New Latin Restaurant In The Woodlands Brings a Unique Tropical Patio Vibe — Inside Costa Fina’s Dramatic Design

A facelift is what Enrique Orioli thought his newest restaurant Costa Fina Latin Coastal Cuisine, which took over the space of a former Tex-Mex restaurant in The Woodlands’ Creekside Park neighborhood, needed. The design firm behind Orioli’s Hughes Landing restaurant Azzuro and the rebrands of Terra Vina and Marcozza had other ideas for the new restaurant in Creekside Village West though.

More dramatic ideas.

Houston-based design firm Very Handsome Studio, led by partners Han Dang and and Vy Truong, had built up plenty of trust with the Orioli Restaurant Group. Costa Fina is the fourth restaurant project the firm has done for Enrique Orioli.

“He had a menu that he wanted to target — the cuisine is Latin American food,” Dang tells PaperCity The Woodlands. “And so we really wanted to celebrate that — fusion foods of Latin American and Spanish, Mexican food and American food. So I wanted to bring that vibe where people are really immersed into that tropical Latin American culture.

“He also said that he wanted it to be a more elevated environment. An upscale restaurant with more ambient lighting.”

That ambient lighting is important at Costa Fina. Each booth has its own pendant lighting and each table boasts its own sconce lighting too. The ambient lighting helps keep the focus on the table.

“Each group can feel like they are are really prioritized in their dining group area,” Dang says. “They can each feel special when they come in.”

The Very Handsome Studio design team was able to keep several elements in place from the old Tex-Mex restaurant, including some booth spaces. Additional booths were created locally by Houston’s Eagle Chair company, mimicking the booths that remained in the renovation. Dang wanted to make sure this Costa Fina restaurant project was respectful of the Orioli’s  budget, but still managed to get the flair he wanted for the finishes.

“Fortunately, the client (Orioli) is really interested in a lot of detail,” Han says. “Not only interior finishes like wall tile, floor tile, wallpaper — all the lighting you see here is curated,  and all the plants are installed. We actually worked with a local company called FAO design.

“They are also a woman-owned company as well and are an amazing team. They actually created every single plant for this project.”

Costa Fina’s Plant Vibe

The plants are an important part of the Costa Fina restaurant design. Staghorn ferns hang from the ceiling. Leaves and plants decorate the walls, and keep the bar area looking tropical.

Another special area at Costa Fina Latin Coastal Kitchen is the patio. It wraps around the front and side of the restaurant, shielded from the parking lot by a stone wall. The corner area of the patio has a unique table, complete with distinct seating and lighting.

“I actually love how it turned out,” Dang says. “We were able to add on more curve, more arches related to Mexican architecture. Our goal is to doing something different and unique for each client.”

And Enrique Orioli is pleased too.

“A Very Handsome Studio does amazing work from start to finish,”  Orioli says. “They are great to work with, and go above and beyond to get to know each client.”

Costa Fina Latin Coastal Kitchen is located at 26435 Kuykendahl Road, Suite 900. It is open Mondays through Thursdays from 11 am to 9:30 pm, Fridays and Saturdays from 11 am to 10:30 pm, and on Sundays from 11 am to 9 pm.