food

New Upper Kirby Cocktail Lounge Is Fired Up for the Holidays

Chris Furia
New Upper Kirby Cocktail Lounge Is Fired Up for the Holidays

Santé's Verde Room

COCKTAILS ON FIRE, caviar carts, and three-hundred-year-old olive trees, oh my! It’s all at Santé (French for cheers!), which has bowed on Richmond in Upper Kirby.

The sexy lounge is the brainchild of Sina Khaef. He dreamed it up while enjoying the bustling nightlife in Paris, and he wanted to bring that experience to Houston. The result is Santé, whose dark environs are home to vintage chandeliers, jewel-toned lounge seating and a rotating art collection. “We are so proud of what we have created here at Santé. It’s a tasteful and sophisticated destination for you to enjoy with your friends, colleagues and visitors alike,” says Khaef.

The lounge is divided into four sections: “The garden,” with a large bar and two towering olive trees; “the spin room,” which is a dancefloor with cocktail tables next to the DJ booth; “the verde,” a dimly lit section with velvet couches and chairs; and the outdoor lounge area.

The cocktail menu was created by Matthew Medina, who also developed drinks at Toca Madera and Duchess. Each cocktail is named after a piece of art and, for an artful touch, is served on a coaster showcasing the art of the drink’s namesake.

Don’t miss the caviar cart that includes an option to crème-fraiche ice cream with a dollop of caviar. Other Euro-inspired options include oysters, hummus and charcuterie boards.

Santé is located at 2309 Richmond Ave., and opens at 4pm seven days a week.

Fruits Of The Earth Aflame cocktail

Le Grand Canal cocktail

Food
parties

With Shimmering ‘Mirror’ Theme and Sexy Spanish Fare, HGO Raises $1.3 Mil for Community Outreach

Denise Reyes and Matthew Healey (photo by Katy Anderson)

THE OPERA BALL, one of Houston’s perennially elegant, must-hit galas among the society set’s top tier, tilted marvelously mod and disco-deluxe this year, with sophisticated Spanish hints, thanks no doubt to ball chairs Isabel and Ignacio “Nacho” Torras. They are, of course, the arts patrons behind two of Houston’s most popular and trendy restaurants — MAD and BCN Taste & Tradition.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties
food

Pop-Up Pros: With Impressive Partners from Far and Wide, Four Seasons Houston Ups the Game

Smoked Salmon Cheesecake with Emeril’s Reserve Caviar

THE POP-UP CULINARY trend — when great chefs from elsewhere take over a local restaurant for a night or two — continues to be a hot in Houston. But as the novelty of the concept fades to been-there-done-that, pop-up purveyors must be increasingly clever to attract savvy foodies.

Keep Reading Show less
Food