New Upper Kirby Cocktail Lounge Is Fired Up for the Holidays

Chris Furia
New Upper Kirby Cocktail Lounge Is Fired Up for the Holidays

Santé's Verde Room

COCKTAILS ON FIRE, caviar carts, and three-hundred-year-old olive trees, oh my! It’s all at Santé (French for cheers!), which has bowed on Richmond in Upper Kirby.


The sexy lounge is the brainchild of Sina Khaef. He dreamed it up while enjoying the bustling nightlife in Paris, and he wanted to bring that experience to Houston. The result is Santé, whose dark environs are home to vintage chandeliers, jewel-toned lounge seating and a rotating art collection. “We are so proud of what we have created here at Santé. It’s a tasteful and sophisticated destination for you to enjoy with your friends, colleagues and visitors alike,” says Khaef.

The lounge is divided into four sections: “The garden,” with a large bar and two towering olive trees; “the spin room,” which is a dancefloor with cocktail tables next to the DJ booth; “the verde,” a dimly lit section with velvet couches and chairs; and the outdoor lounge area.

The cocktail menu was created by Matthew Medina, who also developed drinks at Toca Madera and Duchess. Each cocktail is named after a piece of art and, for an artful touch, is served on a coaster showcasing the art of the drink’s namesake.

Don’t miss the caviar cart that includes an option to crème-fraiche ice cream with a dollop of caviar. Other Euro-inspired options include oysters, hummus and charcuterie boards.

Santé is located at 2309 Richmond Ave., and opens at 4pm seven days a week.

Fruits Of The Earth Aflame cocktail

Le Grand Canal cocktail

Food

An untitled 1975 photo by Michael Abramson

AT THE TOP of 2024, with Black History Month coming to a close and Women’s History Month just around the corner, the Houston Museum of African American Culture has not one, not two, but three exhibitions on view through March 30: Bert Long, Jr. Spring Survey Exhibition and Pervs, Peppers, and the High Chaparral: Michael Abramson’s Chicago South Side Photographs, both curated by HMAAC chief curator Christopher Blay, and One Nation, One Groove: African American Music as the s Story of American Music, curated by HMAAC CEO John Guess, Jr.

Keep Reading Show less
Art + Entertainment

Len Cannon, Dr. Condoleezza Rice, Peyton Manning

THOSE WISHING TO honor the lives and legacies of George H.W. Bush and Barbara Bush gathered for a special, all-star dinner at the Post Oak Hotel. Celebs from politics, sports and music were among them, with former Secretary of State Condoleeza Rice taking the stage to make remarks.

Keep Reading Show less
Parties