Houston’s 7 Hottest Must-Book Restaurants for Fall

by OpenTable

Updated August 25, 2021

At a time in the world when so much feels uncertain, restaurants continue to provide a bright spot for Houstonians. Whether it’s a simple desire to get out of the house and enjoy the hospitality of a hot meal in a cool dining room or the opportunity to celebrate special occasions with friends and family, the city’s restaurants have sustained residents in more ways than one. And, against the odds, some restaurants created hope and excitement with new decor, new menus, new chefs, and a new lease on life. From upscale steakhouses to a 1980s-themed bar, these seven new and updated restaurants are the must-book stops of the season.

Tonight & Tomorrow at La Colombe d’Or

4.1

4.1 (441)

$31 to $50

French

Montrose

About the restaurant

Housed in the historic La Colombe D’Or boutique hotel, Tonight & Tomorrow made its debut this year following an extensive renovation of the property. The new interiors, with pops of jewel-toned greens and blues, bring a modern stateliness to the fine-dining restaurant, which centers on European-inspired dishes with a touch of Southern influence. Open for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, the seasonal menu takes advantage of the region’s specialties in dishes such as the classic crab ravigote with Gulf crab, snapper with a sorghum-lime vinaigrette, or the Texas-sourced heirloom tomato and peach salad. Diners don’t have to be staying at the hotel to enjoy the restaurant’s lively yet sophisticated late-night scene, where a slice of honey cake makes a sweet companion to a nightcap from the bar.

Top review

Kelly

Dined 2 days ago

Very nice dinner, staff was great, we were the only table that did not have amuse bouche between courses, all other tables did. The tables seemed flimsy and were too close together. The owner of the hotel did come and introduce himself and that was just lovely to hear about his art. Thank you for a nice night.

Roma

4.7

4.7 (1294)

$31 to $50

Italian

Rice Village

About the restaurant

Known for its trattoria-style dining and traditional Italian fare, Roma recently welcomed chef Sandro Scarafile to helm the kitchen and spend time tableside interacting with diners. Informed by his southern Italian roots and years spent cooking in restaurants around the globe, Scarafile brings experience along with a fresh sensibility to the popular Rice Village spot. Regulars can rest easy knowing favorites like the osso bucco aren’t going anywhere, but new menu additions include dishes inspired by his Pugliese background and early childhood, such as the orecchiette con cime di rape, or “little ear” pasta with broccoli rabe. Roma’s focus on its excellent wine program and wine pairing dinners will continue under the chef, along with Italian winemakers joining remotely from Italy.

Top review

Brooke

Dined 3 days ago

This little place was amazing and we all loved our meals. Salmon, mushroom ravioli, and the fettuccini. All fresh and some made table side. It was wonderful!

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Popular dish

Lasagne

Popular dish

Fettuccine Cacio e Pepe

Popular dish

Spaghetti Carbonara

Thirteen by James Harden

3.7

3.7 (1019)

$50 and over

Pan-Asian

Midtown

About the restaurant

It’s impossible to mention upscale restaurant Thirteen without noting its famous owner, former Rockets player James Harden, who named his dining establishment after his jersey number. Though Harden has moved on from Houston’s basketball team, he left the city with a parting gift: the culinary talents of chef Tobias Dorzon, who runs the kitchen and was given free rein to craft Thirteen’s menu. Though the menu could be described as Southern-comfort-meets-steakhouse, that doesn’t give enough credit to Dorzon’s creativity. Dishes such as seafood fried rice, or a deboned, whole fried chicken with sweet and sour Maryland mambo sauce, plus a very popular deep-fried lasagna draw in crowds looking for something beyond the typical steakhouse experience. That said, the posh banquettes and velvet armchairs create an ambience perfectly suited to a bone-in ribeye or oysters on the half shell, plus a bottle of wine from the globally curated wine list.

Top review

Alexis

Dined 2 days ago

Our waiter to Tavrion was prompt and very professional and he definitely catered to all of our needs. I do agree with a lot of of these other reviews that the previous menu was better so I hope that they take heed and revamp the menu but however the service was top-tier. The ambience was beautiful. The lounge was very good and accommodating, and I had a lovely time for my birthday