As close to perfection as it gets. Came in with no reservation and my table couldn't have been better, up at the front wall facing the street, windows floor to ceiling. I witnessed an intense rain and lightning storm, perfectly timed for my visit. (Started right after I arrived, all cleared up when I was ready to leave). I'll get to the food soon. But I'll start with Jessica, the perfect waitress. Not only did she know the menu thoroughly and the service went flawlessly and perfectly timed, her amiable demeanor led to real but brief conversation, not just the typical waiter/customer pleasantries. We talked about the storm (she loves to play soccer in the rain, my vacation so far, and ChatGPT. Yes, I used it to choose between two entrees and we joked about its odd responses and the mistakes it can make. (In the end I went against both ChatGPT's and her advice but was happy with my choice.) Food started with a complimentary small piece of bruschetta. Garlicky and parsley-y. Yum. Free bread was also provided with the meal: a mini baguette. I didn't eat the bread but asked to take it home as I was camping and out of bread. When I opened the bag later I was thrilled to see that a second loaf was added! An amuse-bouche and free bread; off to a promising start. Appetizer and entree were both from the large specials page: 9 items in addition to the ample and varied everyday menu. I started with "Tempura Fried Lobster and Cream Cheese Stuffed Squash Blossoms, Sweet Thai Sauce." I couldn't really taste the batter-fried blossoms but they made elegant containers for the filling, like a crab rangoon. And the chili sauce was a good accompaniment. The elderly lady sitting alone at a nearby table celebrating her birthday and apparently a regular, I think related to the band, hearing what I ordered got my attention and admonished me to "make sure they put the lobster in it". Apparently she wasn't satisfied with hers. I was though. Like the crab in a Rangoon the lobster was subtle but there. The portion was an adequate 3 pieces and knowing there was an entree and dessert coming I took one home. Even the take-away packing was done expertly, in an attractive black paper box and a foil liner inside. My entree was "Pecan-Encrusted Walu Hawaiian Butterfish. Sweet potato-sage risotto, Tuscan kale, bourbon apple butter." Very good and the portion was just right. I liked the pecan crust, not overwhelming the mildly flavored, oily fish. The risotto was too creamy for me (some like it that way), but I really liked the sweetness and sage flavor and finished it. The kale was fried crispy, an interesting touch. This was all served on a flat slate plate, attractively presented with the bourbon apple butter sauce and some micro greens. No pretentious "chef knows best" attitude here. Salt and pepper grinders available at the table for those who wanted them (like me). I had two cocktails from the interesting selection. Barolo Manhattan had Old Forester bourbon, Cocchi Barolo Chinato (an aged Italian bitter), sweet vermouth, dark cherry juice, and cherry bitters. The other was Bourbon Tea: Michters bourbon, tea, lemon juice, apple juice, mint. Both drinks were brought by another person, not my waitress. And in both cases they returned soon after, inquiring how I liked them. Excellent I replied, both times. Also a selection of 12 whisky and bourbon flights: 3 or 4 smaller portions according to a theme: a rye selection, bourbons, single-barrels, and flights featuring specific distillers Maker's Mark, Woodford, etc. There was a small dessert selection and some appealed but I didn't really have room. But also ice cream, a small scoop for $2 and a large for $4. Very reasonable. There's always room for ice cream, right? Jessica didn't remember the flavors and was going to check but I asked her to surprise me - just as long as it's not vanilla. She brought blackberry lavender. A very interesting flavor but the texture was off, a little grainy. A trivial flaw. The ambience of the place couldn't be better. White tablecloths, fresh flowers and a candle on the table, widely spaced tables and moderate noise, a gentle waterfall comprising an entire wall. And when a birthday was celebrated (my neighbor and also another table across the room) it was done tastefully with the waiter quietly arriving with a candled cake and a jazzy instrumental Happy Birthday from the band. None of the stupid chants from the entire waitstaff found in many places these days, more appropriate for Marine bootcamp than a restaurant. The band, a guitar/bass duo, was so nice to listen to. Old jazz instrumentals mostly. I could have stayed all night. In fact I did, waiting until they stopped around 9:00 before leaving, feeling no pressure to vacate. I tipped them well, and not just because they made a valiant attempt at my request for "Poinciana" which they warned me they hadn't played in years. I think they are a house band, playing here regularly. read more

