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These stylish restaurants and bars will help you channel your inner Barbie.
Pixel Studio Productions

Pretend You’re in Barbie Land at These 13 Houston Restaurants and Bars

Find flirty drinks, chic decor, and woman-owned bars that exude Barbie Land

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These stylish restaurants and bars will help you channel your inner Barbie.
| Pixel Studio Productions

Following its release in July, the new Barbie film, produced by Greta Gerwig, took the world by storm, depicting the Mattel doll’s transition from a simple play toy to a real-world figure battling feminist issues. The film quickly became the highest-grossing film of the year, and although the story is clearly fictional, moviegoers, Barbie fans, and various restaurants and bars found ways to make Barbie’s essence and overall aesthetic come alive. There were fashionable bright pink outfits, Barbie-themed parties, and in the restaurant world, pink dishes, drinks, and events all created in the spirit of the iconic doll.

But the essence of Barbie, which is now streaming, goes far beyond pink. In many ways, it’s a vibe — one that can exude confidence, femininity, playfulness, and power all at once, and several restaurants and bars in the city have tapped into this feeling as a way to appease and entertain diners. Whether looking to relive some of the utopia seen in the film or aiming to channel some of that Barbie boss energy, here are 13 restaurants and bars that will make you feel like you’re in the best part of Barbie Land.

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The Audrey Restaurant & Bar

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Channeling old Hollywood and iconic actress Audrey Hepburn, this Market Square restaurant in The Woodlands is a glamorous spot to sip a cocktail and enjoy a meal before dipping into the connected theater, the luxurious Reel Cinemas, to watch a movie. The theater is equipped with separate viewing pods for privacy, heated reclining seats, blankets, and a full food and drink menu to order from, ensuring the highest level of comfort through the movie-watching experience. Be sure to check out the luxe restrooms — each stall features a portrait of a famous actor or actress.

The Audrey restaurant dining room, with floral-printed chairs, a gold-accented bar, and booths with velvet-like material.
The Audrey Restaurant & Bar and the neighboring Reel Luxury Cinemas offers a dreamy dinner and movie experience.
Andrew Hemingway

Sunday Press

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Outfitted with plush plum-colored seating and clean, modern decor, this woman-owned Garden Oaks/Oak Forest coffee shop is an adorable place to stop in for a coffee break or a business meeting. Find cold-pressed juices; coffee drinks, including its standout honey sea salt latte; acai bowls; sandwiches; salads; and more. Inspired and looking to switch up your aesthetic? Find a curated corner of home goods and clothing items, hand-picked by the owners.

Sunday Press’s coffee shop with plus areas, large windows, and a corner shop filled with home goods.
Whether stopping in for a bite to eat or a business meeting, woman-owned coffee shop Sunday Press is easily a go-to spot.
Divya Pande

Incanto

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Bring your favorite pals to this transformed Heights bungalow. The cocktail lounge, which is dripping in bright colors and floral decorations, pours up eye-catching drinks like the vodka-based Pink Flamingo, which is presented in playful glassware for single bargoers or for parties of six to eight guests to share. Share small plates like oysters, pizza, and tuna tartar before digging into dessert. The Berry Cute cheesecake concoction, a blend of white chocolate and tangy raspberries, is a true treat.

A cocktail served in a glimmering disco-style cup, topped with hibiscus and mint.
Incanto’s showy cocktails exude Barbie.
Pixel Studio Productins

IKTO - I Know The Owner

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With a name that exudes confidence, this hip bar in the Heights offers whimsical floral decor and motivational mantras in bright neon lights like “U is kind. U is smart. U is important. Don’t text your ex.” Though the restaurant serves Latin-inspired fare like empanadas and tamales, the cocktails are truly the star of the show. Cheers with your day ones with a She a Baddie cocktail, a blend of Cachaca Leblon, rum, pink guava, lime juice, and condensed milk, or the High Maintenance, a combination of tequila, vodka, champagne, lychee, cucumber, and lime. Feeling more Ken than Barbie? Try the rum-based Beachy, made with coconut cream and pineapple juice.

La La Land

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For a much-needed dose of kindness and positivity, head to this coffee shop utopia. You might just feel like Barbie when the energetic baristas greet you upon arrival with a compliment. Bask in it, and then order one of La La’s colorful, Instagrammable coffee drinks like the bright iced butterfly matcha latte, made with blue butterfly pea flower, matcha, and milk, and consider one of its breakfast toasts or overnight oats if you’ve worked up an appetite.

