The Lymbar is the work of chef David Cordúa. Located at The Ion development at 4201 Main in Midtown, the Latin-Mediterranean restaurant is in part a tribute to grandmothers everywhere.
The Ion is a technology, community, and sustainability hub that anchors a 16-acre urban district. Now, the hub is the new home of The Lymbar, located in the building’s street-level “jewel box” suite. Designed by Gin Braverman of Houston-based Gin Design Group, the 120-seat restaurant encompasses over 4,000-square-feet of indoor and outdoor space.
“We wanted to capture the bustle of a hotel lobby, the polish of a private club and the hospitality of the Cordúa family in the design,” Braverman said to the Chronicle.
“Mixed with a confluence of Latin American, Lebanese and Mediterranean textures and art layered over a backdrop of classic mid-century materials such as warm woods, earthy colors and lush greenery.”
Formerly the executive chef and owner at Américas and Churrascos, David Cordúa partnered with his father, Michale Cordúa, for The Lymbar.
“If Churrascos and Américas were our family story in Central America, The Lymbar is our first opportunity to tell our family story in Houston,” David Cordúa said in a press release.
“We’re really excited to be a place where people meet, think, eat and drink in The Ion, and we look forward to being a part of the heartbeat of Houston’s new innovation district.”
The Lymbar is the first project from the father-son team, and features a bar-forward concept based on a “classic and vintage” craft cocktail program with barrel-aged spirits at its core.
Menu-wise, the restaurant incorporates Latin and Mediterranean flavors, as well as influences Cordúa gleaned from his roots in French cooking.
“The Lymbar is my grandmother’s house,” Cordúa told the Chronicle. “It’s a tribute to all grandmothers. Mine liked well-worn paperbacks, crossword puzzles, rich food and whiskey. Copies of ‘Where the Wild Things Are’ were always around. The house stayed in our family, and it’s where we perfected our family’s hospitality. The Lymbar is the distillation of our heritage.”
The restaurant serves lunch, dinner, and drinks daily. The Lymbar plans to feature brunch and Happy Hour in the near future.