I came here with my parents Saturday night and what a treat!! Its an old bank converted into an elegant dining space. Our waitress was a little flighty, but that was OK, my parents knew the manager and he stopped by several times checking in and chatting. We started with an order of the Oysters and they were fresh and delish. They came with an interesting mignonette sauce on top. I personally would have preferred it on the side so I could have added as much or little as I wanted, but it had a great flavor. For our mains, I had the ahi tuna and it was cooked perfectly and melted in my mouth! SO GOOD. My parents both got the special - Prime Rib - and they each received a very large piece of meat that was cooked perfectly. There was plenty to take home. We ended the meal with a flourless chocolate cake and it was decadent. I would highly recommend this dessert. This is a GREAT place to check out in the South Bend area.
Review Source:My husband and I ate here on Valentines Day. Â Service and food were GREAT. Â My complaint is that whoever the lady was that had on red pantyhose has a POTTY mouth. Â She yelled at the bartenders using the f-word and then later I over heard her outside the ladies restroom yelling at the servers, once again using the f-word. Â I don't think we will be back!
Review Source:Had lunch at Cafe Navarre today with my co-workers and I really enjoyed myself. Â Walking into the restaurant is an impressive mix of old and new. Â The large arched windows as well as the ceiling detail paid respects to the original design while giving a big high five to modern style. Â I had the salmon with rice and haricots verts. Â Everything was delicious and cooked perfectly. Â The service was friendly and attentive. Â A wonderful experience and I look forward to visiting again.
Review Source:Ate dinner here while I was "home for the holidays" visiting family.  The meal was great - everything was a success  from the salad selection, great options for main courses, dessert, wine, etc.  This has to be one of the better options in the South Bend area.  We enjoyed a quiet dinner in a cozy booth and look forward to returning on our next visit.  Parking could be a challenge on weekends.  Would also be great if they considered some solution for taking/hanging coats too.
Review Source:Pretty disappointed with my food here a few days before Christmas. Â First, the decor is very nice. Despite the somewhat awkward shape and a few quirks (e.g.coat check room = hallway outside of the bathrooms), the renovation of the bank building was quite nice and the atmosphere was pleasant. We called the day of, and they only had a six top in the bar, which was fine except for the fact that the bar didn't have a dedicated server. Â The poor bartender had to balance mixing drinks with taking orders, following up on requests, etc. Â She was nice enough, just simply overworked, so as a result service was extremely slow. Â
I started with the prawns with chili, pickled potatoes and sweet garlic sauce. Â The "prawns" were actually just 4-5 frozen shrimp tails. Now, this is the Midwest, I'm not necessarily expecting ocean fresh seafood, but it was a little disappointing seeing just a few normal looking shrimp on the plate. The rest of the dish was great - loved the flavors of the garlic sauce mixed with vinegar from the potato and some heat from the chili.
The real problems started with the main course where I ordered the duck. Â First warning sign is that I have to prompt the server that I want my duck medium rare. Then, when the duck comes, it's completely overcooked. Â A couple of the slices had the very slightest hint of light pink, but it was nearly undetectable and most pieces were cooked into gray shoe leather. Â After about 10 minutes, our server comes by so I can finally send it back, explaining that it was overcooked. Â Fifteen minutes later, while my family is finishing up with their meal, they come back out with the duck even more overcooked. Â No pink whatsoever. Â Forget about a proper light red.
The people who brought it (at least they didn't make the bartender hike it to the kitchen) were apologetic and got the manager, who shows up to condescendingly tell me that the destroyed gray slices of what was once a nice duck breast was in fact 'medium rare.' Â "If you want it rare we'll cook it rare for you," she explained. I was shocked. Â It' was like someone telling you that 2+2=5 with a straight face. Faced with such a blatant ineptitude on the medium rare, I declined so that another poor duck wouldn't be wasted. They at least comped the duck.
The rest of the family's food was a little hit or miss. Â The Steak Frittes was very good (and they managed to cook beef to a proper medium rare), as was the chicken. Â The Mahi special was bland and mushy, with no hints of truffles that they mentioned (even truffle oil) in the couple bites I had.
Bottom line: I might consider going back again: 1.) not on a Sunday (see review  below...not surprising the head chef was not in), and 2.) I would not order anything "exotic" (duck/lamb/fish).
My boyfriend and I ate here last Friday for a rehearsal dinner. Our menu was a sampling of their offerings and everything was great. We started with Arancini, which everyone at my table said were great; and shrimp and risotto, which was creamy and the shrimp was tender. Next, we had the Navarre salad which was excellent. It included walnuts, goat cheese, and the dressing was on par. Next, we had a choice of wild salmon, filet mignon, or grilled vegetable pasta. Everyone at our table chose the filet, which was massive as far as filet's come. Everyone ordered it medium rare and they were all cooked perfectly. It was accompanied by asparagus (cooked nicely) and nice baby yukon gold potatoes that were crispy on the outside and creamy on the inside. They were excellent. For dessert, we had a choice of key lime pie or flourless chocolate cake. I chose the flourless chocolate cake, and it was soo rich and creamy. It was delicious, but I couldn't eat more than a few bites.
