Order Riel Takeout or Delivery
Riel Photos
Business Info
Riel Popular Desserts
RIEL ATMOSPHERE
You might also consider
More like Riel
Recommended Reviews - Riel
Start your review...
Reviews With Photos
Sooooo, I always thought this restaurant was called 1927, but it's the address number. Lol, fail. To my defense, some restaurant names are numbers. There's a few spots to park at the front but a hassle to back in/out of due to the busy street. The lot in the back is a rocky lot, and some the spaces are perpendicular which is odd. Did not see valet that evening that others said blocked the lot. Anyway, my friends and I came here on a Friday night through a suggestion. I made reservations for us through Resy. 6 p.m. on a Friday was not busy. Most of the patrons were seated by the window or at the chef's counter. It got slightly busier around 8 p.m. The restaurant temperature was comfortable. Not too hot/cold. Restrooms are single stall/unisex. Music was great. I love 90s R&B. I found myself singing along and liked that the volume wasn't so loud you have to yell talk. The drink options like Gangsta's Paradise, So Fresh, So Clean, and My Mind's Playin Tricks On Me, Sexual Chocolate, and Spice Spice Baby fit the bill with the music theme. I had the mocktail Gangsta's Paradise and had two. Again with the coconut, pineapple, lemon and tiki bitters. Been on that flavor profile since November. We ordered apps to share like the Butter Burgers (though our server Chris did recommend 3 instead of the 2 it usually is presented which was nice), crispy potatoes, and mushroom empanadas. Butter burgers - It was buttery. I'm glad it was small cause I ordered an entree, but not worth the price point with the portion. I only ate a third of it to save room, and it was ok reheated. Crispy potatoes - This usually has roe on it but not this evening. It wasn't on the menu. We liked this the best. I was surprised there was celery in it because usually that flavor overpowers the entire dish. Mushroom empanadas - Like my friend said, the mushrooms were sliced too big. I think it would've been better minced. It was also too lemony for me. The thicker breading areas were a little greasy. I thought I would like this more because I love mushrooms. Hanger steak - I asked for medium and got mostly medium well and well done. The steak was not seasoned at all. Maybe they were banking on the horseradish cream to add flavor. The green beans were ok, but you should cut the stems off both ends. The potato and cheddar pierogies were ok - like a breaded cheesy mashed potato texture. Chris was attentive. Appetizers came out fast, but the entrees took forever. Maybe they were waiting for us to finish all of the apps first, but we felt like other people were getting their entrees quicker. In general, the portion size doesn't match the price. It was nice to try, but I don't see myself returning.
This place deserves a 4.5, if I could give it. We had visited Riel many years ago and weren't that impressed, but were pleasantly surprised when we came the second time. Kimchi carbonara - 5/5 terrific. The shrimp were perfectly charred and smelled heavenly. And the pasta was al dente and had the right balance of umami and spiciness. The sauce tasted like a less spicy version of the flavoring used in Korean ramen. Cabbage rolls - 4.5/5 these were really good. The tomato sauce is sharp and hits you with fresh tomatoes. Mushroom empanadas - 4/5 pretty good Pierogis - 3/5 not bad, just not standout and a bit too deep fried for my liking Bees knees - 4.5/5 I was impressed by the visuals. It was beautifully plated. And it was an interesting combination of textures, with flavors of citrus and dried fruit. Service was both laid back and attentive. They refilled our water constantly. It helped that the restaurant was not full on a Friday night and you could actually hear the other person talk. Ambiance is refined but laid back with rap music playing and stickers on the vent hood of the open kitchen.
