My secret little go to when I want yummy small plates, tasty cocktails, and an intimate vibe. The bikini sando is perfection, a little pricey tho. The drinks are so so good too. Great bar bites overall though and would definitely recommend to others! read more

Great drinks, intimate smaller bar in Shepard plaza. Music isn't too loud & I think sometimes they have a DJ but it isn't that big of a place for a DJ. The indoor is so classy and very well decorated. Drinks are well made, balanced, and they offer some food bites. My experience without a DJ was perfect, the next time I went the DJ threw off the vibe a bit. The place is more a chill classy bar feel where you can relax without a DJ needed. The place is so nice and the restrooms are fun pop of color. Service is great and place is also very clean. They offer seasonal drinks as well. read more

We stopped by for happy hour, which runs from 3-6 PM, and it was the perfect way to unwind after work. The space was nice and stylish. The drinks were delicious and definitely hit the spot. The bartenders gave great recommendations. Another bonus was how easy parking was. The location is also great since there are plenty of other restaurants and bars within walking distance, making it easy to continue your night out. Overall, we had a great experience and would definitely stop by again for happy hour. read more

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Stopped at IKTO around 6:30pm for a cocktail before going dinner in the Heights with some friends. There was one couple sitting at the bar but other than that we had the place to ourselves. The bartender was extremely friendly and helpful when we were on the fence about getting a Peanut Butter Carajillo and let us try the PB liquor before committing to the order. Cocktails were great. I imagine the bar has much better vibes later in the evening when there is more of a crowd. read more

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10/10, no notes. So good. Incredibly underrated. Happy hour? Amazing. Service? Amazing. A friend and I sat at the bar, great prices for HH including food and cocktails. Our servers/bartenders were so funny, kind and just charismatic. It was a Friday 5PM, and wasn't overly busy. In a little suite right in the heights, with free parking right in front. Highly recommend oysters and eggs rolls here. Perfect place for a quick catch up and bite! read more

IKTO - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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This place is one of my favorite places to take my friends and have a drink and nosh. Cocktails are amazing as well as the food. The Algo Tranqui cocktail is such a tropical surprise (don't let the presentation fool you) and the Porn Star Martini is my go to cocktail. Food does not disappoint at all, have the raw oysters, burger and fries, wings, popsicles, green beans, sweet peppers, dumplings, etc... etc. the place is small yet tidy and clean. Service is friendly, casual and super laid back. Back ground music is a bop and not too loud. Great atmosphere for conversation and catching up. There is a very small parking lot so parking is limited. I love this place even though I don't know the owner. (Wink) read more

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We stopped here on an off night in the middle of the week and had a great time. It's definitely not cheap but I have yet to find a cheap martini/craft drink place and compared to the other places, they are actually priced more reasonably for drinks. The service is also a lot nicer here and not at all pretentious like a certain other martini place near Waugh that shall remain nameless. read more

IKTO - Prn Star Martini - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Came here during HH with my girls and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. The place is pretty, good drinks, and they have a funny bartender. Easy going place, I came right after work but it's casual setting. I would come back here. read more

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IKTO is such a festive and cozy spot with its Christmas decorations. The bar snacks were surprisingly good too, the mini eggrolls, dumplings, and sweet peppers were all delicious and perfect for sharing. They seriously make some of the best mocktails I've ever had, very balanced, creative, cute and just as satisfying as a full cocktail. will definitely will back for another date night. read more

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I love this place. The perfect hidden gem. Their happy hour is the best time to go. My table was full of delicious food and the bill does not hurt your pockets. They also have delicious drinks too. Now I will be honest the raw oysters are nasty but they made up for it will the char grilled oysters. I'm coming back read more

IKTO - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Food was delicious!! Drinks were on point! Service was good. Ambiance was a cute bar. read more

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So fun! Great drinks and the oysters (grilled and raw) were delicious! Service was great! I asked a lot of questions and the bartender was so kind and so patient. We would come back! My favorite was the Bye Bye Birdie although the Whale or Dragon was a good first drink to start off with. My husband enjoyed the O.F. Wished we could have been there in time for Happy Hour (everyday 4-6PM with 50% off cocktails). It's ok, still very much worth it and already telling my friends about this place, because I want to come back! read more

IKTO - Bye Bye Birdie. Sooooo good! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

