Cafe Rabelais

4.8

983 Reviews

$31 to $50

French

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 1, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 5 times today

Charming
Great for fine wines
Neighborhood gem

Houston’s Café Rabelais serves sumptuous French cuisine in its classic, European-inspired eatery. Fantastic starter options include the mouth-watering smoked salmon plate, the white bean and vegetable soup, as well as a variety of decadent cheese plates. Café Rabelais’s specialty dinner entrées include the seared duck breast with Szechuan demi-glace, the seared snapper in rich beurre blanc, the vegetarian orzo pasta with purple cauliflower and feta cheese and the red wine marinated ribeye with eggplant.

Top off your Café Rabelais French feast with an unforgettable dessert, like the mixed nut and chocolate silk pie “fondant au chocolate sur croute de noix” or the fruity “sorbet du jour” and wash it down with a fresh, hot espresso.

Additional information

Dining style
Casual Dining
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
French, Bistro, Dessert
Hours of operation
Lunch Tue–Sat 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Tue, Wed 6:00 pm–9:00 pm Thu–Sat 6:00 pm–10:00 pm
Phone number
(713) 520-8841
Website
http://www.caferabelais.com/
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Dress code
Business Casual
Executive chef
Soriano Frank

Location
2442 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005
Neighborhood
Rice Village
Cross street
5499 kelvin Dr
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Beer, Cafe, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Heirloom Tomato Salad$9.50
w/ Cheese of The Day, Red Onion & Balsamic Vinaigrette
Caesar Salad$9.50
- W/ Salmon$3.50
- W/ Chicken$4.00
- W/ Beef or Shrimp$5.00
Nicoise Salad$15.50
Tuna, Mixed Greens, Hard Boiled Egg, Green Beans, Olives & Anchovies
Frisee Salad$9.50
Avocado & Citrus w/ Citrus Vinaigrette
Salade de Bleu d'Auvergne$11.00
Bibb Lettuce, Bacon, Walnuts, Apple
Salade de Chevre de Pané$10.50
w/ Mixed Greens, Hazelnuts, Country Ham & Panko Crusted Goat Cheese
Salade Maison$7.00
w/ Mixed Greens, Tomato & Carrots

Sandwiches

All Sandwiches Served w/ Pomme Frites

Chicken Salad Sandwich$10.95
on Croissant w/ Bibb Lettuce & Tomato
Bavette Frites$12.50
w/ Onion, Lettuce, Tomato, Mustard, Melted Swiss
Herb Crusted Pork Loin Sandwich$13.00
w/ Tomato, Spring Mix & Cabbage Slaw
Merguez Sandwich$13.50
w/ Lettuce, Tomato & Mustard
Smoked Salmon Sandwich$12.50
w/ Lettuce, Tomato, Hard Boiled Egg & Gribiche
Provencal Sandwich$11.50
w/ Roasted Bell Pepper, Lettuce, Tomato, Caramelized Onion, Garlic Aioli & Goat Cheese
Sandwich Bayonnais$12.50
w/ Ham, Tomme De Savoie, Lettuce, Tomato & Butter

What 983 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8

4.8 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.8Service
4.7Ambience
4.6Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Houston
Great for fine wines
Houston
French
Houston
Great for fine wines
Houston
French

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Cafe Rabelais brings "a slice of Paris" to Houston, offering a cozy, charming atmosphere reminiscent of a French bistro. Known for "excellent French food," the restaurant's highlights include mussels, escargot, and a diverse wine selection. Consistently praised for "great service," it remains a favorite for authentic French dining experiences.

983 Reviews

D
DIANA
Guanajuato
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined today
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our New Year's Eve dinner was fantastic! We were a group of 4 and each of us tried different things on the 5 course menu. Each course was delicious. It was all creative as only the French can do, beautifully presented, and enjoyable. The wine recommendations were perfect also. Thank you for a memorable dinner and for working so diligently on a holiday evening.
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S
Susan
Austin
9 reviews
4.0
9 reviews
Dined today
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
For a nye dinner the price was ok. The amuse bouche should not not have counted as one of the 5 courses. Pate was good. Oysters were not served on ice and were warm which was a bit disturbing. Steak and duck mains were very good, desert was ok. Service was good. Ambiance ok. Good for a local bistro
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B
Brian
Houston
17 reviews
5.0
17 reviews
Dined today
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great French fare for New Year's Eve prix fixe menu! Excellent service, perfectly prepared courses, friendly & intimate environment.
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A
Amy
VIP
Houston
154 reviews
5.0
154 reviews
Dined today
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had a delicious dinner with an ice French Bistro atmosphere.
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L
Linda
VIP
Houston
104 reviews
5.0
104 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Really great food. Really great pepper steak and fries. Love the profiteroles
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D
David
VIP
Houston
10 reviews
5.0
10 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Reliably excellent and unpretentious, great service, best wine list in town, and still a great value. Love this place so much.
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C
Craig
VIP
Houston
2 reviews
5.0
2 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
This restaurant never disappoints. You feel like you are in France in a quaint little bistro.
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S
Suhair
Houston
3 reviews
5.0
3 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food and beverages amazing interior-friendly services
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M
Maureen
New York City
21 reviews
5.0
21 reviews
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We’ve been going to Rabelais for close to Twenty years! Love the food, staff and ambience. It gives me so much joy just being there. We go there when we are sad and need to feel the love and to celebrate milestones! This was our first Christmas Eve! So warm and cozy!
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L
Liz
VIP
Baltimore
13 reviews
4.0
13 reviews
Dined on December 24, 2024
1. Overall 4
2. Food 3
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 4
Christmas Eve dinner was prix fix which was fine. The service was too fast so we asked for a little more time in between courses. People near us had their 4 courses and paid within an hour and a half. Regardless, the beef looked good but had little flavor. I did love the dessert though! All in all it was good but not 5 stars for us.
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FAQs

Cafe Rabelais is rated 4.8 stars by 983 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

Jan 1, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 5 times today

2442 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005

Additional information

Cross street
5499 kelvin Dr
Neighborhood
Rice Village
Hours of operation
Lunch Tue–Sat 11:00 am–2:00 pm Dinner Tue, Wed 6:00 pm–9:00 pm Thu–Sat 6:00 pm–10:00 pm
Price
$31 to $50
Cuisines
French, Bistro, Dessert
Dining style
Casual Dining
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Soriano Frank
Additional
Beer, Cafe, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Website
http://www.caferabelais.com/
Phone number
(713) 520-8841

Cafe Rabelais

Make a reservation

Additional information

Menu

Salads

Heirloom Tomato Salad$9.50

Caesar Salad$9.50

Nicoise Salad$15.50

Frisee Salad$9.50

Salade de Bleu d'Auvergne$11.00

Salade de Chevre de Pané$10.50

Salade Maison$7.00

Sandwiches

Chicken Salad Sandwich$10.95

Bavette Frites$12.50

Herb Crusted Pork Loin Sandwich$13.00

Merguez Sandwich$13.50

Smoked Salmon Sandwich$12.50

Provencal Sandwich$11.50

Sandwich Bayonnais$12.50

What 983 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Cafe Rabelais restaurant rated?

Is Cafe Rabelais currently accepting reservations?

Make a reservation

Additional information