I would definitely love to come back here to try out a few more items on their menu.
Giving this place a tentative 3 stars based on two visits one of which was opening month the other was a Sunday and the executive chef was off.
First visit was promising for an opening week. Had the foie gras and it was good for the most part but slightly gelatinous. Next was the duck 2 ways which was tasty and very well prepared. However it was served on a bed of risotto which was cooked perfectly around the edges but the portion that laid under the duck must have continued to cook and it was mushy but flavorful. Creme brulee for dessert was more like a thick pudding on the first visit but perfect on the second.
Second visit we had the octopus which was served at near room temp. I was told that because of the surface area of the octopus it begins cooling immediately after being removed from the grill.? It looked awful on the plate. The flavor wasn't that bad but the temp really threw me off and I couldn't finish. Next was the BBQ Quail. The molasses Bbq sauce was okay and the bird was just slightly tough but nothing to complain about but it didn't wow me. My wife ordered scallops. On the first order one came out raw in the middle, they immediately took it away and brought her a new order. The second batch was cooked perfectly but still just no wow factor.
After questioning the bartender / waiter we found out that Sunday is the chefs day off and the sous chef was running the kitchen. We will try again but something besides the atmosphere needs to wow us on the next trip or that might be it for awhile.
As far as atmosphere the building restoration is amazing. Great lighting and use of architecture. It has a really great vibe and I hope they can work out the kinks. Unfortunately we sat at the bar and whenever they turned on the hot water to clean a glass a horrible smell emanated from behind the bar. We also had to swat a few fruit flies.
In the end, the menu is intriguing and well put together but it just needs to be executed better on our next trip. The chef obviously has talent but there is just something that hasn't clicked for us yet. Like I said the 3 stars are tentative and I fully expect to be able to bump them up a star in the future.
From my one visit so far, I say it's excellent food and great atmosphere. Â Very attentive staff. Â I ordered escargot appetizer, which was delicious, and I ordered their special fish of the day (grilled Halibut), which was perfectly done. Â My only disappointment was a crema-less espresso at the end.
Review Source:My husband and I dined here when they had the Eat.Drink.Downtown South Bend promotion going on. We decided to give it a try. All I can say is WOW! Not only is the food top notch, the service and atmosphere were amazing too! I would highly recommend this restaurant to anyone looking for someplace special to go to!
Review Source:This is my second time at Cafe Navarre and while it did not live up to the experience I had the first time around, it is still a solid dining experience for South Bend.
I went as a party of 4 and ordered a bunch of small plates and 2 main entrees.
Small plates:
-escargot: delicious!
-bbq quail: thumbs up!
-arancini: good!
-grilled baby octopus: very charred and dry
-oysters: by far the most disappointing of the small plates, 12 oysters, all shriveled and no meat to them.
Main entrees:
-kurobuta pork chop: delicious!
-ribeye: the most disappointing of the entire meal. we had ordered medium rare and the first time they sent it out, it was practically uncooked even on the first slice! when we sent it back, they heated the same piece of meat and was still not done. at this point, we sliced it in half and sent it back again. 3rd times a charm? it was finally cooked, but by now...a once great cut of meat now turned into two small pieces and a slice. hardly good presentation.
Desserts:
-souffle: had this the first time and loved it again the second time!
-apple tart: pretty standard, very tasty
We also had a bottle of wine which happened to be the pinot noir that is served by the glass. Very reasonably priced and tasty as well! I do suggest that when a dish is sent back a second time, recognize that you have messed up and don't keep sending out the same piece of meat.
I love the classic feel of Cafe Navarre. The restaurant has one of the loveliest bar areas in town, and a fabulous bartending staff. I love to try new wines, so I always ask for recommendations, and they rarely disappoint.
The beet salad looks beautiful and tastes great, and the wild mushroom soup is very good. I had a wonderful fish special as my most recent entree. In the past, I've enjoyed the Tournedos Chasseur, the Steak Pommes Frites, and the Israeli Cous Cous.
I once had a somewhat gluey risotto entree, and on another occasion, I had a kind of tough ravioli appetizer, so I don't choose pastas anymore, but that's OK. There are plenty of things on the menu that are terrific.
Had a blast here celebrating my birthday with friends! Â We had dinner reservations but arrived early so sat at the bar while waiting. Â Bartending staff was amazing! SO much fun! Â We ended up just staying at the bar and eating there. Â Food was great, reasonably priced, awesome cocktail and wine selection. Atmophere very classy and fun! Â We will def be back, thanks for making my birthday so much fun!
