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.
Renovated bowling alley and arcade Bowlmor Lanes reopened in November. Located off Katy Freeway, the venue offers 39 nightclub-inspired bowling lanes, a sports bar, billiards, and standard bar food. The 32,000-square-foot space holds as many as 300 for receptions and is available for private events. The space also has a private seven-lane bowling section for as many as 65 people.
Restaurant group Treadsack International debuted Hunky Dory in Houston Heights in October. Sharing space with Gulf Coast-inspired restaurant Bernadine's, the British-American restaurant offers spins on classic cuisine including fish and chips, shepherd's pie, and rabbit escabeche. Named after the singer David Bowie's fourth album, the restaurant's interior features a mix of '70s Bowie, classic British pubs, and English country-inspired decor. For private events, the restaurant offers buyouts, as well as a chef's table that seats 10, a patio that holds 50 for receptions, a feasting menu for as many as 40, and a private dining room (shared with Bernadine's) that seats 40.
Treadsack International opened Bernadine's, the other half of its joint venture with Hunky Dory, in Houston Heights in January. The Southern, Gulf Coast-inspired seafood concept features a raw bar and offers dishes like fried oyster salad, grilled Gulf fish, and marinated blue crab claws. The restaurant also has an extensive cocktail menu, with offering such as mint juleps and Coke and peanut highballs. For private events, the restaurant offers buyouts, a patio that accommodates 50 for receptions, or a private dining room (shared with Hunky Dory) that seats 40.
The Westin the Woodlands is slated to open adjacent to Waterway Square in March. The 302-room hotel will feature a 150-seat contemporary American restaurant, a glass-walled bar and lounge, an infinity pool, and a workout gear rental program. The hotel will have 11 meeting spaces amounting to 15,000 square feet, including a nearly 6,000-square-foot ballroom that will seat 222 with a dance floor.
Killen's Steakhouse reopened at a new 2.5-acre location in Pearland in November. The steak house still serves its signature cuts of meat and seafood dishes and also boasts an extensive wine list of more than 5,000 bottles in its cellar and an additional 680 in a wine tower incorporated into the design of the 180-seat main dining room. For private dining and events, the space has a banquet room that seats 75, a private wine room that seats 60, and a private dining room that seats 10. The space also seats 30 at the bar and 120 on a patio.
Micro brewery and beer garden SpindleTap Brewery opened in north Houston in November. The venue, which shares a 70,000-square-foot warehouse with a Houston-based trucking company, offers five signature beers brewed on site and features a tavern that offers catering. The brewery occupies 10,000 square feet—which can expand if needed—and seats as many as 600. The space is also available for private events for groups of as many as 300.
The third Pappas Bros. Steakhouse opened downtown in October. Known for its steak and wine selections, the latest location offers steaks that are dry aged in house for at least 28 days, as well as a wine list of more than 3,900 selections. The restaurant offers six private dining rooms: the Train Car room seats 36, the Side Car room seats 16, the Dining Car room seats 60, the Wine Room seats 32, and a lounge seats as many as 150. The venue also offers the option of splitting two of the rooms, for a total of eight private dining rooms.
Bourbon-focused gastropub Revolver Bourbon Social reopened in a new redesigned space in the Washington corridor in January. The new space incorporates bourbon into its food, with menu items like Brussels sprouts with bourbon barbecue sauce and a burger with barbecue bourbon pulled pork. The restaurant also serves more than 100 bourbons and whiskeys, 30 wines, 19 beers on tap, and craft cocktails. The venue, which offers the option of reserving sections, has a 1,600-square-foot interior and a 4,700-square-foot patio and can accommodate parties of approximately 400.
Holiday Inn Houston Downtown opened in the former Savoy Hotel location in January. The 212-room hotel is located across the street from the Metrorail and near attractions including the Toyota Center, Discovery Green, and the George R. Brown Convention Center. The hotel also has an in-house restaurant, Burger Theory, which serves burgers and American fare. For meetings and events, the hotel has a 1,250-square-foot room that seats 100 banquet-style, 125 reception-style, or 130 theater-style.
The owners of the Axelrad building in Midtown transformed the space into Axelrad Beer Garden, which opened in December. The indoor-outdoor venue mainly focuses on craft beers, offering 31 beers on tap and 95 bottles and cans. While it doesn't serve food, guests may bring in dishes from Luigi's Pizzeria next door. The indoor space is 2,000 square feet and seats 80, while the outdoor space is 12,000 square feet and holds as many as 300 for receptions.
