Henke & Pillot

This place was classy, loved the décor, the music was pretty good, the service at the bar was friendly. However, if you’re a man, or have any men with you, don’t come here unless you’re prepared to fork over all your cash to the bouncer.

It’s only ok. Little too pretentious for me.

Shady place. I save my receipts after a night out, and they consistently add more to their tips than what you write.

Dope spot. It goes down besides the bald bartender and his math skills. Witnessed my friend in the following situation:
11:30 PM 3 whiskey and soda $ 18.
12:30 AM 2 whiskey and soda $ 20.
When questioned about how much a drink is he took the drinks away… cruel and unusual punishment!
It was like taking candy away from a kid.
Way to take advantage of drunk people bro!

I can here for the Kamayan with Yana Galbuena and it was a lot of fun! Deep Eddy had customized Dilipino drinks like the Manila Mule using calamansi, a Filipino citrus fave.

Its not that big but its fun. The music is loud and amazing. One of the best lounge in Houston

Good ambience, nice music, tasty drinks. We went on a Saturday night and it wasn’t too hard to get in. Valet parking out in front. Worth visiting!

I love this place, I’ll tell you why. If you don’t like obnoxious 20 year olds who get sloppy and think they can handle themselves; this is the place for you. This place has people in their late 20s to 30s. It’s classy and fun. They serve their drinks in actual and proper glass wear, which is a plus in my book. They have bottle service and somewhat limited seating space, but you’re there to socialize and dance your pants off so no need to sit really. If you get there before 11 tho it will be dead but soon after 11 passes the place gets crowded quick. I think their pricing is reasonable and plus there is a parking garage walking distance; not that you should be drinking and driving but if you happen to drive you can always park close!

Went here after a block party late on Friday night & was pleasantly surprised. It’s a great large open space where the seating is limited against the back wall & at the bar. It’s not a lounge & it’s a place to go shake your derrière & just let loss.
The crowd is full of profesionnals in their 30’s that can handle having a drink & not lose their minds. The bar is stunning & was staffed with 6−7bartenders. Service was prompt but I was expecting a little flare & was let down a little.
The DJ met up for it though. He played every song that I loved, when hip hop was at it’s prime in the 90’s.
I had a blast with a great group of people!

If you go, go for happy hour in the middle of the week to actual experience what HP has to offer. They have a decent happy hour for a swanky bar but are beat by prices by just about any other bar in the area. You definitely pay that extra dollar or two for the environment.
However, at night this place becomes HORRIBLE. Main street is known for having bars you can just chill at and grab a drink while being able to talk to someone. HP is the crap of midtown brought to downtown. A line forms very early for the only club in the main street area. Table reservations don’t mean anything, you better know the bouncer because they will let everyone they know and their moms in before you. Plenty of times they «check the list» and say hold on we’re at capacity of some BS while they let 20 people who just rolled up right in front of you. And as this is the douchiness of upscale relocated, you better wear dress shoes, dress pants, dress shirts for guys or dresses and heels for girls because they will turn you away with the quickness. If you’re going to get dressed up, why are you going here? Go to the other clubs where all your brethren are and stop douching up main street.
If you’re lucky to get in by the bouncer who thinks you should be grateful, you’ll notice this place is packed and the bar is another fun line to wait in. I get that this is the scene for some people and maybe I’m just over it, but it’s the type of scene where people go to the bathroom sniff sniff to enjoy their night.

This is a swanky place. Wanna impress your out of town guests or need to live it up for a night? Ladies, put on your hottest, tightest dress and tallest stilettos and come on out to impress yourself and maybe a few other souls. Guys, you keep looking hot in your fitted suits and tight dress shirts. Dang. It’s getting hot already.
If you have a party and have bottle service, you are all set. The staff will refill your mixers and keep the table tidy and well stocked. The music is pretty sweet and after a few Grey Gooses, you’ll wanna dance til closing time.
Nice place, Comfy sofas. Beautiful people.

