We stopped in for some drinks before a dinner reservation across the street. We opted for bar seating and since it was a couple hours before their dinner service, they weren't busy and the bar was open. Our bartender was friendly, she gave us her recommendations and chatted with us for a little bit. The restaurant itself is beautiful, the patio area is nice, the bar has ample seating, and the bathrooms are clean. We ordered the Frena bread board, the bread was light and airy, the pistachio butter and roasted peppers complimented it very well. I had the Que Freda cocktail and it was good but a little too strong for me. I also tried their Aperol Spritz and it was bubbly and fresh, perfect for the weather. I'll definitely be back for dinner and I'll update my review then! read more

Okto - Aperol Spritz - Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Loved this spot for happy hour, and the menu looks so good for a nice dinner! The HH menu is delicious and reasonably priced for high quality options. The staff was friendly and attentive. Around 5pm on a weeknight, the ambiance was moody and dim. Really great option in Montrose read more

We had a small holiday dinner at Okto and really enjoyed ourselves. The ambience is a 10! The service was okay, highlighted by the complimentary service of Jack who wasn't our actual server. He was personable and funny. As far as food, I was surprised that the grilled octopus wasn't as stellar as the reviews (Bludorn is still number 1 for me here!). We all agreed that it wasn't as tender as it should've been. The tiger shrimp, squid ink pasta and sea bass were great! The amount of crab meat on the pasta was [chef's kiss] impressive. Their bar service was very unique with head bartenders making certain drinks - which should elevate the service but the special drink we had was meh. BTW, a toasted marshmallow in their espresso tinis. Yeaaaa. Amazing. Will definitely visit again. read more

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I had the most fabulous dining experience tonight. It was perfect in every way. The ambience, the service, the attention to detail but most especially food was amazing. We started with the Frena bread, sea bass carpaccio, and the octopus. They were over the top delicious. The bread and octopus are going to be added my short list of foods that I crave. They were so good! The bread goes through a 24 hr+ prep time and is made fresh every day. Every loaf is fresh from the oven when they serve it. The octopus was a perfect combination of smokiness, and bright acidity from the law. The octopus itself was perfectly cooked and served in top a yummy romesco sauce. Combined, it was a perfect bite. Don't skip the charred onion slice when you eat it! For our entrees and sides, we had the crab squid ink pasta, lamb chops, butternut squash, and fries. It was all delicious. Ask for the fries with a side of sambal mixed with mayo. You can thank me later. The butternut squash is going in the list of craveable foods. Whatever they did to get the crispy roasted exterior made the dish memorable. If you're not a squash lovers this is the dish to convert you. For dessert, we had the pistachio 4 ways and it was a perfect ending to a perfect meal. A huge shout out to Omar our waiter for his attentiveness, spot on recommendations, and great service. Also, a big thanks to Brent the sommelier/assistant manager for the great recommendation and conversation. We enjoyed sharing travel notes and his wine pairing with the lamb chops was spot on. Just to demonstrate how well they pay attention to the details.....they have the underside of the table padded so that when you cross your legs and your legs hit the table, there is soft padding and not a hard surface. Definitely the most memorable dining experience I've had in awhile and one I highly recommend. read more

Everything here was chef kiss. The food is 5 star. I wish the portion is bigger though lol Ambience was 4 stars. Restaurant is kinda dark. Nothing special My favorite was the Denver steak. The sauce was to die for. Lamb chops were very good too. But I don't know if I would pay $60 for 3 lamb chops. I got the Flight of Icarus cocktail. It was amazing as well. Definitely a worth a visit! read more

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I love this place! Great add to the Montrose Collective. Very good food and vibes. I went with a large group and they offered us a build your own board where you select meats and fish for your party size. Service has been excellent as well! read more

5 stars across the board! Food was amazing - the Greek salad is a must, tuna carpaccio, Frena has the most amazing bread, and the seared filet mignon will melt in your mouth. Service and ambiance both excellent BUT the ambiance is a rare gem in Houston. Posh, dark and cozy but so very clean and luxurious. Perfect for date night, girls night or even schmoozy client dinner. read more

Okto - Appetizers - Greek salad with delicious pistachio feta, tuna crudo, frena - Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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Amazing amazing amazing! Food was delicious. Didn't have a single thing that I was like "meh" or didn't like. Service was also great! Though we did kinda have VIP treatment cause we were just a vibe apparently. Shoutout to Jack Cannon for being great. We were also seated outside and the setup and ambiance was also very nice. I enjoyed being able to lounge and layback on a soft couch while also dining. Definitely one of my new favorite spots in Houston. read more

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Poor service and the staff make you feel like you don't belong. Looks like only a certain demographic is welcome and treated with kindness.