Intimate classy dinner or date night spot, nice bar area. Tried this spot for dinner and it was a good service, attentive, very helpful with any food questions we had and suggestions. The hanger steak we ordered medium well but came out very well done, not as flavorful. The Kimchi carbonara is worth trying! What we ordered: Caviar tots Hanger steak Kimchi Carbonara 9/10 Old fashion cocktail Wine glass
For the price the food was not up to par. Was it bad? Nah, I just didn't think it was that good. It was a little pricy & the portions are on the smaller side. We arrived at the restaurant around 6pm & it wasn't crowded. There is a few parking in the front & a good amount in the back. Our server Chris was friendly & helpful but our main course took about 40 minutes to come out. Here's what we ordered. * so fresh so clean- the drink was refreshing & strong. 4.5/5 * Manhattan- the drink itself was strong but it wasn't well presented. 3/5 * mushroom empanadas- the filling was good with lots of mushrooms. Felt that it could've been more flaky. 3/5 * butter burgers- I heard this was their special and to be honest it was just a regular slider with a whole bunch of butter. The burger was oily. 2.5/5 * Crispy potatoes- this was the best dish in my opinion. All the ingredients went well together. The onions added some crunch to the potatoes. 4.5/5 * Market fish (Snapper)- I got to try some of my friend fish and it was not bad. The fish was cooked nicely but very small in portion. The broth was nothing special. 3/5 * Hanger Steak- the steak was cooked unevenly. Parts of it were rare, medium rare & medium well. I prefer my steak to be mid rare. The steak was peppery and barely had any salt on it. The potatoes & cheddar pierogis were forgettable. The green beans wasn't seasoned at all and they didn't even trim the ends. 2/5 Overall, my experience was alright. The ambience is very laid back. Great for a first date. They play 90's music which goes with some of the names on their menu. The service was friendly but we waited a while for our mains to come out & it wasn't worth the wait. 33 dollars for subpar steak was a disappointment. Will I come back? Only if my friends want to go because I wouldn't go out of my way to dine here.
Stopped in for the first time on rainy Tuesday evening. No resy needed, I was solo. They have a main dining room, bar area seating, and chef counter seating at the open grill kitchen. It's definitely a non fussy place, cutesy casual staff and diners. But the menu is full of interesting things both light and heavy, and the reviews are good. I came for essentially one thing and one thing only. To try there yummy burger. I now understand why this is a popular item. And should be rated right up there in comparison to other burger spots in Htown. The butter burger (sliders) come as a duo. But don't be fooled by the size, it packs a punch of flavor. It's very rich & filling, and I shed a small thug tear when I finnished. The pros are the perfectly carmelized onions, and flavor of the meat with the juicy toasty buttery bread. According to the internet, the meat is cooked with butter and French onion soup. This explains a great deal. Save this meal for when you really want to splurge on calories. Service - was great, and quick like I wanted. Lelia my server was delicately dividing her time amongst a few groups and me, being the only server in the dining area. But she gave an approachable smile, and my meal was out in the blink of an eye, and that's all I could ask for. Overall, it was a quick easy yummy few bites, enjoy!
Favorites of the evening: Caviar Tots, Kimchi Cauliflower, and Sticky Toffee Pudding. Favorite wine: Poggio Nibbiale Tommaso (100% Sangioves) Huge thanks to service staff for the various accomodation requests. Intimate seating, highly recommended with a party of 6 or less.
My husband and I came here on date night and I'm so glad we found this place! The interior is very dark and romantic. The food was fresh and delicious and the flavors were very inventive. The presentation was done beautifully and everything tasted amazing. The cocktails were also really delicious!
We thought we would get an entrée, but these three items from the happy hour menu you were more than enough. Very delicious, and a nice happy hour drink menu too. We live close, we will be back :-)
This place was pretty good. Some dishes are way better than others. Kimchi carbonara --5/5: definitely get this dish. There isn't actually any kimchi in here and you only get 3 pieces of small shrimp but this dish was still our favorite perogi -- 5/5: we got the perogi with caramelized onions (the one with truffle is double the price) and it was very good. Comes with tzatziki sauce which goes together really well tempura cauliflower --3/5: pretty big portion and def good as a snack for the whole table but nothing to write home about duck - 4/5: pretty good, the duck sits on top of some crunchy rice which went well with the dish; but quite a small portion gnocchi with corn -- 3/5: the sauce was a bit too much and very few pieces of gnocchi
We came here for HRW. You get 4 courses for $55. I enjoyed all of my courses. The tempura cauliflower was nice and spicy and the portion size was decent. The butter burger was my favorite. It was on a toasted bun and was so moist and buttery and delicious. The market fish was light and very flavorful. The bees knees dessert was also great. Plenty of parking and the service was great. My only complaint is that the temperature of the restaurant was very warm. We had to keep 2 menus to use as fans.
Riel is one of my absolute favorite restaurants. Every time I've been the services has been absolutely amazing and the food never misses. They have ample parking available. I love coming here for date nights. My go to cocktail is the so fresh so clean. It's so well balanced and refreshing.
