Inside My Table #80 | Restaurant listings
Private Parties
Here is a selection of 14 restaurants we like that have private rooms. We can’t quote prices because in each case it varies widely, depending on type of party, menu, day of the week and all that. When you’re planning a special event in a restaurant and you get a per-person price, make sure you figure in “plus plus plus,” as they say in the event-planning business: liquor, tax and gratuity. Our selection below overlooks hotels, which are already well known for banquet rooms, with one exception. In addition to these restaurants, consider Prego, Mockingbird Bistro, Backstreet Cafe, Aquarium (they close off half the room — corny but fun), The Brownstone, Fleming’s, Palazzo’s Trattoria, The Lodge on the Bayou, Kirby’s Prime Steakhouse in The Woodlands, Crapitto’s Cucina Italiana and Smith & Wollensky.
ARCODORO, 5000 Westheimer at Post Oak Blvd., 713-621-6888. Sleek Arcodoro has three comfortable and elegant rooms designed for private dining. The versatile Sardinian Room can accommodate 14 to 48. (Note: It can be very loud.) It overlooks the main dining room and features a mural depicting Sardinian history. The snug Cigar & Wine Room has a separate ventilation system for enjoying an after-dinner cigar. And the Reserve Wine Room is even cozier, with room only for six. $$-$$$
ARTISTA, 800 Bagby at Rusk in the Hobby Center, 713-278-4782. Each of the full-service Cordua restaurants has intriguing private spaces, but we choose Artista because its rooms offer tremendous views of downtown’s dramatic skyline. The semi-private Mezzanine is set above the main dining room and seats 50 in oversized banquettes and leather chairs. The La Cava Room is a private area for up to 60. It’s perfect for intimate dinners with a mix of booths, including four extended ones that each seat up to 10. $$-$$$
BRENNAN’S, 3300 Smith at Stuart St., 713-522-9711. If a bit faded (the occasional water-stained acoustic ceiling tile, for example), Brennan’s has long excelled with large groups for both business and social functions. It has seven rooms that can be booked with capacities ranging from 20 to 130. The most interesting these days is the Chef’s Dining Room that can seat 60, boasting front-row views of the bustling kitchen in action. Great fun for a foodie crowd. $$-$$$
CAFE ANNIE, 1728 Post Oak Blvd. at San Felipe, 713-840-1111. You can experience chef Robert Del Grande’s hallmark Southwestern cuisine and Cafe Annie’s impeccable service in three separate private rooms, each with its own decor. The Wine Room upstairs can seat 10 to 16; the Ventana Room 14 to 24 people; and, the Sapele Room 30 to 50. Each of the rooms allows the option for seating the entire party at one (very) large table. $$$
DAILY REVIEW CAFE, 2312 W. Lamar at Dunlavy, 713-520-9217. There are two private-party venues here. The Green Room accommodates 54 for seated dinners. Glass French doors open outside, creating an indoor/outdoor flow. In fine weather, you might consider the covered porch that overlooks the garden. It will accommodate up to 100. $$
JASPER’S, 9595 Six Pines Drive, The Woodlands, 281-298-5650. In The Woodlands Town Center, Jasper’s has two attractive and well-equipped private rooms, one even with a separate entrance, thoughtfully designed for performers at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion. The larger private room can seat up to 60 and overlooks the main dining area. The smaller frosted glass-enclosed boardroom seats 10 to 22. In each you can create a custom menu featuring Jasper’s widely lauded “gourmet backyard” cuisine. $$
LAS ALAMEDAS, 8615 Katy Freeway at Voss, 713-461-1503. Since 1980, the stolid large hacienda just off the Katy Freeway has provided a comfortable, attractive and even romantic setting for Mexico City-style fare with a view of lush, tree-lined Buffalo Bayou. This wonderful vista can be enjoyed for an event with one of their two private rooms for groups numbering 25 to 300. The restaurant also has a dramatic wine room decorated with rustic colonial furniture and bottles to the ceiling. $$-$$$
MARK’S AMERICAN CUISINE, 1658 Westheimer near Dunlavy, 713-523-3800. Three rooms are now available for elegant private and semi-private events in one of the city’s best and best-serviced restaurants, which occupies a former church. The private Alcove seats five to eight; the Loft is a semi-private area with a view of the main dining room for up to 20; and the Cloisters, which has vaulted ceilings for a dramatic Gothic effect, can accommodate 32 to 40 in privacy. $$$
MASRAFF’S, 1025 S. Post Oak Lane bet. San Felipe & Woodway, 713-355-1975. One of the most accommodating restaurants, and one of the few that will close on a weekend night for a private party (with more than 200). Its handsome Vintage Room seats up to 50 under a 32-foot ceiling and large Murano chandelier. The room also has a massive limestone fireplace and large French windows. The Chef’s Counter that faces the kitchen accommodates up to 18 and can be enjoyed on a semi-private basis for smaller groups. $$-$$$
OUISIE’S TABLE, 3939 San Felipe west of Willowick, 713-528-2264. Fireplaces and high ceilings provide some of the well-polished and comfortable Southern charm for which Ouisie’s is known. The restaurant has four private rooms that seat 14 to 135. One is Alsey’s Nest for up to 40 with both a piano and a small garden. For temperate times of the year there is the Bears’ Garden with its soothing fountains, wisteria and herbs. The intimate wine cellar, Cooper’s Bin, seats up to 14 and requires a walk through the kitchen. $$-$$$
QUATTRO, 1300 Lamar at Caroline in the Four Seasons Hotel, 713-650-1300. Located on the third floor of the hotel, the four private rooms at Quattro, seating 8 to 28, are some of the most attractive in the city. Neapolitan chef de cuisine Gaetano Ascione has helped the restaurant regain some of its past acclaim, so the Chef’s Table, with a large window into the kitchen, can be a great dinner party spot for up to dozen to enjoy a customized multi-course meal. $$$
RAINBOW LODGE, 2011 Ella south of Loop 610, 713-861-8666. Occupying the former home of La Tour d’Argent, Rainbow Lodge has six rooms for groups of 10 to 40 that take advantage of its attractive setting. Seating up to 18, the Orvis Room in the main building — a 100-year-old log cabin — is one of the most compelling, featuring a large limestone fireplace. For parties of 50 to 72, the front dining rooms can be reserved to create a semi-private space. And, the entire restaurant can be had for groups of 100 to 175. $$-$$$
TREVISIO, 6550 Bertner at Moursund in the Texas Medical Center, 713-749-0400. This high-in-the-sky restaurant was conceived for private functions — breakfast meetings, business luncheons, cocktail gatherings. There are seven private dining options, including two glass-enclosed areas within the main dining room, that can accommodate groups of five to 500. State-of-the-art audio-visual equipment, plus stunning views. $$-$$$
VIC & ANTHONY’S, 1510 Texas at Crawford, 713-228-1111. With three handsome private rooms, Vic & Anthony’s is well-suited for most corporate events. There is the Board Room for smaller meetings, the chandelier-fitted Ballroom for fairly large ones and the dramatic Wine Room. This last features striking stone archways and flooring, dark mahogany cabinets and a view into the restaurant’s 1,000-plus bottles of fine wine. $$$
