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    Zanti River Oaks

    4.2 (351 reviews)
    Closed • 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated 1 month ago

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    ZANTI RIVER OAKS ATMOSPHERE

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    Recommended Reviews - Zanti River Oaks

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    Risotto with shrimp
    Felicia R.

    Zanti is an excellent choice for a special occasion. The service was attentive and welcoming from start to finish, and the interior is absolutely beautiful, creating an elevated yet comfortable atmosphere. Everything we ordered was delicious, especially the shrimp risotto and calamari. They also have an impressive wine selection with plenty of options to complement your meal. One of the standout menu items is the tomahawk steak--not just for the flavor, but for the presentation, which adds a fun, memorable element to the dining experience. If you're planning a celebration, Zanti is a great option. They even offer a small private dining room for more intimate gatherings.

    Lobster pizza
    Joyce J.

    I have been here several times and it's always been a hit. I ordered the lobster pizza which was a first and I loved how they put more lobster on it so the ratio was really good. Plus the arancini is a classic i get every time. The birthday surprise was sweet although we were trying to get the soccer ball lava one! I think it's a secret menu item.

    Carolina S.

    I couldn't recommend this place enough! The food is amazing, but the service truly made the experience even better. My waiter, Cecilio , was absolutely wonderful -- so kind, attentive, and genuinely helpful. You can tell he truly loves what he does, and that warmth really comes through in the way he treats his guests. Such a genuine soul and an absolute pleasure to have as a server. Thank you, Cecilio, for making our experience so special! We'll definitely be back!

    Gnocchi Al Funghi Silvestri
    Shambrika S.

    Invited to Zanti for a Bridesmaid proposal! What a wonderful night it was to celebrate the bride and the bridesmaids! The vibe here was nice, very busy on a Saturday night. Our waiter was attentive and made sure we felt comfortable with the menu. The price point is fairly decent but after you order a drink and app and an entree you will easily be at $100.

    Patrick L.

    A friend visiting suggested Zanti. We made reservations for Sunday brunch. Valet parking is complimentary. This has a nice ambiance to it. Good for date nights. They have rodeo themed decor this time of year as rodeo is just around the corner. We were seated near the window with plenty of light streaming in. They have rack that can hold your jackets as well as any bags or hats you want to hang beside your table. We started with shrimp ceviche and Fritto misto Mediterreano. Shrimp ceviche came with fried plantains that offset the sourness from the ceviche quite well. Fritto misto is a combination of seafood and vegetables like peppers and artichoke and batter fried. It was pretty good size. It was crispy and tender on the inside. The sauces were great complements to the dish. For mains, we had the Tagliolini Fruitti di Mare and Neapolitan Pork Pizza. As we wanted to try both, they split the pasta into two. I love the sauce on the pasta. Yummy! The seafood were very fresh and tasted sweet. Squid ink pasta was very. good. The pizza was oven baked. Would have preferred it the crust to be baked a little more. They are on the pricier end. To end our meal, we had the crostata al limone. Our commented how delicious it was. Enough said. Service was top notch. They always keep our glasses filled and know not to intrude. Definitely a great place to celebrate important occasions or date nights.

    Kavita K.

    I celebrated my birthday here back in October. The service and food was amazing and they even gave me the little room they have in the back that holds up to 12 guests. I liked it so much that when we wanted to do a surprise for my mom's 75th birthday, we decided to have it here. We rented the cellar room which is semi-private but it worked out perfectly. Stacey was very easy to work with and they were super accommodating. I was able to stop by the day before to take a look at the setup of the area since I was bringing my own decorations I made, flower arrangements and also balloons. We had a set menu for brunch, which we were also able to customize a bit since we had some vegetarians in our group and everything came out perfectly. They helped us pick out bottles of wine to share with our guests and I would definitely keep them in mind for any future events that I plan to have!

    Black Truffle Beef Tartare
    Patrick Z.

    Pretty good Italian here at Zanti. Started with the Black Truffle Beef Tartare which was super fresh and delicious. The truffles werent overpowering. There could have been a bit more of the bread. For the main I got the Truffle Cheese Ravioli which again, the truffle wasnt overpowering and I loved the sauce here. For dessert we got the Tortino Di Latte Bruciato which was a dulce de leche lava cake and it was stellar. So freaking good but it does come with an extended wait of like 25 mins or something so make sure to order in advance. I also tried the Smokey Hibiscus drink which came with a bubble which was fun.

    GNOCCHI AI FUNGHI SILVESTRI
    Briann R.

    Updating my review to say I still LOVE this place. Italian food is something where you want it to be intentional, quality, and not overdone. You can taste the quality in the ingredients. And that also goes for their cocktails as well. Honestly my take away from my visit last night, is that I don't come here enough haha.

    Kid portion size still hungry
    Kim T.

    I had beef raviolis about a hour ago. Unfortunately, it is a baby/toddler portion so I'm at Trill Burger right now spending another $20. For the amount of money you pay they should increase the portion size. Don't expect to be full.

    Braised Lamb Ossobuco
    Carl S.

