Here's a look at new Houston hotels, conference centers, restaurants, private rooms, and other spaces to open for events this summer. The new and renovated Houston venues are available for conferences, meetings, corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, and more.
La Table, a French-American restaurant, bar, and bakery from Invest Hospitality, opened in February. The multi-concept venue features casual brasserie Marché on the ground floor and fine-dining concept Chateau on the second floor. For special events, the venue features the Paris Room, the Champagne Room, and a patio, which seat 50, 30, and 30, respectively. In total, the entire venue can accommodate 240 seated or 400 for a reception.
The former Crowne Plaza Houston Downtown underwent a $5 million and rebranded as the Whitehall in April, joining the Sotherly Hotels portfolio. The renovation includes updates to the 259 guest rooms and a new Southern-Mexican restaurant, Edgar's Hermano. The hotel also has a second-floor art gallery that features work from students and alumni of Savannah College of Art and Design. For meetings and events, the hotel offers 13 rooms that total 12,000 square feet; the largest space, the Bluebonnet Ballroom, holds 300 classroom-style, 500 reception-style, or 550 theater-style.
Restaurant group Treadsack's opened cocktail bar Canard in Houston Heights in March. Located next door to Treadsack's Thai concept, Foreign Correspondents, the new space serves high-end, elaborate cocktails from bar director Leslie Ross. The 1,500-square-foot venue seats 60 and is available for private events.
Texas-theme whiskey bar Boots 'n Shoots opened in Midtown in February. The two-level venue has a ranch-inspired first floor with a long bar, American flag mural, and reclaimed wood panels; the second floor features a party atmosphere, complete with a marquee sign that reads "Shots." The 6,000-square-foot venue can hold 400 reception-style and is available for private events.
Kirby Ice House opened in Upper Kirby in April. The ranch-inspired venue features a diverse drink selection and a dog-friendly backyard space ideal for outdoor games, food trucks, and special events. The 6,900-square-foot interior seats 250, while the 35,000-square-foot backyard can accommodate as many as 750 for receptions. The venue is available for buyout.
Irish- and Western-theme bar Irish Cowboy Backyard Patio & Grill opened in Midtown in April. The expansive venue features about 80 Texas beers on tap and specializes in brisket and barbecue cooked on the patio. The 11,000-square-foot space can hold 1,100 reception-style and is available for private events. A patio stage features regular live music.
Aloft Houston Downtown is slated to open at the beginning of September. The 173-room hotel will feature its signature urban-influenced design, and also have free Wi-Fi and an outdoor pool and bar. For meetings and events, the hotel will have two rooms, one measuring 1,500 square feet and the other with 500 square feet of space.
Italian restaurant Enoteca Rossa opened in Bellaire in April. Helmed by chef Roberto Crescini, a native of Italy, the restaurant specializes in pasta and pizza dishes including fettuccine with Texas-raised lamb, pumpkin-stuffed cappelletti with Gulf shrimp, and Neapolitan-style pizza made in a wood-burning oven. The entire restaurant seats 81, while a semi-private party room seats as many as 16. A patio, which will also seat 16, is slated to open soon.
Mediterranean and Southwestern concept Local Table opened at the Villagio Town Center in Katy in April. Featuring a bistro-style patio and a long bar with giant TVs, the restaurant serves as both a family-friendly brunch spot and a venue to watch sporting events. The 4,500-square-foot space seats 180.
Conservatory, an underground beer garden and food hall, opened in April in a 7,500-square-foot basement space that was formerly the Mercury Room. Located under and run by Prohibition SupperClub & Bar, the venue offers 60 beers and four wines on tap at its central bar, and four different food vendors: crepe concept Melange Creperie, Japanese ramen venture Samurai Noodle, Greek concept Myth Kafe, and barbecue joint El Burro & the Bull. The venue, which was designed to have a greenhouse atmosphere combined with an industrial vibe, seats 250.
