Our 2021 Favorites: New and Exceptional Restaurants in Houston, TX

2021 was a wild year! There's many ways to measure how good our year was, but while reflecting on our favorites from the year, we realized we were SO impressed with so many restaurant this year. It was hard to choose our top restaurants, but check out our favorites from this year. 🤩

1. CANTINA BARBARA | @CANTINABARBARA

When we visited Cantina Barba we were BLOWN AWAY! This is a hidden gem on the edge of the Heights area. Y’all, the Frozen Mezcal Margarita… 🔥

We ordered the carne asada tacos, smoked pork quesadilla, and elotes, and when you go, get all of the above. Everything was so so SO tasty. P.S. they do $2 off frozen margs, mezcal, and tall boys during happy hour M-F 2-6pm!

2. KIN DEE | @KINDEEHOUSTON

We are huge fans of Kin Dee located in the Heights! It’s such a cute restaurant – great date night/GNO/BNO spot – and we love that they focus on made-from-scratch authentic Thai food. You can really tell that they use quality ingredients!

Order the Thai Flower Dumpling and Money Bags for your apps (don’t forget to snap those super Instagrammable pics) and then order the Northern Style Curry with the bone-in chicken – it’s suuuuper tender and juicy.

They also do nightly entertainment which is a lot of fun coupled with the good food and drinks!

3. HOT AND BUTTERED | @HOTANDBUTTEREDHTX

Hot and Buttered is a seafood pop-up at @tikilasintheheights, serving the most amazing crawfish! Matt and I love crawfish and have tried so many different places, and honestly, this has been our favorite thus far! Be prepared for a bit of a wait, but trust us, it’s sooo worth it. While you wait, I'd recommend a ranch water at the bar. It comes with hints of cucumber and sprinkled with tajin. It was a perfect compliment!

Their sauce is on-point, so flavorful, and makes all of their seafood delicious. Aside from crawfish, you can also get shrimp, mussels, scallops, and snow crab. 🦞

4. KANAU SUSHI | @KANAUSUSHI

Kanau Sushi opened late last year right below one of the high-rises in Midtown, and it is an absolutely stunning restaurant, perfect for your next date night!

We had the pleasure of trying their chef's tasting menu, a curated selection of some of their best menu items (2 person minimum), and we must say that the chef's selections of the night were ON POINT. 👌 Matt and I were extremely impressed by each item, both in presentation and taste; however, our favorites of the night were the Truffled Hon Maguro, Uni Toast, Sashimi, and Nigiri!

5. WINNIE'S | @WINNIESHOUSTON

Honestly, we cannot say enough good things about Winnie's. Featuring a bright pink exterior and stunning bar, it’s a perfect casual outdoor patio to sip on their delicious $5 cocktails (daily before 5pm).

When you go, their treasure chests are a must. 🍹 We got the frozen flight, which features all four of their frozen drinks. We also recommend the Hand Grenade Collins for something fruity and refreshing. In terms of food... we loved it all, so get any of these items and you're GOLDEN: Pimento Queso, Debris Fries, Mississippi Beef Debris (with Cool Ranch Doritos) and BLT Katsu Sando (our fav).

6. BETTER LUCK TOMORROW | @BLTOMORROW

When we first visited Better Luck Tomorrow we were thinking to ourselves “why haven’t we been here sooner?!” Their happy hour is a MUST. ALL BOOZE is half-off before 5pm every weekday, and their cocktails are some of the best we’ve had. We tried a good variety and loved the Accident Count, Ranchwater Fresa, Old Zealand, and Gullywash. 🍸

7. BLUDORN | @BLUDORNHTX

Bludorn is a New American restaurant with French-inspired flare and has been one of our favorites since our anniversary dinner in 2021. Everything from the bread to the cocktails is exquisite. So far on the dinner menu, we've tried and loved the Oysters, Maitake Mushroom, Beef Tartare, Ravioli, and Lobster-Chicken Pot Pie; and let's just say that we are anxious to make our way through the rest of the menu. For drinks, the Yuzu Sour and This Must Be The Place were perfect in every way.

We've been recommending the restaurant nonstop to everyone looking for a fancy date night or celebratory dinner spot! We recommend making a reservation ahead of time; but you can always sit at the bar where they serve the entire menu.

8. TONIGHT & TOMORROW | @TNTHTX

After trying a variety of appetizers, entrees, desserts, and cocktails, we have to say that Tonight & Tomorrow earned its spot in our 2021 Favorites! We had a variety of starters but were extremely impressed by the Ham & Cheese, Campechana, Hush Puppies, and Pork Belly. For our entrees, we got the Pork Chops and Octopus, and while they were both wonderful, we would've been more than satisfied with just the starters! However, you cannot skimp on dessert. The Honey Cake is a must.

For cocktails, get the Chevalier Spritz for something refreshing, the Rajasthan Royale for something fruity, or the Hillsboro Days for something tropical. 🍍

9. WAREHOUSE 72 | @WAREHOUSE72HOUSTON

Warehouse 72 was one of our favorite spots we first tried over the summer in 2021. Fast forward to Houston Restaurant Weeks and we visited again. Both times we stopped by they absolutely killed it! The drinks, entrees, and ambiance are our favorite parts of this unique restaurant, and we’re already looking forward to our next time in. They have live music from Tuesday through Friday! 🎺

When we were there in November, we tried  the Baked Goat Cheese, Truffle Arancini (a fav from our previous visit), Butternut Squash Soup, Harvest Fall Salad, Short Rib Pappardelle, Butterscotch Brandino, and Apple Tarte Tatin (all Fall menu items). Highly recommend this spot!

Let us know if you try any of these spots out!