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    Café Rabelais

    4.0 (406 reviews)
    ModerateFrench, Brasseries
    Closed Closed
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Café Rabelais Photos

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    CAFÉ RABELAIS ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Romantic
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Dogs allowed

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    Recommended Reviews - Café Rabelais

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    Pork and cabbage
    Nicolle M.

    TLDR- This is a classy but casual spot with solid french cuisine and an incredible wine list. Walked in and this spot has a cute Parisian cafe vibe to it. The wine selection immediately wowed us! Our server was so great- gave amazing wine recommendations and explained the menu to us. High marks for service! Food was good. The foie grais was our favorite but the Salmon with leeks was also SO good. Definitely lots of cream and lots of butter, but everything we tried was great. The only course we were a bit underwhelmed by was dessert- it was good but didnt compare to the amazing entrees we had! Parking is readily available but for a small fee $2 an hour in the lot. We went during restaurant week so possibly some things in the review were temporary.

    Steak Sammie
    Christine L.

    Situated inside the Rice Village area, small parking lot but ample garage or street parking. 4-5 tables available on the outdoor patio and intimate dining indoors. Pluses 1) great service 2) yummy hot bread with butter and olives 3) wow best trout almondine in town, veggies carrots and green beans are so fresh and it's a whole trout that has been deboned very delicious 4) steak Sammie so good the beef was tender and juicy Areas to improve None Highly recommended! 5 star food and service.

    Escargot
    Adecia P.

    This place is cute! Gives mom and pop vibes. This place was chosen on the whim. We wanted bone barrow and it lead us here. Very flavorful. This is the first place I've seen that sold Escargot by the dozen. We were not disappointed. If you like wine, come here. The wine menu is larger than the food menu. We did not get an entree but shall return to try a plate next time. I gave a four because it took a while for us to be served and this place, although cute, is busy and makes you feel like you're too close to the table next to you. Staff was very friendly.

    Kira L.

    It's such a cute French restaurant. Perfect for a great night or small gatherings. I got the mussel, the salmon, and the profiteroles. They were all pretty good but nothing astonishingly amazing. Their price point is pretty high for the type of food they serve. Service is amazing, super friendly staffs.

    Le Nordique (smoked salmon sandwich), served with fries
    Linda N.

    I think I've been eating at this restaurant for almost 20 years (before the birth of my daughter and she's 15 yrs old now). The original place had a tiny upstairs seating (also in Rice Village), but after a few years, they moved to their current location. While we have moved across town so it's not very convenient for us to dine here as often, it's always a treat when we're able to stop in. Because we had missed this place so much, we decided to make the 30 mile drive just to have lunch while we were off for the holidays. This place is like coming home (in a good way). It has kept its charm, while maintaining their high quality. What both my hubby and I were very happy to see is that the same staff and server for 10-15 yrs are still working there. I have tried many of their dishes in the past (which have all been good), but always, always go back to the Moules Rabelais (steamed mussels in a ridiculously decadent cream sauce). Even my family, who are not fans of mussels, will fight for the crusty bread soaked in the mussel's sauce. Served with a side of thin, crispy fries, it's incredibly delicious when dipped in their aioli. If we're there for lunch, my husband's go-to order is the smoked salmon sandwich. Seems like such a simple sandwich, but it packs so much flavor from the aioli, sliced eggs and arugula. You truly can't go wrong with whatever you order.

    escargot
    Kayla N.

    Houston Restaurant Weeks menu The star is the escargot. Sat at the bar and received great service. 1. Escargot 2. Stuffed mushrooms with fried oysters 3. Petite filet, green beans, and mashed potatoes 4. Short ribs and gnocchi 5. Chocolate ganache tart 6. Apple tart Order a la cart another escargot and foie gras. Over all, good dinner and I'll come back.

    Clams with linguine
    Katey G.

    My family loves this restaurant and consider it one of the best restaurants in Houston. They serve classic French food without being fussy and every dish is delicious. We started with some cremont, French onion soup, and for my main I got the trout. If you are a fan of seared rainbow trout (it's one of my favorites) then you will LOVE this dish. The lemon caper sauce was amazing, I could eat this again and again. I also tried the linguine with clams which was great. They also have a nice looking sandwich menu that's only served on weekdays. Cafe Rabelais is definitely worth visit if you're looking for a meal in Rice village!

    Rack of lamb w green beans & roasted carrots.
    Lynae N.

    Delicious dinner as we celebrated my SIL's b-day. Quaint space w lively staff. Huge wine list.

    Salmon with sauce

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    7 months ago

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    3 months ago

    My favorite French restaurant great food knowledge service Love the ambiance. My lamb was cooked to perfection.

