Houston’s Newest Restaurant Openings, Now on Resy

Here’s a standout in Rice Village — a seafood-rich modern French bistro conceived by Benjy Levit of Local Foods fame, intimate but brightly furnished (think stained glass windows and golden barstools), with a wood-burning oven and a friendly community atmosphere.

The team that made The Warwick a Southern star celebrates the South again at this Richmond Avenue “Live Music Joint,” where the catfish-and-oxtail menu meets a rock-and-soul interior. Blues, jazz, and other sounds (both live and recorded) set the scene all day and night long.

An offshoot of the original Heights Bier Garten, this sleek, modern, and sprawling arrangement of four buildings around a central courtyard with a room-length bar is the place to drink. Look for almost 75 craft brews on offer, plus a full range of beer-friendly fare, from pretzels and burgers to ribs.

You’ll want to add this Montrose spot from the group behind Coppa Osteria, Flora, and Gratify to your Hit List, for its breezy California beach life vibe and a menu that’s deliciously all over the map, from Asia to the Americas with a stop in Italy along the way.

Think breakfast and brunch all morning and afternoon, seven days a week, at this Florida import where scones meet chilaquiles, and the flower-bedecked atmosphere will make you feel like you’re in an English garden. And yes, there’s afternoon tea, of course.

Here’s one that’s almost off the radar — a semi-secret 10-seat sushi bar in Rice Village from chef Jimmy Kieu of Hidden Omakase, offering a 30-minute 12-piece sushi tasting menu, with the particulars changing nightly according to what market fish is freshest and best.

Local sushi stars Daniel Lee and Patrick Pham just keep knocking out the hits with this stylish Montrose sibling to the Houston Heights original. Hand rolls are the focus, but do save the omakase menu for a special occasion.

Lightning strikes again for chef Sherman Yeung, whose Tobiuo Sushi & Bar in Katy draws diners from all over Houston, and who’s now also delighting his fans with this coolly minimalist Japanese Upper Kirby place, where the nigiri is incredible and the imaginative hot and cold “tastings” (honey vanilla milk buns for the former, hamachi gazpacho for the latter) will keep diners coming back.

You’ll want to add this retro-rustic Rice Village wine bar from Benjy Levit (of Local Foods) to your Hit List for its excellent bar food menu and endless wine list, featuring unusual choices, natural and otherwise, made everywhere from Texas to Tasmania.