Review Source:Service: fantastic. Ruth was our waitress and she was awesome.
Drinks menu: great. Â Beer list was spectacular. Scotch list was good. I am not a wine person but others at the table thought it was very good.
Food: Â I thought my Osso Bucco was very good. Â Wife thought her fish was only meh.
Ambience: Â great. Â The remodel of the space looks great. Putting the bar so you can look out on the street was a great idea.
For the price I think LaSalle Grill is better. But it is nice to have another option in town.
Up the food quality a notch and this is a 5 star review.
This is for their lunch menu:
Outstanding quality, and nothing is over $11. Â Fills a much needed gap in the downtown lunch scene, formerly occupied by Ciao's 10 years ago. Â
Croque Monsieur was very rich and tasty. Â The Navarre sandwich phenomenal. Paying 8.50 for a Kobe burger seems very reasonable to me, considering you pay more for lower quality meat at Fiddler's. Â Their leek and potato soup was also perfect.
Not too stuffy of a crowd, plenty of tshirts and sweats, so don't feel underdressed.
Two reasons to go here: 1.) The place shows what can be accomplished when the right things are done to save a historic building, and 2.) Amazing food and cocktails.
In historic downtown South Bend you are more often to see empty parking lots where grand old buildings stood in this formerly grand city. It has been nearly 50 years since South Bend had a downtown worth visiting, but with the entrance of Cafe Navarre, the newest upscale dining experience in South Bend there is another reason to venture to the downtown to see what can be done if the City of South Bend stops knocking buildings down and encourages entrepreneurship. The restoration of this historic bank building is reason enough to venture inside this place. The bar is wonderfully positioned to take advantage of the great street level windows, and the balconies (open on busy nights) offer amazing views of the main dining room and some views of the parking lot across the street (where I think another grand building once stood!). Â
I used to live in South Bend so have dined at most of the upscale restaurants in this area (Carriage House, LaSalle Grill, Trios, and the former Bistro on the Race, and now defunct Noma), and must say that this place ranks among the two "biggies" (LaSalle Grill and Carriage House) in my book. First, the bartender, Wally, is a veteran of La Salle Grill and The Mark and a legend in South Bend who is always welcoming and often the sort of guy who tells amazing stories. If there were a best bartender competition, he would probably win every time. The top shelf drinks here are made to perfection, but I should also point out that the beer list (on tap) is amazing. They have top flight micro beers, great imports, and the extremely popular  "hipster beer" PBR, and a wine list that while a bit expensive in my book is solid.
We ordered salads (beet and Navarre) and both were well prepared and presented in a very nice way. The bread here - fresh baked white I think - is also quite good and the sweet butter is to die for.
For the entrees, I ordered the Roasted Free Range Chicken and my friend ordered the Duck Two Ways. If you like duck this is the best dish my friend said he ever had. The chicken is very moist and is a giant piece of meat (breast and leg) served over a "Jalapeno" polenta that was good  but had no Jalapeno kick to it and was just ok. The duck on the other hand has my friend and several others under its spell. This was a perfect dish, and one of the best duck dishes (according to my buddy) that he has had anywhere in the world. Since this guy has been around the world two or three times I believe him. So, if you have never had duck give it a shot, or if you like duck, but are not sure what to expect in cosmopolitan South Bend, this might be your dish.
This brings me to another thing about South Bend. This really is a "you can't go wrong with the steak" sort of town, and I have had some amazing steaks in this city along the St. Joseph river, but my friend was laughing since every table around us was pretty funny because they seemed to be all Beef Board members. All the men - every single one - had a steak, and most of the women as well. Hey South Benders! Try some other stuff. My friend said that he has been here 5 times already and that every local seems to only eat steak. Expand your palate folks!
After dinner I had the apple tart with ice cream and this is one of my favorites of all time. The pastry itself was just about perfect from the buttery crust that melted in your mouth to the nicely flavorful apples. My only suggestion here is that they somehow let the ice cream thaw. I noticed this with the butter too. The cold stuff comes out way too cold. Minor tweaking needed here.
Overall this is a nice new option to rival LaSalle Grill and Carriage House, but I think the prices are as high as these places and I am never quite sure why things at these three top restaurants cost more than a similar restaurant in Chicago might. I am not signaling out Navarre, since this is an issue at the 3 top upscale places in "the Bend" ( I don't count that steak "chain" up in Granger) and Navarre is a comfortable member of this club - and if they keep it up might just push one of the other two out of the way to take the #1 spot.
I tip my hat to the owners and developers for saving this historic building and putting it to good use. Now, if only the city could sell someone the LaSalle Hotel for $1.0 and have that building on the road to revitalization. Way to go Cafe Navarre for serving amazing food in an amazing historical space.
