Old Hollywood Inspired Restaurant Shakes Up the Post Oak Scene, Builds On Its Woodlands Success — Your First Look at the New Audrey

The late, great actress, humanitarian and fashion icon Audrey Hepburn — star of all-time classic movies such as Sabrina, Roman Holiday and Breakfast at Tiffany’s — continues to inspire. The creators of a new Houston restaurant are channeling that inspiration in a followup to its restaurant in The Woodlands’ Market Street development.

The new Audrey Restaurant and Bar, now open on the first level of The Aspire at Post Oak and San Felipe residential high-rise, is the second Audrey restaurant from Houston’s homegrown Culinary Khancepts, which first opened The Audrey in The Woodlands in 2023 beside the group’s boutique movie theatre dubbed Reel Luxury Cinemas.

The 5,400-square-foot space recalls the glamour of Hollywood Regency design, with a Rococo-like curved dining room and walls painted Tiffany Blue. Diners are reflected in foxed mirrors as they sit cossetted in plush floral banquettes. Designed by Laura Loreman Interior Design Studio in collaboration with Culinary Khancepts founders Denise and Omar Khan, the space is finished with sparkling crystal chandeliers, custom reproduction antique furnishings and golden accents throughout.

Like its flagship to the north, The Audrey aspires to a menu of contemporary American cuisine as refined as the iconic actress herself. Chef Emily Trusler, who helms both The Audrey restaurants, orchestrates lunch, dinner and weekend brunch. The dinner menu, much like lunch, features Parker rolls ($14) — a take on the famed Boston-based Parker House rolls.

The rolls are enormous, warm and butter-rich, served with a side of honey-agave whipped butter and sweet bacon jam. Trendy deviled eggs ($16), topped with caviar and dill cream, and a tuna-and-avocado martini ($21) round out the starters.

The GLP-1 crowd watching their waistline can dine virtuously on a main-course salad, from a grilled chicken cobb ($18, birthed — fittingly — in Hollywood) to a roasted beet and burrata salad ($15), with add-ons ranging from grilled chicken to shrimp to Ora King salmon.

Entrées span a gilded burger topped with truffle-scented cheese and foie gras aioli ($24) to a colossal lump crab cake with baby radish and cucumber slaw ($55). Don’t miss the pan-seared Chilean seabass ($49) in a pistachio crust with an herbaceous green goddess sauce. Note that the Trusler, as with the salmon, prefers it cooked to medium.

Pasta options run from shrimp and crab scampi ($33) to wild mushroom-stuffed ravioli shaved with fresh seasonal truffles ($28), alongside hearty beef selections such as a truffle-butter ribeye ($55) and braised short rib ($38), each served with rich Boursin-spiked mashed potatoes.

For dessert, the Culinary Khancepts team enlisted partner Luis Robledo Richards — of the group’s modern Mexican restaurant Mayahuel, who was named Latin America’s Best Pastry Chef in 2019 — to design each sweet ending. Options include a signature chocolate cake ($16), a light, no-bake mascarpone cheesecake ($14), and a warm matcha custard tart ($14), its vibrant green tea flavor set off by raspberry sorbet

This is no ordinary second act restaurant.

The Audrey is located in Uptown at 1616 Post Oak Boulevard. It is open from 11 am to 10 pm Mondays through Thursdays, 11 am to 11 pm Fridays, 10 am to 11 pm Saturdays and 11 am to 9 pm Sundays.