    Zanti Cucina Italiana is a great place for Italian dining and a recent choice for a birthday dinner party for five. The restaurant is very attractively decorated with comfortable spacing between tables to avoid feeling over-crowded. Complementary valet parking is recommend by not a must. The staff is friendly and does an incredible job of providing attentive service without pestering. The food was very good and flavorful overall but some dishes like the Pappardelle Al Ragu Ossobuco seemed small. The bread and butter at the beginning was a four star quality. However, the grilled bread delivered later with the meal was a five. My Braised Lamb Ossobuco had excellent flavor but the dish arrived at the table room temp and my side of pasta was cold. I was surprised that the staff let this get past them. This will not stop future visits but the restaurant is too pricey to miss on this detail.

    The dessert was good.
    Sandra H.

    Came for our anniversary and was very disappointed by the food. I should have paid attention to the reviews. Our bill was close to $400 and that was with us ordering off of HRW. The food was a 3 on a scale of 1-10. The dessert was really good and that was about it. The bread had no flavour, my steak had no flavour where I had to ask for salt. The potatoes had no flavour either. I salted everything to death and still did not enjoy it. $400! What a rip off. The service was good, nothing to complain about.

    Finest
    Yan C.

    Santiago definitely deserves respect for putting his second location of Zanti in the heart of Houston ! There's so much competition in the restaurant business!!! I believe this unique taste of Italian cuisine deserves much more recognition! Elite status in my opinion! Great parking, excellent fast service and great hospitality! Food got the flavor ! If you around definitely pick this spot to go to !!! Respect earned!!! Super nice inside and out !!! Ciao

    Chicken piccata
    Rachel M.

    My husband and I decided to try Zanti for Houston Restaurant Weeks, and while there were definitely highlights, the overall experience felt meh. First off, complimentary valet is a big plus, since parking in this area can be a challenge. Even for a Sunday evening, the restaurant was very lively and full. Thankfully we made a reservation ahead of time. But once seated inside, it took over 10 minutes before anyone greeted us, and it ended up being a manager, not our server. He kindly stepped in to take both our drink and food orders at once. For starters, we both chose the Cacio e Pepe Salad, made with baby gem lettuce, Parmigiano Reggiano, a drizzle of 25-year-aged balsamic, and a cacio-pepper dressing. This was one of the best parts of the evening: fresh, flavorful, and generously topped with cheese (my love language). Paired with the warm, crunchy bread service, it was an excellent beginning... until I realized bread doesn't come with butter. Oddly enough, when I requested butter, I was told it would be an extra charge and then it never even arrived! For mains, I ordered the flank steak with fries and mustard sauce. Unfortunately, this was a bit of a miss. The steak was underwhelming in flavor, though the fries were piping hot and crispy. My husband had much better luck with his chicken piccata. He said it was perfectly pan-seared, with a flavorful sauce, and served over sage polenta instead of pasta, which worked well for his gluten-free diet. To drink, I ordered a Panoma (their non-alcoholic Paloma) to pair with my entrée. It was just ok and on the tart side. Dessert was another split decision. I ordered the lemon sorbet, but was instead served orange sorbet, which was both oddly neon in color and artificial in flavor. It was definitely not what I was expecting. My husband's hazelnut cake with caramel-salt gelato and Nutella toffee was excellent. Once again, he chose wisely. Service-wise, we finally met our actual waitress about 30 minutes into the meal while we were already on appetizers. I overheard her tell another table that she was new, which explains a lot of the missteps (missed butter, swapped dessert, slow pacing). She was kind, but the fumbles did affect the experience. To try and make up for the shortfalls of the evening she gave us a coupon for a free bottle of prosecco. Unfortunately it's useless as my husband and I don't drink and you can only use it during their brunch service. Not really a good way to make up for the mistakes in my opinion. Overall: the salad, chicken piccata, and hazelnut cake were winners, while the steak, sorbet, and service missed the mark. For Houston Restaurant Weeks, the value was ok, but with so many excellent options in town, I'd try another spot before circling back here.

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    Thank you so much Kira! Hope to see you back again soon.

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    Zanti River Oaks Reviews in Other Languages

    Ask the Community - Zanti River Oaks

    Does Zanti offer/allow BYOB? If so, what's the corkage cost?

    I don't believe they offer BYOB

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    Bar Buena

    4.6(17 reviews)
    0.1 mi•River Oaks, Montrose

    Great drinks, great customer service , great lite bites. 10/10 recommend. Perfect for pre game…read morebefore a concert or debrief after a long work day!

