There are many variables involved in a dining experience that make it memorable, either leaving diner(s) with either satisfaction, discontent, or disdain. Some of the obvious include the food, beverage, waitstaff, decor, and price. When these variables are individually and collectively met with a high level of percipience, the end result is satisfaction. Upon arrival at Cafe Navarre, my wife and I were kindly greeted by the maitre de and with no delay led to our table and given a brief explanation of the floor plan (i.e. coat rack, restroom location). We then had a moment to be aquainted with the decor, which is a fine metropolitan look that exudes an equal level of sophistication. Everything from the stoic architectural columns, the artful and ambient lighting, and the woodwind quintet set in the rear of the house provided the perfect setting for a memorable meal. Arriving with a wonderful amount of epicurean knowledge and smile, our waitress, Ruth, was skilled in the timing and execution of the entire service. She had informed us of the chef's desire to use farm fresh ingredients and it was made apparent dish by dish. I also understand he is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, which to me is a prized asset to our local dining culture. Let's set the bar high, it's worth it. Meal ordered; foie gras (balsamic and apple), tuna nicoise, lobster lasagna, bouillabaisse. I could elaborate, but you'll either have to trust me or see for yourself that every dish is top notch. In addition to the world class cuisine is a cellar comprised of a vast selection wine, of which Ruth seemed to be very fond and boastful of, and for good reason. Prices may seem steep, but in my opinion are what you should expect, as you are not paying for food alone. I did have two complaints. There is no sign on the exterior which made us 15 minutes late in our efforts to locate the cafe. Second, the tuna nicoise was served with anchovy. The anchovy was an extremely powerful flavor in the dish that subdued any real flavor from the star of the dish, the tuna. I would consider removing it from the dish all together. read more

Cafe Navarre catered our Rockin Road to Dublin company meal at the Morris Performing Arts Center. The lentil soup was so delicious and made my vocal chords feel so good. I've never had tofu before today and now I'm in love. Their fish was amazing and the beef melted in my mouth, it was so tender. Silence fell as our group went all in on the amazing meal. I've never heard them so quiet to be honest. Do yourself a favor and get your next event catered by Cafe Navarre. read more

Jen was an attentive and friendly server. We ask for her section every time we dine at Cafe Navarre

Awesome service with Michele! Amazing knowledge of the cocktail menu with her background in Nature Trail guideship!

I always viewed Cafe Navarre's food as subpar. Now I will be avoiding the place altogether. The owner thinks he is entitled to serve foie gras and responded to concern with insults and a lack of compassion to living things. Avoid! read more

Came in for dinner after ND game. Food was spectacular! All four of us ordered different dishes, we couldn't decide which was the best because they were all wonderful. Draft beer list was extensive, we opted for the hazy ipa and enjoyed plenty of them. Service was prompt and friendly. Kurtis did a great job at making us feel welcomed and not rushed (it was late in the evening) He knew the menu well and made the perfect recommendations. At the end of the night we were looking for a certain liquor that they don't carry, he took the time to consult the bartender that was there and they found it for us! All around great experience, would highly recommend to anyone in the area. read more

The French onion soup is amazing..I like the atmosphere...very nice clean place..Employee's were wonderful

I love Cafe Navarre's French onion soup and also they have the best Salmon around. Feel very comfortable sitting at the bar, Liz and Nate are the best employees and make a person feel right at home. read more

I've eaten here many times but the last few have been less than pleasant. I ate at Cafe Navarre again last night with a group of friends and the meal was a disappointment. My appetizer, gnocchi, was overcooked leaving the pasta to have the consistency of paste. We all ordered the apple cobbler for desert and it was cold so the four of us sent them back. When our waiter returned it was obvious that they were microwaved and he proceeded to ask us to identify which was ours based on the number of bites taken out of them. I give the waiter credit for not charging us for the desert, but overall I feel as if Cafe Navarre is no longer living up to the good reputation it once had. I don't plan to return anytime soon! read more

Service was slow, food was almost edible. No wonder the restaurant was empty on a Sunday night.