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    3 years ago

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    4 months ago

    Space is an issue but the food is definitely delicious I do like the atmosphere workers are very knowledgeable about the food

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    9 months ago

    Good and service were outstanding! A bit small but cozy. Not too loud. Would definitely come again

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    2 years ago

    The food tasted good but service was extremely slow so the experience was not as good as we hoped for. The profiteroles didn't taste fresh.

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    Le Jardinier

    Le Jardinier

    4.5
    (306 reviews)
    1.7 mi
    $$$$

    Best meal and experience I have ever had. Everything was…read moreunique and amazing. The ambiance was perfect. Everyone was professional, knowledgeable, and super friendly. Thank you!

    3/6/26-Michelin Man? More like Michelin...maaaaaaan…read more.. In good Mel and the Doctor fashion, a rough week equates to "let's go have a great night." We get dressed up and venture to Le Jardinier. While we were super excited and ready for a great Friday evening, we checked in with an unwelcoming hostess. Mind you, this is our first impression since we have never been to any of the locations. He asked the hostess if we would be seated close or after our reservation time (that would determine if we would have a drink at the bar), we received a condescending toned response of "you can have a seat and I will work on getting a status update on that." Duly noted. A few minutes later we were told we could go to the bar to only then be escorted to the table. So we will look past that "weirdness" of initial service and get ready for a stiff drink...the bartenders know what they are doing! Martinis were the name of the game and they were perfect. Just perfect. The prefixe and wine pairing was the game plan. But before the fun stuff, came the bread service. Bread was more than bread, it was warm savory pillows with the perfect butter. Made a crumbly mess while tearing up the bread basket, expected table crumbler service, after, nothing. For Michelin, we expected the fine dining cleaning in between each course. The service was odd, and the servers seemed cold. The kanpachi and the scallop of the prefixe were Michelin. Overall, we might give it another shot, maybe it was a bad day...but still grateful to get in last minute due to rodeo season. Let me know your experience!

    Photos
    Beautiful vases at the bar
    Beautiful vases at the bar
    Overcooked lobster. Was unable to cut with a knife and fork. The corn was embarrassingly stale
    Overcooked lobster. Was unable to cut with a knife and fork. The corn was embarrassingly stale
    Burgundy wine pairing: 2017 Givry Premier Cru (red)

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    Burgundy wine pairing: 2017 Givry Premier Cru (red)
    Brasserie du Parc

    Brasserie du Parc

    3.9
    (423 reviews)
    4.1 mi
    $$$

    We had an awesome experience at this restaurant. The food was delicious as we enjoyed the…read morewaiter-recommended short ribs. We also had foie gras which was very nice. This is a lovely location near Toyota Center. The decor is welcoming and the noise level is just right. Appreciate our server recommending the short ribs.

    I've never encountered a restaurant that went from a 5-star experience to a 1-star experience from…read morea first visit to a second visit, but this place managed to pull it off. I took my wife here last year and she loved the place so much that she couldn't wait to come back. She literally called the restaurant "perfection" in her own Yelp Review. Of course, that meant we were going to make repeat trips here, even though with all the restaurants we have around Houston, I prefer to continue trying new venues. This year was a complete 180 from last year. They seemed to be either overbooked or understaffed, probably both. We were waiting a while for our table, but a trendy place during Houston Restaurant Weeks having delays isn't surprising, even if we had a reservation. The waiter apologized for the delay, saw we were looking at the HRW menu, and took all three course orders at once. We really thought that it would speed things up, but the exact opposite thing happened. It took well over 30 minutes to get our first course, which was the berries parfait. It's literally just yogurt, berries, granola, and honey in a bowl. Unlike last year, where the ingredients were carefully portioned, it seemed like this year they were all just hastily dumped into a bowl and brought out to the table. Regardless, it still tasted pretty good. About 50 minutes after we ordered, we asked the waiter about the status of our entrees. He let us know that the kitchen was behind. He sounded frustrated. We never saw him again; he completely disappeared and while we thought we saw him around, he never stopped by our table. We proceeded to see random people running items from the kitchen out to various tables. They weren't the waiters covering those tables. I'm not sure if they were kitchen staff, managers, dishwashers, or what. They all seemed frazzled and rushed. Of course, none of the food was coming to our table, but we clearly won't the only ones encountering delays and poor service. At about 70 minutes, and now no waiter, we gave up and went to the host table. We asked to cancel the rest of our order and offered to pay for what we'd already received. The host went to get a manager, but another lady came out letting us know that the manager was tied up facilitating in the kitchen and was trying to offer alternatives to us leaving. My wife was ready to leave, but I saw one of the random employees drop two plates at the table we'd abandoned. I suggested to her that it might be better to just finish our already-delayed meal rather than waste another hour going to another restaurant, ordering, and waiting for food. The lady at the front said she'd "take care of the bill." The food that was brought out was a disappointed. The duck confit was clearly rushed through the cooking process, but was still pretty good. The shrimp and grits were a complete miss, though. They clearly didn't have time to get the flavors they wanted, so they just dumped a bunch of garlic butter into the dish and called it a day. My wife couldn't finish her meal so we swapped entrees midway since the excess butter was making her miserable. The same lady (I'm guessing an assistant manager) kept offering us drinks. We made it clear we didn't want mimosas, so they started offering coffee. I don't think they were intending to come off pushy, but after a miserable 80+ minutes, it felt that way. Finally, we agreed to a couple of coffees with dessert just so they'd stop suggesting stuff and let us enjoy our food. The desserts were... okay. Just like the appetizers and entree, they seemed to be hastily assembled and lacking the flavors we'd expect. My wife seemed suitably happy with the Strawberries Melba for dessert, but my chocolate pot de creme was... bland. I've worked in hospitality before and I know that "I'll take care of the bill" means different things at different places, but this is the first time I've ever encountered-- as an employee or as a customer-- where that meant we were issued a bill for the full amount of the food we ordered, despite the fact that we nearly walked out due to the horrendous service. The only items that were "comped" were the coffees that we didn't even want. My wife had previously made it clear to me that she wanted to come back here regularly, so as we were walking back to our car, I suggested this was just an extreme off day and next time would be better. This time, she made it clear that she'd be okay if we never came back again. Honestly, I can't blame her. I'm leaving the second star on here because the first experience was so good. All I can say is that this place is no longer the amazing location that we experienced in 2024.

