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Café Rabelais

Café Rabelais Café Rabelais is a casual French restaurant located on Times Boulevard, offering a laid-back atmosphere and authentic French cuisine. Their chalkboard menu changes twice daily to provide the freshest meals possible. Their wine list features exclusive French wines with over 550 different options to choose from. Experience a little part of France in this charming cafe.
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Recent social media posts

Assiette de Charcuterie- Saucisson, Jambon de Bayonne, rillettes, cornichons, and butter, the kind of board that invites...
06/02/2026

Assiette de Charcuterie- Saucisson, Jambon de Bayonne, rillettes, cornichons, and butter, the kind of board that invites conversation, good wine, and another piece of bread.

Café Rabelais has a wine story.Everywhere you look, there are bottles from France tucked into crates, stacked along shel...
05/30/2026

Café Rabelais has a wine story.

Everywhere you look, there are bottles from France tucked into crates, stacked along shelves, gathered from regions where wine is not just made, but inherited. Each label carries a little piece of somewhere else: a hillside, a village, a family, a vintage, a memory.

It is one of the quiet pleasures of dining here, choosing a bottle not from a page, but from the room itself.

Pull up a chair. Open something beautiful. Stay awhile.

L’Entrecôte- A pan-seared bone-in ribeye with pommes frites, roasted garlic, and your choice of Bordelaise, Béarnaise, o...
05/29/2026

L’Entrecôte- A pan-seared bone-in ribeye with pommes frites, roasted garlic, and your choice of Bordelaise, Béarnaise, or peppercorn sauce. Bold, classic, and built for a serious glass of red.

Café Liégeois- Illy espresso poured over vanilla ice cream with whipped cream and toasted almonds. Dessert, coffee, and ...
05/28/2026

Café Liégeois- Illy espresso poured over vanilla ice cream with whipped cream and toasted almonds. Dessert, coffee, and a little afternoon luxury all in one glass.

Bœuf à la Bourguignonne- Beef slowly stewed in red wine and mushroom sauce, served with potatoes. Deep, rustic, and full...
05/27/2026

Bœuf à la Bourguignonne- Beef slowly stewed in red wine and mushroom sauce, served with potatoes. Deep, rustic, and full of the kind of flavor that only time can build.

Le Nordique- Smoked salmon, gribiche aioli, hard-boiled egg, red onion, and arugula on a crisp French baguette. Cool, el...
05/26/2026

Le Nordique- Smoked salmon, gribiche aioli, hard-boiled egg, red onion, and arugula on a crisp French baguette. Cool, elegant, and perfect for a leisurely lunch in Rice Village.

DessertsCrème Brûlée- Caramelized vanilla custard with that perfect crack of sugar on top. Simple, classic, and still on...
05/23/2026

Desserts
Crème Brûlée- Caramelized vanilla custard with that perfect crack of sugar on top. Simple, classic, and still one of the great pleasures of the French table.

Step inside Café Rabelais and Houston starts to fall away.The wooden wine crates. The bottles lining the walls. The chal...
05/22/2026

Step inside Café Rabelais and Houston starts to fall away.

The wooden wine crates. The bottles lining the walls. The chalkboard menus. The warm glow. The feeling that someone has opened the door to a little French café and invited you to stay awhile.

It's not polished in that predictable, over-designed way. It is lived-in, soulful, charming, the kind of room where the wine has stories, the food has history, and every corner feels collected over time.

A little France, tucked quietly into Rice Village.

No passport required. Just a reservation, a glass of wine, and an appetite for something beautifully French.

Salade Niçoise “Tradition”- Albacore tuna, poached green beans, egg, bell peppers, and potatoes. Composed, colorful, and...
05/21/2026

Salade Niçoise “Tradition”- Albacore tuna, poached green beans, egg, bell peppers, and potatoes. Composed, colorful, and timeless. A Riviera classic with enough substance to carry lunch beautifully.

Tarte aux Framboise- Fresh raspberries, pastry cream, and pâte brisée crust. Delicate, bright, and beautifully French. A...
05/20/2026

Tarte aux Framboise- Fresh raspberries, pastry cream, and pâte brisée crust. Delicate, bright, and beautifully French. A dessert that tastes like a glass case in a Paris pâtisserie.

Caille Farcie au Foie Gras et ChampignonsQuail stuffed with mushrooms and foie gras, served with garlic green beans and ...
05/19/2026

Caille Farcie au Foie Gras et Champignons
Quail stuffed with mushrooms and foie gras, served with garlic green beans and fingerling potatoes. Elegant, earthy, and deeply French, a dish for the guest who orders with intention.

