My favorite neighborhood bar, hands down, Heights Hideaway, somehow manages to feel both upscale…read moreand completely authentic. Amazing drinks, incredible bartenders, and always good energy. If Von or Adam is in the building, you already know it's going to be all love, great music, and even better vibes. This isn't just a bar, it's a destination. You come for the cocktails, stay for the people, and somehow leave with your energy a little higher. Cheers to Heights Hideaway and the beautiful community they've curated. My favorites: the Cucumber Gimlet, the Tequila Old Fashioned, the Paper Plane, and the Elvis Presley Old Fashioned if you're in the mood for a sweeter but tasty beverage.

This is a beautiful space The staff is kind and helpful…read more Pictures worthy!!! Food was amazing I love it Check em out Thank you !!!

This place is amazing !! Amazing vibes !!…read moreGood selection on the menu!! The staff is so kind and attentive Facility is clean and spacious Check em out

Y'all - this tiny little bar has a delicious secret. If you visit before 7pm, they offer $7 single…read morepatty burgers with fries, or a $10 double patty burger with fries. We have zero photos because my brain was misfiring at how INCREDIBLE the food looked - PIPING HOT - melty, greasy (but not off-putting), cheesy, fries were crispy. Do not sleep on this place. I can't comment on the drinks - I don't really enjoy alcoholic beverages and they didn't have iced tea. The service was top notch - friendly and attentive but not overbearing. Ambiance is fun, colorful bar scene.

This place has the best fooood and vibes ate great check em out in the heart of downtown!!!! Love…read morethe drinks!!!! Friendly and amazing staffff love it !!!! Check em out check em out Much love

On my recent trip to Houston!…read more When I was searching for dowtown bars and dancing, Behind Closed Doors popped up. It looked dark, clubbish, and fun (exactly what I was looking for) and I couldn't wait to come here. After a 25 minute Uber ride we were downtown and walking to our destination. At first we could not find it but thankfully a nice gentlemen showed us where it was. Upon walking in, darkness with these bright lights paved our way. We sat down at the bar, but realized dancing did not start until 10pm. The bartender came over and said to us "we have a speakasy behind door #3" we were like WHAT! Let's go. So, we walked down the dark hallway and pushed open door #3 (hence the name) to find this super cool speakeasy bar. Dim lights, really modern decor, comfy suede chairs and best of all, some really great cocktails. If you are ever in Downtown Houston, I highly recommend you coming here. I promise you will have the best time. We did not stay for dancing.

Great spot to grab a tropical cocktail and catch up with friends! They have some fun cocktails as…read morewell as some classics. They also have a pretty good food menu, which always pairs well with drinking. I didn't get to try it myself but my friends recommend the burger! They also have nice indoor and outdoor seating options. Fun place!

