where to drink now

9 more Houston bars with over-the-top Christmas decor and festive sips

Since one roundup of 14 bars isn’t enough for Houston’s holiday bar scene, here are even more festive spots transforming their spaces with lights, themes, and seasonal sips.

Atlas Ultra Lounge
There’s no need to be a Grinch — Whoville has arrived in the Galleria area for the season. Order a Grinchmas Glow Tree ($45) for the table — the mini Christmas tree is adorned with eight colorful ornaments filled with lemon drop shots — or select the Snowball Spritz ($55), a bottle of champagne accompanied with juice and cotton candy “snowballs.”

Saturday brunches include photo ops with the Grinch and themed bites like Green Eggs and Who Biscuits. Who-Ville at Atlas Ultra Lounge runs through December 29. Atlas Ultra Lounge is open Monday-Thursday, 5 pm-12 am, Friday-Saturday, 5 pm-2 am, and Sunday, 11 am-12 am. Breakfast with the Grinch takes place every Saturday in December from 11 am–4 pm.

Endless Bummer
Take a detour to the underworld this holiday season at Endless Bummer, the speakeasy-style tiki bar by Beutelguese Beutelgeuse. At “A Very Bummer Christmas,” patrons can take a gander at the art installations while sipping from festive glassware. Highlights include the Son of a Nutcracker! ($26), a concoction for two of dark rum, cognac, and Grand Marnier served in a Christmas stocking-shaped oversized mug that is dramatically set alight. Reservations are not required. Endless Bummer is open Thursday-Saturday, 5 pm-12 am.

Julep
The halls are decked at Alba Huerta’s James Beard Award-winning cocktail bar. Not only is the main room aglow, but the newly opened parlor has been festooned with twinkling lights and neatly wrapped presents. Libations include a spiked hot cocoa with Reyka vodka and a cacao cordial; Apples and Whiskey with Bushmill’s, apple cider, lemon, honey, and ginger; and a Holiday Old Fashioned with gingerbread syrup. Julep is open Sunday-Wednesday from 4 pm-12a m, and Thursday-Saturday from 4 pm-2 am.

Plume
Oversized ornaments hang from the ceiling of this Shady Acres bar. With cocktails like the Cider Clause — a creation of blended scotch, American whiskey, and apple brandy or aged rum — holidays at Plume lean into the bar’s “Old Hollywood” vibe. Also, don't miss Chris's coquito — it's made from an old family recipe. Plume is open Tuesday-Thursday from 4 pm-2 am, Friday-Saturday from 3 pm-2 am, and Sunday from 1 pm-12 am.

Starduster Lounge
It’s “Cowboy Christmas at the Ole Dusty,” so slip on some boots and grab a hat. The neighborhood bar has trimmed the cactus, hung the chili pepper lights, and crafted holiday drinks for the occasion. The lineup includes movie nights (Elf and The Grinch on December 14, National Lampoon and Die Hard on December 21), along with a toy drive and gingerbread house making party on December 20 from 2-6 pm. Starduster Lounge is open Monday-Friday from 4 pm-2 am, and Saturday-Sunday from 2 pm-2 am.

The Toasted Coconut
Tiki meets tinsel at The Toasted Coconut. The beloved eatery takes Santa to the tropics this Christmas, with a fully blinged out bar. Featured cocktails include the frozen Coquito Parrandas with a Puerto Rican rum blend, caramelized coconut, and a spiced ginger tea, and the Luz de Maiz, a clarified oat milk punch starring Angel’s Envy bourbon and a nixta corn liqueur. Toasted Coconut is open Thursday-Friday, 4 pm-12 am; Saturday, 10 am-12 am; Sunday, 10 am-10 pm; and Tuesday-Wednesday, 4 pm-10 pm.

IKTO - I Know the Owner
Holiday cheer is easy to spot at this bar in the Heights, where bright Christmas lights catch the eye from the street. Seasonal sips such as the Mistletoe Margarita and Sugar Cookie Martini are featured on a limited-time $15 cocktail menu, while a $10 snack board comes loaded with treats like s’mores and a Pudgy’s cookie. Catch 8 pm showings of Home Alone 2 on Wednesday, December 17, and A Charlie Brown Christmas on Wednesday, December 23. IKTO is open Tuesday-Sunday from 2 pm-12 am.

Chicken N Pickle
Pop in for brunch with Santa on Sunday, December 14 and 21 at this pickleball-focused spot. The Webster location leans into ski-lodge décor with a build-your-own spiked hot chocolate bar, crackling fireplaces, and a flight of cocktails delivered on a miniature ski. Chicken N Pickle is open Friday from 11 am-12 am, Saturday from 10 am-12 am, Sunday from 10 am-10 pm, and Monday-Thursday from 11 am-11 pm.

