where to dine on valentine's day

Best Houston restaurants to share the love on Valentine's Day weekend

Get a thali for two at Pondicheri.

Photo by Ajna Jai

With last year’s Valentine’s Day disrupted by the arrival of the winter storm, this year’s celebration provides an opportunity for a bit of a do-over. A range of Houston restaurants and bars have options at all price points.

The nice thing about Valentine’s being on a Monday is that many places are running specials beginning Friday evening, which takes some of the pressure off on going out any certain day. Pick what looks best and enjoy.

All of the restaurants listed below have reservations available as of Friday, February 4. Act fast or risk missing out.

Angel Share
The downtown bar welcomes singles for an anti-Valentine’s Day celebration that will run Friday, Saturday, and Monday. Specials include $6 rum Old Fashioneds and Negronis as well as cocktails adorned with clever twists on conversation hearts.

Backstreet Cafe
The River Oaks institution reopens on Sunday, February 6, which means it will be fully operational for Valentine’s Day. Priced at $85 per person, the four-course menu features dishes such as roasted oysters, French onion and oxtail soup, hanger steak with crispy scalloped potatoes, duck with fig and bourbon sauce, and flourless chocolate cake.

Berg Hospitality
Four of the company’s restaurants — B&B Butchers & Restaurant, The Annie Café & Bar, Turner’s, and Trattoria Sofia — are offering floral arrangements by John Friedman Flowers (small, $80 or medium, $180).

Bocca Italian Kitchen
Located in northeast Houston’s Generation Park development, the restaurant will serve a five-course, $85 menu for two that includes charcuterie, Caesar salad, a surf and turf of braised beef and roasted lobster tails, and chocolate tart. Wine and spirit pairings are also available.

Brasserie 19
In addition to all of its usual favorites, the River Oaks restaurant will feature specials such as: Jumbo Asparagus & Burrata with black truffle vinaigrette; Prime NY Strip with smoked onion soubise; Seared Scallop & Jumbo Shrimp over black forbidden rice; and roasted duck breast with roasted beet and carrot; and jumbo macaron for two.

Brennan’s of Houston
The Creole favorite is usually closed on Mondays, but it will celebrate Valentine’s with a special three-course, $85 menu. Expect choices such as Blue Crab Louie Cocktail, Citrus Roasted Duck Crepe, Diver Scallops, Lobster Risotto, Veal Chop Tchoupitoulas, Lily’s Praline Tiramisu, and Bananas Foster.

Chivos
The Heights restaurants will serve two menus on Sunday, February 13. A “Lovebirds” menus comes with East Coast oysters, Gulf shrimp aguachile, choripapa agnolotti, surf and turf, and a Xocolatl tamale for dessert for $55. The “F- Love” menu features Gulf shrimp aguachile, barbacoa queso tacos with wagyu beef shank, chihuahua cheese and salsa roja, and an ice cream sundae for $35.

d'Alba
Garden Oaks' favorite new restaurant will supplement its usual menu with Valentine's specials such as seafood crudo, spinach and Texas feta flatbread, and R-C Ranch wagyu osso bucco with saffron and delicata squash risotto. Reservations recommended.

Davis Street at Hermann Park
Chef Mark Holley’s, four-course, $85 menu begins with burrata with Texas caviar and a choice of appetizers such as beef tartare with fried oysters, spicy shrimp bisque, and ahi tuna ceviche. Entree choices include grilled lamb chops, beef short ribs, or two fish preparations for two: halibut served tableside or the signature Thai-style fried snapper. Davis St. offers four dessert choices, but the coconut cake is the way to go.

Guard and Grace
The downtown steakhouse still has some availability for chef Troy Guard’s three-course, $95 menu. Expect dishes such as Crispy Tuna Sushi with spicy avocado puree and yuzu kabayaki; Wagyu Brisket "Pop Tart" with gruyere fondue and fresh herbs; Roasted Gulf Red Snapper Filet with baby artichoke, roasted sunchokes, and trout roe butter sauce; Oak-Grilled Prime NY Strip with "loaded" potato wedges. Each meals ends with a choice of dessert.