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I like an older restaurant whose stretched their legs and built ties with community. Varanese has been on franfort ave for some time. Its a local date night favorite. I took my son on a date and we fancied up. He pulled out chairs for me and ordered our drinks. He was 15. He talked to the waiter about his steak and what the different toppings meant and talked planes with our food neighbor as he wants to be a pilot. That's what this place offers. Community. The food was also stellar, we had creme brulee for dessert both our favorites and my son left a little older, a little more mature. He left with confidence. It was a great experience. read more

Varanese - Calamari - New American Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Our dining group of 5 enjoyed a gorgeous evening here and were impressed with the food and the overall atmosphere. Service was excellent. Leah was our dedicated waitstaff and she was assisted by great servers. We were seated in the main dining room and were pleased that the mild weather enabled the doors to be pushed totally open to enjoy the elements. A wall water feature was prominent in our immediate dining area and the visual and audio addition was very pleasant. We were also entertained by subtle, unobtrusive live music provided by a trio who apparently perform nightly. I enjoyed a glass of Prosecco with the fried green tomato, crispy prosciutto, and goat cheese salad. Tomatoes were crunchy and tangy atop a tender bed of baby lettuce. My entree choice was So Difficult to choose among at least six varied choices -- pork chops, U-10 scallops, salmon, lobster ravioli, duck, etc. I finally selected the pecan-encrusted walu Hawaiian butterfish on a bed of sweet potato sage risotto. The fish was moist, flaky, and flavorful with a slight crunchy exterior. It was nestled in a delicious bed of risotto that had the unmistakable sage element. My dining companions enjoyed varied entree choices of salmon, scallops, and steak as well as a bruschetta appetizer, pistachio and goat cheese salads, and bread sticks. Each diner was generously praising their selections. Determined to return here soon to try so many unexplored menu items and enjoy the serene setting. Top notch. read more

I'll start with the ambience of this place was very nice. Casual but still nice, the live music was a good touch. You get complimentary bruschetta but unfortunately my table doesn't like tomatoes so that wasn't much of a hit. We also got complimentary breadsticks and not going to lie they were not great. Fazolis does em better. We started with the calamari which were overcooked and a bit chewy, but the sauces with them were good. My husband got the lamb shank and thought that was very tasty but the sides were pretty mid. My friend got the pork chop and raved about how good it was along with the au gratin but the veg again was mid. I got the crab cakes which were surprisingly full of crab and were very nice. However the corn was not it for me. I couldn't quite place what was in it that was throwing it off but my husband mentioned maybe alcohol and or olives? Neither of which I like so there's no telling. We ended with the crème brûlée which was pretty delicious. Our service was good but overall probably just something to try once. read more

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Fresh locally sourced ingredients. Big indoor area for seating. When the weather is nice the doors go up. We went on a Saturday night, it was packed. If you want a more intimate spot I would go early to beat the rush. read more

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It's better than Olive Garden. It's a nice neighborhood restaurant with outdoor seating, weather permitting. The parking space is small and that's before it was busy, so you might have to park in the surrounding neighborhood. We happened on this place after spending a nice autumn day at the St James Art fair. We sat outside right next to some old dudes playing by jazz. It was a beautiful day to dine outside The waitress and host were friendly and service was good overall. I will add that while every other restaurant are hiking their prices to the heavens, Varanese has maintained their reasonable prices (when looking up Varanese I looked at a 3 year old menu and there was very little increase on their main stay items). We started out with a cocktail, a barolo infused Manhattan or old fashioned, not good. My wife got wine and these went with their courtesy bruschetta, the calamari and perhaps the best crab rangoon I've ever had. They don't call it that but that's what it was and it may have been a special. Their menu seems to change often, though there are mainstays, I assume based on the season. My wife started out with a Cesar salad and got the Gorgonzola beef tortellini for her entree. They were both good and solid choices but run off the mill in terms of taste. I got the braised lamb shank osso bucco, a little gamey, so likely sheep than lamb, though I don't fault them too much, lamb shank sounds more appetizing than sheep shank osso bucco. It was fine. We ended with some kind of forgettable cake. As I said better than Olive Garden and a much nicer restaurant without that chain corporate feel. read more

