HOUSTON—Here's a look at new Houston eateries, nightclubs, outdoor venues, conference areas, private rooms, and other spaces for all types of fall meetings and events. The new and renovated Houston venues are available for corporate parties, fund-raisers, business dinners, teambuilding activities, client entertaining, meetings, weddings, and more.
C. Baldwin Hotel
The C. Baldwin Hotel, a Curio Collection by Hilton property, opened in the financial district in June. Formerly the DoubleTree by Hilton Houston, the renovated hotel is named after Charlotte Baldwin Allen, the “mother of Houston,” and has 354 rooms. The hotel offers 14,000 square feet of meeting and event space, which can accommodate groups of 10 to 650 people. The hotel also serves Italian fare from Rosalie Italian Soul.
Photo: Shannon O'Hara
Warehouse 72
The team behind Spaghetti Warehouse—which closed following damage from Hurricane Harvey in 2017—opened spinoff restaurant Warehouse 72 in August. Located at the Marq-E Entertainment Center, the restaurant serves pasta and pizza in an industrial setting that features street art by Sebastien “Mr. D 1987” Boileau. Spanning more than 8,000 square feet, the venue seats 84 in a main dining room and 60 in a private dining room. The restaurant is available for buyouts for as many as 200 seated or 400 for receptions.
Photo: Courtesy of Warehouse 72
Penny Quarter
Penny Quarter, a wine bar and café from restaurateurs Bobby Heugel and Justin Yu, opened in Montrose in August. Located in the former Etro nightclub space, the 3,000-square-foot venue has an extensive wine list and serves standard coffee shop drinks and fare. The space holds 200 reception style in the entire venue; the upstairs alone holds 75 for receptions. Both options are available for private events.
Photo: Jenn Duncan
Cambria Hotel Houston Downtown Convention Center
Cambria Hotel Houston Downtown Convention Center, the first Cambria property in Houston, opened in August. The 21-story, 226-room hotel is located in the Great Southwest Building. The hotel’s 20th and 21st floors have meeting and event space that can accommodate about 160 people for reception-style events.
Photo: Courtesy of Cambria Hotel Houston Downtown Convention Center
Mad Houston
Ignacio Torras and Luis Roger, the team behind BCN Taste and Tradition, opened Mad Houston in the River Oaks District in June. The 6,000-square-foot restaurant pays homage to Madrid with an avant-garde interior designed by Lazaro Rosa-Violán, and a menu that features inventive tapas and gin and tonic cocktails. The restaurant seats 142 in a main dining room and 16 on a patio. For private events, the venue has divisible private dining rooms that seat as many as 28 people combined.
Photo: Julie Soefer
Ouzo Bay
Ouzo Bay, a Mediterranean seafood import from Baltimore-based Atlas Restaurant Group, opened in the River Oaks District in July. Designed by Ollvia Demetriou, the 7,000-square-foot restaurant features a cream and blue color scheme inspired by the coasts of Greece. Menu items include a variety of freshly caught whole fish, blue mussels, and Maine lobster pasta. The restaurant has a number of options for gatherings: the Olympus Room seats 30 for private events; the Aphrodite Lounge seats 30 for semiprivate events; the Athena Lounge holds 50 reception style for semiprivate events; a covered terrace holds 30 reception style; and the Ares Lounge holds 75 reception style for semiprivate events. The venue opened alongside sister concept Loch Bar.
Photo: Courtesy of Ouzo Bay
Loch Bar
Loch Bar, a speakeasy-inspired seafood spot, opened next to sister concept Ouzo Bay in July. The 5,000-square-foot eatery specializes in raw bar items, shellfish towers, caviar, and dishes such as crab cakes and fish and chips. The venue also has an extensive whiskey list and serves crushes, a Maryland cocktail import. For private events, the bar holds 20 seated or 35 standing in a lounge, and 20 seated or 35 standing at an outdoor patio.
Photo: Courtesy of Loch Bar
AC Hotel Houston
AC Hotel by Marriott Houston Downtown opened in July. The 10-story property has 195 rooms and an AC-branded restaurant that serves European inspired fare and a lounge that serves cocktails and tapas. For events, the property has a 3,670-square-foot ballroom that seats as many as 500 theater style.
Rendering: Courtesy of AC Hotel Houston
Rosie Cannonball
Rosie Cannonball, an Italian restaurant owned by Goodnight Hospitality, opened in Montrose in August. The restaurant specializes in wood-fired pizzas, pasta, wine, and Italian cocktails. The interior is inspired by 1960s Italy, but features cacti and succulents that reference its Texas home. The 1,500-square-foot space holds 79 seated or 100 for cocktails.
Photo: Courtesy of Rosie Cannonball
The Union Kitchen
The Union Kitchen opened its sixth location at Boardwalk Towne Lake in July. Owned by Gr8 Hospitality, the restaurant serves American fare in a 5,000-square-foot interior that seats 200 guests and a 2,000-square-foot outdoor patio that seats 130 guests. The restaurant has a semiprivate indoor dining space that seats 25 to 30 guests and a semiprivate outdoor space that seats 28 to 30 guests.
Photo: Courtesy of The Union Kitchen
