted like he couldn't care less - never saw him after he took our order. The 'new' menu is a disappointment. Small portions, food so-so, overpriced food & drinks. No attention to customer service. There are so many better places to spend your time and money. Will not go back again. Pros: Location Cons: Service, price, portions more
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HORRIBLE. this is the worst kind of... 9/9/2007

Alinna Provided by Partner
HORRIBLE. this is the worst kind of restaurant -- pretentious and overpriced with subpar food. the decor was tacky (think local artwork where a b... more
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HORRIBLE. this is the worst kind of... 9/9/2007

Alinna Provided by Partner
HORRIBLE. this is the worst kind of restaurant -- pretentious and overpriced with subpar food. the decor was tacky (think local artwork where a b... more
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Classy Dinner for 2 11/29/2006

Peter Provided by Partner
In the mood for dinner while listening to some jazzy singers? This is the place to go. Your meal will be on the pricier side, but not exorbitantly ... more
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Classy Dinner for 2 11/29/2006

Peter Provided by Partner
In the mood for dinner while listening to some jazzy singers? This is the place to go. Your meal will be on the pricier side, but not exorbitantly ... more
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great food! 4/23/2006

andrey500 Provided by Partner
We had great pasta and halibut at downtown! Good music, but a little loud for conversation--maybe would try sitting in the back room? Pros: Food! Cons: parking more
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unimpressive with poor cost performance 3/11/2006

alchemist Provided by Partner
Our service was good, our waitress was good, the food was unimpressive, two of the three cocktails we ordered were good but not remarkable, I thought the beer list was more pretentious than excellent although it was nice to see locally made beers on the menu. If our bill had been $100 less for the six of us I would recommend the restaurant. Pros: location Cons: price more
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Good dinner spot after the theater 2/11/2006

jcmarzili Provided by Partner
First time visit was good experience. Good service, good food, good music. Will try again. Pros: Nice place, Good jazz band, Good food Cons: None more
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More like the Top 100 Worst 10/6/2005

dtidman74 Provided by Partner
Our server was fine, but the maitree'd came over numerous times to top off our wine (obviously trying to encourage us to buy another bottle) and he actually took the bottle before it was empty. We're talking at least a 1/3 of glass left. We mentioned it to our server, but dropped the issue even though the chianti was $65.00. On our way out, he stopped us - mind you without us saying a thing to him - and told us that we were mistaken and nothing was left in bottle. My friend began to argue with him until the maitree'd said "I know what I'm doing --- do you want to see my resume?" Our entire party was shocked. Of course we'll never go back, not withstanding that the risotto was cold and unappetizing, our oysters took probably a half hour, and the desserts tasted as universally terrible. Pros: music, drinks, atmosphere Cons: food, maitree'd, cost more
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Great Food and Jazz 9/25/2005

bootman82 Provided by Partner
Downtown is a great place to go for delicious food and great jazz. I've been with my wife a few times and took my parents there once as well and everytime it has been wonderful. The music creates a very nice atmosphere but isn't too loud for conversation. The lighting is also just right and the decor is very interesting. The house marinated olives are outstanding and the lamb dishes I've had (a coupld of different specials) were excellent every time. The wine is good but pricey. Entrees are around $20 which is very reasonable considering the live entertainment and quality of food. Portions are not huge so I suggest getting a salad or appetizer, but if you are trying to save a little money take advantage of the fresh baked bread. Pros: Jazz, Atmosphere, Food Cons: View of Bart Station more
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Food is a BIG disappointment 7/15/2005

johair1969 Provided by Partner
THis place was totally hyped up by a friend of mine and boy was I disappointed. There were four of us and everyone had an appetizer and an entree and nearly everything tasted sub-par. I sent back my Niman Ranch Pork (one of the reasons I wanted to come) back because it was overcooked and tasted drier the second time around! We all tried everything at the table and even though everything else was edible, nobody was crazy about any of the food (unfortunate to say the least). This was VERY DISAPPOINTING especially considering how much we paid. We would have been really upset had they not bought out desserts for us and took off the Pork (nice heads-up by the waiter), but still that's the least they could do. A restaurant with $20 entrees should at least have food that is edible. Pros: jazz, near BART Cons: FOOD, FOOD, FOOD more
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Can't wait to go back 6/7/2005

