up in the sky

Decadent new see-and-be-seen restaurant opens in Uptown with nightlife vibe and French-Japanese fare

Houston has never seen a restaurant quite like Ciel. Opening near River Oaks District this Friday, December 16, the restaurant mixes a high level of culinary ambition with a high energy, see-and-be-seen atmosphere.

Partners Ryan Henry, Adel Sadek, and Fasl Ty have created a stylish, 8,000-square-foot restaurant that’s inspired by the coastline of the Côte d’Azur. Named for the French word for “sky,” the interior features a 360-degree Barrisol Mirror ceiling fixture — the first in Houston, according to a release – that also helps with the room’s sound levels. Other interior details include imported Italian porcelain floors and marbled tables, blue velvet booths, and a hand-painted statue of Zeus.

A representative couldn’t provide specific detail on the nightlife aspects of Ciel’s experience, but stated that diners should expect pop-up performances throughout the evening that could include singers or dancers. A DJ booth adds to the high energy atmosphere.

The restaurant seats 240 people inside, including 14 at its 35-foot, marble-topped bar, and offers a 40 person private dining room. Its 140 seat patio will open in the spring.

Turning to the menu, the restaurant offers an upscale mix of French and Japanese-inspired dishes. Meals at Ciel could begin with either nigiri or maki rolls such as king crab nigiri with black truffle, wagyu beef and lobster roll, or salmon belly nigiri with smoked trout roe. Shareable plates include karaage, tuna and salmon tartare, and grilled octopus.

The French side of the menu shows in the entrees and side dishes. Choices include wild mushroom risotto, chicken with roasted mushrooms, and ribeye with bone marrow custard and Bordelaise. Pair them with smoked mac and cheese, asparagus with yuzu bernaise, roasted Brussels sprouts, and more.

Leading the kitchen is executive chef Joseph Geiskopf. A veteran of Los Angeles restaurants such as Red Medicine and Vespertine, he brings a focus on sourcing both high quality and sustainable ingredients that’s reflected in Ciel’s use of beef from Texas ranch Dean and Peelers, free range Jidori chicken, and non-GMO caviar.

“CIEL is an alluring, elegant and festive space designed for an impeccable dining, gathering and entertaining experience in Houston,” Sadek said in a statement. “We painstakingly selected every detail in the interior to create a space built for unstuffy fine dining with exceptional cuisine, stylish presentations, and beautiful art not found anywhere else in the city that will feel like a portal to a glamorous, fun-filled European getaway.”

Ciel is open for dinner Wednesday-Sunday. It is located at 4411 San Felipe Rd.

Photo by Julie Soefer

Ciel offers a selection of maki and nigiri.

a major award

California-inspired Houston restaurant makes Robb Report best new list

Photo by Paula Murphy

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A Houston restaurant is basking in the national spotlight. Robb Report named Zaranda, chef Hugo Ortega’s California-inspired downtown restaurant, to its list of The 10 Best New Restaurants in America.

Published Tuesday, June 16, Zaranda ranks No. 10 on the list. Culinary editor Jeremy Repanich hails Ortega and his wife/business partner Tracy Vaught, writing that Zaranda “may be their best restaurant yet,” which is lofty praise considering their H-Town Restaurant Group also includes Hugo’s, Caracol, Urbe, and Xochi. It's the only Texas restaurant on the list, which is topped by Lilo, a 24-seat tasting counter in Carlsbad, CA.

“Their take on Las Californias cooking incorporates influences of Asia: In the aguachile negro, for example, lime-cured shrimp has the salty punch of soy sauce,” Repanich writes. “At this seafood-focused restaurant, the whole-grilled fish is a must. It’s served with a trio of excellent sauces, from the salsa verde with its sharp acidity to the charred-tomato salsa that has a rounder, fruitier, and smokier flavor profile.”

Ortega and Vaught opened Zaranda in October 2025. Located next to Discovery Green in the Norton Rose Fulbright Tower, the restaurant is named for a wire basket used to cook seafood over an open flame. It has earned significant praise, including a nomination for Best New Restaurant in the 2026 CultureMap Tastemaker Awards, a spot on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s best new restaurants, and an honorable mention on Texas Monthly’s list of the state’s 25 best new taquerias.

Repanich writes that the restaurants that intrigued him most over the past year were smaller and more intimate than places he’s selected in previous years. He mentions Perseid, Aaron Bludorn’s restaurant in Houston’s Hotel Saint Augustine, as one example of that style of restaurant that just missed making the list.

“Nevertheless, plenty of kitchens that did make the cut share that same intimacy, with artful, unfussy cooking; even the handful of tasting-menu spots revealed a softer, lighter side of fine dining,” Repanich writes. “Ultimately, that’s what the 10 best new restaurants in America for 2026 have in common: a refined sense of play that stays with you long after the meal is over.”

Robb Report frequently includes Houston restaurants on its best new list. In 2024, upscale sushi restaurant Katami made the list, as did Navy Blue and Jūn in 2023 and March in 2022. It also named James Beard Award winner (and CultureMap wine columnist) Chris Shepherd the best chef in the world in 2019.

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