Where to Eat in Houston Right Now: 10 Must-Visit Restaurants for April

Editor’s note: The Houston restaurant scene is constantly changing, with new hotspots, must-try places and major foodie events coming along on a daily basis. Even the most dedicated foodie can have trouble keeping up. Don’t worry, PaperCity has you covered.

Here are April’s must-eat Houston restaurants:

Fig & Olive

5115 Westheimer

This just-opened Mediterranean spot in The Galleria is generating buzz across Houston. The restaurant was designed to emulate the French Riviera in both menu and atmosphere.

For starters, their appetizers are worth the trip. You can choose from six different types of basic crostini, like Manchego and fig, or shrimp and avocado. The chef’s selection offers three more types: foie gras, truffle and Jason iberico. The octopus carpaccio is a particularly worthwhile treat, with black olive dust and piquillo pepper puree.

The ingredients are all fresh and most are locally sourced. For entrees, the seafood paella, grass fed filet mignon and the Chilean sea bass are good options.

Eloise Nichols Grill & Liquors

2400 Mid Lane

This American restaurant serves up contemporary-classic Southern eats against a vintage vibe. Tucked in between the River Oaks Shopping district and Highland Village, Eloise Nichols is a blend of bar and restaurant, of trendy and traditional.

The menu is extensive, with updated standards like beef burgers on sweet sourdough, chicken confit and dumplings with Tabasco and a New Wave wedge salad.

The experience isn’t complete without the liquor part of the equation from Eloise Nichols’ fully stocked bar. Try the signature cocktail, “Spirit Animal,” a simple but sprightly mix of vodka, pineapple and lime.

Feges BBQ

3 Greenway Plaza, C-210 

It’s been just a few weeks since Feges opened up its cafeteria-style barbecue joint to the world, but it’s already made its mark in a big way. The lines aren’t going anywhere any time soon. Feges sells out of its smoked meats regularly, from its Texas brisket to its North Carolina pork to its boudin.

Soon, they’re going whole hog, legit serving whole hog, in their unconventional spot in a food court in Greenway Plaza.

You’ll definitely want a piece of the side action, which have earned Feges its unlikely “healthy barbecue” designation. Moroccan-style carrots with cumin, turmeric and curry are one option, along with ponzu-tossed Brussels sprouts and cole slaw with whole bloomed seeds.

Ohn Korean Eatery

9630 Clarewood

Night owls will be drawn to this neon-lit Korean comfort food restaurant lounge. Open Wednesdays through Sundays, from 5 pm to 2 am, it’s a clubby crowd pleaser known for its lengthy Soju list.

The Chinatown hotspot is the brainchild of Mike Tran, the restaurateur behind ramen bar Tiger Den, curry house Night Market and Chinese food Mein. This time around, he brings Korean-inspired brisket, chicken ton katsu and pork belly with charred kimchi.

State of Grace

1002, 3258 Westheimer

The world is your oyster at Gulf Coast-driven State of Grace. The swanky, Southern-seafood place has been a hit since it first opened in River Oaks and remains a hot reservation for good reason.

State of Grace brings mainstays like moist scallops and chicken fried steak. But some of its creative calling cards are ones you won’t see elsewhere: Louisiana crawfish hush puppies with cane syrup butter, queso Oaxaca, and duck carnitas with mole and warm bacon fat tortillas.

Coltivare

3320 White Oak

Ryan Pera has cultivated a cozy vibe at ever-bustling Coltivare. You should head on over, so long as you have no reservations about a no reservations policy. It’s worth the wait, which you can spend on a bench out in the lush vegetable garden out back.

The rustic Italian-meets-Gulf-Coast cuisine is inspired by the seasons and always features fresh veggies. Highlights include Swiss chard ravioli with rabbit ragu, beef shank ossobuco and the local strawberry salad with sugar snap peas and hazelnuts.

Andes Cafe

2311 Canal

Houston has a ton of food from South of the Border, but not so much when it comes to strictly South America. Hidden gem Andes Cafe is an exception to that rule with home cooking straight out of the continent. Like Houston, it takes diversity seriously, with dishes from Argentina, Venezuela, Peru, Chili, Bolivia, Colombia and Ecuador.

It’s excellent for a quick stop for coffee or fresh, tropical juice, and a fine choice for fine dining as well. Regulars rave about the saltena de carne, arepas, lomo saltado and the authentic pisco sours. The extended happy hour also can’t be beat: 3 to 7 pm on weekdays.  

MF Sushi

1401 Binz

Chef Kinjo is winning with his game-changing Omakase dinner. You can make an evening out of this refined, multi-course meal and a stroll around the Museum District. It’s a bit of a culinary adventure with 23 different types of sushi, like Otoro, Wagyu and uni.

But it shouldn’t overshadow the rest of the menu, particularly the inventive appetizers. You can start the evening off with salmon tataki, seafood tempura or the avocado salmon starter topped with gold flakes.

Cafe Poetes

122 West Gray

This eclair haven may be in Midtown, but it feels fresh out of The City of Lights. Your mind may conjure up images of rich, velvety eclairs iced in seamless chocolate, and you won’t be disappointed.

Eclair packages are also available for events, shaped in cakes or even imitations of the Eiffel Tower. You’ll also be delighted by savory eclairs you may not have seen coming, with ingredients like chicken, tomatoes and even brisket in pho sauce.

North Italia

1700 Post Oak 

Your date night with top notch pasta is way past due. North Italia is all about updated mainstays from Northern Italy and sets out to satisfy its customers in its brightly lit location. The handmade pizzas are a perennial favorite, with the prosciutto and mission fig earning the top honors and the ever-changing chef’s choice daily pizza not far behind.

Start things off with the fluffy white truffle garlic bread, chef’s board or mussels. You can always go big or go home with the pastas, like short rib radiatori with fresh horseradish air squid ink mafaldine.