Cafe Rabelais

Name: Cafe Rabelais
Address: 2442 Times Blvd, Houston, TX, United States, 77005
Telephone: (713) 520-8841
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.8

4.8

975 Reviews

$31 to $50

French

Make a booking

2 people

26 Dec 2024

21:00

Booked 13 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
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
Area
Rice Village
Cross Street
5499 kelvin Dr
Parking details
Street Parking
Additional
Beer, Cafe, Late Night, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Wheelchair Access, Wine

Experiences

New Year's Eve Prix Fixe
US$92.00 per person
31 Dec 2024 only
As the year draws to a close, we invite you to join us at Café Rabelais for a night of exquisite culinary artistry and elegant ambiance. Our 5-course prix fixe dinner is a celebration of flavors, meticulously crafted to entice your palate and create memorable moments. Imagine savoring each dish, from the delicate amuse-bouche of smoked salmon on toast to the sumptuous mille-feuille for dessert, as we bid farewell to the year in style. Each course is a reflection of our passion for French cuisine. Whether you choose the house foie gras or the pepper-crusted salmon, every bite promises to transport you to the heart of France. Reservations are available between 5-10pm. Book yours today! Let’s toast to new beginnings together! 🥂

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

Sandwiches

All Sandwiches Served w/ Pomme Frites

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

What 975 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
4.8Ambience
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.

975 Reviews

M
Maureen
New York City
21 reviews
5.0
21 reviews
Dined 2 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!
Is this helpful?
L
Liz
VIP
Baltimore
13 reviews
4.0
13 reviews
Dined 3 days ago
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.
Is this helpful?
D
Dany
Houston
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined 3 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food (we had foie gras, mussels, quails, sandwich marocain). It was excellent and the atmosphere was very nice
Is this helpful?
J
Justine
VIP
Houston
36 reviews
5.0
36 reviews
Dined 5 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Food was delicious. We are regulars and very much appreciate the consistency in quality and tastiness of the food.
Is this helpful?
a
anna
VIP
Houston
8 reviews
5.0
8 reviews
Dined on 18 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Attended the annual fixed price champagne dinner. Food and champagne were excellent
Is this helpful?
N
Nik
VIP
Houston
12 reviews
5.0
12 reviews
Dined on 18 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 5
The Champagne experience was very enjoyable. The food was delicious and in very generous portions. The Champagne tastings were small portions and not so generous but still very interesting. The pairings of the Champagne to the food was very good and each mouthful of food bought out more sparkle in each sip of Champagne. Service could have been better. We were missed out and had to chase for bread, and for two entrees, aswell as the first serving of Champagne, it may have been the location of the table, although disappointing, it did not distract from a wonderful evening by Christophe Paul and his team.
Is this helpful?
K
Katie
VIP
Houston
17 reviews
5.0
17 reviews
Dined on 15 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Great food and service. Ginger cake was phenomenal!
Is this helpful?
Z
Zac
VIP
Los Angeles
1 review
5.0
1 review
Dined on 14 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Consistently one of the best restaurants in Houston.
Is this helpful?
L
Larry or Lori
VIP
Houston
159 reviews
5.0
159 reviews
Dined on 14 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Three of us went for a holiday celebration. We had reservations - a must at Cafe Rabelais. We were seated immediately. The restaurant was crowded, which adds to the ambiance of being in a little French bistro. We had a wonderful bottle of red Bordeaux at a very reasonable price. The entrecote, beef bourginon, and mussels were wonderfully prepared. We tried the special ginger chocolate cake, and it was amazing. The sponge was light as a feather. Service was attentive but not intrusive.
Is this helpful?
H
Harriet
VIP
Houston
97 reviews
5.0
97 reviews
Dined on 6 December 2024
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
We have been eating here for years and even if time goes by, we are always very happy with the food and service. One of the few places that seems like a small French family cafe with great food. They have an exceptional wine list and an interesting menu. You can always find something you like as it diversified.
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Cafe Rabelais is rated 4.8 stars by 975 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a booking

2 people

26 Dec 2024

21:00

Booked 13 times today

Experiences are available.

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

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

Cafe Rabelais

Make a booking

Additional information

Experiences

New Year's Eve Prix Fixe

Menu

Salads

Heirloom Tomato SaladUS$9.50

Caesar SaladUS$9.50

Nicoise SaladUS$15.50

Frisee SaladUS$9.50

Salade de Bleu d'AuvergneUS$11.00

Salade de Chevre de PanéUS$10.50

Salade MaisonUS$7.00

Sandwiches

Chicken Salad SandwichUS$10.95

Bavette FritesUS$12.50

Herb Crusted Pork Loin SandwichUS$13.00

Merguez SandwichUS$13.50

Smoked Salmon SandwichUS$12.50

Provencal SandwichUS$11.50

Sandwich BayonnaisUS$12.50

What 975 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Loved For

Review summary

FAQs

How is Cafe Rabelais restaurant rated?

Is Cafe Rabelais currently accepting bookings?

Make a booking

Additional information