Restaurants in Houston

Reef

Award-winning chef Bryan Caswell brings together his worldwide experience to offer exceptional seafood including delicious jumbo crab cakes. Diners find influences from Mediterranean and Asian cooking, as well as classic French preparations and locally sourced produce. Treats also include an extensive wine list and cocktails. Sleek interiors include mother-of-pearl tabletops, water images and a market-style open kitchen. Reservations recommended, particularly at the weekend.

The Strip House

The Strip House serves exquisite prime cuts of meat with signature side dishes such as truffle creamed spinach. The all red art deco interior is decorated with sumptuous rich materials including velvet, silk and leather and the lighting is seductively low. The walls are covered with saucy vintage photos of burlesque stars from the 1920s.

Taste of Texas

A legendary restaurant serving only certified Angus beef and the finest steaks. Check who your neighbours are as you could be rubbing shoulders with celebrities or public figures, but this doesn't mean you have to dress up to eat here. Steak lovers can select their own cut of meat from the on-site butcher. There is also a help-yourself salad bar and delicious bread which is baked daily.

The Grove

The Grove anchors one end of downtown's exceptional urban park Discovery Green. This hotspot is the domain of chef Robert Del Grande, who is turning heads with American rustic cuisine, like hill country venison, with most dishes sourced from local and organic producers. Artwork and interiors bring nature indoors with colour and texture. Enjoy pre-dinner drinks on the deck.

Kiran's Restaurant and Bar

Popular at lunch and dinner for a variety of vegetarian dishes and classic meat curries and a lovely prix-fixé lunch, this plush Indian restaurant in the Galleria area also offers a tasting menu at dinner. The restaurant is particularly welcoming with light, warm colours and the waiting staff take care to explain the dishes to you. Treat yourself to high tea if you are there on the second Saturday of the month.

El Real Tex-Mex

Chef Bryan Caswell is a big player on the Houston food scene. His latest restaurant, in a restored historic art deco movie theatre, was an instant hit with the Tex-Mex-loving locals. Choose from tasty standards such as enchiladas and fajitas. Look out for the daily lunchtime specials. Order a margarita pitcher if you are there with friends.

Barry's Pizza

This good-value pizzeria is a firm favourite, serving good, hearty deep-pan pizzas, as well as salads and basic pasta dishes. Barry's is in a log cabin, located close to the Galleria, with a covered area for al fresco dining. It is an ideal place to unwind in and even watch a ball game - there is a TV room and the walls are covered with baseball and sports memorabilia.

Beaver's

This super-casual barbecue joint, in a converted ice house, is a place where taste thrills include spicy ground lamb wraps incorporating almonds and dried fruit. Sit on the patio and enjoy a cold beer. Or check out the plentiful cocktail choices that include Texas-made spirits. The kitchen is closed on Mondays but the bar is open.

Les Givral's Kahve

Lovers of Vietnamese food will enjoy this downtown eatery with its hearty bowls of chicken or beef pho (rice noodle soup) or steaming shrimp fried rice. At lunchtime tuck into a tasty banh mi sandwich on French bread. A bustling restaurant with fast service and very affordable prices. Reservations not accepted.