Best Lunch Restaurants in River Oaks

Relish is our FAVORITE spot in Houston for Bistro cuisine. We appreciate the friendliest, most-attentive service, excellent cocktails and an exceptional warm welcome each and every time. WE also love to sit at the bar! We never have to worry about sacrificing attentiveness and we enjoy the friendly, accomplished bartenders. Food is dependably good and something for everyone. Relish is our go-to most any night of the week, better than home because we don't have to do the dishes - but equally comfortable and exceptionally welcoming.

We went here for Christmas dinner and this place did not disappoint!! Beautiful restaurant w special details everywhere down to the cutlery, glasses and beautiful cocktails along w food presentation. Our server was very professional, efficient and friendly, especially being it was a holiday. I cannot remember her name but she made our experience that much better! Only complaint was we arrived at 5pm and were told cocktails and wine was half off, which we found generous. However when our check arrived, my dirty martini was not half off and quite pricey, nor was my red wine. When my husband mentioned the fact, server said ordered after HH ended, but not the case! We got our check at 7:11 and I ordered my martini upon arrival and my wine around 6:20. So something went wrong w the drink prices but my husband’s both drinks were HH prices. We will definitely return!

I recently visited State of Grace for a Christmas date with my husband, and while I had high hopes for the evening, the experience was a bit underwhelming. We ordered 1/2 dozen raw oysters and Oyster Bienville to start, followed by two spritz cocktails and the Bistecca alla Fiorentina as our main course. While the service was attentive and the ambiance was inviting, the food itself left much to be desired. The oysters were fresh, and the Bistecca alla Fiorentina didn’t live up to expectations, especially considering the hefty $370 bill. Having traveled to Florence, we’ve enjoyed authentic Bistecca alla Fiorentina at Trattoria ZaZa and Buca Mario. The portions there were much larger, unbelievably flavorful, and cost around 70 euros—an experience we still miss to this day. Hoping to relive that memory, we decided to give State of Grace’s version a try, even at $225. Unfortunately, it fell far short of the real thing. Overall, while the service and atmosphere were enjoyable, the food fell short, making it hard to justify the cost. I wouldn’t recommend it for the price point, but it might be worth a try if ambiance and service are your priorities.

The place is very chic - its very Gen Z / Mil-lineal but of course we are on our late 40’s already. Ambience and service is five star definitely. But food is mediocre. We all thought the chicken taste like a cut from a rotisserie chicken. But if you just want to enjoy company in a nice place,this is definitely a place