My wife and I are visiting South Bend for a long weekend and made took the opportunity to enjoy a nice dinner one night while we were here. For the most part, our experience was positive. Greeted very kindly, reservation was ready when we walked in, server was very pleasant and food was good but we will probably forget it as time goes on. The only major knock was that apparently a major party came in so all servers were called into action to help set up so that meant we were left unattended for significant amount of time for the remainder of our dinner. In the end my wife and I left satisfied but most likely won't make it a point to come back the next time we are in the area. read more

Enjoyed our dinner at Cafe Navarre. Service was very good and not rushed. Navarre salad and Wedge salad were great. We both enjoyed the salmon entree. Sophisticated but not stuffy. read more

Absolutely one of the worst meals my wife and I have had. That special steak they have on the DTSB restaurant special that we paid extra for has left us both nauseous and ruined our anniversary plans. read more

The food was very good and the whole group enjoyed it. We were sitting close to the kitchen and all the food that was coming out looked extreme appetizing. Most definitely a place to visit if you are in South Bend, IN. And to top it was not very expensive. read more

We were in town for business. We weren't familiar with the restaurants in the area so we yelped South Bend and found Cafe Navarre. The menu had many interesting entrees. The waitress was wonderful. She was informative and very sweet, with a knowledge of the menu and wines. Unfortunately, the meal didn't live up to the service. The duck 2 ways was the worst duck I've every had. It was under cooked, so much so, I couldn't even break down the piece I was chewing to swallow it. It was tough and rubbery. When the manager came out to apologize he proceeded to tell us that it was cooked correctly, and I probably didn't like the sauce it was in. I had to inform him that we do a lot of traveling and I'm very familiar with duck. It was not cooked at all and I actually enjoyed the sauce it was in. On a good note, their onion soup was fabulous,and we enjoyed the foie gras. Although, we probably will not go back, we felt a bit insulted at the way they responded when we sent back the duck. read more

Amazing! Moved to South Bend from Europe five years ago, and this is the first place my husband and I can't wait to go back to! Food was absolutely delicious and reasonably priced for the quality delivered. Atmosphere was sophisticated and fun, not at all stuffy like other high end South Bend restaurants. Great location, and beautifully renovated historic building. We have a reservation in the clock tower this week, can't wait! read more

Top notch. I routinely get the lamb shank. Rarely have rhe courage to deviate away from that on the menu. When i have all otjers have been good. read more

Best restaurant in South Bend. Amazing food and atmosphere. Ask for Brad, he was our waiter. He's most definitely the best waiter we have had and knows how to recommend options. Love this place! read more

Wow! What a difference a server can make: Tonight was my second dining experience at Cafe Navarre. My first experience was mid-week, the first week of January. My first experience I would have rated a low "3", tonight was a HIGH "5". We had anticipated our first experience for several months. We wanted to allow the restaurant's "newness" to wear off before dining there considering the prices. We had hoped that the "kinks" would have been worked out. We had the house salad, the crispy pork belly and the prawns. The salad was a salad. The appetizers were quite tasty. Our server was very friendly, but was lacking as a server. We were VERY excited to try the Hawaiian Ono. Our plates arrived, the presentation was beautiful. However, when we attempted to to eat the Ono, it was tuff as leather and was like eating straw. (I've had Ono several times in Hawaii and knew this was not the desired texture.) We decided to wait to eat the Ono until we could point out the texture and dryness to our server. Unfortunately, after 20 minutes of not coming back to check on us, we ate what we could because we were so hungry. It was over an hour before our server ever came back to the table. Not once, after the food was served, did she ever come back to check on us. After our first experience, we decided we would not go back based on the service alone. I emailed Cafe Navarre and never got a response, so I assumed they didn't need my business. Nonetheless, being restaurant week in South Bend, we decided to give the place one more try. Hands down, best service I have ever had in South Bend tonight! If and when you decide to try Cafe Navarre, I highly recommend asking for "Corin." Corin came often enough to check on us, without being intrusive. She was kind and extremely helpful in navigating the menu. Her recommendations for food and wine pairings were spot on! It was very obvious to me that she has had extensive experience working in high end restaurants in the past. I'd recommend that our previous server work with Corin to see what a dining experience in such a beautiful atmosphere really should look like. After our experience tonight, we will definitely be going back, but ONLY if Corin is working and agrees to be our server again! read more

