My wife and I are celebrating our 5th Anniversary in Houston next weekend, and I would like to suprise her with a nice elegant meal. Steakhouse preferable, but open to all suggestions. Thing around 150-200 total.

"No Fi, Chuck Finley is forever..."

Haven't been to Houston for fine dining in a while, but Mark's used to be very good

There are plenty of places where you just can't go wrong.

We normally do Pappas, but I prefer V&As.

For steaks, it's always Pappas for me. It's the best in town. I've done V&A once and it was very very good as well but I dislike the company so I try to avoid it.

Mark's is very worthwhile too but I don't consider it a steakhouse. I do love it, though.

I'd do Haven or Underbelly, but I'm not a steakhouse fan.

ETA: Sorrel Urban Bistro is also legit, but it seems very few people are aware of its existence.

[This message has been edited by Jh0400 (edited 7/5/2013 8:14p).]

Sorrel's is great but I have only eaten there for lunch.

Took the fiance to Divino for her birthday last year and loved it. It is further down Alabama and in a pretty unassuming building but they have a great wine list and great food!

http://www.divinohouston.com/

I think Pappas has the best steaks in Houston. As far as other restaurants go, I would recommend Da Marco. Amazing italian.

Ousies Table ... really nice, cozy upscale home cooking.

My wife enjoys Lubys. They have a great chopped steak on the line.

Aquarium.

Went to Mark's for my birthday last year, best meal I've had in this town. Also, they have $100 gift cards for $80 at Costco if you want to save a little money.

Can't go wrong w Pappas or V&A if you're after a steak, but if you're traveling to the Tine, why not get something a little more interesting? Maybe Brennan's or Reef or Uchi or Underbelly or Brasserie 19? 90% of those steak places are chains and are about 3% different from one another - save the steak dinner for Dallas, get something special in Houston.

Oh yea, forgot Da Marco- btwn that and Uchi you might have the two best restaurants in the city. I'd say state, but I think Uchi is the little sister to an Austin institution.
$200 might be light at DM though...

Uchi might just be the best place in Houston right now.

Uchi is the best restaurant in Houston.

Marks will be more than $200, V&A and pappas are both excellent steakhouses. Ouises is very good but it's more seafood, brennans is probably my favorite restaurant in town and I have had some very good cuts of beef there, probably not quite to the level of v&a but close

never heard ouises called seafood before.

if you are eating out for a special occasion, I too would skip the steakhouse, although Pappas and V&A are great, as is Del Frisco's.

For top restaurant, I'd pick between Uchi, Triniti, the Pass and Oxheart. you will need reservations pretty far in advance for a couple of those and are for more adventurous eaters. Philippe is another very nice place with a good atmosphere with a bit more approachable menu.

if you plan to drink at all, not sure you can stay under $200 with tip at any place mentioned in this thread except divino.

Ouisies is good, but I have a hard time with their wine list. I get 2x+ markup, but at least keep a list that I can't replicate at HEB. It's one thing to have something I've never heard of at the recommendation of an educated waiter, but a list of $64 sonoma cutrer and $55 decoy merlot sort of kills the mood.

DaMarco is the best restaurant in Houston. Do it.

quote:

---

Ousies Table ... really nice, cozy upscale home cooking.

---

I would agree with the upscale hoem cooking comment as opposed to the seafood. However, I don't agree with the cozy comment. The room is smaller, but also louder. Not my favorite.

Another vote for Haven.

Tony's. Get the filet and the grand marnier souffle.

Anyone been to l'olivier on Westheimer?

Been wanting to try L'Olivier. I think I might give it a shot during restaurant week.

DaMarco or Marks for an anniversary for sure.

For a romantic night: Marks or sambuca (pains me to say....)

For superior food with a price tag to match: Marks or DaMarcco

For the foodie: Underbelly, Feast(while you can) Pass and Provisions, Oxheart. I will be in town in September and we will hit all of these (if Feast is still open, and Ninkos for.....nostalga)

Called last week for Oxheart reservations a recording said they are booked the entire month of July.

quote:

---

For the foodie: Underbelly, Feast(while you can) Pass and Provisions, Oxheart. I will be in town in September and we will hit all of these (if Feast is still open, and Ninkos for.....nostalga)

---

Feast is done, their last week was about a month ago.

Pass is badass and would be a nice anniversary dinner. They have a bar for pre/after drinks. It is an experience that I think you would remember.

Provisions is good, but not really a place to have a nice anniversary dinner at.

Oxheart RSVP would be tough to get this late in the game.

Underbelly is damn good too, but it can get loud in there.

V&As surprised me last time I went, they up'd their game. Food was great. Plus saw Clyde the Glide in there.

I went to all of the places recently and think you can do no harm with any of them.

Vic & Anthony's, Pappa Bros, Rainbow Lodge, Mark's, or Brennan's of Houston would be my choices.

It's probably going to be a little loud as well, but I agree with the poster who mentioned Brasserie 19.

If you want to drink wine, as I'm assuming you would for an anniversary, you're going to spend 30-40% less than what you would at a lot of the other restaurants that have been mentioned. At Coppa, where I work currently, we have Veuve Yellow Label champagne starting at $48 (less than most retailers) and it's the same program/pricing at B19.

I like Coppa

Coppa is great. I wish I could get there more often but I did go for lunch the other day. The wine prices are ridiculously low, much like Brasserie 19 and Ibiza. I once bought a bottle of Beringer Reserve at Brasserie 19 and the restaurant price was lower than the Specs price I looked up on my phone. You just cant beat that. I don't know if I call them fine dining in the purist sense of the word but I sure do like them.

I may only be working at Coppa for another 2-3 weeks tops if an interview went the way I think it did last week, but if y'all ever want to come in, I usually work every night except Wednesdays and Saturdays (the latter is so loud and busy I don't recommend it anyway). Just ask for Andrew.

Mark's or Truluck's.

agree with BSD. coppa and B19 are excellent places to go out to eat. but anniversary "special" dinner? not in my book.