A new something for everyone
Bayou & Bottle, Kiran’s and Fusion Taco in the Heights are delighting patrons with myriad tastes.
THE CONCEPT
A dramatic renovation of the lobby at the Four Seasons Hotel Houston downtown made way for Bayou & Bottle, equal parts restaurant and bar, as imagined by international restaurateur/chef Richard Sandoval.
THE SPACE
Welcoming booths, communal tables and other seating arrangements spread out through an expanse of rich woods, tons of marble and panels of ribbed glass. Decorative objects and an abundance of art and coffee-table books make the space feel like you’re in a tasteful friend’s living room. The focal point, though, is a magnificent, marbletopped bar, which the hotel boasts is the longest in Houston.
THE FOOD
The menu is brief but fulfilling. Smaller plates include Gulf red snapper crudo; beef fat fries; bone marrow and oxtail toast; and burrata with roasted squash. Larger offerings: Prime rib-eye steak; dayboat scallops with brown butter; and a double-patty cheeseburger. Other sandwiches: smoked brisket, banh mi, crispy fish with tartar sauce, and chicken and pimento grilled cheese.
THE DRINKS
As the special bourbon lockers might indicate, the space was made for drinking. A bar cart, stocked with antique glassware and crystal decanters, can be rolled tableside to dispense top shelf pours as well as theatrically created smoked cocktails. The restaurant was serious enough about its brown spirits that it created a sommelier like “bourbon steward” position.
ONE MORE THING
A first-of-its-kind Topgolf-branded simulator is tucked just behind the restaurant. Two side-by-side Topgolf suites (that can be rented individually or as one) are available for guests to play simulated golf on courses throughout the world. Bayou & Bottle menus are available for booked parties.
THE DETAILS
Four Seasons Hotel Houston, 1300 Lamar, 713-650-1300; fourseasons.com/houston