A Guide to the Best of Houston’s Midtown Neighborhood

This small bakery, a farmer’s market favorite, produces delicious Bundt cakes. Our recommendation: try the lemon funfetti bundt cake flavors.

The Breakfast Klub is an institution, as evidenced by the long queue that snakes out of this charming place even during the week. If you’re in the mood for some of Houston’s best chicken and waffles, it’s worth the wait.

Legendary Creole restaurant Brennan’s of Houston has been a Midtown staple since it opened in 1967. Its cuisine has also served as a training ground for some of the city’s best chefs, from Chris Shepherd and Bobby Matos to Patrick Feges and Danny Trace. Sunday Brunch in Brennan’s Backyard is something every Houstonian should experience at least once, an experience that should definitely include Bananas Foster at the table.

This new restaurant, helmed by former Pass and Provisions chef Terrence Gallivan, is our go-to pizza spot in Midtown. Elro serves wood-fired pizzas with toppings like pistachio pesto, smoked maitake and pickled currants, plus a wide variety of crudos and starters. Our favorite: the chorizo ​​pizza with grilled pineapple, serrano pepper and Thai basil.

Mai’s, a late-night Vietnamese staple started by the Nguyen family in 1978, has served as an after-hours stop for generations of Houstonians looking for a bite to eat after a night out on the town. The restaurant’s always eclectic crowds are great for people watching.

This Portuguese-Indian restaurant offers notable Portuguese dishes like croquetas de bacalhau and almond marroquino, in addition to Indian dishes like curry chicken empanadas and seafood curry. Stop for the tasty food and stay for the economical wine list.

Winnie’s, located in the Mid Main section of Midtown, offers fancy sandwiches, cocktails and some of the best vibes in the neighborhood. Stop for a po’boy, burger or bowl of gumbo and sip on one of the restaurant’s excellent frozen cocktails. Or better yet, bring a group of friends on certain Sundays to enjoy the restaurant’s drag brunches.

Can’t afford a wine trip to Europe? Discover the next best thing at 13 Celsius, one of the best wine bars in town. The bar is in a 1920s Mediterranean-style building that oozes charm. It’s the perfect place to hang out with friends while sipping glass after glass of wine from the bar’s extensive wine list.

Beer? Check. Live music? Check. Hammocks? Double check. Is there a better place to relax and stay a while than Axelrad, Midtown’s reigning beer garden? We do not think so. The bar, housed in a nearly 100-year-old building, has an extensive beer list and one of the largest patios in Houston, making it one of our favorite spots in the neighborhood.

This Midtown nightclub is one of the best places to dance in Houston. With a Technicolor palette and a dance floor that lights up, it sports fantastical future vibes. The main bar here also glows, meaning it’s pretty easy to orient yourself for your second (or third) round.

An eclectic music venue located in a 1920s building that was once a general store, the Continental Club features a lineup of great local and touring bands as well as a pool table and bar. There’s also a back patio perfect for those looking to escape the crowds.

This laid-back, tropical-themed spot is a cafe by day and cocktail bar by night. It’s also home to one of the largest coffee cocktail menus in the entire city, making it a great way to start a night on the town. Be sure to try the bar’s frozen Suffering Bastard cocktail, but be careful: as the name suggests, it packs a punch.

If you like trying new things, this cocktail bar is for you. Wooster’s Garden offers more than 50 signature cocktails as well as 49 beers on tap. There’s also wine and some pretty stellar bar food. The bar is an open-air concept with covered and uncovered seating, making it a great place to enjoy the big Houston skies.

If you want to treat yourself to a little shopping therapy, this little boutique is a great place to start. With a wide selection of candles, smokers, decorations, accessories and jewelry, you can find something here to satisfy all your gifting needs, for yourself or others.

This vintage store may be small, but its meticulous curation means it’s fully stocked with high-quality items. You can find clothing from almost every decade here, with some items dating back to the 1920s. You’ll also find creative handmade artwork on the walls that’s also for sale, as well as hats, glasses, and more.

My Flamboyant Heart is sacred ground. This small boutique offers Houston shoppers one of the most eclectic shopping experiences in the city. The ambiance of the boutique is a skillful, if somewhat surreal, fusion of an old Western aesthetic with Eastern spirituality and witchcraft. This is a great place to shop for out-of-this-world handmade jewelry, vintage cowboy boots, or handmade western clothing. And if you’re craving sage or crystals, you’re already in the right place.

As Midtown’s only record store, this place is in a world of its own. Sig’s has a strong retro vibe and features walls covered in vintage flyers and promotional posters. The store’s record selection is extensive, meaning you’ll always be able to discover something new during your visits.

This nearly 40-year-old nonprofit arts organization provides educational opportunities and cultural connections to Black artists and other community members through education, community development and exhibitions.

Since its founding in 1982 by a group of artists, DiverseWorks has been celebrated for its groundbreaking arts programming. The interdisciplinary institution produces art exhibitions, performances and community programs throughout the year.

As the largest and oldest professional African-American theater company in the Southwest, Ensemble Theater is a vital part of Houston’s arts community. The theater houses three stages and regularly presents acclaimed dramas, comedies and musicals.

Midtown Arts & Theater Center Houston is an arts complex that includes 60,000 square feet dedicated to multiple performance and visual arts groups, all housed under one roof. The center hosts a variety of performances, from plays and musicals to orchestras, comedy shows and poetry readings.

Housed in a building more than 100 years old, this Midtown coffee bar was once home to one of the city’s first gas stations. The interior is tiny – and you’re not allowed in anyway – but the cafe has two spacious covered outdoor terraces, one in the front and one in the back, which are perfect places to study or spend time with friends while enjoying. some of the shop’s delicious crepes. Retrospect also houses a fully manual espresso machine, which is a rare find in Houston. Since it’s almost impossible to produce a bad shot, you should definitely try some of the espresso drinks here.

Dating from the turn of the century, this five-acre park is one of the oldest in Houston and is home to some of the oldest and most majestic oak trees in the entire city. It is a favorite picnic spot as well as a great place for a stroll.

This six-acre site includes three acres of public park space, including a lawn, pavilion, water features, wetland trail and steamer, public art, playground and a dog park. With shopping and restaurants nearby, you can spend the whole day here.