Le Bateau Ivre-The Drunken Boat Restaurant Coffee House

Caveat emptor! (Let the buyer beware).

I had visited this restaurant years ago and remembered it fondly.

I just went back with my wife and did not have a good experience.

We went early, so there were only three couples there; the other two couples left before we were finished. We were seated quickly and served promptly. Service was courteous and quick. We split on an appetizer and entree and both were very good.

The only problem came with the service after the food was served. The waiter disappeared and we were unable to order coffee or dessert, nor were we able to request a bill so that we could pay and leave. After finishing our meal we chatted for about 10 minutes without seeing our waiter. I got up to find another waiter (there were three that I could see, none of them busy with customers) and asked for them to have our waiter come by with the bill. After another 5 minutes he appeared, unapologetic about our having to look for him or for his long absence, and gave us the bill and then left. We paid promptly and left shortly thereafter.

I have seen other reviews panning the poor service and I have to support their comments. The ambiance is nice, the food is good, the price is reasonable; but if you are looking for any kind of service I suggest you look elsewhere.

This is a hidden gem in Berkeley. It looks like a house on Telegraph but is actually a great restaurant. I have had the pasta, the tilapia, my Dad loves the steak and everything else in the restaurant. My Dad actually went to the kitchen to thank the chef, It is pretty romantic too, so if you got a date, this is a classy spot.