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Quality and reliable experience. Enjoy the atmosphere, which is at that sweet spot where it's not stuffy "fine dining" but at the level where you can count on professional service and strong food and drink options. Excellent for groups as well. read more

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I've been meaning to check this place for a while! You first get bruschetta and bread. I am not the biggest fan of onions but the tomatoes were fresh in there. I got the steak and mashed potatoes and my date for the smash burger which he ate all of it. For dessert I ordered the bread pudding but couldn't finish it! Everything was really good. Something I found amusing was one waiter would pour the glass of water from a really high angle. Not sure if it was just that waiter's thing but I liked watching it read more

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Came on a Thursday evening and it was packed! They were doing a wine tasting in the main room. We had a reservation though. We started off with some kind of bruschetta and charcuterie. The tomatoes on top of the toasted baguette tasted fresh! And the charcuterie was delicious. Beautifully presented albeit a bit small. For entrees, I tried the lamb shank. It was slow roasted, tender, and fall off the bone. Cooked to perfection! Yet it was kinda bland. There was salt and pepper on the table but I didn't want to add it... There was a sauce it came with that did add flavor back into the meat. And the whipped potatoes and charred asparagus were a nice savory touch. My friend got the gulf shrimp and grits which looked a lot like the version I had from River House. (Same owner, I believe!) We also shared the mocha crème brûlée. Decent. They nailed the flavors though! Service was good. They're pretty attentive and come around to the table often. They'll even pack up your leftovers. I think the manager even came by to ask how we liked the food. Very personable. Definitely a selling point to this place. Parking is valet. But I found a spot across the street luckily. read more

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The perfect date night spot! The food, live music, and service was excellent. We ordered a bottle of wine, calamari, pork chop dinner, salmon dinner, and cannoli rolls for dessert. read more

I'm a big fan of Varanese. This is a nicer spot, so if you're looking for a special dinner or meal, consider it. The restaurant is big, but they have different sections partitioned, so it can seem more intimate. The main dining area has regular musicians who perform - folks from the Louisville Orchestra, and others from around town. It's a nice touch. The food is high quality and delicious. I enjoyed their pork chop the other day, which was among the best I've had locally. The servers go out of their way to ensure you're having a great experience. read more

Varanese is always a wonderful dining experience. Excellent service with a quiet ambience that is relaxing with soft live jazz sounds. Perfect volume for being able to talk to your table mates. Hubby had the Elk chops and the au gratin potatoes with veggies. He said it was excellent. Chef suggested med rare for elk so he took his advice, and they were delicious and tender not gamey at all. I had the Osso bucco with lamb shank and mashed potatoes. It was very good. Lamb was so tender it fell off the bone. Potatoes were creamy and delicious. We also had the lamb and lentil soup. It was rich and hearty with spices that were savory and rich. Service was wonderful. read more

Always accommodating and wonderfully attentive staff. Food quality is absolutely wonderful. read more

The live music can be a bit loud, but the food and service are great. I'd highly recommend the steak tips and gorgonzola tortellini! Keep in mind that parking can be a bit tight during peak hours, so you may have to park on the street. read more

