Foodie News
A downtown duo's demise: Two Houston restaurants shutter leaving a hole on Main
- Cava Bistro is shut down.Photo by Joel Luks
- The corner of Main St. and Commerce just got a little sadder: Cielo MexicanBistro and Cava Bistro have closed.Photo by Joel Luks
- Photo by Joel Luks
It's been a tough couple of weeks for north downtown.
First came the news that Hotel Icon would be sold at foreclosure (it's now under new hands and planning to revamp and rebrand). Now, Cielo Mexican Bistro and Cava Bistro have been shuttered.
Both were started by Youssef Nafaa, who also helmed the Mia Bella restaurants, Coco's Crepes, Andalucia Spanish Tapas in the Houston Pavilions and Trio Steakhouse in Vintage Park, but were later sold off to Nafaa's cousin Hicham and his partner Lee Bendella.
Cielo and Cava in particular were marked by unfulfilled promise — tasty but uneven food and service issues. Cava Bistro seemed to lose its footing after it was sold and moved from its original wine-cellar-like location to a new spot on Main, then transplanted again across Main St. after Nafaa's Collins Chop House flopped.