The Resy Hit List: Where In Houston You’ll Want to Eat in April 2025
There’s no question we hear more often: Where should I go eat? And while we at Resy know it’s an honor to be the friend who everyone asks for restaurant advice, we also know it’s a complicated task. That’s where the Resy Hit List comes in.
Consider it your essential resource for dining in Houston: a monthly-updated guide to the restaurants that you won’t want to miss — tonight or any night.
Four Things In Houston Not to Miss This Month
- All Together Now: Chef Shawn Gawle’s highly anticipated Heights restaurant Camaraderie has finally arrived, and as the name suggests, you’ll want to bring friends. Gawle, whose resume includes acclaimed kitchens across the country, last wowed Houstonians as the executive pastry chef for Goodnight Hospitality (the minds behind the Michelin-starred fine-dining restaurant March). Now with his first solo venture, he’s showcasing his expertise in both sweet and savory dishes, serving up contemporary American cuisine that draws on French techniques. In the main dining room, guests order from a three-course prix fixe menu, where the starters are designed for sharing, the entrees include a gorgeously crafted Dover sole en croûte for two, and the desserts are given equal consideration. An à la carte menu is also offered on the patio and at the lounge. Make your Resys today, and find more fresh openings in New On Resy.
- Dining Al Fresco: Spring has finally sprung in Houston, and it’s recommended to enjoy the mild temperatures now before the extreme summer weather inevitably creeps in. Our favorite way to celebrate the season is sitting on a restaurant patio eating delicious food with a strong drink in hand, natch — and there are plenty of options to match your mood. If backyard garden vibes are what you’re after, pizza specialist Coltivare and Tiny Boxwoods Houston (famed for its warm chocolate chip cookies) fit the bill. For middle-of-the-city feels, head to the Venetian-inspired Vinoteca Poscol in Montrose. Prefer park views? Grab a table outside at Da Gama, where the bold flavors of Portuguese-Indian cuisine await. Now get thee to a patio!
- Flights of Fancy: Save yourself a trip to Europe and book a rideshare to Heights & Co. instead for their Vacation by the Glass wine tasting series, which features an escape to France on April 9, and a getaway to Italy on April 23. For $35 per person, you’ll get to sample four different wines from the corresponding region and enjoy a complimentary welcome cocktail. A chef-curated dinner is also available as an add-on. And speaking of France and Italy, on April 15, Le Jardinier will be hosting sister restaurant Tavola for a collaboration that spans the Riviera. For $185 per person, the La Belle Vita dinner will feature a five-course meal that includes dishes such as octopus with roman artichoke and roasted lamb chop au jus with French onion sauce, green asparagus, and ramps. Book your tickets before they’re gone and visit Resy’s Events page to find more exciting experiences.
- Easter Feasting: For an Easter brunch that has something for everyone — and in unlimited quantities no less — hop on over to Zutro at the Le Meridien Houston Downtown, where a buffet of epic proportions will be available on April 20. The family-friendly affair will also offer pictures with the Easter Bunny, photo-booth fun, and a special gift bag filled with goodies for the kiddos. It’s $90 per person for the buffet plus two alcoholic beverages, $75 for the buffet alone, and $30 for kids 4–12. The 3 and under set dine for free. Other notable non-AYCE options: Squable, where the breakfast Bolognese is a must, and Bludorn and Navy Blue, where the buttermilk pancakes never disappoint.
New to the Hit List (April 2025)
Hidden Omakase, Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition, Nancy’s Hustle, Nobie’s.
1. neo Hyde Park
Even after four years, it still feels like a delightful secret to dine at Neo. Launched in the summer of 2020 by Jeremy Truong and former Uchi chefs Luis Mercado and Paolo Justo, the 10-seat omakase counter is discreetly tucked away inside luxury menswear boutique Glass Cypress. The specialty: an “avant garde-inspired” experience that highlights their dry-aging program, a process in which various types of fish are hung in a temperature-controlled refrigerator anywhere from days to months to remove moisture and enhance flavor and texture. Another perk? The 18 to 20 courses include complimentary beverages such as sake and wine. Resys are in high demand, so be sure to secure your spot.