Anyone who knows me understands I tend to avoid the corporate or heavy investor funded bars. I will…read morereluctantly go to them with friends, but I prefer local joints that I can support. The types of places that combine the atmosphere I'm looking for: 1) has a good selection of beer, preferably local brewers; 2) some wine or craft cocktails for different preferences; 3) has a food menu, permits outside food, or brings in food trucks/pop-ups; 4) a laid back vibe that welcomes families and doesn't have the air of pretentiousness; and lastly; 5) a patio for the small windows of nice weather we have in Houston, or just anytime we want to bring along our four legged friends. I've rarely ran across an outdoor patio that doesn't permit pets and if they do restrict them, it's not worth my business. To that end, this spot ticks a lot of boxes. For those who aren't into the Houston F&B scene as much, Robin Berwick is the creative mind behind this spot. If you've ever visited a caffeine themed coffee and bar in the midtown area, you've been to another long standing establishment of hers. When Berwick's opened roughly over a year ago, I knew this would be a spot I'd enjoy. This spot tows the line well, it's not a dive bar, it's not pretentious, and it has the neighborhood bar feel that welcomes those looking for a great cocktail, a simple beer, or just some good vibes with family, friends, or kids. It feels like if a laid back tiki bar combined with a rustic feel. Living nearby, I think it fits the area. Food & Drink - 4.5* They have burgers, wings, friends, salads. All the food is good and I definitely recommend grabbing a bite during your visit. I particularly like their burgers and always grab a cocktail to go along with it. Service - 4* I've had mixed results, sometimes the attention to detail and service times are really good. Others they can be a little long or the sense their focus is elsewhere. Cost - 4* They used to have solid specials but they have dropped off over time. As an example, there used to be BOGO burgers on Wednesdays from 4-9 pm. Then it was 50% off. That's now only 25% off on Wednesday and only from 4-7 pm. They also had half price margaritas and frozen las brujas. This is now 25% off. Tuesday's was half price French 75s and Sazeracs. That's now 25% off. Thursday's used to be BOGO wings, $3 pacificos, and half price daiquiris. That is also now just 25% off wings, daiquiris, and cabana crushes. Fridays is industry night. They offered 25% off the entire food menu from 10 pm-12 am, now it's only 11 pm-12 am and only for the sandwich. Look, I worked in the industry, I know it's tough. I get that it's really tough for bars in Houston to make the margins work when the burdens seem to continue to rise. Landlords particularly are brutal /rant. It's even tougher when a bar is just getting their feet under them. This neighborhood has seen a lot of great additions in the last couple of years and the specials had us visiting more often, particularly when they ran til 9 pm. We now can't make it as often with the cutoff at 7 pm. Ultimately we were spending more time and money during the past visits, but I'm sure the overall margins were thinner for them. Possibly even some loss leaders to get traffic and business in the door. Now that the specials and times have tightened we elected to diversify to other bars nearby. Ultimately, they're all local and have the vibes I look for. Overall - 4.25* I highly encourage everyone to give this spot a visit if you're nearby. It's a great spot with good drinks and friendly neighborhood vibes. I do wish they would make some further adjustments to certain things that I thought differentiated them from others, the 4-9 pm specials was particularly strong as it allowed for the chance to visit more often when many folks can't make it by 7 pm. At least it isn't as bad as some bars, that I won't name that have basically limited their offering to a 1-1.5 hour happy hour (though it is half price) that runs so early that it's shocking how anyone could visit during that small window.

Love the place but the music felt like one long song, literally almost fell asleep. The drinks and…read moreservice was good tho

Ari is a great sever! The food and drinks were great and definitely worth a try. The place is also…read morevery aesthetic if you want to take pictures as well, and everyone was so sweet! 10/10 service.

Great drinks, friendly service, and delicious HH appetizers! We enjoyed our first time here and…read morehope to come back again!

After enjoying a late night snack at Handos, we decided to mosey on over to Kampai Club. I had…read moreheard good things for years, and I remember driving past it a couple times and not seeing it or any signage. Even this time the GPS took us to an entrance that had us going the wrong way down a one-way, but we eventually figured it out I will say that the parking isn't all that great, but we were able to find a spot. If the parking lot is full you should be able to find street parking nearby Kanpai Club is a sister location to Handos. They share a kitchen and you can walk through an inside door access either. You can find the same cocktails and bites from Handos on the Kanpai menu, but there's also additional drinks and bites The bar feels like a Japanese Izakaya. It's a narrow space resembling a Japanese outdoor bar. It's intimately lit and well decorated. We did have to wait for two spots to open up, but that didn't take too long The bartenders were friendly, professional, and efficient. We went on a Friday night (fairly late), and they had two dedicated bartenders The cocktails were fun and were beautifully crafted. Most were served in novelty glassware. You can order classic cocktails, but both Kanpai and Hando offer a variety of signature cocktails. Most having some sort of Japanese or Asian fusion. They have beer, wine, and extensive sake list, as well as green tea and other nonalcoholic options The cocktails were tasty. The only one I was iffy on was their Espresso martini. It was poured from a machine and I guess there were having issues with it. The presentation was phenomenal. There was a roasted marshmallow garnish. The drink itself was far too Smokey in flavor than I like, or at least in terms of my espresso martinis The Yuzu Kosho fries were incredible. The flavors really hit the spot. The Okinawa Potato salad was both questionable to looks and and to eat lol. This purple mound of potato's had an interesting taste, look, and consistency. It wasn't bad, just... interesting and new Some tips: If you can't find this spot from the street, look for Handos. It's part of this restaurant Ask the bartender about the happy hour menu. And most nights they're open until 12am, but on Fridays and Saturdays they are open until 2am If you order food online (technically from Hando's) you can get 10% off using code: HANDO10. This is part of their "Hando and Chill" special Cheers!!

