Welcome to Café Michel^© online!

Café Michel is located in historic Lexington, Virginia. It is in a freestanding building with a dry-vit façade with generous parking and beautiful views of downtown Lexington, including the campus of both Washington and Lee University and Virginia Military Institute. The Virginia Horse Center is approximately one mile away. It is perched on a hill, located on busy Route 11 at 640 North Lee Highway in the former Donatello's Restaurant and the original Franco's Italian Restaurant. Café Michel has been voted the number one restaurant in Lexington by City Magazine since we opened in 2004. The restaurant was featured in Southern Living magazine.

The interior look of Café Michel strives to remain casual, comfortable, but elegant. The interior of the main dining room was renovated extensively by Michel and Carmen Galand before opening in June, 2004. The faux finished walls as well as pictures of France take you to southern France without leaving Lexington. There are eighty seats in the main dining room. The main dining room features an antique ice box with a caricature of Michel painted by famous artist, Henrietta Crandall of Clifton Forge.

Our private party room will seat 54 guests and is available for smaller groups also. Its interior look strives to remain casual but comfortably elegant. There is no charge for the use of the room while dining. Ideal for meetings, rehearsal dinners, etc. We will also book the entire restaurant if you like would like for 130 persons.

The restaurant is open six days a week ? Monday thru Saturday ? for dinner only. Kitchen hours are Monday thru Saturday from 5:00 p.m. until 9:00 p.m. The dinner menu features fresh seafood, pastas, steaks as well as Alleghany Mountain trout. Our French chef, Michel creates daily specials which often feature fresh fish, pasta as well as delicious soup and salad of the day.

An extensive wine list features over eighty wines from France, Italy, Austria, Germany, New Zealand, California and Oregon. There is also a wine by the glass list that changes frequently so that our customers might experience new wines. The wine list was compiled by Rob Crittenden, co-owner of Roanoke Valley Wine Company. It has descriptions of the wines as well as matches which will make your wine selection for the evening easier. Café Michel also has imported and domestic beers and liquor for your enjoyment.

We hope to see you soon. Please call for a reservation at 540-464-4119. Reservations are greatly appreciated but not necessary.