Houston’s 7 Hottest Must-Book Restaurants for Fall

by OpenTable

Updated 25 August 2021

At a time in the world when so much feels uncertain, restaurants continue to provide a bright spot for Houstonians. Whether it’s a simple desire to get out of the house and enjoy the hospitality of a hot meal in a cool dining room or the opportunity to celebrate special occasions with friends and family, the city’s restaurants have sustained residents in more ways than one. And, against the odds, some restaurants created hope and excitement with new decor, new menus, new chefs, and a new lease on life. From upscale steakhouses to a 1980s-themed bar, these seven new and updated restaurants are the must-book stops of the season.

Tonight & Tomorrow at La Colombe d’Or

4.5

4.5 (436)

$31 to $50

French

Montrose

About the restaurant

Housed in the historic La Colombe D’Or boutique hotel, Tonight & Tomorrow made its debut this year following an extensive renovation of the property. The new interiors, with pops of jewel-toned greens and blues, bring a modern stateliness to the fine-dining restaurant, which centers on European-inspired dishes with a touch of Southern influence. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the seasonal menu takes advantage of the region’s specialties in dishes such as the classic crab ravigote with Gulf crab, snapper with a sorghum-lime vinaigrette, or the Texas-sourced heirloom tomato and peach salad. Diners don’t have to be staying at the hotel to enjoy the restaurant’s lively yet sophisticated late-night scene, where a slice of honey cake makes a sweet companion to a nightcap from the bar.

Top review

George

Dined 3 days ago

We were a party of 5. We got a nice quiet table in the sun room. Service was attentive. Steaks and red snapper were well prepared and had good taste and texture. I could have done with more sauce vierge on the snapper. The sides were okay but not great. Asparagus (and Bearnaise sauce) lacked much flavor, the pomegranate molasses dressing on the brussels sprouts was a little powerful, the gnocchi came off as pan-fried mashed potatoes. The onion soup was a disappointment - rather sweet, not much flavor to the broth, mushy. Other members of our party were less critical than I was and quite enjoyed their meals. Except the eldest, who usually complains about all the food. :-) All in all, I feel like I should have sneaked in some seasoned salt to perk things up.

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Experience

New Year's Bash @ La Colombe d'Or Hotel

Roma

4.7

4.7 (1270)

$31 to $50

Italian

Rice Village

About the restaurant

Known for its trattoria-style dining and traditional Italian fare, Roma recently welcomed chef Sandro Scarafile to helm the kitchen and spend time tableside interacting with diners. Informed by his southern Italian roots and years spent cooking in restaurants around the globe, Scarafile brings experience along with a fresh sensibility to the popular Rice Village spot. Regulars can rest easy knowing favorites like the osso bucco aren’t going anywhere, but new menu additions include dishes inspired by his Pugliese background and early childhood, such as the orecchiette con cime di rape, or “little ear” pasta with broccoli rabe. Roma’s focus on its excellent wine program and wine pairing dinners will continue under the chef, along with Italian winemakers joining remotely from Italy.

Top review

Diana

Dined on 8 Dec 2024

Great food. A bit cramped as it is small quarters, but overall very good. Will go again.

Thirteen by James Harden

3.7

3.7 (996)

$50 and over

Pan-Asian

Midtown

About the restaurant

It’s impossible to mention upscale restaurant Thirteen without noting its famous owner, former Rockets player James Harden, who named his dining establishment after his jersey number. Though Harden has moved on from Houston’s basketball team, he left the city with a parting gift: the culinary talents of chef Tobias Dorzon, who runs the kitchen and was given free rein to craft Thirteen’s menu. Though the menu could be described as Southern-comfort-meets-steakhouse, that doesn’t give enough credit to Dorzon’s creativity. Dishes such as seafood fried rice, or a deboned, whole fried chicken with sweet and sour Maryland mambo sauce, plus a very popular deep-fried lasagna draw in crowds looking for something beyond the typical steakhouse experience. That said, the posh banquettes and velvet armchairs create an ambience perfectly suited to a bone-in ribeye or oysters on the half shell, plus a bottle of wine from the globally curated wine list.

Top review

Tamu

Dined 6 days ago

The food was good. I paid $70 for 2 drinks. One shot of Don Julio Anejo and a double shot of the same. I think that’s a bit much for that however we enjoyed it. Will we return (perhaps)?