Berwick's Bird of Paradise, a tropical cocktail bar in Houston's Heights, is now on a shortlist of the five best new bars in the U.S. The bar, opened by Robin Berwick of Midtown's Double Trouble, serves coconut-based tropical drinks, small plates, and features a plant-filled interior with a patio. It opened this summer and has become popular locally.
PUNCH Recognition
The national nod comes from Muck Rack, which included Berwick's Bird of Paradise on its mid-November roundup of the five best new cocktail bars in the country. That shoutout quickly spread around Houston, with Secret Houston spotlighting signature pours like the Crocodile Tears Martini and the Day-O’ Fashioned.
From Double Trouble To Studewood
Robin Berwick, who co-owns Double Trouble Coffee & Cocktails, opened Berwick's Bird of Paradise on July 4 in the Heights, converting the former La Coqueta space into a neighborhood cocktail bar, according to Community Impact. The bar’s address is listed as 2020 Studewood St., per local directories such as MapQuest. Local permitting notes and redevelopment chatter tracked during the buildout also show the property being prepped for a bar remodel, as reported by Houston Architecture.
What's On The Menu
PUNCH’s write-up, as relayed locally by Secret Houston, calls out the Crocodile Tears Martini, built on coconut water, dried lime and sea salt, and the Day-O’ Fashioned, a banana-liqueur-and-cold-brew riff on the classic. The food stays in the casual, shareable lane, with items like cucumber salad, a smash burger and jerk chicken wings noted in the spotlight. The idea is that the small plates and drinks sync up with the bar’s bright tropical interior and easygoing service.
Heights Nightlife Shift
Berwick's Bird of Paradise is part of a broader wave of niche, concept-focused bar openings across the Heights and nearby neighborhoods this summer. Several new late-night spots have opened in the area, contributing to changes in the local bar scene.
Regular hours listed on local directories show the bar open Tuesday-Thursday 4:00 p.m.-12:00 a.m., Friday-Saturday 3:00 p.m.-1:00 a.m. and Sunday 2:00 p.m.-10:00 p.m., as per Restaurantji. The space is also reported to feature a pet-friendly patio, a detail neighbors have noted in local forums and business rundowns.
