Houston’s New Secret Wine Bar is a Tucked Away Rice Village Delight — Taking a Closer Look at Lees Den

If any restaurateur in Houston understands the art of the pivot, it’s Benjy Levit. When he opened his first restaurant almost 30 years ago, Benjy’s in Rice Village, the food focus leaned towards a vegan menu that eschewed butter and cream. Today, of course, vegan dining is having more than a moment. Back then, not so much.

Always ahead of the curve yet attuned to his customers’ wants, Levit quickly pivoted, and his landmark restaurant thrived for decades. That is, until the COVID pandemic hit and Benjy’s, along with almost every other restaurant, temporarily shuttered. Once again, Levit swiftly pivoted, moving his wildly popular Local Foods Market next door into Benjy’s space.

Now tucked upstairs in the 1,000-square-foot aerie is Levit’s latest endeavor: Lees Den, a wonderful little respite perched like a treehouse above it all, accessed through Local Foods or via a cool speakeasy-like entrance around the corner. Brittany Vaughan of Garnish Designs clearly had fun transforming the former overflow warehouse space into a plush wine bar awash in green and bright chartreuse, with 60 seats inside and out.

Slabs of quartzite top the tables and bar, with cane-back chairs and cozy velvet banquettes alongside. Brass lighting hangs overhead, while acoustic wood slats run up the walls and ceiling, enclosing the room with gaps wide enough to let a sliver of moody light peek through.

General manager and wine director Chrisanna Shewbart has curated a very approachable 400-bottle wine list (all of which can be sold retail to go). She estimates that 75 percent of the list could be considered natural wines, and many selections have an asterisk, indicating bottles that are biodynamic, organic, or native-yeast wines. Not to mention wineries headed by a woman winemaker. The ever-changing list features an array of small producers, many of which you’d be hard pressed to find elsewhere.

Wines by the glass change on a weekly basis. Four wine-based cocktails ($9 each), such as the refreshing Blood Orange Spritz and a spicy Port & Tonic, spark the offerings.

And because wine is infinitely better when paired with food, a 12-year veteran of Benjy’s restaurants, executive chef Maria Gonzalez, has created a succinct menu of bites at Lees Dens that inspire sharing. Her bread and caviar dish features a Japanese milk bread that arrives tableside warm, sprinkled with herbs and coupled with a mound of whipped European-style butter topped with glowing orange beads of smoked trout roe ($15). The bread, when gently pulled apart, reminds me of a popover melded with a little loaf of French pain de mie.

On my visit, the Crudo of Moment featured slices of yellowtail sashimi and sweet potato bathed with a flavorful yuzu-shiro dashi and almond-chili oil ($13).

Cheese boards include a trio of selections with accouterments ($14; add meat, mustard and pickles for $6). More substantial is wood-fired-oven-roasted steak and potato ($25) or Midnight Pasta, a gluten-free noodle tossed with Pomodoro tomatoes, Calabrian chiles, basil and grilled olives ($19).

Dessert at Lees Den is a singular selection: sweet white chocolate pot de creme paired with sugar cookies, topped with a dollop of matcha-strawberry jam ($8).

Lees Den is open Thursdays through Saturdays from 4 to 10 pm. Reservations are suggested via Resy, but walk-ins are welcome.

Lees Den is located 2424 Dunstan Road in Rice Village, ( 713) 522-7602.