Where To Eat In Houston During the World Cup — 24 Restaurants That Show Off the Best of the Bayou City

In case you haven’t noticed, Houston’s been rather busy lately. With the World Cup in town, and six matches still on tap at the home of the Texans, this is a great chance to celebrate the best of the Bayou City. Which certainly means the food of one of the United States’ great restaurant cities.

These are the Best Restaurants To Eat At In Houston During the World Cup:

Armandos

This iconic Tex-Mex spot, located in River Oaks, is part of Armando and Cinda Palacios’ restaurant empire. It’s a go-to for classics such as enchiladas, quesadillas, flautas, seafood, homemade guacamole and margaritas.

Bari Ristorante

This casual-chic Italian restaurant in River Oaks District is known for its pasta vongole, veal Milanese, pappardelle Bolognese and risotto. There’s all-day service in the handsome interior or on the outdoor dining terrace, overlooking the green space.

BCN Taste & Tradition

This Spanish restaurant earned a Michelin Star in 2025. Owner Ignacio Torras and chef Luis Roger, both from Spain, bring the best of their home country’s flavors, textures and nostalgia.

Bludorn

Located in the heart of Montrose, chef Aaron Bludorn’s restaurant serves French-inspired New American food with seasonally rotating dishes that can be paired with top wines and handcrafted cocktails. 

Clark’s Oyster Bar

Like its Austin predecessor, this Montrose seafood house inhabits a former automotive shop. Among the offerings are daily fish specials, lobster rolls, crudo, caviar and, of course, freshly shucked oysters. There’s all-day service in the dining room with its marble-topped oyster bar and outside on the covered patio.

Eunice

This brasserie, named after the Louisiana hometown of executive chef/partner Drake Leonards, offers Cajun/Creole cuisine with European influence. Southern favorites include shellfish-stuffed oysters, New Orleans-style gumbo and crispy Bandera quail. Don’t miss the full raw bar. 

Hotel Daphne Bar and Hypsi

Nestled in The Heights, this boutique hotel houses the restaurant and lounge Hypsi, serving Italian dishes and pasta made in-house. The hotel’s cocktail bar Bar Daphne is inspired by the speakeasy history of the Houston Heights.

Katami

It’s no wonder Katami translates to “gift” in Japanese. Five-time James Beard Award-nominated chef Manabu Horiuchi’s most ambitious restaurant yet offers hot and cold dishes, nigiri and sashimi options and a 17-course omakase experience. Also check out Katami’s sister restaurant Kata Robata for sushi and more.

Le Colonial

The Houston outpost of Le Colonial, the perennially popular hotspot that first opened in the 1990s in New York City, serves French-Vietnamese food such as heritage pork ribs, spicy shrimp stir-fry, roasted duck, shaking beef and crispy red snapper.

Le Jardinier

This stunning Michelin-starred restaurant, located inside the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, is led by culinary director Alain Verzeroli and offers a seasonal French menu. Ask for a table by the floor-to-ceiling windows or on the patio overlooking the Cullen Sculpture Garden designed by Isamu Noguchi.

Lucille’s

At this Museum District restaurant, James Beard Award finalist Chef  Chris Williams honors the legacy of his great-grandmother by serving well-loved, familiar Southern food with a modern twist: chili biscuits, shrimp and grits, yardbird, baked macaroni and cheese, jalapeño poppers and more

March

This Michelin-starred restaurant is named not for the month, but for the medieval notion of a borderland — a frontier between realms. Each season, the menu is dedicated to a different area of the Mediterranean.

The current focus is España Verde, focusing on delicacies from Spain.

The Marigold Club

British sensibility meets Gallic cuisine in this Montrose neighborhood restaurant. Chef partner Austin Waiter presents elevated dishes such as Fish “Not” Chips, duck Wellington and loup de mer.

Mayahuel

Chef Luis Robledo Richards and Culinary Khancepts’ Omar Khan are the forces behind this Autry Park restaurant, where traditional Mexican food meets modern technique. Offerings include tacos y masa, carne asada and short rib barbacoa. 

Milton’s

Restaurateur Benjy Levit named Milton’s after his father (and its partnering cocktail bar Lee’s after his mother). Executive chef Kent Domas serves Italian food including ricotta gnocchi, pastas made in-house, grilled hanger steak and branzino in a retro trattoria-esque setting.

Musaafer

This Michelin-starred showcase restaurant in the Houston Galleria mall offers far more than your average Indian restaurant. Owners Mithu and Shammi Malik embarked on a 100-day journey across the 29 states of India collecting recipes, spices and techniques before opening Musaafer.

Fittingly, the name of this Houston restaurant translates to “traveler” in Hindi.

Navy Blue

This spot from chef and restaurateur Aaron Bludorn, located in Rice Village, serves branzino, crawfish risotto, grilled swordfish and lobster rolls.

Park House

Hopefully you know someone who has made it onto Park House’s hush-hush membership list. This is the perfect Houston spot for a sunset cocktail and to take in the view. It is a members-only club.

Perseid

Chef Aaron Bludorn opened this French bistro in the sultry new Montrose-area Hotel Saint Augustine, created by Bunkhouse, where he serves escargot en vol au vent, Wagyu beef burger, ricotta gnocchi and Ora King salmon.

The Ranch Presents Pitch Live

Visit during the World Cup or you’ll miss it. Restaurateur Ben Berg, nightlife veteran Army Sadeghi and former Houston Dynamo standout Brian Ching teamed up for this 35,000 square-foot Western-inspired hub, which will only be open during the World Cup, serving Texas-inspired dishes, members-club-level service and match viewing.

It is located in the former Warehouse Live, near the gateway of the unaffiliated FIFA Fan Festival in EaDo.

Tavola

From the Michelin-star minds at The Bastion Collection restaurant group, Tavola boasts dishes from various regions of Italy, such as gnocchi pesto, cacio e pepe and whipped ricotta on homemade focaccia bread. Self-described as the ultimate see-and-be-seen locale, this upscale Italian restaurant is located in the bustling Post Oak area of Houston, not far from The Galleria.

Tiny Boxwoods

Perch garden-side, next to Tiny Boxwoods’ sister spot Thompson + Hanson nursery, for a cocktail, dine on the patio or inside. Tiny’s farm-to-table menu is concocted by chef/co-owner Baron Doke, with produce and beef from a farm located in the Texas Hill Country near the town of La Grange.

Toulouse Cafe and Bar

Alberto Lombardi’s lauded restaurant in River Oaks District serves French-Belgian food such as steak tartare, lobster risotto, seared wild salmon taboulet, grilled lamb chop and beef bourguignon.

Turner’s Cut

This Gilded Age-esque restaurant from Berg Hospitality offers rare cuts of American and Australian Wagyu, Japanese Kobe beef and USDA prime dry-aged meats in a menu overseen by executive chef Pablo Peñalosa.

Additional Reporting for this story came from Danielle N. Bartholet.