Went back to Five again(as promised, only because someone else chose it), and they nailed it this time. Food was excellent and the service spot-on. The location is great for Berkeley Rep, so I’m sure I’ll eat there again.
Gloria Z.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Oakland, CA
My review is for the Mother’s Day brunch buffet. The buffet was incredibly overpriced and the most mediocre food I’ve ever had. For the four of us, it was almost $ 400(plus tax and gratuity). Well… you do the math. There was pork, salmon, chicken, and steak as the meat options. The pork and chicken were super dry, salmon and steak were okay — everything was severely under seasoned. The rest of the options for brunch were just kind of sad. No bacon, no sausages, no hash… not really any brunch foods. There was some French toast, eggs benedict, and omelette and crêpe stations. Nothing really to rave about. Honestly, I’ve been to buffets that were a million times better and half the price. Also, the décor at the hotel was tacky and outdated… very meh. Would not come back.
Lianne G.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 San Mateo, CA
Two stars for the food. We had a fixed menu due to the size of our party. I had the mac and cheese to start, the salmon and risotto for my main, and the mixed berry sorbet for dessert. All of it was great. The salmon was a tad overdone and dry, but it had good flavor. Oh. The biscuit basket Hard to just have one! –3 stars because dinner took over 3 hours. Horrible service. THREEHOURS. We were seated, and waited at least 20 minutes before anyone came to check to see if our server tended to us yet. It was another ten minutes before our server actually came around for our drink order — he didn’t introduce himself nor apologize for the wait. Another 20 minutes until drinks came. Another 20 before he came back for our order. SMH. He tended more to the two-or-three top tables… We watched him as he passed our table multiple times without addressing ANYTHING. No «how’s everything? Would you like I refill on your drinks? Etc» I had the TELL him we had been done with dinner and we’re ready for dessert. Why did we have to tell him that? Once dessert was served, we had to wait EVENMORE bc he didn’t bring utensils. And we never received our bill. So what did we do? We all stood up and started to say our farewells. And ONLYTHEN did he bring the check. Horrible. Horrible service. Thumbs down Five.
Melanie K.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Pleasant Hill, CA
Had my bridal brunch here and could not be happier with the food, mimosas(!) and service. My bridesmaids and I had such a fun time!
Heather D.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Oakland, CA
Visited Five for a quick drink and bite before a play. The restaurant was only seating for reservations but there was plenty of room at the huge bar. The bar has its own more limited menu but there was plenty to choose from. The cocktails were yummy, and the fries were hot and crispy and cannot be beat so don’t miss them. We also had the Asian meatballs and the shrimp tacos and there was not a miss among any of the dishes. Oh, and by the way, dining at Five in this manner is VERY easy on the wallet.
Radhika P.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Berkeley, CA
Bruv, this is one of them places that not only uses brunch as an excuse to honor the egg but also uses it as an excuse to honor all kinds of meats. As you may know, I’m not about that life so I was forced to order mac and cheese. This was no ordinary mac and cheese. Oh no. This had breadcrumbs that had a peculiar smokey taste on top and was made with orzo. All in all, a recipe for disaster, in my opinion. Literally nothing else(that was savory) on the menu. WHYYY. You’re based in Downtown Berkeley for god’s sake get it together. 50% of your audience is all about tofu and prana and ujjayi breath and you’re skimping on the veggies big time. When I asked the lady if any of the scrambles could be made with tofu she looked at me like I was cray. She also looked super pitiful when she explained that their dish du jour is some bacon contraption and it must suck to be a vegetarian. To which I promptly rolled my eyes. Tips: Don’t come here if y’all vegetarian. Come here if y’all carnivore AF and like cutesy décor.