I was invited here for a dinner, and was so excited to review the menu! Riel was named after Louis Riel, a Canadian who fought for the natives and was hung for treason in his early 30s. There's a good amount of parking outside, and a bit tucked away from the hustle and bustle of downtown Houston. The interior is a really nice, it gives extremely cozy vibes and has pieces of art that are displayed and rotated out a few times a year. ------------------------------------------------------------------ What we had: - Caviar Tots - Gem Wedge Salad - Kimchi Carbonara - Pierogies - Butter Burgers - Hanger Steak - Nutella Cheesecake - Sticky Toffee Pudding ------------------------------------------------------------------ The caviar tots were just delicious and savory bombs of flavor, and the gem wedge salad was a nice palate cleanser. Honestly, our group was having a really difficult time figuring out what was the best here, but I would say that the kimchi carbonara was just that nice punch of spiciness with umami that I was missing for a while in dishes I've been eating, and the shrimp was extremely juice with it. The pierogies were also just nice pillows of potato and cheese flavor. The butter burgers were just deliciously savory bites (all modestly small but still filling), with wagyu beef. The hanger steak was deliciously cooked a medium rare. Out of the desserts, I would say I favored the sticky toffee pudding more over the Nutella cheesecake, but both were good. I think I liked the sticky toffee pudding more since it had a banana nut bread for the cake. I did enjoy every single dish here! 1000/10 would come back. I already miss it :)
We dined her tonight and though the service was amazing the food left a lot to be desired. It is all tapas portions with entree pricing. Some dishes are great (tabasco toast, hanger steak, wedge salad) however many dishes (pirogies, bone marrow, desserts) just miss the mark. The restaurant and where we were seated was also incredibly hot, it felt about 80 degrees in the area we sat. We did ask our server Dante, who was awesome, to turn down the air (since we were sweating) but the unit just was not cooling. They have happy hour till 630pm which was decent.
The place was small and intimate, casual date night type place. The menu is not exactly kid friendly so don't bring your kiddos here because there isn't much for them to eat unless they have a mature palate. Appetizers and drinks were good. Entrees were just ok. Our waiter was super nice and patient with us... read more
First time back to Riel in a while. Love the atmosphere! I tried a couple new things this time. The Mushroom Empanadas with Macarpone, Lemon and Thyme were seriously delicious. I can't wait to order them again! Borscht soup - fabulous. I've never had Borscht before but I love beets so it didn't seem like a huge gamble to try it. I think even someone who isn't overly fond of beets would have to say this soup is wonderful. We really, really loved it. The Maple Porkloin was lovely. It was really very nice but not spectacular like other dishes I've had here both this visit and before. Riel is on my list of top ten restaurants in Houston to check out for creative, delicious, inventive cuisine! read more
4 years ago
4 years ago
Great place. Fun atmosphere. The Butter burgers were like pure comfort food. Also recommend the Freezer Martini. We love the small plates concept for dining. Would definitely return. Service was great. Our waitress was very helpful with recommendations read more
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
3 years ago
Honestly shocked I have never reviewed here. Riel is our absolute favorite for date night. We try to always sit at the bar, because Derrick and Carly are awesome, but the rest of the staff is also great. The cocktails are wonderful (try the So Fresh, So Clean or the Freezer Martini) and the food is always amazing. I have never had a bad dish here. Favorites include the bone marrow, maple pork loin, and kimchi carbonara, but don't sleep on the bannock or mushroom empanadas. Riel also has some seasonal dishes, and the corn gnocchi and watermelon salad are definitely standouts. For dessert, the bee's knees is always a fave or finish with their frozen espresso martini which almost tastes like a frosty. Overall, this is one of the best spots in Houston. read more
5 years ago
5 years ago
Riel is a nice restaurant. It has an intimate setting that is great for a date night. I loved the artwork inside. There is free parking in the front and back of the building. The staff are very attentive and friendly. They have items on the menu that can excite an adventurous eater. I tried the mushroom empanadas, crispy fried rice and bone marrow. Overall, we had a really good experience and would definitely recommend this spot! read more
2 years ago
