Regine Labog

This post is for anyone planning to take a girl out on a date in Berkeley. After Telegraph burned down, I wanted to highlight a few fond memories at Cal in case any other area suffers a tragic fate. 

1. Berkeley Rose Gardens - Imagine the sun is setting. You’re sitting on a rustic bench with the smell of roses drifting to your nose. Between you and the girl of your dreams is a box of Cheeseboard pizza and smuggled in your backpack is some wine or champagne to go with the view and the food. My hipster roommate took me here on one of our girl dates but seriously, deep down, I wouldn’t have minded if a guy swept me off my feet and took me to this wonderland for a day. I’ve been here at night and there’s not much to see but it’s also a great place to go for a walk as long as you have a flashlight. Best time to go: Sunset!

2. Grizzly Peak - All right, I’m a sucker for gorgeous views. And grizzly peak tops them (a close second would be Indian Rock). If you want to have a one on one with friends or a little alone time, there’s nothing like Grizzly Peak and a thermos of hot chocolate to set the mood.

3. College Ave (Trattoria la Siciliana and Ici) - The best part about Trattoria la Siciliana are the close spaces, amazing bread and ambiance that goes along with it. It’s the perfect dinner and dessert combo to make an evening really special. Once you finish a scrummy Italian dinner, walk down College toward Ici for some amazing Earl Grey ice cream to top off your palette.

4. Shattuck (Chez Panisse and Love at First Bite) -  Nothing says romantic and high class more than a dinner for two at Chez Panisse on Shattuck. Follow it by red velvet or green tea cupcakes at Love at First Bite and you’ll score at least a kiss from that girl for giving her a night to remember.

5. Memorial Glade at Cal - Looking for somewhere to watch the stars and too lazy to head up the Big C? Then just walk over to Memorial Glade! Warning, you MAY be splashed by an ill-timed venture when the sprinklers go off. Terrace Cafe above Bechtel Auditorium is also a great place to talk seeing as there are cozy little benches to go off into and flowers hanging from wooden trellises above.

6. Dinner and a Movie (Angeline’s and Shattuck Cinemas) - I die for Angeline’s Louisiana Kitchen hush puppies. If you’re willing to wait, spend some time here and then head over to Shattuck Cinemas where they have love seats in the upper balcony that you could literally sink into. 

Hopefully, this will give you some food for thought on where to go to have some fun in Berkeley. The best toolkit when planning for dates will probably be yelp. And the above items can also be done with girlfriends or if you’re hankering for a man date! Creme Brulee at La Rose Bistro with my roommate will never get old :)

What are your favorite date ideas in Berkeley??