Today I went to eat lunch at The Grove, the classy new restaurant in Discovery Green Park. As are all of the buildings in the new park, it is eco-friendly. The building was constructed primarily from recycled materials and it has its own herb garden and compost pile. There are even solar panels on the roof and  they boast a stringent recycling policy.

The setting is unbeatable as far as Houston restaurants go, what other upscale restaurants are located in a park? Although almost all of the tables were full, it wasn’t noisy because of the high ceilings and spaciousness of the place. We loved the feel of the place and they did a great job designing the interior. It feels classy and upscale but is far from overly pretentious. One whole wall is all glass, offering a great view of the whole park. We were there in the heat of the day, but since there is a line of oak trees shading the side of the building, it wasn’t hot or overly sunny at all.

The food was really good though a little pricey, and the lunch menu isn’t any cheaper -it is simply a scaled down dinner menu. I got the salmon fillet and it was cooked perfectly and was a decent sized portion. Most main course items were at least 20 dollars though the sandwiches were around 15. If you’re not looking to spend this much money, I’d still recommend going for a starter or a drink. They have a full bar and a selection of martinis. There’s an outdoor patio under the oak trees where you could sip a martini and enjoy a warm summer night while people watching. Service was friendly and attentive. It’s a great restaurant in a great park and I think all Houstonians should visit the park to see that downtown Houston is moving in the right direction. It’s right next to the George R. Brown convention center and the impressive Hilton Hotel.

Park: www.discoverygreenpark.com

Restaurant: www.thegrovehouston.com  => reservations recommended