We've been to Cafe Navarre many times and have always had a good dining experience. Last night our server was Autumn M and she was wonderful. Very attentive and very patient when 2 of our party of 7 were a little late. All of our meals arrived piping hot and were delicious. As we have come to expect, both food and service were top notch. Highly recommended if you're looking for fine dining in Michiana. read more

Really solid food. Only thing I'd like to see more is changes in the menu. This is a solid go-to date night or a meal at their beautiful bar. We've stopped going a bit because the menu has been pretty much the same for many years. That being said, we always love to go to Cafe - and if you've never been....It's a must-see!!! read more

My mom and I stopped in for a couple drinks and appetizers after work. It's been quite a few years since I have been here. When we walked in the two ladies at the just stand were very kind. We sat at the bar where AJ took the best care of us. He happily answered all our questions, we very kind and attentive. I highly recommend anyone stopping in to sit at the bar with AJ, you will not regret it! He also helped reunite me with a rum I love but had forgotten the name of. Thanks so much AJ. Lastly the management that ran my good was super professional and made sure we were enjoy our expierence. The food was great as usual. I had the icecream with espresso and baileys for dessert and you have to try it! I will be going back more often. read more

We loved Autumn!!! She was the best. Great service and great food. Super friendly and food came out fast

Words and pictures won't do justice to how great this place is but I'll give it a try. I picked this place when I was in South Bend for business after a long day on the road. I quickly picked something downtown while I was at my last break about an hour away. They have a reasonable but not overly complicated wine selection. I started with a glass of red before dinner. I ordered the duck and risotto which were exceptional. The skin was perfectly crisp and the meat fell off the bone as soon as the fork touched it. The risotto was very creamy and had a great texture. The locals at the bar were great to talk to and the service was exceptional from the staff. I will definitely be back and will bring some friends next time. read more

Imagine the results of walking into a higher end restaurant at lunch time in jeans and a sweatshirt. Café Navarre is located in the heart of South Bend, IN and is a lunch hot spot for successful business people in the area. Walking in, I was greeted by a very professional host and by request, I was seated at the bar. The first thing my eyes caught was the Woodford Reserve logo then the sight of amazing craft beers on tap, including New Holland Dragons Milk, and great top shelf liquors. Before I could see anymore, I was greeted by Lauren, my bartender. I started my time with a Woodford Reserve Double Oaked Bourbon up. As I sipped on the nicely chilled, smooth, oaky bourbon, I took in the beauty of the building. With its two-story open setting and the lighting that was set up, I can only assume it is beautiful in the evening. The dining room was set with high end furniture, private booths, and an old world, meets big city feeling. At the strong advice of Lauren, I ordered the Wagyu Beef Burger. Instead of the potato choices I ordered the vegetable of the day, Haricots Vert (thin French Green Beans). At first the cost scared me, only $12 for a Wagyu beef? She assured me that it was a good quality and quantity. I am so glad I trusted her because it was astounding. The mid-rare cook came out great and my first bite was delightful. Imagine a nicely toasted Brioche Bun with garlic butter, a 5 or 6 ounce perfectly cooked Wagyu Beef patty, aged cheddar melted on top with shredded lettuce, thick cut bacon, Balsamic-confit onions and an Herb Aioli. I took one small bite at a time to make it last. The burger was already ranking with the best lunches that I have had recently, but when I tried the Haricot Vert, they were a standalone highlight. They were perfect al dente and the seasoning was spot on. Having started a foodie conversation with Lauren, I sat around for a while, in my jeans and sweatshirt, as many well-dressed professionals came and went. I left feeling satisfied and feeling like I was wearing a suit and tie. Not only were the staff all amazing, the customers were all regulars that loved Café Navarre and I talked with many of them. If you want to be treated well and have an amazing meal, take a journey downtown South Bend. You will be glad you did. Review: Food: 9/10 (the balsamic-confit onions were greasy: confit?) Cost versus Quality: 10/10 ($12 Burger / $14 Bourbon) Presentation: 7/10 (A missed opportunity) Service: 10/10 (Thank you Lauren) Atmosphere and Ambiance: 10/10 (I can't wait to see it in the evening) Total: 4.6/5 = 5 Stars read more

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Food, drink, service and ambiance are all top-shelf. Consistently great experience when I stop in.