Varanese is such a hidden gem. Don't get me wrong, I feel like everyone knows of Varanese, but it can be easy to overlook it for maybe a newer dining option. But let me tell you: Don't overlook this! Then again, when I ate here last weekend the restaurant was full. So maybe Varanese isn't as overlooked as I feel it is. Anyway, our dinner here was lovely. We were able to easily get a reservation (important, again, due to how full the restaurant was). My party started with the cheese and hummus plate, which was perfect for sharing between us with pimento cheese, smoked gouda, pickled okra, pearl onion jam, white bean hummus, fried green tomatoes and grilled baguettes. It was just enough food to start the meal, but it didn't fill before our entrees, which were all extraordinary. I got the seafood pasta, which was on the specials menu. This had a large portion of pasta with mussels, crab and shrimp I believe mixed in, adorned with a flower on top. We also shared the bread pudding, a must after reading so much about it. And it lives up to the hype. It was almost 90 degrees outside, but that didn't dissuade us from digging into this warm, cozy toffee-marshmallow bread pudding, with bourbon caramel sauce and caramel sea salt ice cream. In the fall, this would be even more perfect. Just so much yes. The dining room is a little loud, so know that before you go, in case that's something you're sensitive to. Overall, though, our food and service were just great. Plus there was a live band serenading our meal. read more

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Beyond delicious. Manager David, and bartender Rory, spectacular. Chef John. Perfect.

The food...amazing! I love the tortellini for dinner, but I personally could just order the baked Brie and the Brussels Sprouts! read more

I Love this place, great atmosphere, food is top notch. The staff is great and John Varanese puts together some great bourbon pairing dinners. He also does a lot of wine pairing dinners if that is your thing, I'm sure they're great also, I'm just not into much of wine. read more

Family dinner was here about a month ago but I've been meaning to try this classic Louisville favorite for yeeeaars. Sis and I started with Pineapple Smash(?) cocktails + complimentary bruschetta and cheese sticks. Apps were crispy Brussels sprouts + fried cheese spheres. Entrees were 2 orders of Bourbon Orange Glazed Salmon with whipped mashed potatoes (instead of cream cheese grits) and sautéed seasonal veggies + 2 Ribeye Steaks with roasted potatoes and broccolini for my dad and brother. My sister and I thought the salmon was cooked perfectly + we loved the simply prepared vegetables on the side which let the glaze for the salmon shine as it coated them. Our waitress was so sweet and helpful, always kept the pace chill in terms of food coming out. Waters stayed full and the service was just great. Really happy I got to finally dine at Varanese. John Varanese is *that man* for creating this local, upscale hotspot and for keeping it lively and modern for almost 20 years! I've dined at River House, thoroughly enjoyed my meal and the experience, and can recommend both for a nice day or night out! read more

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Family outing for dinner with 8. Greeted and seated for our reservation upon arrival. Brie welcomed us and took our drink orders. Nicely crafted cocktails Nice footprint and atmosphere with a jazz duo playing. , Ordered a charcuterie board (on the small side) with tasty choices. The calamari was delicious. We ordered a collection of entrees all were well prepared. I had the pork chop with bourbon glaze prepared exactly to the temp i requested (145). The glaze was flavorful but not overly sweet. The potato gratain was very enjoyable. Breadsticks were served with dinner. We enjoyed the mocha creme brûlée for desert. The custard was well prepared, I like the brûlée surface thicker but none remained. A very pleasant evening for all. Very highly recomended Slainte!! read more

They gave us an unexpected free dessert thanks to me lying in my reservation saying it was our 10 year anniversary so that's an automatic 5 stars read more

One of our favorite date night spots. Atmosphere is great with live music and dim lighting. Started with the charcuterie board, which was great. The salmon and steak were cooked perfectly, and the dessert was wonderful as well read more

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The food was very yummy. As was the desert. The first time I visited there was live music and this second time I've visited there was live electric guitar and cello music. Popular songs with fine dining. read more

