Varanese Restaurant

A little loud on the weekends but worth it, reservation definitely needed to get a table too. The food and service was top tier took my family from out of town here and they said it was the best food they’ve had the whole vacation. Great wine and drink selections too.

This is one of the best restaurants in town. The atmosphere is great. Very professional service. And the food is Excellent. Our server was very knowledgeable of the menu and was very helpful in navigating it.
Highly recommend.

I took my husband here for dinner for his birthday. The hostess greatest us and took us to our table where there was a happy birthday sign for him. The food was amazing. He ordered the strip steak (which he enjoyed every bite). I ordered tye shrimp and Grits and it was good. The band played happy birthday for him! The ambience gave off a romantic vibe and the service was great! We will definitely be dining back here!

They had a live jazz band, our server Jessica was really nice. The food was delicious. Importantly for us, everyone was nice about our baby. I had the flight of small batch bourbon and my wife had the Ultima palabra, both were great.

Amazing dinner it was our anniversary and we couldn't have been happier. Great atmosphere great music we even got a visit from the chef and owner himself to tell us happy anniversary. I'm confident that this will be our new favorite spot!

We went here for a friend's birthday and had a blast! Staff were attentive and worked quickly to resolve a misunderstanding about our reservation. They were packed but the atmosphere was still pretty comfortable. The food was spectacular. Not at a price point where I would go all the time, but well worth it for a special occasion.

Fabulous dinner for my wife and me last night. Everything was delicious, from the baked brie appetizer to salad to salmon to veggie special to dessert. Harmony took great care of us — a top notch waitress!

Perfect spot for date night. Service was great and food was amazing. We shared the sesame chicken and duck confit egg roll appetizers and both were delicious. For mains we got the beef short rib (one of the specials) and the lamb shank. Both were served with mashed potatoes and asparagus. SO good! It was very busy on a Saturday night even as we were leaving. They had live music in the main dining room. We will definitely be back!

I love this place. Every time I visit Louisville I come to eat here. Really delicious, flavorful food. Love the live music. Had the lamb shank and it was phenomenal.

Really lovely date night here with my husband while exploring the local bourbon distilleries. They were very busy, as to be expected on a Saturday, but we felt well taken care of and everything we ordered was delicious. Cozy environment, great drinks, and reasonable pricing for a nicer meal. We would gladly go back if in the area.

My wife and I had a wonderful dinner last night at Varanese. The food, service, music and atmosphere could not be topped. They are running a special lent menu that we took advantage of and what a great choice! A true gem in Louisville.

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.

I don't give out 5 stars often, but I couldn't find anything to nit pick about... our server was the best we have had in Louisville, the daily specials were exquisite! The live music was low key.... a very enjoyable experience!

I am updating my review, still positive.
Our server was Erica. She was amazing.

We visit this restaurant at least once a year, esp for our youngest son's birthday. It's a very special bitter sweet day as he shares the same birthday as my late husband's. It was his favorite place whenever we came to see our son who goes to school in Louisville.
Our table was reserved promptly with rose petals. He was also served with a complimentary birthday dessert. Erica had a large group of guests, more than 10 people and she was dealing with a large order, a lot of plates, but she always managed to give us her attention and gave us everything we needed and more. Our water and coffee was promptly refilled and the food was delectable as usual. The baked Brie was amazing and so satisfying. I told Erica my son and I were going to share a salad and she already brought the salad in 2 different plates. The food was plenty. They also had live music; a bass and a guitar player. We enjoyed them immensely and they played the "Happy Birthday" song when Erica brought out the birthday dessert. Please thank the Chef for us. Thank you for the wonderful and memorable dinner.

We visited Varanese two years ago for our first anniversary, and returned this year to celebrate our third. We were just as impressed this time as the first! The cocktails are masterfully mixed, the service is attentive and friendly, and the food is absolutely delicious. We enjoyed four courses tonight and we were delighted with each plate that came to the table. If you have a sweet tooth, the brioche french toast is not to be missed.
An additional note: the live music we enjoyed on both our visits was an excellent addition to the evening without overpowering the ambience of the restaurant.
We've decided that this will be our go-to anniversary spot, and we look forward to many more visits in the future.

Amazing staff.. Excellent food, great ambience. The appetizer got delayed but they gave it to us on the house even though we didn't make a big deal of it. Loved the bread that were served as soon as we sat down. Nothing like live music.

Our first visit. What’s not to like? Seated promptly, great environment. Erica is a warm, friendly, professional waiter. Solid wine list, great cocktails. Lamb and lentil soup rich and earthy. Salmon pasta dishes were rich with delicate highlights. Filet Oscar was perfect medium rare, with creamy light mashed potatoes and perfectly sauced. Jazz trio tops off the atmosphere at just the right volume with an excellent playlist. Too full for dessert, but there will definitely be another visit. Highly recommended.

Food and service were stellar. It was our first time dining in this louisville gem. Wife had the chicken and I the pork chop. Both entrees were delicious and hefty, healthy portions. The burnt lemon old fashioned was tasty. My wife had both the gin drinks and was very pleased. Order the Brussels spouts and ask for Ruth! We will be back!

Amazing staff and food!! We were in town from out of state celebrating our wedding anniversary. Found this in Google under "nice dining" in Louisville as we wanted great food but not super fancy. Great prices for excellent food. Wonderful dessert sampler. Staff was very attentive. Live music was a nice touch. Outside location seemed a little questionable, but definitely one of those hidden gems!

First time visiting. We had a reservation for 6:00 on a Friday night and walked right in and we're seated. Very beautiful place with a relaxed atmosphere. My husband ordered the Manhattan to drink and said it was very good. We started the night with a BLT salad to split, followed by the bourbon orange glazed salmon on cream cheese grits & the Angus strip steak with Brussels and garlic whipped mashed potatoes to share. Every single bite was phenomenal! The zesty brussel sprouts were the star of the night, my husband and I were pretty much fighting over them! Our waitress was attentive and informative. She helped with any questions promptly. We definitely plan to visit again for a delicious meal!