Jeffrey and Michael Mastro, the brother duo behind Arizona's Steak 44, opened Steak 48 in the River Oaks District in June. The two-story restaurant puts a Texas spin on its variety of steakhouse dishes, which include prime steaks that are hand-cut in house and a large seafood selection. The 13,700-square-foot space can accommodate as many as 500 for a seated dinner. The restaurant also offers a variety of private dining options, including the East Dining Room that seats 60 and the Chef's Dining Room that seats 14, and features like a private bar, custom drapes, and a second-story garden terrace.
A new event venue from Gr8 Plate Hospitality, the Merrill House opened to the public in March and held an official grand opening in May. Aimed at hosting a variety of special events, the space is available for full buyouts, and has seated dinner and rental packages. While the venue offers menus from Gr8 Plate restaurants, the Union Kitchen, Jax Grill, and the Rollin' Kitchen, guests can also work with the event team to create a custom menu. With a main dining room and partition space, a bar, and a patio, the 7,600-square-foot space seats 310. The space can also accommodate as many as 420 for cocktails.
For business meetings on the go, the Centurion Lounge by American Express debuted at the George Bush Intercontinental Airport in June. Offering 8,500 square feet of space, the lounge is available for American Express card members, immediate family, or as many as two travel companions. The space features a variety of colorful, comfortable seating, as well as noise-buffering workspaces, power outlets, private phone areas, and Wi-Fi access. Other perks include a dining area and bar that serves Asian-inspired local cuisine from Houston chef Justin Yu and cocktails from mixologist Jim Meehan.
Classic Houston Tex-Mex restaurant Original Ninfa's on Navigation completed a renovation of its 1,400-square-foot kitchen in March. Included in the renovation are new floors, new plumbing and drainage, and a Mugnaini wood-burning grill used for new dishes including roasted whole red snapper and beef short ribs. The venue has also upgraded its bar program with the appointment of spirits professional Alba Huerta, who has helped introduce a variety of new tequila cocktails. The 7,000-square-foot restaurant seats 300 and is available for buyouts, and seats 65 in a rear dining room, 50 in the bar area, and 20 in a private room.
Fast-casual burger concept Jerry Built Homegrown Burgers opened its third Houston location in Memorial City in May. Known for its hand-spun milkshakes and burgers made with all-natural ingredients, the latest location features glass walls, open dining spaces, and exposed kitchen, prep, and storage areas. The 3,600-square-foot space seats 87 inside and 32 outside. For private events, the space accommodates 130 reception-style.
Lounge and nightlife concept Bar Bleu opened near Rice Village in July. Replacing the former Hudson Lounge after a remodel, the space has blue accents, plush sofas, and incandescent lighting, as well as a mirrored DJ booth and an LED-lit dance floor. Offering signature blue cocktails, the 6,500-square-foot space can accommodate 500 reception-style. The venue also has two full-service bars, a front patio that seats 40, and private V.I.P. spaces for as many as 75 guests.
Located just north of downtown Houston near the George Bush Intercontinental Airport, the Hilton Garden Inn Houston Cypress Station opened in June. The hotel has 118 guest rooms, a full-service American restaurant, and on-site catering. For meetings and events, the hotel as a ballroom that seats 250, one meeting room that seats 150, and another meeting room that seats 100, all theater-style. The hotel also has a meeting package for as many as 25 that comes with Wi-Fi, full breakfast or lunch, a flip chart and markets, and all-day, non-alcoholic beverage service.
Harold's in the Heights' Tap Room debuted in May. The Southern Creole deli, kitchen, and restaurant's new space offers indoor and outdoor seating, as well as wine, craft beer, and cocktails. The 1,300-square-foot space seats 50 and is available for private events.
Fast-casual taqueria Tacodeli is slated to open its first Houston location in the fall. Originated in Austin, the latest restaurant on Washington Avenue will serve more than 40 varieties of tacos for breakfast and lunch. The 3,400-square-foot space seats 75 inside and 40 on a patio. The new location will be available for corporate and party catering.