    Photos
    Brasserie du Parc
    CRÈME BRÛLÉE À LA VANILLE
    CRÈME BRÛLÉE À LA VANILLE
    Crème Brûlée

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    Crème Brûlée
    Cafe Brussels

    Cafe Brussels

    4.2
    (455 reviews)
    4.7 mi
    $$

    Located on Houston street next to Coastline Pizzeria. There is a private parking lot adjacent,…read morewhich is handy for this area. The interior is fairly old school and was empty during lunch service. The menu focused on European style dishes. Service was very good and our server was very friendly with suggestions. We got some escargot in butter to share (4/5), mussels (2/5), and bread for the table. The escargot was pretty solid compared to what is available in town, the garlic butter sauce was a good bread dipper as well. The mussels tasted a bit off and the sauce wasn't very flavorful either. I got the pork chop for my main (2.5/5); it was a bit tough and wasn't very flavorful outside of being salted. The brussell sprouts were not my favorite but the fries itself were decent. The snails and fries are good. Everything else was just okay.

    I'm in love with everything about this Cafe. The service was so fabulous they were very attentive…read morefrom the moment I walked in to the moment I left. I did not feel rushed to pay or to order. Since it was my first time I had to take a little bit of time to peruse the menu. I was very happy that I tried sampler of mussels. I have to say the curried ones were my favorite. And of course the french fries were top notch. The environment was very very calm and conducive to conversation. Parking in the back was easy and readily available. I would definitely try to go back and try other things

    Photos
    Cafe Brussels
    Moules Au Gratin and Belgian Fries in background.
    Moules Au Gratin and Belgian Fries in background.
    Cafe Brussels

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    Taste of Paris

    Taste of Paris

    4.2
    (163 reviews)
    19.2 mi
    $$
    Family-owned & operated
    Certified professionals

    TLDR: Worth a visit if you're in the area?…read more Wow! Hidden gem? Forgotten favorite? I don't know, but after tasting the food, we have to get the word out about this spot. Arriving around lunchtime on a weekday, I had the place to myself which allowed me a unique opportunity to take the place in. That being said, this spot is not overly French cafe themed, but instead a classic suburban strip mall spot with nods to the French peppered throughout the menu and decor. The booth area is well-designed, the spot was clean and the table touched by light so after a great experience chatting with the cashier I was crossing my fingers, hoping the food matched the vibe. I had a crepe Mexicana (because who has ever heard of that?!), a croque monsieur with tomato soup, and a dessert crepe because y'all know I always save room for dessert. It took a minute to be prepared, but I'm willing to wait for a fresh made meal. Everything, was delicious. Crepe texture was on point, and each crepe was stuffed to the Gods. Positive experience all around. My tip: Order the tomato soup and finish your meal with the following combo- a dessert Crepe Almonds with strawberries. Trust me on that one!

    Quaint little creperie with friendly staff. My Nutella crepe stuffed with strawberries and banana…read morewas delicious and they didn't skimp on the Nutella. Cappuccino was also delicious. The Parisian theme was noticeable..as was the reggaeton music they were curiously playing. Worth coming back to when in the area as the menu had a few other items I would definitely try.

