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Varanese, Louisville, KY

Varanese

4.7 (4719)
$30 and under
Contemporary American
2106 Frankfort Ave., Louisville, KY 40206

Make a reservation

2 people
7:00 PM
Booked 13 times today

About this restaurant

  • Good for special occasions
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for fine wines
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

What 4,719 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 offers a delightful dining experience with "delicious food" and "excellent service." The atmosphere is enhanced by "live music" and a "perfect ambiance." Guests commend the professional staff and highlight standout dishes like the "Orange Bourbon Salmon." Despite occasional noise concerns, the restaurant remains a "favorite" for many, ensuring memorable visits.
4,719 Reviews
  1. Jenny

    Central Kentucky1 review

    5.0

    Dined 2 days ago

    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.

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  2. Heidi VIP

    Central Kentucky12 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 3 days ago

    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.

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  3. Sally

    Central Kentucky4 reviews

    3.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    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?

  4. Eric VIP

    Atlanta20 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 6 days ago

    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.

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  5. John VIP

    Central Kentucky12 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 6 days ago

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

    Is this helpful?

  6. Raymond VIP

    Seattle / Eastern Washington14 reviews

    5.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    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?

  7. Erica

    New York City5 reviews

    4.0

    Dined 7 days ago

    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.

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  8. Mike

    Central Kentucky2 reviews

    4.0

    Dined on June 19, 2025

    1. Overall 4
    2. Food 3
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Service was excellent. The strip steak was tough and the sprouts were mushy.

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  9. Christine VIP

    Tampa / Central Florida West23 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 4
    4. Ambience 4
    Terrific combo entertainment on a Wednesday evening! Loved the “water bearer”. Leah was a very attentive & friendly server. Although I was leery of the brown gravy atop my wonderfully grilled rib eye, I was able to turn it onto my mashed potatoes! Steak perfectly done otherwise. Waaaaay too many Brussels sprouts, which I found a bit greasy and underdone. Flatiron & risotto were a great combination and perfectly cooked.

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  10. Cheryl

    Indiana2 reviews

    5.0

    Dined on June 18, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    The food was delicious. The salmon was cooked to perfection. We ordered three desserts to share and had cappuccinos that were the best we’ve ever tasted. Shelby was attentive and helpful going above and beyond to engage us and share details about the food. We were intrigued by the young man who was extremely talented when it came to refilling our water glasses. He never spilled a drop.

    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 4719 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 13 times today
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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