This profile is in active compilation — some details are awaiting a cited source.

a French-American bistro in the heart of Westport, open since 2011 and chef-owned since 2015 by Romain Monnoyeur, Kevin Mouhot, and Nicolas Mermet; serves a full menu daily until ~1 a.m. with a half-price late-night menu from 10 p.m. to close. Tier 1 as a 15-year, owner-operated Westport bistro.

Description

Westport Cafe & Bar is a French-American bistro in the heart of Kansas City’s Westport entertainment district, at 419 Westport Rd.12 It pairs scratch-made French cuisine rooted in classical technique with a full bar of craft cocktails infused with fresh fruits, herbs, and spices, and serves one of the city’s most popular weekend brunches.13 Frequently cited dishes include steak frites, steak tartare, escargot, and profiteroles.13

The café is distinctive in Westport for its late-night kitchen: it serves a full menu daily into the early morning (to roughly 1 a.m.), and from 10 p.m. to close runs a late-night menu of half-priced food items with specially priced beer and wine — a rare proper sit-down French option in a district dominated by bars.34 Executive Chef Romain Monnoyeur was a 2024 James Beard Award semi-finalist.13

As of June 2026 the restaurant is open and actively operating, with a Yelp listing updated June 2026 (700+ photos, 520+ reviews) and an OpenTable presence reflecting hundreds of recent diner reviews.54 In 2026 the restaurant debuted a new dinner menu blending French cuisine with Puerto Rican influences, marking its 15-year anniversary.3

Ownership and history

Westport Cafe & Bar opened in the Westport district around 2011 and celebrated its 15-year anniversary in 2026.3 Since 2015, the restaurant has been co-owned by Romain Monnoyeur, Kevin Mouhot, and Nicolas Mermet, who trained at culinary school in Poligny, France, and refined their craft in kitchens across Paris, Monaco, and the United States before establishing the bistro as a French-owned, chef-driven independent in Kansas City.1 Executive Chef and co-owner Romain Monnoyeur was named a 2024 James Beard Award semi-finalist.13

Some third-party listings credit an earlier 2012 opening under a prior owner (Aaron Confessori) before the current French ownership group took over in 2015; the official site dates the current ownership era to 2015 and the 2026 press materials frame the business as reaching its 15-year mark, consistent with a ~2011 founding.13 Confirm the precise original founding year and the 2015 ownership-transition details.

In 2026, Chef Monnoyeur and Sous-Chef Christopher Velez introduced a new dinner menu fusing classic French cuisine with Puerto Rican influences to mark the anniversary.3

Last verified: 2026-06-17 · Source: Westport Cafe & Bar official site + 2026 anniversary press release + Yelp menu listing · URL(s): https://westportcafeandbar.com/ · https://www.yelp.com/menu/westport-cafe-kansas-city · https://www.wfxrtv.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/826843164/westport-cafe-debuts-new-dinner-menu-with-a-french-twist-a-fusion-with-puerto-rican-soul-in-kansas-city/ · Confidence: Medium (item set High; exact 2026 prices Low — see note)

A scratch-made modern French bistro menu rooted in classical technique, with daily-changing specials and a 2026 dinner menu fusing French cuisine with Puerto Rican influences (Chef Romain Monnoyeur + Sous-Chef Christopher Velez). The kitchen runs dinner, a weekend brunch, happy hour, a half-price late-night menu (10 p.m.–close), and limited-run collaboration menus (e.g., a World Cup 2026 menu).63

Signatures

  • Steak frites — bistro steak with béarnaise and house butter over frites; the café’s marquee dish and one of its most-cited orders.67
  • Steak tartare — hand-cut tartare; the 2026 plating is dressed with basil, Fresno chile, and strawberry.67
  • Escargot — recent preparations served out of the shell in a pastry crust with pesto and blistered peppers (earlier listings: bacon, mushroom, black pepper, panko).67
  • Profiteroles — the signature French dessert, a long-standing house staple.6

Starters / hors d’œuvres

  • P.E.I. mussels — steamed mussels in coconut curry with corn (bell pepper) and cilantro — a French-bistro mussels dish with a global twist.7
  • Chicken liver & foie gras mousse — classic bistro charcuterie-board starter.7
  • Blue Point oysters — raw or grilled, by the half-dozen.7
  • Salade Niçoise — albacore, arugula/kale, egg, tomato, anchovy.7
  • Pommes frites / cheese plate — bar-friendly bistro snacks.7

Entrées

  • Duck breast — seared duck with carrot and orange sauce.7
  • Faroe Island / Faroe salmon and grilled snapper — rotating market fish.7
  • Roasted lamb chops — and a 2026 agneau aux fraises (stuffed lamb saddle) on the new dinner menu.67
  • Seared diver scallops and braised beef — rounding out the protein-forward entrée list.7
  • Pasta course — ravioli, black-truffle risotto, squid-ink fettuccini, and lamb-ragu pappardelle have appeared on the les pâtes section.7

Brunch (weekends)

  • Croque Madame — the bistro brunch standard.7
  • Weekend brunch service is one of the city’s most-cited; brunch runs Sunday ~10:30 a.m.–3/4 p.m.36

Burgers / late-night

  • Smash Burger au Poivre — flambéed with whiskey, mayo poivre noir & vert, Boston lettuce, tomato, onion (a recent house burger).6
  • Late-night menu (10 p.m.–close) — half-priced food items with specially priced beer and wine; a rare proper sit-down French late-night option in Westport.3

Price note: Itemized dollar figures available from third-party menu listings (e.g., steak frites and many starters in the low-to-mid teens) predate the 2026 menu refresh and are **** against current pricing; current prices are intentionally omitted here. The menu rotates with daily specials and seasonal/collaboration changes, so specific items may vary by visit.