Food Service Atmosphere it has it all! The menu here is amazing as well as the drinks!

Absolutely amazing experience all around. Came here with a group of friends last night and we sat outside as the weather was perfect. Everything we ordered was incredible and the service was outstanding. One thing that sets Okto apart is their offering a sample tray and it is customized based on the party size. This is absolutely genius. Must try food items you should not pass on: - octopus which was perfectly charred - frena...do not pass up on the bread it is delightful - our sample tray came with the sea bass, tiger shrimp (fantastic), denver cut, squid ink linguini, and lamb chops We topped off the night with espresso martinis that were delicious. Can't wait to go back!! read more

Delicious Mediterranean meal! Great service, great vibe, and delicious food. Here's what we ordered: -Bread service: The bread service (first item on the menu) is a must-order item. The bread is piping hot when it's served, and the pistachio butter is great. -Crab pasta: It was very tasty but perhaps a little too heavy for me with the cream sauce. -Octopus: Very good and perfectly cooked. -Pistachio dessert: I forget what it's called, but this dessert was SO good--I really liked it, though note that it's probably just big enough for two people to share. read more

One of the best gin and tonics I've had in Houston! Amazing vibe o no the patio and the food is so flavorful. Definitely adding this to my Houston staple rotations. I have the Denver filet as well as the halloumi, fries, bread and broccolini read more

Okto - Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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I've been here multiple times just for martinis and apps and am NEVER disappointed. The bread with pistachio butter is to die for, octopus is probably the top 2 I've had in Houston and the martinis with feta olives are next level. Cant wait to come for dinner. Outside vibes seem amazing and the bar is honestly awesome too. Bartenders are so pleasant and knowledgeable. Will be back for dinner and drinks soon!! read more

Okto - Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

This place is fantastic. The service, ambiance and food were outstanding! Took my boyfriend here on a date and we both agreed it's the best dinner we've had in a while. Ordered the Frena, sea bass carpaccio, octopus, lamb chops & crab squid ink linguini. Highly recommend & will be coming back to try more items! read more

Okto - Lamb chops Crab squid ink linguini - Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

We had a fantastic dinner at Okto, every bit was delicious. The atmosphere is quite nice but it's got a night club feel about it with low lighting (little lamps on each table so we could read menu, see our food!) but music was just a tad too loud. We had difficulty hearing our server and he had same with us. We ended up with an extra entree due to this inability to communicate easily but that was promptly resolved, taken away. The service was great! Wish I could recall our server's name as he was very good to us. He said their octopus was the best in town and he was right. The greek salad, bread plate with olives and grilled sea bass were excellent as well. We'll return! read more

Food was so good, great spot for date night or girls night. This was my second time coming and had a great experience both times. My favorite was the squid ink pasta & octopus. read more

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We loved our dinner at Októ! Spent over 5 hours there lol! The service is very friendly, food came out pretty quick! We ordered the tuna tartare, octopus, chaime (branzino), tiger shrimp, lamb chops, squid ink linguini, truffle fries, chocolate mousse dessert and basque cheesecake, among some nice wines and sparkling rosé! All the food is excellent. I especially loved the basque cheesecake which had a brûlée crust--perfection! All the dishes were great, I can't choose a favorite, I enjoyed them all. We loved the atmosphere--chill, moody, but friendly and relaxed. Great addition to the Montrose Collective! read more

Nice option for date night as long as you go early. Menu is small (not a bad thing!) with several items we'd like to try next time. Service was outstanding. Food quality very high. A little on the pricey side and quite loud, even at 6:30p on a Saturday. Can only imagine the noise level during "rush hour"! Valet parking available, but there is also a public garage close by. Would recommend seating outside if weather is nice, or at the bar. read more