It was fine. My friend ordered a martini and I'm not sure what it was about the drink but none of us could help him finish it. It tasted strong but just missing in something. There were 4 of us. The service was fine. The prices were steep. The seating is alright. The ambiance was upscale and modern. Loved all the plants. I'm not sure if we would return because there are genuinely so many bar options in the area and this experience wasn't anything to write home about. read more

I stopped by IKTO on a Wednesday evening. Located in The Heights, they're located in a shopping center and I didn't have any problems finding a parking spot. Ambiance (4/5): This is an area where IKTO (I Know The Owner) shines. It's a trendy spot with modern furniture and nice decor. However, while everything looks nice, most of the seats are quite uncomfortable. They're barstools with barely any back support so you're going to be hurting in an hour or two. All in all though, the ambiance is great. Service (4/5): Even if you sit at a table, you're supposed to order at the bar. There was only one bartender working while we were there so it was a bit slow at times. However, she did a great job without any support. She was friendly and even brought our drinks to the table after the first round. Nice touch. Drinks (4/5): The bartender told us that all of their cocktails are made from scratch. And this is what they're know for. They have a nice list of craft cocktails. Some of the drinks look a little prettier than they taste, but overall, solid cocktails. I had Bird's the Word and I also tried the Asian Pear Martini. Food (3/5): The menu consists of mostly appetizers/tapas. While I thought it was a Mexican restaurant, it's actually a fusion restaurant. You'll see Venezuelan, Mexican, and Asian influences. The left side of the menu is seafood. The right side of the menu is meat. We had a nice variety including the tequenos, yucca fries and tostones, pork dumplings, crab fingers, and mini shrimp eggrolls. Overall, the food is about average. With that being said, the portion sizes are a bit small so the food items are overpriced. If you're looking for a bar with cool vibes, small bites, and a focus on craft cocktails, IKTO is worth trying. I love their name too, that counts for something. read more

IKTO - Bird's the word - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

We had a great time here - delicious drinks, friendly service, and good food as well. The vibe is very cute inside with a gorgeous bar. My favorite drinks were the Asian pear martini, whale or dragon, and Thai tea sour. Will definitely be back. read more

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I was in town for the Houston Rodeo and this was one of the places I wanted to check out. We came at the perfect time because the place is very small and I can see if getting packed easily but we were the only ones there. We were serviced very quickly and I believe the lady behind the bar was the owner. The decor in this place is gorgeous, everything is deforested with care and the colors, etc. give such a sophisticated vibe. I ordered the shrimp egg rolls , crab claws, lobster rolls, lychee martini and a blueberry margaritas. Everything was amazing, I especially loved the crab claws and the buttery bread they came with. They used this same bread for the mini lobster rolls. They called everything "bar bites" and they were the perfect tasting portions. The drinks were also amazing, perfectly crafters and quite strong. I am so glad I was able to check this spot out in my visit to Houston. read more

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Our newest spot! The menu and drinks are really good and the presentation matches how great everything tastes. This place is set apart from the other cocktail bars in the area because of the wonderful staff. Nicole was so accommodating. Both times we have been here, the bartenders are welcoming, knowledgeable, and actually GOOD at making a very balanced drink. If I had to pick a "just be aware of" about this place it would be the parking. Typical city parking, but since the lot is small, you will probably end up on one of the close by side streets. WORTH IT!! read more

A hidden GEM. We went about 30 minutes before happy hour ended and all I can say is it was such a fun time! From being truly engaged by the staff to the tapas presented SO worth it. The food was hot and fresh and happy our deals were worth it. We had such a fun time and I would highly recommend this to a small group. Sitting at the bar is the best choice! Loved to see all different types of aesthetics around but everyone was so nice as well. Staff truly make your dining experience elevated to the next level! read more

