This tiny bakery, a farmers market favorite, produces some pretty tasty bundt cakes. Our recommendation: try the lemon and funfetti bundt cake flavors.

The Breakfast Klub is an institution, as evidenced by the long line that snakes out of this charming spot even on weekdays. If you’re in the mood for some of the best chicken and waffles in Houston, the wait is well worth it.

Legendary Creole restaurant Brennan’s of Houston has been a staple in Midtown since opening in 1967. Its kitchen has also served as a training ground for some of the city’s top chefs, from Chris Shepherd and Bobby Matos to Patrick Feges and Danny Trace. Sunday brunch in Brennan’s courtyard is something every Houstonian should experience at least once, an experience that should most definitely include the tableside bananas Foster.

This new restaurant, helmed by former Pass and Provisions chef Terrence Gallivan, is our go-to spot for pizza in Midtown. Elro serves wood-fired pizzas with toppings like pistachio pesto, smoked maitake, and pickled currants, as well as a wide variety of crudos and starters. Our top pick: the chorizo pizza with grilled pineapple, serrano chile, and Thai basil.

Late-night Vietnamese staple Mai’s, established by the Nguyen family in 1978, has served as an afterhours stop for generations of Houstonians eager to get a bite to eat after a night out on the town. The restaurant’s always-eclectic crowds are great for people-watching.

This Portuguese-Indian restaurant features standout Portuguese dishes like croquetas de bacalhau and almondegas marroquino in addition to Indian fare like chicken curry empanadas and seafood curry. Stop by for the flavorful food and stay for the budget-friendly wine list.

Thien An may just be Houston’s version of the power lunch. The large restaurant bustles every weekday with nearby office dwellers, construction workers, police officers, and the like. Service is fast and friendly, whether you’re ordering a bánh mì to go or sitting down for a heaping plate of bánh cuốn.

Winnie’s, housed in the Mid Main portion of Midtown, features fancy sandwiches, cocktails, and some of the best vibes in the neighborhood. Stop by for a po’boy, burger, or a bowl of gumbo, and sip on one of the restaurant’s stellar frozen cocktails. Or even better, bring a group of friends on select Sundays to enjoy the restaurant’s drag brunches.

Can’t afford a wine trip to Europe? Experience the next best thing at 13 Celsius, one of the best wine bars in the city. The bar is in a 1920s, Mediterranean-style building that oozes with charm. It’s the perfect spot to hang with friends while sipping glass after glass of vino from the bar’s expansive wine list.

Beer? Check. Live music? Check. Hammocks? Double check. Is there anywhere better to kick back and stay a while than Axelrad, Midtown’s reigning beer garden? We don’t think so. The bar, housed in a nearly 100-year-old building, is home to an expansive beer menu and one of the largest patios in Houston, making it one of our absolute favorite spots in the neighborhood.

This Midtown nightclub is one of the best places to dance in Houston. With a Technicolor palette and a dance floor that lights up, it sports some major future fantasy vibes. The main bar here also glows, meaning it’s pretty easy to find your way over for your second (or third) round.

An eclectic live music venue housed in a 1920s building that was formerly a general store, the Continental Club includes a lineup of great local and touring bands as well as a pool table and a bar. There is also a back patio that’s perfect for those looking to escape the crowds.

This casual, tropical-themed spot is a coffee shop by day and a cocktail bar by night. It’s also home to one of the largest coffee cocktail menus in the entire city, which means it’s a great way to start a night out on the town. Make sure you try the bar’s frozen Suffering Bastard cocktail, but be careful: as the name suggests, it packs quite a punch.

If you like to try new things, this cocktail bar is for you. Wooster’s Garden features more than 50 house cocktails as well as 49 beer taps. There’s also wine and some pretty stellar bar food, too. The bar is an open-air concept with both covered and uncovered seating, making it an ideal spot to enjoy the wide-open skies of Houston.

If you’re looking to treat yourself to a bit of retail therapy, this small shop is a great place to start. With a wide selection of candles, smokeware, décor, accessories, and jewelry, you’ll be able to find something here to satisfy any gifting needs, for yourself or others.

This vintage store may be tiny, but its meticulous curation means it’s stocked entirely with high-quality items. You can find clothing from pretty much any decade here, with some items dating back as far as the 1920s. You’ll also find a spattering of creative handmade art on the walls that’s also for sale, plus hats, glasses, you name it.

My Flaming Heart is hallowed ground. This pint-size boutique offers Houston shoppers one of the most eclectic shopping experiences in town. The vibe of the shop is a skillful—albeit somewhat surrealist—merging of an old western aesthetic with Eastern spirituality and witchcraft. It’s a great spot to pick up some out-of-this-world handmade jewelry, vintage cowboy boots, or handmade western wear. And if you’re in the mood for some sage or crystals, you’ll already be in the right place.

As Midtown’s only record store, this spot is in a world of its own. Sig’s sports strong retro vibes and features walls plastered with vintage flyers and promo posters. The shop’s record selection is expansive, meaning you’ll always be able to discover something new during your visits.

This nearly 40-year-old arts nonprofit provides educational opportunities and cultural connections for Black artists and other members of the community through education, community development, and exhibitions.

Since its founding in 1982 by a group of artists, DiverseWorks has been celebrated for its groundbreaking arts programming. The cross-disciplinary institution produces art exhibitions, performances, and community programs year-round.

As the largest and oldest African American professional theater company in the Southwest, Ensemble Theatre is an essential part of Houston’s artistic community. The theater houses three stages and regularly puts on acclaimed dramas, comedies, and musicals.

The Midtown Arts & Theatre Center Houston is an art complex that includes 60,000 square feet dedicated to several performance and visual arts groups—all housed there under the same roof. The center hosts a variety of performances, from plays and musicals to orchestras, comedy shows, and poetry readings.

Housed in a building that is more than 100 years old, this Midtown coffee bar is was once the home of one of the city’s first gas stations. The inside is tiny—and you aren’t actually allowed inside anyway—but the coffee shop has two expansive and covered outdoor patios, one in the front and one in the back, that are perfect spots to study or hang out with friends while enjoying some of the shop’s delicious crepes. Retrospect is also home to an entirely manual espresso machine, which is a rare find in Houston. Since it’s almost impossible for it to produce a bad shot, you should definitely try some of the espresso drinks here.

Dating back to the turn of the century this five-acre park is one of the oldest in Houston and is home to some of the oldest and most majestic oak trees in the entire city. It’s a favorite picnic spot as well as a great place for a walk. 

This six-acre site has three acres of public park space, including a lawn, pavilion, water features, a wetland steam and trail, public art, a playground, and a dog park. With retail experiences and restaurants nearby, you can spend the whole day here.