Joanne D.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 San Francisco, CA
My awesome girls threw me a Baby Shower here. I’ve always wanted to go to this place and this was a nice way of enjoying a Brunch with my faves. I was actually looking at this place to possibly have my wedding here if it was going to be in the Bay. LOVE the décor and the cool chandeliers. The restaurant was definitely my style and something I would love to be a regular at. Too bad I live in Marin. I had the Bacon Omelette and it was definitely very Bacon-y. lol I wish I could have the Mimosa, but will have to come back when I’m not Prego to have this. I’m normally an Eggs Benedict person, but I can’t eat the yoke yet. :P I do want to bring my husband here, because he would love it too. The Staff was definitely attentive once our group arrived and they took care of us right away and we had our food out so fast. I definitely want to try other things here, because my friends Burgers and Fried Chicken looked amazing. My only complaint was it was a tad hot in there. Then again, it was warm that day and the day before it was cold and so I was wearing a long sleeve turtle neck. I should have checked the weather first before wearing what I wore and I was super HOT. Also, I wish they had Valet, because I thought I was running late and my HUGESUV is difficult to double park, I called before arriving and they told me there was a Parking structure across the street which helped.
Andrew C.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Oakland, CA
We liked the space with the tall ceilings and chic chandelier, but when it took 10 minutes for our waiter to acknowledge us after we were seated(«I didn’t notice you guys sitting there»), we should have been prepared for a mediocre evening. Bad service can be offset(somewhat) by excellent food, but despite having nice plating, all of our entrees(Lamb Shank Pappardelle Duck Breast «Creative» Salmon ) were pretty bland and the Lamb Shank Pappardelle also had a large clump of stuck together noodles( ). We wanted to ask for salt, but couldn’t get our server’s(or other staffs’) attention until we’d eaten most of our food. The one dish we thought was very good was the Asparagus & Smoked Gouda«Mac & Cheese»(their quotes as the pasta was fusilli ).
Christina L.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 American Canyon, CA
Held a small baby shower here for their weekend brunch & we all seemed to enjoy not only the décor, but the food was yummy. Had the Gourmet Five Burger & that was gobbled up within minutes. Bottomless mimosa is a good addition for it, too. Staff was friendly, & good location with the parking garage across the street.
Wing L.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Walnut Creek, CA
What a cute place with awesome décor! We decided to check this place out during Berkeley Restaurant Week for the $ 35 prix fixe dinner menu(which I thought was such a great deal for all the food we ate!) PARKING: SUCKS! Fortunately, we got lucky and snagged a street parking spot along the main street(free street parking after 6pm). We called ahead and asked if there was valet parking and whoever answered said«YES». Well, we arrived and was planning to valet our car when the greeter at the door said there was no valet impossible.(Educate your people!!) So we drove around the corner to find street parking(we got lucky — yay free parking). Otherwise, there’s a parking structure across the street(which you’ll have to pay for). FOOD: We ordered the scallops off the regular menu for an appetizer to share among the 3 of us. It came with 2 scallops over grits(pricey for the amount given, but it was so delicious!) All the options on the Restaurant Week menu were superb. I personally got the following: — Confit Duck Salad — Salmon — Red and Green Cheesecake SERVICE: Great! It was a very enjoyable experience and the server(Kudos to Will!) was very attentive and friendly. My water glass was always filled and he came to check if all was good at just the right times. LOCATION: On the first floor of the hotel, but what a hip hotel! The bar area was cool too. Definitely a great place for a brunch or a nice dinner.
Neville V.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Oakland, CA
The food was far too overpriced for what we got. This is clearly a classy place and the dishes have potential but burnt and dried out bacon and over poached and solid yolk eggs Benedict is not just acceptable for a $ 14 breakfast. $ 9 bottomless mimosas and amazing service are 2 of the 3 stars. Id go back for mimosas and to try the orzo mac and cheese, but would send it back if it was as bad as the bacon… I mean seriously… How do you screw up bacon!!!
