La Carafe
Bar · Downtown
813 Congress St, Houston, TX 77002
Highlights
Candlelit wine & beer bar in Houston's oldest building
Candlelit wine & beer bar in Houston's oldest building
"Take a step back in time when you enter La Carafe. This moody, candlelit bar is housed in the oldest commercial building in Houston and is rumored to be haunted. Conversation-starting art and antiques add to the ambiance, along with jukebox tunes spanning from Etta James’ “At Last” to Bob Marley’s “No Woman, No Cry.” To further enhance the back-in-time vibes, La Carafe’s cash register is from another era, so make sure to bring your card. This place is card only." - Brianna Griff
"HOUSTON La Carafe, a cash-only wine bar in Houston, has all the things that would suggest, “Hey, this place is really haunted!” We’re talking about candles burning on top of giant pillars of drippy wax, old paintings of weird people, and a closed-off staircase that leads to somewhere mysterious. Much like the lives of the presumed specters lurking around, the beverage list is also tragically cut short. Come here to see a ghost, or to wantonly stare at your own reflection in the back bar. " - anne cruz
"If you want to drink wine somewhere nobody knows your name, go to La Carafe. As the oldest bar in downtown Houston, it’s rumored to be haunted. (For the record, the only apparition we've seen here is a friendly yet disinterested bartender.) The wine list may be short and run-of-the-mill. But what La Carafe lacks in options, it makes up for in spookiness. The jukebox may or may not work, there are plenty of brooding dark corners with candles burning atop pillars of drippy wax, and the old paintings show expressionless, possibly deceased people. Bring a first date before wandering around Downtown." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene, julie takahashi
"Take your date somewhere absolutely nobody knows your name: La Carafe, the cash-only wine bar downtown. Rumored to be haunted, La Carafe has all the trappings of a late-night date spot: a giant gold cash register, candles burning atop giant pillars of drippy wax, old paintings of weird people, a friendly yet disinterested bartender, and a jukebox that may or may not work. It’s perfect." - chelsea thomas
"La Carafe, a cash-only wine bar in downtown, is supposedly haunted. Which makes sense when you look around at the mostly empty tables. It’s also got all the things that would suggest, “Hey, this place is really haunted!” like a giant gold cash register, candles burning atop giant pillars of drippy wax, old paintings of weird people, a friendly yet disinterested bartender, a jukebox that may or may not work, and a closed-off staircase that leads to somewhere. Much like the lives of the presumed specters lurking around, the beverage list is also tragically cut short, with a few by-the-glass options and a standard selection of beer. Come here to see a ghost, or to wantonly stare at your own reflection in the back bar. The drinks are secondary. " - Chelsea Thomas
