15 editor picks in Houston.
15 upscale places in Houston, editor-picked. occasion restaurants in Houston: destination kitchens for celebrations and visits. All Houston food.
Bludorn in Houston is Aaron Bludorn's New American room on Taft Street since 2020, with a lobster pot pie and Gulf-seafood menu that defined.
OrderThe lobster pot pie. It is the dish that put the room on every national list and never came off.
TipBook three weeks out for a Friday or Saturday. Bar seats open up at 5pm if you walk in early.
Theodore Rex in Houston is Justin Yu's bistro on Nance Street, the warmer sequel to his now-closed Oxheart, with a tomato toast and seasonal blackboard menu.
OrderThe tomato toast in summer. The pork chop with grits the rest of the year.
TipThe bar is walk-in only and the best seat. Get there at 5pm Thursday or Sunday.
Xochi in Houston is Hugo Ortega's Oaxacan room on the ground floor of the Marriott Marquis downtown, with seven moles, masa-based tlayudas and a James Beard.
OrderThe mole negro tasting; seven moles in one flight is the menu's defining gesture.
TipSit at the masa bar to watch the corn pressed fresh. The lunch tasting is the value at $48.
Refuge in Houston is Bobby Heugel's reservation-only cocktail apartment above Anvil on Westheimer, with a four-stool bar, stirred cocktails and a slow-paced.
TipReservations only via the website. Two seatings a night. The price is steep; the cocktails are the city's most precise.
Anvil Bar & Refuge in Houston is Bobby Heugel's Montrose cocktail bar on Westheimer since 2009, the city's modern cocktail-bar template with the Brave.
TipOrder off the 100-cocktail wall list at the back. The Brave is the house drink; the 9th Ward Daiquiri is the next pick.
Better Luck Tomorrow in Houston is the Heights cocktail bar on Yale Street from Bobby Heugel and chef Justin Yu, with stirred drinks, the BLT burger.
TipThe BLT burger is the food order. Sit at the bar to see the cocktail program in action.
Light Years in Houston is the Montrose natural-wine bar on West Alabama Street in a converted craftsman bungalow, with skin-contact pours, small plates.
TipSit at the bar to talk through the list. The kitchen runs late; bring an order of bread and cheese.
Rosie Cannonball in Houston is Goodnight Hospitality's casual Italian wine bar on Westheimer (sister to March), with wood-fired pizzas, pastas and natural.
TipWalk-in only at the bar. The wood-fired pizza of the day is the order; the half-bottle list is the value.
Hugo's in Houston is Hugo Ortega's regional Mexican room on Westheimer since 2002, with cochinita pibil, chiles en nogada in season. Located in Montrose.
OrderThe cochinita pibil. The chiles en nogada when it hits the menu in August and September.
TipSunday brunch buffet is the city standard. Reserve the noon slot; it sells out by Tuesday.
Da Marco in Houston is Marco Wiles's Italian dining room on Westheimer since 2002, with hand-rolled pastas, a salt-baked branzino and Houston's most serious.
OrderWhatever pasta is on the daily blackboard. The salt-baked branzino if available.
TipSit upstairs in the smaller dining room. The downstairs window seats are the loudest in the house.
La Carafe in Houston is the Market Square dive wine bar on Congress Street in an 1860 building, the oldest commercial structure in the city, candlelit.
TipCash only. Bring exact change for a bottle of Vinho Verde. No food; eat first.
13 Celsius in Houston is the Midtown wine bar on Caroline Street in a 1932 cleaners building, with European old-world pours, cheese boards and a candlelit.
TipSit at the back banquette under the brick wall. The cheese board with house-made membrillo is the order to anchor a flight.
Poison Girl in Houston is the Montrose whiskey dive bar on Westheimer, with a deep bourbon selection, a backyard patio with skee-ball and Hi-Life longnecks.
TipBring a friend; play skee-ball in the back. Cash and card. The bourbon list is the actual reason to be here.
Brennan's of Houston is the 1967 Texas Creole dining room on Smith Street from the New Orleans Brennan family, with turtle soup, bananas Foster tableside.
OrderTurtle soup with sherry on the side. Bananas Foster, flambeed tableside, to close.
TipSunday jazz brunch at 10am or noon books fast.
State of Grace in Houston is Ford Fry's River Oaks dining room on Westheimer Road, a Southern-and-steakhouse menu in a glossy room with limewashed brick.
OrderA dozen Gulf oysters and the wagyu strip. The wood-grilled fish of the day on a Friday.
TipThe bar serves the full menu and is the quickest seat at peak. Sunday brunch is the local routine.
Guided tour · 5 hours
Discover the best of Houston with a local guide on a private tour. Explore the city's unique neighborhoods and communities, see some of the hidden gems in Htown, and l...
2 hours
Learn to make fresh pasta from scratch in a cooking class with Chef Roger in Houston. Enjoy a complete meal that you’ll cook and enjoy yourself.
Guided tour · 1h 30m
Explore Houston on a guided bus tour with a tea service. Sip on premium teas, enjoy freshly baked scones, and learn about the city's history as you pass by iconic landmarks.