La La Land Kind Cafe’s Purple Rain Matcha iced drink, with a coffee sleeve with the message “just love each other.”
Find kindness, compliments, and coffee at La La Kind Cafe.
La La Land Kind Cafe

Adorned in flowers year-round, this James Beard Award-winning bar beams girl power, with award-winning mixologist Alba Huerta at the helm, and all-female bar staff that whips up drinks for every taste, including a classic Mint Julep, or bartender Adriana’s Honey Melo Sour, made with honeydew-infused pisco, lemon, and lime.

A hand holds a cocktail garnished with mint leaves in front of the Julep sign, which is framed in flowers and greenery.
Enjoy cocktails and plenty of girl power energy at Julep.
Emily Jaschke

Bloom & Bee

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This enchanting Post Oak Houston Hotel restaurant could be a Barbie’s dreamhouse, with plush pink chairs and a ceiling filled with illuminated blown glass flowers. Sunday brunch, hosted from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $65 per person, is a festive display, with a buffet of seafood, sushi, salad, charcuterie, and cheeses, plus your choice of an entree like the Nutella-stuffed buttermilk French toast or smoked shrimp and grits. End with the chef’s Bee Box, an assortment of French pastries.

Though Barbie’s essence goes far beyond pink, Ostia’s dining area, framed by a pale pink wall, is a highly Instagrammable place to eat. Make it a date or group outing with the family-style dining option, which allows you to try the best parts of Ostia’s Italian offerings, including an appetizer, pasta, entree, sides, and dessert.

Ostia’s dining area with tables, chairs, laterns, and a pink wall.
Ostia offers Italian cuisine with a picturesque patio and garden room.
Jenn Duncan

The Chelsea

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This Montrose Collective beauty pays attention to detail, with attentive service, intricate place settings (check the turquoise napkins), and plenty of dishes to share. Treat yourself to champagne and oysters before graduating to a cocktail like the Sea Goddess, made with Townes vodka, lychee, and vanilla, and a frothy ube-ginger foam. Then, dig into plates like the lobster burrata, made with butter-poached lobster and pickled peaches, and the charred Spanish octopus served with salted sweet potato, salsa matcha, and a cashew miso yogurt.

Citizens Of Montrose

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Australian actress Margot Robbie, who played stereotypical Barbie in the Barbie film, might actually delight in this Montrose cafe. A New York import that’s styled after the ubiquitous all-day cafes in Australia, this coffee and brunch spot offers a chic place to drink and dine, with smashing avocado toasts and coffee drinks, plus a variety of brekkie sandwiches, platters and bowls, and, notably, 99-cent martinis from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

A rendering of Citizens of Montrose cafe, with u-shaped booths, a coffee bar area, and Queen Elizabeth wallpaper.
The pristine and Instagrammable decor and drinks, this Australian-style cafe Citizens of Montrose could be a Barbie’s dream.
Citizens

Little Hen

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Take a morning or afternoon to stop and smell the roses at this picture-perfect brunch restaurant and tea room. Decorated in flowers both indoors and on its charming outdoor patio, Little Hen offers a variety of breakfast and brunch favorites, including eggs Benedict dishes, pastries, and classics, like buttermilk pancakes, waffles, and French toast. Make it a tea party with the afternoon tea option, which, for $35 per person comes with a variety of scones, mini sandwiches, and macarons, with an added fee for a glass of prosecco or champagne. Be sure to make a reservation online before going.

Both locations of this coffee and cocktail bar and dispensary feel like a getaway with greenery and decor inspired by the owners’ travels around the world to places like Bali and Tulum. Let loose with its festive drinks, like the very tropical, whiskey-based Mango Rye Tie, mixed with dry curacao, coffee liqueur, falernum, mango, lime, and orgeat. Pucker up with the Pink Loco elixir, a sweet and sour mix of coconut, lemon, lime, and hibiscus that can be infused with your favorite alcohol or a hemp-based CBD or THC. Or, settle in for one of its coffee drinks, which can also be infused with your favorite vice.

