Looking for a nice spot in Berkeley for dinner friday night

[patcox]

I am looking for a nice place to have dinner with two friends on friday night. Something a little lower than Alice Waters place but still nice. Any help would be appreciated. Thanks fellow Chowhounds!

[dlglidden]

In addition to the good suggestions already mentioned, I'd also consider Lalime's (the flagship restaurant of the owners of Sea Salt). Lalime's, during this nasty recession, often has a few tables available even on Friday night. Look at their website (www.lalimes.com) which also has links to their other restaurants. Lalime's is at 1329 Gilman St. in Berkeley.

[Robert Lauriston]

Lots of reports on Lalime's linked from its Places entry.

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Lalime's
1329 Gilman, Berkeley, CA 94706

[rworange]

Digs Bistro
http://www.chow.com/places/12153
http://www.digsbistro.com/

[PorktoPurslane]

Chez Panisse Cafe (cheaper than the restaurant downstairs!) or Wood Tavern - two great places, but food is quite different.

[Robert Lauriston]

À Côté, Corso, Sea Salt, Wood Tavern. Reservations are a good idea.

[lexdevil]

Being a realist about table availability, I'd try Corso and Sea Salt (Sea Salt being the more likely). It's tough to get a table at Wood Tavern on a weeknight, let alone a Friday night on short notice. Corso currently only shows an opening at 5:30 PM. Rivoli is usually a good option for a last minute table. A Cote has a 3 top available on Opentable.com for 6:00 PM, if you're willing to dine early (and eat about 5 blocks into Oakland). Eccolo and Lalimes are usually safe bets when everything else is booked up. Lalimes is currently offering a $25 3 course dinner for the budget minded.

[Rapini]

At the moment, I'm loving Corso . Last time we were there, every single thing we ordered was flavorfull and beautifully made...

Corso's older sibling Rivoli is very good as well, but slightly more formal...