The portions here are tiny, so start off with a few and order more as you go. There's not really any appetizers or main entrees, but heavier and lighter dishes. Expect to eat family style! Highlights were - Frog Legs, Pork Jowl & desserts. The frog legs had such a unique flavor - creole seasoning and spicy sweet pepper jelly accompanied the dark meatiness of the frog legs and buttery waffle. The pork jowl was cooked well and was very fatty and savory! I liked the idea of the flavors of the other dishes, but many of the dishes didn't end up being stellar, just mediocre. The Corn Gnocchi had a lot of potential, but the cheese fondue sauce was lukewarm and the gnocchi a bit soggy. For the price, only a few dishes were truly worth it. This is a great place to try some new flavors, but maybe not something you will end up returning to. read more
2 years ago
3 years ago
5 years ago
3 years ago
5 years ago
I found this restaurant on a number of lists of the best restaurants in Houston and it definitely deserves to be there. We tried the steak tartare, mussels, and hangar steak and absolutely loved all of them. My boyfriend just kept raving about how great everything was. They do offer gluten free options, although If i have one complaint it's that they don't have gluten free bread. Definitely recommended though. read more
7 years ago
To start, I sat at the community table, where it is in between the host stand and the bar. I loved it. You get double service from your server and the bartenders. Grand service that you deserve. I had a group of friends and I order from the happy hour and a few items from their actual menu. The happy hour drinks were fantastic. Great spot for delicious drinks. On the pricey side for happy hour. We ordered the following: Chicken skins Gator Egg rolls Cauliflower Snapper (fish of the day) Hanger steak Bone marrow Pierrogis Gnocchi corn Pudding Lemon cake like dessert Chicken skins, not my favorite. I'm all for the skins but these were chewy. Texture-wise, I didn't like. Flavor was not bad. Maybe something you have to try for yourself. The gator was my favorite on the Happy hour. Crispy and flavorful! The cream sauce paired well with it!! Egg rolls were okay, I didn't taste much of the boudin. I wish it had more spice. The duck sauce didn't taste like duck sauce. Cauliflower reminded me of buffalo wings. Which isn't bad. They were soft and not crunchy, the pillowy texture was unusual to me but not bad. Snapper was delicious. The sauce it was served with was a great match. I could've not ordered the steak and been okay. It definitely needed seasoning. Tasted like steak with nothing on it. A bit tough also. Bone marrow was the star. They did a great job on the sauces that came with it. The sweet sauce was so delicious i couldn't get enough!! Ask for whiskey shots and do a shot with the bone marrow. The fat from the bone marrow makes the shot smoother than just shaved legs!! Pierogis were okay, but they were on the steak. I don't remember loving them. Gnocchi corn tasted like uncooked tortilla dough. Not a fan of this one. The pudding was the best ever. It was lovely. Heavy but worth it!! Must get!! The other dessert was more acidic and light. Not bad, but maybe bc I'm a fan of heavy cakes!! This was good too and beautifully presented. All of their drinks were great. You won't be disappointed. My favorite was the so fresh so clean. Helped lighten my mood after a hectic day!! Although all the food wasnt so wow, the drinks and service were fantastic. I did enjoy the atmosphere very much and how there was valet available right in front. read more
5 years ago
Everything tasted great and came out in a timely matter. The service was as good as the food. read more
5 years ago
We only live a few blocks away and just tried Riel for the first time! It was exceptional from beginning to end. Our server, Elle (sp?), was just a delight! Seriously perfect service!! We sat on the line and it was such a great vibe! The bartender rocks!! Truly delicious drinks with all fresh ingredients and attention to detail!! I've had drinks many other places for $14 bucks that don't even come close to Riel's! Every, single thing we ate was the 'mmmm' out loud kinda dish! Cauliflower tempura, tartare, pierogies, hangar steak, and Elle treated us to The Jerk dessert! Yum!!! I love a one page, eclectic menu! Riel is unpretentious, has that cool, Montrose, everyone's welcome vibe! 10 stars!! Thanks to all for the exceptional service! read more
5 years ago
I love this New American cuisine restaurant! I wish I could've had more unique items on the menu. If you come here, I recommend you having an open taste pallet for different flavors. But also, the mushroom empanadas were AMAZING! read more