There are many variables involved in a dining experience that make it memorable, either leaving diner(s) with either satisfaction, discontent, or disdain. Some of the obvious include the food, beverage, waitstaff, decor, and price. Â When these variables are individually and collectively met with a high level of percipience, the end result is satisfaction.
Upon arrival at Cafe Navarre, my wife and I were kindly greeted by the maitre de and with no delay led to our table and given a brief explanation of the floor plan (i.e. coat rack, restroom location). We then had a moment to be aquainted with the decor, which is a fine metropolitan look that exudes an equal level of sophistication. Everything from the stoic architectural columns, the artful and ambient lighting, and the woodwind quintet set in the rear of the house provided the perfect setting for a memorable meal.
Arriving with a wonderful amount of epicurean knowledge and smile, our waitress, Ruth, was skilled in the timing and execution of the entire service. Â She had informed us of the chef's desire to use farm fresh ingredients and it was made apparent dish by dish. I also understand he is a graduate of the Culinary Institute of America, which to me is a prized asset to our local dining culture. Let's set the bar high, it's worth it.
Meal ordered; foie gras (balsamic and apple), tuna nicoise, lobster lasagna, bouillabaisse. I could elaborate, but you'll either have to trust me or see for yourself that every dish is top notch. Â In addition to the world class cuisine is a cellar comprised of a vast selection wine, of which Ruth seemed to be very fond and boastful of, and for good reason.
Prices may seem steep, but in my opinion are what you should expect, as you are not paying for food alone.
I did have two complaints. There is no sign on the exterior which made us 15 minutes late in our efforts to locate the cafe. Second, the tuna nicoise was served with anchovy. The anchovy was an extremely powerful flavor in the dish that subdued any real flavor from the star of the dish, the tuna. I would consider removing it from the dish all together.
Food:  FANTASTIC! I travel for work and have been around the US and  I never expected such amazing food in South Bend. Everything I had was great. I recommend the Stuffed Quail appetizer, any of the salads and the Osso Bucco  or Duck Two Ways for your entree. In all seriousness, everything on the menu is great.
Atmosphere: Modern classic feel. I think it used to be an old bank, so the inside looks like a bank with low lighting. There's a bar area to hang out and the service was fine. Nothing extraordinary, but then again, Â restaurant is new.
Cafe Navarre is a bright new star in South Bend. We've dined there three nights in a row and we're working our way through the menu.
You'll be immediately knocked out by the ambiance. Our first experience was a birthday dinner with friends. We were seated in a small room on the mezzanine next to the front arched window. If you can get that table, it helps make a great dinner perfect.
Service, even in the opening week, was great. I thought about four stars because, of course, they're still working out a few opening week kinks. But the whole team made the experience seem like they've been doing this for years. It's a smooth operation.
The menu made choosing difficult. Everything sounded good. And the good news is: everything we ordered was. Opening night we had sea bass that was some of the best we've ever eaten; bouillabaisse that was delicious (everything in it, except maybe the lobster, was near perfect); mushroom soup that is wonderfully creamy with just enough mushroom and not too much; and the artichokes that are really tasty. Since then, we've had chicken, quail, tuscan bean soup, and skate wing. All of it has been delicious.
Kudos to Kurt and his team. Larry will welcome you and Wally will care for you at his expansive and beautiful bar. This place couldn't be a more welcome addition. We'll be there often.
We had dinner at Café Navarre tonight.  The space is open, a restored building with high ceilings and with a mezzanine and two private dinner rooms.  The décor is pretty with snow white linens and fresh flowers on the tables.
We started with gnocchi in a mushroom broth and a French onion soup gratinee. Â The soup was flavorful with a mixture of cheeses melted on top. Â For dinner we chose butternut squash risotto and the fresh fish of the day- a Scottish salmon, grilled with a wonderful asparagus beurre blanc. Â The food was beautifully prepared and flavorful. Â
To top off dinner, we ordered the chocolate soufflé that is served with a crème anglais.  It was light, chocolaty and truly the best dessert I have ever had. Â
I know we have found a new favorite place for dinner here in town.
Cafe Navarre surpasses all they hype and anticipation. With exceptional food, service and beverages.
The beautiful decor of this restored historic building makes for a spectacular ambiance. The restaurant opened to the public on January 13th, Â a snowy night in the Bend, and it was very crowded. Every seat was taken at the rounded bar and most of the tables on the main level were full. My party was seated on the balcony overlooking the bar.
Everything we ordered was very well prepared and presented beautifully. Oysters, soup, main dishes, dessert. The osso bucco was tender and delicious with ogled mashed potatoes. The special sea bass was full flavored and light. The filet was cooked to perfection.
The bartender was serving a special peal bot cocktail and the dessert cocktails were also lovely. There is fine selection of wines too.
Service was excellent and at the level that is required for this type of restaurant. There was a large dinning room in the back upstairs for groups.
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