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Varanese, Louisville, KY

Varanese

4.7 (4722)
$30 and under
Contemporary American
2106 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206

Make a reservation

2 people
10:30 PM
Booked 11 times today
Experiences are available.

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • 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

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
  • 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

Experiences

  • 3 course dinner special

    $35.00 per person

    Jul 3, 2025 only
    3 course dinner for $35 Choice of House or Caesar Salad Choice of Grilled Salmon, Pork Chop or Beef Tips & Tortellini Choice of Lava Cake or Bread Pudding Dessert
    3 course dinner special Photo

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What 4,722 people are saying

Varanese 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
  • 4.6Food
  • 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 consistently delights with "amazing food," a "wonderful atmosphere," and "excellent service." A favorite for special occasions, it features live jazz music that enhances the dining experience. Guests praise the "attentive" staff and diverse menu, though some note the noise level. Overall, it's "one of the best restaurants in Louisville."
4,722 Reviews
  1. Kim VIP

    London10 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Wonderful meal and environment! Best cocktail - French Fusion! Lovely experience.

    Is this helpful?

  2. John VIP

    Central Kentucky26 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always enjoy tasty and well prepared food and honest cocktails. Service was great.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Cynthia VIP

    Central Kentucky42 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Varanese has been a favorite since it opened, and it never fails to deliver. Being seated next to the fountain wall is always a treat and brings a relaxing vibe to the atmosphere. Our food was just great (salmon a little overcooked) and service was excellence. I love that we can depend on this restaurant for a great experience every time.

    Is this helpful?

  4. Jenny

    Central Kentucky1 review

    5.0

    Dined on June 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Celebrated our 31st anniversary. Everything was wonderful. Service top notch, food and menu options exceptional. Love that they have this amazing duo playing jazz. Nice to not have to shout over loud music and yet still get such a great live jazz experience.

    Is this helpful?

  5. Heidi VIP

    Central Kentucky12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 24, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 5
    Love the food and ambience! I think our server might’ve been new, because there were a few times she forgot to bring items to our table, breadsticks and a salad we ordered, but other than that, the service was good. Everyone was very friendly and the atmosphere is very inviting.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Sally

    Central Kentucky4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on June 21, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 4
    Nice atmosphere and great selections on menu, food & drink both. Little disappointed with table location right by the front door but it was nice they acknowledged the Birthday we were celebrating at the table. Unfortunately, service was not very good. Had to flag down our Server many times, for ordering, more water, more drinks and check. She seemed to have too many tables. Overall nice experience/

    Is this helpful?

  7. Eric VIP

    Atlanta21 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 21, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Staff was wonderful. Very attentive and band was pretty good. Food was good, and we enjoyed ourselves.

    Is this helpful?

  8. John VIP

    Central Kentucky12 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 21, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    Food and service were excellent but the noise level was a distraction.

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  9. Raymond VIP

    Seattle / Eastern Washington14 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 20, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Great food and atmosphere. We had a very nice evening.

    Is this helpful?

  10. Erica

    New York City5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 20, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    liked the varied menu, enjoyed the liquid spa cocktail (tito’s and cucumber), and everyone enjoyed their food. One pork chop was a little over cooked, but we didn’t send back. I'm sure they would have sent out another, had we asked. Live music was a nice touch, and not too loud.

    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 4722 OpenTable diners.

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

  1. Home
  2. United States
  3. Central Kentucky
  4. Louisville
  5. Frankfort Ave - Crescent Hill

Make a reservation

2 people
10:30 PM
Booked 11 times today
Experiences are available.
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
  • 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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