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Varanese, Louisville, KY

Varanese

4.7 (4698)
$30 and under
Contemporary American
2106 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 20 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

  • Peerless Bourbon Dinner

    $65.00 per person

    Jun 10, 2025 only
    Join us for a four course bourbon dinner featuring Peerless Distilling Co. Enjoy a flight of Peerless bourbon/rye 3 bourbon cocktails 4 course dinner
    Peerless Bourbon Dinner Photo

What 4,698 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
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.8Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Central Kentucky

    Hot spot

  • Central Kentucky

    Contemporary American

  • Louisville

    Best Value

  • Louisville

    Hot spot

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
Varanese offers a "perfect" dining experience with "unbelievable" food, "impeccable" service, and a "wonderful atmosphere." Guests rave about the Orange Bourbon Salmon and live music, which creates a delightful ambiance. Consistency in quality and the "superior service" make it a top choice for special occasions and repeat visits.

4,698 Reviews
  1. Cathy

    Louisville1 review

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    I took two friends there for their birthdays. I told Varanese in advanced. The table was decorated with a sign and flower petals. It was Saturday evening, beautiful weather, the doors were open, and the trio played. The food was very good and the service was excellent.

    Is this helpful?

  2. Bill

    Nashville2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 4 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always a pleasure! My wife's favorite restaurant in Louisville. The food is unbelievable, the service is impeccable, the ambiance is perfect - very nice place to enjoy a meal.

    Is this helpful?

  3. Dee

    Louisville15 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    From start to finish, we had an excellent experience on Monday evening. The Orange Bourbon Salmon was delicious as well as the Butter Fish dish. The wait staff was attentive and our waitress, Jay was awesome. The live music added pleasant ambiance. I highly recommend Varanese. You will love it!

    Is this helpful?

  4. bobby VIP

    Cincinnati / Dayton8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 17, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Had a great dinner as usual. Food was spot on and the band was great. The service was top notch. Minus the lady in the middle that was so loud she almost made our server drop her tray. 😆

    Is this helpful?

  5. Linda VIP

    Yosemite6 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 16, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We celebrated our 44th wedding anniversary on Friday at Varanese. The food was amazing and Errol provided superior service. Thanks for making our evening special.

    Is this helpful?

  6. Andrew

    Louisville2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Excellent food and service. Its becoming one of my favorite resturants in Louisville.

    Is this helpful?

  7. Anita

    Louisville8 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    My husband and I each got an appetizer, crab stuffed avocados and calamari, and both were excellent! He also got the divers scallops and duck ravioli and I got the fried green tomato salad, and we were both very happy! We were seated close to the musicians and I was concerned about it being a bit loud but this was certainly not the case. The music added a wonderful ambiance. Finally, our server was fantastic! She was friendly and attentive and timed our meal perfectly. Bravo Varanese!

    Is this helpful?

  8. Cathy VIP

    Louisville2 reviews

    3.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 3
    4. Ambience 3
    Appetizers were overpriced for what was served. Entrees were fairly priced.

    Is this helpful?

  9. David VIP

    Western Kentucky / SW Indiana17 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Outstanding Mother’s Day brunch! Service and Food was amazing!! Great jazz music!! Love this place

    Is this helpful?

  10. Heather

    Louisville1 review

    5.0

    Dined on May 11, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Esha was a wonderfully attentive server. The food was delicious. The atmosphere was airy and elegant. Thank you for a great Mother’s Day experience!

    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 4698 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
7:00 PM
Booked 20 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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