Non-Smoking Cigar Bar Closes

Puff, it's gone: Cigar bar that went non-smoking has apparently closed

Former cigar bar Downing Street Pub has apparently closed. A CultureMap reader says he spoke with an employee who informed him of the closure. In addition, the bar's website has been taken offline and no posts have been made to its Facebook page in over a week. An employee at a neighboring business observed that the bar, which is usually open for lunch, was locked up all day Wednesday.

Downing Street made the decision to go non-smoking in March to better accommodate the arrival of the recently opened Local Foods and the Memorial Hermann Breast Care Center that operates above the bar. Managing partner Lawrence Daniel told CultureMap that the property's landlord was "heavily involved" in the decision to end smoking at the space.

When CultureMap first reported on Downing Street's decision to go non-smoking in February, Daniel predicted the bar would be able to successfully transition away from cigar enthusiasts by attracting non-smokers who had previously avoided the bar's smoky atmosphere. "If we were to go completely non-smoking, what might that open up," he wondered. "Nobody in Houston can touch our back bar . . . in single malt Scotches and bourbon."

Unfortunately, that prediction hasn't been proven true. TABC records show that the bar reported Mixed Beverage revenue of almost $92,000 in February, the last full month of smoking. By April, that number was down to less than $33,700. More recent numbers aren't available, but anecdotal reports suggest a continued decline.

Neither Daniel nor co-founding partner Chris Hill immediately responded to CultureMap's request for comment about the decision or the space's future. When they do, we will update this article with their comments.

Upper Kirby has seen many changes over the past year with openings like Nara, Trenza, 60 Degrees Mastercrafted, Grace's and Pico's balanced out by a wave of recent closures that includes Brio, Saint Genevieve, the Roak/OTC "funeral bars" and others.

Could the corner of Kirby and Westheimer be the sort of "spectacular" location Austin chef Ned Elliot said would lure him to open a second location of his restaurant Foreign and Domestic in Houston? Only time will tell.

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New and Noteworthy

California-inspired Houston restaurant makes Infatuation's best new list

Photo by Paula Murphy

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Three new Texas restaurants have charmed restaurant review platform The Infatuation and ended up on its Best New Restaurants of 2026 list. Houston's Zaranda is among the 25 selected across the United States.

In addition to Zaranda, Olōyō in Dallas and Roya in Austin made the list. The Infatuation has a presence in each of those cities plus more across Texas, so it's able to cross reference the list against its regular local content. The platform specializes in themed lists and also posts reviews of single businesses to add context for readers.

The Infatuation team ate at more than 2,600 new restaurants in 2026, the introduction to the list explains. It doesn't list criteria or points for consideration, except that there was much debate over favorites and they would "recommend them to pretty much anyone."

The expandable list lays out some key notes like price, cuisine, neighborhood, a tagline, dish recommendations, and other unique highlights. Users can then click through to see a longform review with a numerical rating.

Zaranda is the latest project from James Beard Award-winning chef Hugo Ortega and his wife, Tracy Vaught, who opened it in October 2025. Named for the wire basket is uses to prepare select seafood dishes, Zaranda takes inspiration from an alternate history in which California remained united across the U.S.-Mexico border.

Like Zaranda itself, reviewer Brooke Viggiano mostly kept the focus on the fish, breaking down the different ways to eat it: with tortillas, salsas, and really "whatever you throw at it." She also broadened her scope to recommend the ribeye with bone marrow butter.

True to the Best New Restaurants list intro, Viggiano basically recommended Zaranda to everyone, including diners celebrating special occasions, going on a date, and having a casual meal. "It’s also great for impressing out-of-towners who want the full Houston picture in one meal," Viggiano writes.

Zaranda is no stranger to the national spotlight. Texas Monthly named it one of the state's best new restaurants for 2026, and Robb Report included it as the only Texas representative on its 2026 best new restaurants list.

Roya was a pop-up first, serving beautiful Persian food for holidays and special events. It was so popular, it was only a matter of time before chef Amir Hajimaleki opened a brick-and-mortar restaurant in February, and it's just as ornate as the food.

Since then, it's become one of Austin's buzziest restaurants, which is just confirmed again by its 8.5 rating from The Infatuation. The review names the bademjan (whipped eggplant) Austin's best dip and touts the beautiful dining space.

"It's the kind of abundance that feels more like being welcomed into a family celebration than a North Shoal Creek restaurant with ornate chandeliers and a dining room that seems permanently set to golden-hour lighting," reviewer Nicolai McCrary wrote.

Olōyō received the highest rating of the three Texas restaurants, though the others weren't far off. At a 9.3, it should be well worth the price, which falls in the highest possible category. Like Roya, the Mexican Olōyō was also a pop-up first. It opened in May after nearly a year of waiting.

Olōyō's fixation on heirloom masa had its intended effect on reviewer Kevin Gray, who wrote, "Olōyō will give you a new appreciation for corn." Gray recommended a number of dishes, including the barbacoa huarache and any mole on the menu.

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