Veteran Houston chef claims Menil restaurant for new all-day cafe

The Menil Collection has found a new operator for its campus restaurant. Veteran Houston chef and restaurateur Claire Smith will open a new concept called Chrôma in early 2026.

Located in the former Bistro Menil space (1512 Sul Ross), Chrôma (styled as the all-lowercase “chrôma” in press materials) will serve the global comfort fare that Smith prepared at her Houston restaurants Shade, Canopy, and Alice Blue. Smith will serve breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch at Chrôma, which is located steps from the Menil Collection, Houston's world-renowned art museum.

The menu will feature dishes such as Indian-spiced chicken and waffles with tamarind maple syrup and cilantro butter, ratatouille with crispy polenta, and a Greek Caesar salad. Smith is also reviving dishes from her former concepts, such as soup trip from Shade, Canopy’s crab remoulade, and Alice Blue’s chicken flautas.

Considered one of Houston’s earliest advocates for using local ingredients on her menu, Smith opened Daily Review Cafe, her first restaurant, in 1994. She followed it with Southern-inspired Shade, which debuted in the mid-aughts 19th Street in the Heights. It earned a devoted following for its Southern-inspired comfort food such as the signature shrimp and grits. In 2017, she transformed Shade into the European-inspired Alice Blue, with an assist from chef Jason Vaughan and beverage expert Sean Jensen — the duo who would go on to national acclaim for Nancy’s Hustle. She also operated all-day concept Canopy on Montrose Boulevard from 2009-2019.

When Smith chose to close both Canopy and Alice Blue as their leases expired, some assumed she might be headed for retirement. That was never the case, she tells CultureMap.

“Over the last year and a half I have been exploring options for a new space. When the opportunity arose to open a project on the Menil campus, I jumped on it,” she explains.

“The Menil is a unique world renowned destination in Houston, in the Montrose that I have always loved. I am looking forward to Chrôma becoming a part of daily fabric of the neighborhood,” she adds.

Houston architect Dillon Kyle is working with Smith on renovations to the Bistro Menil space. Plans include expanding the bar area to facilitate easier to-go service for both neighborhood diners and museum visitors who want to enjoy a meal on the Menil lawn.

Chef Greg Martin opened Bistro Menil in 2014 with a menu of European-inspired comfort fare. The restaurant closed in June after more than 10 years in business.

“I’m honored by the trust the Menil Collection has placed in me,” Smith said in a statement. “Chrôma will be a space that reflects the creativity and warmth of the Menil community — a place where visitors, neighbors, and art lovers can gather, dine, and connect.”