    Bar Buena was a surprise find after we participated in a cooking class at Sur La Table across the…read morestreet. After the byob cooking experience, we figured "why not!?" So we walked on over to this little speakeasy and were immediately greeted by the bouncer. On a Thursday night, it was quite crowded, but were able to find the last remaining seats at the bar. We were seated at the left end of the bar, which was nice because we had our own little "nook" away from the rest of the bar. Adjacent to us was the server station - the one server tending to the tables, Marilyn, frequently came by and we immediately befriended her. She gave us excellent recommendations and provided her opinion on several drinks. Robin was the bartender who took care of us throughout the night. She was super friendly from the moment we sat down and gave us stellar recommendations on food and drinks. She was happy to tweak a couple of their seasonal drinks to our liking, and even offered to mix other drinks that weren't on the menu. Fantastic service from Robin throughout the night. I started out with Tommy's Margarita - this was just their take on a classic margarita, nothing super special. I then ordered the Oaxacan Old Fashioned - think of an old fashioned made with tequila and mezcal in lieu of bourbon. I was a bit cautious about this one since I am not a fan of mezcal, however the smoky flavor was not very apparent in this one, which was a huge plus! I also got the Ardilla - very unique drink made with mexican corn whiskey, cocoa nibs, sherry, and a milk punch. I award this drink for most unique I've had in a while, definitely give it a try if you're up for something new. To finish, I had the Cariña - their take on an espresso martini made with reposado tequila. I really liked this espresso martini - it was a great way to finish out the night and I left feeling inspired to make my espresso martinis at home using tequila now! With the little room we had left in our stomachs, we tried the Pato Tinga Memela, which was duck leg (no bone) with beans and onions and cilantro atop a memela. I haven't had memela specifically per se, but consider me a fan. It is basically a mini "cake" of masa that is pan fried to a slight crispiness. An Oaxacan speciality, where else can I find these in Houston!? We also tried the Guacamole y Tostadas. The guacamole was unique in the sense that it was Oaxacan style, so contains pepitas, pickled onions, and queso fresco. The tostadas were super crispy and reminded me of how they serve guacamole in Mexico (rather than with chips/totopos). Fun fact is that this bar is owned by Goode Company. Next door to this is Goode Co. Cantina, so it's nice that they created an adjoining restaurant + speakeasy concept within the same strip. At one point in our visit, Levi Goode was standing next to us. We didn't know until after he left and Marilyn informed us, that that was THE man. Just doing a casual check-in of his bar. We really had a good experience at Bar Buena and look forward to returning. The food menu has quite a few offerings I wanted to try had I not come from a cooking class. We were also told that the seasonal drink menu was set to change shortly after our visit, so I look forward to trying these drinks!

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    Sante - Covered Patio seating

    Sante

    3.9(161 reviews)
    1.4 mi•Upper Kirby
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    beautiful !!!!! this place is amazing…read more check em out food and drinks are gr8 customer service 5 stars The Best Amazing love it Insanely beautiful thanks

    The ambiance at Santé was beautiful, and the food was good, but unfortunately, the service was…read morequite possibly one of the worst experiences we've had at a restaurant. Our server, Camille, took our order and then would disappear for 30+ minutes at a time. At one point, when we asked where she had been, she simply said she was "walking around." Her overall approach to serving us felt extremely nonchalant and inattentive. The atmosphere also made us feel as though the level of attention you receive depends on how much you're spending--particularly whether you're purchasing bottles. The servers seemed more focused on creating a bottle-service experience than providing attentive restaurant service. It gave the evening a very transactional, "pay for attention" feeling rather than genuine hospitality. What really sealed the experience for us happened after we had already paid our bill. A host approached our table and essentially said, "Can you leave now? We need to seat someone right now." There was no gracious transition, no "thank you for dining with us," and no polite explanation--just an abrupt request to leave. For a restaurant with such a beautiful ambiance and good food, the service and hospitality were incredibly disappointing. Guests should feel welcomed and valued from the moment they sit down until the moment they leave, regardless of whether they're ordering bottles.

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    Kanpai Club - Late night bites

    Kanpai Club

    4.5(73 reviews)
    2.6 mi•The Heights

    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!!

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    Hidden Bar - More mini cranes!

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    4.6(64 reviews)
    2.1 mi•West University

    Now THIS is a speakeasy. I had no idea that I was going to get this experience when coming to…read moreHouston, but I couldn't be happier. The origami ceiling, lively bar, friendly staff, unique cocktails, fun bathroom, and photo booth in the corner made for an unforgettable experience. My friend said it was the busiest he had ever seen the place, and it was loud. But we got some awesome drinks that I swore I could've taken pics of -- the lighting was a little crazy, so I think I ultimately changed my mind with that. One was the periscope which was a refreshing and summery gin drink... And I think I tried the naked and famous too because I like mezcal. I had already eaten so I skipped the restaurant the speakeasy's connected to, but I cannot wait to return to Houston outside of a Con so I can really go all out on exploring. It was an amazing way to end my first night!

    Super cute speakeasy hidden inside a sushi restaurant. We went on a weekday evening and had no…read moretrouble getting a table. I ordered the Side to the Sun Rises (gin, yuzu, mint, cucumber) which was light, refreshing, and well balanced. I would recommend it if you enjoy gin-based cocktails with a slightly fruity flavor. My friends really enjoyed their drinks as well. They have all day happy hour on Sundays/Mondays. We did not get a chance to try the food, but the menu looked great. Overall, a fun spot with great vibes and definitely worth checking out!

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    Zanti River Oaks - italian - Updated September 2026

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