I greatly enjoy dining at Café Navarre. The food is excellent, the ambiance warm and elegant, the service friendly and impeccable. I love this restaurant even more now that it's no longer serving fois gras. It even provides a special dish for vegans :) read more

While the staff is courteous and service prompt, and the place beautiful, the food leaves a lot to be desired. Seems as though more effort is made to look sophisticated and au currant rather than to really think about what's good and satisfying and then to nail those dishes. For example: French onion soup tasted as though it was made with gravy starter or some type of instant soup base, topped off with barely melted swiss cheese. Beef totally lackluster, but there's fancy drizzle on the plate next to the meat. Nonetheless, should hunger strike you, stick with the oysters and bread basket. read more

When I came to Cafe Navarre I wasn't expecting a lot since some patrons were wearing jeans. However, I decided to eat after having drinks. I ordered the English pea risotto, the presentation was nice, but with too much decoration. The taste was ok nothing spectacular. Then came the pork chop, well it was cooked perfectly, but the chop was drenched in sauce, which ruined the flavor and juices of the meat. Never mask the flavor of the meat, but I thought it was ok. Finally, the creme brûlée. One word - bland. The sugar was properly caramelized, but the custard was bland. Worth 35 - 40 yes, 75 no. Overall, I believe they tried too hard to be a fancy restaurant. read more

We were so excited to try this restaurant because it has a reputation for being one of the best places in town. However, it felt far short if our high expectations. Based on my experience here during restaurant week, I would not return. My boyfriend and I ordered the pork belly and shrimp with grits apps - good but not new. For our entrees, salmon and fisherman stew. Both very underseasoned and blah. However when the waiter noticed I hadn't eaten much and I told him it wasn't my favorite, management did comp my dessert, so points for attentive service. Dessert choices were also run of the mill with not much that was unique or exciting. We got a chocolate torte and creme brulee. Just ok. I wouldn't be rushing back to this place even if it were less expensive. Just underwhelmed. The atmosphere is very upscale, but borders on pretentious, which is not, in my opinion, an excuse to serve mediocre food at high prices. Maybe this is a place better suited to a few nice drinks than a full dinner. read more

Wonderful varieties of fresh oysters leading to expertly prepared meals and wonderfully served

Great atmosphere, great cocktail menu, and great food. The service started off a bit weird, a server came over to our table and read us the specials, then a second server came over and told us the same specials as if she had no clue someone just helped us. In the end the first server came back and took our order. If the server would have been more engaging I would have given this place 5 stars. We asked for a few suggestions on certain items, and he basically acted like we were odd for asking him his opinion. We asked which soup he preferred and he told us that you could not compare a pumpkin soup to a french onion soup, and explained he really could not answer our question. Regardless, the food was great. I live in Chicago, and it is great to find such a great restaurant to visit while I am visiting South Bend. read more

Great place! Excellent food, exceptional service, easily the best restaurant in South Bend. My only complaint is the music: I feel like they could attract a younger crowd with something from after 1950! Makes me feel like they're going for the over 75 crowd. read more

Went here for the first time last night. Place has a very intimate feel to it the decore is beautiful. Just can't wrap my head around that you can charge that amount of $$. The mark ups have got to be thru the roof!! Wife had NY strip and I the filet. Steaks were good but no way warrant a $30-40 price tag and this is just for the entree no salad or anything. Not knocking the food just the prices.. read more

The food here is always excellent. Our waiter was great. Answered all our questions about the menu, made great suggestions and even knew the history of the building. Thanks Tom for a great experience. read more

It's always feels like a special occasion when we dine at Cafe Navarre! The food and service is top notch. Thanks to Brad for being such a thoughtful server and for the personal touch you added to our evening. This is always my first choice for an evening out in South Bend! read more

Amazing!! Prices, staff, atmosphere. Great place in South Bend. Can't wait to try the new menu and see what they have are offering now. The changes keep it interesting and new. read more