Salade de Chèvre Chaud- Warm goat cheese on toast, butter lettuce, lardons, and tomatoes. A French café classic with all...
05/16/2026

Salade de Chèvre Chaud- Warm goat cheese on toast, butter lettuce, lardons, and tomatoes. A French café classic with all the right contrasts: creamy, crisp, smoky, and fresh.

At Café Rabelais, the wine list is not tucked away in a book.It surrounds you.Bottles line the walls in wooden crates an...
05/15/2026

At Café Rabelais, the wine list is not tucked away in a book.

It surrounds you.

Bottles line the walls in wooden crates and on shelves, stacked high with the names of French villages, family domaines, storied regions, and vintages waiting for the right table. Burgundy, Bordeaux, Rhône, Loire, Champagne, each bottle part of the quiet magic that makes Rabelais feel like stepping into a little corner of France.

It is a cellar you can sit inside. A room built around conversation, candlelight, and the beautiful question of what to open next.

Come for dinner. Wander the walls. Let the wine choose you.

Reservations recommended.

Sorbet du Jour- The sorbet of the moment: cool, bright, and refreshing. A simple finish after a long French meal, especi...
05/14/2026

Sorbet du Jour- The sorbet of the moment: cool, bright, and refreshing. A simple finish after a long French meal, especially when the wine has been generous.

Since opening Rabelais in October 2000, Christophe has built the restaurant around a simple belief that French food shou...
05/13/2026

Since opening Rabelais in October 2000, Christophe has built the restaurant around a simple belief that French food should feel warm, welcoming, generous, and unpretentious. Not stiff. Not snobby. Just beautifully prepared food, thoughtful service, and wines that tell a story.

And oh, the wines.

Christophe has spent years hand-selecting bottles imported from France, building a list that reaches across every region, from beloved classics to rare finds tucked along the wine wall. His knowledge runs deep, but what makes it special is the way he shares it: with curiosity, warmth, and the quiet confidence of someone who truly loves what he does.

Assiette de FromagesA proper French cheese plate with your choice of three or five cheeses, served with nuts and grapes....
05/12/2026

Assiette de Fromages
A proper French cheese plate with your choice of three or five cheeses, served with nuts and grapes. Elegant before dinner, perfect after, and always right with a bottle from the cellar.

Les Escargots au Beurre Persillé- A little dish with a very French kind of magic: tender baked escargots tucked into gar...
05/09/2026

Les Escargots au Beurre Persillé- A little dish with a very French kind of magic: tender baked escargots tucked into garlic-parsley butter until rich, fragrant, and ready for warm bread. Classic, indulgent, and exactly how a meal at Rabelais should begin.

This week’s specials bring two very different expressions of French comfort and refinement to the table.Our duck cassoul...
05/08/2026

This week’s specials bring two very different expressions of French comfort and refinement to the table.

Our duck cassoulet is rich, slow-cooked, and deeply satisfying—the kind of dish that feels timeless from the very first bite.

For something lighter, the halibut is delicately prepared and paired with asparagus and a vibrant red pepper sauce that adds just the right touch of brightness and depth.

Whether you’re craving something hearty or elegant, this week’s menu offers both beautifully.

Reservations recommended.

Salade de Tomates au Bleu- Sliced tomatoes, basil, and blue cheese. Ripe, sharp, herbal, and deeply satisfying in its si...
05/08/2026

Salade de Tomates au Bleu- Sliced tomatoes, basil, and blue cheese. Ripe, sharp, herbal, and deeply satisfying in its simplicity. Proof that a few excellent ingredients can say plenty.

Terrine de Canard en CroûteDuck pâté en croûte with pickled vegetables. Refined, savory, and beautifully old-school. A l...
05/07/2026

Terrine de Canard en Croûte
Duck pâté en croûte with pickled vegetables. Refined, savory, and beautifully old-school. A little slice of French tradition, best enjoyed slowly with something from the wine wall.

Le Suprême de Poulet Sauce à la Framboise- Braised chicken breast with raspberry brown sauce, green beans, and fingerlin...
05/07/2026

Le Suprême de Poulet Sauce à la Framboise- Braised chicken breast with raspberry brown sauce, green beans, and fingerling potatoes. Tender, savory, and finished with just enough fruit to make the whole plate feel quietly romantic.

