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  5. Frankfort Ave - Crescent Hill
Varanese, Louisville, KY

Varanese

4.7
4.7
4652 Reviews
$30 and under
Contemporary American

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Find next available

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Booked 26 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Good for special occasions
  • 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

Order delivery or takeout

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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
    (502) 899-9904
  • 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 4,652 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

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

4.7
4.7 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Central Kentucky

    Hot spot

  • Central Kentucky

    Contemporary American

  • Louisville

    Hot spot

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Varanese offers a "wonderful dining experience" with "delicious food" and "excellent service." Guests rave about the "amazing atmosphere" enhanced by live jazz. Standout dishes include "butter fish," "salmon," and "beef tips and tortellini." The restaurant is celebrated for special occasions, with personalized touches for events like birthdays and anniversaries.
4,652 Reviews
  1. Donna

    Louisville

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Varanese is a hidden gem! This is our second time coming here and we weren’t disappointed. They are still as good as the first time we visited. Everything from being greeted at the door to our server, the bartender, the ambiance and the food! The Bourbon Barrel Smoked Pork Chop is worth every penny. Kudos to the chef! Can’t wait for our next visit!

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  2. Jamie

    VIP

    Louisville

    45 reviews

    5.0

    45 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It had been a couple of years since dining at Varanese, which was way too long. Everything was spectacular from beginning to end. Excellent service and food was outstanding. My salmon was perfectly prepared and you must order the Brussel sprouts, you'll thank me later! Nothing like live Jazz to top off the evening.

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  3. M.

    Louisville

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent experience with the live music. The service and food met expectations. Ambience was perfect for my wife birthday dinner.

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  4. Sheila and Jeff

    Louisville

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined 5 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Varanese is our favorite restaurant. Consistently good. Never had a bad experience. Staff is very pleasant. They offer a special menu along with their regular menu.

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  5. Alix

    Key West

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    So nice had everything ready for a birthday for my husband

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  6. Madge

    Atlanta

    10 reviews

    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Varanese has a lively atmosphere with a jazz trio on Saturday nights. Really enjoyed the music, ambiance and staff. Hostess and server were great! I give food a 4 out of 5. My risotto was just good not great. I recommend this restaurant heartily

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  7. Leslie

    San Francisco

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on February 2, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
     I had been dreaming of the Caramelized Orange Bourbon Salmon since I had it on a previous night.  I requested mine medium rare, and it was perfection!!! And the cream cheese grits were heavenly!! My friend got the exact same thing since I had been talking about it, and he absolutely loved his too. We had the bread pudding for dessert, and although it was a little dry, it was still amazing. I thought about it later, and pouring the ice cream on top would have made it magical. Wonderful service, beautiful atmosphere, and although it was pretty loud, the music really made the perfect setting for a date night. It was a good excuse to sit side by side.

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  8. Bill

    VIP

    Louisville

    29 reviews

    5.0

    29 reviews

    Dined on February 1, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding food and drinks. Service was excellent as well!

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  9. francesca

    Charlotte

    37 reviews

    4.0

    37 reviews

    Dined on February 1, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    The meal was consistently delicious. Service was okay at best. We made reservations at 6:15pm for my daughter’s birthday. There was no fan fare about her special night. The waitress never came back after our meal was dropped off and I would have loved some crushed pepper for my pasta. At the end of our meal, she basically dropped off a glass of panna cotta and walked away. And btw, it looked awful. None of us care for that desert. It was disappointing

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  10. Richard

    Louisville

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on January 29, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    One of our favorites! The atmosphere is second to none. The butter fish might be the best meal I’ve ever had. Great service. Even Chef Varanese stopped by to check in.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

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

Varanese is rated 4.7 stars by 4652 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Find next available

At the moment, there's no online availability within 2.5 hours of your request. Do you have another time in mind?

Booked 26 times today

Order delivery or takeout

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
    (502) 899-9904
  • 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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