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

The menu's French side comes out in dishes like filet mignon.

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New York Times critic awards Houston restaurant 2 stars in glowing review

Courtesy of ChòpnBlọk

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Let’s just call 2025 the year of ChòpnBlọk. In a review published Tuesday, December 16, the New York Times has awarded the Houston restaurant two stars (“very good”).

Written by chief restaurant critic Tejal Rao, the review touts many of the same qualities that the Times already praised when it included ChòpnBlọk on its list of America’s 50 best restaurants.

Rao writes that she usually avoids restaurants that serve food in bowls, but she’s impressed by the way that chef-owner Ope Amosu has put a West African spin on the concept.

“For inspiration, Ope Amosu looked to the kind of chain restaurants that were built to scale, where flavors are often subdued to appeal to the broadest possible audience, focus-grouped to death. But the delight of ChòpnBlok is in its sure sense of self, its lively, multidimensional cooking and clear, delicious vision for modern food from the Black diaspora,” Rao writes.

She singles out specific dishes, including the Nigerian red stew with short rib, the Black Star bowl with shrimp, and the signature Motherland, made with chicken, greens, and plantains. “It’s utterly simple, but draws you in for more with the mouthwatering twang of not-too-much MSG — an international shortcut to building umami that tends to be used carefully, and layered with other forms,” she writes.

The review also touches on the way Amosu switched the restaurant from counter service to full service — described as “warm, informal, and quick with the jokes” — and his time working at Chipotle to learn the basics of the restaurant operations.

A two-star review is only the latest instance of ChòpnBlọk receiving national attention. In addition to the Times 50 best list, Esquire recently named it one of America’s best new restaurants. The Michelin Guide awarded it a Bib Gourmand designation for 2025. Amosu earned a semifinalist nomination for Best Chef: Texas in the 2025 James Beard Awards.

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