Went for lunch with friends today. Very disappointing, won't be back. It's extremely loud, the server didn't even approach our table for at least 10 minutes. Even a 'sorry, I'll be right with you' would have sufficed. Two of us had the BLTA and one had to send it back as the bacon wasn't fully cooked although the other one was fine. The rest of us thought our lunch just OK. There's too many choices out there to give this restaurant another chance. Too bad. read more

Annoying waiter, meidiocre main dishes, poorly cooked and seasoned meats and stupidly overpriced. Overall quite aufull. DO NOT EAT HERE!!

I tried the fish of the day, which was halibut, and it was just okay. I cook halibut all the time and I have had much better at home. I personally thought it was over cooked, causing it to be a little dry. My friend ordered a pasta dish and it looked and tasted delicious. The food at neighboring tables also looked delicious so I am willing to give this place another shot. read more

This is a downcheck. It's been under new management for the past few months. The menu is different, and by different I mean worse. Fewer choices, less interesting food, smaller portions and higher prices. On the other hand, the location is excellent and the space is very pretty, so, three stars. read more

They might have received a better rating for their food but unfortunately the manager decided to close early and stop seating people at 8:05 pm when they close at 9pm. They said it was a slow night and sorry for their website advertising they were open until 9. Sad thing is that we walked in right behind a party of 8 or 9 who also got turned away and there was a guy walking up when we were leaving who we told to not even bother. We took a 14$ uber ride from our hotel for this Mediterranean restaurant but were lucky enough for them to say. Oh it's no problem. There's a Mexican taco shop around the corner. We even spoke to the manager who blamed another manager for making the call to close early. There were at least 10 or 12 tables seated eating when we walked in so I'm confused. It's too slow that we are closing early yet they had 2 managers there and didn't want the business of at least 10 or 11 more people. I won't ever know if the food is good because the service clearly sucks starting with the manager with his head in a warm place. read more

Walking along Fourth street in Berkeley is always such a pleasant shopping experience and finding this bistro-style restaurant with its inviting sidewalk tables seemed like the perfect spot. We were promptly seated at arguably one of the best tables in the house, so we were off to a good start. The menu is simple and to the point with very fair prices. The half chicken arrived a beautiful caramelized brown but the leg portion turned out to be really undercooked. I wasn't really sure what to do with the roasted garlic that accompanied the dish. There was no bread service offered and no toasts to eat it with. All of the above I could have managed through but the service was absolutely terrible. Our server had no enthusiasm and was absolutely inattentive. Our wine glasses remained empty until we self-poured and yes, we are in a drought, but getting water seemed beyond our server's capability. Net-net move on despite the looks of it. read more

The WORST margarita pizza ever! Tasted like watered down pizza sauce, no cheese on one slice & no basil. $18 bucks for crust with watered down sauce. Embarrassing for them to serve! read more

We went for brunch on Saturday and had a great experience. Really good, fresh food and a cozy upscale environment. I wouldn't call this restaurant Mediterranean cuisine as much as American cuisine with a twist. The avocado toast had tons of avocado on it - usually restaurants skimp on the amount of avocado so this was a nice change!! We had the BEST server - Ewunike - she was so sweet and attentive and really made our meal a pleasure. Thanks Ewunike, we will definitely be back !! read more

Not friendly. The food is ok. The service is ok. Had the Cesar salad and pizza. The location is great!

Zut is my favorite for place for lunch in Berkeley. I love the excellent food and most especially, Brandon, the charming and wonderful bartender. He always greets me with a warm smile and my favorite Bandol Rose. He really makes this restaurant special for me. read more

ew. just ew. waiter couldn't be bothered to crumb the table, the pacing was abysmal and the mushroom/prosciutto pizza was bland. All around a bad experience. read more

Not super impressed. Food was fine but not great. Service was nice but it took way too long to get the food we ordered. And it is quite expensive. Definitely not bad food but next time I'll go across the street to Bette's Ocean view diner which always has a wait but is worth it. read more

Unfortunately Zut has gotten worse since the management and name change. I was going to give them 3 starts, but 3 stars apparently stands for A-OK, and I don't feel A-OK about this place. I used to eat here quite often, and still did a number of times since the management change, but I am no longer happy with this place. I am a vegetarian, and their vegetarian options have gotten very slim. Even soups are now often made with chicken stock. Why do minestrone and butternut squash soups need chicken stock? On top of this, today I found several pieces of chicken in my baby kale salad after eating a good portion of it. It makes me very unhappy when I find meat in something that's supposed to be vegetarian (which this salad is as long as you don't ask for chicken to be added, which I specifically did). I certainly didn't expect this kind of mistake from a relatively nice Berkeley restaurant on 4th Street. Very unfortunate, and too bad because this place used to be a nice place to eat, with some Mediterranean fusion dishes (Zut is still classified as Mediterranean on yelp, but that must be left over from the previous version of the restaurant because I see no Mediterranean options there any more). Maybe the new Zut management no longer cares about the non-meat eating clientele of its former version. Update 11/25/2015: I decided to change my rating from 2 to 3. After all, I have been a happy customer of Zut for many years, and while I had a pretty bad experience the last time I was there, 3 stars is probably more appropriate as an overall rating. I have been disappointed since the change of ownership, but maybe I'll give them another try after my annoyance over my recent experience wears off. read more