The Denver cut steak was SO GOOD with the sweet potatoes and sour cream ... off the charts! I didn't know what that cut was previously. It is like a filet in that it is lean, and it is really juicy like a ribeye but without all of the marbling. It is served in thin cuts. Drinks were well balanced. I really liked the shishito infused gin drink. They have a nice selection of after dinner drinks & the desserts are some of the best! Very well balanced (not too sweet). I loved the cheesecake. It is served with a tangy tomato strawberry sauce. Try it! There was another one with rose flavor and a bird's nest of coconut I think it's the kadaif. Try it too! The vibe is more uptown. Service was excellent. I do wish that their fries were hand-cut. I did not like the texture. I'm A big fries person. I still give 5 stars but I won't get the fries :) One more thing. The seabass was a bit on the salty side but good. read more

Lovely dinner on the patio, even in July. Ate all the small plates from the top of the menu. Cocktails and wine selection were great. Service was a team which worked fine. Definitely recommend. read more

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The environment was very loud, which made it less enjoyable for me. The food lacked flavor and the menu felt limited in options. While the service was nice, overall this wasn't my favorite spot in Houston and I wouldn't return. read more

one of the best dining experiences i've had in houston point blank. i think this will be my new go to for celebrations! beautiful presentation and our waiter was so knowledgeable and friendly. the food was amazing - no notes for any of it and the portions sizes were good. the octopus is a must order, it's the best i've had. i loved the frena and linguini as well. read more

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High quality food, every dish has a special taste, great service and nice environment. Highly recommended

Our group of six visited with the goal of trying a bit of everything from their intentionally small menu, which emphasizes quality over quantity. While there were some standout dishes, I agree with other reviews--the heavy hand with the salt was a bit much, and I don't need high blood pressure in this economy. Dishes we tried: - Frena (bread with pistachio butter): You don't really taste the pistachio, but carb and butter is still good regardless. - Octopus: tender and the sauce was delicious! - Sea Bass Carpaccio: Just okay. It could have used more acidity to balance out the fatty fish. - Tuna Tartare: our least favorite appetizer. - Filet with Foie Gras: The highlight of the meal, especially with the tableside truffle. The sauce was divine, and this was the group's overall favorite. - Tiger Shrimp: Plump, juicy, and perfectly cooked. The sauce was great too. - Crab Pasta: It had a nice, subtle kick. I enjoyed it, but their neighbors crab pasta is better. - Branzino: The tomato sauce was salty, and the dish overall was underwhelming. - Wild Mushroom Risotto: A bit salty for my tastebuds, but others in my group really liked it. - Butternut Squash Side: Surprisingly good! Crispy on the outside, soft on the inside like a French fry The service was excellent and really made my friend's birthday feel special. They offer complimentary valet, and you can find street parking or pay for garage parking (not validated). read more

Very good food. I f's with pistachios, so this place was ok with me. Had the frena, Greek salad, Denver cut, and pistachios four ways. Several cocktails. All quite good. Service was good, too, but I will note that a manager was way more interested in hot girls sitting at the bar than other tables. The space bothered me a little. There's no reason that particular kitchen should be on display. And the bar area could use some curtains maybe around the less attractive features/fridges etc. Too much of what should be unseen was on display. The exit signs are super prominent too. It's not the vibe you want indoors. Outside seating would cure all of that, but it was too hot. It wouldn't hurt if the surrounding were policed better. Lots of homeless activity entirely too close-by for a nice restaurant. read more

What a beautiful experience it was to dine on a Friday night and enjoying mediterranean food. We picked this place randomly as we wanted to try a new place. I can truly say we were not disappointed. We got the best seat in the house next to the kitchen. Our server Brent took the time to explain the dishes and told us about off menu dishes as well. I have to tell you he knows his wine. He made amazing wine recommendation to us. The chef Yotam took the time out and told us all about the dishes we ordered. He explained us his inspiration behind the dishes. All the dishes are shareable portion. We had jumbo shrimp, Moroccan bread, Lamb chops, Halloumi bites, Branzino and for dessert we tried Pistachio ice-cream, Strawberry sorbet, and cheesecake. Our server also recommended Vecchio Amaro Del Cap which was served chill and is a digestive drink. Yes the $$ is high but you do enjoy every bite. All the dishes were a hit among the four of us. Noise is moderate, you just have to speak loud. Valet parking is available. To sum up we will be coming back here for sure to try other dishes. Rarely you get to meet the chef and talk about his food inspiration. read more