2. Little Hen – Houston River Oaks
This British-inspired “brunch boutique” from Miami opened its first outpost in Texas in Houston’s trendy River Oaks District in early 2023 — and its glamorous patio and luxe, flower-filled interior quickly gained attention on social media. But the atmosphere isn’t the only draw, even if it does provide a gorgeous backdrop for special occasions. Guests also come for the extensive menu of brunch classics, and afternoon tea that comes with an assortment of petit fours, finger sandwiches, and scones, and a Champagne add-on, if you so desire.
3. Theodore Rex Downtown
Chef-owner Justin Yu opened the easygoing, French-influenced Theodore Rex in 2017, and seven years later, the inventiveness that radiates from the open kitchen still manages to enchant and surprise. Agnolotti with cream and muscadine grapes? That’s the epitome of a T. Rex dish. And guests will be stunned — in the best way — by the sheer deliciousness of evercrisp apples served over ice. Driven by what’s in season, Yu and his talented team prioritize only the freshest ingredients in their eclectic offerings, which is surely helped them score a Bib Gourmand from Michelin. (Not that we needed the affirmation.)
4. BASO The Heights
The Michelin-recommended Heights restaurant celebrated its one-year anniversary in December. Chefs Jacques Varon and Max Lappe focus on live-fire cooking, with nearly 99% of the menu’s dishes kissed by the hearth’s flames. It’s a method that’s reflective of Basque country and the co-chefs’ time training under Joshua Skenes of Saison and Angler on the West Coast. The dishes, though, are influenced by the Gulf, as well as Varon’s tenure working in Japan. Flavors are straightforward and bold, with the ingredients shining brightly. A prime example: Shrimp are grilled on the half shell with garlic and chile and served with only a dusting of powdered Calabrian chiles and a small slice of lime. Simplicity at its finest.
5. Perseid Montrose
The fourth restaurant in Bludorn Hospitality’s expanding empire takes its name from the famed meteor shower that peaks in mid-August of each year — a hat tip to Houston’s venerable role in space exploration. Located in the gorgeous new Hotel Saint Augustine adjacent to the Menil Collection in Montrose, the all-day bistro serves breakfast, lunch, and dinner. On the menu: A thoughtfully curated collection of dishes that lean into chef Aaron Bludorn’s classic French training, but infused with a modern Texas Gulf Coast-inspired touch. That translates into options such as crawfish sausage in Creole sauce with frisée, and a decadent coq au vin featuring thick cuts of bacon. Pro tip: Save space for the beignets, which are filled with spiced berry coulis and doused in cinnamon sugar.
6. Le Jardinier – Houston Museum District
Fresh off being awarded a Michelin star — to match the one each received by its sister restaurants in New York City and Miami — Le Jardinier consistently delivers on creativity, refined flavors, and impeccable service. Located in the Museum of Fine Arts Houston’s Kinder Building, the French restaurant is led by acclaimed chef and culinary director Alain Verzeroli and chef de cuisine Felipe Botero, whose seasonally rotating menu highlights farm-fresh ingredients and sustainably sourced proteins. It’s a perfect place to dine after a day at the museum, or for a special night on the town.
7. Ema The Heights
Pastry devotees who lined up for Mexican-inspired baked goods and coffee at popular pop-up Ema — from James Beard-nominated pastry chef Stephanie Velasquez, chef Nicolas Vera, and coffee entrepreneur Marlén Mendoza — can now satisfy their hankerings at the trio’s brick-and-mortar location in the Heights. There, pillowy conchas and horchata cream–filled doughnuts can be found on the daily breakfast and lunch menus along with savory dishes in which heirloom corn is the star. The mushroom tetela alone is worth regular return trips. Pro tip: Given the recent acclaim. it’s even more imperative to go early.
Keep up with the latest on their Instagram.
8. Marmo Montrose
This swanky Italian chophouse from Baltimore-based Atlas Restaurant Group — whose other properties include classic seafood tavern Loch Bar and contemporary Japanese restaurant Azumi, both in the River Oaks District — is known for its housemade charcuterie, hand-rolled pastas (the squid ink campanelle with blue crab is perfection on a plate), and beautifully marbled dry-aged steaks (Marmo does mean “marble” in Italian, after all). But for the best value, visit during the daily happy hour, when diners can try bites from the regular menu for a fraction of the price, plus enjoy a selection of cocktails, beer, and wine for $8 or less. Creamy, al dente rigatoni alla vodka for $5? Count us in.
