The 18 Best Restaurants in Houston’s Rice Village

Houston’s Rice University is neighbor to some of the best tacos, frozen drinks, soup dumplings, and Mediterranean restaurants in the city

Considered one of the Ivy League universities of the South, Rice University is a prestigious institution that has attracted talented students and faculty from around the world. The highly walkable Rice Village neighborhood sees crowds daily, with more than a dozen blocks of boutiques, furniture stores, salons, restaurants, and coffee bars that offer ample people-watching opportunities. The area has noticeably drawn in some of the city’s best restaurants, including chef Aaron Bludorn’s heralded seafood restaurant Navy Blue; Maximo, one of the city’s newest taco joints; an offshoot of Tiny Boxwoods; a number of Mediterranean mainstays; and a Mexican snack bar serving frozen drinks and quirky junk food creations. Perfect morning pastries, quintessential sidewalk cafes, and tacos of all types await.

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