flamenco and tapas, oh my!
Pioneering Houston tapas restaurant finds new home in Montrose
![Mi Luna Montrose exterior](https://houston.culturemap.com/media-library/mi-luna-montrose-exterior.jpg?id=53136883&width=2000&height=1500&quality=65&coordinates=166%2C0%2C167%2C0)
Mi Luna has claimed the former Picnik space in the Montrose Collective.
A pioneering Rice Village tapas bar is getting a new life in Montrose. Mi Luna will open a new location this fall in the Montrose Collective mixed-use development (888 Westheimer Road).
First established by chef Youssef Nafaa in 1998, Mi Luna occupied its original Rice Village location until it closed in 2018. Part of the Bella Restaurants Group that also includes Mia Bella Trattoria, Zoa Moroccan Kitchen, and Coco Crepes & Coffee, the restaurant serves Spanish tapas with a nod to Nafaa’s Moroccan heritage. While some fan favorite dishes will remain, Nafaa also plans to update the concept to suit contemporary tastes.
“I decided to resurrect Mi Luna after realizing that the Spanish tapas concept is not authentically represented in Houston,” Nafaa said in a statement. “I missed Mi Luna and the environment it presented. My feelings for Mi Luna never died, and I had dreamed of bringing it back to life. An opportunity presented itself in the perfect location to bring it to the Houston restaurant scene again.”
That location is the former Picnik space at the Montrose Collective. The Austin-based healthy-eating concept shuttered its Houston expansion in January after less than a year in business.
Mi Luna plans to transform the space with Spanish design elements and a stage that will host live entertainment such as Flamenco dancers on Friday and Saturday nights and an acoustic guitar player during weekend brunch. It is expected to seat approximately 140 people, which will be split between the main dining room and a 1,200-square-foot patio.
The restaurant's design will have a Spanish influence.Rendering by Agustin Fata
While the menu has yet to be finalized, Nafaa expects to serve a wide array of roasted and braised meats alongside many vegetarian options. The chef will also revive fan favorite dishes such as paella Valenciana, pulpo con patatas, bastilla, and gambas al ajillo.
Mi Luna is only the latest new restaurant to claim a space in the Montrose Collective. Sophie, a French-inspired cocktail bar created by hospitality veteran Ashley Muncie, recently opened in the former Rosemont space next to Uchi. Októ, a Mediterranean restaurant from the team behind Doris Metropolitan and Hamsa, is expected to open in the coming weeks.