Behind Closed Doors is a cool downtown "speakeasy" experience. Each room has its own vibe and…read moremusic, which makes it feel like you're discovering something new as you move around. The drinks were solid, and the overall atmosphere was definitely a vibe. We went on a Saturday evening, so it was pretty crowded, but once we found our spot in the Gold Room, we stayed there most of the night. Great music, great energy, and a unique concept. Definitely worth checking out if you're looking for something different for a night out. Not sure how it took me this long to stumble in here. Parking is what it is downtown so, there's that.

A multifaceted venue that is reminiscent of a club, lounge, and a speakeasy in one spot, Behind…read moreClosed Doors brings a kind of vibe that keeps the downtown Houston nightlife scene relevant. The lighting is dark, intimate, and behind every level and door, there is something else going on. There is an element of discovery in every corner and a new adventure on every floor. Ever watch the movie Tron? There are some areas of BCD that feel incredibly futuristic with neon-lit interiors and a legitimate sci-fi feel in some areas. The areas are ass follows: The main bar with a DJ and a spacious dance floor, the red room with a visualizer setup of big bass and pulsating lights, the gold room with a speakeasy feel and a curated cocktail menu, with the secret room that is a unique space behind a certain set of doors. Most of the music on the main bar is good, the DJs are energetic, and the bartenders are efficient while professional. It's not the easiest place to photograph anything, but the different (hidden) spaces make it a worthy destination for discovery. The one area that I don't love is that they rock automatic gratuity. I do love how diverse the crowd is on the weekends, which is a testament to the city. Drinks are solid, but the speakeasy drinks are the ones that stand out the most. The latter definitely comes at a price, but beware that some drinks may have all the presence but not enough of the substance. __________ My photos: https://www.yelp.com/biz_photos/behind-closed-doors-houston?userid=ysCBsXWPB-LAiewVS3jZfQ

I was there for 8 minutes, here's what I learned: this is a swingers bar. Whether you're a couple…read moreor not, they do stuff upstairs separate from the stuff downstairs. When people in reviews say this place is dark, I mean "the lights are almost out" dark. The bouncer told me he's seen it all upstairs...orgies, girl-on-girl, gangbangs, swingers, you name it....it's not exactly a casual speakeasy. You need to plan a night here if it's your prerogative. The upstairs is couples only, but the bouncer told me that if you'd slip him $20 then you can go upstairs and try your luck. The pictures they show you are brightened. This place is nearly pitch black. And I'm not saying this to blow up anyone's spot, it probably is a great spot for couples but it just wasn't my scene, especially when I vouched that it was a good place for me and my guy friend to chill. Also, the bartender wouldn't give me and my friend the time of day. I was really excited to see how this place made drinks and they wouldn't even service me and my friend...she just was checking her social media. I might come back here one day with a girlfriend I know VERY well, but as for now I'll keep my change and go somewhere else

Had a chance to stop in for a nightcap on a Sunday night around 10pm. This place came heavily…read morerecommended and since I'm a carefully crafted cocktail lover, I had to make an appearance. I also heard there is a sexy couples thing that happens upstairs. Didnt have a significant other, so I have to take everyone's word for it lol. The place is located in a mall area with no signage. Very dim place which is right up my alley. Bartender seemed like a very capable guy, so I went with a oaxacan old fashioned (mezcal based) and it was decent. The downstairs bar area is nice and there is also comfy seating available nearby kinda in the cut. I definitely plan on coming back to Marfreless on a another visit

If going twice in two nights when visiting from L.A. isn't a testament to a great bar, I don't know…read morewhat is. I ate at Norigami Tuesday night and it was great as were the cocktails served up at the nextdoor bar called Hidden Bar. On Tuesday, I tried the Thai Chili Ginger Margarita ($13) and it was great, complete with a hunk of candied ginger which I "gingerly" consumed throughout my drink experience...see what I did there? Next, I had the Three Dots and a Daiquiri ($13) with Rum, Lime, Velvet Falernum, All Spice and Pineapple and it was very similar to one of my favorite tiki drinks, the Three Dots and a Dash, complete with 3 luxardo cherries. To finish, I had the absolutely incredible Golden Laurel ($16) with Gin, Italicus Bergamot, House Greek Botanical Bitters and Sea Salt. It is equally beautiful served with a clear bay leaf and delicious. Last night, I was guided by the friendly bartender to try the Et Tu Banana" ($15) with Banana Bourbon, Spiced Pear, Creme de Banane, Campari and Citric Acid. I was a little worried about the cocktail being overly banana-y but it wasn't at all. It was a fantastic drink. For my last call, he recommended the Left Hand ($13) with Bourbon, Campari, Sweet Vermouth and Chocolate Bitters. Again, fantastic. Both nights, the bartenders and drinks were fantastic. Ambiance is nice with moody lighting. They even have a bidet toilet seat in the bathroom! Hidden Bar is a "hidden" gem, for sure. HIGHLY HIGHLY RECOMMEND!

