Lee's

"Formerly Lees Den, Lee’s in Rice Village has transformed into a cocktail bar with expertly balanced drinks and small plates. You can see every table in the space’s dining room from the host stand, but it never feels cramped. It’s a speakeasy-type spot you’d keep in your back pocket to impress someone on a third date. Each table is full of gin and tarragon cocktails with glittering daisies in the center. And folks are taking down buttered crab rolls packed with shredded crab and briny trout roe. The mini hamachi tacos have a burst of umami flavor that inspires you to order a second plate. If it's a multiple-drink night, order one of their “small sips” cocktails like the Appleteeny. And after 10pm, you’ll gain access to the late-night menu, which can only be read with their 3D decoder. Food Rundown photo credit: Gianni Greene Appleteeny Start your evening with this drink. It tastes like a liquified granny smith rather than a syrupy apple imitation. There are about four sips worth of cocktail in this chilled glass, but that’s really all you need. photo credit: Gianni Greene Crab Roll These two rolls are filled with shredded crabmeat lathered in a rich aioli. The little bursts of trout roe balance out the crab and keep the dish from becoming too heavy. photo credit: Julie Soefer Hamachi Tacos We love the miniature crunchy corn tortillas surrounding the soy-coated bits of hamachi. And while the decorative bed of kernels is more decorative than functional, we’ll take on the social faux pas of picking through them to make sure no fish is left behind. photo credit: Gianni Greene Sweet Potato Dumplings The crispy skin is 90% of what makes these dumplings exciting. But the filling is a little skimpy, so feel free to skip this one." - Gianni Greene

"A rebranded cocktail bar in Rice Village with a focus on affordable drinks and colorful cocktails, including half-sized sips." - Brittany Britto Garley

"A reinvented cocktail bar with a focus on innovative, high-quality cocktails, featuring a speakeasy-style entrance and a sultry decor." - Brittany Britto Garley

"One of the most picturesque wine bars in Rice Village sits on the second floor of Local Foods surrounded by a blacktop parking lot. To get to the tiny space, you either have to take a horror-movie-looking elevator to get there or a really cute flight of stairs. Once you’re in, it feels like a plush 1970s conversation pit, but with more houseplants than seem reasonable. Wine here is less about specific producers or labels than about the overall vibe of just having a really good time, which is probably why most of their wine is mixed into cocktails." - gianni greene, chelsea thomas

"One of the most picturesque wine bars in Houston sits on the second floor of Local Foods in Rice Village surrounded by a blacktop parking lot. To get to the tiny space, you either have to take a horror-movie-looking elevator or ascend a cute flight of stairs. Once you’re in, it’ll feel like a 1970s conversation pit with more houseplants than seem reasonable. Their wine focus is less about highlighting specific producers or labels than it is about making sure you have a good time. Which is probably why most of the wine gets mixed into cocktails, like a blood orange spritz." - chelsea thomas, gianni greene, julie takahashi