Berkeley Restaurant Week is in full swing, and it’s such a great way to try out restaurants around the area! During Restaurant Week, participating restaurants set a fixed menu of their choosing for a set price. Typically, you get one appetizer, one entree and one dessert for $25-$40 depending on how upscale the restaurant is. We advise that you do some of your own research beforehand to see all Restaurant Week has to offer. There are tons of choices and while it may seem expensive, after digging a little deeper, you will find there are some great deals this week! After scrolling through several menus, we’ve selected some standouts from a variety of types of food that can get you a great deal.
Kirin
Kirin is a restaurant on Berkeley’s Northside that offers traditional Chinese cuisine. Its Restaurant Week offer is a steal at only $25 for lunch or dinner! With this deal, you can choose between two appetizers, two sides, one of five main entrees and a dessert! Kirin is a standout for many reasons. It is rare for a restaurant to offer a side in addition to the appetizer and entree, so you’re already getting more bang for your buck. The fact that they also offer five entrees to choose from is huge! Most other restaurants are much more limited in what you can order, but Kirin has a lot of flexibility.
Cesar
Another restaurant that stands out for a flexible option is Cesar. Cesar is a Spanish restaurant situated on Shattuck Avenue that is known for its tapas. For Restaurant Week, it offers a complete tapas menu! You can choose three tapas out of the 17 options that they offer. We recommend you make this more of an experience by going with at least one other person or even a group. That way, you can order a variety of different tapas and get to try six or more menu items rather than three. You also get to choose from six desserts, which is much more than at most other restaurants this week. Cesar is offering this at $40, which may seem like a lot, but if you go with others, you will be able to try a multitude of fun and flavorful tapas.
Trattoria La Siciliana
A cozier option might be this small neighborhood Italian restaurant in Elmwood. Trattoria La Siciliana is located on the charming streets of Elmwood and is owned by a sweet Italian family. Trattoria La Siciliana definitely has the most versatile options out of the Italian restaurants participating in Berkeley Restaurant Week. Its menu is simple — any appetizer, entree less than $22 on its menu and a dessert for $30. This makes it super easy to get exactly what you want and provides a less expensive deal than its typical menu. While the restaurant offers loads of classic and comforting Italian dishes, one of my personal favorites is the Caponata Siciliana!
Skates on the Bay
Berkeley Restaurant Week is also a great way to try some of the more upscale restaurants in Berkeley. Skates on the Bay, as it says in its name, is right on the bay! It’s the perfect setting for a nice dinner, whether it be for a celebration, date night or just for treating yourself after a long week of school. Skates on the Bay allows you to choose from four appetizers, four entrees and two desserts. What makes this experience worthwhile is that it’s only $40 for dinner, compared to much higher prices during other weeks. Definitely try to take advantage of these typically higher-priced restaurants to save money in the long run!
Berkeley Restaurant Week is the perfect time to venture out and try new restaurants around the area at which you might not typically dine. You can get fantastic food and even better deals, and as college students, is there anything better than that?
