Date Night in Bellaire

Italian, wine and a speakeasy on Bissonnet

Enoteca Rossa, at 4566 Bissonnet St., is an Italian restaurant and wine bar, and its website describes hand-made pasta, wood-fired pizza, risottos, seafood and meat dishes, with an extensive wine list and curated wines at happy hour. It lists hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. most days, until 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and it is closed on Mondays.

Enoteca Rossa and the Rossa Room Speakeasy have neighboring street numbers on Bissonnet Street, which makes dinner followed by a drink an easy plan. The Rossa Room Speakeasy, at 4564 Bissonnet St., takes reservations through OpenTable, according to its website, and lists hours from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday. It is closed Sunday and Monday.

Paul's Wine Pix, at 5424 Bissonnet St., is a family-owned wine bar and bottle shop, and its website says the room is for guests 21 and older. It mentions a food menu and gift cards. The bar lists Sunday hours from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., a useful fact on a day when the Rossa Room Speakeasy and Costa Brava Bistro are closed, and it is closed on Mondays.

Reservations and tasting menus

Costa Brava Bistro, at 5107 Bellaire Blvd., serves Spanish and French cooking in what its website calls an intimate setting with old-world charm. The site lists a chef's tasting menu at dinner, a prix fixe lunch and a regular menu, with paella, grilled octopus, jamón ibérico, escargots, suckling pig with garbanzos and black seafood rice among the dishes shown. It lists lunch from 11:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. and dinner from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. Tuesday through Friday, dinner only on Saturday, and is closed Sunday and Monday.

Aya Sushi, at 5407 Bellaire Blvd., is led by Chef Yoshi Katsuyama, and its website says the seafood comes from Yamaharu Seafood at Toyosu Market in Japan. There is an a la carte menu and an omakase dinner, available daily by reservation, along with a large sake list and handcrafted cocktails. The restaurant lists dinner from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on most nights, to 10 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and it is closed Mondays.

Samurai Japanese Steak & Sushi, at 5317 Bissonnet St., is the hibachi option, and its website promises skilled chefs, showmanship and sushi, with reservations and private party space available. It lists dinner from 5 p.m. on weekdays and is open until 11 p.m. on Friday and Saturday.

A patio, a steak and a margarita

Cafe Piquet, at 5757 Bissonnet St., is a family-owned Cuban restaurant with indoor seating and a spacious outdoor patio. Its menu includes ropa vieja, picadillo, pernil asado, whole red snapper, garlic shrimp, empanadas and Cuban sandwiches, and the website lists sangria and mojitos and a weekday happy hour. The restaurant lists hours from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Tuesday through Thursday and until 9 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, and it is closed on Mondays.

Enoteca Rossa and the Rossa Room Speakeasy have neighboring street numbers on Bissonnet Street, which makes dinner followed by a drink an easy plan.

CASA Bar & Grill, at 5711 Bissonnet St., calls itself kosher fine dining, with dry-aged steaks, burgers, appetizers, desserts and a cocktail program built on fresh juices and house bitters. Its executive chef, Dovid Wohlgelernter, draws on California coastal cuisine and Mexican influences. The restaurant posts hours from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Thursday and from 5 p.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday, and it is closed on Friday and Saturday.

Auntie Pasto's, at 5419 Bellaire Blvd., is an Italian restaurant whose website highlights cilantro fettuccini with jalapeños and crawfish, black pepper fettuccini with shrimp and a mascarpone-and-ladyfinger dessert. It lists hours from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. on weekdays and 4 p.m. to 9 p.m. on weekends.

Candente, at 5101 Bellaire Blvd., is the casual choice, a Tex-Mex restaurant known for queso topped with chopped brisket and a menu of margaritas that runs from house to ultra-premium, with frozen margaritas, mezcal cocktails, palomas and tequila flights. The restaurant lists hours until 9 p.m. every day.

One more drink

Cache Cocktail Bar, at 5160 Hidalgo St., is outside the city, in Uptown, but it is the place on this list that keeps pouring past 10 p.m. every night. It is an upscale cocktail and wine bar at Hotel Vesper that serves French-inspired craft cocktails and light bites. The bar lists hours from 4 p.m. to 11 p.m. every day of the week, which makes it a sensible finish to a Bellaire dinner.

Matching the evening

For a first date, Enoteca Rossa and the Rossa Room Speakeasy together make a full evening with one drive. For an anniversary, the chef's tasting menu at Costa Brava Bistro or the omakase at Aya Sushi fits the occasion, with a reservation. For a relaxed dinner with a bigger group, Samurai Japanese Steak & Sushi, the patio at Cafe Piquet and Candente are easier answers.

Before you go

- Book ahead at Aya Sushi, Samurai Japanese Steak & Sushi and the Rossa Room Speakeasy, whose websites describe reservations, and call Costa Brava Bistro before you drive. - The typical listing posts a 9 p.m. close, so book a dinner seating that leaves time to finish. - Check the closed days before you choose: Enoteca Rossa, Costa Brava Bistro, Aya Sushi, Cafe Piquet and Paul's Wine Pix are closed on Mondays, and CASA Bar & Grill is closed on Friday and Saturday. - Paul's Wine Pix is for guests 21 and older, according to its website. - Hours come from business listings and can change, so confirm with the restaurant before you go.

Sources

- Bellaire places data, HERE Bellaire: bellaire_places.json (addresses, categories and listed hours for every place named) - Enoteca Rossa: https://www.enotecarossa.com - Rossa Room Speakeasy: https://therossaroom.com - Paul's Wine Pix: https://paulswinepix.com - Costa Brava Bistro: https://costabravabistro.com - Aya Sushi: https://www.ayasushi.com - Samurai Japanese Steak & Sushi: https://www.samuraisteakandsushi.net - Cafe Piquet: https://cafepiquet.net - CASA Bar & Grill: https://casabarandgrill.com - Auntie Pasto's: https://www.auntiesbellaire.com - Candente: https://candentehtx.com - Caché Cocktail Bar, Hotel Vesper: https://www.hotelvespergalleria.com/cache-cocktail-bar

En español

Los restaurantes para una cita en Bellaire son pequeños y están casi todos en Bissonnet Street y Bellaire Boulevard. Enoteca Rossa, en 4566 Bissonnet St., y Rossa Room Speakeasy, en 4564 Bissonnet St., tienen números vecinos, así que se puede cenar y tomar una copa sin mover el carro. Costa Brava Bistro, en 5107 Bellaire Blvd., ofrece cocina española y francesa con menú de degustación; Aya Sushi, en 5407 Bellaire Blvd., ofrece omakase con reservación. Cafe Piquet, en 5757 Bissonnet St., es cubano y tiene patio. CASA Bar & Grill, en 5711 Bissonnet St., es kosher. Muchas cocinas cierran a las 9 p.m., así que conviene reservar. Confirme los horarios antes de ir.