9. Doris Metropolitan – Houston Montrose
Excellent steakhouses abound in Houston, but Doris Metropolitan stands out as it draws inspiration from owners (and recent 2025 James Beard Award nominees) Itai Ben Eli and Itamar Levy’s Israeli roots and Mediterranean flavors. To be sure, premium dry-aged steaks are the stars of the menu, but the bright, vegetable-forward appetizers and sides could very well steal the show. Must-tries include the tomato salad, the artichoke flower salad, the roasted cauliflower-based Jerusalem salad, and the carrots dressed with mint labneh and honey harissa glaze. Come hungry for this one.
10. Nancy’s Hustle EaDo
Now with a Michelin Bib Gourmand to its name, this darling of an East Downtown bistro continues to impress seven years after its debut in late 2017. Unfussy in its ambience but always impeccable with its service and endlessly inventive with its food, it’s easy to see why diners keep coming back. The menu of shareable savory plates changes with the seasons, save for fixtures like the toasty Nancy cakes with cultured butter and smoked trout roe. Pro tip: Save room for dessert, like the scoop of vanilla ice cream topped with a chili crisp concoction of candied almonds, guajillo and arbol chilis. It’s cold and warm, sweet and savory, velvety and crunchy — and all kinds of incredible.
11. Sunday Social Oak Forest
Come 5 p.m., all-day cafe Sunday Press transforms into chic cocktail bar Sunday Social. But guests can still get a pick-me-up with specialty caffeinated drinks including carajillos, espresso martinis, and a Vietnamese coffee–influenced concoction that features Tequila and Baileys Vanilla Cinnamon liqueur — in addition to other innovative creations. For those feeling peckish, there’s also a selection of savory bites (furikake Chex Mix, charcuterie boards, flatbreads, and truffle fries to name a few) and sweet treats (German chocolate cake, anyone?).
12. Hidden Omakase Galleria
Hidden Omakase continues to offer one of the most unique omakase experiences in town. You just have to know where to look. The 18-seat sushi counter is tucked away in a shopping center near the Galleria, but there’s no exterior signage for it, only a display of comic books indicating you’ve arrived. Once inside, you’re led through a multi-course tasting curated by chef Marcus Juarez, an Uchi alumnus. In addition to the signature nigiri courses, which feature premium seafood sourced from Japan and other places, the menu also utilizes seasonal ingredients to create more composed dishes. An à la carte lunch menu using seasonal ingredients from the dinner service is also available every Wednesday through Friday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m.
13. Josephine's Gulf Coast Tradition Midtown
Add crawfish to the growing list of reasons to visit Josephine’s Gulf Coast Tradition. The Midtown seafood spot is serving up the juicy crustaceans throughout mudbug season (choose from the classic low country-style boil or a Viet-Cajun wet sauce), though you’ll also want to stick around for chef Lucas McKinney’s other seafood offerings. Named for McKinney’s great-grandmother, Josephine’s draws from up and down the Gulf Coast for its menu. The Mississippi hot catfish sandwich pays homage to the chef’s home state, for example, while the half-shell grilled redfish nods to Texas, and the stacked muffaletta tips a hat to New Orleans. Add to any of those an order of the rich and gooey peanut pie to end the meal, and you’re golden.
14. Vua Bun Bo Asiatown
Located on Bellaire Boulevard near S. Kirkwood Road, Vua Bun Bo opened less than a year ago but has already gained a loyal following among bun bo Hue enthusiasts. The spicy-salty-sour beef noodle soup from the city of Hue in central Vietnam banks on an umami-packed broth made with beef shank, pork hock, lemongrass, fish sauce, fermented shrimp paste, and chile peppers, and is served with thick noodles and a pile of aromatic herbs and shredded veggies. Vua Bun Bo’s version is obviously the thing to order here, but you’ll want to make this a regular spot to try all of the other classic Vietnamese noodle soup dishes and sides.
