AS with a hide-and-seek sport, half the enjoyable of eating at among the metropolis’s trending sizzling spots is discovering them. A wave of new eating places and cocktail bars have opened in Houston that mimic the speakeasy-style ideas which have lengthy been well-liked in New York Metropolis, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. These institutions might not seem like a lot at first, however a deeper dive reveals a ritzy eating room or a glamorous cocktail bar.
In a metropolis filled with retail strips, it may be refreshing to discover a distinctive vacation spot tucked away from the chaos of the skin world. Take a look at Houstonia’s picks of among the metropolis’s best-kept-secret eating places and bars.
Downtown
Downtown’s posh 4 Seasons Lodge homes two food-and-drink locations: the foyer bar, Bayou & Bottle, and Toro Toro, helmed by movie star chef Richard Sandoval. Nevertheless it additionally boasts an ultra-exclusive cocktail bar hidden behind a mock bookcase. Bandista, the lodge’s new 20-seat bar, is an upscale speakeasy—one which requires a secret numerical code to enter. As soon as inside, patrons can expertise the bar’s modern cocktail program, together with drinks poured over dry ice and offered in classic glassware. There are uncommon spirits, with pours priced as excessive as $8,000, and cocktails giant sufficient for {couples} to share. A seat on the bar permits visitors to witness all the considerate prep that goes into crafting drinks, however the intimate area boasts a cushty lounge space with nighttime views of town. Bandista is reservation-only, with visitors receiving a affirmation by textual content and directions on methods to be escorted up.
Galleria
What seems to be a comedian guide retailer on the skin is an omakase-only eating expertise in Uptown, appropriately named Hidden Omakase. The multicourse expertise is exactly that: an expertise from begin to end, and with solely two seatings per night time, it is among the hottest chef-led dinners on the town. Upon coming into the entrance door, visitors discover themselves in a eating room anchored by a big, wraparound sushi bar with solely 14 seats. Within the heart of the room, chef Niki Vongthong and her group of expert sushi cooks put together course after course, hand-delivering items of 11-day aged fish, Wagyu nigiri, noodle bowls, and extra to every diner. The mounted menu leaves no room for adjustments or substitutions, however visitors can select from a whole a la carte menu of add-ons, together with hand rolls and foie gras, ought to they be hungry for extra.
Galleria
Whereas it could seem like this cinema performs all the outdated classics, there is just one characteristic presentation right here: Juliet. Past its retro movie-theater façade, full with a lit-up marquee, a ticket window, and a concession stand, Juliet is an upscale, trendy American restaurant boasting old-Hollywood glam. Movie stills adorn the partitions; the movie-inspired menu sections off into Preview, Major Occasion, and Co-Stars; and as an alternative of bread service, visitors are given bowls of popcorn when they’re seated. Curated by beverage consultants Girls of Libation, the cocktail program options Insta-worthy drinks, and save room for the Credit: Juliet touts a spherical chocolate dessert with dulce de leche and bourbon caramel that can make you need to return for a sequel. Simply please do not ask when the movie can be proven.
Kanpai Membership
Heights
With solely 10 seats inside a slender, 400-square-foot area, Kanpai Membership is among the coziest ingesting spots in H-City. These within the know can entry the bar via a shared door positioned inside Hando, its sister hand-roll restaurant, and partake of craft cocktails, martinis, sake, beer, and wine. As a perk of being proper subsequent door, visitors can order lots of Hando’s small plates, together with brussels sprouts, edamame, and Wagyu gyoza. Guests in search of a nightcap can even rating heartier eats like rooster karaage and curry fries from the late-night menu, served from 10 p.m. to midnight Sunday via Thursday and 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
Heights
Whereas there are lots of novel entrances to Houston speakeasies, that is the one one you enter via a cat door—effectively, not a typical cat door, per se, however a door hidden behind a mural of a cat. When you make it inside Mèo, Vietnamese for “cat,” you’re feeling as in the event you’ve been miraculously transported to a dockside bar in Vietnam. The speakeasy, positioned inside Texas-Asian fusion restaurant Wokker within the Heights, has a menu that homages Vietnam via and thru. Mèo’s cocktail menu contains must-tries just like the Salty Kitty, a tempting libation that includes salted plum vodka, orange bourbon tincture, lemon, turbinado sugar, and egg white. You’ll need to throw again a few these as you feast on the bar’s top-notch and modestly priced dim sum.
Heights
Though the delivery container craze has gotten just a little out of hand of late, we are able to’t consider a extra environment friendly strategy to create a speakeasy than simply plopping one down on the again patio of a bar. Mijo’s Mezcal Bar, positioned in a dimly lit delivery container behind Cantina Barba within the Heights, is a enjoyable aspect quest to beat after consuming your fill inside its father or mother bar. This cozy spot includes a delightfully macabre vibe: The complete again wall of the pipsqueak bar is crammed with row after row of black skulls, which glisten menacingly beneath the bar’s moody LED mild present. Whilst you sit again and benefit from the atmosphere, order your self a mezcal flight; it’s probably the greatest on the town.
Heights
No must double-check the handle—in the event you pull as much as Savoir in hopes of eating at Patton’s, you’ve reached your last vacation spot. The intimate, 38-seat steakhouse is a real hideaway, positioned behind Savoir’s bar and thru a speakeasy-style entrance. The high-end idea differs from its casual-chic counterpart in its Previous World design and steakhouse menu that includes prime cuts of steak and an in depth wine checklist. Visitors can take pleasure in a chic Waldorf salad, adopted by a New York strip sourced from Colorado’s Gable Cattle Co. Dimly lit and romantic, the L-shaped area provides cozy corners wherein to dine and an unique bar with six extremely sought-after seats.
Washington Ave
Nestled amid the energetic bars alongside Washington Avenue is a pastry store that includes glass circumstances stocked with macarons, muffins, and sugary concoctions. However examine additional and discover what lies past the harmless storefront’s pantry door: Sugar Room, a big, dimly lit, speakeasy-style cocktail bar. The swanky, Nineteen Twenties-inspired décor transports you to the Prohibition period, when hidden bars had been extra necessity than luxurious. Head-turning cocktails are motive sufficient to linger round, however in the event you’re not a drinker, there may be additionally hookah on the patio.
