Cafe Navarre

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 entrée no salad or anything. Not knocking the food just the prices.

This place has a nice atmosphere, but my first experience was a perfect storm of poor service and steak preparation. My date and I had an 8:15 reservation, we arrived a bit early at 8:05, when I checked in to the host stand the hostess told, «like I said, were running behind and it will be 20 minutes.» She was obviously frustrated. When I returned at 8:30 from the bar, she told me it would be another 20 minutes. At this time it appeared we had been forgot about. I returned again at 8:55 and she said we are getting a table ready. We were sat exactly 1 hour after are reservation.
The food had a lot of promise to it. The onion soup was great. Wine was great. We ordered a steak medium rare and it came out medium, when I asked for it to be returned the waiter pulled out his cell phone so I could look at it in better light via his camera flash. He then agreed it was close but not MR, when he returned he proclaimed he and others servers and the cool all took another look at it in the kitchen and I was wrong. He then shared that with me, in front of my date. It was an unfortunate moment to have on a date. This steak had no true rare in the middle and no where near 50% pink. A steak lover does not need light to determine this, it can also be accomplished with taste, mouth feel.
Most likely will not return.

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.

I visited Café Navarre on a Tuesday night during restaurant week with four friends. I would never have come here without the restaurant week deals, but I’m glad I did. We had a great time!
Service was excellent, and all the dishes were very good. I especially have to recommend the chicken entrée. Surprisingly succulent, lightly crisped, melt-​in-​your-​mouth… I didn’t know chicken could be this good.
Next time my wealthy uncle is in town, I’ll be back.

Café Navarre is one of my favorite spot for a client lunch, work happy hour or date night. The ambiance is awesome and there is always a great ambiance. I always get the mushroom soup which is one of my favorite things in the world. I prefer the lunch potion to the dinner portion but that is a moot point. I typically get a fish dish and try to order off the specials. I have never had a bad meal here.
You have to sit at the bar some time and let the bartender make you something they recommend. They have a wide arrange of bitters that you cannot find anywhere else in town. In the winter, I really enjoy their black walnut Manhattan. Make sure to make reservations, especially for lunch, or you might not get a table.
Finally, the fois gras controversy. I can never fault a chef for having on their menu what they cook well. If you don’t agree with fois gras, do not order it.

Boom. Café 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.

Had a wonderful dinner here with a larger group (9) on a Tuesday evening. Service was great– really decent beer, wine, and liquor selection, and the fresh fish was really good (maybe walleye?) A few people in our group got steak and one person got duck– all were pleased. The apple fritter dessert was absolutely delicious– like a warm donut wedge filled with apples. It was so good. Highly recommend. Nice atmosphere downtown.

Excellent service and atmosphere is bright and open. The lunch sandwiches are all very good. I have tried most of them. If you want a very rich and decadent sandwich then try the Croque Madame. This is one of my favorite restaurants to lunch with it’s pleasantly upscale ambiance and business casual patrons.

Food was excellent. Great New York strip and great oysters and mussels. We had reservations but they were a little delayed so we ate at bar. Great bartender Kilian took care of us. Highly
Recommend this place

Food was delicious, friendly waiter, good ambience. This area of South Bend is fun and trendy. I came with a work group, good experience for everyone. The bread in the beginning and French onion soup were delicious

Enjoyed every second of our experience at Café Navarre. From the gorgeous décor, 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 Café 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!

Hate to give this place two stars… Beautiful décor, very nice atmosphere and nice staff but my Wolf fish was dry, very salty and (not that it matters, in this case) very small. That was the smallest $ 33 piece of fish I have ever seen, actually. My partner’s salmon looked twice the size and was nicely cooked. Because of that, I decided to give it another try for lunch (attached) today. Way too much (really thick) bread and very little ham. They had just opened at 1130 AM and I was surprised that the fries looked and tasted like they were from last night. The ice tea was from a machine and had zero flavor. more like colored water. It would be soooo easy to fix these problems. Does anyone in management really care? I can’t imagine that a manager would sign off on either of those dishes. just not up to par. Sorry.

Stopped by after dinner at another downtown location for a late night cap. I had water, but most everyone else got a good stiff drink out of the deal. We sat outside, and except for a couple mosquitoes (that really can’t be helped) it was lovely. Service was great! They accommodated our last minute intrusion close to closing, and we even had a little chuckle from an entertaining couple who looked like they had been coming here for years. We even noted that our server walked the couple to their car across the street. How sweet.
We’ll give this place a try for their food in the future, and update the review.

Great atmosphere and service. I had the flank steak, they called it bavette, with French fries and it was good. A walk around downtown capped it off nicely.

This place is great. Definitely a place to splurge as far as price. But the food was awesome. I sat in the open and airy bar. One look at the menu… pork belly… um yes please! Nice and crispy served on top of cheese grits with tomato jam. Omg! Stunning! Also had the Navarre salad which was also wonderful. Lightly dressed and perfect for summer. The bartender was also cool peoples. My salad and pork belly cost me 18 bucks. Not bad. But if you are looking for large portions, not here. Lol. But it was plenty for me. I’ll be back for sure!

I went to Café Navarre after a show at the Morris Civic Theatre. We made a reservation because this is a popular place for people before and after shows. We were seated right away. Our table had a great view on the second floor looking down at the bar and lower dining area. Our wine and food was brought to use in a timely fashion. We were able to enjoy the food and not feel rushed.
I will make sure to make another reservation at Café Navarre next time I’m in South Bend for a show.
Also, it appears they would have a great patio in the summer.

The filet was delicious– cooked perfectly. The short rib was also very good and a nice portion size for the guys we were with. We had a nice bottle of wine and the atmosphere was really wonderful. Enjoyed a nice birthday dinner for a friend here! Staff was attentive and helped but not hovered. Enjoyed the beautiful high ceilings and relaxing atmosphere!

This is one of our favorite «coffee and dessert» spots in all of Michiana– Love love love the atmosphere (converted classic bank, tons of exposed granite and architectural interest), the bartenders tend to be friendly and on point. We’ve dined here also, dinner is an above average experience — good flavor, excellent styling and preparation, nice wine list for pairing– but nothing I can’t live without.
The key lime pie, however… zomg. And the fresh French press coffee with hand-​shaken heavy cream is unreal.
All in all, a great gem for downtown South Bend among all the turnover. Keep doing what you do best, Café Navarre!

I cannot believe that people pay those prices for their food! I lived in Chicago for 12 years and consider myself quite the epicure and have no problem dropping $$$$ when it’s worth it but their food is do not worth it and it is sad because the ambience is great…
I really wanted to love it but everything was bland. I ordered the ahi tuna ($ 34) and it had no flavor. I cook ahi tuna at home and would have preferred my own! Then I had my favorite crème brûlée for dessert and that was terrible too… then my date had panna cotta that did not taste anything like panna cotta.
The two stars are for their lemon drop martinis and salad but really how could you mess up a salad…

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.