It was just weird on a Saturday night. HP hadn’t been opened for Very long, and you could tell. We showed up early around, for a birthday party. Plenty of space and dance area. It definitely got more packed after 11.
I still can’t confirm exactly if/​when food is served. We saw some people with food, so asked a bartender for a menu. We got and it decided. We we went to order with another bartender, he said they weren’t serving food. So idk if they do, when they do? Confusing. Then I ordered a signature craft cocktail, the Refresher I believe. It tasted different all 3x. I don’t think the staff knew the ingredients. Definitely inconsistent. The crowd was older that night. And the little busser guys will basically run you over to get through the crowd with their buckets. This guy was pretty much shoving his bucket full of drinks/​glasses into my back, to push me through the crowd, so he could get through.
We left around 1, and there was a huge line. I wish I could have told them all its not worth it.

Yep. It was a packed Saturday night. They could have cranked up the air. I was sweating like crazy and I wasn’t even dancing or moving. Horrible service; or rather no service. I couldn’t even get to the bar for a drink. The promoters did a great job marketing the place in Market Square.
There were really pretty people to look at, but this place reminds me of when Belvedere at Uptown Park was first opened. Even the layout was very similar: one big long bar, an outside patio and Vegas-​style up lights. My friend had a great time, but I wouldn’t come here if I were having a get together with my friends. Many other places to go to, and there’s an Asian door guy that told me I had to wait 20 minutes even though my friend had a RESERVED Table Reservation. I was turned off by the «mobs of people» outside waiting to get into this bar. Was JJ Watt inside or something? I can hang out VIP at the Marmont or Mr. Chow in Beverly Hills but I can’t get into Henke & Pillot Houston?
I was honestly bored to tears, and when I finally was able to get a drink at the bar after being pushed around in the crowd of people, it was $ 12 for a vodka & tonic. What? Are you serious? No, thanks. Thirty minutes into the place, and I was ready to go home.
Predicament: If you want to go to a crowded, «trendy,» gastropub full of 20-​somethings with overpriced drinks and poor service, snotty bartenders and bad service, this is your place. I’ll take my money elsewhere.

Henke is my go to spot for happy hour downtown. Phenomenal deals from 4 to 7pm. I particularly enjoy the Truffle Mushroom flatbread and the Old Fashioned (exquisitely prepared by Afton, your usual happy hour barkeep). It’s not overly busy during happy hour, and you’ll get to enjoy the ambiance and the eclectic music selection — the place is obviously still finding its soul regarding music, so it’s always an auditory adventure to sit here for any length of time — if you’re a scotch head you’ll appreciate their selection (I always love a place that has Talisker, one of the most underrated scotches ever, if you often go for Mcallen or Glenlivet, do give it a fair try, I suspect you’ll love it)
Fridays and Saturdays are a different story. Did I enjoy myself? Yes, but I got here early and unlike some of the previous reviewers I have reasonable expectations of how busy the newest addition to the downtown bar scene will be. Will there be a line? Eventually. Will you love it once you get in? Depends how aggravated you are from waiting. This isn’t a sports bar so please put your cosmopolitan pants on and deal with it. Good vibes from a dressed up, mature crowd and enough bartenders behind the bar ready and able for the busiest of nights.
With its cocktails, décor and expert service behind the bar Henke and Pillot feels like the the emerging Houston and I for one welcome it