Stopped by The Hidden Bar for drinks and let me just say... the ambiance is EVERYTHING the…read moreaesthetic is super cute, very picture-worthy, and definitely gives that "night out with the girls" vibe. They even have a selfie ring light on the wall, which is such a fun touch for pictures (because if you didn't take pics, did you even go??) Now--fair warning--we went on a Friday night and it was PACKED. We were lucky enough to find seats, but it was so crowded we could barely talk without yelling, and we were basically shoulder-to-shoulder with the people around us Other than that, it's a really nice spot to grab drinks, hang out with friends, and get some cute content. Would I go again? Yes... just maybe not on a Friday night

The James is located inside of prohibition. It's a private bar in the back that you have to have a…read moremembership to enter. It's really private in the back with high quality cocktails and top shelf menu. Bar staff were very friendly and informative. This is nice if you entertain for business or if you are a private person who likes to party a little separate from the crowd

Upon arrival we were greeted with complimentary drinks - perfectly setting the tone for the night…read more The service the rest of the evening was exceptional and the selection of drinks was impressive. Highly recommend. Please enjoy the hand selected photos - sharing more would ruin the surprise, now wouldn't it?

First of all: Make a reservation for the exact group size you have. This place is very popular and…read moreusually booked up. It's inside the Four Seasons hotel. I did their main valet for about $8 on a Thursday. Easily your best bet! It's fun to ask the front staff and make the "journey" to find the place so I won't spoil any of that here. You will eventually have a host who will take you through the experience to get inside. They have a bar experience where you're face to face with the bartenders and a couch seating style. Hanging with the bartenders is more fun as they're fun with a lot of personality. Make sure to let them know if you're celebrating something. High chance you'll get bonus shots/drinks! Every drinks has a cool presentation and is very instagramable.i can't remember the name of mine but it had a mango taste with a dip n dots inspired topping. It's in one of my photos. It was on an other level. I'm not much for sweet drinks but dip n dots are my weakness. It went so hard. Highly recommen

Extremely overrated…read more Had friends in from out of town and thought this would be a great place to take them. High reviews from ppl I trust and a great concept. Booked a reservation and had to rush from another event to make it in time. We get there on time and we still wait 20 minutes in the lobby to be taken up. Love the concept and the door behind the bookshelf. However, just tell us what to do and step out the way. They stand right on top of you and it ruins the pictures/videos. We get inside and the vibe is great. Low lit and nice ambiance and decor. We go to the back and get seated. It was kind of awkward seating for four but it got the job done. Cool view out of the single window to the city below. Let's get to the drinks and service. Apparently, it was a newer menu and many of the drinks we were told about were no longer listed. The server was very strange and off-putting. She didn't do the best job describing the drinks at all and kept calling us "my babies". Four full grown adults being referred to as "babies" by a woman our age or younger was just weird and she did it a lot too. No one liked it. The drink I got was extremely overpriced and came in a tea cup- not my cup of tea. My friend asked for something creative using tequila and pineapple- she said "sure, we can make that. Do you prefer 1942 or clase azul?" I stepped in. I know you have more tequilas than your two most expensive options. Of course they did and she gave him more realistic options to mix with. Had I not stepped in, she would have taken advantage of him. None of us were impressed by the drinks, the prices or the service. None of the fun and fancy drinks were shown to us nor seen throughout the bar or other tables. No smoke, no big bubbles being popped, no treasure chest with a drink in lol This was an expensive let down. We do a ton of high end and expensive dinners and bars. This did not live up to the hype or price point. Extremely overrated and the strange service left a bad impression on all of us.