    Photos
    Crepes, waffles, premium coffee and fun
    Crepes, waffles, premium coffee and fun
    Waffle near me
    Waffle near me
    Waffles at  Taste of Paris Crêperie & Café

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    Waffles at Taste of Paris Crêperie & Café
    Toulouse Cafe and Bar

    Toulouse Cafe and Bar

    3.5
    (639 reviews)
    2.9 mi
    $$$

    One of my favorite spots for brunch! I've been here for both Saturday and Sunday, and each visit…read morehas been a great experience. Such a lovely restaurant, with two slightly different vibes depending on the day. Sundays are more lively with a live band, while Saturdays are a bit more relaxed--but still busy. I definitely recommend making a reservation ahead of time. My only small note from my most recent visit was that it felt a little warm inside. I get it, it's Texas and it was a hot day, but I wouldn't have minded the AC being turned up a bit more . Now for the good stuff, food! I've tried a variety of items and have yet to be disappointed. Some standouts: French Toast (5/5): One of the best I've had. Thick slices, no eggy taste, and the crème anglaise with fresh berries are the perfect adds. Lobster Tacos (5/5): More like a lobster salad packed into crispy mini taco shells, the perfect little bites. Shrimp Tempura & Caviar 4/5: Tried this most recently and loved it. The batter had the perfect crunch. I also recommend the Rosé all day punch (not on the menu, but ask your server - it's a frozen berry ball with sparkling champagne and rosé) breakfast potatoes and sausage, salmon entrée, and even the french fries. The service has always been great. On my most recent visit, our server was especially awesome. They were very attentive, polite, and gave great recommendations (especially for mocktails). There are several options for parking including valet, street parking, and a garage. Valet runs around $6-$10, street parking is metered (I paid about $6 for two hours), and the garage was free and really easy the last time I went. Overall, this is a spot I'll keep coming back to and recommending again and again. Looking forward to trying even more of the menu next time!

    The service is consistently good. The staff is friendly, attentive, and professional. That's the…read moreonly reason this isn't a one-star review. The pricing has become absurd. Four basic drinks - Tito's & club soda - came to $97 before tip. Nothing about the experience justifies paying nearly $25 a drink. It certainly feels like Toulouse used the World Cup as an excuse to jack up prices, and if that's the case, it's a pretty shitty way to treat your regular customers. Houston locals are the people who kept this place busy long before the tourists arrived. I don't mind paying premium prices for a premium experience. I do mind feeling like I'm being gouged. There are too many great bars and restaurants in Houston to justify coming back here.

    Photos
    Toulouse Cafe and Bar
    Mussels in a red pot served with French plates and glasses of white and rosé wine.
    Mussels in a red pot served with French plates and glasses of white and rosé wine.
    Bottle and glasses of white wine served alongside French dishes and fries at Toulouse.

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    Bottle and glasses of white wine served alongside French dishes and fries at Toulouse.
    Squable

    Squable

    4.3
    (663 reviews)
    5.9 mi
    $$$

    Really phenomenal brunch experience We sat outdoors which…read morein retrospect was our own fault for trying to brave the Houston summer heat The indoors ambiance was cozy and neat Our brunch cocktails were all phenomenal and great tasting We got a few dishes - standouts being the oyster toast (generous amount of brined oysters, a refreshingly tart contrast to the rest of the dishes) and the breakfast bolognese (must get, such a hearty, meaty homemade bolognese sauce)! The fried chicken was well balanced, good brine and a crispy delicate batter. The bread with butter and jam was also quite decent. And prices were not too jaw breaking for an upscale brunch experience. Would definitely come back again!

    Lovely first experience at Squable! Seated promptly at reservation time and service was great. Food…read morecomes out at a nice pace. The cocktails are fun! Seems to be a martini place but I had a Manhattan and really enjoyed it, it was a strong drink but very tasty. The kampachi crudo was very light but also flavorful with fun textures from the toppings. The mussels on bread were savory and buttery, really liked the addition of the large beans. The pappardelle with the wide noodles was so fun and there was lots of parm which I liked, and the lemon zest was a nice touch. The squash was soft and I loved the ricotta. The campanelle was really unique with the crawfish and the spicy sauce, the noodle shape was so fun. The cheeseburger is tiny but mighty, super juicy and cheesy. The fries were perfectly crispy. Mango sorbet was packed full of mango flavor! Really enjoyed this spot, can't believe it took me so long to get here. Probably best to get a reservation. Small parking lot available.

    Photos
    Hidden silverware drawer at the table
    Hidden silverware drawer at the table
    Drop biscuits
    Drop biscuits
    Dessert

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    Dessert

    Café Rabelais - french - Updated July 2026

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