Courtyard Houston Springwoods Village in Spring is slated to open in August. The 125-room hotel has 6,300 square feet of outdoor space that includes an open lawn and fire pit, and also features Courtyard by Marriott's signature American restaurant the Bistro. The hotel has an 862-square-foot meeting room that accommodates 55 reception- and theater-style and 45 classroom-style. For meetings, audiovisual equipment, an LCD projector, and a television are available.
The Astorian, a dedicated event venue in the Heights neighborhood, has hosted fashion shows, concerts, weddings, and other events since opening in March. Located in a building designed as a landmark by the Houston Historical Society, the loftlike space with 14-foot ceilings blends industrial elements such as concrete floors with Art Deco details. Expansive windows provide skyline views of downtown. The space comprises a 14,000-square-foot ballroom that holds 400 for receptions, as well as a 14,000-square-foot rooftop slated to open in the fall. The space offers amenities such as a stage, catering kitchen, and greenroom/bridal suite.
The Market Square cocktail lounge Henke & Pillot, which opened in January, offers an expansive space for events of as many as 350 people reception-style. Over the next year, the owners are planning to build out the second floor, a balcony, and a rooftop bar. The venue took its name from a grocery store that occupied the space some 150 years ago, and today its interiors combine crystal chandeliers with exposed ducts, exposed brick, and pressed-tin ceilings. Amenities include a full-service kitchen and valet.
The Sam Houston Hotel, which originally opened in 1924 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is now affiliated with Hilton as a part of the hotel chain’s Curio Collection. The hotel, which announced the change in June, offers more than 4,000 square feet of event space. Its signature space, Veranda, has a wall of windows that overlook downtown; the 3,100-square-foot room holds about 150 guests for receptions. Two smaller spaces include the 10-person boardroom and the 20-person conference room. For more casual entertaining, the 100-room hotel also has the 17 restaurant and the Sam Bar.
Beckrew Wine House, a wine and espresso bar with space for meetings and events, opened in February in Upper Kirby. Design features include white brick, open shelving, and a marble-topped bar. The entire space is available for buyouts and holds about 120 for receptions. For smaller events, the Lounge seats 20; the Cellar seats 16 or holds 25 for receptions. The Garden Room, which features a distinctive green herringbone tile floor, seats 20 or holds 30 for receptions; glass doors lead to a patio that seats 12. The venue also offers private tastings and other beverage-focused teambuilding activities.
From former Top Chef Just Desserts contestant Rebecca Masson comes Fluff Bake Bar, which opened in Midtown in late May. An interior window allows guests to see pastry chefs in action, and the resulting creations are available at a counter fronted with wide wood planks. When the bakery closes at night, the concept shifts to a dessert bar and offers plated flights with wine pairings. The bakery includes seating inside as well as outdoors and combined holds 75 guests for receptions.
The Phoenix-based restaurant North Italia has come to Houston with a 4,500-square-foot space in the Galleria area that opened in March. It’s the second Texas location of the Italian concept from restauranteur Sam Fox after debuting in Austin. The menu features scratch-made pasta and pizzas as well as heartier entrées. The space seats about 150 inside with another 70 seats on a patio landscaped with citrus trees.
Famed Chicago deep-dish pizza eatery Gino’s East opened in the Woodlands in December, offering pizza as well as some Texas-specific items. The interior design mixes tufted leather booths with red-checkered tablecloths and continues the pizzeria’s tradition of allowing guests leave their signature on the walls. The space seats 200 or holds 240 for receptions.
A second location of the restaurant/tavern Local Pour opened at the Hughes Landing development in the Woodlands in April. With a focus on menu items sourced from Texas purveyors—the “local” part of Local Pour—the eatery serves dinner, lunch, and Sunday brunch. The concept, from Hospitality USA, follows a successful launch in River Oaks in 2013. The 7,500-square-foot space seats 274, including 65 on a patio that overlooks Lake Woodlands. A private dining space seats as many as 30 guests.
Barbecue specialist the Republic Smokehouse & Saloon opened in Midtown in March from the team behind Hearsay on the Green. The 10,000-square-foot space offers three spaces for groups. The Banquet Room, a private area, and the patio bar, another private space, each seats 50 or holds 90 for receptions. The semiprivate Revolver Bar seats 20 or holds 70 for receptions. Buyouts of the restaurant are available; the entire space seats 320 or holds more than 600 for receptions. The venue also has a stage and features live music.
