Enable JavaScript to run this app.
Skip to main content
OpenTable logo
  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Houston
  4. Houston
  5. Rice Village
Cafe Rabelais, Houston, TX

Cafe Rabelais

4.7
4.7
1012 Reviews
$31 to $50
French

Make a booking

2 people
19:00
Booked 8 times today
  • Charming
  • Good for special occasions
  • 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 am–2:00 pm Dinner Tue, Wed 6:00 pm–9:00 pm Thu–Sat 6:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • 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

What 1,012 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
  • 4.6Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.5Value

NoiseModerate

Diners' Choice Awards

  • Houston

    Great for fine wines

  • Houston

    French

  • Houston

    Great for fine wines

  • Houston

    French

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Cafe Rabelais is a charming French bistro in Houston's Rice Village, beloved for its "excellent and thoughtful service" and authentic cuisine. Patrons rave about the "spectacular food," extensive wine list, and cozy ambiance reminiscent of Paris. Consistently delivering "delicious" meals, it remains a "favorite" and "never disappoints."

1,012 Reviews
  1. Pedro

    Houston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined today

    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?

  2. Mark

    San Francisco

    9 reviews

    5.0

    9 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful Valentine’s Day pre-fix menu! We always enjoy or visits to Cafe Rabelais!

    Is this helpful?

  3. Susan

    Phoenix

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined 1 day ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    This is hands down one of my favorite places to eat in Houston! The food is ALWAYS phenomenal and the service and atmosphere is PERFECT. The food is perfection and the wine list is EXTENSIVE! We enjoyed the pre-set menu last night for Valentine's day. The chateaubriand was prepared perfectly - flaky pastry and the tenderloin was delightful! We have spent many special occasions at Cafe Rabelais and look forward to many more. Our family loves it! Yours will too.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Janie

    VIP

    Houston

    44 reviews

    5.0

    44 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The perfect intimate place for a romantic Valentine date

    Is this helpful?

  5. Shirley

    VIP

    Houston

    113 reviews

    5.0

    113 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We love this restaurant and their annual Valentine’s Day dinner never disappoints!

    Is this helpful?

  6. Eileen

    Houston

    13 reviews

    5.0

    13 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful lunch salads and sandwich! Delicious desserts.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Betsy

    Unspecified

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 4
    I made reservations for 7:30 on Thursday, 2/13. We didn't get seated until 8:10 and our wait person didn't come to the table until 8:20. I don't know if they were short staffed (it appeared that way) or if this is typical. The meal was good and our wait person was pleasant. However, waiting for more than 45 minutes to be seated and get our food ordered after having made reservations seems excessive.

    Is this helpful?

  8. Lauren

    VIP

    Houston

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 1
    4. Ambience 4
    Cafe Rabelais was packed and service was SLOW! I think they only had two servers for the entire restaurant. The waitress did not come to our table for 30 minutes. When she finally came to ask for our drink order, we were ready to order the entire meal. My husband ordered a beer and waited for 45 minutes. He had to order it again in order to receive it. Once the food came, everything was absolutely delicious! We had French onion soup, escargot, frog legs for appetizers. Then we had steak au poivre, steak frites and trout almondine for dinner. All were amazing. Then we ordered profiteroles or dessert. All of our silverware had been cleared so we sat there and watched our ice cream melt while we waited for the waitress to bring us spoons!!! Food was amazing! Service was SLOW!!!! Cafe Rabelais you need more Servers!

    Is this helpful?

  9. lester

    Houston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My husband and I haven’t been to the Rabalais in quite awhile. Even though it was the night before Valentines, the staff were polite and doing a wonderful job with all the tables. Our food was amazing. The Best Pate’ ever. We will be back very soon. Denise B

    Is this helpful?

  10. Wanda

    VIP

    Houston

    131 reviews

    5.0

    131 reviews

    Dined 2 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Good food, reliable service, reasonably priced wines, as well as expensive wines for those indulging. Quaint, charming ambiance, evocative of French bistros.

    Is this helpful?

FAQs

Cafe Rabelais is rated 4.7 stars by 1012 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 8 times today
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 am–2:00 pm Dinner Tue, Wed 6:00 pm–9:00 pm Thu–Sat 6:00 pm–10:00 pm
  • 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
Copyright © 2024 OpenTable International Ltd. Alphabeta Building, 14-18 Finsbury Square, London EC2A 1AH - All rights reserved.
OpenTable is part of Booking Holdings, the world leader in online travel and related services.
Booking Logo
Priceline Logo
KAYAK Logo
Agoda Logo
OpenTable Logo