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Varanese, Louisville, KY

Varanese

4.8
4.8
4686 Reviews
$30 and under
Contemporary American
2106 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:00 PM
Booked 21 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for live music
Varanese settled in Louisville because of its successful independent dining scene, and he believes that the people of Louisville will appreciate fresh ingredients, prepared with a creative flair and a culturally diverse menu. Varanese’s eclectic menu boasts an array of options from stuffed grape leaves, and fried green tomato salad, to new signature entrées: the seared boneless pork chop, and caramelized orange salmon. Finish with a fried banana accompanied by a house-made oatmeal cookie dough ice cream dessert. This New American style restaurant will comfortably seat 150 guests between its bar, dining room and four seasons patio. The four seasons patio of Varanese is an addition to the building, which has a dramatic 20-foot slate water wall. The space is enclosed by a serpentine of glass doors, which retract to offer an outdoor dining experience. Varanese is located at 2106 Frankfort Ave. in the Historic Clifton neighborhood

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Seafood, Steak
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 11:00pm Friday & Saturday: 5:00pm - 12:00pm Christmas Eve 11am-10pm Christmas Day CLOSED New Year's Eve 4pm-12pm New Year's Day CLOSED
  • Phone number
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Executive chef
    John Varanese
  • Catering
    Catering is offered depending on Chef Varanese's availability. Call to inquire.
  • Private party facilities
    With the addition of two new private dining room spaces, Varanese can accommodate groups of up to 80 people. Minimum sales requirement for each room applies. Call 502-899-9904 or email letsdine@varanese.com to inquire.
  • Neighborhood
    Frankfort Ave - Crescent Hill
  • Cross street
    Vernon
  • Parking details
    Varanese provides on-premise parking along with additional parking across the street at Nancy's Bagel Grounds along with street parking.
  • Public transit
    Varanese has a TARC stop in front along with a Frankfort Ave. Trolly Hop Stop.
  • Entertainment
    Live jazz seven nights from the Jeff Sherman band 6-10pm.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 4,686 people are saying

Varanese reviews from people who’ve dined at this restaurant. Based on recent rating.

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

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Central Kentucky

    Hot spot

  • Central Kentucky

    Contemporary American

  • Louisville

    Hot spot

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Varanese offers an exceptional dining experience with "wonderful atmosphere" and "excellent service." Guests rave about the "delicious food," highlighting dishes like salmon and pork chops. The live jazz music adds a "lovely ambiance," making it perfect for special occasions. Despite occasional noise, Varanese remains a Louisville favorite.
4,686 Reviews
  1. Curtis

    Louisville5 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Joel and I come here often since the opening back in the day so it was an easy pick to take my newlywed niece and her husband out for celebration. David whom we love was a great help in securing a better table in the front room as opposed to the rear. It’s these “personal touches” along with the outstanding service by Errol and the always amazing ambience that keeps Joel and I coming to dine. Bravo to John, David, Errol, and staff; We had a great time as always!

    Is this helpful?

  2. Barbara

    Louisville4 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Great experience! Although very crowded and busy our server was extremely attentive and our food came out with good timing. Everything was delicious! Our only complaint is the noise level. We could not use polite “indoor voices” and be heard across the table. In spite of that, we look forward to returning!

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  3. Pamela VIP

    Louisville45 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had the honor of being served by Errol, now our favorite waiter at Varanese. Professional and polite, he took great care to ensure our experience was excellent. A big THANK YOU to Chef for accommodating my request. (I asked for a salad with grilled salmon which is not on the menu-and it was delicious!) We had a delightful evening!

    Is this helpful?

  4. Ronald VIP

    Louisville14 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Superb as always wonderful restaurant makes you want to come back every night

    Is this helpful?

  5. Alison VIP

    Detroit6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This was our first time at Varanese, and we will definitely be going back. The service and atmosphere were amazing. I didn’t love the pork chop, however, everything else was perfect. Can’t wait to go back.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Mary Frances

    Louisville1 review

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We've been here a few times and always enjoyed the service, food, music etc, Last night the area was open to the outside weather and it was delightful. Thanks for the enjoyable evening! Loved the talented water glass filler!!

    Is this helpful?

  7. Steve

    Louisville19 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Staffallowed time for the group of 6 to enjoy our drinks and visit with one another. Food was excellent and presentation too. Enjoyed the music immensely.

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  8. Charles

    Louisville9 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    We have been to varanese many times. The food quality is always on point. This was the first time we had brought all of our kids. We all enjoyed our brunch.

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  9. Mark VIP

    Louisville68 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent experience, food was great, service was great. Really appreciate Errol’s service. He did a fabulous job.

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  10. Kathy VIP

    New York City25 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on April 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Staff is always accommodating and very attentive. The menu is interesting with the best of ingredients

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Varanese offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (502) 899-9904.

Varanese is rated 4.8 stars by 4686 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Central Kentucky
  4. Louisville
  5. Frankfort Ave - Crescent Hill

Make a reservation

2 people
SunMonTueWedThuFriSat
7:00 PM
Booked 21 times today
Google Map for Varanese

2106 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Vernon
  • Neighborhood
    Frankfort Ave - Crescent Hill
  • Hours of operation
    Dinner: Sunday - Thursday: 5:00pm - 11:00pm Friday & Saturday: 5:00pm - 12:00pm Christmas Eve 11am-10pm Christmas Day CLOSED New Year's Eve 4pm-12pm New Year's Day CLOSED
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Contemporary American, Seafood, Steak
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    Varanese provides on-premise parking along with additional parking across the street at Nancy's Bagel Grounds along with street parking.
  • Public transit
    Varanese has a TARC stop in front along with a Frankfort Ave. Trolly Hop Stop.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    John Varanese
  • Entertainment
    Live jazz seven nights from the Jeff Sherman band 6-10pm.
  • Additional
    Banquet, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Entertainment, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Late Night, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Private Room, Takeout, View, Wheelchair Access, Wine
  • Phone number
  • Catering
    Catering is offered depending on Chef Varanese's availability. Call to inquire.
  • Private party facilities
    With the addition of two new private dining room spaces, Varanese can accommodate groups of up to 80 people. Minimum sales requirement for each room applies. Call 502-899-9904 or email letsdine@varanese.com to inquire.
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