San Francisco - Alison Bing [203]
Juice Bar Collective ( 510-548-8473; http://thejuicebar.org; 2114 Vine St; dishes $3-6; 10am-4:30pm; 7, 9, 43 AC Transit) A tiny storefront cafe, Juice Bar makes tasty polenta pizzas, quiches, sandwiches and dee-lish smoothies.
Downtown ( 510-649-3810; www.downtownrestaurant.com; 2102 Shattuck Ave; dishes $8-16, mains $17-26; Downtown Berkeley) Smack in downtown, this is an ideal spot to start an evening. While the California fare is solidly good, it’s not particularly innovative, but the bar makes great cocktails and the tasty appetizers appeal to peckish eaters who don’t want to fill up before a performance.
Caffe Strada ( 510-843-5282; 2300 College Ave; 7am-midnight; 7, 51 AC Transit) University students get wired on caffeine on the giant outdoor patio and study, ardently talk philosophy or make eyes at each other. Good pastries.
Zatar ( 510-841-1981; www.zatarrestaurant.com; 1981 Shattuck Ave; lunch mains $8-14, dinner mains $22-26; lunch Fri, dinner Wed-Sat; 51 AC Transit) Zatar’s mishmash Mediterranean–Middle Eastern cooking spans Morocco to Iran. We like the bold spicing, homemade Iranian bread and fresh ingredients – many from the restaurant’s own organic garden – but the food’s pricey and a tad precious.
For the best social introduction to Berkeley’s bar scene, head to the back patio at Jupiter ( 510-843-8277; 2181 Shattuck Ave; Downtown Berkeley).
Entertainment
Aurora Theatre ( 510-843-4822; www.auroratheatre.org; 2081 Addison St; Downtown Berkeley) The audience surrounds the stage on three sides, putting you close to the actors. Expect classics by playwrights such as Edward Albee and new works by up-and-coming artists.
Berkeley Repertory Theatre ( 510-845-4700; www.berkeleyrep.org; 2025 Addison St; Downtown Berkeley) Some San Franciscans cross the bay for only one reason: top-notch professional theater at Berkeley Rep.
Shotgun Players ( 510-841-6500; www.shotgunplayers.org; 1901 Ashby Ave; Ashby) The first solar-powered theater in the US mounts innovative new plays by leading Bay Area playwrights and classics by Shakespeare and Stoppard.
Freight & Salvage Coffeehouse ( 510-548-1761; www.freightandsalvage.org; 2020 Addison St; admission $5-22; Downtown Berkeley) Smart programming explores the regional styles of traditional, acoustic world music. Think fiddle, folk, strings and soul. No alcohol.
Pacific Film Archive ( 510-642-1124; www.bampfa.berkeley.edu; 2575 Bancroft Way; adult/child & senior $8/5; Downtown Berkeley) The PFA is internationally renowned for daily screenings that explore the art of film-making, including rare, new and historic prints from around the globe. The box office ( 11am-5pm) is at 2621 Durant Ave.
Zellerbach Hall ( 510-642-9988; www.calperfs.berkeley.edu; UC campus; Downtown Berkeley) The concrete-box acoustics inside this vintage-1970s hall are terrible for non-amplified classical, but Zellerbach is the premier East Bay stage, and it showcases top-flight dance and music performances by international ensembles.
Sleeping
Basic and midrange motels are clustered west of campus along University Ave. The Berkeley & Oakland Bed & Breakfast Network hotline ( 510-547-6380; www.bbonline.com/ca/berkeley-oakland) provides information on private homes for rent, from garden cottages to grand houses.
Claremont Resort & Spa ( 510-843-3000, 800-551-7266; www.claremontresort.com; 41 Tunnel Rd; r $229-420, ste from $369; 9 AC Transit; ) The grand 1915 Claremont sits perched on the sunny Oakland hills and has gorgeous views. Rooms are upmarket business-class. The full-service spa merits a special trip.
Hotel Durant ( 510-845-8981, 800-238-7268; www.hoteldurant.com; 2600 Durant Ave; r $135-180; 7, 51 AC Transit; ) A 2008 renovation of this 140-room, 1920s hotel makes it downtown’s spiffiest, with fabulous beds and fun details like bong lamps –