A M A Z I N G ! ! ! ! This was an incredible experience as we grazed through the menu. We started with steak Tartare, then Burrata Salad, followed by Mushroom Empanadas, truffle & caviar pierogies, hanger steak and finally Foie Gras torchon toffee pudding. I'm sorry I didn't take pictures, but they don't do justice to how incredible the food tastes. The funny thing is that the dessert is probably the ugliest dessert and I couldn't resist taking a picture because I couldn't imagine what it looked like based on the menu's description. There was nothing left on any plate! This meal was amazing. The food, the staff, the restaurant, the ambiance. What a way to enjoy the evening. Cheers! read more
Riel knows how to keep it real. Their presentation is beautiful, and service - unreal. Your plate is so pretty you don't want to touch it. Your cocktails are strong but not nasty strong; tasty strong, strong enough like the equivalent of Brawny but like the Brawny of cocktails. They have valet parking but because you're a Houstonian and you know better, you will find street parking because your mama taught you better. Their bar is beautiful and you want to make sure you are looking at it when seated. When we entered the host asked if we had dinner rezzies (which I did) and seated us to probably the best spot in the middle where you get the best of both worlds - people watching and the beautiful views of modern houses out the window. Our server was very knowledgeable and helpful in helping us decide what food and cocktails we wanted to order. Note to all those wanting to try the BORSCHT. It has veal stock in it so vegetarians cannot have it. But to all us carnivores - it's a MUST!. I honestly came for the borscht and never have I ever had a warm borscht before. Let's see if I can say borscht again in this paragraph. This borscht was everything. The first cocktail that I had was the dama dorada which has tequila and mezcal. It was good but the tajin on the side was so strong that I could smell it the whole time. Granted it was my own fault for ordering something with that, I should have steered away from it. But other than that, it was a good drink. The Riel old fashioned was a good drink. I honestly don't like old fashioneds but this one was great because it used maple syrup. We tried the fried cauliflower and the duck agnolotti. The fried cauliflower had an interesting taste. It was not crispy like I imagined it would be. When I hear something is fried, I imagine loving it but this was not anything like your typical fried cauliflower.The duck agnolotti was so beautiful that I took several pictures of it. This is a very light dish when you are eating it, but while in the process you realize how delicate and bold (and you didn't think that was possible) the flavors are ... perfect execution. To end the night I ordered the black sea cooler. Ingredients: rum, cynar, lime, orgeat, salt. Win. Dessert: Nanimo Cake which comes with a coconut-ginger sorbet. This sorbet makes you think of pure happiness. Riel is in it for real. read more
5 years ago
Nice quaint place with great music and good service. Good portions are small and over priced. Waitress explained that the portions were meant to be shareable. There is no way it is shareable and feel you received enough to eat. We were a table of seven. We ordered two apps, I ordered a salad and we each ordered an entree. The muscle app is fine to share for a taste each. Fried rice is a normal size soup bowl meant for one MAYBE two people. The taste of the fried rice was good. The texture of the fried rice was interesting. It is literally fried and very hard. Making it seem as it you are eating the texture of rice that has dried out over night. I know that doesn't sound appetizing LOL. Needles to say...I would not order this again. Soba noodles on the eggplant dish were over cooked and had too much sauce and too much anise. Hanger steak was a nice presentation but the portion was a joke for the price. The market fish was presented beautifully and the portion was good (I'm not sure what the price of it was as I did not order this). This was fine to have tried and supported a local business. The atmosphere is good, the lighting is nice and the staff was pleasant. Because of that this place received three stars. If I was rating food alone, it would have been a two. read more
10 years ago
Easily the best new restaurant of 2017! The space is intimate and inviting without being overwrought. Staff is friendly and helpful. The FOOD is delicious! Beautifully crusted hangar steak is accompanied by perfect pierogi pillows. The Montreal smoked meat is a great lesson in contrasting and complimenting flavors and textures. Fresh and briny oysters, tender fish karaage, sweet head -on shrimp. Great cocktails from the bar as well. Sitting at the counter is a fun show but can get a little warm. Bathroom murals are worth a look of their own. Can't wait to go back! Street parking very limited. Valet to be safe. read more
3 years ago
