A funky downtown restaurant that seems to have been here forever. It's cute and pleasant with a modest menu. The food is just all right, nothing special, and as a result, it was empty on a Saturday night when other places were booked full.;
The Indian side of the menu is limited in selection, but everything done to perfection. The curry sauces are exquisite. I've had 8 items off the menu so far, in three different visits, and all shone. Although different in purpose and nature – easily as...good as the bell-weather Ajanta across the street. They also have a Western cuisine side of things which is creative, and sometimes extraordinary, especially the Breakfast items.More
Stopped in with the family after a day of sightseeing. Loved all of our meals, even tho my salad was supposed to come with grilled peaches and oranges (they subbed pear, giving it a totally different vibe). Will definitely come here again!
We tried Venus Benedict, Classic Biscuits and Gravy, and pancakes. Eggs poached were done perfect, with little runny yolks. Hollandaise sauce was delicious. However, their pancakes were superb!. They are light and fluffy, not bread like. We enjoyed these and will be back for many...more times. Place was clean Staff was friendly.More
Stopped in for lunch, and really happy I did. Loved the menu selection, and was very pleased with my choice. The waitstaff was wonderful and patient. Will be back!
When we come visit our Cal student child, every 2,3 months, we invariably come to either Venus or La Note for breakfast/brunch. Unlike the other breakfast/brunch place, Venus is easy going and let you sit and wait at a table for your party to gather....Staff are very kind and accommodating. With comparable quality of food among breakfast/brunch places on Shattuck, we found courteous service and great attitude of servers to be very important.More
Found myself alone one evening for dinner and stopped into Venus. I was the only one there and service was great! Crab cake on salad and a glass of premier wine. Pricey but enjoyable and comfortable as a solo.
We have gone twice now—once with two of our children and once by ourselves. Both times we had brunch. Although I can not recommend the mochas—they were what my husband called “unremarkable,” I can recommend a few things on the brunch menu. We have tried...the Indian Brunch, the Autumn Scramble (get the morning muffin!), and the Ricotta Pancakes. All were delicious! Service was also great.More
We were brought here with friends that live one town over while visiting CA last week. The wait staff was attentive, the breakfast was delicious (challah french toast, lemon ricotta pancakes, eggs and sausage). Our friends eat here often and say it's one of their...favorite restaurants in an area where there are many restaurants to choose from. This place is worth seeking out.More
I have been to the Berkeley original many times, and was anxious to try the new location on Solano Avenue. Not crowded and it did not disappoint. Omelettes are terrific with multiple variations and the morning muffin is fabulous! Many different breakfast/brunch possibilities and substitute...the potatoes (meh) for salad. Really all sorts of egg and meat choices. Service is new, so it take time to get them used to it.More
yummy lunch here. Split the check w 2 credit cards. Coordinating the tip at 20%, I saw that my friend tipped $7 and I tipped $3.50. Huh? SHE followed the suggested 20% tip on the receipt...but I had figured it in my head. The split...visa tags did not split the tip. Would have tipped 40% of the meal if we had both followed the tipping guide. Beware!!!More
Had breakfast there this morning and was SO FRUSTRATED by the experience. Here is what I wanted to say on my way out: 1. Look like you care about the people who want to spend money and time in your restaurant. From the man who...seated me to the person who took my order to the runner who brought me my food and bill, not one person looked like they were happy to be there or to serve the people who came in for service. 2. A lot of your tables wobble. Badly. This spills things and makes the meal unpleasant. Help people fix this or fix it in advance! I struggled with trying to fix my own table for some time before anyone helped me. 3. Some people like sweetener with their coffee. Please bring some, or ask if they want it - don’t make me chase you down for it. And with the coffee and sweetener, why not bring a little spoon? The spoons in the tub on the table are great for large bowls of soup, but not for a small cappuccino. AND, the sweetener came in a plastic cup that also included trash from the previous user, spilled sugar in the bottom, a dollop of jam, and a live ant who walked around in there during my whole meal. 4. If some parts of the meal take longer to prepare, keep the other parts warm. I waited 20 minutes for two scrambled eggs and two sausages. The eggs and plate were cold when they arrived, although the sausages were piping hot. 5. Check in to see how things are going. Any single one of the items mentioned above could have been dealt with quickly and with a smile and they would have disappeared as concerns. Although there were only 9 customers in the restaurant, I felt ignored and unimportant. I had the most contact with the runner, who brought me my food, cleared my place, and brought me my bill. 6. The taste of the food was great. With the exception of the cold eggs/plate, the challenges of the new Solano restaurant seem to be 100% front-of-the-house issues. Thank you for opening a new space - I am looking forward to things coming together!More
We had a weekend in San Francisco area and happened up this spot for a cozy breakfast with excellent cappuccinos, tasty egg-based breakfasts with delicious fresh biscuits and friendly waitstaff
My wife liked her ricotta-lemon pancakes which she described as good, but not fantastic. My scrambled eggs with apple sausage was OK, but I could have done without the potatoes. Actually, the best part of my breakfast was the muffin which was quite tasty.
A small and friendly cafe recently opened on Solano Ave. (It's a sister cafe to the one on Shattuck Ave.) We enjoyed breakfast -- got there early and beat the crowd. Breakfast choices mostly consist of omelettes and pancakes. Lunch items are also available. The...Nantucket flapjacks were light and delicious. The lemon ricotta pancakes also got a thumbs up. Venus has a big pizza oven and you can get pizza for breakfast! They give away a slice of pizza with every drink during happy hour, which is from 5-9 pm. Sounds like a good deal. Worth checking out!More
