Cafe Rabelais

Name: Cafe Rabelais
Address: 2442 Times Blvd, Houston, TX, United States, 77005
Telephone: (713) 520-8841
Price range: $31 to $50
Rating: 4.9

4.9 (1062)

$31 to $50

French

2442 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 21, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 5 times today

About this restaurant

Neighborhood gem
Good for special occasions
Charming

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

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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 1,062 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

4.9

4.9 based on recent ratings

4.9Food
4.7Service
4.8Ambience
4.7Value

Noise • Moderate

Loved For

Houston
French
Houston
French

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews

Cafe Rabelais delights with "fantastic food" and "superb service" in an "authentic French atmosphere." This cozy bistro in Houston offers a "wonderful menu" featuring classic French dishes and an "expansive wine list." Despite occasional service hiccups, diners praise the "excellent" cuisine and "friendly staff," making it a cherished destination.

1,062 Reviews

J
Justine
New York City1 review
3.0
Dined 1 day ago
1. Overall 3
2. Food 2
3. Service 3
4. Ambience 4
I am extremely disappointed in last nights experience at Cafe Rabelais. Our past visits have been EXQUISITE but the ball was dropped too many times last night. First, we had to kill a crawling bug on the wall next to our table before the meal arrived. My plate which the meal was served on, wasn’t warm; the chicken was dry and overcooked, and our utensils weren’t changed out between meals. After having foie gras, I don’t want to continue that flavor into my next dish - good or not. The portion sizes have definitely changed and what was most upsetting is that if there is any concern about the quality of a meal, the first thing would be for the chef to come out and address the issue. No chef ever came out and that shows their care for the meals they are presenting. Nor was it busy at the time, so it isn’t as though he simply didn’t have time. Rather than acknowledging the concern about the critter during our dinner, the waiter instead asked me if it was a small gnat as if that were supposed to nullify my complaint, which it wasn’t a gnat. I was overall very disappointed with the quality of food considering the standard they had set for my palate as well as the service from the chef and the waiter. Jeffrey, Ruben, and the female waitress were however very kind, welcoming, and understanding of our poor experience and I don’t fault them in any way.
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P
P
Houston1 review
5.0
Dined 2 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Fantastic food, Superb service, Amazing ambiance. Highly recommended. Always look forward to the next visit.
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j
joel VIP
Houston174 reviews
5.0
Dined 4 days ago
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
This is a great classic French restaurant. It’s small and intimate. Large French wine list. The specials are very good in addition to the standard French selections.
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S
Saad
Houston1 review
5.0
Dined on July 6, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Our first time at Cafe Rabelais, but we will be back and introduce friends to it. Very enjoyable meal, wine and service. Nice atmosphere as well.
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P
Peter VIP
Houston57 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 5, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Excellent French bistro in Houston. Authentic French atmosphere and ambiance. Well prepared food and reasonable prices. Knowledgeable long time friendly staff. Highly recommended
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D
Deborah VIP
Houston36 reviews
5.0
Dined on July 1, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Cfé Rabelais never disappoints. A lovely bistro with a wonderful menu and wine selection.
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P
Peg VIP
Houston40 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 19, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 4
4. Ambience 5
Divine little spot right in the neighborhood with the feel of authentic European ding complete with an extensive wine list to pair with the many french dishes they serve expertly made to order! We started with the tomato and blue cheese salad topped with fresh basil and micro greens. The steak au poive was tender and served with fries that were freshly fried to crispy perfection. We were a little disappointed with the trout menier being dry but the flavor was good overall. We paired our dinner with a library Marsanay from 2011 that was nice but was probably beyond its optimal drinking window. We love this little place and we will always return for another gastro-venture very soon!
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M
Michael VIP
Houston134 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 18, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Every dish delicious and if not real hungry consider sharing A very tasty French restaurant
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P
Peter VIP
Houston57 reviews
5.0
Dined on June 18, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 4
Authentic French bistro with good food, nice wine selection and excellent service. Highly recommended
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R
Roger VIP
Houston1 review
5.0
Dined on June 14, 2025
1. Overall 5
2. Food 5
3. Service 5
4. Ambience 5
Amazing dinner with the whole family. Food and service were on point as always. Consistently great place!
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FAQs

Cafe Rabelais is rated 4.9 stars by 1062 OpenTable diners.

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

Make a reservation

2 people

Jul 21, 2025

7:00 PM

Booked 5 times today

2442 Times Blvd, Houston, TX 77005

Additional information

Cross street
5499 kelvin Dr
Neighborhood
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

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

Cafe Rabelais

Make a reservation

About this restaurant

Additional information

Ask Concierge
AI Beta

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 1,062 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