Chrôma is set to be a widely anticipated offering from the Menil Collection. According to CultureMap, the new campus restaurant will be located in the former Bistro Menil space at 1512 Sul Ross, and is expected to open in early 2026. The Chrôma website, which is currently the new eatery’s Instagram page, writes that the new dining destination will open in winter 2026.
Both the outlet and Instagram do have this in common, though: veteran Houston chef and restaurateur Claire Smith will be at the helm of it all. Known for beloved H-town eateries, Shade, Canopy, and Alice Blue, the culinary entrepreneur is revving up to serve similar worldwide-inspired comfort food at the new Chrôma.
What Now Houston reached out to Smith to discuss the opening, but did not get to chat before the publishing of this article.
The Menil Collection is Houston’s globally recognized art museum, and Chrôma will live just a few steps from it. Serving up breakfast, lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch, Chrôma is set to entice the taste buds of Houstonians and visitors alike. At all of Smith’s eateries, local ingredients are the core of the menu, and it’s what has set the restaurateur apart. The new all-day cafe concept is expected to offer the same and have that same Houston feel.
Menu items include dishes like ratatouille with crispy polenta and Indian-spiced chicken and waffles with tamarind maple syrup and cilantro butter. Items from Smith’s former restaurants will also appear on the menu, such as Canopy’s crab remoulade and Alice Blue’s chicken flautas.
Try all of this and more from Chrôma when it opens at 1512 Sul Ross on the Menil Collection campus next year.