Sources

Disputes

(None active.)

Footnotes

  1. Westport Cafe & Bar — official site (homepage / about) — https://westportcafeandbar.com/ — asserts: 419 Westport Rd, Kansas City, MO 64111; modern French bistro, scratch cooking, craft cocktails, weekend brunch; co-owners since 2015 Romain Monnoyeur, Kevin Mouhot, Nicolas Mermet trained in Poligny, France; signature steak tartare, steak frites, profiteroles; Chef Monnoyeur 2024 James Beard semi-finalist; closed Monday. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7

  2. Visit KC — Westport Cafe & Bar — https://www.visitkc.com/business-detail/westport-cafe-bar — asserts: 419 Westport Rd, Kansas City, MO 64111; “local French inspired Bistro in the heart of Westport”; full bar, dine-in and carryout; hours listed late (to ~1:30 a.m. Mon–Sat, midnight Sun); phone (816) 931-4740. ↩

  3. “Westport Café Debuts New Dinner Menu with a French Twist – a Fusion with Puerto Rican Soul in Kansas City” (2026 press release, EIN Presswire via wfxrtv / Culture Zone Puerto Rico / MENAFN) — https://www.wfxrtv.com/business/press-releases/ein-presswire/826843164/westport-cafe-debuts-new-dinner-menu-with-a-french-twist-a-fusion-with-puerto-rican-soul-in-kansas-city/ — asserts: 15-year anniversary in 2026; full menu daily 4 p.m.–1 a.m.; happy hour 4–6 p.m.; late-night menu 10 p.m.–close (half-price items, specially priced beer & wine); brunch 10:30 a.m.–4 p.m. weekends; Chef Romain Monnoyeur + Sous-Chef Christopher Velez new French–Puerto Rican menu; James Beard 2024 semi-finalist. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12

  4. Search aggregation of menu/hours listings — OpenTable, https://www.opentable.com/r/westport-cafe-and-bar; Tock, https://www.exploretock.com/westportcafe/; Westport KCMO, https://westportkcmo.com/food-and-drink/; menu directories — asserts: full menu daily 4 p.m.–1 a.m.; late-night menu 10 p.m.–close with half-priced food and specially priced beer & wine; Parisian-inspired French bistro; OpenTable 4.5/5 across 800+ diner reviews. ↩ ↩2

  5. Yelp — Westport Cafe (Kansas City) — https://www.yelp.com/biz/westport-cafe-kansas-city — asserts: 419 Westport Rd; French; listing updated June 2026 with 700+ photos and 520+ reviews, indicating active current operation. ↩

  6. Westport Cafe & Bar — official site (homepage / menus) — https://westportcafeandbar.com/ — asserts (menu, accessed 2026-06-17): scratch-made modern French bistro; signature steak tartare (basil, Fresno & strawberry), profiteroles, steak frites; Smash Burger au Poivre (whiskey-flambéed, mayo poivre noir & vert, Boston, tomato, onion); recent escargot in pastry crust with pesto & blistered peppers; 2026 dishes incl. agneau aux fraises (stuffed lamb saddle), prawn toast, arctic char; PDF menus for Dinner & Drink, Happy Hour & Dessert, Brunch, Spirits, and a World Cup 2026 menu; Sunday brunch. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8

  7. Yelp — Westport Cafe menu listing — https://www.yelp.com/menu/westport-cafe-kansas-city — asserts (menu items; pricing predates 2026 refresh, treat as): hors d’œuvres (escargot, steak tartare, chicken liver & foie gras mousse, frites, cheese plate); De La Mer (Blue Point oysters, P.E.I. mussels in coconut curry with bell pepper & cilantro, house-cured salmon, shrimp); entrées (Faroe Island salmon, roasted lamb chops, grilled snapper, braised chicken fricassee, diver scallops, duck breast with carrot & orange sauce, steak frites with béarnaise & house butter, braised beef); les pâtes (ravioli, black-truffle risotto, squid-ink fettuccini, lamb-ragu pappardelle); salads/sandwiches (arugula, roasted beets, salade niçoise, croque madame, WC&B burger); profiteroles dessert. ↩ ↩2 ↩3 ↩4 ↩5 ↩6 ↩7 ↩8 ↩9 ↩10 ↩11 ↩12 ↩13 ↩14

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On the record — ks.city/registry/westport-cafe-and-bar · record updated 2026-06-23