Soft life, sweet treats, and a little mystery is exactly how a girls' night should feel. The…read moreultimate girls night out in Houston is a Case Chocolates. Every Wednesday, they host a midweek indulgence for the ladies: complimentary champagne, signature chocolate, and curated sounds inside this one-of-a-kind chocolate speakeasy. Come for the immersive chocolate experience. Stay for the seductive, late-night vibes. If you're in Houston and looking for a cute girls night out, unique date night, or a speakeasy experience, add this to your bucket list immediately. It's intimate, indulgent, and just different enough to make your night feel special. Now there are levels to this elevated experience. Here's the simplest breakdown according to their mixologist Tim: 1. Opening Hour: 2 infused chocolates, 1 chocolate medallion, a mixed drink, and a welcome spritz 2. Guided Tasting: 3 courses of drinks and chocolates 3. The Journey: 5 courses of drinks, chocolates, and other bites. Come hungry! You're encouraged to book a reservation through their website. But since we went on Wednesday for the ladies night, we were able to just go right in. I'm doing chemo so I can't drink or have the alcohol infused chocolate but I still had a great time. Sober folks can also enjoy this place. I got a cherry mocktail and it was the best mocktail I ever drank. They had two chocolate bon bons that weren't infused with alcohol and then all of the flat medallions are also not infused. They were sweet enough to send me home with some alcohol infused chocolates to have once I finish my chemo. We got there around 7 and didn't leave until the place was closing down. The DJ was amazing and she made the atmosphere feel more like a Saturday night.

Came to this hidden speakeasy for an intimate birthday celebration and this is the PERFECT date…read morenight or girls night spot. It's a speakeasy located behind a chocolate shop that serves drinks and chocolates! It's a very intimate room, dimly lit, with r&b playing all night long. We went on a Friday night (around 11PM) and there was about 10 people there (including our party of 4). All the servers are extremely knowledgable and super kind. You can even see the owner there working and contributing to the vibes. Their cocktails are about $16 so very standard pricing and the chocolates come with a drink. The drinks were tasty, even the Old Fashioned (probably the best one I've ever had). Plus they close even later than described with "no official close time". As our server described, "they close when the vibes die off ... typically around 1AM". So I'll definitely be back and you should definitely check them out. It's also close by to Houston high society, neighbors, and eighth row flint which are all amazing bars with perks of their own so it would be great for even a bar hopping date night.

Located next to Lombardi's, Segreto Lounge is one of Houston's best secrets in the Galleria…read more Delicious cocktails mixed with either live music or ambient upbeat house tunes help make this a premier hang out spot after dinner or if you want to have a relaxing moment with your crew. As for drinks, they are pricy due to the atmosphere/setting but they are quite tasty. Bartenders put a lot of love and detail into concocting them and it shows. Once you pick up your drink, you can either sit at the bar or one of the tables and lounge around; or (if you're adventurous) come up to the front and get your dance on. One thing I enjoyed about this spot was how my girlfriend and I could have a conversation with one another and not have to shout due to the volume. They serve food here too if you're hungry but I'm mainly here for the adult beverages, music, and vibes!

Segreto is one sexy, fun place. The drinks are on the pricier side of life but the entertainment…read moreand atmosphere make up for it. Come put together, bring your fun attitude and dance shoes or sit at the table and head bounce, but either way you'll love the live music and the DJ afterwards. Pro tip....Get there early if you don't have a reservation so that you can snag a bar seat or possibly be seated at a table. If at a table with no rezy be prepared to have to get up when the reserved party gets there though.

After hearing non stop great things about Credence from friends and on social media, we finally…read morewent for dinner the other night to celebrate my birthday with some friends. The dining room is chic and feels very upscale but comfortable with a large open fire kitchen that was really fun to watch while dining. They were very on top of service with both our dining captain and waiter checking on us throughout the evening. For appetizers we ordered the deviled crabs, tuna tostada and wood roasted carrots. All were great but I especially loved the carrots which were cooked and seasoned perfectly. For my main course I had the chicken and dumplings, husband got the NY strip, our friends shared the whole fish and we had the cabbage and crab rice as sides. Everyone was very happy with both their main courses and the side dishes. We were too stuffed to order dessert but they sent out a s'mores inspired sunday for my birthday which was both thoughtful and sublime. Overall we were very impressed with our meal. Food was delicious but veeeery indulgent. We will be back.

