If going twice in two nights when visiting from L.A. isn't a testament to a great bar, I don't know…read morewhat is. I ate at Norigami Tuesday night and it was great as were the cocktails served up at the nextdoor bar called Hidden Bar. On Tuesday, I tried the Thai Chili Ginger Margarita ($13) and it was great, complete with a hunk of candied ginger which I "gingerly" consumed throughout my drink experience...see what I did there? Next, I had the Three Dots and a Daiquiri ($13) with Rum, Lime, Velvet Falernum, All Spice and Pineapple and it was very similar to one of my favorite tiki drinks, the Three Dots and a Dash, complete with 3 luxardo cherries. To finish, I had the absolutely incredible Golden Laurel ($16) with Gin, Italicus Bergamot, House Greek Botanical Bitters and Sea Salt. It is equally beautiful served with a clear bay leaf and delicious. Last night, I was guided by the friendly bartender to try the Et Tu Banana" ($15) with Banana Bourbon, Spiced Pear, Creme de Banane, Campari and Citric Acid. I was a little worried about the cocktail being overly banana-y but it wasn't at all. It was a fantastic drink. For my last call, he recommended the Left Hand ($13) with Bourbon, Campari, Sweet Vermouth and Chocolate Bitters. Again, fantastic. Both nights, the bartenders and drinks were fantastic. Ambiance is nice with moody lighting. They even have a bidet toilet seat in the bathroom! Hidden Bar is a "hidden" gem, for sure. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Stopped by The Hidden Bar for drinks and let me just say... the ambiance is EVERYTHING the…read moreaesthetic is super cute, very picture-worthy, and definitely gives that "night out with the girls" vibe. They even have a selfie ring light on the wall, which is such a fun touch for pictures (because if you didn't take pics, did you even go??) Now--fair warning--we went on a Friday night and it was PACKED. We were lucky enough to find seats, but it was so crowded we could barely talk without yelling, and we were basically shoulder-to-shoulder with the people around us Other than that, it's a really nice spot to grab drinks, hang out with friends, and get some cute content. Would I go again? Yes... just maybe not on a Friday night

The food was really good . The ravioli were my favorite but the truffle fries were amazing as well…read more. Service was very professional. The lady was very knowledgeable and helpful. Ambiance is very dim outside and very nice and elegant. It's giving high end so dress causal or to impress but not too much going on lol they could be a little more welcoming to poc . ( seemed shocked to see us ) but all good . I would love to come back .

stella's has an excellent wine selection and extremely knowledgeable staff…read more we sat in the sun room on a rainy day, and it was a little leaky... but we took the chance since it was freezing cold inside of the wine bar. the fried raviolis were so good, we got two rounds! we did three flights: bubblicious, one i forgot, and the wanna be a somm all of the wines were great and i would definitely recommend trying it out if you are in the area. it's located in the post oak area. bonne santé

Came here on a weeknight for their holiday week. It's a little less than $200 for the 5 courses of…read moredrinks and valet. You check in at the host stand and they give you an envelope with your name in beautiful calligraphy. You proceed down the elegantly decorated hall to the speakeasy. The decorations were so chic and festive. We started with a welcome drink - mulled wine. Next was the poinsettia with a brie, truffle pastry. Both were excellent - this was my fave drink course. Next was a festive margarita. Third was a grey goose shot of vodka with a caviar bump. Then a bourbon based drink with some foam that was delicious. The last one was a panna cotta with peppermint crushings. The service was fantastic. We can't wait for the next time they're open!

If I could give Navi zero stars, I would. The drinks were incredibly disappointing... poorly…read morebalanced and borderline undrinkable. One tasted like mint cough syrup, another like cheap jello, and a third resembled a beet smoothie. Out of six drinks, we couldn't finish four. We weren't alone... three other couples left early, their half-finished drinks untouched, suggesting they were just as underwhelmed. The seating was uncomfortable (especially the cramped two-person bench), and while the service was passable, no effort was made to address our concerns. Instead of welcoming constructive feedback, the manager responded with condescension, dismissing our comments by saying the "experience" wasn't for everyone--implying we lacked taste rather than acknowledging the clear missteps. There are plenty of elevated cocktail experiences worth your time and money. Sadly, Navi isn't one of them.