Who's ready for a gastronomic adventure? 🍽️🌟 Experience the true Parisian delight, CROQUE MADAME at Café Rabelais! This ...
05/02/2026

Who's ready for a gastronomic adventure? 🍽️🌟 Experience the true Parisian delight, CROQUE MADAME at Café Rabelais! This classic dish is an ensemble of toasted butter brioche slathered with our creamy Béchamel Gruyère sauce and layered with Parisian ham. On the side, enjoy a refreshing arugula salad tossed in house Dijon vinaigrette. The pièce de résistance? A sunny side up egg crowning the tower of flavors. Come surrender yourself to this French delicacy today! 🇫🇷

Seared just enough to preserve its silken center, this week’s tuna arrives wrapped in a delicate sesame crust, its warmt...
04/17/2026

Seared just enough to preserve its silken center, this week’s tuna arrives wrapped in a delicate sesame crust, its warmth contrasting beautifully with a crisp frisée salad. Fried sunchokes add an earthy depth, finished with a bright pomegranate dressing that brings everything into balance—fresh, vibrant, and quietly indulgent.

A dish that feels both refined and effortless, meant to be savored slowly.

Reservations recommended.

This month’s lunch special is a return to the classics. Simple, expressive, and deeply rooted in French tradition. 🇫🇷Le ...
04/15/2026

This month’s lunch special is a return to the classics. Simple, expressive, and deeply rooted in French tradition. 🇫🇷

Le Menu Tradition et Terroir invites you to slow down and savor the essence of the season. Begin with a velvety soupe à l’asperge or a composed salade verte, layered with tender green beans, potatoes, egg, and walnut vinaigrette.

For your entrée, delicate pappardelle folds around shrimp in a light cream sauce with spinach and parmesan, or perfectly grilled salmon arrives with sautéed Brussels sprouts and a bright lemon dill finish.

And to close, something sweet, as it should be. A classic strawberry shortcake or a refreshing sorbet of the day.

Choose any two courses. $32 per person.

Thoughtfully composed. Effortless, elegant, and unmistakably French.

Reservations recommended. Reserve your table at https://www.caferabelais.com/reservations

This Mother’s Day, treat her with an experience as elegant and thoughtful as she is. Celebrate Mother’s Day the French w...
04/10/2026

This Mother’s Day, treat her with an experience as elegant and thoughtful as she is. Celebrate Mother’s Day the French way 🌸

Begin with a thoughtful amuse-bouche, followed by a four-course menu crafted with elegance and care. From wild mushroom feuilleté to filet mignon and a delicate dessert, every detail is designed to honor her.

May 10 | 11am–8pm
$90 per person

Reservations are limited, so book now via the link in bio.

Address

2442 Times Boulevard
Houston, TX
77005

Directions to Times Boulevard in Houston:

Public transport: Take the METRORail Red Line to the Museum District Station. From there, walk north on Fannin Street and turn right onto Binz Street. Walk two blocks and turn left onto Caroline Street. Continue for three blocks and turn right onto Times Boulevard.

Driving/parking: From downtown Houston, take I-69 south and exit onto TX-527 Spur/Montrose Boulevard. Turn left onto Richmond Avenue, then right onto Graustark Street. Turn left onto W Main Street, then right onto Yupon Street. Turn left onto Times Boulevard. Parking is available on the street or at a nearby parking garage.

Opening Hours

Tuesday 11am - 2pm
6pm - 9pm
Wednesday 11am - 2pm
6pm - 9pm
Thursday 11am - 2pm
6pm - 10pm
Friday 11am - 2:30pm
6pm - 10pm
Saturday 11am - 2:30pm
6pm - 10pm

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What people say

French restaurants are known for their exquisite cuisine and elegant ambiance. Café Rabelais, located on Times Boulevard in Houston, is no exception. As soon as you step inside, you'll feel like you've been transported to a little part of France. The atmosphere is cozy and laid back, perfect for a casual dining experience.

One of the things that sets Café Rabelais apart from other restaurants is their menu. It's written on a chalkboard only, which adds to the authentic French feel of the place. The menu changes twice daily to ensure that they're using only the freshest ingredients available. This commitment to quality shines through in every dish they serve.

But it's not just the food that makes Café Rabelais special - it's also their wine list. They offer over 550 different exclusively French wines, with bottle sizes ranging from 375ml to 1.5 liters. Whether you're a wine connoisseur or just looking for something to pair with your meal, you're sure to find something that suits your taste.

Overall, Café Rabelais is a must-visit for anyone who loves French cuisine or wants to experience a little bit of France without leaving Houston. From the delicious food to the extensive wine list and cozy atmosphere, this restaurant has it all. So why not stop by and see what all the fuss is about?

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