Trevisio Restaurant

My husband was in the hospital for weeks at MD Anderson. One evening we sprung out in a wheelchair to Trevisio. He was dressed very casually, in a wheelchair, looking thin and pale. I was looking tired and had been in the same outfit since early morning. We took the elevator up to Trevisio and were greeted as if we were the most wonderfully dressed and important people in Houston. We asked for a table with a view, and it was exceptional. The service was good the food was great-we are both vegetarians- and the wine was perfect. Perhaps we were just in a space where we need a break, and a bit of pampering, but this was one of the most memorable and pleasant dining experiences in Houston. BTW when he returned to the hospital later that evening and told the nurse he had dined at Trevisio she wanted to call the attending physician with a concern that he was losing touch with reality. Another nurse who had talked to me earilier told her, no, he really did go to Trevisio :) more

I have dined at Trevisio more than 50 times over the several years it has been open. Under the previous managment the food was not particularly interesting. For the past year or so the management of Prego and Backstreet Cafe has been in charge and have brought some life to the menu. I have my favorites (the Risotto, Tricolore salad, prosciutto pizza and the lamb chops). All of the entres are good, but somehow they do not have the same ""pizzaz"" as dinners at either Prego or the Backstreet Cafe. A part of the reason may be the size of the restaurant. It was designed as a place where members of the various medical cneter institutions could get together. It is very busy for lunch, but is less busy at night and it is the lack of other diners at night that creates the sense one is dining alone in a large room. Perhaps some type of partitioning would eliminate this feeling. The size and lack of busyness also seems to contribute to spotty service. On my last visit it was not possible to get the waitress's attention for 10 min or more to order desert and subsequently to obtain the check. My wife and I have taken friends to the restaurant on at least two occasions on a weekend night. We were pleasantly surprised that there were a number of other people dining, more than we might have expected. Our friends, on both occasions, enjoyed the evening. They were particularly impressed with the water wall funded by the late John McGovern at the entrance to the building. Parking is handy (go up the entrance ramp and park on level 2) and free after 6 PM for employees who have parking cards at other TMC Institutions (note you have to arrive after 6PM so that your TMC parking card will open the gate at arrival and departure). This feature reduces the cost of every meal by $3-4. \r \r We would place this restaurant in the solid to above average category. A great addition to the medical center with a unique ambiance, but the food is not so special that we would rave about the experience. Pros: Good food, rarely unable to get a table, ease of parking Cons: Service can be spotty, restaurant has a large majestic feel but lacks intimacy more

We went on Valentine's Day 2007. I was expecting the restaurant has a full house. When I walked in, the place was 1/2 full. The hostess was very nice and pleasant. Service overall was very nice.... decor was nice.... BUT.. the most important thing for the night - the food, it was TERRIBLE!! My boyfriend's food was burnt, my fish had a very strong faul scent. Those crab claws on my plate was BLACK!!! I guess pollution in the sea is REAL! I wish I could post pictures I took during the dinner and share the horrifying experience!!! Never go back and pay for the food again. Maybe happy hour drinks.... Pros: Ambience, Great View, Easy Parking, Good Service Cons: Food more

I went here for their Valentine's Day Special. They had a specific three course menu you could order off of for $50/person. I had the duck tortellini, the beef tenderloin, and wonderful chocolate cake to finish it off. The place is inside a building in the Medical Center area. There was not that many people there...even for valentine's day!\r We ordered a $70 bottle of wine, and when I came home and looked it up on Spec's, it only cost $26!!! Talk about inflation!!\r \r The service was great. Beautiful view of the Medical Center. Their fountain is beautiful too. The jazz singer they had was awful though. This is a nice place for a special evening, but too expensive for everyday.\r more

We are long time visitors to Prego and Backstreet Cafe. We recently realized Trevisio (as is Hugo) was one of their restaurants and wanted to go. The restaurant is in the middle of the medical center in one of the medical buildings, on top of the water wall. The view was beautiful and reminded me of a place we ate in Prague. The service, however, was not good at all. It was a little shocking given the terrific attention given at Prego and Backstreet. The whole restaurant felt unorganized. There seemed to be one server for our entire area. We watched an army head out to other rooms - maybe a large party was elsewhere. We waited ages for our wine, reminded our server twice, and were eventually given free dessert to make up for it. I overheard our same server comp the drinks for a table near us. The food was OK and the menu good but comparable to Prego. The poor service just really messed up our entire mood for dinner - where you just sit there and watch everyone who walks by hoping they will come take care of you. The food just didn't make up for it - the veal was heavily breaded and everything on the plate was covered by the same sauce.\r \r In the end, I think I would organize a corporate dinner here. I imagine the place is really made for this - there was even a buffet being set up as we left. I will not go back as a couple, however. I will stick with Prego and their outstanding service and bartender. Pros: Ambiance (view), nice Italian Wine List Cons: Service, parking, locating the restaurant more

My wife and I dined at Trevisio for Valentine's Day. We had never been. The ambience is nice...not too dark, but definitely romantic, with a wonderful view of the Medical Center area. They featured a limited menu for Valentine's Day, and the dishes were excellent. The appetizers were almost enough to constitute a meal in and of themselves. The beef tenderloin main course was cooked exquisitely, a perfect medium rare (surprising given the thickness of the steak). And the dessert course was delicious. Service was, I thought, about perfect for a romantic evening. We were left alone until we needed something or a course was to be served, but when that happened, our server appeared promptly. I suppose those others writing reviews here that complained of the service might prefer a more attentive staff, but I prefer to enjoy my experience with my date only. Overall, an excellent experience. Pros: Romantic, Menu Cons: Pricey more

