By any measure, it’s been an incredible year for new restaurants in Houston. Despite all of this year’s challenges — everything from the double whammy of the derecho and Hurricane Beryl to the lingering effects of post-pandemic inflation — these restaurants have established themselves as must-visit destinations.

Instead of offering the definitive assertion of “best,” these 12 establishments are our “favorite” new restaurants to open in the last year. They’re the places we’re most excited to dine at again and again (and we have, as all the friends who’ve been encouraged to visit Baso can attest). That’s also why they’re presented alphabetically, as all are worthy of your time.

Bar Bludorn
This lively tavern in Memorial from chef Aaron Bludorn, his wife, Victoria Pappas Bludorn, and their business partner Cherif Mbodji harnesses the casual vibe of the bar at their flagship restaurant Bludorn in Montrose. Led by chef Allie Peña, the result is a restaurant that maintains certain points in common with its more upscale sibling while also establishing a distinct identity.

Like Bludorn and Navy Blue, Bar Bludorn meals will likely begin with oysters three ways — raw, roasted, and fried — before continuing with shareable small plates, house-made pastas, and well-executed meat and seafood dishes. Grounding the menu in American comfort food — think steak, fried chicken, and a well-executed burger — keeps things accessible, while Peña adds touches of her Mexican heritage with dishes such as a tuna tostada and masa gnocchi. Of course, diners can count on other Bludorn staples such as polished service and a comprehensive beverage program.

Baso
Chefs Jacques Varon and Max Lappe teamed up to open this Basque-inspired live fire restaurant in the Heights. Minimally decorated, the focus is on the food produced on the restaurant’s wood-fired hearth.

Staple dishes such as tuna tartare, grilled shrimp with preserved chile, and a massive pork chop with a pork jowl sauce have quickly become fan favorites. As a diner, what’s been even more exciting than coming back for another bite of shrimp is watching Lappe hone Baso’s culinary perspective as the California native learns more about Texas ingredients. For example, a summer dish of a roasted peach evolved into an endive salad with blackberries through the common ingredients of cheese and horseradish. Similarly, the opening menu’s dinner rolls have been replaced by a more Texan cornbread with butter and jam.

In less than a year, Baso earned recognition from Yelp users and a Recommended designation from the Michelin Guide. Could a star be on the way in the next year two?

Credence
Levi Goode has described this Memorial-area restaurant as his solo album. Just like you can hear elements of the Heartbreakers classic Damn the Torpedoes in Tom Petty’s Full Moon Fever, enough Goode Co DNA is present at Credence in the form of a wood-fired grill, South Texas flavors, and serving lunch (or brunch) and dinner daily that diners won’t even notice that Credence doesn’t serve signatures such as the seafood campechana or pecan pie.

The setting is more upscale than a typical Goode Co establishment, with more refined service and more luxurious ingredients like caviar and Texas wagyu. Still, it’s not just fancy touches. Dishes like deviled crab with smoky tomato butter, whole duck with dirty rice, and grilled snapper show off the kitchen’s considerable skills. Taken together, it’s a promising debut for the Levi Goode brand. Here’s hoping whatever he does next is as good as Wildflowers.

Drake’s Hollywood
Owner Hunter Pond calls his retro-inspired supper club “the greatest third date spot in America.” Regardless of how the night ends for diners, the Dallas import’s red leather booths, murals of Hollywood celebrities, and dim lighting set the stage for a celebratory environment. While the restaurant has a dress code displayed on its website, it doesn’t seem to be an issue. Almost everyone looks like they’re wearing outfits that are appropriate for a memorable evening.

Once seated, diners select from a well-executed array of contemporary restaurant staples like hamachi crudo, tavern-style pizza, and spicy rigatoni. Beef lovers will appreciate that the kitchen cooks steaks to a proper temperature with a good crust. Pair them with the advertised “World’s Coldest Martini” for the full experience.

Dipping Tiger Pho
Admittedly, pho may not inspire the same kind of devotion that it did when local food obsessives made their first visits to Pho Binh Trailer (r.i.p.), but Houstonians will always appreciate a well-spiced bowl of noodles. No surprise then that chef Mike Tran, proprietor of a diverse suite of restaurants that includes pioneering ramen restaurant Tiger Den and Cantonese comfort food destination Mein, has delivered a very satisfying experience at his latest Chinatown project. The simple menu, essentially just pho with different meat options, crispy Vietnamese egg rolls, and drinks, allows the light, herbal broth to shine.

Ema
By now, you’ve probably already heard quite a bit about this Mexican breakfast and lunch spot from chefs Stephanie Velasquez and Nicolas Vera. After all, it earned Bib Gourmand recognition in the Michelin Guide, a James Beard Award semifinalist nomination for Outstanding Pastry Chef or Baker, and The New York Times included its horchata Berlinesa on its list of favorite dishes of 2024. Not bad for a restaurant with roots in a food hall stand, downtown’s Papalo Taqueria, and a stand at the Urban Harvest farmers market.

