Juliet’s retro film theatre façade, full with a lit-up marquee, a ticket window, and a concession stand. Image: Juliet
AS with a hide-and-seek sport, half the enjoyable of eating at among the metropolis’s trending scorching spots is discovering them. A wave of new eating places and cocktail bars has opened in Houston that mimic the speakeasy-style ideas which have lengthy been common in New York City, Las Vegas, and Los Angeles. These institutions could not seem like a lot at first, however a deeper dive reveals a lot to be desired—a lackluster exterior with zero curb attraction makes method for a ritzy eating room or a glamorous cocktail bar.
One of the restaurateurs becoming a member of within the newest development is James McGhee, proprietor of the well-known Candy Shack daiquiri bars and the newly launched Juliet, a contemporary speakeasy eating idea cleverly hidden on Westheimer Road within the Galleria space.
“I was inspired by Beauty & Essex in Los Angeles, which has a functional pawn shop at the entrance with a full-service restaurant hidden behind it,” he says.
His plans for Juliet included a number of comparable concepts. “I wanted to build out a real laundromat but nixed the idea after I found out how much the equipment costs,” he laughs. As a severe movie buff, he determined {that a} mock movie-theater entrance could be becoming. “My goal at Juliet is to surprise people,” he says. And shocked you’ll be—in the event you take the restaurant at face worth.
At first look, Juliet seems to be nothing greater than a movie show within the nook of a retail strip. The sprawling restaurant lies by way of double doorways past the foyer, and it packs in a non-public eating room, an attention grabbing bar, and greater than 2,000 sq. toes of patio area centered round a stay oak.
For his first full-service restaurant, McGhee drew inspiration for the design of the area and the menu from his travels worldwide, noting that he wished to deliver among the thrilling issues he had tasted and skilled to Houston. “I traveled to Dubai and went to a restaurant which served a steak covered in 24-karat gold,” he says. “Nobody was doing anything like that in Texas, so I put it on the menu at Juliet.” While he wouldn’t go as far as to say that Juliet is a steakhouse, he shares that the restaurant is enjoyable and vibey, reflecting fashionable interpretations of various meals.
Since opening its mock movie-theater doorways in February, Juliet has welcomed keen diners eager to get the entire scoop on this curious idea. As anticipated, photograph ops are aplenty, but it surely’s bought substance. Go forth, and enterprise in; then, share the key together with your closest pals.
In a metropolis fraught with retail-strip eating places, it may be refreshing to discover a distinctive vacation spot constructed out not like anyplace else within the metropolis and tucked away from the chaos of the surface world. Check out Houstonia’s picks of among the metropolis’s best-kept-secret eating places and bars.
5857 Westheimer Rd, Ste P
While it might seem like this cinema performs all the outdated classics, there is just one characteristic presentation right here: Juliet. Beyond its retro movie-theater façade, full with a lit-up marquee, a ticket window, and a concession stand, Juliet is an upscale, fashionable American restaurant boasting old-Hollywood glam. Film stills adorn the partitions; the movie-inspired menu sections off into Preview, Main Event, and Co-Stars; and as a substitute of bread service, company are given bowls of popcorn when they’re seated. Curated by beverage consultants Ladies of Libation, the cocktail program options dreamy drinks worthy of a photograph. And save room for the Credits: Juliet touts a spherical chocolate dessert with dulce de leche and bourbon caramel that may make you need to return for a sequel. Just please do not ask when the movie shall be proven.
1344 Yale St
No must double-check the handle—in the event you pull as much as Savoir in hopes of eating at Patton’s, you’ve reached your closing vacation spot. The intimate, 38-seat steakhouse is a real hideaway, positioned behind Savoir’s bar and thru a speakeasy-style entrance. The high-end idea differs from its casual-chic counterpart in its Old World design and elevated steakhouse menu that includes prime cuts of steak and an in depth wine listing. Guests can take pleasure in a chic Waldorf salad, adopted by a New York strip sourced from Colorado’s Gable Cattle Co. Dimly lit and romantic, the L-shaped area gives cozy corners wherein to dine and an unique bar with six extremely sought-after seats. While Patton’s is out of sight (in additional methods than one), the restaurant serves because the Heights neighborhood’s solely devoted steakhouse, making it all of the extra engaging to hunt out.
1300 Lamar St
Downtown’s posh Four Seasons Hotel homes two fantastic food-and-drink locations: the foyer bar, Bayou & Bottle, and Toro Toro, helmed by celeb chef Richard Sandoval. But it additionally boasts an ultra-exclusive cocktail bar tucked past a mock bookcase and fully hidden from company. Bandista, the resort’s new 20-seat bar, is an upscale speakeasy — one which requires a secret numerical code to enter. Once inside, patrons can expertise the bar’s progressive cocktail program, together with libations poured over dry ice and introduced in classic glassware. There are uncommon spirits, with pours priced as excessive as $8,000, and cocktails giant sufficient for {couples} to share. A seat on the bar permits company to witness all the considerate prep that goes into crafting drinks, however the intimate area boasts a cushty lounge space, affording dazzling nighttime views of the town. Bandista is reservation-only, with company receiving a affirmation by textual content and directions on the place to satisfy to be escorted up.
5353 W Alabama St #102
What seems to be a comic book e-book retailer on the surface is an omakase-only eating expertise in Uptown, appropriately named Hidden Omakase. The multicourse expertise is exactly that: an expertise from begin to end, and with solely two seatings per evening, it is among the hottest chef-led dinners on the town. Upon getting into the entrance door, company discover themselves in a eating room anchored by a big, wraparound sushi bar with solely 14 seats. In the middle of the room, chef Niki Vongthong and her group of expert sushi cooks put together course after course, hand-delivering items of 11-day aged fish, Wagyu nigiri, noodle bowls, and extra to every diner. The fastened menu leaves no room for modifications or substitutions, however company can select from a complete a la carte menu of add-ons, together with hand rolls and foie gras, ought to they be hungry for extra.
518 W eleventh St, Ste 500
With solely 10 seats inside a slender, 400-square-foot area, Kanpai Club is among the most unique ingesting locations in H-Town. Those within the know can entry the bar by way of a shared door positioned inside Hando, its sister hand-roll restaurant, and partake of craft cocktails, martinis, sake, beer, and wine. As a perk of being proper subsequent door, company can order a lot of Hando’s small plates, together with Brussels sprouts, edamame, and Wagyu gyoza. Visitors searching for a nightcap also can rating heartier eats like hen karaage and curry fries from the late-night menu, served from 10 p.m. to midnight Sunday by way of Thursday and 11 p.m. to 2 a.m. Friday and Saturday.
5120 Washington Ave
Nestled amid the energetic bars alongside Washington Avenue is a pastry store that includes glass circumstances stocked with macarons, muffins, and sugary concoctions. Upon additional investigation, guests will notice that there’s rather more to the harmless storefront past an unassuming pantry door. A big, dimly lit, speakeasy-style cocktail bar, Sugar Room, lies by way of the passage. The swanky bar with Nineteen Twenties-inspired décor transports you to the Prohibition period, when hidden bars have been extra necessity than luxurious. Head-turning cocktails are purpose sufficient to linger round, however in the event you’re not a drinker, there may be additionally hookah on the patio.