Cafe Rabelais

4.7

1021 Reviews

$31 to $50

French

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 16, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 4 times today

Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

Good for special occasions
Charming
Great for fine wines

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

Location
2442 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005
Phone number
(713) 520-8841
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
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Soriano Frank

Experiences

Domaine Rouge Bleu Wine Dinner: Meet the Winemaker
$150.00 per person
Mar 25, 2025 only
You're invited to Meet the Winemaker from Domaine Rouge Bleu! On March 25th at 7 PM, we're hosting a 6-course wine dinner and a very special meet and greet! Join us for a sensational 6-course wine dinner that promises to awaken your palate and connect you with the artistry behind each bottle. As you savor each carefully crafted dish, you’ll be accompanied by a selection of fine wines, personally curated by our special guest from Domaine Rouge Bleu. From the delicate Amuse Bouche Tapenade paired with the refreshing Dentelles Rosé to the rich Blackberry Tarte Fine with a luscious dark chocolate mousse, every course has been thoughtfully designed to elevate your dining experience. This is your chance to not only taste exceptional wines but also to learn about the passion and craftsmanship that goes into every vintage! Spaces are limited, and reservations are required. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to enjoy great food, fine wine, and engaging conversations. Reserve your spot today!

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 1,021 people are saying

Cafe Rabelais 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

4.7

4.7 based on recent ratings

4.7Food
4.5Service
4.6Ambience
4.5Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Houston
French
Houston
French

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Cafe Rabelais is a charming French bistro in Houston with "excellent service" and "delicious food." Known for its "cozy atmosphere" reminiscent of a Parisian café, it offers a wide selection of authentic French dishes and an extensive wine list. Ideal for quiet conversation, this "neighborhood gem" consistently delights patrons.

1,021 Reviews

OT
OpenTable Diner
Houston1 review
5.0
Dined 7 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Always great food great people, I love this place
Is this helpful?
B
Binh
Chicago1 review
2.0
Dined on March 7, 2025
1. Overall 2
2. Food 1
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Easy to find. Lots of parking. Service was great. Place felt cozy. However food suck. Appetizer we shared Mussels Rabelais and frog legs. Both were ok, nothing outstanding. The whole dinner, i enjoyed the frog leg sauce the most. Our main course were Duck Confit Feuillete and Stuffed quail. We wanted rack if lamb but was sold out. Both courses tasted normal. Nothing outstanding. I can make better tasting food. I wouldnt recommend coming here. They need to taste their own food. Sad it has potential just horrible cooks or chef. I always enjoyed rainbow lodge or brennars, this place, to me, is a dissappointment
Is this helpful?
N
Nora VIP
New York City17 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
We had an amazing lunch at Cafe Rebelais. We ordered the mussels and the escargot, the mussels were very creamy, I wosh we had ordered fries but the gave us bread and it was delicious. We also had the salmon, the chicken and the beef burgignon. All three plates were fantastic. I would totally go back!
Is this helpful?
TH
ThorndikeH
Houston7 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Told them it was a birthday for a friend, but they did not acknowledge the birthday. But food was excellent! Wine was great…recommended by our waitress.
Is this helpful?
LM
LoriM
Houston12 reviews
5.0
Dined on March 1, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
As always, the food and the service is perfect. Our waiter was attentive and quick to serve.
Is this helpful?
C
Carrie VIP
Houston133 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 28, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Such a wonderful lunch spot! This is a beautiful restaurant so small cute and quaint. I absolutely love the mismatched dishes. It’s like eating at someone’s French home. The food is outstanding. I’ve been once for dinner and twice for lunch. Lunch I’ve opted for a sandwich and they’re all wonderful with perfectly done frites! If you can’t make it to France, this feels close.
Is this helpful?
L
LEONARDO
Houston1 review
5.0
Dined on February 27, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic French cuisine and served by the amazing Tes our very helpful guide. Tes and the cuisine made our experience very memorable and nostalgic !
Is this helpful?
P
Pamela
Houston281 reviews
4.0
Dined on February 21, 2025
1. Overall 4
2. Food 4
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
We had not been to Cafe Rabelais for years and it was lovely to see it looked almost exactly the same: walls of wine, chalk board menu, wooden tables packed closely together. It was a cold day and the draft from the front door kept us cooler than we would have preferred. The menu has changed a lot. No more croque monsieur, the trout did not have the rice and simple green beans. The bread was no longer a boule but a very tasty baguette, warm, fresh and crusty. The boeuf bourginon was excellent! Perfectly cooked, hot, with a wonderful wine infused sauce. Though they were out of the wine we wanted, the glasses we ordered were generous pours. We had a lovely time.
Is this helpful?
W
Walter VIP
Houston32 reviews
5.0
Dined on February 16, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent food, superior wine list and excellent staff makes this an absolute for a return visit.
Is this helpful?
P
Pedro
Houston1 review
5.0
Dined on February 16, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Dining here for over 20 years. Great food. Highly recommend!
Is this helpful?

FAQs

Cafe Rabelais is rated 4.7 stars by 1021 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Mar 16, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 4 times today

Experiences are available.

2442 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005

Additional information

Phone number
(713) 520-8841
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
Dress code
Business Casual
Parking details
Street Parking
Payment options
AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
Executive chef
Soriano Frank

Cafe Rabelais

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Experiences

Domaine Rouge Bleu Wine Dinner: Meet the Winemaker

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 1,021 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