Call 346-409-2336 for more information.
15. Traveler's Table Montrose
It’s all in the name: Montrose gem Traveler’s Table specializes in globally inspired cuisine that takes diners from Asia (tea-smoked duck, butter chicken), Africa (Nigerian marinated meat skewers) and Europe (lamb gnocchi), to Latin America (Brazilian seafood stew) and the Caribbean (spicy braised oxtails). Having a menu that spans the incredibly varied and complex flavors of the world doesn’t always compute — but husband-and-wife owners Matthew and Thy Mitchell have managed to create a winning formula that does. Oh, and did we mention cocktail flights are a thing here?
16. Craft Pita Briargrove
Houston native and first-generation Lebanese American Rafael Nasr opened this fast-casual Lebanese spot alongside his mother, Claudia, in the Briargrove neighborhood in 2019, adding a second location in West University in 2022. Their menu features Mediterranean classics such as hummus, babaganoush, tabbouleh salad, Lebanese flatbread, and pita sandwiches, as well as what Nasr calls Tex Med — think shredded rotisserie chicken tacos stuffed with fries, rice pilaf, pickles, hot sauce, and garlic aioli. Tying it all together is extra virgin olive oil imported from the Nasr family’s olive orchards in northern Lebanon. You can even buy a bottle to take home with you — and you should.
Keep up with seasonal offerings on Instagram.
17. Nobie’s Montrose
This Montrose charmer from executive chef Martin Stayer and his wife, Sara Stayer, not only received a Bib Gourmand, but the couple was also nominated for a 2025 James Beard Award for Outstanding Restaurateur. Of course, from what we know of the Stayers’ unyielding commitment to their restaurants (which also includes the tiki-themed Toasted Coconut and Nonno’s Family Pizza Tavern), neither recognition comes as a surprise. The Stayers opened Nobie’s, named for Martin’s grandmother, in late 2016 in a converted 1930s bungalow. They’ve been winning fans ever since with their seasonally rotating menu of creative and accessible contemporary American cuisine. (A whole fried chicken dinner with truffle jus? Yes, please.) One reliable mainstay: Nonno’s pasta, tagliatelle enveloped in a 36-hour Bolognese.
Find more info here.
18. Mimo Greater Eastwood
Tucked in a building within the historic and colorful Tlaquepaque Market, this casual East End spot from chef Fernando Rios and sommelier Mike Sammons serves innovative Italian fare driven by the seasons. The business partners — who first worked together over 20 years ago at Da Marco — opened Mimo with a mission of bringing their love of Italian cuisine and wine to the Second Ward, where they both grew up. Since launching in 2023, the restaurant has consistently won raves, and it’s not hard to see why once you get a taste of the tantalizing selections of antipasti, pizzas, pastas, and mains. We’d go for the mortadella sandwich alone.
19. Pok Pok Po Midtown
Kahani Social Group, the hospitality team behind Indian fine-dining restaurant Amrina in The Woodlands, has gone in a different direction for their latest venture — they’ve entered the fried chicken business. Pok Pok Po, a fast-casual chicken shop located in the former Artisans space in Midtown, imbues its crispy, gluten-free, halal-certified fried chicken with a blend of fragrant and bold Indian spices. The combo’s not too much of a stretch, though: In a town as diverse as Houston, where cuisines are constantly being fused together, Indian fried chicken just makes a lot of sense. Order it with some dipping sauces, a side of balle balle fries, and a mango lassi, and you’re golden.
20. Crawfish & Noodles – Bellaire Houston
With crawfish season ramping up (and one that’s forecasted to be more promising than last year’s), Houstonians are down to get their hands dirty. One of the OG spots for Viet-Cajun style crawfish, of course, is this one from James Beard-nominated chef Trong Nguyen. A fixture on Bellaire Boulevard since 2008, with a second location in the Heights, the restaurant has garnered national acclaim for its signature take on the boiled mudbugs. Here, they are drenched in a rich, garlicky butter sauce and tossed in spicy Vietnamese and Cajun seasoning. The Viet-Cajun snow crabs are also worth the extra effort.