Do not miss this restaurant if you are visiting the University of Notre Dame or South Bend! Lovely modern decor, thoughtful and attentive service, a great bar, full menu of creative and tempting dishes and absolutely delicious food. We enjoyed in particular the wedge and Caesar salads and the scampi and gnocchi pasta dishes. A fabulous glass of merlot too. Great for a date night or a special family meal. read more

Service was so inattentive and absent minded. We arrived for our reservation five minutes early only to be seated upstairs in the no service section. I was overcharged for bourbon after asking the price. The food was delicious but we asked our server twice for the bread he offered to bring with our appetizer. Finally showed up after entrees were set. Overall an abysmal experience for the cost. Don't waste your time. read more

My fiancé and I made reservations about 6 hours in advance and showed up 5 minutes early. The hostess said she could seat us in a little corner table hidden behind the hostess stand or upstairs on the mezzanine, so we picked the mezzanine. The table was nice, the waiter showed up right away to take our drink orders and then it was all downhill from there. Our appetizer came out well before our drinks, a manager eventually came to take our order because our waiter was "running around like crazy and couldn't get to us", we asked for bread twice and it eventually came out after we were halfway done with our entrees. We saw our "waiter" maybe 3 times all night, with no apology for being MIA all night. The food was actually really good, but definitely not worth the price because of the service. Maybe we caught them on a bad night, but we would definitely NOT go back. read more

Fantastic meal from start to finish. Wild mushroom soup is a delightful consistency, the chopped walnuts add a fantastic texture to the overall body. House Salad was equally impressive, white vinaigrette dressing was light and nuanced throughout, with candied walnuts enhancing and not distracting from primary flavors. Bisstec argentine was very well cooked, with excellent chimichurri and green beans cooked to perfection. Solid beer, wine, and cocktail selection, good service, and a sleek and sophisticated interior. An excellent spot for any sort of business related meal or special occasion. Prices were a very good value for quality and quality of food as well. Highly recommend, will definitely return in the future when I am in South bend again for work. read more

Steak at dinner was very good. High end prices and dining experience. Lunches are not bad but not fantastic either. I had a mystery fish dinner once and it was incredible but the menu changes so frequently, I haven't been able to replicate that satisfaction since that one time. I guess that leaves me a bit dissatisfied with every other meal? They used to have a steak lunch desk that was phenomenal. It's disappointing when menus change too frequently which is my biggest complaint with this place. Not all patrons want a different menu every time. read more

The food was overall bad. Asparagus was burnt and nothing really had flavor. Even drinks were off. If you are used to larger city restaurant quality do not go here. read more

I came here for dinner with my parents during restaurant week. The food was excellent! The interior is nicely designed - I think it is a former bank building, and the large windows let in a lot of light. Nice ambiance and the service was good as well. read more

Downtown South Bend's Restaurant Week, saw Cafe Navarre was an option, so, since we've never been there, thought we'd give it a try. Looked at the special menu beforehand, and it was pretty complete menu for the $33 special 3 course meal. It's in an old bank building, nice architectural touches from the earlier years. Parking was a bit of a hassle, though. Online reservations system, no problems even though we were a bit late (parking...). I had their pork belly appetizer, the brodetto, and the tres leches cake for dessert. My wife had the lamb shank, chocolate torte for dessert. Everything was done quite nicely, excellent service from Jordan, a very enjoyable dinner date. read more

Just want to post my disappointment on the service even through I did not eat there. I sat out side and it took at least 15-20 mins for someone to knowledge me granted I was on my mobile, but before that I just sat and looked at the wine list and dinner menu. Sorry but I had to post this. Guess my ccard will work some where else. Jeff read more

Enjoyed every second of our experience at Cafe Navarre. From the gorgeous decor, to the comfortable space, to the gracious staff... This restaurant is a class act. Onion Soup - Splendid. Tasty with plenty of cheese. Gnocchi - Tender potatoes, mushrooms, squash, and potatoes in a light cream sauce. Delicious and perfect for sharing. Short Ribs - Perfectly seasoned, tender, and tasty. Carrots, beef short ribs, tomatoes, and potatoes. A great fall dish. Barramundi - Bok choy, mushrooms, and glazed fish. Light, and tasty. I've had bok choy that's been overcooked and undercooked. This was perfect. I didn't have to wrestle with the bok choy to get a good bite. Olive Oil Cake - I wasn't sure about this desert, but it was simple and flavorful. The cake is sweet and has the consistency of cornbread. There is not a frosting, but a touch of caramel instead. The ice cream tastes homemade and makes up for the frosting and adds a lot of moisture. We were surprised by how much we liked this desert. The dining experience was a joy. The high ceilings mean that guests can comfortably talk without the roar of the surrounding guests. Last but not least... We had a special challenge, as my significant other is recovering from jaw surgery. He can only eat liquid or very soft foods. The staff went out of their way to make sure that we chose the most appropriate items. The chef hand-pulled the short ribs and presented them beautifully on the plate. It was a beautiful gesture and a filling meal. I am grateful to the Cafe Navarre for taking care of us on a busy night. We will drive back from Chicago to enjoy another meal with you. Thank you very much! read more