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This is my report from a recent work-related dining experience at Varanese: Good bits: - Friendly hosts and servers. - Servers were very attentive to the group's dietary preferences and requirements. - Chef John's Vegetarian Dish was 100% delightful (roasted veggies including squash, asparagus, and mushrooms served with either red potatoes (vegan) or cheese grits (vegetarian). Bits that could be improved upon: - The private room although separate from the rest of the restaurant was not very sound-proof, and the other diners were loudly enjoying their evening, which made it difficult to focus. - The private room was quite warm; I tend to freeze indoors, so this is significant. - Paucity of vegan appetizers. - Candied pecan and apple salad was lacking in creativity and execution. There was lettuce. And apples. And cranberries. And pecans. And that's it - nothing memorable about the dish. Overall Varanese was fine, but if I'm going to pay $21 (at time of dining) for some roasted veggies, although they were VERY tasty, I expect more than fine. read more

Varanese - Candied Pecan & Apple Salad with oil and vinegar - New American Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Oh what a night!!! Let's just start by saying how quaint and warm the atmosphere is. They had a little quartet band playing that set the mood for all. The staff and service were all very accommodating as well. It was the perfect setting for a great evening for a family celebration. As if that weren't enough the food was very very good. We started with a couple of appetizers - the Baked Brie and Cheese Spheres. For me the Baked Brie was the clear winner but my young adult kids were bigger fans of the Cheese Spheres. Either way they were both on point. The entrees were all sooo good... As a group we ordered steaks, chicken, lamb and salmon. I ordered the Flat Iron Steak and it was cooked as it should be. The Potato Gratin side was absolutely delightful and was a perfect compliment to the steak. For dessert we got a couple of Molten Lava Cakes and a Bread Pudding. The Molten Lava Cake was spot on. The Bread Pudding started really nicely with the marshmallow cream frosting but I was disappointed a bit by the actual bread pudding as it just wasn't flavorful enough. All in all - I'd give Varanase a 4.5... I'd definitely recommend this place as a great place for a date or group. read more

Varanese - Flat Iron Steak, Potato Gratin - New American Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

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Recently attended the bourbon dinner and had a wonderful educational and culinary delight mixed into one experience. The special menu included a grilled peach salad that was out of this world! The bourbon pairings were on point! read more

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The place is very attractive and the service staff work very hard. So far I've never gotten anything I enjoy eating. I always fall for something on the special menu. Maybe that's the problem. ‍. The last time there, ordered some type of beef and gravy with noodles. Yuck. And when I left, I smelled like I had worked in the kitchen. The smell of cooked beef was my cologne for the evening. read more

The ambiance is cozy. There is no dress code however casual business attire is deemed in this restaurant. The menu is filled with amazing entrees. I love how the ambiance fits the perfect environment for a nice date night. read more

Varanese - New American Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

Finally was able to try this spot after living here about 3 years. Every time it would be either closed or packed which always seemed like a good thing. It's definitely a small restaurant, with packed tables which makes it pretty loud inside. Some may be fine with that, while others would fine it annoying so keep that in mind. There was live music when we were there too which added even a bit more loudness as well. The food was overall really good and we would probably order everything we got again. The cheese curds were a special and they were very tasty, but a smaller portion size than hoped. Their ranch was amazing though and I just want a tub of it lol. The side mac n cheese was some of the creamiest and best I've had in a while! That is a must get and the portion size was well worth it for the price. The pork chop entree was also solid too. The chop was cooked perfectly and the chutney was fantastic. Fries were a bit soggy (Although still good) and the veggies were fine but nothing special.. My only issue was the waitress took forever and basically forgot to take our check but it was a busy night for them. We'll definitely be back when it's nice out for some outdoor patio seating! I'm excited to try some other things next time around. read more

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Such a great night! The food, atmosphere, and staff/service was wonderful. Highly Recommend this establishment. There had complimentary bruschetta and garlic bread. We had the pork sweet potato biscuits and starter salad as appetizers and then the pork chop and Hawaiian butterfish for entrees. Recommend all of these dishes. Small parking lot or street parking available. read more

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Wonderful food, entertaining staff and live music! Great meal after a fun day at the races! We started with the cheese and hummus plate. Really great variety and the pickled onions were sweet and yummy. Fried green tomatoes were great too. Everyone's entree was really good, but the scallops and lobster ravioli was really wonderful. Rich and creamy with truffle oil - so good!!! read more