Angela F.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 Berkeley, CA
I’ve been here a few times, most recently stopping in on a not so busy Thursday for their happy hour and was not impressed. First, we were waiting to be seated and completely ignored for a good 5 minutes. We went to find our own seating, and a waiter walked over and directed us to a table with one chair and disappeared. Assuming he was going to get an additional chair and menus, we waited for a few more minutes and finally dealt with the chair ourselves. After still waiting on menus, we thought it best to attempt to order with the bartender. He told us we’d have to wait for a waiter to help us. So we flag down a waiter(who seems visibility annoyed) to help us. I proceed to ask which wine he would suggest(within the happy hour pricing), and he says red. I ask if there’s just a ‘red wine’ or if it’s a specific varietal and he rolls his eyes and says he has no idea. Feeling defeated, I say ‘sure, I will take the red wine that is on happy hour special’ and he returns with our drinks and our order of pretzels, which were really tasty. We flagged down a waiter to cash out, and came to the realization that we were actually charged for the most expensive Pinot noir on the menu and not the mystery ‘red wine’ he spoke of. After letting the server know of this mistake, he shrugs it off and still charges us full price for the drinks. We left super annoyed, and despite how delicious the soft pretzels with cheese were, we will not be coming back again.
Danny S.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Novato, CA
It’s brunch time. Go for the Eggs Benedict. Really good potatoes with onion on the side. Bottomless mimosas. Nice large dining room. Closes at 1 so go early. Parking garage next door. They take reservations.
Jaime T.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Orange County, CA
I love their orzo mac n cheese. It is a fun twist from the usual with a sundried tomato relish on top. The burger is heaven and cooked perfectly The biscuits are soft, pillowy pockets of goodness I wasn’t really thrilled on their breakfast. The service and the food selection are both lacking. The food is pretty standard in the morning. It lacks imagination based on the lunch and dinner offerings.
Liv A.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 San Francisco, CA
Haven’t been back to FIVE in a few years and decided to try it out for brunch. It was definitely quiet for a Sunday as only a quarter of the dining room was filled. I’d say that half of the patrons are guests staying at the hotel. The rest are likely Cal students or just random patrons like us. With all the crowded restaurants around downtown Berkeley, it’s nice to come to a place without having to worry about a long wait. Brunch menu had a lot of great savory and sweet choices in addition to some heartier dishes. I went with the mushroom omelet which was also filled with onions, spinach and cheddar cheese. I subbed sliced tomatoes in the place of the taters. English muffin was my choice of carb. Everything was standard and omelet was loaded with butter, so pack on the guilt. For $ 13 not bad at all. Friend uno ordered the burger which was nicely presented on a cutting board. It had all the fixins piled high, but she did note that the meat patty was crumbling apart. Friend dos ordered the french toast with berries along with a side of bacon and scrambled egg. The french toast was slightly under cooked as it looked very mushy and wet towards the center. She left that untouched and notified the waitress. They ended up taking $ 9 off the tab which was a nice gesture. Service was good but a little on the slow side. At times our waitress was no where to be found and our glasses were empty. She was friendly and cordial overall. Based on my past experience and today’s experience, I’d recommend FIVE for brunch/lunch over dinner. Good place to catch up with friends for a casual dining experience in a well decorated restaurant.
Joanna W.
Évaluation du lieu : 3 Evanston, IL
Three words to summarize this experience: SERVICEISSOSLOW(wait that’s 4 words) ok. Yea and also I don’t think the food worth all the dough I spent. But it wasn’t too bad. My mom and I ordered(too much food): orzo mac and cheese(4⁄5): This is a nice twist on mac and cheese! I don’t know what they sprinkled on top but it gives the dish a crispy texture that I love. The tomato jam that went with it spiced up the game. French Toast(3⁄5): Average. The whipped cream it comes with is kind of gross… Not the best french toast I had but not the worse either. Mushroom Omelette(3⁄5): Average as well. No comment. There were lots of left overs since we really couldn’t finish everything… Especially the french toast coz it was too sweet to enjoy… Yea won’t come back if I’m in the area again.
Gwynnie p.
