Here's a look at the best new Houston restaurants, hotels, party rooms, corporate event venues, conference centers, and private rooms to open this winter. These new and renovated Houston venues can accommodate groups large or small for private and corporate events, meetings, business dinners, cocktail parties, conferences, weddings, and more.
JW Marriott has opened its second location in Houston, this time in the 104-year-old Samuel F. Carter Building on Main Street. JW Marriott Houston Downtown, a $82 million luxury hotel with Pearl Hospitality, opened in November and has 16,000 square feet of flexible meeting space. It's also notable for housing the first Spa by JW, the brand's new spa concept. The 328 rooms include executive and presidential suites, long-term apartment suites, and four spa suites, and its on-site food and beverage outlets are the seasonal Main Kitchen and the 806 Bar & Lounge.
The boutique Hotel Derek in the Galleria finished a two-year, multimillion-dollar renovation this fall that overhauled its 312 guest rooms, 10,000 square feet of meeting space, and pool deck. It also added a whimsical, unique amenity: an outdoor movie wall where the hotel regularly screens films for guests. The hotel commissioned a cow-print mural on its eight-story parking garage, with space for the movie projections outlined in gold, lasso-style rope. The property's meeting space includes the 4,800-square-foot Bravo room, which seats 360 banquet-style or holds 500 for receptions, and the chic pool deck that holds about 75 people for receptions. The property also has two penthouse suites available for events. Its new restaurant, Revolve Kitchen & Bar, serves Texas-style cuisine in a stylish space—think jewel tones and black-lacquer pool tables.
With a name referencing Barcelona, BCN Taste & Tradition serves modern Spanish cuisine from chef Luis Roger in a sophisticated setting. Located in a converted 1920s-era home in Montrose, the restaurant maintains original architectural details of the home, including wood floors and a white brick fireplace while exclusively featuring artwork by Spanish artists on the white walls. There is seating for 54 on the main level with an addition 10 seats at the bar. Private dining is available upstairs in two dining rooms that seat 25 total. BCN opened in September.
A glamorous 1920s-style venue, Prohibition SupperClub & Bar opened downtown in October. Once the Isis Theatre, the 8,000-square-foot space will once again host performances, this time from the vaudeville and burlesque troupe Moonlight Dolls. Original details include wrought-iron stairs, balconies, and black-and-white marble flooring that complement new features such as cream-colored circular booths, crystal chandeliers, and an open-air kitchen. Waitstaff stay on theme, dressed in flapper outfits and suits with suspenders and hats. The theater seats 90 on the first floor and 30 upstairs. For receptions, the space holds 200 people. The restaurant seats 60 in the dining room and 18 at the bar. A private booth for 12 is available for small groups.
Located in an arts-and-crafts-style bungalow on the Menil Collection campus, Bistro Menil opened in late September. The café—originally envisioned by architect Renzo Piano 25 years ago but finally created under Stern and Bucek Architects—includes environmentally sustainable design materials such as reclaimed wood and recycled elements and natural light. The fare is a mix of American and European-influenced dishes, and the space has three dining areas: the main dining room, called the Vue Room, seats 68; the private Prive Room seats 24; and the patio seats 40. The bar area has eight bar stools with room for additional guests at a standing bar.
The modern Italian restaurant Radio Milano opened in CityCentre in October with a menu featuring many ingredients sourced from Texas farmers, ranchers, and fishermen. The two-story dining room has a bar at street level that opens to a terrace with table and lounge seating. The dining room is located on the second floor. The entire restaurant seats 165, and buyouts are available Sunday through Thursday. The restaurant also offers private dining for as many as 70 seated guests.
Pico’s Mex-Mex now has a second location, 30 years after it first opened on Bellaire Boulevard. Located in the Upper Kirby district, the 8,800-square-foot Mexican restaurant debuted in September and has ample space for private events. The main dining room can be arranged to seat 100 guests, while the semiprivate Fiesta Room seats 50 or holds 65 for receptions. The Tequila Room seats 30 or holds 24 in a conference setup. The Sun Room, named for its abundance of natural light, seats 60 or holds 80 for receptions. The bar holds 60 people for receptions, and a patio seats 50 or holds 80 for receptions.
Houston’s first legal whiskey distillery, Yellow Rose Distilling opened in September in Uptown. The 10,000-square-foot space offers a warehouse-style setting that has two spaces for events. The distillery seats 120 or holds 400 for receptions, and a tasting room is outfitted with a custom 18-foot bar, a flat-screen TV, and audio and video inputs. The room seats 40 or holds 60 for receptions. Events can include a tour of the distillery.
Devotees of the paleo diet will find menu items created for them at the new Upper Kirby district restaurant Ruggles Black. A collaboration from chef Bruce Molzan and restaurateur Neera Patidar, the eatery mixes Asian flavors with French American cuisine. It opened in August and seats 92 people inside and 50 outside.
Cordua Restaurants opened its fifth Churrascos location in late September in the Champions area in northwest Houston. The 5,100-square-foot Latin American steak house seats about 200 guests with an additional 50 seats on a covered patio. The restaurant was designed by San Francisco-based MBH Architects.
