The Best French Food in Houston
Sections
- Eat , on. Can't turn off the last section 466
- Drink , off. Turn on 75 Only Drink
- Stay , off. Turn on 16 Only Stay
- Do , off. Turn on 2 Only Do
Tap another section to add it. All sections
The best French food in Houston, according to the experts: the Michelin Guide, Houstonia, and Eater have all weighed in, and their honors are what rank this list. Le Jardinier comes out on top.
More Less
Perseid and Camaraderie hold the next two places. Houstonia and the Michelin Guide show up on more of this list than any other guide.
-
Rank 1. Le Jardinier
French
Sitting inside the Museum of Fine Arts, this French fine dining room earns its Michelin star on the strength of produce-driven cooking where the sauces do the heavy lifting and the plating looks borrowed from the galleries next door. The Cullen Sculpture Garden frames the windows after dark. The tasting menu shifts with the seasons, and the pommes dauphine with truffle aioli have no business being a side dish.
The awards
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: 1 Star
- Houstonia Houstonia: Houston’s Best Restaurants
- Eater Eater: The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
- Michelin Guide 1 Star
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
- Eater The 38 Essential Houston Restaurants
-
Rank 2. Perseid
French
Sunflower yellow walls and tall windows that pull in light from every direction set the tone at this French bistro inside Hotel Saint Augustine. Chef Aaron Bludorn's menu leans into Gulf Coast flavors alongside the classics, so foie gras arrives with biscuits and crawfish sausage gets a Creole sauce. Breakfast runs all week, the patio is spacious, and the servers seem to understand that ease is its own kind of luxury.
The awards
- Wine Enthusiast Wine Enthusiast: Top 50 New Restaurants
- Bon Appétit Bon Appétit: America's Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Wine Enthusiast Top 50 New Restaurants
- Bon Appétit America's Best New Restaurants
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
-
Rank 3. Camaraderie
American-French
The salt-baked celery root arrives looking like a small geological event, which sets the tone for this French-influenced New American restaurant where technique is the point but the vibe stays loose. Chef Shawn Gawle, a James Beard semifinalist, built the menu around sharing, with tarte flambée, heirloom tomato pie, and carrot cavatelli doing the heavy lifting. Dressy enough to feel like an occasion, relaxed enough that nobody's whispering.
The awards
- Houstonia Houstonia: The 10 Best Restaurants That Opened in Houston
- Houston Chronicle Houston Chronicle: #13 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia Houstonia: Houston’s Best Restaurants
- Houstonia The 10 Best Restaurants That Opened in Houston
- Houston Chronicle #13 · Houston’s Top 100 Restaurants
- Houstonia Houston’s Best Restaurants
-
Rank 4. The Marigold Club
British French
A player piano sets the tone at this Montrose dining room, where the dress code is "go ahead and try" and the menu leans toward Mayfair via Paris. The kitchen runs British-French, which means duck Wellington and oysters at the bar feel equally at home. The Marigold Club is the kind of place where ordering a martini first is not just acceptable but expected, and Esquire has already taken their side on the matter.
The awards
- Esquire Esquire: Mayfair Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- Eater Eater: Most Beautiful Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Michelin Guide: Selected Restaurant
- Esquire Mayfair Martini · The Best Martinis in America
- Eater Most Beautiful Restaurant
- Michelin Guide Selected Restaurant
-
Rank 5. Brasserie 19
French
The awards
-
Rank 5. Brasserie du Parc
French
The awards
-
Rank 7. Chardon
Modern French
The cheese trolley rolls whether you ordered it or not, which sets the tone for this French restaurant inside Houston's Thompson Hotel. The cooking is modern and refined, with Texas ingredients folded in quietly, Gulf shrimp here, pecan-muscadine gelée there. Small plates, proper entrées, theatrical desserts, the kind of room where the meal takes a while and nobody seems to mind.
The awards