This large restaurant in Berkeley serves Indian and Pakistani cuisine. The food here is widely regarded as some of the best of its kind in the East Bay. Sample delicious and flavorful favorites like Chicken Tikka Masala, Tandoori meats and Naan. Seating options include the large dining room or private booths. Delivery available for orders over $30.

The casual atmosphere and excellent food of Jimmy Bean's make it a perfect stop for a bite to eat. Although known for their breakfast, such as the ever popular Silver-Dollar Pancakes, the lunch and dinner menu provides great choices. The food is made with fresh ingredients and has a Mediterranean or Mexican flavor, although the classic hamburger and fresh fries are also on the menu. The restaurant has an open kitchen and you can watch the chief make your meal while you wait. There are also tables outside, so bring your furry friend along. Just remember to order before you sit down at a table.

Cafe Rouge, located in the heart of Berkeley's hoppin' 4th Street shopping district, is an East Bay institution. Foodies flock from far and wide for treats as simple as a cheeseburger and as complex as a Mediterranean-style lamb shank entree. Menu items are rotated in and out of circulation every couple weeks, so expect to see new and exciting things every time you visit. Shellfish fans marvel at the massive oyster selection (officially celebrated at the weekly Oyster Wednesday party). Cafe Rouge is also well known for the quality of its meats, all of which come from the finest local and regional producers, and many of which are available for takeaway at the on-site Meat Market (where you'll also find all manner of cured meats, pates, terrines and sausages). See website for menus, wine lists and more.

This charming restaurant is located at the Claremont Resort and Spa. It offers the best of American, 'brasserie cuisine' (think Pork Porterhouse, Pan Roasted Salmon and Roasted Chicken), along with some of the finest hand-shaken cocktails you will ever taste, and a breath-taking view of the Bay Area. There is a lighter lunch menu offered as well, and live jazz performances four nights a week. So go ahead and live it up at Paragon!

When in Berkeley, do drop by this café for scrumptious refreshments. You just can't miss the aroma of the fresh pastries, the Panini Sandwich, and warm and crisp Organic Cornmeal Waffles served here. Formerly home to Smokey Joe's, the recently done up interiors of Guerilla Café throw you back to the retro '70s. Pieces of art created by the owners are displayed on the tables and walls. And just in case you are not in the mood for tea or coffee, sip some freshly squeezed juice or a tall glass of milk with honey? It's all positive here!

This chic little eatery in the Gourmet Ghetto shows that trendy tapas can hold their own with traditional restaurants. With subdued lighting, pale woods, and a more mellow atmosphere, Cesar is far from the rowdy, happy hour tapas places you will find in the big city. Enjoy specialties like the Endive Watercress Salad, Lentil Soup, Roasted Grapes al Jamon, and Baby Clams in Mojo Verde. The alcohol list is extensive indeed (pages long as a matter of fact) with many specialty and imported liquors and a nice selection of complementary wines.

Known throughout Berkeley as well as around the Bay as one of the premier Thai spots in the area, Cha Am continues to garner Best Of The Bay awards and charm guests with its lovely enclosed patio and even lovelier food. Perhaps it is the "Authentic Thai Herbs" touted on the menu, but everything tastes piquant and delicious, and is not unreasonably priced. Try the traditional Tom Ka Guy soup followed by Golden Triangles. The Rice Plates and Prawns in Chili are good hits. For vegetarians, they offer many noodle and tofu dishes.

Craving a good New York deli? One of the few places in the Gourmet Ghetto where you can find decent pastrami on dark rye, Saul's large, echo-y, spacious interior has just enough chutzpah to take you back to Katz's on the Lower East Side. Grab sandwiches or kugel to go at the counter, or sit down to an array of smoked fish platters, Middle Eastern treats, omelettes, the best deli meats around, and homemade cole slaw, potato salad and chopped liver. It also does large scale catering for "Bar/Bat Mitzvahs, Business Meetings...Showers, Weddings and Divorces."

This shop ranks among the great cheeseries in the United States. It is a fairly large space, but not a square inch of it is wasted in piling up the copious selection of sage Derbys, Gruyeres, Gjetosts, Cambozolas and Manchegos. The latest arrivals are noted up on a big blackboard, and the staff is knowledgeable to the point of didacticism. It offers many other specialty foods, too, and has its own bakery. The Cheese Board Pizzeria is a Bay Area favorite for its daily changing artisan pizza specials.

This is the perfect place for a nice, low-key Thai lunch or dinner in a comfortably elegant setting (traditional artwork, Asian lamps, leafy plants) where locals come for good Thai food with many vegetarian options. The service is friendly, the menu vast and inexpensive. Although most of the menu is fairly traditional (the ubiquitous Pad Thai, the ever faithful and comforting Coconut Chicken Soup), you will find some truly delightful and unique options like the Chu-Chi (a red curry) or a very tasty Pineapple Fried Rice. The vegetarian options include various sauteed veggie dishes, Basil Tofu and Silver Noodles.