Definitely recommend coming here. Their food selections are very original and tasty. We ordered: -Bone Marrow (5/5) -Gator Karagge (5/5) -Kake Soba (2/5) We also took advantage of the red that was on HH which was a good tasting red. Nothing worse th a cheap HH red. Overall extremely happy with my entire experience and I look forward to coming back and trying some more food. read more
3 years ago
Houston Restaurant Week Review Only: definitely make reservations! We were lucky enough to make same day reservations and were sat at the bar. I believe that they only have valet parking, but there's plenty of side street parking. On to the appetizers, the empanada was amazing. I wasn't too impressed with the cauliflower. My friend and I only ordered the streak and let me just say that it was amazing! Perfect size, cooked to perfection on sautéed veggies. The dessert was just amazing! Not too sweet, but very well balanced. Riel is also known for their drinks, but I think I'll just stick to their regular Old Fashions and red wine. Service was decent. Our waiter looked a bit overwhelmed and didn't really check up on us. The ambiance is great! You can definitely bring a date here or a friend. read more
4 years ago
Husband and I went for a rare, nice dinner without our baby, and Riel didn't disappoint. We started with cocktails - So Fresh, So Clean - and the burrata, caviar tots, mushroom empanadas, and pelmeni. Everything was delicious, but I'd probably not order the pelmeni again. Caviar tots are basically a novelty item; no special flavor, but the presentation was nice. Mushroom empanadas were my favorite of the apps and I don't even love mushrooms. Burrata was also delicious with fresh herbs infused in the cheese, which was a great variation of the standard burrata I'm accustomed to. Ella, our waitress, was outstanding. Perfect amount of attentive, very friendly, and offered excellent suggestions. Second round of cocktails, at her suggestion, was the Corpse Reviver #2, which was a perfect follow up to our first round. Mains were hanger steak and kimchi carbonara. Steaks were cooked well and paired with fluffy pierogis. My husband's carbonara was out of this world delicious with a nice hit of spice. Overall we were very happy and will definitely be returning. Strongly recommend reservations for weekend dining. Parking is free behind the restaurant. read more
4 years ago
3.5/5 Didn't quite understand the theme of the food - one Ukrainian dish?, two Canadian dishes, and Asian. Recommend! - Borscht: tarty, creamy (non-dairy) beet soup! J who dislikes beets loved this soup. Paired really well with the creme fraiche (what doesn't). - Sticky toffee pudding: topped with a foie torchon. Really delicious. We had so much blood toffee sauce left over that I wish the cake portion was larger. Coffee was also really tasty too! - Hanger steak: thicker cuts of tender meat. I'm used to eating flatter cuts of hanger, so I liked this version better. Cheese perogis were nice and dense. A-okay - Brick chicken: sousvide chicken, tender. Nothing special, but a-okay. Pass (2/5) - Crudo: tiny portion, a little fishy if you don't eat it with its garnish - Red fish karaage: tasted like flour and ranch. Didn't care for the dish personally. Seems like I enjoyed Asian inspired dishes the least. Looking forward to come back to try the smoked meat platter and meat pie. read more
Phenomenal food! Highly recommend trying out the Hanger Steak dish with the potato and cheddar pierogi's which you don't come across very often. Brick chicken is so good and evenly cooked and juicy. This dish jumps to the top of my list of best chicken I've had here in Houston. Gulf shrimp are also a must and the hot and sour sauce that comes with it, I could lick off the bottom of my flip flops if I had to. Try the Borscht Sour cocktail, perfect! This place is cozy and staff is friendly, but what held it back that one star is I had ordered coffee and cream, but instead got the check, Ohhh-k then. Also, as mentioned in my tip half the patrons were wearing their coats while eating because it was beyond uncomfortably cold inside. These are all minor nit picks that I'm sure will get resolved in due course. read more
Riel is a contemporary spot in Montrose serving up "globally inspired Gulf Coast cuisine," which mostly ends up being Ukrainian and Asian-inflected. I came with my parents and a friend over the holidays and left not sure what they were trying to accomplish. Drinks include a nice selection of house and classic cocktails ($13 and $11). I had one that was mescal-forward and quite good. Wine is on the pricey side. We ended up doing largely small plates and largely vegetables. We started with a burrata and spaghetti squash dish that ended up being one of my favorites. Our other squash dish ($15) was basically just quinoa sprinkled on delicata; tasty but basic. Bannock ($12) served as our bread course, a puffy Scottish skillet bread with delightful butter and pickled shallot jam spreads. Fried rice ($16) executed a puffed rice remarkably well, but there wasn't