A neon blue key guides patrons of the Midtown restaurant Cook & Collins to its upstairs cocktail bar, Spare Key. The focus of the bar, which opened in April, is on craft cocktails, and it also serves local beers and wines by the glass. The intimate space seats 35 inside and another 10 on a patio that has views of the downtown skyline. The space holds about 70 for receptions and is available for buyouts. Groups of about 12 people can reserve space in the lounge area.
The Woodlands Resort & Conference Center finished a $60 million renovation and expansion in September. Among the improvements are a new 184-room guest room wing and renovations to existing rooms, bringing the total to 440 guest rooms, and a new 1,000-foot lazy river. The property also renovated its 60,000-square-foot conference center. Looney & Associates was the interior designer, and Gensler was the architect.
Robard's, a steak house at the Woodlands Resort & Conference Center, opened as part of the center's renovation that finished in September. The restaurant, which has a separate entrance, has a club-like atmosphere with dark woods, exposed ceiling beams, and a mix of leather chairs and plaid upholstered booths. It has two options for private dining: the 30-seat Premiere Room with views of the water feature on the golf course's 18th green and the Legacy Room, which seats 12 at a community-style, bar-height dining table made from reclaimed wine crates.
From the Mexico-based Ysita family of restaurateurs comes Peska Seafood Culture, which is set to open in late March in the Blvd Place development. The family's first United States restaurant is also notable for its chef Omar Pereney, a 20-year-old who already has opened restaurants, hosted a TV show, and served as an instructor at Le Cordon Bleu Mexico. With a design from Gensler, the 6,000-square-foot space will have seating for 125 inside as well as a patio that holds 35 at lounge and table seating. A private dining room will hold 30 and will open onto a dedicated outdoor space. During the evenings, the restaurant will have a high-tech entrance that will feature an installation of animated bubbles and seaweed as well as 3-D video mapping.
The Houston Museum of Natural Science reopened its Farrish Hall of Texas Wildlife in October after a major renovation. The hall represents about 250 species, from whooping cranes and black bears to bald eagles, with an emphasis on rare, endangered, and extinct species. As the hall does not allow food and beverage, it cannot be used as an event venue by itself, but it can be offered for touring for events at the museum. The museum has several spaces available for rental, including a conference room and its planetarium, and for large events, the entire museum seats 1,100 or holds 3,500 for receptions.
Hotel Sorella recently debuted a floor of penthouse suites on its 12th floor, each with a distinctive design and views of Houston. The 11 suites in the 266-room hotel, located in CityCentre district, have residential-style design and as many as three bedrooms. The spaces range in size from 1,500 to 3,000 square feet, which the hotel believes is the city's largest penthouse. When used as meeting or event space, the suites hold 10 guests in a boardroom setting or as many as 50 for receptions.
Former professional boxer Andrea Magi opened a second location of his Italian concept Mascalzone in January. Located on Shepherd Drive, the eatery serves classic Italian entrées, pizza, and homemade pastas, including its namesake dish that is half calzone and half pizza. Gluten-free options also are available. The entire restaurant seats 150, and a private dining room, the Wine Room, seats about 30.
Museum Park Café, an elegant restaurant in the museum district, opened in September. The contemporary American eatery has an open kitchen, a bar that runs the length of the dining room, and industrial chic touches such as exposed ducts. The main dining room seats 50 or holds about 100 for receptions. A private dining room seats 20, and staff can arrange for a projection for business meetings as well as floral centerpieces.
From the team behind Museum Park Café is Bosta Wine & Coffee, located in the same museum district building. The casual spot for drinks and light fare measures 4,100 square feet. It seats 42 at tables and couches and 24 at bar stools or holds 65 for receptions.
Gray's Public House, a Midtown gastropub, opened in October. With white subway tile accents, black concrete floors, and metal bar stools, the interiors have a modern industrial vibe, yet the communal tables and flat-screen TVs lend a communal vibe. For private events, it is available for full buyouts. The restaurant holds 150 people inside for receptions; there is also a patio.
Hearsay on the Green, a sister restaurant to Hearsay Gastropub, opened in October at the Embassy Suites Houston—Downtown. The eatery, located across from the Toyota Center and near the George R. Brown Convention Center, serves New American fare and original craft cocktails with house-made ingredients. The space seats 129 guests but does not offer private dining; semiprivate space is available for large groups.