Lovely atmosphere, light, happy surroundings, central location and a talented chef provide the basis for an excellent restaurant. The Italian dishes are attractive and well prepared. Fish and seafood range from good to excellent. The wine list has improved and has something for everyone at reasonable prices. The 'Achilles' heel' continues to be the service: spotty at best, atrocious at worst. Waiters are unattentive and careless (watch for wine stains on your jackets) and the service, especially in the evenings, is tropical in it's pace. If Trevisio had a good manager, it could become an outstanding restaurant: as is, it will continue its rollercoaster of mediocrity with flashes of brilliance on a good day...... Pros: food, dining room, location Cons: service, service, service more

We had the place to ourselves. I had trouble deciding which was better- the food or the view. The salmon was excellent. Leave eraly to give yourself some extra time to locate it. Pros: view, food, service Cons: price, access more

GReat place for dinner. The service is sometimes ""iffy"", but earnest. The food was wonderful and it's a great value!!! more

Trevisio gets my vote for best restaurant for either a personal or business dinner: Great menu, excellent service, unique ambiance and acoustically conducive to meaningful conversation Pros: great food, attentive service, outdoor dining more

One of Houston's best kept secret. The restaurant offers a very romantic setting thru the dinning experience. Candle lights enhance ambience at night time and when sitting by the monumental view to the legacy of the Texas Medical Center. It develops a great sense of pride of being from Houston. Pros: Great Drinks, good presentation, affordable more

Trevisio's physical environment is hard to beat --- floor-to-ceiling windows with med center and downtown views; beautiful furnishings; intimate lighting; comfortable chairs; elegant table settings. The cuisine doesn't match the fabulous surroundings --- it is rather standard and predictable --- but Trevisio does offer solid preparations of Atlantic Salmon, filet mignon, and crabcakes. The ahi tuna was just average, though, and the wine list was uninspiring but reasonably priced. Wines by the glass are in short supply. Service is attentive, but overly formal and stuffy. Parking is convenient. Overall, we were a little disappointed by the menu, but we still enjoyed a lovely evening and leisurely dining experience. We'll likely return. Pros: Beautiful environs, Well-prepared cuisine, Attentive service Cons: Predictable menu more

This is the only upper-class dining experience I've ever had. in which I haven't grumbled upon receiving the check. Most ""special occasion"" mealgoers justify a snooty restaurant's lofty price for their mediocre food with an excuse about the reputation of the restaurant or the status of the people who shown their face there. Here in this little known haven, the crowd was tiny, and the atmosphere a little cold until nightfall, but THE FOOD ITSELF more than justified the price. The service was excellent as well. I made an anniversary reservation for a window seat weeks in advance, and the staff actually remembered the request and the occasion. The waitstaff is quite friendly also. Absolute bliss. more

As described, very beautiful interior! Food was great. Better appetizer dishes than main courses, though. Waterfall was off when we went there (not on Sunday). Price was more $$$ than $$. I'd recommend the lobster appetizer Pros: good parking, beautiful deco, innovative appetizer more

Trevisio is simply exquisite. If you're looking for the right ""date dinner"" spot...you've found it. My wife and I consider it our jewel find that we love sharing with our friends. Most unbelievable decor! Discriminating diners will find the choices to be plenty. Enjoy this place...share it with others! When people visit Houston, this is where they should DEFINITELY go!!! more

This new restaurant needs to be advertised and its dining room filled. The food is good, and there is cvlearly the potential to be better. The dining room is beautiful, but the ambience is cold because the place needs more people. A Happy Hour for a few months would attract crowds. The wait staff needs better training; they confuse dishes and customers and are forgetful Pros: architecture, parking, food Cons: not enough people, wait staff, hidden more

Have only been there once on New Year's Eve and was impressed. Very cache with a New York look. Service was excellent and the food was very good. Minor disappointment was the Fois Gras appetizer, it was canned vs. fresh so it was not what was expected. Good news was, the filet of beef was topped with fresh fois gras so it made up for the appetizer. more

The most beautiful restaurant I have seen. Everywhere you look is magnificent. Now about the food. Table shared appetizers and enjoyed them. Caponata is wonderful, as was the sashimi (Italian?), carpaccio and calamari cakes. Yes, calamari cakes and exceptional. Our waiter explained the special. Warm smoked duck. He asked how I wanted that cooked and I said MR. When the plate arrived, I hunted for the duck until I finally asked the waiter if the chef had forgotten it. After routing around a while I found four slivers of duck the size of a match stick. The waiter left and returned with the information from the chef that that was the duck. Needless to say that was the entertainment at the table for the rest of the lunch. Overall the experience was good. They have some work to do, but they are new and I will give them another try. Pros: beautiful dining room, great bar, calamari cakes Cons: service information more

This restaurant is simply spectacular. Food, service, wines and ambience put this at the top of my list. This place is way up there with the best of them. The Calamari Cakes are awesome, the Capellini as good as any I've had in Italy and the Bone in Beef Tendeloin satisfys the most serious meat lovers. PS..the design of this place is cool! Pros: Great design, Fantastic Food, Great Views more