reborn on the bayou
Eclectic Museum District wine bar and restaurant finds new home in buzzy Buffalo Bayou hub
City Cellars has found its new location.
A popular Houston wine bar and restaurant has found its new home. City Cellars HTX will open its new location at East River, Midway’s massive mixed-use development that’s coming soon to the banks of Buffalo Bayou in the Fifth Ward.
Scheduled to open in the spring of 2024, the new City Cellars will occupy just over 5,000-square-feet near East River’s greenspace. That’s up from the 2,000-square-feet it had at its original location in the Museum District’s Parc Binz building that closed in July. Between the more spacious interior and a 3,000-square-foot patio, total seating capacity will rise from 71 diners at the original to over 250.
“There's that saying about ‘go big or go home,’” owner Daniel Wolfe said in a statement. “Houston is my home, where I'm born and raised. The only thing left to do is go big.”
Beyond seating more diners, having more room will allow Wolfe to expand the restaurant’s menu with more dishes and cocktails. It will also have space for a companion “speakeasy concept” that will be announced closer to opening.
Opened in December 2020, City Cellars built a devoted following for its lively brunch service and creative cuisine. Wolfe has a compelling personal story that includes successful treatment for thyroid cancer in 2022.
City Cellars will be located in phase one of East River, which will cover 26 of the development's 150 acres. Previously announced tenants include Broham Fine Soul Food & Groceries, Lick Honest Ice Creams, and URBN Dental. They'll join a 360-unit apartment building, office space, and a shopping district with a 13,000-square-foot greenspace. East River 9, a par-three golf course, and Riverhouse Houston, a family-friendly restaurant, opened last year.
“City Cellars HTX is exactly the type of bold, forward-thinking dining concept that we hoped East River would attract,” Lacee Jacobs, senior managing director of retail leasing at Parkway, added. “We are committed to curating a dynamic mix that enhances the surrounding community, and innovative concepts like these — places you can’t find anywhere else in Houston — are precisely what we are looking to bring to the development.”
Korean fried chicken restaurant Dak & Bop has claimed the former City Cellars space for its return to the Museum District. It is scheduled to open in December.
Pair a pour with an app or an entree.Photo courtesy of Grape Creek Vineyards