At Houston’s Downtown Aquarium restaurant, you can dine and drink underwater -- no scuba gear required.
Built from the shell of an abandoned downtown fire station, the Downtown Aquarium’s restaurant complex consists of the 400-seat Aquarium Restaurant and The Dive bar and lounge on the second level, banquet facilities on the third floor and a 15,000-square-foot aquarium on the ground level. A 50-ft tall cylindrical fish tank — the world’s tallest fish tank — extends the full height of the building to the third level, according to Kirksey Architecture, the firm that designed the complex.
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In the Houston Aquarium restaurant itself, enjoy an intimate dining experience unlike any other. The dining room is nestled inside a 150,000-gallon, floor-to-ceiling aquarium, ensuring every table has a stellar view into the underwater world. The aquarium is home to over 100 aquatic species as you dine, marvel at the creatures swimming by you. Keep an eye out for reticulated rays, moray eels, giant groupers, shovel-nosed guitarfish and a very rare napoleon wrasse from Australia.
The restaurant offers a varied selection including seafood specialties, steak, chicken, salad, pasta dishes and desserts.
Located on the third floor of the Downtown Aquarium, the Nautilus Ballroom offers ample space for a socially-distanced meeting or small get-together.
Need to come up for air after your underwater excursion? You can rest assured knowing both the restaurant and the banquet facilities feature outdoor terraces repping downtown views.
The aquarium restaurant in Houston is one of several such underwater adventure restaurants -- others are located in Kemah, TX, Nashville, TN and Denver, CO.
Houston’s Downtown Aquarium is located at 410 Bagby St. It operates 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Amid the pandemic, the restaurant is operating at a limited seating capacity to ensure social distancing amongst its guests.
For additional information, visit aquariumrestaurants.com.
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