Here's a look at new Houston hotels, conference centers, restaurants, private rooms, and other spaces to open for events this winter. The new and renovated Houston venues are available for corporate parties, weddings, fund-raisers, outdoor functions, business dinners, teambuilding activities, conferences, meetings, and more.
Oxbow 7, the latest venture from chef Bryan Caswell and restaurateur Jennifer Caswell, opened in the new Le Méridien Houston Downtown hotel in September. The restaurant serves Gulf-influenced fare, with dishes such as gumbo, crab gratin, and number of shareable plates and snacks. The main dining room seats 120, and can hold semiprivate receptions for as many as 30 guests in an area adjacent to the bar. The restaurant also has a second-floor space at the top of a grand staircase, which can seat as many as 60 guests for private events.
Le Méridien Houston Downtown hotel opened in September. The Starwood Hotels property, which was formerly the historic Melrose building, offers 255 guest rooms, including 34 one-bedroom suites. Venues in the hotel including Oxbow7 Restaurant and Bar, which serves regional cuisine from chef Brian Caswell, and Hoggbirds Rooftop Lounge, which offers 360-degree views of downtown from the 23rd floor. For meetings and events, the hotel has nine spaces including a 3,700-square-foot ballroom on the 22nd floor, which can hold receptions of as many as 450 guests.
Luxury downtown property Hotel Alessandra opened in October. The hotel has 223 guest rooms and suites and amenities including a fitness center and Spa by Alessandra. For dining options, the hotel offers the full-service Mediterranean restaurant Lucienne and Bardot Bar & Lounge, which serves light bites and cocktails on the second floor. The hotel has seven meeting and event spaces, including the 3,300-square-foot Belle Ballroom, which holds 250 for receptions or seats 276 theater-style.
King’s Bierhaus, a beer garden with German-Austrian fare, opened in Houston Heights in May. Owned by father-son duo Hans and Philipp Sitter, the venue offers a variety of beers, Austrian and German wines, and what it bills as the largest schnapps list in Texas. The 9,000-square-foot indoor-outdoor venue seats 400 and is available for private events.
Momentum Indoor Climbing opened Momentum Katy in July. The gym includes rope climbing, bouldering, training walls, and a kids' climbing zone, as well as a cross-training area that includes weights, kettle bells, a yoga studio, and locker rooms. One of the largest climbing gyms in the country, the 36,000-square-foot facility can accommodate as many as 770 people. The venue also has a second-floor mezzanine that serves as an event space and a viewing area for competitions.
Near Northside neighborhood bar Raven Tower is slated to reopen in November after undergoing a yearlong renovation. The indoor/outdoor space—which was originally supposed to reopen in September but was delayed because of Hurricane Harvey—is located next to White Oak Music Hall and will serve beers, cocktails, and house-made ginger beer as well as host Saul Obregon’s La Macro Food Truck, which serves Mexican fare. The 750-square-foot upstairs tower space will accommodate 40 reception-style, while the 3,000-square-foot downstairs patio and interior space will hold 300 for reception-style events.
Midtown wine bar Momo Food & Wine opened in October. The venue, which is a project from local event planner Moon Jamaluddin, offers a menu of international wines paired with Mediterranean, Spanish, and Indian bar fare. The 1,600-square-foot space accommodates as many as 55 reception-style and is available for full buyouts.
Goode Company opened Goode Co. Barbeque in the Woodlands in August. The restaurant brand’s first location outside city limits serves standard barbecue fare. The restaurant seats 156 in a 4,700-square-foot dining room and 56 at a 2,200-square-foot patio, which it shares with Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina. The venue has a private event space that seats 36 and has audiovisual capabilities.
Goode Company opened Goode Co. Kitchen & Cantina next to its barbecue restaurant in the Woodlands in September. The restaurant serves Tex-Mex fare with inspiration from South Texas ranches and the Gulf. The restaurant’s 7,400-square-foot interior seats 165 in the main dining room and 28 in the bar area and also seats 56 on a patio shared with Goode Co. Barbeque. The venue has a private event space that seats 40.
Japanese restaurant Kukuri opened in the Old Sixth Ward in August. The restaurant, which is helmed by Michelin-starred chef Shimao Ishikawa, serves high-end sushi and sashimi, along with a changing seasonal menu that offers meat and vegetable dishes. The 2,800-square-foot restaurant seats 80 guests.