much going on with it otherwise. We of course needed to get pierogies ($10ish); they come three to an order and overfried. Eggplant ($22) was another favorite, with a nice coconut-ginger curry sauce, but it was the same size as the smalls so we didn't quite get the price differential. Dessert was an unqualified success: Bee's Knees ($11) paired a moist, pancake-y brown butter cake with honey ice cream and lemon curd. Perfect. The dining room is bland but inoffensive, and doesn't seem all that upscale compared to the prices; my chief complaint would be the lights are too bright for dinner. Service is excellent. The pacing was just right and our waiter was great. Overall the prices are just a bit nuts, and I say this from a New Yorker's perspective-- we hit almost $300 after tax and tip for our party of 4. Drinks are largely the culprit here, but that's still $50 a person for food. We left full, but had pretty much no meat or high-end dishes. What happened to Houston's low prices? read more
7 years ago
Excellent meal from start to finish!! The service was impeccable. All the servers and staff were very attentive, but never intrusive. They cleared our plates at just the right time and always kept our water topped off. The wine list looked interesting, but I was more in the mood for a cocktail. The Maple Old Fashioned with cardamom was a well-balanced combination of sweet and spicy. The small plates looked so interesting that my dining companion and I just decided to treat the meal like tapas. We started with the oysters, which I believe were from the northeast coast. Very fresh and briny. My only dislike was the micro cilantro; it overpowered the flavor of the oyster (disclaimer: I belong to that small class of people who find cilantro tastes astringent and soapy). Our next dish was the steak tartare with capers, thinly julienned daikon radish, and mustard. The beef was very good quality and the other flavors served as a nice counterpoint to the gaminess of the raw meat. I found myself wishing I was dining alone just so I wouldn't have to share. After the tartare we moved on to the hot dishes. The mushroom empanadas with mascarpone, chimichurri, and what tasted like lemon zest were so delicious. The lemon was a bright and refreshing note in a sea of savory flavors. After the empanadas, we had to try the cabbage rolls. I hardly ever see them on a menu and these definitely lived up to my eager anticipation. The pork stuffing was well seasoned with a touch of what I think was fennel. The tomato sauce was sweet and tangy, which cut the fatty, savory flavor of the pork. At this point in the meal, I was so eager I almost forgot to take a picture. Even though we were both starting to get full, we went for the crispy pork belly as the last dish. Very different from everything else we had. The pork belly was crispy, but succulent and the egg was perfectly poached. There was a lot going on with this dish, so I would say if I was forced to rank it among all the dishes we had, I would have put it closer to the bottom. However, my companion thought it may have been the best of the night. From there we moved on to dessert. We had no business eating anything else, but we couldn't resist. The couple dining next to us recommended the Bees Knees, which did not disappoint. Brown butter cake with honey and milk ice cream, lemon curd and candied lemon peel...yes please! I may have had to stumble out of the restaurant from being so full, but it was well worth it! read more
3 years ago
I loved Riel! I was not expecting the dinner we had based on the menu and the descriptions I had read, but we were blown away by every bite. Each dish was unique and flavorful and we were wiping the plates clean. The service was incredibly attentive, kind and knowledgeable. The vibe was artsy and sleek, but not uptight. We got to sit at the chefs counter, which was really fun to see the work put into the meal. Special highlights were the steak tartare, the crudo, and the Bees Knees for dessert. Will definitely be back!! read more
More info about Riel
1927 Fairview St
Houston, TX 77019
Montrose
Directions
(832) 831-9109
Call Now
Visit Website
http://rielhtx.com
Full menu
Hours
Payment methods
Food & Alcohol
Indoor Amenities
Outdoor Amenities
Other Amenities
From the Business
More Info
Health Score
Riel Reviews in Other Languages
Ask the Community - Riel
Does Reil do walk ins or do they only take reservations?
Pretty much any restaurant in Houston has walk ins, but for Riel I'd definitely make a reservation to be be sure you get a table at the time you want.
You might also consider
Why does Yelp recommend reviews?
13 reviews that are not currently recommended
The reviews below are not factored into the business's overall star rating.
3 years ago
9 years ago
10 years ago
5 years ago
9 years ago
5 years ago
9 years ago
10 years ago
5 years ago
9 years ago
9 years ago
9 years ago
9 years ago