Wild’s frozen Jungle Juice topped with an orange slice, mint leaves, and a slice of dragonfruit.
Get adventurous with the many infuse-able coffees and elixirs at Wild.
Wild

Le Jardinier

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Nestled inside the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Le Jardinier offers dishes just as beautiful as the restaurant itself. Adhering to its name, which means “the gardener” in French, the restaurant sends out intricately plated dishes, often ornate with floral petals, with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Start with the burrata, which is plated with cherry tomatoes, stone fruits, pistachio gremolata, and bee pollen, before moving on to an entree like the tender spiced duck au jus, served with berries and turnips. End with the Barbie pink strawberry mousse, made with creme de citron and mint gelee — one of Le Jardinier’s best desserts yet.

Strawberry mousse, plated with chopped strawberries and topped with a biscuit with strawberries and microgreens.
Le Jardinier’s presentation alone is worth the visit.
Tiffani Ann Gkaris

The Audrey Restaurant & Bar

Channeling old Hollywood and iconic actress Audrey Hepburn, this Market Square restaurant in The Woodlands is a glamorous spot to sip a cocktail and enjoy a meal before dipping into the connected theater, the luxurious Reel Cinemas, to watch a movie. The theater is equipped with separate viewing pods for privacy, heated reclining seats, blankets, and a full food and drink menu to order from, ensuring the highest level of comfort through the movie-watching experience. Be sure to check out the luxe restrooms — each stall features a portrait of a famous actor or actress.

The Audrey restaurant dining room, with floral-printed chairs, a gold-accented bar, and booths with velvet-like material.
The Audrey Restaurant & Bar and the neighboring Reel Luxury Cinemas offers a dreamy dinner and movie experience.
Andrew Hemingway

Sunday Press

Outfitted with plush plum-colored seating and clean, modern decor, this woman-owned Garden Oaks/Oak Forest coffee shop is an adorable place to stop in for a coffee break or a business meeting. Find cold-pressed juices; coffee drinks, including its standout honey sea salt latte; acai bowls; sandwiches; salads; and more. Inspired and looking to switch up your aesthetic? Find a curated corner of home goods and clothing items, hand-picked by the owners.

Sunday Press’s coffee shop with plus areas, large windows, and a corner shop filled with home goods.
Whether stopping in for a bite to eat or a business meeting, woman-owned coffee shop Sunday Press is easily a go-to spot.
Divya Pande

Incanto

Bring your favorite pals to this transformed Heights bungalow. The cocktail lounge, which is dripping in bright colors and floral decorations, pours up eye-catching drinks like the vodka-based Pink Flamingo, which is presented in playful glassware for single bargoers or for parties of six to eight guests to share. Share small plates like oysters, pizza, and tuna tartar before digging into dessert. The Berry Cute cheesecake concoction, a blend of white chocolate and tangy raspberries, is a true treat.

A cocktail served in a glimmering disco-style cup, topped with hibiscus and mint.
Incanto’s showy cocktails exude Barbie.
Pixel Studio Productins

IKTO - I Know The Owner

With a name that exudes confidence, this hip bar in the Heights offers whimsical floral decor and motivational mantras in bright neon lights like “U is kind. U is smart. U is important. Don’t text your ex.” Though the restaurant serves Latin-inspired fare like empanadas and tamales, the cocktails are truly the star of the show. Cheers with your day ones with a She a Baddie cocktail, a blend of Cachaca Leblon, rum, pink guava, lime juice, and condensed milk, or the High Maintenance, a combination of tequila, vodka, champagne, lychee, cucumber, and lime. Feeling more Ken than Barbie? Try the rum-based Beachy, made with coconut cream and pineapple juice.

La La Land

For a much-needed dose of kindness and positivity, head to this coffee shop utopia. You might just feel like Barbie when the energetic baristas greet you upon arrival with a compliment. Bask in it, and then order one of La La’s colorful, Instagrammable coffee drinks like the bright iced butterfly matcha latte, made with blue butterfly pea flower, matcha, and milk, and consider one of its breakfast toasts or overnight oats if you’ve worked up an appetite.

La La Land Kind Cafe’s Purple Rain Matcha iced drink, with a coffee sleeve with the message “just love each other.”
Find kindness, compliments, and coffee at La La Kind Cafe.
La La Land Kind Cafe

Julep

Adorned in flowers year-round, this James Beard Award-winning bar beams girl power, with award-winning mixologist Alba Huerta at the helm, and all-female bar staff that whips up drinks for every taste, including a classic Mint Julep, or bartender Adriana’s Honey Melo Sour, made with honeydew-infused pisco, lemon, and lime.