Helen Greek Food & Wine
The Rice Village restaurant’s four-course, $85 menu (optional wine pairings, $45) starts with dishes such as a trio of dips, baked feta and tipiti, wedge salad, greens and cheese pie, and grilled octopus. Entree options include Plaki-style catch of the day, 6-ounce filet, and leg of lamb. Finish with pecan baklava, Greek doughnuts, or halva.

Himalaya
Since the restaurant is closed on Monday, chef Kaiser Lashkari’s Valentine’s specials will be served on Sunday, February 13. Specials include apricot chicken masala, chickpea and vegetable rice topped with beef or lamb seekh kebab, and bourbon chocolate walnut brioche bread pudding. Get free corkage on BYOB with any entree order.

Hugo’s
The restaurant’s four-course, $85 menu features starters like potato flautas and a hurache with cochinita pibil. Continue with red snapper ceviche, salad, or creamy poblano soup. Entree options include pan-seared scallops, wood-grilled skirt steak, or roasted lobster ($15 supplement). Fine with chocolate brownie tart or strawberry cake. Pro tip: say yes to the valet’s carwash.

Kiran’s
The fine dining Indian restaurant’s three-course, $125 per person menu starts with a choice of lobster bisque, roasted beet carpaccio, or foie gras. Entree choices consist of lobster pot pie, bison ribeye, fish with wild mushrooms, or a vegetarian thali. Finish with dessert for two.

Kura Revolving Sushi
In addition to its usual selections, the restaurant will add a Valentine’s Seafood Chirashi ($22) for both dine-in and to-go.

La Lucha
In addition to staples like the fried chicken and roasted oysters, the restaurant will offer specials such stuffed blue crab fingers, wagyu carpaccio, and housemade pappardelle with crawfish bolognese.

Liberty Kitchen & Oysterette
Available from February 11-14, both locations will offer a 3-course, $175 menu for two that includes pairings with sparkling wines from Moet & Chandon. Choose lobster bisque paired with Moet & Chandon Rosé Imperial Brut, filet with seared foie gras paired with Moet & Chandon "Imperial" Brut, and chocolate-covered strawberries.

Ouzo Bay
River Oak District’s upscale seafood restaurant will supplement its regular menu with specials such as beef carpaccio with shaved winter truffles, grilled Kona Kampachi with uni cream sauce, tuna Wellington with seaweed truffle duxelle and soy butter emulsion, and the 14-ounce Prime Cowgirl with poached fingerling potatoes.

Perry’s Steakhouse and Grille
The restaurants will offer a three-course menu on Valentine’s Day that’s priced based on when a couple dines: $65 per person for 5:30 pm or earlier, $80 per person beginning at 5:45, or $65 per person to go. It comes with options such as lobster bisque, an 8-ounce filet, and white chocolate cheesecake. Alternatively, the restaurant has a Valentine’s Day dinner for two with two salads, a 12-ounce filet for two, sides, and dessert for $175 dine-in or $125 to-go.

Pondicheri
Served from Wednesday, February 9 through Valentine’s Day, the Indian-inspired restaurant will serve a thali for two that’s available vegan, vegetarian, or with tandoor chicken. Add desserts from the Bake Lab for an additional fee.

Post Houston
Attendees will participate in the inaugural planting at Skyfarm, the venue’s one-acre rooftop farm operated by Blackwood Educational Land Institute. In addition to participating in planting, attendees will receive two glasses of wine and a Strawberry Rhubarb Flower Pot for dessert. VIP tickets holders will leave with extra take-home items ($45 per person; VIP, $125 per couple).

Revelry on Richmond
The Montrose sports bar will celebrate Valentine’s Day with a special of two steaks and a bottle of wine for $50. Each steak comes with potatoes and a choice of asparagus or spinach.

Tobiuo Sushi & Bar
In addition to the regular menu, diners can opt for a $95 tasting menu with upgrades such as A5 wagyu for $50 and winter truffle for $25.

Weights + Measures
Usually closed on Mondays, the Midtown restaurant will open for dinner on Valentine’s with its regular menu. In addition, it will sell a to-go package with shrimp cocktail, a 32-ounce ribeye, sides, dessert, and a bottle of 2016 Mauro Molino Barolo Gallinotto for $145. Pre-order by February 11 for pickup February 13 (includes reheating instructions).

Get a thali for two at Pondicheri.

Photo by Ajna Jai

Get a thali for two at Pondicheri.

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Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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