who will buy le bateau ivre

would you like to buy a restaurant?

arlene giordano is looking for a new owner for the beautiful 1898 property at the corner of telegraph avenue and carleton street that holds her preserved berkeley restaurant le bateau ivre.

giordano invited us into the dormant interior that was a french photographer's studio in the early 1900s, then a private home, and, finally, the cafe and restaurant that she opened with her late husband and partner thomas eddie cooper (known to almost everyone as 'cooper') on march 5, 1972.

the storied restaurant space that long-time berkeley locals remember so well has been dormant now for almost four years.

even empty, le bateau ivre's small bar, dining rooms, natural light and warm, old-world atmosphere invite lingering and conversation; we wanted to spend hours at its cafe tables, and almost did. the artworks cast around the space have the same level of provenance as those in a home, with many gifted – or painted – by customers.

brickwork, reclaimed wood and even salvaged metalwork outfits the romantic property, and speaks to decades of hands-on labor and care. one can easily picture students and friends gathered here, parties outside on the courtyard, and almost hear the live musicians who used to perform in the back room near the fireplace.

cooper and giordano met – as many stories begin around here – at a berkeley cafe; she was reading a book, he asked to share her table.

the following year the new couple opened le bateau ivre together on a bit of a whim, opening first with european-style coffee and pastries and eventually expanding and morphing the space into an all-day cafe and restaurant.

in a lucky move, the couple bought the whole building in 1976; upstairs are offices and a small apartment.

all the while, giordano famously kept her day job as a chemist with the san francisco public works department, retiring in 2008 – the same year, a few months later, that cooper unexpectedly passed away.

newly widowed, facing loss and grief, giordano focused on maintaining the restaurant, stepping from her mostly behind-the-scenes ownership role into a more forward-facing, sole proprietorship.

she notes that it was the restaurant itself and its community of customers and staff – a found 'family,' really – that helped her to persevere. even years later, during covid, with its lockdowns, unsteady reopenings and full closures across the industry, le bateau ivre stayed afloat, and the restaurant marked a milestone 50 years in 2022.

then in the fall of that year, le bateau's chef raul parada – one of the restaurant family's most treasured members, and the one who giordano hoped would eventually take over the business – received a brain tumor diagnosis. giordano shuttered the restaurant temporarily so he could receive treatment, surgery and rest. the plan was to reopen once he recovered.

parada died in october of 2023; the restaurant never reopened.

now giordano, 78, feels it's time to sell, but after 54 years of stewardship, she aims to hold out for a buyer whose heart and intentions match her own.

giordano seeks a new owner who intends to preserve the historic property, its bones and character, be it as a restaurant, biergarten, cafe, coffee shop or other convivial space – she's flexible. but hopefully, it will remain a special, beautiful place where people gather for friendship and conversation, and where berkeley stories are allowed to begin and keep beginning, as much as those stories must eventually come to an end.

le bateau ivre was at 2629 telegraph avenue in berkeley. potential buyers interested in purchasing the property should contact broker ellwood commercial real estate at 510-238-9111.

august 25, 2026 (help us share local industry stories - please support berkeley eats.)