Made a reservation on Open Table and noted that it was our anniversary, so we were gifted a couple…read moreof glasses of champagne. We were greeted by three different people - one that took our drink order, one that cleared our plates, and one that took our order. All were very nice people and gave excellent service! I forgot their names unfortunately. My receipt said Zachary but not sure which waiter that was. Between me and hubs, we had a Pan de campo, an order of Gulf Oysters "casino", (4) dressed oysters, a 16 oz dry aged ribeye, a snapper entree and a side of crab fried rice. We finished almost everything except a quarter of the Pan, about a quarter of the rice, and about a third of the ribeye. All were great dishes and would definitely order again. We skipped dessert because honestly none stood out to us. He said their popular dessert is the souffle but they were sold out. Our total before gratuity was about $250 and that included one cocktail. Hubs had their "classic" old fashioned which he said was excellent! Overall, highly recommended if you don't mind the splurge or for a special occasion!

We visited on a Friday evening for Saynt Chris (Studio 416) spinning all the good vinyl from rap…read moreand Afrobeats to everything in between. We were definitely older than 99.9% of everyone else in attendance but we stayed long enough for a yummy drink and couple of dances. This listening bar speakeasy is unique & artistic. Good vibes all around.

RE: This place is racist…read more Places like this are exactly why I have become ultra selective about partying in Houston. Its no longer enough to just go listen to a good DJ and buy drinks from the bar. These greedy club owners all want everything to be bottle service just to give you a sub par experience. I came here with 7 white people, I was the only black person in our group. We walked straight in no line and immediatly went to the bar where someone in the group ordered a round of drinks and someone else ordered a round of shots. We enjoyed the music a bit and someone else orders another round of drinks. My point is, we were spending money in this place. At some point someone figures out that the upstairs, which is sometimes roped off for private events was open and there was no one up there and the bar was open. Being a group of 8 we migrated there for more space and settled into one of the lounge areas with a coffee table and sofas. There was no bouncer standing at the stairs, no rope, nothing. We just walked straight in. Up here we ordered another round of drinks and another round of shots in 30 minutes. By this time other patrons noticed us move to this area so people from downstairs were now filing in and some had sat at the other lounge area adjacent to us (all black people). We were enjoying the music and drinks when a bouncer comes up and tells someone in my party that if we wanted to sit there we had to buy a bottle for $1000 or said we would have to leave the lounge area. Now since when does a standard bottle of liquor for a section cost $1000 in Houston?! This is not Miami, who do you think you're talking to? Moreover, why was our group singled out and asked to purchase a bottke but the other lounge area with all black patrons were left alone? I straight up asksed the bouncer if he was asking the other area to buy a $1000 bottle and he just shrugged his shoulders and said "I dont make the rules" whatever that means. To make matters worse one of my friends was actually about to buy a bottle until I stepped in. I was tipsy but not so tipsy that I would let my friend be strongarmed by there unfair business practices. Literally the collective amount of drinks in everyones hands upstairs didnt add up to $1000 but you want to single us out for one $1000 bottle? I'll never step foot in this place again and will be looking into filing a formal compaint with the appropraite governing body about what took place.

I've wanted to check this place out for a while so I was so excited to stop by! Speakeasies always…read morehave the best, most creative drinks. We went to the upstairs area which was dimly lit and played 80s/90s hip hop. We tried few drinks. Lion's mane tail, brown butter washed whisky, mushroom (which I found so unique). It was quite strong and was nice to switch up from the usual old fashions we try. Second drink was sharp turn. It was super fresh and crisp. Clear as water but I definitely felt it. Service was really good here too. I like that the bartenders all create their signature seasonal drinks so they genuinely are so well versed when describing the drink menu.

Refuge is such a high quality bar. You can tell that they put immense care into the quality of…read moretheir drinks and service. I ordered 2 mocktails and my husband ordered two drinks. I thought that the catch 22 ( mocktail) would be too sweet or vinegar forward but it was tangy and light. My husband actually said he liked my mocktail more than he liked his cocktail which was good but a bit sweeter than he likes. The second mocktail I ordered was off the menu. I asked for something tropical and not too sweet. It was pretty good but not as complex as the catch 22. My husband liked the jaded merchant better than the dew drop. He also was sipping far too much of my mocktail which speaks volumes about how good it was. Love the moody vibes, drinks, and service. I've only visited three times but should make it one of the places we come to more often.