Way overpriced for the portions and service. Our waiter was terrible. I asked about the Cloppino (clam, mussels, scallops, fish in spicy tomato broth) by asking the waiter if it was similar to Bouillabaisse. He said, no; its a tomato base! It was good at least. Wife ordered soup and salad asking for it to come out with my dinner rather than ahead. Waiter promptly delivered the salad shortly after ordering. I agree it is a nice atmosphere but the wait staff better be the A team to pull it off at these prices. read more

Wow, went to this Resturant with some coworkers this evening and the service was perfect and the food was amazing. It is hard to believe that this quality is available in SB. I had the short ribs which were tender and flavorful and my app was the duck confit also a great dish. But shared the soft shell crab app with a friend and it stoled the show. Now that is something to say given the quality of the other dishes. If you don't mind paying a bit more for the very best then come here. Also a beautiful Resturant. I try to dine at the best restaurants wherever I travel in the World and this place can stand with the very best but I don't need the pain of travel to get here. read more

Had two events here in early July, one a bridesmaids luncheon and one a birthday celebration! Cafe Navarre staff did a great job on both events and the food was fabulous! We are from out of town and everything was done to our requests! Thanks Cafe' Navarre!! read more

Went for a lunch with co-workers. We thought we were "treating ourselves" since it's on the pricier side. We were very underwhelmed with the whole experience. We were seated upstairs away from all other dinners. Felt ignored as our wait time exceeded an hour for our entrees. The bread rolls were very good, but everything after that was a disaster. I think they left our food sitting under a heat lamp for ten minutes too long as everything was over-done, and the fries were mushy. I had the chicken and waffles, which was just OK, have had better at other local places and the waffle was not fluffy, just drowning in a sauce that was disappointing flavor-wise. Was let down that I paid five extra dollars for limp over-salted fries. My co-workers who had burgers had to send one back as it was "hard as a hockey puck." They covered the cost for her, but the replacement burger and our other friend's burger just tasted like overpowering "char" flavor. The vegetables and sauces were overpowered by this. The last friend had the cod sandwich. The addition of kimchi sounded bold, but unfortunately the combination did not work, and the cod was also overcooked, not light and crispy. She ordered vegetables and had to send back the fries they brought her by mistake. They replaced them with unseasoned vegetables. Ultimately after a two-hour dining let-down, we have all pretty much decided that Cafe Navarre was not worth it. I could have gone to other places downtown for half the price and 2x the delivery. If I'm going to "treat myself" I'll stick to LaSalle Grill. read more

We had our wedding reception in one of the private rooms because we've enjoyed every visit! The staff are very polite, professional, and accommodating. Delicious, fresh, clean balanced dishes satisfy the toughest of critics of fine dining. read more

Loved the restaurant week menu tonight! The vast array of food was tasty and fun to share and the service was both warm and first class!

I ate here for lunch for the first time today. Beautiful interior! Service was perfect! Had the grilled vegetable sandwich with house fries and my friend had the reuben. Vegetables were perfectly cooked and the bread was delicious. Reuben was exemplary and the meat which was "house cured" was awesome. Nice atmosphere with quite a few diners. The only thing that wasn't "perfect" was the dessert. Will definitely return and hope it is consistent. The menu items border lined on "basic" but were executed to the highest degree. Definitely worth going for those of you who haven't yet. So, descriptive word of the day on this review..... "perfect" Would have been a five star if the dessert was better... and I am sorry but, desserts are important read more

I've never been blown away and for the cost, there are better places in my opinion. I've had almost every sandwich on the menu over lunch and they're all fine. The soups at lunch are fine. The dinner entrées and sides are fine. Maybe I have yet to find my thing here. read more

My boyfriend and I ate here last Friday for a rehearsal dinner. Our menu was a sampling of their offerings and everything was great. We started with Arancini, which everyone at my table said were great; and shrimp and risotto, which was creamy and the shrimp was tender. Next, we had the Navarre salad which was excellent. It included walnuts, goat cheese, and the dressing was on par. Next, we had a choice of wild salmon, filet mignon, or grilled vegetable pasta. Everyone at our table chose the filet, which was massive as far as filet's come. Everyone ordered it medium rare and they were all cooked perfectly. It was accompanied by asparagus (cooked nicely) and nice baby yukon gold potatoes that were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. They were excellent. For dessert, we had a choice of key lime pie or flourless chocolate cake. I chose the flourless chocolate cake, and it was soo rich and creamy. It was delicious, but I couldn't eat more than a few bites. I would definitely love to come back here to try out a few more items on their menu. read more

Tucked away in a city that is falling apart is this diamond in the rough. This 2 story high ceiling restaurant is gilded with architectural detail. Clearly this place has been around for a very long time, since the city's golden era. the service is amazingly kind and also knows high etiquette, a rare find these days. They also gave us a free piece of cake for my friends birthday! The drink/beer selection is also very diverse and very high quality. Not a good place to go if you prefer Budweiser. read more

Boom. Cafe Navarre has come a long long way since my first review. The service is exceptional the food which I felt before was inconsistent has become very consistent. Consistently excellent! They enlisted a new cocktail program sometime last year and have really upped their game in that department as well. We've become regulars. Also check out their sister restaurants.. Artisan, O'Rourkes, Rocky River, and The Whiskey Exchange. read more

Our new years eve dinner was fantastic. French onion soup, wedge salad, beef medallions, shrimp scampi pasta, filet, double cut pork chops. Each was delicious and the french onion soup is the best in town. Well done! read more

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Good dinner. Had 8 in our party and food, drinks and service were good. The hangar steak was a bit tough, the rack of pork a bit dry but the fish selections were great! Walleye and sturgeon ...yum! Don't miss the flour less chocolate cake! read more

Had a short weekend vacation in South bend. Was recommended this place by some friends and family and we love it. We had the Cesar salad, chicken, seabass, and creme brulee! It was FANTASTIC. The portions were good and the atmosphere was great for a date night. read more

Service: fantastic. Ruth was our waitress and she was awesome. Drinks menu: great. Beer list was spectacular. Scotch list was good. I am not a wine person but others at the table thought it was very good. Food: I thought my Osso Bucco was very good. Wife thought her fish was only meh. Ambience: great. The remodel of the space looks great. Putting the bar so you can look out on the street was a great idea. For the price I think LaSalle Grill is better. But it is nice to have another option in town. Up the food quality a notch and this is a 5 star review. read more

Quick lunch, great bartender. Had a bad experience at Dixie so we tried here instead. Much better. Grilled Cheese had ham on it, guess I didn't read the menu close enough. Delicious though! read more

Pretty disappointed with my food here a few days before Christmas. First, the decor is very nice. Despite the somewhat awkward shape and a few quirks (e.g.coat check room = hallway outside of the bathrooms), the renovation of the bank building was quite nice and the atmosphere was pleasant. We called the day of, and they only had a six top in the bar, which was fine except for the fact that the bar didn't have a dedicated server. The poor bartender had to balance mixing drinks with taking orders, following up on requests, etc. She was nice enough, just simply overworked, so as a result service was extremely slow. I started with the prawns with chili, pickled potatoes and sweet garlic sauce. The "prawns" were actually just 4-5 frozen shrimp tails. Now, this is the Midwest, I'm not necessarily expecting ocean fresh seafood, but it was a little disappointing seeing just a few normal looking shrimp on the plate. The rest of the dish was great - loved the flavors of the garlic sauce mixed with vinegar from the potato and some heat from the chili. The real problems started with the main course where I ordered the duck. First warning sign is that I have to prompt the server that I want my duck medium rare. Then, when the duck comes, it's completely overcooked. A couple of the slices had the very slightest hint of light pink, but it was nearly undetectable and most pieces were cooked into gray shoe leather. After about 10 minutes, our server comes by so I can finally send it back, explaining that it was overcooked. Fifteen minutes later, while my family is finishing up with their meal, they come back out with the duck even more overcooked. No pink whatsoever. Forget about a proper light red. The people who brought it (at least they didn't make the bartender hike it to the kitchen) were apologetic and got the manager, who shows up to condescendingly tell me that the destroyed gray slices of what was once a nice duck breast was in fact 'medium rare.' "If you want it rare we'll cook it rare for you," she explained. I was shocked. It' was like someone telling you that 2+2=5 with a straight face. Faced with such a blatant ineptitude on the medium rare, I declined so that another poor duck wouldn't be wasted. They at least comped the duck. The rest of the family's food was a little hit or miss. The Steak Frittes was very good (and they managed to cook beef to a proper medium rare), as was the chicken. The Mahi special was bland and mushy, with no hints of truffles that they mentioned (even truffle oil) in the couple bites I had. Bottom line: I might consider going back again: 1.) not on a Sunday (see review below...not surprising the head chef was not in), and 2.) I would not order anything "exotic" (duck/lamb/fish). read more

Service: excellent. waiters were good. We had a newbie and she was learning, but another waiter made sure everything went smoothly. Food was pretty good. It is probably the best in town. If it was in Chicago, it would be good, but nothing worth returning to. read more

Amazing and beautiful dinner guaranteed! Very classy ambiance too.

Nice food, great service, nice atmosphere. Very convenient to the hotel. Price was not as expensive as I had thought it might be reading other reviews, but we stayed clear of alcohol. read more