The Resy Hit List: Where In Houston You’ll Want to Eat in February 2025

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.

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.)

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.

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.

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.

Sambrooks Hospitality reconceptualized its live-fire steakhouse concept in November, rechristening the space Andiron Grille & Patio and refreshing the menu to be more “relaxed and approachable.” The live-fire element (and steaks) remains, but the updated offerings from executive chef Michael O’Connor reflect the casual vibes the restaurant now strives to send forth. Think wallet-friendly, tavern-style shareable small plates such as housemade griddled bread with charcoal butter and mains like roasted chicken with charred corn salsa. The new outdoor space, designed by award-winning New York design firm AvroKO, includes a fire pit at the center and can be enjoyed all year round.

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.

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?).

This acclaimed California-based chain opened its first Houston outpost in March, giving more cred to the city’s growing pizza scene. Originally from Naples, Italy, pizzaiolo Daniele Uditi partners with Candace and Charles Nelson of Sprinkles Cupcakes to serve thin-crust neo-Neapolitan pies meticulously made with the best ingredients, including stone-ground flour, consciously sourced toppings, and San Marzano tomatoes flown in from Uditi’s native land. The cacio e pepe pie is a customer favorite, but we’re also partial to the seasonal mushroom pizza. Also, save room for dessert: Candace Nelson’s dark chocolate olive oil cake à la mode is decadence personified.

This stylish Portuguese restaurant and wine bar from Shiva and Rick Di Virgilio preceded their popular Portuguese-Indian canteen Da Gama, and a decade later, it’s still a Midtown favorite. The petiscos-style menu includes savory classics such as crispy salted cod–potato fritters, a barbecue version of the country’s famed piri piri chicken, and grilled octopus. A fine selection of Portuguese and Spanish wines, alongside bottles from other parts of the world, round out the experience just so.

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.

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?

Of all the restaurants honored in the Texas Michelin Guide, nine of the Houston area’s 30 total selections were full-on barbecue joints. Blood Bros. BBQ, which received a Bib, stands out for its Asian-influenced twist on traditional smoked meats. At this casual spot, pitmaster Quy Hong and co-owners Terry and Robin Wong bring to life through food what they (and many others in the city’s Asian American community) experienced growing up: a joining of their cultural heritage and Texas roots. From this happy marriage come dishes such as brisket burnt end steam buns and chow fun stir-fried with smoked brisket and Chinese broccoli — beautiful unions that benefit us all.

Keep up with the rotating specials on Instagram.

The original Spring Branch location of this street-taco hot spot from husband team Angel Cabrera and Brian Ponce opened in April 2020 amidst the pandemic. It has survived and thrived — enough to launch a second outpost in the Lazybrook/Timbergrove area this year. Named for Cabrera’s mother, Magdalena “Lena” Cabrera, Tacos Doña Lena offers a taste of Mexico in every way — including the traditional papel picado banners and colorful piñatas. Lena used to make and sell tacos in her native Mexico before the family moved in 1992 to Houston, where she then fed hungry customers out of their apartment. The birria tacos are a favorite, and the ramen birria has been gaining buzz, too.

Call 713-993-6486 or find more info on Instagram.

This intimate bar from industry vets Bobby Heugel and Tommy Ho sits in the building just behind acclaimed cocktail spot Anvil, in the space where Tongue-Cut Sparrow once operated. Expect to find the same kind of playfully innovative — and potent — drinks here that are already so revered at its sister concept. The ultimate example: the bar’s classic Corn N’ Oil, which blends four high-proof Caribbean rums and combines it with housemade velvet falernum and Caribbean spices. And don’t sleep on martini Tuesdays, when a separate menu of featured iterations is available for the partaking.

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.