I should have said the Chez Panisse cafe! Oops :) That won't take so long will it?

I had thought maybe an hour and a half for Chez Panisse, perhaps parking somewhere near it (though not sure where). Google maps says a half hour walk from there to Telegraph Avenue so to save time I had thought about parking in a car park near Telegraph Avenue (is it called Channing? I can't remember). Then we'd have a couple of hours to walk up Telegraph Avenue to the Campus, around the campus for an hour, then back down the other side of Telegraph Avenue to the car.

Am I being overly optimistic? I had hoped to get a midday reservation at the Chez Panisse cafe, and we have to leave by four at the latest. We could perhaps come mid-morning and eat around 2.30 instead to give ourselves a bit more time, though this may result in my husband getting hangry (when hunger leads to irritability!).

What do you think, will my plan work, or should we come earlier?

VV, have you already made your visit? Sorry, I've been on vacation and just now saw this...

I am not sure exactly how long it will take to eat at the Chez Panisse cafe. However, I can comment on the other points:

All three destinations are within walking distance of each other. However, it is not an especially quick walk! To save time, you may wish to take an AC Transit bus for the return to your car to save time (if necessary).

Assuming you start at Chez Panisse, though, you should simply park near the restaurant. Parking is relatively easy in the North Berkeley/Gourmet Ghetto neighborhood. When you are done with lunch, you may want to drive and park near Telegraph Avenue or downtown. Street parking is fine if you park in the area between downtown and Telegraph, such as along Durant Avenue. Parking garages are another option, but they take some time to get into and out of during peak times.

The stretch of Telegraph Avenue you are interested in runs from the south edge of campus (Bancroft Way) south to Dwight Way (and perhaps a block further south of that). You can enter the UC Berkeley campus from Telegraph Avenue, which is very close to Sather Gate. From there it is a short walk to the Campanile and other destinations.

We had an early reservation for the Chez Panisse Cafe yesterday and were able to park right around the corner from the restaurant. Our 3 course meal took a little over an hour. Delicious bread, Crab Salad, Rigatoni with Chantrelle Mushrooms and Apple Galette with Huckleberry ice cream for dessert. What a great place! :)