Many hyped-up restaurants in Autry Park have hit the scene lately, with few worth the $8 parking. But Annam stands out. The Montrose spot serves Vietnamese food with a bit of French inspiration throughout the restaurant. Servers pour fish sauce tableside in a dining room with intricate archways that mimic French architecture. But beyond the atmosphere, the food is actually good. The citrus broth surrounding the steamed mussels will inspire rogue dunks just to re-experience the flavor.

Haii Kaii in Upper Kirby could be the backdrop of a futuristic action movie. One where the villain is sitting in an almost-too-dark dining room while synthy house music plays in the background. Eating at the two-story Japanese fusion place feels a little sexy. Somewhere after lobster dumplings covered in heaps of butter, you realize Haii Kaii is more than lighting and cool projector images on the walls.

Formerly Lees Den, Lee’s in Rice Village has transformed into a cocktail bar with expertly balanced drinks and small plates. You can see every table in the space’s dining room from the host stand, but it never feels cramped. It’s a speakeasy-type spot you’d keep in your back pocket to impress someone on a third date. Each table is full of gin and tarragon cocktails with glittering daisies in the center. And folks are taking down buttered crab rolls packed with shredded crab and briny trout roe.

Somehow, Maximo in West University just got better. After landing on the 2024 Best New Restaurants guide, this previously Tex-Mex spot took a break to rebrand with a new Mexican menu. The dining room is still recognizable—think velvet banquettes and tasteful uses of cacti—and you’ll still see the suadero tacos on the menu. But new iterations, like the masa-fueled small plates, are now the most exciting dishes at Maximo.

Barbacana fills a gap for those who want a tasting menu that doesn’t feel too stuffy. This fusion restaurant Downtown takes inspiration from Houston’s food scene. You’ll find nods to West African dishes and, of course, the main food group in Texas: beef. Like the Denver cuts of steak doused in suya spice or potato pavés with light dollops of cream cheese. The staff keeps the meal rolling casually.

This decades-long Don Huang Plaza resident now has new digs on the west end of Chinatown. The massive restaurant has floor-to-ceiling seafood tanks, electronic rotating Lazy Susan tables, and an expanded dim sum menu. Dishes arrive fast and lava hot, as is tradition with Fu Fu, like the xiao long bao with its explosive soup interior and juicy shu mai with enough tender shrimp and pork for two or three bites.

Kaiten Sushi Ginza Onodera offers quality sushi delivered to you on a moving track. Plates of buttery chu toro float to your table alongside pieces of mackerel with a rich umami flavor that makes us question how it’s only $3. Devote your energy to the nigiri because the glistening cuts of fish dissolving into your mouth are worth several orders. The Mid-West spot, which looks like a giant glass box from the outside, leans on the minimalist side with a non-fussy interior of beige and grey.

Set between a few bungalows in The Heights, the Mediterranean restaurant Herand’s Kitchen is instantly comforting. This casual neighborhood spot is where you can show up daily and eventually get on a first-name basis with the owner. You can grab a quick plate of tender beef koubideh for a solo meal or wrangle six folks for a long lunch over light plates like a tart refreshing ikra. There’s also a small patio where you can slowly sip a bowl of rose-and-lime-spiked faloodeh for dessert.

We’re big fans of ChòpnBlọk downtown because of their fast-casual bowls flying out of the food stall. And this Montrose location is like an expansion pack of the first concept, with the same bowls making appearances, and some added newcomers. Like the Black Star Bowl, packed with grilled shrimp laced in a peanut-based dry rub and a delicious waakye fried rice with enough smokiness, we are considering it for our BBQ guide.

We love that Milton’s focuses on the classics and puts all its energy into perfecting pasta. The folks at this Rice Village Italian restaurant do it well with their “100 Layer Lasagna,” which rotates ingredients like tender oxtail ragu but maintains a decadence that keeps us coming back. And the only thing that makes swimming in red sauce better is the service. The staff is attentive, giving recommendations on which cocktail is best to accompany your cresta di gallo.