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My first IKTO experience is during their Winter on 11th Christmas pop up. The "It's a date" experience was marketed to me on Instagram and was an amazing deal in comparison to other Christmas pop up experiences. We loved the way it was decorated. It definitely put me in a Christmas spirit. IKTO is typically bar service only, but they had servers for the Christmas bar. the service was quite slow. Our ticket (which they never checked) said we only had an hour slot to be in the bar, so we thought we needed to get through courses quickly. We left after more than 2 hours. The welcome drink was an egg nog. It was cute and tasted solid. The oysters had this delicious lemon mignonette. Very tasty. Champagne glasses were very full and I enjoyed that. The next course was a holiday drink of our choice and the lobster bao buns. A few options were unavailable when we asked, so we chose the cuffing season G&T (1/5- way too many syrups going on to be enjoyable) and the gingerbread Moscow mule (1/5- so gingery.) we didn't enjoy these drinks. The lobster bao bun was cute and tasty. Fries were super thin and crisp. Great bite. The next drink was the poquito de creme- creme sweet potato cinnamon drink. This was our favorite drink and tasted like an Irish potato. It came with tequenos, which were meh to me. Undercooked (cheese wasn't warm inside). I've had better tequenos. Last round was a warm Christmas drink (we tried the buttered rum and the other warm drink and disliked both). We wish there was a peppermint schnapps hot chocolate or something instead. It came with two pudgys cookies- chocolate chip and double chip. Pudgys cookies are always good. The package was 88 but I was charged a little more on my card (maybe it was tax, but hard to check on their digital system). The staff was super nice and the bar was always steady and full. Overall, I likely wouldn't suggest coming here again. However, I enjoyed the experience of something new. read more

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I've driven by so many times but it's always so packed. Decided to make a reservation when I heard they're having a Christmas pop up! It's a small place, but it was decorated pretty cute. Ordered the spiked hot cocoa and it was yummy. We ordered lots of plates and they were so great!! My favorite were the potato cheese flautas and my friend loved the crab fingers. Overall, the vibes and the food were delish! read more

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Great drinks, cute ambiance but not impressed with the portion size or taste of the food. read more

IKTO - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Okay, so I am pretty shocked at how low the ratings are here. My friend and I immediately loved this place when coming in on a friday night. Not only the cool and colorful ambiance filled with flower and plant decor, but even down to the menu. We were laughing for a solid 5 minutes, looking at all of the great drink names it set us off to nostalgic moments. Please take a look for yourself. Personally, I had a great experience. Drinks are as expensive as any other place. Would definitely c9me back and recommend to others. read more

I've called them twice. First time, the person answering the phone responded rudely when I asked if this was IKTO. He then hung up. Second time, I asked the same thing and received the same rude "Yeah?" remark and told me he don't speak English and hung up. Is this the norm? I was planning on going here tonight with a friend, but this experience left a bad impression. I will take my business elsewhere. Note that I'm being generous with 2 stars instead of 1 because this was solely on customer service rather than the dining experience. read more

Love the drinks!! And the food is always in point! The staff is always super cool! I love the new vibe of the place! read more

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A friend suggested this spot, to meet up with another friend. Came on a Sunday evening @ 7pm and there was only 2 other customers in there Cute, and modern place. Drinks are specialty made. There is happy hour all day Sunday. By 9pm there was only 1 bartendar working and he was more so chit chatting with the other "off" bartendar and their friend. I never did get the water i asked for Also, had the shrimp egg rolls. They are about the size of a thumb and came in an order of about 8. SOOOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOD! Little shared parking lot outfront. Bathroom was clean Music playlist of the bartendar. Wide range of music genres and decades. Dope! read more

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I had a decent time here for Sunday Funday with my friends. It was a cute little spot. We didn't order any food but just drinks. I had the Frozen Chino Margaritas and it was delicious. However I can't say if it was strong because we had several drinks prior. But definitely a cute place to check out. read more

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A very cute chic cocktail bar with Mean Girls vibe! The service was great too If you want to hang out for a girls night, this is a good spot! read more

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I came for the pretty drinks, lol. I love a mixologist/bartender who knows how to make a drink look good and equally taste good. And these folks are interested in both. You can tell they have experience. And the intention they take is making each drink. I witnessed it. The decor is really cute, very IG photo vibe. There is a bar, and main seating in like a sun room, and even outside seating. Drinks - I wanted something less boozy, our server Alasandra recommended the Karen Smith. Very cute and smooth. I was torn between On Wed We Wear Pink, but maybe next time. I noticed other drinks on people reviews and pics, so it appears they do change up there menu, not sure how frequently. Food - We shared 2 of the Sando's that were on happy hour. The Bikini Sando & Macao Sando. The Macao was our favorite, those sautéed onions, and the rich black pepper mayo really made it a savory bite. I inquired with one of the bartenders more about the place, as I was curious. He said they have been open less than a year. The concept started from Carla, and she gathered up 3 other bartenders she previously had worked with together, to open the place. Kudos to Carla! They all contribute to the drink conceptions, which I think is super cool. Most of the staff seemed a bit preoccupied that night with other guests that were there at the other side of the bar, not sure if it was an event or something. But overall great concept! read more