A consistently great meal, every time. I mostly come here for business dinners, sometimes once a week for a month or more, so I appreciate the frequent menu updates. I literally have never ordered anything here that I regretted, and the chef has a similarly deft hand with both steak and fish. Salads, soups and appetizers also strong. Excellent selection of scotch and other liquor. read more

Service is good. But its food is never my taste. I had the duck in my most recent visit. Total disaster. First off, I was not ask about how I like it done. Came rare so I send it back to have it done. It came back medium well which is what I want. I had two bite and it tasted so gamy I cannot eat it anymore. This is the worst duck I ever had. All my previous experience was so-so for the food. Definitely had much better elsewhere (eg Bonefish). For the price, it is totally not worthy it. Will not be back anytime soon. Cannot recommend unless you are there just for a drink. read more

Meh. Wife and I went here for a big anniversary. Number 25. We thought this place was classy enough for such a big celebration. I wore a suit, my wife wore a nice gown. They sat us next to a gigantic table of over a dozen drunk guys who had just got off the golf course. They were all in shorts and were pretty boisterous. Nothing against them, not their fault, but you don't do that to people dressed up and celebrating their 25th anniversary. The Cafe Navarre staff that seated us there ruined a very special evening. Food was okay, drinks were actually pretty lousy and took forever to get because all the attention was on the giant table of drunk golf guys. Ambiance was horrible. read more

I came here with my parents Saturday night and what a treat!! Its an old bank converted into an elegant dining space. Our waitress was a little flighty, but that was OK, my parents knew the manager and he stopped by several times checking in and chatting. We started with an order of the Oysters and they were fresh and delish. They came with an interesting mignonette sauce on top. I personally would have preferred it on the side so I could have added as much or little as I wanted, but it had a great flavor. For our mains, I had the ahi tuna and it was cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth! SO GOOD. My parents both got the special - Prime Rib - and they each received a very large piece of meat that was cooked perfectly. There was plenty to take home. We ended the meal with a flourless chocolate cake and it was decadent. I would highly recommend this dessert. This is a GREAT place to check out in the South Bend area. read more

Had an outstanding dinner here yesterday evening. The server Cassie, was pleasant and attentive and made great recommendations. The wine was very good and the French onion soup great! It is well worth the price. read more

This restaurant is phenomenal. I brought my girlfriend out to here for her 21'st and we couldn't have had a better time. If you're coming to South Bend looking to spoil a significant other with Grade A wines and top notch service to go along with mouth watering food, this is where you need to go. 10/10 & am definitely recommending to my friends. read more

One word: Amazing! Nothing else nearby seemed to be open for Easter dinner, so we gave this place a shot. I'm glad we did! I've drove by this place hundreds of times and can't believe I've never stopped! The food was incredible! I got the filet mignon which came with asparagus and a potato cake thing. The filet was cooked perfect! It was full of favor & the perfect portion size. The asparagus was tender and seasoned just right. I wasn't crazy about the potato cake, though it was presented nice. For dessert, I had a pound cake that was topped with vanilla bean ice cream. It was very flavorful and melted in my mouth. The plate was lined with caramel, which was wonderful! My only complaint is that their Caesar salad comes as a wedge salad and is served with anchovies which I thought was weird. As far as the service goes, our server was extremely friendly, however she was a bit slow on noticing that we needed the check and were finished eating. We waited almost ten minutes after we finished eating. Overall, it was a great experience and I would definitely recommend this place! read more

Excellent food served by friendly attentive staff. Pricey but appropriate for the cuisine. This restaurant would stand up in any large city

We had such an amazing dinner at cafe Navarre. Mike the manager suggested we try grey wolf Jackel Zin it was absolutly fantastic. We started with the gnocchi appetizer it was so amazing the sauce the gnocchi come in is to die for. Also they make the gnocchi in house which made it even better. Then I had a cup of French onion soup. It was killer, best French onion soup in the area. My husband had the wedge salad. Of course I tried it. The pickled onions and homemade brioche croutons were fabulous. Then we jumped into dinner. I had the filet mignon. It was so tender and cooked perfectly. The purée potatoes were the best I've ever had. My husband got the New York strip steak. His game with fantastic veggies and roasted potatoes. We were treated amazing though the meal. The service was great the atmosphere was great this restaurant is a must try. FANTASTIC!! read more

Such a lovely restaurant in a beautiful historic building in the heart of the Midwest. Cafe Navarre is the perfect balance of ambiance, spirits that include an amazing wine list, perfectly prepared incredibly delicious food and great service. The wild mushroom soup and home baked bread is a pairing of comfort food at its finest. And speaking of finest, I highly recommend the wild salmon with white bean purée, artichokes, fresh green beans and Navarre rice. The Navarre rice is styled in a scrumptious vegetable risotto style that is beyond amazing. The staff is a notch above the rest and sets the bar in terms of great service. It doesn't get better than this! We visited Cafe Navarre on one of our many visits to the Midwest from California where great food and great restaurants are a given and set the standard from my perspective. We will definitely make Cafe Navarre in South Bend a destination when we visit this part of the country. Two thumbs up! read more

I stopped here driving through Indiana and selected it based on the Yelp reviews. I was very underdressed, but they sat me outside on a nice summer day. The food was great, although a bit pricey. I had Watermelon Gazpacho which was going out on a limb for me, but was worth the risk! I also had the Burrata and filet for dinner, followed by Crème Brule for dessert. Everything was delicious. read more

The food and service...OUTSTANDING! I can't get past a recent night out at Cafe Navarre. The management staff and leadership leaves a lot to desire. Manager Brandi doesn't have time and is, in her own words as I overheard them, TOO BUSY, to listen to the clientelle that spend their hard earned money at Navarre. I came in for a fine dining experience but left with a dumpster dive taste in my mouth. Highly unlikely that I ever spend another dime here! read more

Service was excellent and food was fantastic. Brad did a great job and was very attentive. Wild mushroom soup, tenderloin medallions, topped off with perfect creme brûlée. Excellent meal. read more

Dined at Cafe Navarre for the second time last night, well before the ND game crowd arrived. Three of us had caesar salad and they forgot to put the dressing on the salad. Waitress never checked back so we just ate the salads. The seafood puttanesca had mussel shells but most of the shells were missing the mussels and they were not to be found in the dish. read more

Ate dinner here while I was "home for the holidays" visiting family. The meal was great - everything was a success from the salad selection, great options for main courses, dessert, wine, etc. This has to be one of the better options in the South Bend area. We enjoyed a quiet dinner in a cozy booth and look forward to returning on our next visit. Parking could be a challenge on weekends. Would also be great if they considered some solution for taking/hanging coats too. read more

We made reservations (4 people) for Valentines Day evening. Our table was ready in a timely manner. I believe we had one of the nicest locations in the building, located in the 'clock tower room'. It was away from the traffic, a nice view of the outside and overview on the main floor. Some of the other table locations are not as appealing. Our waitress was very helpful and attentive, even on a busy holiday evening. Each of us ordered something different on the menu and we were all exceptionally pleased. The salmon was moist and delicious, the duck breast was excellent (loved the glaze), the steak melted in your mouth like butter, and the pork chop was heavenly. I was a little disappointed that the "Prawns" were more like large shrimp, but they were delicious. I had a Navarre salad which was very tasty also. We couldn't resist dessert even though we were past "full". Each couple shared a piece of Key Lime pie which equalled in 'excellent'. A perfect evening thanks to the perfection of the fantastic venue. We will definitely be back! read more

Overpriced and stuffy. NOT the best food in the area. Good service. Cool building.

Both the food and the service were great. Finishing the evening off with Apple Fritters and French Press coffee was perfect.

Top knotch. The food is excellent, they have a fabulous bar and wine list. Service is impeccable. Definitely fine dining at its finest!

Maybe they got a new chef? Mushroom soup was my fav now not so much. My partner took one bite and stopped. My pasta and seafood was pasty, balled together requiring a knife to cut and cool. Asparagus was not edible. Wouldn't pay for it much less these extreme prices. Add it to my list of "once great now not". Next. 2 stars due to service not food. Cramped also. read more