Okto is a fabulous restaurant with excellent food and service. We celebrated a friend's birthday last weekend with a fairly large group, and the restaurant's staff was very attentive and made great drink and food recommendations. The table shared appetizers like the bread with butter and olives, the Greek Salad, and grilled octopus. The octopus was cooked so well and was so tender! The other big standout was the Greek Salad -- it was so fresh with the cucumber and tomatoes and green dressing. I am still thinking about these two dishes days later. My partner and I ordered the squid ink crab linguine and grilled mushroom risotto. Both entrees were very tasty. The pasta had a nice kick to it, and the oyster mushrooms had so much flavor. Our friends tried the Denver cut steak and the Chraime fish dish, which we had a bite of. The fish was superb, also had a nice kick, and served over potatoes -- another standout of the night. We also tried all the desserts on the menu. The pistachio dessert was amazing - it used the star ingredient in several creative ways. I also enjoyed the Basque cheesecake and kadaif. For cocktails, we relied on our waiter's suggestion - he steered us toward the Que Fresa and the Cat's Pajamas. We were not disappointed! Both start out a little sweet but are well-balanced with the other ingredients. I liked the citrus in the Cat's Pajamas. Okto's atmosphere felt moody and intimate, and the music was really nice, but not too loud where you couldn't have a conversation. It was the perfect birthday dinner vibe. read more

Got a last minute reservation at the bar, and it was so amazing. Made friends with the couple next to us and everything was delicious. Came specifically for the Frena and the octopus, my husband had the genius idea to sandwich the eggplant carpaccio in the frena bread *epic move*. Mains were the tiger shrimp and filet with foie gras followed by the pistachio 4 ways #chefskiss read more

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Super cute spot! Sat at the bar and had a lovely dinner. The ambience and vibe is upscale and fun. All the food we tried was good. The menu is small but they have some heavy hitters. Service was amazing! The bartender that took care of us went out of her way to be friendly and helpful. Would def come back! read more

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Restaurant just opened a month ago. They are only open for dinner and their menu is very limited. Food is fu fu at best and pricy for small portions. The sea bass was so salty these I told the server about it. read more

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Maybe we went on an off night. We ordered the bread and pickled veggies with pistachio butter, that was great. Eggplant was okay, and the Tuna Carpaccio was over salted, maybe to cover up the very fishy taste :/ The grilled hamachi was also very fishy tasting, feel like the risotto balanced out the fishy-ness. I've been to a few places that serve carpaccio and hamachi in Houston, I would not go back for this. We went on a Friday night it was extremely loud, could barely hear across the table. Several large parties. I thought maybe the noise volume would go down while in the restroom and no it was just as loud. read more

We went to Okto to celebrate a family member's graduation. The location is trendy and the atmosphere elegant and relaxing. They seated us on the patio, which was nice until the sun lowered enough that it was shining directly on the faces of all three of us sitting facing west. The drinks are reasonably priced and delicious. I had Not your old-fashioned and others had the Spicy margarita. All of us enjoyed our drinks. The service is attentive but untrained. The first 30 minutes we were there, our water glasses were refilled probably 4 or 5 times. However, the servers could not keep straight which drink went to which person nor which dish went to which person. For an upscale restaurant, that's unexpected. The menu is very minimal and has few explanations. It was hard to figure out what was appetizers and what was main dish. Two of our party ordered filet mignon. One person ordered rare and got well done. After returning it, the rest of us finished our meal before he got the replacement. The manager did come out and apologize, and he was given a complimentary side of fries, which were quite delicious and large enough that all of us shared. The filet mignon was excellent once it finally appeared. Overall, given the incredibly overpriced menu aside from the drinks and the minimal selection, we won't go again. read more

We enjoyed the happy hour menu and had a wonderful time at Okto! The happy hour cocktails were a great size and the food was tasty. We especially enjoyed the frena. read more