A meal at Ema reveals the basis for all that acclaim. Consider the Berlinesa’s horchata cream that’s seasoned with just the right amount of cinnamon or the mushroom tetela — made with nixtamalized corn, naturally — that contains a savory combination of mushrooms, cheese, and black beans alongside a smoky salsa macha. Even a simple-looking papaya salad offers a compelling mix of flavors, with sweet fruit balanced by the tang of yogurt, a little acidity from agave-lime dressing, and crunch from housemade granola. Getting such thoughtful preparations at very affordable prices illustrates why the restaurant has a line out the door every weekend.

Ishtia
After 10 years of delighting diners at the theatrical tasting menu restaurant Eculent, David Skinner decided to switch things up. Instead of taking inspiration from the modernist restaurants he encountered in his global travels, Skinner uses Ishtia as a platform for an 18-plus course progression of modern dishes inspired by his Choctaw heritage and other Native cuisines.

At Ishtia, the Native staple Three Sisters (corn, beans, and squash) get an upscale companion of an expertly seared scallop and served in a mist of ocean-water scented fog. Bison steak is paired with Texas beef to illustrate the contrast in flavor and texture between the two proteins. Teppay beans sourced from Native farmers are served in individual pots to pay homage to the community beans served to tribal visitors.

Of course, the chef is still refining his approach. He promises to introduce a “meat trolley” in the coming weeks, adding another level of theatricality (and deliciousness) to his progression.

Kira
Comma Hospitality may have started with Neo, one of Houston’s most exclusive and expensive omakase counters, but they’ve shown a real flair for more affordable dining at this restaurant in Upper Kirby that serves crudo, temaki (hand rolls), and donburi (rice bowls). Instead of a set progression, diners can choose from an a la carte menu that includes both familiar fare like ocean trout and spicy tuna hand rolls and some more luxurious options like lobster, uni, and caviar. While Neo is mostly BYOB, Kira offers a full beverage program built around cocktails, champagne, and sake.

The 15-seat counter is both surprisingly comfortable — thanks to table-height seating — and lively, courtesy of an all-vinyl soundtrack that’s powered by an audiophile-worthy McIntosh turntable and amplifier. Even better, those who dine before 6 pm may opt for a $50 prix fixe that includes some of the restaurant’s best dishes, including its kakigori made with ice that’s imported from Japan.

Little Rey
If all Ford Fry’s fast-casual Mexican restaurant did was serve chicken wings, it would probably be enough to earn a spot on this list. They’re crispy, smoky, and tossed in a surprisingly spicy salsa macha. But Little Rey does far more than that.

Prepared in a custom-built wood-burning oven, its chicken and steak al carbon stay juicy while picking up a pleasant smoke flavor. The flour tortillas are exemplary, and the salsa bar has options to suit a range of spice preferences. It really shines at brunch, thanks to first-rate breakfast tacos and mini versions of the pancakes from its sister concept Superica.

With a menu that has options for even the pickiest fussbuckets and an expansive green space for running around, Little Rey has emerged as a hit for families, especially since parents can sip the potent margaritas while their kids play. That’s a win-win.

Milton’s
Local Foods Group’s Italian restaurant in Rice Village has a lot of appealing qualities. That starts with the dining room, which has a retro charm without resorting to stereotypes like checkered tablecloths or wicker-wrapped Chianti bottles.

Even better is the menu created by chefs Kent Domas and Seth Siegel-Gardner. It has all the staples one expects from an Italian American joint — think linguine vongole, spaghetti with meatballs, and a destination-worthy chicken parm — along with surprises such as crispy sweetbreads, spicy tuna toast, and parsley salad with warm guanciale dressing. The beverage program earns equally enthusiastic raves, courtesy of sips such as the Rubycello, which swaps the familiar lemon for Texas grapefruit, and the Caffe Noncoretto, a mixture of amari and pistachio that’s served warm in a frozen cup.

Okto
Sof Hospitality, the powerhouse group behind Doris Metropolitan and Hamsa, opened this sophisticated Mediterranean restaurant in the Montrose Collective mixed-use development. While its siblings are primarily grounded in Israel’s eclectic flavors, Okto incorporates a broader sweep of the Mediterranean, with Spanish, Greek, and even French touches included in the tidy menu.

With fewer than 20 items on offer, chef Yotam Dolev and his team can concentrate their attention on each dish. It shows on the succulent tiger shrimp with Arak beurre blanc, inventive eggplant carpaccio, and, of course, octopus with romesco. Similar to Doris Metropolitan, an oversized bar serves as a focal point for both dining and socializing, giving them an energetic feel that’s as dynamic as the food.

Prime 131
Berg Hospitality has opened a bunch of restaurants in the past two years, but it’s this live fire steakhouse in Lazybrook/Timbergrove that outshines the rest. Taking some inspiration from celebrity chef José Andrés' Las Vegas restaurant Bazaar Meat, Prime 131 puts its chefs on stage by placing a wood-burning grill in the middle of the dining room. Not only do diners get a show as the cooks fire the steaks (including wagyu from Australia and Japan), the smell of sizzling meat permeates the air.

That spectacle extends to other dishes, such as the oversized bone marrow and show stopping sushi platter. Groups of friends may opt for one of the four tables devoted to Korean barbecue, prepared on tabletop grills by the well-trained staff.

  

Photo by Claudia Casbarian

Bar Bludorn features walnut paneling and green banquettes.