I don't get to come here very often but am delighted every visit! Each breakfast dish is delicious, whether it's the fluffy eggs or pancakes. There's a reason for the absurdly long waits on weekends. Thankfully you're able to put your name down, give a phone number, and wander around a bit with a coffee before you're texted for a table. It's a bit chaotic in there always and the tables inside are very close to one another. That being said, it's all part of the experience/charm. They do have a rule now about not being able to bring outside beverages (why?) but usually if you go for coffee right away you'll be able to finish before your table is ready.

This was a great stop and hidden gem in Berkeley. Great twist on French cuisine. Setting was great, staff was great, patio was very European, and overall experience was great. Will definitely be back to try some other items.

La Note is my boyfriend's and my favorite brunch spot! We live in San Francisco, but we would occasionally drive across the Bay Bridge just to dine here. Wait time: We usually come here on the weekends when they don't accept reservations. We have been seated faster than the estimated wait time every time we went, but I would recommend joining the waitlist on the Yelp app in advance if you can. However, sometimes, they just close the waitlist on the app, so you may have to join at the reception desk at the front. Seating: This time, we were seated in their outside space, which we enjoyed a lot. The table is a lot bigger than the inside one and we did not feel cramped like we did inside before. There are heaters, but extra jackets and blankets might come in handy on chilly days. Food: Definitely order the pastry basket! It comes with 4 different pastries (plain croissant, almond croissant, pain au chocolat, and morning bun) and is perfect for starting out the brunch with a cup of coffee. I ordered les oeufs lucas (scrambled eggs with goat cheese and chives served with roasted tomatoes), and my boyfriend ordered omelette fromage et jambon (Emmenthal cheese and ham omelet). Both were cooked to perfection. I really enjoyed having my eggs with tomatoes on sourdough bread toast. Service: It is an extremely busy place and the service is on the slower side. Sometimes, our request was forgotten, and we had to ask again a couple of times. We also had to wait for the coffee refill with our empty cups for a while.

I'm almost embarrassed to admit I had never been here before. I say 'almost' because it was always packed when I walked by, and let's face it, I don't really crave French bistro fare like I do for other types of food. However, I finally decided to rectify 25 years of ignorance and got Jamie W to come here on an early Saturday afternoon for brunch. As I expected, there was a 45-minute wait, so we did a few laps around the block. What the hell? We needed the steps anyway. Once we were seated, I was torn between the omelettes and French toast and surprised myself by ordering the $25 bowl of Ratatouille Madame, a healthy-tasty vegetable stew that provided instant comfort. It featured eggplant, zucchini, tomatoes mixed with fresh herbs and Parmesan cheese topped with two poached eggs, all of it over rosemary couscous (photo: https://yelp.to/UM0jPmCLCO). What a delight and the extra egg was a nice treat. Jamie kept it very low-key and ordered the $3.75 Croissant aux Amandes, a more buttery version of the regular with almond cream and icing sugar (photo: https://yelp.to/ZDCbgLsjxU) and the $10 Irish Coffee (photo: https://yelp.to/WUpCOpAQ0-). It was like I was on a Provençal farm, and he was at a sidewalk cafe on the Champs-Elysees. The place was bustling all the way through their 3PM closing, but the young French waiter was attentive throughout. FOOD - 4 stars...the ratatouille was just right with the eggs AMBIANCE - 4 stars...captures the French countryside vibe SERVICE - 4.5 stars...the server was on the ball TOTAL - 4 stars...I guess I like French bistro fare RELATED - Exploring Berkeley? Here's my collection of places I've patronized and reviewed: https://bit.ly/2CbVh8u

Interior is quite rustic--more of a casual brunch spot. Food is pricey but worth the occasional indulgence. I love how the flavors are light but rich, quite typical of French cuisine. The crème fraiche pancake was a bit dry for my taste. Excited to try the other pancakes and toasts in the future. They give a heaping portion of potatoes, which are divine. Waiter was SUPER attentive and friendly. However, some of the staff were lounging around, which felt unprofessional.

I miss living in Berkeley because La Note is hands down my favorite brunch place. French brunch?? Please, where else can I find this? The outdoor and indoor dining areas are both cute, though I'd recommend outside if weather permits because it's so pretty and less claustrophobic than inside. The service is always friendly, although the wait times can get pretty long (it's worth the wait). While you're waiting, there's a cool bookstore next door you can browse around. My go to order is the Cote Nord. The scrambled eggs are soft and buttery and the roasted tomatoes provide a perfect acidity to balance out the creamy eggs and cream cheese/goat cheese it comes with. I want to try their other menu items but I'm so smitten with the Cote Nord, I always get it. My friends have gotten the pancakes and other dishes which have also been really good.