fly, sparrow, fly

London-based Italian steakhouse lands in new Houston mixed-use project

The owners of Toca Madera are bringing an Italian steakhouse to the Galleria area’s newest mixed-use development. Sparrow Italia is coming to Houston.

The new restaurant will join The Henry, a neighborhood restaurant from Flower Child owners Fox Restaurant Concepts, at Central Park Post Oak, a 17-acre mixed-use development located at 2000 Post Oak Blvd. The approximately 6,700-square-foot steakhouse will include a main dining room, a bar area, an outdoor patio, and a private dining room.

As it names implies, Sparrow Italia serves a wide-ranging menu of Italian-inspired fare that includes hot and cold shareable items, salads, pizzas, pastas, and steaks. Highlights include a Calabrian-rubbed New York strip steak, a 34-ounce Prime Fiorentina, wagyu carpaccio, an on-trend spicy rigatoni, and the B.I.G. Meatball, made with a half-pound of A5 wagyu, according to press materials.

Sparrow’s cocktail menu takes inspiration from Italian ingredients and Italian-American flavors. They include the C.R.E.A.M., a clarified milk punch made with basil and tomato juice, mozzarella, tomato, and balsamic crème; and the The O.D.B., a vodka martini infused with Calabrian chilis, housemade spicy pickle brine, Cocchi Americano, and chili oil.

Noble 33 opened the first Sparrow in London’s Mayfair neighborhood in 2022, followed by an outpost in Miami’s Wynwood area in 2024. In addition to Toca Madera, a lively, Mexican-inspired steakhouse that opened last year next to the Thompson Hotel, Noble 33 plans to open Meduza Mediterrania above Toca Madera at some point in 2026, a representative tells CultureMap.

“We’re on track for Houston to become a vital part of the Noble 33 restaurant portfolio,” Noble 33 CEO and co-founder Mikey Tanha said in a statement. “The city’s vibrant culinary scene, dynamic culture, and community engagement make it an exciting market for us to grow and connect with — and the perfect next location for Sparrow Italia.”

Announced earlier this year, Central Park Post Oak will consist of three buildings with a combined 1.2 million square feet of office space separated by a three-acre lawn. Sparrow Italia will be located in one of two new buildings currently under construction. Houston-based real estate development firm Midway, working with real estate investment firms 3Edgewood and Parkway, is developing the property. Construction is expected to be completed in the fall of 2026 with the restaurants openings to follow.

“We are thrilled to welcome Sparrow Italia to Central Park Post Oak,” Midway executive vice president Clayton Freels said. “Sparrow Italia’s globally minded culinary program and design-forward experience are a perfect fit for our vision: a dynamic, walkable destination on Post Oak Boulevard that brings together best-in-class dining, retail, and office in a single, connected campus.”

Photo by Anthony Nader

Signature items include wagyu carpaccrio.

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Perfect Plates

Only one Houston spot makes OpenTable list of 2025's top 100 restaurants

BCN Taste & Tradition Facebook

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Restaurant reservations and reviews platform OpenTable has examined its data to determine the top 100 restaurants in the country for 2025, and only one Houston restaurant made the list — BCN Taste & Tradition, the one star Michelin Spanish fine dining restaurant in Montrose.

On the other hand, Austin has an enormous slice of the pie with eight representatives. Dallas tied Houston with one restaurant.

OpenTable emphasizes that professional critics didn't compile this list. Instead, it's based on more than 10 million reviews by verified OpenTable diners along with other metrics. A restaurant had to have a minimum threshold of reviews to be considered — so no matter how great a new restaurant is, it might be too early to count it — and further data included the percentage of five-star reviews, number of alerts set, and more.

Some, like percentage of reservations made in advance, mean this list awards points for exclusivity rather than casual dining. However, the number of direct searches could be an equalizing factor.

Most important to readers, the restaurants are not ranked.

In addition to BCN, four restaurants with Houston locations made the list in their hometowns. They are: Clark's Oyster Bar (Austin), Guard & Grace (Denver), Steak 48 (Phoenix), and Uchi (Austin).

The list is very similar to the one in 2024, when Steak 48 was Houston's only representative.

An emphasis on fine or fancy dining isn't necessarily a bad thing. These restaurants live up to their own fanfare, according to reviews, which is no small feat for a restaurant like Uchi. It was named the 60th greatest restaurant in the country this century by luxury lifestyle publication The Robb Report this month. After more than 20 years, adapting to the times and staying fresh is sometimes the greatest thing a restaurant can do.

Although Austin led the way in Texas, two cities had even more representation. New York City has 10 spots on the list, and Chicago has an unbelievable 16.

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