Évaluation du lieu : 2 San Francisco, CA
Nice room, I’d give that part of it 5 stars. But oh my they worked my last nerve! The heirloom tomato salad had awful cold and mealy tomatoes. All of the other ingredients were awesome, and the plate looked lovely.(I did ask the manager to report to the kitchen that the tomatoes weren’t good at all. No idea if that happened). I asked for my mac and cheese to not have the ham in it, but it was served with the meat. Again I pointed this out and the waiter mumbled something about he did see one without meat, he must have picked up the wrong one. Ok. My mom thoroughly enjoyed her salmon, so that was a win. But I got really pissed off a couple of days later when I got an email from OpenTable saying I hadn’t honored my reservation. I said yes, we were there, then the OT reply was that I needed to send a copy of my receipt to them. What a hassle! Five, get your act together. We won’t be back.
Eric T.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 Antioch, CA
The overall food quality, freshness and friendly staff is very good. The Clam Chowder was very salty but eating it with bread it was okay. The mac n cheese was one of the best we tasted but(as expected) once it sat there for a about ten minutes, it got cold and clumpy. The asparagus with nice and fresh too. Their main course cost as much as those other famous restaurants, but the quality and freshness is there. The duck breast over risotto was perfect. The steak had great flavor and fingerling potatoes. The cheese ravioli was also delicious, and the pan seared salmon was very fresh. Unfortunately the dessert was a bit of a let down. The Tiramisu dessert looks good, but wasn’t that good. The Crème Brulee had a good crust but was too watery as if it hadn’t set properly before it was served. The sorbet ice cream was nice. Their homemade lemon cheesecake was okay but in all honesty I couldn’t tell the difference between theirs and the ones you get from Claim Jumper. A dinner with four adults and two kids will set you back close to $ 375(including tips) but overall it’s one of the better high end dining experience in the downtown Berkeley area.
Owie N.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 San Francisco, CA
I have been here twice and each time I was here, I ended up at the bar ordering Moscow Mule. They make a strong mule I tell ya! Located inside a hotel, Five is a restaurant that has a bar area, across from the lobby. Nice black and white décor with beautiful chandeliers. Come here for a drink, unwind, and relaxed. Cheers!
Tram N.
Évaluation du lieu : 4 San Francisco, CA
I’ve heard mixed reviews about this place but my experience was amazing! Great food, amazing atmosphere and awesome servers. We had a reservation for dinner around 7PM on Saturday and the place was fairly empty. I love the atmosphere. Very quiet and classy with a nice modern touch to it. Appetizers: (+) Dungeness Crab Salad. Possibly one of my favorite appetizers that I’ve tried. The dungeness crab is super fresh and the avocado was delicious! What a perfect appetizer to start out an amazing meal. All of the flavors were perfectly balanced and accompanied each other very well. (/) Chilled Poached Prawns. It was meh compared to the crab salad. Although I love the sweetness from the mangos at the bottom, the shrimp itself didn’t really stand out to me. I understand that it was poached but I just wish there were more flavors to the overall dish. Main: (+/) Pan-Seared Scallops. First, the scallops itself were done perfectly! They were huge and it was probably the best scallops I have ever tried. The white corn and broke rice went perfectly with the scallops but there was also calamari and tomato purée in the dish. I feel like the scallops and the white corn were good by itself but when I tried everything together with the calamari and tomato purée, it just didn’t go well together. Not a big fan of the sour tomato purée in my dish. Overall, I loved it but the flavors just didn’t work altogether for me. The scallops were amazing. Dessert: (+) Crème Brûlée (+) Butterscotch Pudding. Both dishes were a perfect addition to our meal. The butterscotch pudding was a bit way too sweet but it was butterscotch so I had to expected it to be that sweet. The crème brûlée was so good! Though I wish I could have tasted the tea extract a bit more. Overall, the waiter was super nice. We asked him to take a picture for us during dinner and props to him for knowing all of the angles and different lightings to get a perfect group picture! :) The serve was phenomenal and the food was delicious. Definitely not a cheap dinner for your taste in Berkeley but it was worth the experience if you’re looking for some classy dinner experience once a while.