Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in Houston by diners
Fine dining in the U.S. isn't what it used to be. Many customers are no longer interested in classic white tablecloths and 16-ounce New York strips; instead, it's about cutting-edge culinary experiences.
Although steakhouses have defined fine dining in America since the 19th century, that started to change in the mid-1990s. Elite chefs like Thomas Keller at the French Laundry unearthed a whole different kind of tasting experience (with 40 courses), and a new age of fine dining was born. Soon, prix fixe meals—a French style of serving with a set menu—became the norm for fine dining in the U.S.
Between the rise of chef's tasting menus and consumers' continued desire to have diverse culinary experiences, the restaurants that grace the pages of top-tier restaurant reviewers like Zagat or the Michelin Guide look very different today than they did 30 years ago. Restaurant goers aren't just looking for high-quality food. They want the type of menu that will tell a story. They want creative ingredients they've never tried before. They want to be transported into a whole new world.
With so many innovative menus and restaurant experiences popping up across America to choose from, it can be challenging to choose where to go for a special evening. Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated fine dining restaurants in Houston using data from Yelp. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself.
Only businesses with at least five reviews and at least level 2 pricing (i.e., $$ to $$$$) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with five or more locations nationally (based on Yelp data) were not included. Restaurants in certain lower-cost categories (like "diners," "buffets," and "food trucks") were excluded. Data is as of Aug. 19, 2024.
Read on to find a potential restaurant for your next special meal out!
#28. Bacaro Kitchen & Wine Bar
- Rating: 4.3/5 (209 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 14021 Memorial Drive Houston, Texas
- Categories: Italian, Seafood, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#27. BCN Taste & Tradition
- Rating: 4.3/5 (466 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 4210 Roseland St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: Catalan, Spanish
- Read more on Yelp
#26. Lomonte's Italian Restaurant and Bar
- Rating: 4.3/5 (336 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 14510 Grisby Road Houston, Texas
- Categories: Italian, Gluten-Free
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Nancy's Hustle
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1063 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2704 Polk St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: New American, Tapas/Small Plates, Modern European
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Karne Steakhouse
- Rating: 4.2/5 (311 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 2805 White Oak Drive Ste 100 Houston, Texas
- Categories: Korean, Steakhouses, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#23. Etoile Cuisine et Bar
- Rating: 4.2/5 (556 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1101 Uptown Park Blvd. Ste 11 Houston, Texas
- Categories: French
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Truluck's Ocean's Finest Seafood & Crab
- Rating: 4.3/5 (1035 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 5350 Westheimer Houston, Texas
- Categories: Seafood, Steakhouses, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Balboa Surf Club
- Rating: 4.3/5 (109 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1753 Post Oak Blvd. Houston, Texas
- Categories: New American, Seafood, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Bludorn
- Rating: 4.3/5 (594 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 807 Taft St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Nobie's
- Rating: 4.3/5 (627 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2048 Colquitt St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: New American, Tapas/Small Plates, Whiskey Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Eunice
- Rating: 4.3/5 (596 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 3737 Buffalo Speedway Houston, Texas
- Categories: Cajun/Creole
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Theodore Rex
- Rating: 4.3/5 (271 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1302 Nance St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: New American, Modern European
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Il Bracco
- Rating: 4.3/5 (225 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1705 Post Oak Blvd. Houston, Texas
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Doris Metropolitan
- Rating: 4.3/5 (414 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 2815 South Shepherd Houston, Texas
- Categories: Steakhouses, Mediterranean, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Masraff's
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1067 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 9655 Katy Fwy Ste 190 Houston, Texas
- Categories: New American, Seafood, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#13. State of Grace
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1023 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 3258 Westheimer Road Houston, Texas
- Categories: Southern, New American, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Potente
- Rating: 4.4/5 (452 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1515 Texas Ave. Houston, Texas
- Categories: Italian, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Traveler's Table
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1984 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 520 Westheimer Road Houston, Texas
- Categories: Tapas/Small Plates, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Oporto Fooding House & Wine
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1540 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 125 West Gray St. Ste 500 Houston, Texas
- Categories: Tapas/Small Plates, Portuguese, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Sixty Vines
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1292 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2540 University Blvd. Houston, Texas
- Categories: Wine Bars, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#8. 93' Til
- Rating: 4.4/5 (228 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1601 West Main St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: New American, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Steak 48
- Rating: 4.4/5 (1857 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 4444 Westheimer Road Houston, Texas
- Categories: Steakhouses, Seafood, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#6. BORI - Spring Branch
- Rating: 4.4/5 (603 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1453 Witte Road Houston, Texas
- Categories: Korean, Steakhouses, Barbecue
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Le Jardinier
- Rating: 4.5/5 (201 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 5500 Main St. Ste 122 Houston, Texas
- Categories: French, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Taste of Texas
- Rating: 4.5/5 (4084 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 10505 Katy Fwy Houston, Texas
- Categories: Steakhouses, Wine Bars, Venues & Event Spaces
- Read more on Yelp
#3. The Ginger Mule
- Rating: 4.7/5 (213 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 449 West 19th St. Ste C200 Houston, Texas
- Categories: Vegan, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#2. Athena's Greek Kitchen
- Rating: 4.8/5 (658 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 13250 Fm 529 Ste A Houston, Texas
- Categories: Greek, Mediterranean, Halal
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Neo
- Rating: 4.9/5 (43 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 1711 Indiana St. Houston, Texas
- Categories: Japanese
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kiersten Hickman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 299 metros.