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First, I love the name of this place! It's a fun conversation piece because you normally have to share this is a bar after a couple of times stating the name! I met up with my cousins here before one of the most famous Houstonian's had a concert at NRG. At the time of this post, I Know The Owner does not take reservations, but they accommodate as applicable if all your party is there. We sat at the bar and sampled items from their happy hour. I had the Nobel Peach Prize and their take on a caipirinha! My cousins enjoyed the wallflowers G&T. I wasn't a huge fan of the food. I tried the yucca fries and 'shroom empanadas--I'd come back for the drinks though. The service was very nice! They get busy but everyone was even keeled and worked well together. read more

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We decided to stop by after a light dinner. So glad we decided to go to this aesthetically pleasing spot! Inside, the decor is kinda boho, meets plants plus there's pops of color with the lemon and vine wallpaper. We were welcomed with a complimentary "welcome shot" of one of their frozens. That was a nice touch. We also ordered chicharron with guacamole. The pork was so crisp but not dry, guac had a kick and tasted great. A wonderful low carb option. We also had some delicious empanadas, cheese and green chile pork. The pastry was light and delicious, it's more of a corn flour based empanada. The fillings were tasty too. I love how it's served with a cilantro serrano creamy sauce and a delightful tangy slaw which cut the richness of the empanadas so well. We also got a drink. A strawberry fresca. It was alright, light and refreshing. I wouldn't mind coming on Sunday for their all day HH! Hopeful to return. read more

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I know the owner. Christmas pop up! Excellent holiday curated menu. Superb decorations. Music is a vibe! read more

IKTO - OF (Christmas edition) - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Perfect spot for a happy hour ! The drinks are so cute & creative .. very affordable plus super cute decor! I wasn't able to taste any food items bc i was in a rush but the service was a 10/10 on the drinks! read more

IKTO - A very demure cocktail ! - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Cute cocktail bar. I gave 3 stars though because the day I went there was a horrible sewage smell which made it hard to enjoy my time. Also the waiters were not all that friendly (except the hostess at the door; she was great). The decor is cute and the menu is interesting. Check them out. read more

IKTO - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

Been wanting to try this place out for a while the drinks were pretty good the food was also very good and everyone that was in there it was a regular which told me that both the bar the service and the food are all excellent. Our service was great we definitely will be back thank you Liz thank you Jade you guys were awesome!!!! read more

Cute bar. It's small and has bar seating and table seating as well. This is a good spot to catch up with a small group of friends. The waiter was very attentive and sweet. They give you welcome shots when you enter with tasted like a watermelon margarita We got high maintenance: this was strong but pretty good. I would definitely try something different next time! Not so candy shots: this was good as well Shrimp and crab empanadas: this was filling and flavorful Oysters 6 total: 3 were topped with different seasoning but was really good. read more

IKTO - Oysters - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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If you live in the heights or come for drinks this bar is a MUST. The drinks, food, service, and ambiance is everything. I have never had a favorite bar before but this place has changed the game. read more

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Went here on a Sunday a while back because of the all-day happy hour! The carajillo I got was good, heard the food was worth a try here as well and will need to come back and try some. read more

We came during happy hour on a Friday and it was decently busy. They have a bar and then some tables which are full service. I ordered a rum, pineapple mint and honey drink which was delicious! The happy hour apps are reasonably prices. My favorite were the egg rolls, they are tiny but they give you like 10. The artichoke dip was paired with fresh bread and it was super creamy and delicious. Service was great and the inside was super cute! Even the bathroom was really nice. Great spot for drinks and bites! read more

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The drinks and food weren't great and pricey. If you are going to spend money it needs to make sense. Plus, the bartender/server was on his phone and wasn't very congenial. read more

IKTO - A drink - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Met a couple friends here for my second happy hour Friday evening. It's super cute and the bartender is amazing. I loved the cantaloupe margarita and will definitely be back. They also have appetizers available. read more

IKTO - Frozen spring margarita - Cocktail Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas