Keep Feeling Fascinators

Houston's hottest restaurants and bars run for the roses with Kentucky Derby parties, specials, and surprises

So many May weekend events in Houston, so little time. Cinco de Mayo celebrations. Coronation parties. As if this weekend couldn't get any more jammed, it's also the annual Kentucky Derby.

Not that Houstonians needed a reason to dress up and celebrate with cocktails and food, but those looking to tie in that kind of revelry with Derby watching will have plenty of choices. Here are some of our favorites. All events take place on Saturday, May 6.

Brenner's on the Bayou
Get dolled up in Derby best and head to Houston's iconic steakhouse for its annual Wine Fest. From 2:30 to 5:30 pm, stroll the grounds and take in samples from more than 40 wine makers while enjoying bites from fellow Landry's restaurants such as Brenner’s on the Bayou, Grotto Downtown, McCormick & Schmick’s, Cadillac Bar, Willie G’s, and Babin’s. The event offers a dessert station and a hat contest with grand, second, and third prizes. General admission is $150, with a $250 VIP option available. Buy tickets and learn more.

Eight Row Flint
Held at the bar's original location in the Heights, guests will enter through a floral archway where they'll find an afternoon of Derby delights. The best hat wins a Makers Mark gift basket, and a raffle allows attendees to bet on a winning horse. Get $10 Makers Mark 90 Smashes or Makers Mark 46 Juleps. Photo opp areas, music, and more highlight the celebration.

E’terie Bar & Grill
This Woodlands gathering spot has a host of mint julep specials to mark Derby Day. Choose from the PBJ Julep, made with Screwball whiskey and cranberry juice; the traditional Old Forester Mint Julep made with bourbon and simple syrup; or the Diplomatico Julep made with rum, simple syrup and chocolate bitters. They're $11 each, and the special runs from open to close.

EZ's Liquor Lounge
Champagne lovers, this one's for you. This retro-inspired bar in the Heights is blowing out bubbles with prices such as $100 Larmandier Bernier Blanc de Blanc, $60 Pierre Gimonnet, $250 Krug, and $70 Charles Heidsieck. In addition, the bar will serve Kentucky Hot Brown sandwiches made with smoked turkey from Truth Barbeque.

Photo by Emily Jaschke

Julep goes all out for Derby Day.

Heights Bier Garten
The 7th Annual Kentucky Derby Party features games and a best-dressed contest (for couples and dogs) with a grand prize of four tickets to the Houston Polo Club. In addition, attendees will find food and cocktail specials, a DJ, live band, and a 360 photo booth. Festivities run from 1-10 pm.

The Heights Social

Heights Social Kentucky Derby (Bow) tie one on at The Heights Social with contests, a 360-degree photo booth, and more. Photo by Dylan Minor

The newest Heights hot spot on W. 20th Street start the Derby Day party at 3 pm. Look for Derby-themed drinks, a menu dedicated to Churchill Downs, and even a best-dressed contest. (The winner of the ladies contest will receive a complimentary bottle of rosé wine; the lucky gentleman will receive a complimentary bottle of Woodford Reserve.)

More contests include a “Champs for the Champion” contest, where each reserved table will pick a horse racing in the Derby; the winner receives a complimentary bottle of champagne to toast the winner. Be sure to snap those fits in the 360-degree photo booth.

Julep
Fittingly for an establishment named after the event's signature cocktail, Alba Huerta's James Beard Award-wining cocktail bar goes all out for Derby Day. Held from 1-6 pm, guests can expect a live set from DJ G Funk, music by Bulbo Houston, and a cigar stand from 1502 & Sterne Fine Cigar Company. Food options include tacos from El Topo, food and drink options in The Parlor, and desserts by Fluff Bake Bar. Naturally, the bar will serve plenty of mint juleps. Derby hats and bowties encouraged and welcomed. $20 in advance and $25 at the door. Buy tickets online.

Julep Houston Kentucky Derby Julep's Derby Day parties are always epic.Photo by Emily Jaschke

Permission Whiskey
Another standout bash takes place at this whiskey-obsessed bar in the Heights. Permission's 3rd Annual Kentucky Derby Party invites guests to get "Down and Derby" with a broadcast of the race, live music, a trumpet player, Derby-themed roses, a festive hat contest, and other surprises. Makers Mark representatives will be there, handing out branded swag, and advance-purchase admission includes a cocktail. Tickets are $20 and can be purchased in person before Derby Day. For table reservations, email the bar. The event kicks off at Noon and runs to 7 pm.

Rockhouse Southern Kitchen
This Galleria-area newcomer hosts what it bills as the largest Kentucky Derby watch party in Texas. "Talk Derby to Me" features live music, Derby watching on more than 50 tvs, brunch and lunch menus, and mint julep specials. Derby attire encouraged, and those who do have the incentive of a best-dressed contest. General admission is $30, with early bird and VIP options available. The party runs from 2-8 pm.

The Rustic
The bar's downtown location offers a Derby watch party, with live music before and after the big race. Participate in a best costume contest with prizes. In addition, the bar's signature mint julep will be available for Derby watchers to sip while cheering on the thoroughbreds. The event is free, but RSVPs are encouraged.

Derby Celebrations Houston Derby Parties news-you-can-eat holidays

Coming soon to Fredericksburg

Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country

Photo courtesy of Bottega Salaria

Valerio Lombardozzi is opening Bottega Salaria in the former home of La Bergerie.

Valerio Lombardozzi’s culinary career has taken him to the world’s finest kitchens, including restaurants owned by icons like Alain Ducasse, Giorgio Locatelli, and Joël Robuchon. In Houston, he led La Table and Tavola, where he earned a reputation for being one of the city's most engaging front of the house personalities.

But his latest project might be his biggest accomplishment yet. The hospitality veteran is opening Bottega Salaria, a homey Italian osteria and artisan market, in the former home of La Bergerie at 312 E Austin St in his adopted home of Fredericksburg.

Lombardozzi says the restaurant, expected to arrive in winter 2026, fills a gap in the Hill Country dining scene, but, more importantly, it's a reflection of his personal history and time spent working at his family’s restaurant in Rome.

“[It’s about] where I grew up, how I grew up, and how I eat,” he shares.

The three-concept experience is inspired by Italy’s Via Salaria, the ancient route Italians used to transport salt from the Adriatic Sea to Rome. The menu acts as a sort of travelogue, borrowing from the different cultures along the road, and the way village fishermen and shepherds ate.

Lombardozzi is quick to say he didn’t want to open a chef-driven restaurant. Instead, the osteria will serve traditional Roman staples such as cacio e pepe, amatriciana, carbonara, saltimbocca with sage and prosciutto, and branzino carved tableside.

“I was one of the last to be exposed to the old generation of professionals who knew how to carve elegantly for the guests,” he says.

The adjacent bottega will stay open during restaurant hours, offering fresh pasta made on-site, house-made sauces, imported Italian pantry items, cheeses, salumi, breads, and biscotti. Patrons will be able to shop for individual items or put together custom gift baskets.

Outdoors, La Fraschetteria will debut a new hospitality experience in the U.S. The self-guided experience invites diners to grab wine directly from garden shelves, gather a spread of meats, cheeses, bread, or pasta, and linger around long communal tables lit by string lights.

Keeping the chit-chat going will be a thoughtful beverage program anchored by a primarily Italian wine list and imported beer. Lombardozzi says the cocktail menu might be a surprise, offering only gin and tonics, spritzes, and negronis. The latter has been made into a game where diners roll dice to determine the evening's combination of gin, vermouth, and bitters.

After dinner, guests can select an amaro from a rolling cart, sip grappa and limoncello, or sip a neat whiskey.

Lombardozzi shares that he wants Bottega Salaria to be just as comfortable for Fredericksburg locals as it is for destination travelers. Beyond daily service, Bottega Salaria plans community events such as garden wine nights with live music, Sunday movie nights, and hands-on cooking classes.

The space is designed for ease with a warm palette combining olive green and pomegranate reds. The decor blends heritage and modernity, bringing in objects like antique mirrors, plates, custom-made lamps, and even old tablecloths and curtains for an Old World feel.

"We’re not just opening a restaurant,” Lombardozzi says. “We’re creating a gathering place. A home for everyone who loves Italian food, culture, and the joy of sharing a meal with others.”

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Houston restaurant vet serves up Roman-style eatery in the Hill Country