Less than two years after Sambuca closed in Downtown Houston‘s historic Rice building at 909 Texas Ave., a new restaurant has moved in with a newly redesigned space and menu.

Bungalow Dining has officially soft-opened in the former Sambuca space. A Life Hospitality opened the upscale dining restaurant in 2022 at 407 Main St.. A representative told Chron the hospitality group closed Bungalow’s original location roughly three months ago ahead of its move downtown.

Bungalow’s new era at The Rice comes with a main dining room, a bar area, a patio and three private dining rooms on multiple floors for celebrations, corporate dinners and other events. 

“We had an opportunity to create a space that builds on what our guests already loved about Bungalow while giving us more ways to serve them,” A Life Hospitality co-owner JR Martins said in a statement.. 

“From the new menu and private dining rooms to the patio and bar, we were very intentional about creating a restaurant that feels like the next chapter of Bungalow.”

A Life Hospitality has tapped Mark Holley as Bungalow’s new executive chef. Holley was previously an operating partner and executive chef at Davis Street at Hermann Park. He was also a consultant for the menu at another A Life Hospitality restaurant, FRNDS, which closed earlier this year. 

Holley is keeping some of Bungalow’s familiar menu items and adding some new items that will, according to a statement, blend Gulf Coast influences, global flavors and classic steakhouse fare. They include a snapper crudo with coconut milk leche, jerk wagyu meatballs with honey barbecue sauce, a 48-hour oxtail ragu with pappardelle, and a Cajun ribeye and creamed kimchi collard greens.

“We want Bungalow to be a place that can be part of so many different occasions,” A Life Hospitality co-owner Jonathan Reitzell said in a statement “You can come in for cocktails, have dinner, celebrate a birthday, host a private dinner or spend an evening on the patio. This new location gives us the ability to create those different experiences under one roof, and we’re excited for Houston to see what we’ve been working on.”

A grand opening is planned for sometime in November.