Lone Star Luxe: Where the Forks Meet Fortune

If your palate wears pearls and your wallet enjoys a good stretch, then saddle up for a culinary ride through Texas where the steaks are high (literally) and the ambiance is dipped in chandeliers. From foie gras PB&J in Houston to pasta so dramatic it deserves its own stage in Fort Worth, these exclusive dining destinations are where reservations are harder to score than oil rights in the Permian Basin. Whether you’re entertaining oil barons, wooing wine connoisseurs, or just tired of eating gold leaf on everything else, these five fine establishments will remind you: in Texas, even dinner is done big.

Katami (Houston)

In the glittering sprawl of Houston’s Upper Kirby district lies a temple of taste and texture called Katami. It’s the sort of place where menus are read like sonnets and each course feels curated by a Michelin-starred philosopher. Helmed by the culinary mind of chef Manabu Horiuchi, Katami doesn’t merely serve food—it offers edible couture.

Imagine this: you’re seated beneath subtle lighting that flatters everyone, even your most overworked oil tycoon friend, sipping on sake that could have been distilled by moonlight. The Kagoshima Wagyu arrives, marbled to perfection and whispering notes of decadence with every bite. Then comes the foie gras PB&J—a nostalgic nod to your lunchbox days, if your childhood happened in Versailles. For dessert? A glacially shaved kakigori, so ethereal and pristine it looks like it belongs in a luxury skincare ad.

Reservations at Katami are a game of patience, luck, and connections. Walk-ins are for mere mortals; regulars arrive in Bentleys. It’s where Houston’s elite go to prove that opulence can, in fact, be plated.

Le Margot (Fort Worth)

If Marie Antoinette ever rode a mechanical bull, she’d do it at Le Margot. This French-Texan hybrid is what happens when Paris and Fort Worth share a bottle of Burgundy and get along famously. Spearheaded by celebrity chef Felipe Armenta, Le Margot is less a restaurant and more a fantasy—a pastel dreamscape of pink crystal chandeliers, polished black-and-white tile, and food so refined it practically curtsies.

Start with the French onion soup, which has swapped out humble onions for portobellos and comes layered like a Chanel gown in rich, savory goodness. Follow it with the Cabernet-reduced salmon filet, buttery enough to whisper sweet nothings as it melts on your tongue. And don’t be surprised if your water glass never dips below full—service here is so seamless, it borders on psychic.

It’s a spot where oil execs clink glasses with visiting European fashionistas, and no one dares check the prices—they just nod solemnly and sign the bill. Le Margot isn’t just dining; it’s an experience that lives somewhere between haute cuisine and high society flirtation.

Vic & Anthony’s Steakhouse (Houston)

In a city known for its sky-high ambitions and equally tall slabs of beef, Vic & Anthony’s remains the reigning monarch of meat. Located conveniently near Minute Maid Park, this is where the Houston elite come to strike deals over dry-aged porterhouse and sip single malts that cost more than your first car.

The Tomahawk Ribeye, of course, is the crown jewel—arriving on the bone with all the swagger of a Texas oil baron. It’s cooked to a crimson perfection, served with a side of reverence, and often followed by cigars lit with gold-plated lighters. But it’s not all steak and swagger—the seafood tower is so imposing it should come with a harness, and the wine list is a novella of Bordeauxs, Barolos, and bottles better aged than your last three relationships.

Leather booths, low lighting, Sinatra crooning in the background—it’s not just a restaurant, it’s a stage where titans of industry perform the age-old ballet of bourbon, bravado, and beef. If you’re lucky, your server might even be discreet enough to pretend your Rolex isn’t five minutes fast.

Musaafer (Houston)

Step through the ornate doors of Musaafer and you’ll wonder if you’ve walked into a royal palace, a Bollywood set, or the secret headquarters of an Indian spice syndicate. This restaurant is a kaleidoscope of opulence—a love letter to India’s 29 states, each dish an ambassador of flavor dressed in haute couture.

Here, dining is storytelling. Your plate might arrive under a dome of swirling vapor, or atop a hand-painted tile that’s almost too pretty to eat off of. Expect modern interpretations of Indian classics that twist tradition in the most delicious of ways—think duck khurchan tacos, saffron-scented biryani that shimmers like gold dust, and desserts that deserve their own art gallery wall.

The space itself is a spectacle: mosaic floors, silk canopies, embroidered upholstery, and waitstaff who glide rather than walk. It’s a place where spice is sacred, drama is served family-style, and diners whisper to each other in awe as if inside a cathedral.

Musaafer isn’t just a restaurant—it’s an experience for the senses, a pilgrimage for the palate, and a reminder that sometimes, too much is just enough.

61 Osteria (Fort Worth)

If you’ve ever wished your pasta had a publicist, 61 Osteria is your place. A stone’s throw from Fort Worth’s cultural district, this upscale Italian spot is the kind of restaurant that doesn’t just serve meals—it hosts performances. And the star of the show? The Serpente—a sinuous, spiraling pasta presentation so dramatic it should come with its own standing ovation.

Chef Blaine Staniford brings Northern Italian flair to the Texas table, crafting dishes that taste like they were whispered into existence by a nonna and plated by a modern art curator. Fresh truffles are shaved tableside like confetti, and housemade focaccia arrives with the warm embrace of a five-star hug. The wine list reads like a passport through Tuscany, with just enough Texas blends to remind you where your boots are standing.

Décor-wise, it’s contemporary elegance: natural stone accents, warm wood finishes, and lighting soft enough to make everyone look like they just returned from vacation. It’s where deals are toasted, anniversaries are celebrated, and every meal ends in a heavenly haze of limoncello and blissful sighs.

61 Osteria proves that Italian food can be both heartwarming and high fashion. Don’t just come hungry—come worthy.