Houston
Map
Food
From experience
- Uchi (3/3)
- Japanese cuisine. I was pleasantly surprised by the quality of food here. I went for the Omakase (Signature tasting, can’t wait to try the Chef’s tasting next time), and it was quite a fun gastronomic journey. The appetizer and wine/sake selection were amazing as well – you can’t chase me away from the edamame and shishito with a pitchfork. Beware – the lines are long so make a reservation!
- Oporto Fooding House and Wine (3/3)
- Portughese tapas. I definitely recommend the Cataplana Mussels – I still dream about it from time to time. The squit fried rice is another one of my favorite.
- Pepper Twins 双椒 (Kirby Dr) (3/3)
- I need a good Chinese restaurant in every city. Pepper Twins on Kirby Drive is gonna be my Houston go-to from now on. I’ve actually never personally been to this place – but my best friend @ytong1015 got me some takeout that was to die for. Definitely oreder the Pepper Twins Fish Fillet (藤椒鱼片), Golden Eggplant (蟹黄茄子) and the Farm Chicken Herb Soup (药膳土鸡汤)…alright I must stop before my drool hits the floor.
My to-try list
- Indigo fine dining, contemporary soul food
- Theodore Rex Tomato toast
- The Breakfast Klub CHICKEN AND WAFFLES
- Mala Sichuan Bistro Another Chinese restaurant to try
- B & B Butchers Think meat first, dry-aged meat with Kobe available on the menu
- Tacos Tierra Caliente Beloved taco truck
- Ramen Tatsu-ya Sheridan’s Ramen go to
Drinks
From experience
- Bayou & Bottle (3/3)
- Fantastic bar with tailored cocktail and relaxing atmosphere. I came here for happy hour during a conference – the bar passed my old fashioned test with flying colors, and surprised me with some innovative cocktails. It’s located inside the Four Seasons lobby so definitely more a traveler’s bar than a local’s bar.
My to-try list
- Tongue-Cut Sparrow more formal cocktail bar vibe, speakeasy, through a staircase in the back of Pastry War, small space
- The Ready Room jazz bar, old-school vibe
- OKRA Charity Saloon very cool venue and concept; non-profit bar
- Anvil Bar & Refuge craft cocktail scene
- Julep known for great bartenders (Alba Huerta), one of the best cocktails bars in America
- Captain Foxheart’s Bad News Bar & Spirits Lodge old-style cocktails, right in downtown
- Reserve 101 best whiskey bar in Texas by Thrillist
- Public Services Wine & Whiskey long list of whiskey and wine
- Better Luck Tomorrow (BLT) fun neighbourhood hang out spot
- Saint Arnold Brewing Company Houston’s oldest craft brewery
Destinations
From experience
- Discovery Green (2/3)
- Nice area to hang out at with good art additions.
- Minute Maid Park (1/3)
My to-try list
- Montrose Distict Montrose has become the city’s hub of vintage shopping, live music, and LGBT activism. Restored mansions and bungalows, tree-lined boulevards, and an antique mall make this neighborhood a unique, pedestrian-friendly tourist spot.
- Space Center Houston
- Buffalo Bayou Park
- Hines Waterwall Park The park features a 64 ft semi circular fountain that re-circulates 11,000 gallons of water per minute that tumbles down the structure’s inner and outer walls.
- Museum of Natural Science
- Cockrell Butterfly Center The center is home to a living butterfly habitat with spectacular specimens of some of the world’s strangest arthropods as well as fun interactive quizzes and games.
Art & Architecture
From experience
My to-try list
- Museum of Fine Arts, Houston
- Art
- James Turrel, The Light Inside
- Gauguin, Arearea II
- Goya, Still Life with Golden Bream
- Picasso, Seated Woman
- Paul Signac, The Bonaventure Pine
- Cézanne, Madame Cézanne in Blue
- Matisse, Woman in a Purple Coat
- Sargent, The Model Interior with Standing Figure; Mrs Joshua, Montgomery Sears
- Guardian with Attendants
- Vuillard, Portrait of Marcelle Aron; The Promenade
- Hans Memling, Portrait of an Old Woman
- Cullen Sculpture Garden
- Architecture
- The Caroline Wiess Law Building designed by Mies van der Rohe
- The Audrey Jones Beck Building designed by Rafael Moneo
- The Menil Collection The Menil Collection’s main museum building anchors a parklike 30-acre campus, which also includes the Cy Twombly Gallery, a site-specific Dan Flavin installation, the Byzantine Fresco Chapel—now a venue for long-term installations by contemporary artists—and outdoor sculpture.
- Rothko Chapel
- AN ABSOLUTE MUST. I’ve been trying to go there FOR YEARS. Supposedly, it is a transcendent experience.
- James Turrell’s Twilight Epiphany Skyscape event venue in Rice Univercity
- Chapel of St. Basil
- Brochstein Pavilion / Thomas Phifer and Partners
- Hobby Center for the Performing Arts
Lodging
From experience
- Marriott Marquis Houston (3/3)
- THERE IS A LAZY RIVER IN THE SHAPE OF TEXAS. Enough said. Go and enjoy it.
- Also best location if you are at a conference because it’s connected to the conference center.
- Don’t eat at the lobby restaurants – I tried 3 of them and they all sucked. :(
- Houston Marriott Medical Center/Museum District (1/3)
My to-try list
- Four Seasons Hotel Houston
- Honestly just want to stay there because the lobby bar is awesome.