I tend to gripe about happy hours that end at 6 p.m. and/or are only one hour long. It’s such a small window that it’s hard to get there on time (especially if you work a day job). However, when there are deals to be had on luxurious treats, as is the case during Golden Hour at The Marigold Club, Goodnight Hospitality’s bar at 2531 Kuester (just off of Westheimer in Montrose), it’s well worth putting it in your calendar. 

Don’t be put off by the “It’s giving ‘doctor’s office’” entrance. The interior is incredibly elegant, like a posh Roaring ’20s lounge. (Officially, the decor is inspired by the Mayfair District of London.) There’s a dining room where the gold color of plush chairs meld seamlessly with muted sage green banquettes and drapes. I posted my photos online ahead of this article, and some lady friends raved about the Murano glass chandeliers with dark pink tulip-shaped shades. Colorful paintings by Pauline de Roussy de Sales, including on the columns, contribute Parisian café vibes. In the back resides a green-gray-swirled marble bar and comfortable cane-backed chairs with upholstered cushions. 

I was invited to see what Golden Hour was all about and decided to visit on a Sunday. (Golden Hour is daily from 5 to 6 p.m., and the menu is online.) The deals fall into four categories: snacks, caviar, martinis and bubbles. The kitchen is helmed by chef-partner Austin Waiter with input on food and drinks from Goodnight Hospitality’s chef/co-owner Felipe Riccio and co-owner/Master Sommelier June Rodil. Cody Vela is the wine director, Wyatt Smith is lead bartender and Savannah Olivarez is sommelier.

The pricing is egalitarian. If you’re a fancy-pants, you can choose this time to score incredible pricing on rare caviar and Champagne. If you’re looking for affordable deals, there are those, too. These include French fries with bearnaise aioli for $5, shrimp cocktail with lemon, chives and Maldon salt for $12, marinated olives for $5 and Ranch Saltines for only $2.50. (We’ll talk about Golden Hour drinks in a minute.) 

I used the opportunity to indulge both my fancy-pants side and my snack-y side. I ordered the French fries, a goodly heap of the shoestring type with not only bearnaise aioli but also perfect ketchup made in-house. It was deeply red, thick and balanced between tangy and naturally sweet. I was surprised that it didn’t come out of a bottle, and I’m not sure which sauce I enjoyed more. For something heartier, I also ordered the shrimp cocktail and can attest that these were big, firm specimens. 

However, half-off caviar still seemed too good to pass up. I love caviar, and I don’t need the best or most-rare to satisfy that craving, so I aimed for the least-expensive one: an ounce of Kaluga hybrid from Bulgaria for $62.50. The other choices are Platinum Osetra — the second-least expensive from Holland, which is $87.50 an ounce during Golden Hour — Royal Osetra from Moldova, beluga hybrid from Bulgaria and albino Osetra from Ukraine, which comes in at a hefty $200 an ounce (again, at half price). 

The Marigold Club provides a full setup for caviar. A large metal bowl full of crushed ice is presented, and nestled within the ice are small bowls. One holds crumbled hard-boiled egg yolk, another has chopped egg white, a medley of pickled onion and peppers in another and the last bowl holds green goddess aioli. Alongside, the traditional blini are eschewed in favor of tiny toasts. The presentation was such a complete affair that $62.50 felt like a bargain. I comfortably shared the spread with a companion without a shred of misgiving. 

During Houston’s cruel summers, you might be more in an oysters-on-the-half shell mood, and The Marigold Club can provide. During Golden Hour, a dozen is $24 and, sensibly, a half-dozen is half that price. They come with shallot mignonette, cocktail sauce, lemon and black pepper. Still want caviar? You can add a dollop for $3 an oyster. Should you wish to add Champagne, you can get a bottle of Delamotte Brut or Waris Hubert Brut Blanc de Noirs “Amorial” for $63 each. High-roller, or just want to look like one? Spring for a bottle of Krug Grand Cuvée for $260. There are several other bottles of bubbles in between those two price ranges.  

Martinis are always in style, but lately, they’ve been having more time in the spotlight than usual. Martini lists and specials on close relatives, such as the Martinez, Aviation and even the once-maligned Cosmopolitan, are abundant in bars and restaurants with quality cocktail programs. At The Marigold Club, martinis are literally the only featured cocktails on the menu during Golden Hour (although the bar can make you just about anything you want) and they are $10 each. My selection, The Marigold Martini, blends a trio of gins — Tanqueray 10, Hendricks and Sipsmith — with Dolin Dry, a French vermouth. I was concerned that some of the more oddball botanicals in the Hendricks might come to the forefront and taint the drink with cucumber-ish flavor, but The Marigold Martini was crisp and clean. Other $10 options are The Mayfair Martini with a trio of vodkas — Belvedere Smogory Forest, Reyka and Monopolowa and Carpano Dry as the vermouth, Le Chiffre, a riff on a Vesper (usually half gin and half vodka), the Cabaret Cosmo, a variant on the Cosmopolitan with Hendricks Grand Cabaret Gin (a limited edition flavored with stone fruit), Milagro tequila and Solerno Blood Orange Liqueur. Last but not least is espresso martini made a little more upscale than usual with 10-year El Dorado Rum, creme de cacao and oloroso sherry. 

The nibbles and sips were great, but my favorite part of my visit might have been the bartender. My companion and I were sitting at the bar and talking about the vast variety of flavor profiles in gin. I mentioned Citadel, a citrus-forward favorite, and the bartender informed us of a very rare barrel-aged version already out of production (and yes, available at The Marigold Club to try). That led to a discussion of another aged or “yellow gin” — Barr Hill Tom Cat Gin, which is made with honey. It’s because of bartenders who generously share their knowledge and broaden my world that I often prefer to sit at bars. 

The Marigold Club’s Golden Hour might not be for people who prefer their happy hours with a $5 boilermaker and a basket of cheese-filled fried jalapeños (I go for that myself sometimes), but for those who want to enjoy a pristine venue staffed with people who truly care about service and making their patrons feel special, it’s a must-visit in Montrose. If you can fit Golden Hour into your schedule, you’ll have an experience that makes you look not only good, but also smart. 

Phaedra Cook

Phaedra Cook has written about Houston’s restaurant and bar scene since 2010. She was a regular contributor to My Table magazine (now closed) and was the lead restaurant critic for the Houston Press for two years, eventually being promoted to food editor. Cook founded Houston Food Finder in November 2016 and has been its editor and publisher ever since.