Manhattan Roll (photo by Julie Soefer)
Opening Friday, Dec. 16, at 4411 San Felipe — a new development on Westcreek Lane near River Oaks District — Ciel is the first offering from Houston entrepreneurs Ryan Henry, Adel Sadek and Fasl Ty, who recently joined forces to launch a hospitality group. The kitchen will be helmed by Joseph Geiskopf, who will use fresh and sustainable ingredients to craft dishes that utilize the best of Japanese and French food and techniques. Think sweet-chili oysters, and smoked beef tartare with crispy quinoa.
Inspired by the Côte d’Azur, the 8,000-square-foot restaurant-lounge is named after the French word for “sky” — so it’s fitting that from floor to ceiling, the blue-and-white design is heavenly. Italian porcelain floors and marble tables are countered by deep-blue velvet banquettes, and light fixtures artfully hang from above; in the main dining room, the first-ever 360-degree Barrisol mirror installation helps with acoustics and also serves as a conversation piece.
Meanwhile, in the lounge, a white-marble bar with custom seating will be the perfect place to post up and enjoy inventive cocktails like the La Passion, with infused vanilla vodka, mint, banana liqueur, passion fruit and a bit of bubbly. Fancy vino instead? A wine list with more than 150 selections will have what you need.
“CIEL is an alluring, elegant and festive space designed for an impeccable dining, gathering and entertaining experience in Houston,” said Sadek in a release. “We painstakingly selected every detail in the interior to create a space built for unstuffy fine dining with exceptional cuisine, stylish presentations and beautiful art not found anywhere else in the city that will feel like a portal to a glamorous, fun-filled European getaway.”
Beef Tartare (photo by Julie Soefer)
La Passion (photo by Julie Soefer)
Inside Ciel (photo by Shannon O'Hara)
Sweet Chili Oysters (photo by Julie Soefer)
Filet Mignon (photo by Julie Soefer)
Mademoiselle (photo by Julie Soefer)
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Lexi Paterno (photo by Claudia Casbarian)
Paterno, a bartending alum of One Fifth and Georgia James, was inspired by Julep owner Alba Huerta to join the team. “Alba is why I chose to work at Julep, and why this bar is special to me. Alba is an inspiration to me because she is a female Latina successful business owner,” says the 30-year-old who is also trained in mixed martial arts, “She is such a great role model and mentor. It has truly been such a pleasure to work with her and absorb as much as I can from her.”
Julep is hosting a Christmas market on Sunday from 4-7pm with boozy giftables and accessories to liven up your home bar for the holidays.
You spend lots of time making drinks for other people — but what’s your favorite holiday cocktail? That would be the Coquito, which we have right now at Julep! It has rum, coconut milk, coconut cream and almond milk, with lots of vanilla and cinnamon. It's super tasty. I would love to drink it all the time.
What’s the best gift you’ve ever received? Christmas 2008: my puppy Sparkles. She was my little baby and my best friend for 15 years. She recently passed away this year and will always hold a special place in my heart.
And what’s the best gift you’ve ever given? The best gift I have ever given to someone would be when someone asks me to mentor them. It means a lot to me that I can inspire my fellow peers. It's such an awesome feeling!
Favorite holiday tradition? My favorite holiday tradition is making tamales with family and friends! It is such a long process, and everyone has a job to do. It's fun to see everyone drinking and having a good time working together. Making tamales is more about family bonding than actual work being done.
What are you most excited about in 2023?I am excited about growing in my career to really learn what it takes to run a successful business. Being at Julep has really put me in a great position to learn new avenues of the business.
Sasha Grumman and Lexi Paterno at CityBook's fifth anniversary bash in 2021. (photo by Jhane Hoang)