Wonder Bar
This Midtown hotspot continues its annual tradition of over-the-top holiday installations. Expect vibrant art, Instagram-ready moments — including a giant gift box photo op — plus interactive elements ranging from a chilly ice room with Sasquatch to other quirky themed spaces. Wonder Bar is open daily from 4 pm–2 am.

Photo by Sergio Trevino

Santa makes a visit to the underworld at Endless Bummer's holiday experience.

where-to-drink cocktails nightlife holidays christmas

River Oaks Remix

River Oaks lounge reboots around '90s DJ culture and retro bites

Photo by Michael Anthony

The recently formed LCN Hospitality group—David Anderson III, Mikos Adams, and DJ Mr. Rogers—have relaunched Fancy's with chef Dominick Lee curating the menu.

Less than two years after opening, a River Oaks cocktail lounge has new ownership and a new personality, though under the same name: Fancy’s.

Located at 1947 W. Gray St., the original Fancy’s opened in May 2024 under the guidance of Clé Group owners Zack Truesdell, Salim Dehkordi, and Dallas Rodriguez (BLVD Park, KISS, Heights Social, Say No Mas). The name said it all: an upscale, reservation-recommended lounge with a strictly enforced dress code.

The River Oaks spot is looking a little more approachable these days under new leadership. David Anderson III and Mikos Adams, both partners in downtown record lounge Off the Record, have joined with local producer and DJ Mr. Rogers to relaunch the space as a sound-driven cocktail lounge. This is the first joint venture of the trio under the recently formed LCN Hospitality group.

Fancy’s next chapter took shape through the success of DJ Mr. Rogers’ S.U.S.H.I. (Songs U Should Hear Immediately), a no-requests music-omakase pop-up during the lounge’s previous run.

“We were already spending time in the space through a music-forward pop-up, and the response made it clear there was a real appetite for guided music experiences where the DJ sets the tone and leads discovery, rather than competing for attention,” Anderson said in a statement. “After years in nightlife, where spectacle often comes first, it felt exciting to imagine something different. We thought back to the way DJs shaped culture in the ’90s and wanted to pair that sensibility with the history and energy of River Oaks.”

Former and first-time patrons will find a concept built around weekly programming, including:

S.U.S.H.I. Wednesdays (Songs U Should Hear Immediately)
Global House Thursdays
Funk, Disco, and R&B Fridays
Saturday Night After Hours, high-energy dance-focused programming

Photo by Michael Anthony

The recently formed LCN Hospitality group—David Anderson III, Mikos Adams, and DJ Mr. Rogers—have relaunched Fancy's with chef Dominick Lee curating the menu.

"As a producer and DJ, I've always been drawn to the idea of creating experiences where music is the guide, not the background,” Rogers said. “At Fancy's, we're building a space where discovery happens naturally, whether you're hearing something for the first time or rediscovering a classic through a different lens.”

In the kitchen, chef Dominick Lee looked to lavish River Oaks dinner parties of the ’90s, researching Baron Ricky di Porta Nova, a local legend known for extravagant gatherings. The result is nostalgic small plates and canapés such as Oysters di Porta Nova, a caviar-topped pasta tucked into an oyster shell, and refined chicken nuggets served with three unique dipping sauces and an optional caviar add-on.

"It's a different dinner party every night, shaped by a different sound experience," Lee said. "The food is there to complement that—indulgent but not heavy, familiar but elevated, always in service of the night unfolding around it.”

Behind the bar, bartender Sergio Contreras (formerly of L’Colombe d’Or and Tony’s) has crafted a drink menu that riffs on classic cocktails. Syrups are made in-house using natural, low-sugar ingredients, so patrons can imbibe without the sugar crash. Contreras’ menu includes highlights like the Razzle Dazzle, a French 75 remix, and Forbidden Love, a margarita with a Cabernet float.

"It's all about balance," Contreras said. "We want people to feel good while they're here and when they wake up the next morning after a late night on the dance floor. The classics are the foundation, but we're reworking them in a way that feels modern and intentional."

For those easing into the evening, the lounge offers “Fancy Hour” daily from 5 to 8 pm, featuring $10 signature cocktails and half-off the food menu. On Thursdays, the special runs all day.

The 102-seat bar also includes a second-floor outdoor patio and two private dining spaces. Fancy’s is open Wednesday through Friday, 5 pm-12 am, and Saturday from 7 pm-2 am. Reservations are available via OpenTable.

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