This latest in a line of rustic Italian eateries by Lombardi Family Concepts (there are other Tavernas in Dallas and Austin, as well as Mexico and California) draws hearty Houstonians for fine pastas and pizzas to the ritzy neighborhood of River Oaks.

Website: tavernabylombardi.com

Address: 4444 Westheimer Rd.

Phone number: 713-871-0902

Number of seats: 125

Entrée price range: $12-$30

Popular dishes: Homemade cannoli with ricotta mousse; homemade lasagna rustica with spinach pasta, Bolognese, béchamel, wild mushrooms, ham and Parmigiano; California pizza with chicken, mozzarella, avocado, feta, tomatoes and cilantro.

What others say: “Hand-rolled ravioli are nearly translucent, more like a very fine dumpling skin, holding chard, spinach and ricotta, than a thick pasta.” –Alice Levitt, Houstonia

The bar

California pizza

In River Oaks, this throwback to a traditional kind of French bistro that still resonates today grew from another location of the same warm, earthy eatery in Dallas.

Website: toulousecafeandbar.com

Address: 4444 Westheimer Rd.

Phone number: 713-871-0768

Number of seats: 120

Entrée price range: $28-$58

Popular dishes: Dover sole meunière served tableside with seasonal vegetables jardinière; filet au poivre with sautéed mushrooms, asparagus and pommes frites; crispy duck two ways, breast and confit, with green lentils, coriander braised carrots, lardons, petite frisée, Armagnac poached prunes and orange mustard sauce. 

What others say: “For lovers of authentic French fare, Toulouse’s arrival to Houston comes none too soon.” –Amy McCarthy, Eater Houston

The bar and dining room

Bouillabaisse

From FreeRange Concepts, which operates a gourmet bowling alley/gastropub next door, this eclectic and approachable eatery takes a creative approach to spinning local ingredients in unusual ways.

Website: thegenpublic.com

Address: 797 Sorella Ct.

Phone number: 832-690-4450

Number of seats: 68 in the dining room, 28 at the bar, 40 on the indoor patio

Entrée price range: $10-$28

Popular dishes: Burrata & pistachio toast with fresh cheese on pistachio crusted baguette; steak & blue cheese sandwich with shaved ribeye, baguette, blue cheese mayonnaise, wild arugula & ale glazed shallots and fries or quinoa salad; two chickpea crusted quails, scallion pancakes and chipotle syrup.

What others say: “When I was served a dish called Shishitos and Shrooms, a pile of beer-battered peppers and cremini mushrooms, served with Sriracha dipping sauce, I rolled my eyes a little. But the spot-on seasoning made the crunchy nuggets hard to put down. O.K., maybe those ingredients are so popular for a reason.” –Alice Levitt, Houstonia

The bar

Crispy quail and hot cakes

Upscale Vietnamese cuisine commands a refined and stylish scene suited for River Oaks, courtesy of a restaurant with roots in an original Le Colonial in New York in the 1990s. 

Website: lecolonialhouston.com

Address: 4444 Westheimer Rd. 

Phone number: 713-629-4444

Number of seats: 146

Entrée price range: $15-$40

Popular dishes: Bo luc lac with caramelized filet mignon on a bed of warm salad with tomato, red onion and wine vinaigrette; Ca Chien Saigon: whole red snapper crisp with light, spicy garlic glaze; Cari Tom: Texas gulf shrimp with bamboo shoots, snap peas and zucchini in a fragrant green curry sauce.

What others say: “[Approachable prices], combined with its lively bar area and patio dining with prime views of the River Oaks District, means Le Colonial can potentially trailblaze a niche of Vietnamese fine dining in Houston.” –Thomas Nguyen, Houston Press

Bo luc lac

Ca Chien Saigon

The breezy, beachy atmosphere of the French Riviera suffuses this home for traditional and imaginatively tweaked food by chef Sidney Degaine. 

Website: cafeazurhouston.com

Address: 4315 Montrose Blvd.

Phone number: 713-524-0070

Number of seats: 130

Entrée price range: $29-$44

Popular dishes: Perfect egg “45 min/65 degrees C” with potato foam and beech mushrooms; truffle linguine with French truffle and perfect egg; ox cheek fettuccine with daube style sauce; duck leg confit with creamy polenta, turnips and beets; tenderloin Rossini with foie gras, mashed potatoes and truffle sauce.

What others say: “Café Azur is decorated to suggest coastal dining with its white walls and tablecloths accented by pops of turquoise and yellow; the patios are lush with greenery.” –Greg Morago, Houston Chronicle

The bar

Perfect egg