I came here with my girlfriend for our anniversary and had a really nice time. The food was delicious - I got steak frites (mega yum) and my girlfriend got risotto (maybe even better my frites honestly). Also the drinks were very good and to be honest I'm a total baby when it comes to cocktails. Not a refined pallette here by any measure, and I thoroughly enjoyed. Pics below :) read more

Cafe Navarre - Me and my cocktail #yass - Italian Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

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We had a fantastic meal on a Monday night. Ordered a spicy Bloody Mary, but it lacked spice. Good but not the best. The garnish was lacking with only a lime and olive. Started with mussels and crab cake. Both were very good. The sauce for the mussels was so good, so we ordered some bread for dipping. Fantastic tomato based seafood broth. The crab cake was a nice, flavorful fresh cake. So good. I ordered the French onion soup. Perfect for me. Nice and salty with a good crouton and ample amount of cheese. The broth was nice and rich, as some can be weak. Lacking flavor and leaving you with a watery unseasoned soup. This was not the case. My main was the ratatouille. Just like I had hoped for in presentation and flavor. Consistently sliced. The base veggies were a nice surprise to be added to each bite. The black salt is a must have to complete this meal!!! Finished all of this off with the Crème Brûlée. So good. Nice sugar crust and smooth custard. Blueberries were a nice touch. read more

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Fantastic place to eat if you can even get in. The filet mignon is fork tender and the crème brûlée is perfect it has that glass crack crunch on top and the perfect creamy consistency don't even get me started on the best French onion soup in town and possibly anywhere I always order it read more

Had dinner at Cafe Navarre on Sunday. Waitress Autumn was great. Would recommend anything there, but loved the Beet Salad and Osco Bocco. Sherri read more

Great place and food! Server talked me in to the mushroom soup she said everybody comes Just for the soup. The soup I agree was very tasty. We ordered filet mignon which came with mashed potatoes, asparagus and two carrot slices. It was very tasty and cooked to perfection. The service was excellent and highly suggest reservations it is a very busy place. read more

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From apps through finale, everything was beautifully made and presented. The lobster gnocchi was drool-worthy. I ate way too much bread with every course! Hello pesto butter that I didn't know I needed in my life! Can we talk about the mushroom soup? It might be the best thing I've ever had. Ever. The Amish chicken was perfection. Moist. Tender. Crusty skin. We forgot to ask what makes it Amish. We don't really care. If I had one complaint...and I don't because that mushroom soup makes up for everything that's wrong in the world...it would be that the romaine needed to be rinsed better because it tasted of the bitter, white sap that comes from rougher manhandling during shipping. It's not the restaurants fault, but a thorough rinse will make the taste more pleasant. The mule (euphoria) and the cranberry Prosecco (a few good dreams) were extremely tasty. Though, the latter gave me heartburn that burned with a fury hotter than the 13th layer of hell. That's a me problem, not a problem with the drink (but dose up beforehand if cranberry is your jam and heartburn your Achilles heel...it was definitely worth it)! And, again, mushroom soup. The restaurant is set in a beautiful space with large windows, an intricate ceiling, and each table was immaculately set. Our server was beyond reproach--knowledgeable, professional, witty, and adorable. She, alone, would shove the restaurant into ten of five stars range. Thank you for a wonderful meal and romantic date night! read more

Great food and good people! The staff were friendly and made my family and I feel welcomed.

The wife and I visited Cafe Navarre on a Friday evening and had a great experience. Ryan was awesome and had the most personable personality. He started and ended the evening, asking about our experience and ways to improve. I really appreciate this about top tier places wanting to constantly improve. The decor is dimly lit with ample light for each table, making the environment perfect for dates, meetings, celebrations or just a casual dinner. This is what fine dining in a downtown setting should look like. In regards to the food, it was excellent. I opted to sample several small plates rather than one entree. I endorse this decision for anyone visiting for the first time. I tried the octopus, crispy pork belly and butternut gnocchi. The octopus and gnocchi were, God honest, one of the best I've eaten anywhere. The pork belly was good but not knock your socks off. My one reservation would be the cocktails. They were terrible but I get the impression that their wine shines more. All in all, this is an awesome restaurant in the city that's worth checking out. read more

The food was wonderful! Autumn was a very attentive server. And the Ambiance was so beautiful and relaxing. read more

The food was perfect, as was the service by our waiter, Josh. He did a great job balancing attentiveness without being overly intrusive. He also knew the menu quite well and made wonderful suggestions. We have had pretty amazing meals in a whole lot of countries and this one ranks in our top seven. read more

