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Discover Dazzling New Restaurants in Houston

From vibrant lounges to intimate speakeasy-style steakhouses, here’s where to eat in Houston right now

Marmo

Houston has a new high-profile dining concept joining the ranks: Italian chophouse Marmo in River Oaks. The menu features hand-rolled pastas, veal chop Milanese and seafood like oysters on the half shell. Interior designer Patrick Sutton has created an elegant and modern atmosphere for guests, incorporating texture and natural accents like organic jute chandeliers. With an inviting U-shaped marble bar and a large, covered patio for outdoor dining, Marmo is sure to be a neighborhood staple.

Pastas at Marmo (Photography by Kirsten Gilliam)

Patton’s

Sneak away to a sophisticated speakeasy-style cocktail bar and steakhouse in Houston Heights. The 1,500-square-foot Patton’s features a six-seat bar and 38-seat dining space hidden neatly behind Savoir restaurant. With moody, ornate chandeliers, plush leather banquettes and live jazz music, guests are immediately transported. Patton’s comes from Brian Doke, owner/operator of Savoir, who teamed up with executive chef Eric Johnson to create a menu showcasing classic steakhouse staples like beef carpaccio and ribeye wagyu, coupled with speakeasy-inspired cocktails like The Bandit, a fig-infused mule. “Houston has always had an affinity for steakhouses, and the city has no shortage of premiere steakhouses,” said Doke. “At Patton’s, we will offer the prime cuts of steak that Houstonians love and serve them up in a one-of-a-kind, intimate space that is wholly unique.”

A bone-in ribeye at Patton’s

Rare Restaurant & Lounge

Rare Restaurant & Lounge has been brought to life in an 8,000-square-foot standalone building by celebrated restaurateur/chef Don Bowie. The 62-seat dining room features marble floors, dazzling chandeliers and a large stage for nightly entertainment. The two-level space boasts a large bar, high-top tables for large parties and Sip, an indoor/outdoor lounge. Guests can savor flavorful prime steaks, fresh seafood and southern-inspired dishes including bourbon glazed pork chops and truffle-topped mac and cheese.

The Sip lounge at Rare

Golfstrømmen

Norwegian chef Christopher Haatuft is no stranger to making waves in the global culinary world. Haatuft, known as the Punk-Chef Godfather of Neo-Fjordic cuisine, may have ditched his mohawk in Norway, but his innovative and boundary-pushing twists on Nordic cuisine continue to bring him success in Houston. Haatuft has worked in the kitchens at high-end farm-to-table restaurants around the world such as Blue Hill at Stone Barns and three-Michelin-starred Per Se in New York, and runs his own restaurant, Lysverket, in Norway. Haatuft and James Beard Award winner Paul Qui have teamed up to create a sustainable seafood market and restaurant, Golfstrømmen, in Qui’s food hall at Post Houston, an eclectic new space inside Houston’s historic Barbara Jordan Post Office. “Although it’s impossible in today’s world for a restaurant to be fully sustainable, I have always tried to make my restaurants back in Norway as sustainable as possible. I’m excited to bring sustainably sourced seafood to Houston and work with local seafood suppliers to increase sustainability efforts in the region,” Haatuft says. Standout menu items include gulf-caught red fish ceviche with tart bergen leche and dressed with dill oil, apples and celery. Meanwhile, the restaurant’s raw bar menu includes items like gulf- and Maine-sourced oysters, salmon tartare, golden kaluga caviar and gulf stone crab claws. With fresh offerings and sustainable practices, Houston will certainly be hooked on Golfstrømmen.

Jonah crab toast with potato chips at Golfstrømmen [Golfstrømmen: Kat Ambrose]

Jonah crab toast with potato chips at Golfstrømmen

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