Waiting in line to get into a club is pretty stupid in HOUSTON.
I arrived for a birthday party that was already reserved with bottle service around 10:30 PM. There was a HUGE crowd at the door. Not a line, but an actual mob of people. I took one look and almost went home. The friend I was with assured me it wouldn’t be an issue because we had an actual reservation. We were SO SO SO SO wrong.
We ended up waiting in the middle of this mob for a good 20 minutes and never actually got the full story of why we couldn’t go inside to our RESERVED area. Part of our group was inside already and the other half was waiting in the street. The rest party ended up leaving for a good 30 minutes then headed back where we waited another 5 to get inside. It wasn’t even packed once we got in and I was really curious as to what the BFD was about this place. The inside was ok, not amazing. Tons of rude/​annoying drunk people and the music was MEH. I am pretty sure this is where all the douchery of Houston gathers on a Saturday night. I had one drink, and yes it was strong but disgusting. The person I was with paid oh the higher end of $ 30ish bucks for 3 drinks.
Save yourself the parking money, blisters on your feet and try a place that is a lot more classy and less of a pain in the ass to get into. This is HOUSTON, not NYC!

Henke & Pillot is a new addition in Downtown Houston, established about 1.5 months ago I believe.
My friends and I decided to check this place out after dinner, arriving around 10 PM. We were the second group there, so I saw different patrons gradually entering the new spot.
Attire: Ladies and Gentlemen, dress up. Think of your favorite upscale restaurant and go out in that attire. No Affliction. No ‘I can see your @$$ cheeks’. Something classy yet sexy. Ya feel?!?
Parking: They offer valet for $ 10. There is a $ 5 garage located on the other corner. Otherwise, good luck street parking.
Place: As soon as you enter, you see a full bar on the left with a decent amount of stools. There are about 6 couches spread out on the first floor. Restrooms are located right next to the DJ booth. Dark, modern designs with chandeliers hanging down. Upscale lounge.
Music: To be honest, music wasn’t the greatest. Some songs could have been passed up, but it was fun listening to some throwbacks. It was a mix of everything.
Crowd: Age ranges from 25 – 45. Something like that sounds about right. You see some getting their groove on, and others staring at those people getting their groove on. Don’t be afraid to mingle and meet people, especially the crowded area right in front of the bar!
Drinks: I didn’t try their signature cocktails so don’t have anything about that. Gin & Tonic and wine are decent. If I remember correctly, one of my friends ordered 2 drinks with a total cost of $ 32.
My friend asked the manager about Henke & Pillot’s future plans. Supposedly, it will be a 3-​story bar with the third floor as a rooftop bar. (I will be coming back. Hopefully the rooftop view is gorgeous.) Henke & Pillot, love the fact that it is more on the fancy side compared to other establishments in the area.
By the way, they have HH from Tuesday’s to Friday’s 4 – 7. Everything on the HH is $ 5 each, but you can pick 3 for $ 13. Like what beats that?

Hottest new lounge in downtown Houston as of spring 2015. Come here to see the girls, see the style, see the cars… love the energy.
Small patio for the cigar connoisseurs. Small dance floor in the back for the free spirited. And anything goes along the beaming, stylish bar. Get lucky, stay lucky my friends.

Shortest Review I Will Probably Ever Post:
Pros:
–Sleek Interior
–Friendly Bar Staff
Cons:
–Cocktail Menu Hasn’t Been Released Yet
–Worst Martini of My Life
Fin.

Drinks were not that great and overly priced. Ordered 2 drinks and it was over $ 30.
Too fancy for downtown. I don’t think it fits in with all the other great bars that downtown has to offers.

Stopped by this swanky joint while barhopping in the area. It opened up a couple months ago so it’s still fairly new and an awesome addition to the growing downtown scene.
Walking in, you’re introduced to a huge open space with the bar lined with seating stools and a couple cozy couches against some walls. It has a modern yet vintage feel with all the wood/​brass and chandeliers hanging from the ceilings. One of the bartenders made us some custom drinks and he seemed very versed in his cocktail concoctions, they were hella tasty! So if you’re unsure about what you want to order, grab a bartender and let them know what you usually like to drink, they’ll take their time making you a custom drink to enjoy.
When it’s completed, it’ll be 3-​stories with a rooftop bar on the 3^rd floor. I’ll definitely be back to check out the finished product!