Our party of 5 had dinner here last Saturday night to celebrate and order from the Houston…read moreRestaurant Weeks menu. Giorgio's is one of two restaurants located in the beautiful Hotel Granduca across from Uptown Park. This is a very nice and upscale property with both valet and self parking available. When I made the reservation I initially chose inside dining but after arriving we decided to take advantage of their offer to sit outside to take advantage of their lovely patio by the pool and the very pleasant outdoor temperature that evening after a nice rain. We were seated near the door where the pianist was playing nice music inside that allowed us to enjoy it. Giorgio's HRW 3 course dinner this year was $39 and I ordered the Burrata Panzanella Salad as my first course followed by Cavatelli Bolognese for the second finishing with the Flourless Chocolate Cake for the third. While waiting we were brought some bread along with trays of peanuts, potato chips and popcorn which was a little unusual but no one complained about free food. I must say that all of my 3 courses were excellent tasting. The Burrata salad had a large serving of the above named cheese with fresh tomatoes, olives and ciabatta bread that was cool in temperature and I could have eaten another serving because it was so good. The pasta bolognese was equally delicious except warm in temperature with the Akaushi beef making a delicious bolognese sauce over the cavatelli. Finally the cake was fresh and full of chocolate flavor with berries and Nutella alongside a scoop of rich vanilla ice cream. This was a perfect finish for what was a fine meal. The outdoor setting was also perfect and one that I wouldn't hesitate to repeat. So why do I only give 4 stars? For some reason not understood by anyone in our party was the fact that this entire experience took us 3 hours from being seated to paying the checks for our 3 course dinners. They didn't appear to be too busy that night so I'm not sure why it took so long. Our group did enjoy our time together and filled it with good conversation but still this dinner should have taken at least 1 hour less. Talking about a slow relaxed pace for dinner....this was a little too slow. I would still be happy to return.

Excellent cocktails and good salads. Their burger is really good too! Nice outdoors area and it…read moreoffers a lot of nice light from floor to ceiling windows! Good place to meet friends for lunch.

me & the Yelp crew step inside for a spell after our Gathering at the rustic for the celebration of…read moreScorpio born days, I enjoyed the lavender drink. Thanks for my sweet, dearest friend Keandra. Duchess is a well dim lit decor, locate in uptown with friendly crew members. I love the archways on the booth seatings, very classical. I definitely would like to come back and try to brunch

This is a restaurant that's definitely more for the aesthetics rather than the food. Came here to…read morecelebrate a birthday, and it was perfect for the ambiance and aesthetic. It's located in Uptown Park, so parking is plentiful! It wasn't too busy when we came during brunch time too. While it was nice to have a celebration here, I wouldn't come back because the food did not stand out to me or seem worth the price point to me.

Botonica is a hidden gem for happy hour! Tuesday to Friday from 4-6pm all drinks are half off and…read moreall food items are 25% off! The inside is dark, moody, and has somewhat earthy tones. It gives me some apothecary vibes. The cocktail menu has a number of choices with strong Latin influence, with a strong presence of mezcal and tequila. All of the cocktails that we tried were not only tasty but also beautifully garnished. We also tried the picada board, similar to a charcuterie board, and it was bountiful! There were a number of cheeses, meats, fruit, olives, crackers, jam, and dried corn snacks. With the happy hour prices this is definitely a great value and a nice option to snack on with a group while enjoying some drinks. My only issue with Botonica is the parking. There is some street parking out front which can be hit or miss depending on what time you visit. You can also utilize the neighboring SkyHouse valet for $10 per their website. Uber might be your best bet.

Made a reservation for Christmas Eve. Normally if there are any stipulation's there's a notice…read more Unfortunately we planned our outing based on the special bar menu which included tamales and empanadas and did not state time stipulations other than open until 12. We were very disappointed to learn they decided to let the kitchen staff leave early so no food could be ordered. While I love that they valued the employees time with their families, it would be appropriate to make note of that online especially for reservations. We easily could have chosen another time if made aware. Overall the place was beautifully decorated and the drinks were good! The eggnog was my favorite * pic for event menu has snacks and drinks no mention of kitchen closing early like main menu

