From the team behind modern Israeli restaurant and OpenTable Icon Hamsa comes one of Houston’s hottest new restaurants: Októ. While Hamsa focuses on Israeli food, Októ takes a more expansive approach to Mediterranean cooking, pulling inspiration not just from Israel but from Morocco, Greece, Tunisia, and a host of other countries in the region, too. And just like at Hamsa, Októ in Houston—from James Beard Award semifinalist restaurant group Sof Hospitality—will also have DJ nights and buzzy vibes.
Chef Yotam Dolev is a Tastemaker Awards rising star nominee, and he put together a menu where Moroccan bread frena is just as at home as Greek salad or Levantine spirit arak. “We’re not afraid to take traditional flavors, play with them, and make them our own,” says Dolev, who previously ran the kitchen at Hamsa.
Read on for everything you should look forward to at Októ, and make a booking on OpenTable.
What to eat
Októ’s seasonal menu, which usually has a mix of 16 to 18 dishes, is all about sharing, and Dolev recommends getting a mix of small and large plates for the table.
“We have a saying in Israel to ‘open the table,’ and we encourage everyone to share and try as much as they can,” he says.
Start with frena, a traditional Moroccan bread that takes two days to prepare. Baked on river stones, it’s crispy on the outside with a pillowy-soft interior. Pair it with the Greek salad studded with pistachios and whipped feta.
You’ll especially like the menu if you’re big on seafood. The squid ink linguine, with crab, a sambal-infused sauce, and fresh breadcrumbs, is one of the standouts, as is the tiger shrimp that sits in a pool of butter made fragrant with the Levantine anise spirit, arak.
What to drink
Októ’s mix of refreshing cocktails and wines match the punchy dishes on the food menu. Go for the G&T, which has shishito pepper-infused gin, the espresso martini with cold brew and a tequila- and coffee-infused liqueur, or the olive oil martini that nods to the restaurant’s Mediterranean theme.
Start your evening with one of those drinks at the restaurant’s sleek marble horseshoe bar, which is especially lively on weekends thanks to a DJ booth near the bar.
Where to sit
That bar is a great place to post up if you’re dining solo or on a romantic night out. But beyond it is a spacious dining room with plush chairs and intimate booths—and no matter where you sit, you’ll have a clear view of the kitchen. On cooler days, the plant-filled patio is the place to be for some people-watching.
No matter what, though, Októ, is all about lingering later into the night. “If you’re still here and having fun at midnight, that’s what we want,” Dolev says.
When to go
Októ is open Tuesday through Thursday from 4 pm to 10 pm and Friday and Saturday until 11 pm. Book early if you’re looking for primetime seats between 6:30 pm and 8:30 pm, and check out the happy hour that runs Tuesday through Thursday from 4 pm to 6 pm with snacks like octopus skewers, $10 glasses of wine, and $12 cocktails.
Lauren McDowell is a Houston-area native and freelance food and lifestyle writer with an M.A. in Food Studies from New York University. She contributes to publications including Chron and Houstonia.
