Zaranda is the latest restaurant from James Beard Award–winning chef Hugo Ortega, opened in late 2025 with a vision rooted in Las Californias — Alta and Baja — imagined as a single, borderless region. Rather than relying on nostalgia or pastiche, the concept is expressed through space, light and material, mirroring a cuisine that nods to both the north and south.
Occupying a 7,000 square foot site, Zaranda seats 180 guests indoors with a further 50 outside, overlooking the adjacent park through full-height glazing. The interiors, led by Gin Design Group’s Christina Wilburn, draw from desert and sea landscapes, combining light woods, warm stone and soft plaster finishes with a restrained coastal palette. A private dining room for 30 is located near the entrance, wrapped in curved bamboo detailing, while a second private space above the Ballena Bar accommodates 70 and looks down into the main dining room.
Throughout the restaurant, custom elements reference movement and migration along the Pacific coast. A sculptural slatted ceiling above the bar hints at the curve of a grey whale’s tail, echoed again in the flowing timber enclosure of the private dining room. Elsewhere, a hand-finished plaster mural suggests ocean waves, with terracotta lighting and blue accents adding warmth. Multiple levels and an expansive patio planted with succulents and cacti create a natural progression through the space, aligning architecture with the menu.
The name Zaranda refers to the wire basket traditionally used for zarandeado, an open-flame seafood technique originating in Nayarit over 500 years ago and still common in Baja today. Seafood therefore naturally takes centre stage here, with fish, lobster, octopus and shrimp joined by regional delicacies such as clams, abalone, geoduck and sea urchin. The Del Rancho section acknowledges Alta California’s ranching history, offering premium beef and slow-cooked dishes like borrego tatemado, while Spanish influences appear through arroces inspired by vineyard and olive-growing traditions.
Vegetables are given equal billing, from roasted cabbage with miso butter to charred carrots with requesón and salsa macha, alongside arroz verde and a tableside Caesar salad, a nod to its Tijuana origins.
Opening amid a wave of new hotels, galleries and hospitality projects, Zaranda arrives as both a destination restaurant and a timely addition to Houston’s evolving cultural landscape.
Zaranda Houston Photography, César Béjar Studio.