Wow this place really blew me away. It's a near perfect spot for a business lunch or dinner (or if…read moreyou're willing to splurge with your own money for a good meal or a hot date). I wasn't sure what to expect based on the name of the restaurant, but essentially their seafood options are spectacular. And it feels like an exclusive club because the decor and service are both very much high class and special. We tried the coconut shrimp as the appetizer and really liked it. It was lightly fried and the shrimp was cooked to perfection - not under and not over. I would highly recommend this one to start. Loved it. If you're looking for a fair-priced meal, they have lots of salad and sandwich options. I tried the salmon poke bowl and it was so delicious. The fish was extremely fresh, and all the flavors blended together really well. It was like a healthy party in my mouth. It was great decision. You wanna splurge a bit and live large like YOLO? You gotta get the crab cake. Now, how good can a crab cake be? Well, if you're paying close to $50 for one crab cake, you better believe it's gonna be freaking awesome. And alas, it was. Best crab cake I've ever had in my life, no joke. And I've tried a lot of crab cakes in my many decades of dining out. Overall, I would highly recommend this restaurant and will be coming back many times. Enjoy! Quick note on parking - plenty of parking in a huge lot shared by many businesses such as Kenny and Ziggy's. Only annoying part is several sections of the lot are designated for specific businesses, so just look for the signs and be willing to park a little bit further away towards Taco Deli and Bluestone.

I was excited to finally try Balboa Surf Club since I drive by it all the time and it's located…read morenear several of my favorite restaurants. Unfortunately, this turned out to be one of the most disappointing dining experiences I've had in quite some time. We had an 8:00 PM reservation but weren't seated until around 8:30 PM. While delays happen and I was willing to overlook that, the experience only went downhill from there. We ordered Palomas to kick off our Friday night. The drinks took quite a while to arrive, and when they did, they were noticeably watered down. I politely mentioned it to our server, who quickly took them back and brought replacements, which I appreciated. Unfortunately, the second round was nearly identical to the first. When I brought it up again, instead of acknowledging the feedback, the server responded by saying it was "just not a sugary drink." That completely missed the point. I wasn't expecting a sweet cocktail--I was pointing out that the drinks tasted diluted and poorly made. What bothered me most wasn't the drinks themselves, but how the feedback was handled. I wasn't looking for free drinks or trying to be difficult. I was simply offering honest feedback, and it felt like my opinion was being dismissed rather than heard. Unfortunately, the food didn't redeem the experience. We ordered several dishes to get a good sense of the menu, and most were overwhelmingly salty. The salt overpowered any other flavors to the point that we couldn't finish some of the dishes. The sushi was the best thing we had, but even that lacked the presentation and quality I would expect at this price point. To be fair, the manager did remove the drinks from our bill as a courtesy, and I appreciate that gesture. However, by that point the damage had already been done. A resolution is only effective when guests feel heard and respected throughout the process. Instead, I felt like I had to defend my opinion and justify my feedback before anyone took it seriously. At the end of the day, a restaurant can be trendy, crowded, and beautifully designed, but none of that matters if the food and service don't deliver. Balboa Surf Club has the atmosphere and location, but in my experience it falls short where it matters most. Overall, I'm glad I finally tried it because I had always been curious, but now I know I won't be back and cannot recommend it. If you're looking for a similar concept, I'd recommend Hudson House. The atmosphere is comparable, but the drinks are consistently well-made, the food is much better, and the service has always been far superior.

We stopped into Jethro's Cocktail Lounge while we were out at the Vintage Community Market hosted…read moreby Faculty Club Never, and it ended up being one of those places you're so glad you randomly walked into. First, the vibe. It is warm, stylish, and very Montrose in the best way. It feels elevated but still relaxed enough to just sit, talk, and enjoy your time without feeling rushed. We came during happy hour and it was such a great deal. I ordered the Sweet Like Peach Tree, which was light, refreshing, and perfectly balanced with the peach and ginger. My husband got the Frozen Paloma and it was just as good, super smooth with the right citrus bite. We also shared the churros and they were honestly a must order. Warm, crispy, and paired with Nutella and caramel. What really made the experience stand out though was our bartender, Manny. He was incredibly welcoming from the moment we sat down, had such a great personality, and made the whole experience feel personal. You can tell he genuinely enjoys what he does, and that kind of service is hard to find. He also told us about their upcoming two year anniversary party on May 3rd with rotating live DJs, which sounds like it will be such a fun time. We will definitely be back. Between the drinks, the atmosphere, and the service, this place really gets it right.

On my weekly walks through midtown, I got to watch Jethro's be built and come to life. First visit…read morewas a big HIT for me and I love finding time to come back. The vibes are immaculate! It's a little small inside and a small parking lot, but if you're lucky and can walk there, do! The quality of the drinks are really excellent and the burgers have been voted some of the best in town! I can't speak for them, but the drinks and the spot, are phenomenal. They have bingo nights, dj nights, and other themed events that keep the place packed out. Maybe once I try the burgers, it'll be 5 stars, but the smallll parking lot and lack of safe street parking keep me at 4.