Favorite neighborhood bar and the best happy hour in Houston. Old fashion is top notch and a solid…read moresteak night on Mondays!

This used to be my favorite local bar until recently…read more The security guard has some sort power trip with the customers. I"ve been a victim multiple times and seen him mistreat others several times. He seems to love harassing customers. He is the reason I went from going to monkeys on a weekly basis to not at all. Its been months since my last visit and again I got mistreated today. Ive complained to the staff and the management and nothing changes. Today was my last visit.

Came here for a friend's birthday party recently on a Saturday night and we had a great time. Our…read moreserver impressively managed our whole group of 30+ people efficiently and quickly. The DJ was also bumpin'! Song choices were fitting and he mixed the music seamlessly which made the vibes so much more fun. We loved the Prosciutto Flatbread, the toppings were generous and the crust was perfectly chewy but crispy. We also got the Papas Bravas, which was pretty standard. For drinks, we got the Situationship, Lychee Lemon Drop, Smooth Operator, and Blue Tile IPA. All the cocktails were very tasty and perfectly balanced. Food and drinks here are definitely on the pricier side for a typical Houston bar.

Came here with one of the boys after Too Golf . Very nice place with excellent ambiance and…read morebeautiful people. One of those places where you are sure to meet someone new. We both drink neat so no real reviews of drinks. But they do pour a good drink. None of that "where's the alcohol ish". They have music playing in the background and a good mix for everyone. Vibing music . When we got there, it was dying down but I can tell it's popular. I would go back during earlier hours to see what the full vibe is . Nice place to try.

Refuge is a really nice bar located right next to Anvil. The interior is very nice, clean, fancy…read moreclassy and calm vibe. The service is good and drinks are well made. Presentation of drinks is lovely. Everything is very clean and very nice. Several seating available, good music, you can talk and hear yourself. Light during the day is great and vibe at night is more dim and relaxed. There is a hidden speakeasy on the other side of the building upstairs. The wait is usually very long as the inside is very small and sea are limited.

If you're looking for a unique cocktail experience in Houston, Refuge is definitely worth a visit…read more The seasonal cocktail menu is creative, and every drink feels thoughtfully crafted with flavors you won't find just anywhere. The funky décor gives the space a cool, intimate speakeasy vibe that makes the experience even more memorable. The staff was welcoming, knowledgeable, and genuinely friendly, making the evening even better. If you're planning to go with someone, I'd highly recommend making a reservation for two or more, as seating is limited. Overall, Refuge delivers great drinks, an awesome atmosphere, and top-notch hospitality. I'll definitely be back!

It was my first time at Aperitivo and I must say I'm still impressed. I've had some time to sit…read morewith my thoughts/experience so here's the review you've all been waiting for. We arrived on a Friday evening during Happy Hour (HH) around 5:30pm. Maurizio stopped by to introduce himself and let us know that he would ensure we were taken care of. As stated above, it was happy hour during our time there but we ordered from allllll the menus haha! Check out the eats below: -Fried Shrimp -Chicken Parm Sliders -Tuna Tartare -Brussels Sprouts -Aperitivo Sliders -Bottle of Wine + Pizza (x2) ~Pepperoni Pizza ~Chicken Alfredo Pizza Bottles of the Sparkling and Rose - these are the bottles we selected based on their Social Hour menu bottle of wine & pizza deal for 35 dollars! Great deal! The experience was great, there were many waiters and waitresses stopping by the table to check in on us. The food was fresh, flavorful, and piping hot! The views are lovely and the ambiance is a combination of chill, chic, and relaxing. Very vibey and spacious place. The restrooms are really nice as well and they were clean and stocked. Aperitivo is definitely on my list of places to return to, especially for happy hour. It's worth it to check this place out!

The place itself is gorgeous. The patio and view of downtown is amazing. The vibes alone are a…read more10/10. Now on to the food. I would say stick to the pizza. I have been twice and regret not ordering the pizza on my second visit. We had the Wellington bites, mozzerella sticks, steak frites, truffle fries (no truffle), caesar salad and pizza. We gave everything 2-3 stars and the pizza 4 stars. Definitely recommend taking advantage of pizza and a bottle of wine on Thursday nights for $40. The mix cocktails are on the sweeter side so either stick to wine or straight up tequila.