We have been to Zut three times. It has a very nice atmosphere, space, and staff. But we 've had mixed experiences with the rather short and potentially pricey menu. Sticking to the burger, fries, roast chicken and pizza we were fine. But venturing beyond these we were disappointed. Our table barely touched the burrata cheese, hamachi crudo was pretty but bland, ribs and lamb were just okay. read more

We were out shopping with our 18 month old son and decided to stop for lunch- Aurianna, our server, was so accommodating. The staff was kind and professional and the food was amazing! She and the staff kept us and the toddler very happy! Best dining experience we have had! read more

Our experience with Zut Tavern started out OK. They greeted us in a friendly fashion and sat us at a nice corner table. A waiter appeared and quickly took a drink order. After getting our drinks, we ordered a dish of olives, a crab cake salad and salmon. I took a sip of my drink and the olives and crab salad appeared immediately. I felt rushed. As an aside, I have been a waitress. I confess that my previous waitress experience still influences my dining experience today. It bothered me that the food came out so fast. When the waiter asked how everything was, I replied I felt he rushed the food. He said I should have told him when we ordered that we wanted a slower experience. I replied that I thought a well trained waiter would ask the customer how quickly they wanted the food. After all, Zut Tavern was not Dennys. That made him angry. He said he would get another waiter. A young woman came by but then disappeared. We still hadn't gotten our salmon. Eventually, we sent the busboy to find her. She told us she had been putting things away in the back. I couldn't believe she told us! I replied that I too had been a waitress. However, I had been trained to always put the customer first, no matter how difficult the customer was.( I really had some tough ones, but it was part of making a living as a waitress.) The manager ignored the situation. we left a $5.00 tip. Normally, we tip 25%. So it goes. Avoid Snooty Zut Tavern. Eat at a place that appreciates your business, like Masimo in Walnut Creek. It may not be in Berkeley but everyone who works there is polite and well trained. read more

Came in for lunch after shopping and was pleasantly surprised. Mushroom pizza my boyfriend ordered was outstanding - delicate and crisp. And the hamburger was juicy and cooked just right. The meal put a happy spin on a mediocre day of shopping. read more

Had a great lunch, interview with a potential candidate. Kale salad with Chicken, very simple. Great service! Gave us a quiet corner table at lunch on a Friday for our discussions but did not ignore us. Will definitely be back for a real lunch or dinner sometime soon. read more

This was our first time going and I read the other reviews and wondered if they walked into the same place I went to last night. I don't write reviews but this place was so awesome I decided to do so. For number 1. Aryiana was absolutely awesome. She was great. She was so accommodating. I watched her to see if she was the same with everyone else she waited on and she was. This place should be thankful she is an employee. She is the reason we will come back and bring friends. For number 2. The food was good, everything that came to the table was good. We had 7 people and everyone stated how fantastic their meal was. The restaurant is quaint and it seemed that all the staff that worked there last night was friendly, and all spoke to us. We definitely will be back for that great customer service we received. read more

What a surprise, my husband and I had brunch today, and it was beyond perfect! I ordered out of my comfort zone, baked eggs, and it was delicious. My husband's lunch was also excellent. The service was wonderful...so happy to find this restaurant and can't wait to go back. Don't waste your time waiting across the street for just an OK meal... read more

Bloody chicken had to be re-cooked, no doggy bag as requested and twice asked them to confirm my Open Table reservations. They didn't and instead evidently accidentally recorded it as cancelled. Staff needs training on customer service especially when charging high prices for meals. Disappointing. read more

I was excited to try this place as it looked great. Unfortunately our waitress was on another planet. It took 15min to show up at our table. We ordered a couple of cocktails, an appetizer and 3 mains. 15 min after that, our mains showed up. No cocktails or appetizer. The Nicoise didn't use French green beans and there were 2 slices of fingerling potatoes. It made me wonder if the chef had ever had a real nicoise. Chicken was good. Oh and then the drinks showed up followed by the appetizer which we told our waitress to forget. Great ambiance marginal food terrible service read more

Dinner at Zut was nothing like the online reviews, it was great and reasonably priced. The service was friendly and prompt, the food, fresh and tasty, the wines well selected, and the room was cozy. The best description would be south of Europe comfort food, using lots of fresh vegetables. Dessert was also excellent. read more

Very good, good food and good service. Nothing to complain about. A bit fancy for me but a vendor was paying

If you're looking for something fun and a little different, you can't go wrong with Zut! Tavern. Last week we enjoyed a lovely meal. Not being able to decide, Chef David came to our table and made recommendations. We decided to share small plates and create our own tasty sampler. Great decision. We started with Raviolo, Crispy Brussels Sprouts, and Burrata with a lovely bottle of Pro Secco. Next, since the five of us knew we wanted to indulge in dessert, we ordered two pizzas and the kale salad. Delicious! The pizza crust was thin and crisp and the toppings were fresh. We even saved some pizza to take home. At this point Chef David came out and asked us how we were doing. We told him everything so far had been delicious but we all love dessert too. He said he would "make dessert happen." He sure delivered! We enjoyed Afogatto, Pineapple Upside Down Cake, and (my personal favorite) Mascarpone and Ricotta Cheesecake which is served with huckleberries and the most scrumptious pistachio brittle. It was heavenly. We left with full tummies and smiles on our faces. Can't wait to go for another visit and try some of the dishes we missed. read more

