Lalime's in Berkeley - when the meal's an occasion
Written: Jan 22 '02 (Updated Apr 12 '06)
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Pros: Great food, fine service and lovely atmosphere.
Cons: A little on the pricey side.
The Bottom Line: An excellent choice for a romantic evening or intimate celebration. Superlative dining experience.
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| lyagushka's Full Review: Lalime's |
Lalime's restaurant is located in a sort of no-nothing neighborhood in north Berkeley. Well off the main drags, you'll need a car to get there, but parking won't be a problem. I've eaten at Lalime's at least three times over the last few years. It's the sort of place that stands out as a fine dining experience; yet I seem to need an occasion to justify going there. Birthday, anniversary, job promotion, this is a worthy place to celebrate all these things.
Let's start with the most important thing first: the food. It's very, very good. Lalime's features a menu which changes frequently, so I can't recommend any special dishes to try there. The menu is divided between larger and smaller dishes rather than the traditional, soup, salad and entrée paradigm. Personally, I love this format, because I would usually prefer to have three appetizers rather than an appetizer, entrée and dessert. Moreover, this strategy leaves me the moral wiggle room to sample other people's entrées. Typically, there are ten smaller dishes and seven larger dishes. There are always a few vegetarian dishes among the smaller plates and at least one among the larger.
I've never tasted anything at Lalime's that wasn't very well done. This is most impressive because they do not limit themselves to a particular cuisine - unless you label it California-fusion, which basically means a backbone of traditional French training with an emphasis on ultra-fresh produce and the tendency to borrow and combine ingredients and techniques from every imaginable cuisine. The tastes that come together in each dish are carefully balanced yet vibrant.
The last time I ate there, for example, I had the following three small dishes: a puréed pumpkin soup garnished with a melting dollop of pecan butter, a sashimi tuna appetizer with frisee greens and sesame orange dressing, and a mixed greens salad with warm slices of roasted breast of duck, dried cherries and sliced almonds. Everything I had was excellent. My husband opted for one smaller dish of mushroom ravioli in an herbed cream sauce, and a larger dish of grilled lamb seasoned with sage and rosemary. He liked his dishes as well, but thought the lamb could have been cooked a bit longer.
The atmosphere at Lalime's is subdued and intimate, despite the large window at the front of the dining room. Soft lighting and sponge painted walls lend a mildly romantic feeling to the room. The noise level is quiet to moderate. People come here to linger over a fine meal, and the tables seem to turn over once per evening at most. Simple but appealing table linens, nice stemware and candles on the tables help make the atmosphere a little fancy. You don't have to dress up to eat at Lalime's; this is Berkeley after all. But it's the sort of place that you want to dress up a bit for, because it's such a nice restaurant.
I have found the waitstaff at Lalime's to be unfailingly polite and extremely knowledgeable about the dishes on the menu. This is no small feat when the menu changes frequently. Waiters and waitresses were patient with my questions about ingredients that were unfamiliar to me. They were also attentive to me during the meal. I never had to frantically wave at my server to ask for something basic, like more water or the appropriate eating utensil.
The wine list draws heavily on California's native wines, both red and white, but with a respectable complement of French and Italian appellations as well. There are a good number of bottles available in the $25-35 range. If you don't want to drink alcohol, they can make Italian style sodas with fizzy water and fantastic Austrian fruit syrups. I recommend these!
Over all, the attention to the sundry small details of fine dining is obvious at Lalime's. A high degree of professionalism is evident in all that is done here. With the average tab for dinner for two (with wine) running upwards of $85, I can't afford to eat here frequently. I certainly would if I could though. Lalime's is extremely high on my list of places to eat for a celebratory occasion. I don't think you'll be disappointed by a meal at this restaurant.
Other restaurants I can recommend include:
East Bay
• A Coté - lively pan-Mediterranean tapas in a sleek but fun atmosphere
• Cafe Rouge - best choice for steak or high quality meats in the East Bay
• Cha-ya - vegetarian Japanese restaurant in the Gourmet Ghetto
• Chez Panisse Café - Alice Waters' sumptuous fare at about half the price
• Manpuku - a cheap and simple ramen bar in the Elmwood
• Nan Yang - fantastic Burmese in north Rockridge
• Oliveto - exquisite Italian in Rockridge
• Pho 84 - paradigm-shifting (really!) Vietnamese in downtown Oakland
• Rick & Ann's and La Note - both offer excellent choices for breakfast
• Shen Hua - great Chinese in Berkeley's Elmwood neighborhood
San Francisco
• Boulevard - hands down, the best restaurant in San Francisco
• Woodward's Garden, which is almost as good as Boulevard
• Betelnut - highly recommended for a fun night with a group
• Helmand - little known but excellent Afghan place and a great value
• Suppenkuche - unpretentious German bierhaus charm in Hayes Valley
On the other hand, I can't recommend Cafe Cacao, which is part of the Scharffen Berger chocolate empire, nor Pizzaiolo which features pretentious, outrageously priced pizza served by hipper-than-thou servers.
Recommended:
Yes
Kid Friendliness: No
Vegetarian Friendly: Yes
Notes, Tips or Menu Recommendations Three smaller dishes approximately equal an appetizer and a main course!
Best Suited For: Romantic Evening
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