Hamsa

"An Israeli restaurant in Houston's Rice Village offering a range of traditional and modern Israeli dishes." - Brittany Britto Garley

"Sunday brunch at this Rice Village restaurant starts promptly at 11:30 a.m., with Israeli-inspired dishes like crispy chicken schnitzel sandwich, which is topped with eggplant, pickles, and a shata aioli, the herbaceous Aruk omelet served with labneh, tahini, sourdough bread, and a side salad, and the chocolate Babkha French toast that served with vanilla anglaise. The drinks menu is the perfect compliment with coffee, teas, boozy snowballs, and a host of cocktails, including its Tahini Brandy Milk Punch, a variety of mimosas made with fresh juices, and a spritz menu just in time for summer." - Brittany Britto Garley

"The variety of salatim and kebabs is enough reason to visit this Rice Village gem. Known for its modern Levantine cuisine, Hamsa also offers a stellar three-course prix fix lunch menu between 11:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. Tuesday through Friday. For $25, diners can pick between two salatim or a plain or lamb hummus before moving on to the entrees — falafel sandwich, shakshuka, lamb lahmajun, or meat skewer with rice and Israeli salad. The experience finishes with dessert and offers the option to buy a glass of wine for $10. On nice weather days, diners can sit on the picturesque front patio and take in the sights and sounds of the bustling shopping center as they dine." - Brittany Britto Garley

"From the team behind Doris Metropolitan and Badolina Bakery, Hamsa is a modern Israeli restaurant with attractive indoor and outdoor dining spaces in Rice Village. Open for lunch and dinner, the restaurant is known for its large selection of salatim, including squash tahini, shared small plates, and grilled meats served on oversized skewers. Visit on Thursdays for Tel Aviv night, and watch as the restaurant transforms into a big party with belly dancers and live instrumentalists." - Brittany Britto Garley

"While the patio at Hamsa in Rice Village may be small, the vibe is over the top. It really screams, “patio,” like one of those outdoor showroom set pieces with almost too many potted plants and a fancy cantilevered umbrella. Dinner between a few hedgerows? Now that’s romance. Get the whole shebang salatim with dips and pita pickled vegetables, or hit up Hamsa on Sunday for a plate of shakshuka with Turkish coffee for brunch. Take pleasure in knowing everything tastes better because you’re eating it outside." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas