There’s also a small food menu with crispy thin-crust pizza and other light bites. The wine menu is well-curated yet relatively affordable house bottles are just $18 during happy hour. A new local chain of wine bars (with locations in Montrose, Upper Kirby, Braeswood Place, and Heights), Bacco exudes homey, countryside bed-and-breakfast vibes in the form of vintage furniture, cozy, tucked-away nooks, and swing-filled patios. Get into the Tiki spirit at Lei Low, where the rum flows like water and the cocktails come with fun garnishes, like bananas carved to look like dolphins (yes, really). For the city’s best selection of agave-based spirits and cocktails, head to the Pastry Bar, which is helmed by Houston cocktail legend Bobby Heugel (owner of Anvil Bar & Refuge, among many others). This bar’s got it all-a great patio, frozen cocktails (a staple drink during those famously sweaty Houston summers), and tacos. At this beloved nonprofit watering hole, 100 percent of the proceeds are donated to a different charity every month. You can actually feel good about imbibing too many drinks at OKRA Charity Saloon. This Southern-inspired gem has frequently been called one of the best bars in America, thanks to its bold, old-fashioned drinks (get a julep or Sazerac) and elegant space, inside an impeccably designed 1880s-era uniform factory. Enjoy stiff craft cocktails surrounded by lush plants and flowers at this perfect date-night spot. A bar inside a greenhouse, Secret Garden is easily one of the most striking-looking bars in H-Town.
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The list of cool, inventive cocktails is seemingly endless at Anvil Bar & Refuge, which was one of the first craft cocktail bars on the scene and continues to be one of the best. The food menu includes hot dogs, pizza, burgers, and other easygoing grub. You could easily spend hours at Monkey’s Tail, a Mexican-American cocktail dive with a great indoor/outdoor setup and an effortlessly cool vibe. It’s also easier to bar-hop here than in most other neighborhoods, where walkability can be an issue. Just west of Downtown, Montrose is known for being Houston’s slightly bohemian, hipster neighborhood-the place where you can pair your craft brew with a slam-poetry reading, if you will.
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If you want to re-live your college days, head to Rice Village, where there's no shortage of cheap dives, pubs, and jam-packed patios. This is where the majority of the city’s slick, see-and-be-seen nightclubs are. Stretching from Downtown through Memorial Park, Washington Avenue comes alive with glammed-up clubgoers at night. You’ll find a wide variety of cocktail bars, wine bars, beer gardens, and after-hours clubs here. For a rowdy night out, Midtown is the perfect place to be. Want to shop (and then maybe drink) ‘til you drop? The always-crowded Galleria has plenty of pubs and wine bars to choose from after you’ve gotten your shopping fix.
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If you’re up for a bar crawl, Downtown is a great place to do so-this is where you’ll find many of Houston’s most popular nighttime hangouts, all (or most) within walking distance of each other.