Best Cozy Restaurants in Downtown

It’s IN the Hotel! We got lost trying to find this restaurant. We came when the main restaurant area was closed but even with the bar experience you could still order dinner. The food and the service was really nice! I imagine the typical restaurant area has an even better atmosphere.

I feel lucky to have ended up at Hearsay in my first night in town. I dined alone, but didn’t feel like a sore thumb. The host and waiter were friendly and welcoming. The coffee is excellent. I had the salmon for dinner and it was tasty; from the fish itself to the grilled vegetables. I don’t know that you can go wrong here.

 I was traveling solo on business in Houston and made a reservation for one via Open Table. When I arrived there were seats available at the bar so I took one instead of sitting at a table in the main dining room. The service was just slightly slow initially (getting my order placed), but only because there was only one bartender. After that the service was exemplary. I started with a beet hummus and burrata salad, which was was an exquisite blend of wonderful flavors. I followed with the Peruvian ceviche, which, like any ceviche I have ever had at a Richard Sandoval venue, was outstanding. Not quite as good as the ceviche at Costa Verde in Lima, but pretty close. My seat mate at the bar offered me a taste of his ribeye steak, which was a perfect medium rare and maybe the most flavorful ribeye I have ever tasted anywhere, with the possible exception of Bones in Atlanta or a restaurant called The Refinery in Andover NH. I will definitely visit Toro Toro again soon!

Food here is just delicious! Everything we had was very good.

How this only had a 3.9 rating on Open Table when we booked, I'll never know. The restaurant itself was absolutely unique and fantastic. It was unusually inexpensive, especially for that type of restaurant. The food was incredible. The only downside was the small portions- so think 'super fancy restaurant with small portions', but honestly I just ordered a second helping and it was great. Two of us, with drinks, under $100, including tip. We were greeted with Champaign for my wife's birthday. Once caution: the check in process is SLOW because they take you through a metal detector, get your name and ID and then send you up in an elevator two by two. Takes a bit to park in the parking garage across the street too (which is $22- city garage I think, or private). The Foundation Room is on the street level, so don't go to the big House of Blues sign and to the 3rd floor like we did. One other piece- there is NOT live music. There is dinner, then there is a separate show that is booked separately. That wasn't overly clear when I booked. BUT, as a dinner venue, it was a home run. 5.0 all the way.