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Celebrated my parents 62nd Anniversary here! This is definitely the perfect place in So. Bend for a special occasion! Based on the other reviews, we tried the mushroom soup. It was delicious! I had the beet salad. I like beets & I enjoyed it! Just know that there is no green leaves, just beets. Risotto fritters were probably the only thing I wouldn't order again. They were just ok. The sauce served under them was delicious. The main courses we ordered= salmon, filet mignon, and lamb skank. All 3 were perfect! Dessert- crème brûlée= outstanding! Service was on point! I would definitely recommend this restaurant! read more

We went here because we had a gift certificate. Food and service were both good...but seemed way over priced for what we got. The interior was so dark we saw several tables using their phone flashlights trying to read the menu. Overall a good experience, but not a place I anticipate returning to anytime soon. read more

Absolutely delicious. The table shared raw oysters and an octopus appetizer garnished with chorizo and fennel. They were both great! I opted for a delicious fish dish (Branzino maybe) and it was served over parsnips and sweet potatoes with a creamy beurre blanc sauce. This dish was FANTASTIC! I enjoyed a delicious Malbec but it was a bit pricey. I will be back to this location in the future! read more

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Yessssss amazing. Great salad. Great entrees. Bar is a great atmosphere. Espresso martini is perfect served in a black champagne glass. read more

Cafe Navarre - Espresso Martini - Italian Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

Outstanding dining experience. We had the salmon, seabass, steak and bolognese. Every dish was 10/10. Autumn provided an exemplary service from start to finish. She was so good to our kids and would be one of the main reasons why we would come back. Thank you Autumn and Cafe Navarre for a wonderful dinner. read more

There are not a lot of great food options in the bend, this is a great one. The food is fantastic, the service is reasonable, however, would not consider it a highlight. The decor is great, and merge of vintage and chic. Highly recommend! read more

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Cafe Navarre is one of my favorite restaurants in South Bend. I've eaten there over half a dozen times throughout the past 6 years, and it is consistently amazing! They have very high quality food, drinks, and service. The last time I ate here, Autumn was our server, and she was delightful. My sister had the bolognese which is her favorite because it contains nutmeg which is fairly unusual (but very tasty), I had the pork chop which was so tender that it fell off the bone with little effort, and my husband had French onion soup and seared tempeh, which did not feel like a compromise as a vegetarian option. I highly recommend Cafe Navarre! read more

Food? Great. Service? Flawless. Bugs? A little annoying but we were eating outside so we got over it. Honestly, I only got a salad and the Brussels sprouts but my husband got the fillet mignon, French onion soup, and homemade ice cream. It was all amazing. Please visit this place! It's across from the Double Tree! Get a little fancy, expect to spend a little, and TREAT YOURSELF! It's been a long two years; show how much we appreciate these restaurants and take ourself out! Also, I left my phone (accidentally) on the table and one of the staff members RAN DOWN THE STREET to bring it to me. Unreal. Please visit. read more

Ambiance was great, service was good as well. Order the steak and you will not be disappointed.

We stopped for an early dinner, at the end of a work week which included a number of very pleasant culinary experiences. This place did not disappoint. Heather was particularly attentive and informative. I personally seldom go against the recommendations of the server, and my method was rewarded. Heather offered some suggestions. I selected the Duck Confit with the pomegranate reduction and the most divine sweet potato puree, garnished with roasted broccoli. Exceptional. I'll be visiting again! read more

We've been to Cafe Navarre multiple times for lunch and dinner with hit and miss experiences. Cafe Navarre recently added brunch on Sundays and it's definitely worth a visit to check it out. We had a reservation for 11:30 and were surprised that we were the only table in the place (they definitely need to a do a better job promoting brunch!). They offer a Bloody Mary bar and had several house infused vodkas and a tequila to choice from. I opted for the pepper vodka and my husband had the citrus basil vodka. Their house made Bloody Mary mix had a nice little zip to it. They offer the standard fixings so you can finish off your drink as you like. We heard a rumor that there is an all-you-can-drink option, but that wasn't offered to us so we'll have to remember next time. At $8, it was a very reasonably priced drink! The brunch menu had a nice selection of items with most ranging in price from $10-16. We ordered a half of the brussel green goddess salad ($6) and it was a nice size portion. They even went the extra step and served on two plates, each topped with an egg, since my husband and I were sharing the half. My only complaint was the egg was a little underdone for me with some of the whites still runny, but that's an easy fix. My husband ordered the crab benedict ($16) which was loaded with fresh crab, topped on a homemade biscuit with perfectly poached eggs. It was complimented with a lightly dressed mixed green salad. I ordered the chicken and waffles ($12) which was a first for me. The waffle was perfectly done and topped with a citrus, spiced syrup and a perfectly fried chicken breast. It was a huge meal and thankfully my husband was more than willing to polish it off for me. Our friends ordered the steak and eggs and the avocado toast without all the extras (multi-grain bagel topped with the avocado mash). Service was spot on as it should be considering the place was pretty empty during most of our time there. We were glad to see a few tables filling up when we left. With a little promotion and advertising, I'm sure they would be packed as it is a great addition to the limited downtown brunch scene. read more

