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Cafe Rabelais, Houston, TX

Cafe Rabelais

4.8
4.8
992 Reviews
$31 to $50
French

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2 people
19:00
Booked 4 times today
Experiences are available.
  • Great for fine wines
  • Charming
  • Neighbourhood 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 11:00–14:00 Dinner Tue, Wed 18:00–21:00 Thu–Sat 18:00–22:00
  • Phone number
    (713) 520-8841
  • Payment Options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Business Casual
  • Executive Chef
    Soriano Frank
  • Area
    Rice Village
  • Cross Street
    5499 kelvin Dr
  • Parking details
    Street Parking
  • Additional
    Beer, Cafe, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

  • Wine & Cheese Dinner

    US$30.00 per person

    Prepaid

    28 Jan 2025 only
    Join us for a spectacular evening at our exclusive 5-course wine and cheese dinner on January 28th at 7 PM! 🎉 Each course has been carefully curated to take you on a delightful journey through the rich gastronomic traditions of France, perfectly paired with exquisite wines. Start your night with the creamy delight of Brie paired with luscious apricot chutney, complemented by the refreshing notes of Domaine Davanture's Bourgogne Chardonnay, and end with the grand finale of our Gâteau Basque au Fromage, a sweet tribute to the Basque region, perfectly complemented by the elegant notes of Château Raymond-Lafon Sauternes. Tickets are $135/person. Spaces are limited, so gather your friends and secure your spot for this unforgettable evening!
    Wine & Cheese Dinner photo
  • Valentine's Day Dinner

    US$20.00 per person

    Prepaid

    14 Feb 2025 only
    Prix-Fixe Dinner

What 992 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
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.7Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Houston

    French

  • Houston

    Great for fine wines

  • Houston

    French

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cafe Rabelais is a beloved French bistro in Rice Village, offering a cozy ambiance reminiscent of Paris. Guests praise its "amazing food" and "exceptional wine list," with highlights like mussels, escargot, and profiteroles. The service is "friendly and attentive," making it a "favorite" for both regulars and newcomers.

992 Reviews
  1. Don

    Houston

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    wonderful dinner, delicious food. our reservation was about 30 minutes late, but we were ok, it was a very busy night, service was a little slow, but we were enjoying ourselves.

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  2. Alicia

    VIP

    New York City

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 1
    2. Food 1
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 1
    We had the most horrible experience here. This restaurant used to be a neighborhood gem but today they were outright rude to us. The escargot was burning hot with no warning, they broke the cork on our wine and shoved it back at us, refused to serve it despite having previously told us that they allow outside wine for a corkage fee, and never apologized. I am somewhat sad to say I will never be returning to what used to be one of my favorite places because the service has gotten so bad. But if I want French food in Houston there are better places than this.

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  3. Andy

    San Francisco

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 12 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    It’s been several years since we last visited Cafe Rabelais and it was fantastic to see they are still firing on all cylinders after all these years. Our lamb chops were cooked and seasoned to perfection. The beef stew was very tender and flavorful. Highly recommended.

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  4. Sue

    VIP

    Houston

    31 reviews

    5.0

    31 reviews

    Dined on 11 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great services! Highly recommended for both lunch and dinner.

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  5. Anthony

    West Palm Beach

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on 10 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Best of the best. Food atmosphere and service are unmatched.

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  6. Cade

    Dallas

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined on 9 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Great spot for some soups and sandwiches for lunch

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  7. Nancy

    Houston

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on 4 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We have loved Cafe Rabelais for years. We returned Friday night for bone marrow, torchon and stuffed quail. Delicious! We also enjoy their collection of half bottles of wine. You won't be disappointed!

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  8. Kayla

    VIP

    Houston

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on 2 January 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always delightful! Service is incredible as well as the food!

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  9. DIANA

    Guanajuato

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on 1 January 2025

    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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  10. Susan

    Austin

    10 reviews

    4.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on 1 January 2025

    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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FAQs

Cafe Rabelais is rated 4.8 stars by 992 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 4 times today
Experiences are available.
Google Map for Cafe Rabelais

2442 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005

Additional information

  • Cross Street
    5499 kelvin Dr
  • Area
    Rice Village
  • Hours of Operation
    Lunch Tue–Sat 11:00–14:00 Dinner Tue, Wed 18:00–21:00 Thu–Sat 18:00–22:00
  • 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
  • Privacy Policy
  • Terms of Use
  • Impressum
  • Cookies and Interest-Based Ads
  • Cookie Preferences
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