Things to do in Houston
BBQ, Sichuan, serious cocktails, and the city locals actually live in.
This is Houston for people who want to eat well without overthinking it: a Montrose morning at the Rothko Chapel, an afternoon in Asiatown that covers more culinary ground than most cities manage in a week, and a downtown stretch anchored by one of the most quietly strange spaces in America. Moderate budget, no tourist traps, one dinner you'll talk about later.
Day 1: Montrose: Art, Smoke, and Cocktails
Start with coffee and a Rothko, burn through the afternoon at the Menil, then let the Pit Room and Anvil handle everything else.
- 9:30 AM
- 10:15 AM
Rothko Chapel
Interfaith sanctuary with 14 monumental Rothko canvases and Barnett Newman's Broken Obelisk outside, a short walk.
Map - 12:30 PM
The Pit Room
Brisket and house sausage by the pound, with tortillas pressed next door, eaten at picnic tables.
Map - 2:00 PM
Menil Drawing Institute
Free, quiet galleries built for works on paper, with shaded courtyards inside the Menil campus.
Map - 7:30 PM
nobie's
A cosy Montrose house turned restaurant; share the handmade pastas and a few small plates.
Map - 9:30 PM
Anvil
Anvil is Houston's go-to serious cocktail bar, proper drinks, no attitude, and a quick walk from nobie's.
Map
Day 2: Asiatown: Bellaire Boulevard All Day
Walk the storefronts, eat mala noodles at lunch, and end the night at NoriNori for the kind of Japanese that earns its price tag.
- 10:30 AM
Bellaire Boulevard Asiatown
Stroll the miles of Bellaire Blvd, Vietnamese, Chinese, Korean, Malaysian and Taiwanese storefronts all in a row; the real Asiatown experience.
Map - 12:30 PM
Mala Sichuan Bistro
Great-value Sichuan, bold mala flavours at a fair price, a local cult favourite.
Map - 2:30 PM
Hong Kong City Mall
Asiatown's big indoor mall under the Chinese arch: a huge Asian supermarket, bakeries, jewellers and boba.
Map - 7:30 PM
NoriNori HTX
Book the 10-course chef's omakase at the counter; the chawanmushi and scallop nigiri stand out.
Map
Day 3: Downtown: The Cistern to Nancy's Hustle
A subterranean reservoir, a casual Vietnamese lunch, and a neighbourhood dinner at Nancy's Hustle rounded out by a candle-lit nightcap at La Carafe.
- 9:30 AM
Day 6 Coffee Co.
A small downtown coffee bar for a flat white before the walk over to the Cistern.
Map - 10:30 AM
The Cistern
A surreal 1926 drinking-water reservoir of 221 concrete columns in a thin mirror of water, one of Houston's most atmospheric hidden spaces.
Map - 12:30 PM
- 2:30 PM
Discovery Green
Downtown's 12-acre park by the convention centre: a lake, big public art and shade before dinner.
Map - 7:30 PM
Nancy's Hustle
Start with the Nancy Cakes, cultured butter and trout roe, then split the double-patty burger.
Map - 9:30 PM
La Carafe
La Carafe is a beloved old-Houston dive bar with candles and wine, the perfect low-key nightcap a short walk from dinner.
Map
Where to stay
Hotel ZaZa Museum District
Sits right in the Museum District, putting Day 1's Menil, Rothko, and Pit Room all within easy reach without paying downtown prices.
The Lancaster
A historic small hotel in the Theater District, walkable to the Cistern, Nancy's Hustle and La Carafe.
Make Houston your trip
Swearby drafts the days from places people swear by. Swap any stop, then invite the crew by text, even friends without the app. Vote on dates, track costs as you go, and everyone gets one number at the end.
Get Swearby on the App StoreBefore you go
Book ahead
- Space Center Houston: a few days ahead
- Buffalo Bayou Park: a few days ahead
- Houston Zoo: a few days ahead
- Trellis Spa at The Houstonian: a few days ahead
- Twilight Epiphany Skyspace: a few days ahead
- Memorial Park Golf Course: a few days ahead
Skip these
- Downtown Aquarium is small, pricey and restaurant led; the zoo and natural science museum do the job better.
- Kemah Boardwalk is chain restaurants and carnival rides, a pass-through, not a destination.
- The Galleria is a large mall, not a sightseeing stop; the Waterwall is a five minute photo.
- Check CityPASS maths against buying Space Center, HMNS, zoo and MFAH direct, as it bundles the Aquarium.
The full Houston travel guide: when to go, safety, getting around