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Great food, wonderful service, very helpful managers and bar staff. The steak frites is my go-to meal here, though I'm partial to the lamb shank when it's in, and if I lived closer to South Bend I'd be here every payday. read more

Wonderful restaurant! Service was stellar. Our waitresses name was Autumn who was wonderful. While she had many tables she made it feel like her attention was undivided. Also wonderful support staff our waters were filled by a different waitress named Isabella who greeted us immediately with a bubbly attitude when sat. Our waters never got lower than half empty and our food was out in a timely manner. Would come again! read more

One of my fav dinner place in southbend. Yet amazing dinner date night! Thanks to Cesar our server, for prompt, professional service. The food is always great tasting. I had the fist of the day, rainbow trout with clams and wife had sea bass, both were awesome! Their wine selection is impressive too. read more

Cafe Navarre - Striped Bass - Italian Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

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Food was excellent with a wide range of options. Our server Autumn was top notch! Definitely would go back!

Had a great experience food and atmosphere were great. Server/waitress Autumn was very nice and helpful and friendly

Great food (pork chops), awesome atmosphere (historical building), excellent service (bar). REPEAT.

Food and service was spot on as always. Maddy was the best! Very friendly and attentive. It wasn't our first time there and most certainly won't be our last! read more

Came here with friends for Downtown South Bend Restaurant Week. Great food, made even better by the monetary deal during Restaurant Week. We all agreed the wild mushroom soup is the best we ever had! Love the used-to-be-a-bank vibe and the sky-blue decor. Autumn was our server and she was exceptional: welcoming, professional and solicitous without overdoing it. We will definitely be coming back! read more

Visiting South Bend for the first time, my husband and I had the good fortune of choosing Cafe Navarre for dinner. Located in an old bank, the decor is classic and modern at the same time with a relaxed vibe. The food was great (try the mushroom soup) and we appreciated the perfect, compact menu offering something for everyone. Cesar, our waiter, was a delight and a wealth of information regarding local history. A highlight of the evening was when Matt Soutra (who we discovered is the V.P. of Navarre Hospitality Group) stopped by our table to see how we were enjoying our meal and within 30 seconds elicited a good laugh from my husband and me. Nice touch! We left sated and charmed and will definitely be back the next time we're in South Bend. read more

Cafe Navarre - Italian Near Me - South Bend, Indiana

The best meal I have had in quite some time!!! Everything was top notch including the service as provided by Prince.

Eating as a single diner is a good opportunity to evaluating service - which was delightful. Morgan was my waitress and efficient, attentive - everything you could want, especially on a busy night. I took advantage of Restaurant Week, and for $38 I had a magnificent bowl of mushroom soup - dark and hearty, LOTS of mushrooms, elegant and rich taste - and the hot rolls with two kinds of butter emerged just in time. (The rolls were tasty but the crust was overdone, made them a little tough.) Lamb shank - I think the only reason they gave me a meat knife was to cut the carrots. The meat fell off the bone (as it should) rich taste, great mashed potato - a thoroughly wonderful dish, and generous portion. Dessert was a Creme Brulee that was the only disappointment of the night. I don't know when the crust had been made but THAT was where I could have used that meat knife. The creme was bland and neither warm nor cold. Eh. The bar has my favorite whiskey, Teeling, an Irish whisky, which was a pleasant surprise. I had a cabernet with the lamb - adequate but nothing special. But the evening was pleasant, two of the three dishes REALLY good, service top level - a delightful first experience. read more

Absolutely delish! Now hooked on their espresso martini, my fav so far (secret ingredient vanilla vodka, creamy with a lil baileys). Autumn, our server, incredible. Cainan, the chef amazing - sea bass & salmon & brussel sprouts. GM, Mike gave us amazing info on all the restaurants of the Navarre Group. Highly recommend - Bon Appetit' ya' all, cheers! read more