Chef Mark Bohanan$$$$ a la carteBook Book on OpenTable ahead
Bohanan's is downtown's defining steakhouse, an upstairs white-tablecloth room from chef-owner Mark Bohanan serving prime steaks and Gulf seafood.
Tip: The downstairs bar runs a more casual menu and a strong cocktail. Upstairs is the white-tablecloth steakhouse proper.
Chef John CarpenterChef's tasting and a la carteBook Book on OpenTable ahead
Signature is the tasting-menu restaurant at the Signia by Hilton La Cantera Resort, where chef John Carpenter builds a seasonal menu on Gulf seafood.
Tip: It is a resort restaurant, so dress for the occasion. The tasting menu shows the kitchen at its most considered.
$$$ a la carteBook Book on OpenTable ahead
Brasserie Mon Chou Chou is a French brasserie at the Pearl from three French-born partners, serving escargot and steak frites on a patio over the plaza.
Tip: The escargot and the steak frites are the brasserie standards to order. The patio overlooks the Pearl plaza.
$$$$ a la carteBook Book on OpenTable ahead
Ostra is the riverside seafood room at the Mokara Hotel downtown, an upscale dining room built around a raw bar, whole fish and a terrace over the River Walk.
Tip: Request a riverside table at dusk. The raw bar and the whole fish are the dishes to anchor the meal.
$$$$ a la carte and tastingBook Book on OpenTable ahead
Las Canarias is the fine-dining room at La Mansion del Rio on the River Walk, a longtime special-occasion address known for its riverside Sunday brunch.
Tip: The riverside terrace is the seat to want. Sunday brunch here is a downtown institution in its own right.
$$$$ a la carteBook Book on OpenTable ahead
18 Oaks is the steakhouse inside the JW Marriott Hill Country Resort north of the city, serving prime cuts and Gulf seafood with views over the golf course.
Tip: It is a long drive north, so make a night of the resort. Prime cuts and the wine list are the reasons to go.