I guess this is a lesson in Bay Area restaurant survival. Create a good restaurant in a happening area and eventually you get eaten alive by the landlords who price you out of existence when you are doing well. Maybe this is what is happening to Zut! on 4th street. We have been going here for the last several years about twice a month. Apparently they had a chef change to increase business. All those dishes loyal clients had been coming to enjoy are gone. The awesome brussels sprouts - gone. The flatbreads - gone. The great roasted chicken - gone. (Oh, by the way - if you want that awesome bread and olive oil to start, thats 5 bucks now). Unfortunately, the chef next door who is known for Japanese cuisine thought he would give it a shot. What a disaster. "Hey, I can fix this - Let's re-do the menu, get rid of the popular dishes and cut the remaining dishes in half and raise the prices!" Dude - You're a genius! Problem is, now everyone knows you are incompetent and out of touch. Maybe you should stick with the only restaurant style you can pull off. That's embarrassing. You have been chopped! I give this place 2 more months and we will see yet another name change and some bright-eyed tenant will give it a go. The chef next door can look on and give advice. aaaaa, Maybe .. No. Too bad this is the cycle for restaurants in the Bay Area. There is always an unfortunate and disappointing end. read more

We've been here several times before and had very good experiences. This time the food was a problem as well as the service. Food - two of us had chicken which was under-cooked. We sent one dish back and we were told the cook prepares it this way but was happy to cook it more. We asked them to and they did with no attitude. My chicken was under-cooked, too. I'm quite familiar with the Chinese style of steamed chicken which usually is a little bloody at the bone, however, the meat, even up to the bone, is always cooked. In my chicken plate, it was near the thigh joint and was raw enough that the under cooking left the meat elastic and quite difficult to cut with the knife. I gave up. The service was less than usual in that everything was quite late. Noticeably so till where we began looking around saying, 'Where's the food'. The waiter I might add was always cordial and responsive. He even adjusted one of my drinks. I do hope it was the night and not the custom now. The chicken was troubling. I understand the inclination to not over cook for texture and flavors but under cooked to the point of raw and rubbery is unacceptable, given it was the chef's choice. read more

The staff at Zut Tavern should be wearing masks and carrying guns, because they are shamelessly robbing their customers. The prices are NUTS for what you get: uninspired "world" cuisine. What are you? Are you Italian? Are you "Asian"? Are you Mediterranean? Are you French? Whatever you are, you're upsetting me. I got the "calamari" which was about 12 or 13 dollars... it was all of three baby squid heads with some weird bean puree stuff. Never mind the fact that I didn't enjoy the flavor at all, but I also wanted to know where the rest of my dish was. THREE BABY SQUID HEADS? REALLY? why not just take peoples money and send them home to cook their own food? That seems like a more straightforward business model. Get a clue Zut Tavern... you may be banking on the fact that people don't have that many options in that area, but people aren't that dumb forever. If you're going for a casual dining experience, then match the prices accordingly! And maybe even try making the dishes taste good... novel concept. read more

Not sure that I will be going back. Not the place to go if you are hungry and want your food right away. We were looking for a place that had organic food. Zut came up we were close & decided to give it a try. We were promptly seated, then we waited and waited for our waitress to come and take our order. The couple to the right of us was being attended by another waiter. We were seated just as they were getting their food. Guess what they finished their food, and were wondering if we were ever going to order any food. We had to flag down another waiter who was willing to help even though it wasn't his table (we know this because he made it clear to us). He finally got our waitress to come over & help us. We ordered our food which consisted of a appetizer, a salad, soup & burger. Everything came at once including our appetizer. Which is hard to understand, since our appetizer consisted of olives. I am giving it a 3 star because the food was delicious. Unfortunately there seems to be a disconnect. It's not like their menu is complex. Overall if you have time to kill & don't mind waiting for service which is rewarded with good food then this may be the place for you. read more

We have been ro Zut! many times over the years but no too often recently, so we decided to give it another try. We were imediatly welcomed back by David, who is now the manager at Zut Tavern. He has been there for years now, he was great as a server and is even better as the manager. His memory is astonishing, and though we have not been there in quite some time, he could still remember our drinks, our tastes and the times we were in before. It reminded us how welcoming and friendly the staff is at Zut, and that he is one of the best in making you feel welcome. He suggested we try the Grilled Calamari and the Italian Peppers a la plancha to start. Both were wonderful and paired well with eachother. For the mains he suggested to share the Salmon, the Porkbelly and the Hanger Steak. Kind of a surf and turf dinner for two. To top it off, he made a special cocktail, a tropical rum based concoction to ready our palates for our dinner. Everything was great, the ambiance, the service and the food. We will definitely be back read more