dlee3 Provided by Partner
I heard some bad stuff about his place but I was pleasantly surprised. My husband made the reservation through Open Table and noted that it would be our first time at Downtown. To our pleasant surprise, we received the house speciality Fried Olives on the house, so it was nice to know they're paying attention. The rest of our meal was fine and Alison, our waitress, was exceptional. Being such a food person and dining out so frequently, my husband and I are use to such poor service but not this time. Our waitress, and the rest of the staff for that matter, had many questions and everyone answered them without hesitation. I'll definatly return soon and encourage others to do the same. Take this from me -- we're restaurant people and everyone was very pleased Donna L. Pros: service, food Cons: too dark, noisy more
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I Recommend Downtown 4/23/2005

michconn4 Provided by Partner
I wasn't expecting the music nor for it to be so busy & loud, but we enjoyed ourselves none the less. My husband and I have been twice now mainly because it's located so close to the Berkeley Rep and the food is awfully good considering how quickly it comes out. I recommend going after your show being that it is much quieter then. The wines were intimidating but the server and maitree d' helped us find something lovely for our meal (risotto & steak were very nice). Even though we both HATED the music, we had a good time (the jazz was, both time, a downer). P.S. It was nice to be in a restaurant where everyone smiled for a change -- such a rarity today! Pros: close to theater, food, service Cons: music, music, music more
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Yummy 4/3/2005

yogalisa250 Provided by Partner
I hadn't been to DowntownRestaurant before until a group of co-workers and I went in on a Thursday and ended up staying for dinner even though we were intending on having a just a drink. I thought the atmosphere would be stuffy but I was wrong. There was live music, which ended up being very soothing, and prices for food and drinks for the bay area were reasonable considering how exquisite the presentation of stuff was. Try their Strawberry Cosmo -- YUMM Pros: Music, Bar, Food Cons: Crowded more
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Hidden Gem 3/21/2005

matteastbay1978 Provided by Partner
First off, the music was spectacular and there's no cover charge. My friends and I had a cozy table in the middle of the dining room and stayed longer than expected because the ambience was so inviting. Our server was very accomodating too, and helped us choose an appropriate wine for dinner. The food was equally good. I had the whole fish and it was delightful as was everyone else's food I tried. I can't wait to go back. As soon as people learn about this spot it'll never be empty. Pros: Ambience, Music, Food more
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Relaxed, yummy & fun 3/21/2005

georgia33 Provided by Partner
I stopped by Downtown on a Saturday night after a show with a friend of mine for a quiet, quick drink but was surprised what a lively spot it had become. The staff was nice enough to give us a table in the dining room even though we were just drinking, and the waitress was very accomodating and gave us some helpful suggestions for wine (try a glass of the gruner veltliner -- very tasty) . The atmosphere was casual and the music was loud, but never annoying or irksome. I actually came back the following week and had dinner with friends and we were all pleasantly surprised. The mussels with crayfish was amazing, and the german chocolate cake for dessert was such a hit at our table. Trust me -- visit Downtown Pros: music, drinks, food more
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Disappointed 3/11/2005

lovef Provided by Partner
I was recommend to this restaurant as a the only up-scale (post theatre) dining location in Berkeley. (The negatives) The live music was way too loud for us to sit in the main dining area. We ordered mojitos, which was on the speciality drink menu, and they were awful. We ordered the Seafood Fritto and the Seared Ahi Tuna Poke and both were bland and flavorless. Our entrees [Seabass, Chicken, Salmon, Halibut] were plain, bland, uneventful and boring. We ordered the Panna Cotta for dessert and it was gross. (The positives) The decor and service were good (Overall) If it were not for the friendliness of our waitrees and the great service she gave us, we would have left. I would not recommend this restaurant for dinner or their bar for a drink. Pros: location, service, decor Cons: bland food, bad drinks, loud music more
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