Favorite
If you don’t fear the funk, this spot is for you. Light Years rode the natural wine wave shortly after it arrived (fashionably late) in Houston, becoming the first bar in the city dedicated to the stuff when it opened in 2018. Come here for all sorts of organic, biodynamic, low-intervention, insert-buzzword-here juice, none of which are written down on Read more...
Favorite
Whose silly idea was it to pack a vending machine full of Ring Pops, grape-flavored rolling papers, and gag gifts such as the self-explanatory “Nail Thru Finger”? Our money is on the bleary-eyed, top-hat-wearing pachyderm who serves as both spirit animal and namesake for this Washington Ave. sleeper. Situated comfortably in the uncanny valley between dive bar and cocktail purveyor, Read more...
Favorite
This sprawling complex of revelry might be the only place in Houston where one friend can wear an Astros shirt while the other dons a bandage dress and neither will feel out of place. Bros play cornhole and catch the game on two giant screens in the beer garden while colleagues chow down on wings and craft beer in the Read more...
Favorite
A double-decker saloon exterior makes this brewpub seem as old as the antiques sold on the town’s nearby main drag, but don’t be deceived—it just celebrated one year of pouring its own kölsches and pale ales while serving up delicious pub grub like carnitas nachos. Considering that its old-timey, small-town setting is part and parcel of Fire Ant’s appeal, it’s Read more...
Favorite
After moseying into this fun, colorful downtown bar on a Friday night, you’d be forgiven for wondering, is this a tiki bar, or a club? The bass of a long-forgotten 2000s pop song likely will be thumping as you make your way through the crowd to order an expertly crafted mai tai or some other rum-centric drink that pairs perfectly with what Read more...
Favorite
Looking for a place to chill with a relaxing goblet of a good French red? Try this wine bar and market, which opened in September. In their renovated 1920s-era Heights building, co-owners Brian Doke and William Meznarich have created a refined but laidback atmosphere full of plush, comfortable seating. Their wine list is carefully curated, offering everything from a Côtes du Read more...
Favorite
This swanky Spanish restaurant—a wall-to-wall feast of lights, sounds, tapas, wine, and inventive cocktails, inspired by the vibrant nightlife scene in Madrid—is not the place for a quiet dinner, but it is the place to party in the River Oaks District. Over-the-top is the order of the day here, from the rotating mirrors above the gold-illuminated bar, to the neon Read more...
Favorite
Hotel Alessandra’s swanky second-floor bar is as elegant as the French starlet it’s named for, with a vintage vibe to match. The digs are decidedly mid-century thanks to a velour couch, a mirrored coffee table, and curved leather armchairs straight out of a posh ’60s living room. The cocktail menu is fittingly martini-heavy, and bartenders dress in mod geometric prints Read more...
Favorite
A night at Loch Bar, open late every night (2am), is well worth the ride into River Oaks. It’s a great date night spot with a wide variety of raw seafood options and a stellar cocktail program with iconic drink names like Stairway to Heaven (made with planteray dark rum, raspberry, lemon, almond, and ginger) and La Bamba (a drink with Read more...
Favorite
From the folks behind Nobie’s, this tropical-inspired bar is always a fun time, and one of the few watering holes where the food is just as good as the drinks. We love to post up here for the namesake Toasted Coconut (over-proof rum, toasted coconut, lime), then a Vamos a la Playa (mezcal, Mexican rum, pineapple shrub, lime), perhaps followed Read more...