Varanese - Scallops and lobster ravioli - New American Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

The service was friendly and quick which is the only reason I'm giving this two stars otherwise it's a hopeless restaurant. It supposed to be fine dining, but everything is made with ingredients that are not fresh and I would suspect come from a warehouse. For example, the house bread are bread sticks that are connected to one another, leading me to believe the bread was not baked in house or locally (also didn't taste good). The salads were totally uninspired and the ingredients were not fresh. Everything was totally over salted (likely to mask low quality ingredients). I would have taken photos as proof, but as this was a work dinner that would have been inappropriate. If you like good food, just don't go here. read more

I visited for the first time in March. My sister and her husband are moving to Texas and he was leaving first so we threw him a going away dinner. Im usually in charge of finding new places to visit and planning the get togethers. I pass this place up all the time and always say I want to try it out and so I took a chance for this event. We were all so glad that we went. First of all, the inside is intimate and super cute, then there was a live jazz band playing which was like the perfect touch, and the food was really good. One of my big influences of coming back to visit an establishment again is the service and we had a great waiter. Wasn't waiting long for food or drinks and was paid very close attention too which is is what I love. Will definitely visit again for special occasions or even just because! The pasta dish was delicious! read more

Varanese - Picture to show how cute it is on the inside! - New American Near Me - Louisville, Kentucky

When we arrived in Louisville we visited Varanese for dinner.  The service as good, the food was great, and the ambiance was exceptional! From the service to the ambiance to the food, this place is not only classy, but worth going out of your way to experience.  We enjoyed everything we tried, and plan to return again the next time we're in the area. Highly recommended! read more

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My wife and I loved the environment. Seated with lots of attention to detail. Calamari was amazing appetizer. The beef tip's tortellini was unbelievable. The sauce, mama Mia! My pork chop was super tender, and had a awesome glaze. Drinks were stout and tasty. Music was cool and chilled. Staff extremely nice and professional. read more

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Perfect place for date night! We were greeted right away from the nice hostess as she seated us in the romantic dining room. Our server Drew was very nice and attentive. We started with a bottle of wine and the BBQ Duck Eggrolls. They were very crispy and delicious! For dinner, I got the Caramelized orange bourbon salmon and my husband got the Alaskan Rockfish. Everything was cooked perfectly and tasted so fresh! Love Chef John's dedication to local farmers. Can't wait to go back again! read more

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My all time favorite restaurant in Louisville. I think I've been 7-8 times and have never been disappointed. You just can't beat the variety of daily specials paired with the live jazz duo. Already planning my next visit! read more

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I love this place, they make you feel extra special (like placing a happy birthday sign at our table for our mothers birthday). Varanese has a large menu of cocktails, from wines to special menu cocktails, they all taste great. I've tried several dishes from their menu, my favorite was the almond crust fish which they no longer have but their bourbon barrel pork comes in second place. My father said it was one of the best, most tender pork chop he's ever had and would be back to try more of their menu. My husband loved his burger, but who wouldn't love a juicy burger? You must get the Brussel sprouts, I don't know what they put on those sprouts but they are amazing and you won't even miss not getting the fries. To start off our meal, I ordered their famous baked Brie for the table. Everyone took two helpings of this yummy dish. Thanks for a great night out! read more

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Exceptional food and service. Live music adds to the experience. John Varanese has several wonderful dishes-my favorite is the salmon over grits with roasted vegetables. read more

We had such a good birthday celebration here. To start, they had a little birthday sign on the table. The band played happy birthday and we even got a birthday dessert. We didn't have any room for an appetizer after they gave us breadsticks and bruschetta. Both were delicious. I had the candied pecan and apple salad. It was so good and plenty for my entree. My boyfriend got the bourbon barrel pork chop and he loved it. The best thing was the price. You would expect it to be expensive based on the atmosphere and the food, but it's actually pretty reasonable. I think it was around $50 for the two of us. read more

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