Berkeley’s Fondue Fred needs to relocate (or close)

Decades-old restaurant losing its funky wooden home to redevelopment

For decades, Fondue Fred has been serving a simple menu of fondue and salad inside a funky old wooden building in Berkeley — a perfect blend of Swiss-style food and atmosphere.

But, according to Berkeleyside’s Nosh report, the city’s cheese chapter may be coming to a close. Owner Laleh Heravi Aryan says The Village, where her restaurant is housed, will be demolished, and the Telegraph Avenue site redeveloped for a seven-story mixed-use project.

Her landlord wants her out by December.

“This August, I will have owned it for 20 years,” Aryan told Nosh. “It was supposed to be my retirement.”

So she’s looking for a new restaurant space.

The warren of businesses inside The Village was denied landmark status by the Berkeley City Council in 2016, Berkeleyside reported.

According to the restaurant’s website, Fondue Fred was established in 1958.

Until Aryan finds a new spot or closes for good, diners will find her serving her 11 cheese fondues (from gruyere to romano) and three meat with wine sauce fondues (chicken, beef, meatball) five nights a week.

Details: Fondue Fred is open at 5 p.m. for dinner Wednesday through Sunday. 2556 Telegraph Ave.; www.fonduefred.com.