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I was excited to try Okto because Doris is one of my absolute favorite restaurants in the city of Houston. I enjoyed the experience but probably wouldn't go back when I can always go to Doris. Service: first of all, the service was terrific. We sat at the bar and there were three friendly bartenders that were always available and checking on us. for outstanding service! Food: we got the Frena which was pretty darn good. But I was comparing it Doris' bread plate (maybe not fair) and it wasn't as good. We also got the Denver steak. It was perfectly cooked to medium rare and very tender. But it was lacking in flavor. I was surprised given the steaks at Doris are incredibly tasty and flavorful. Last, we got the snap peas which were good but in all honestly not amazing. Overall, I'd give the food Ambiance: the ambiance is nice and trendy but the place gets really loud once it's busy. The music was great. Overall I'd give Okto to stars read more

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Flawless service, food, ambience and management from the moment you walk into Októ. This restaurant sets the standard in so many ways.

Came for opening night and once more after just because it was good! Food 10/10 as well as ambience. read more

Okto - Pistachio three ways - Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

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They did a nice redo of the former restaurant that was there b4. Menu is very light. Don't bother going if you're a vegetarian. Definitely don't go if you're vegan. But it's understandable, taking into consideration the cultural concept. Houston has so many great places to eat. This place felt like it was trying very hard to be exquisite but there are other places that are more delicious for a way way way way way way way way way way cheaper. I don't have anything bad to say necessarily, but I don't have anything good to say. You have way better options in Houston. Actually reflecting back.... The server just seemed like he wanted us out of the restaurant along with the manager on their first day. read more

Okto - Greek salad with whipped feta - Bars Near Me - Houston, Texas

What a darling place however the loud bar and music really took away from our dining experience. I went tonight at 6:30 and the bar was super loud and it was only made worse with super loud music in the smaller indoor dining area. We were in a round booth and had to scream the entire time and repeat ourselves. By 8:45 when we left we could not even hear one another. The speaker were so loud and all around the dining room as much as I enjoyed the food I would not recommend for a dinner this was w Wed night. The couple had been before in the fall and the patio was great. Maybe when the weather is nice. read more

TL;DR: Poor service at Okto caused us to miss the symphony despite assurances from the manager that we'd be out on time. Our entrees were delayed over an hour, and while the manager apologized and promised to cover our meal, we were still charged for drinks and an appetizer. Decent food, but subpar hospitality -- better fine dining Mediterranean options available. Our visit to Okto was less than ideal. Let me preface this review by saying that I don't judge an establishment for making a mistake -- we're all human -- but I do evaluate how they handle those mistakes. A friend and I decided to dine at Okto before attending a 7:30 PM symphony performance. She arrived at the restaurant at 5:50 PM and was greeted by the restaurant manager at the host stand. She informed him that we needed to leave by 7:00 PM sharp, and he assured her that would not be a problem. She placed our entire order at 5:55 PM. I arrived shortly after, and our octopus appetizer was served promptly at 6:05 PM. At 6:15 PM, our waitress checked in and assured us that our entrees would be out shortly. However, by 6:30 PM, they still had not arrived, even as guests who were seated after us received their meals. We checked in with her again, and she reassured us that the food would be out any minute. By 6:45 PM, still without entrees, we reminded her that we needed to leave by 7:00 PM and had placed our order 50 minutes earlier. She apologized and went to speak with the manager. The manager, who had originally assured us we'd be out on time, came by to apologize as well, explaining that there had been a mistake. He assured us that the chef was preparing our meals immediately and that our meal would be on the house. Despite these reassurances, our food didn't arrive until 7:10 PM. By this point, we felt compelled to wait because they kept telling us it would be out "any second." When the food finally arrived, we had no choice but to ask for to-go boxes. To our surprise, we were also presented with a bill. While the entrees were covered, our drinks and appetizer were not. As someone who has dined at several of Houston's finest restaurants, this was an incredibly poor display of hospitality. Charging us for minor items after telling us our meal would be taken care of seems petty, especially when we only dined at Okto because of their assurance that we'd be out by 7:00 PM. In the end, we missed the symphony because this particular performance did not allow late entries and were left with cold takeout instead of the experience we were assured. While the food was decent, the level of hospitality at Okto leaves much to be desired. If you're looking for Mediterranean cuisine, I'd recommend Rumi's, Hamsa, or Doris Metropolitan instead. read more

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