A hand holds a cocktail garnished with mint leaves in front of the Julep sign, which is framed in flowers and greenery.
Enjoy cocktails and plenty of girl power energy at Julep.
Emily Jaschke

Bloom & Bee

This enchanting Post Oak Houston Hotel restaurant could be a Barbie’s dreamhouse, with plush pink chairs and a ceiling filled with illuminated blown glass flowers. Sunday brunch, hosted from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. for $65 per person, is a festive display, with a buffet of seafood, sushi, salad, charcuterie, and cheeses, plus your choice of an entree like the Nutella-stuffed buttermilk French toast or smoked shrimp and grits. End with the chef’s Bee Box, an assortment of French pastries.

Ostia

Though Barbie’s essence goes far beyond pink, Ostia’s dining area, framed by a pale pink wall, is a highly Instagrammable place to eat. Make it a date or group outing with the family-style dining option, which allows you to try the best parts of Ostia’s Italian offerings, including an appetizer, pasta, entree, sides, and dessert.

Ostia’s dining area with tables, chairs, laterns, and a pink wall.
Ostia offers Italian cuisine with a picturesque patio and garden room.
Jenn Duncan

The Chelsea

This Montrose Collective beauty pays attention to detail, with attentive service, intricate place settings (check the turquoise napkins), and plenty of dishes to share. Treat yourself to champagne and oysters before graduating to a cocktail like the Sea Goddess, made with Townes vodka, lychee, and vanilla, and a frothy ube-ginger foam. Then, dig into plates like the lobster burrata, made with butter-poached lobster and pickled peaches, and the charred Spanish octopus served with salted sweet potato, salsa matcha, and a cashew miso yogurt.

Citizens Of Montrose

Australian actress Margot Robbie, who played stereotypical Barbie in the Barbie film, might actually delight in this Montrose cafe. A New York import that’s styled after the ubiquitous all-day cafes in Australia, this coffee and brunch spot offers a chic place to drink and dine, with smashing avocado toasts and coffee drinks, plus a variety of brekkie sandwiches, platters and bowls, and, notably, 99-cent martinis from 3 p.m. to 6 p.m. on weekdays.

A rendering of Citizens of Montrose cafe, with u-shaped booths, a coffee bar area, and Queen Elizabeth wallpaper.
The pristine and Instagrammable decor and drinks, this Australian-style cafe Citizens of Montrose could be a Barbie’s dream.
Citizens

Little Hen

Take a morning or afternoon to stop and smell the roses at this picture-perfect brunch restaurant and tea room. Decorated in flowers both indoors and on its charming outdoor patio, Little Hen offers a variety of breakfast and brunch favorites, including eggs Benedict dishes, pastries, and classics, like buttermilk pancakes, waffles, and French toast. Make it a tea party with the afternoon tea option, which, for $35 per person comes with a variety of scones, mini sandwiches, and macarons, with an added fee for a glass of prosecco or champagne. Be sure to make a reservation online before going.

Wild

Both locations of this coffee and cocktail bar and dispensary feel like a getaway with greenery and decor inspired by the owners’ travels around the world to places like Bali and Tulum. Let loose with its festive drinks, like the very tropical, whiskey-based Mango Rye Tie, mixed with dry curacao, coffee liqueur, falernum, mango, lime, and orgeat. Pucker up with the Pink Loco elixir, a sweet and sour mix of coconut, lemon, lime, and hibiscus that can be infused with your favorite alcohol or a hemp-based CBD or THC. Or, settle in for one of its coffee drinks, which can also be infused with your favorite vice.

Wild’s frozen Jungle Juice topped with an orange slice, mint leaves, and a slice of dragonfruit.
Get adventurous with the many infuse-able coffees and elixirs at Wild.
Wild

Le Jardinier

Nestled inside the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston, Le Jardinier offers dishes just as beautiful as the restaurant itself. Adhering to its name, which means “the gardener” in French, the restaurant sends out intricately plated dishes, often ornate with floral petals, with an emphasis on seasonal ingredients. Start with the burrata, which is plated with cherry tomatoes, stone fruits, pistachio gremolata, and bee pollen, before moving on to an entree like the tender spiced duck au jus, served with berries and turnips. End with the Barbie pink strawberry mousse, made with creme de citron and mint gelee — one of Le Jardinier’s best desserts yet.

Strawberry mousse, plated with chopped strawberries and topped with a biscuit with strawberries and microgreens.
Le Jardinier’s presentation alone is worth the visit.
Tiffani Ann Gkaris

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