da Gama Canteen: To Houston With Love & Spice
The first thing you notice when you walk into da Gama Canteen isn’t the menu — it’s the feeling. The warm hum of conversation. The scent of spices curling through the air. The glint of a cocktail glass catching the soft afternoon light that filters in from the patio. It’s familiar, yet completely new.
This is The Heights’ latest reason to linger a little longer — and now, one of its proudest, as da Gama Canteen joins the ranks of Michelin’s 2025 Bib Gourmand honorees.
WHERE CULTURES MEET
From Portuguese-Indian territories to East Africa, the menu at da Gama marries bold flavor and share-style plates. Think: chana masala with basmati, beef mishkaki with yuca & raita, pastel de nata for the finish.
The Story Behind the Spice
For husband-and-wife team Rick and Shiva Di Virgilio, this moment is years in the making. The couple, founders of Rishi Hospitality, built their reputation through two of Houston’s most beloved spots: The Queen Vic Pub & Kitchen and OPORTO Fooding House & Wine.
If those restaurants were chapters, da Gama Canteen is the story’s next evolution — a love letter to Houston, written in spice and soul.
“Da Gama” nods to Vasco da Gama, the Portuguese explorer whose journey to India opened new worlds through trade and flavor. It’s a fitting metaphor. Rick and Shiva’s cuisine, like Houston itself, is an exchange — cultures meeting, blending, and creating something that could only exist here.
A Canteen at Heart
Unlike its more formal predecessors, da Gama Canteen feels casual by design. It’s a canteen in the truest sense: approachable, inviting, and meant to be shared.
You might drop by for a morning chai and end up staying for lunch. You might stop in for happy hour and find yourself ordering a second round because the conversation (and the curry) are too good to leave behind.
The interior, designed with earthy textures, rattan tones, and warm gold light, mirrors the menu — grounded, natural, yet distinctly global. There’s a sense of rhythm between the space and the food: nothing feels rushed, nothing feels overdone.
From Goa to Gujarat — Through a Houston Lens
The flavors at da Gama Canteen are drawn from the Portuguese-Indian territories of Goa and Gujarat, and the broader spice routes that shaped them.
Expect dishes that balance warmth and brightness — slow-braised meats next to crisp vegetables, hints of coconut and tamarind, bold masalas softened by citrus. Every plate tells a story of movement and memory: family recipes reborn for the modern table.
Then there’s the drink program — a standout in its own right. Organic and natural wines flow freely, and the cocktail list feels like an adventure, each glass a nod to travel and tradition
MEET THE TEAM
Chef-owners Rick Di Virgilio & Shiva Di Virgilio (of Rishi Hospitality) bring decades of restaurant experience — from Queen Vic (2009-2018) to OPORTO, and now, a neighborhood gem in the Heights.
“Food that feels like home, with a twist”
“To Houston With Love & Spice”
That’s the tagline, and it’s more than a line on the menu. Rick and Shiva live here in Houston. They’re raising their family here. They’ve seen how food can shape community, and da Gama Canteen feels like a gift back to the neighborhood that’s given them so much.
On any given day, the patio hums with energy — families sharing plates, couples on date nights, solo diners tucked away with a book and a chai. It’s proof that great restaurants don’t just serve food; they serve moments.
A Michelin Moment
When the news broke that da Gama Canteen had been awarded a Michelin Bib Gourmand for 2025, the team didn’t throw a lavish party or make a grand announcement. Instead, they did what they do best: opened their doors, poured a round, and welcomed the neighborhood in.
Because at the heart of this restaurant is a truth that Michelin can’t measure — that hospitality is an act of love.
The Heights Connection
Here in the Heights, da Gama Canteen isn’t just a dining destination. It’s a neighbor. A weekend ritual. A reminder that some of the best stories in Houston begin over a shared table.
So, whether you’re chasing a morning chai, lingering over dinner, or simply curious about what earned them that coveted Bib Gourmand, come hungry — not just for food, but for connection.
The Heights Days Personal Favorites
The first time I dined here, I understood what they meant by “canteen.” It’s not fine dining or fussy plates — it’s food that invites conversation. Dishes arrive family-style, meant to be passed, shared, and debated over.
The house-made bread comes warm and pillowy, perfect for swiping through the rich chicken masala or spicy pork vindaloo that follows. I can never skip the samosas, crisp and golden, or the vada pao, that messy-perfect potato slider that’s somehow comforting and bright all at once.
And while da Gama’s culinary roots are Indian and Portuguese, there’s a global playfulness that sneaks into every corner — even their cheesy pizza, bubbling with just the right balance of herbs and heat, feels like a little love letter to every palate that walks through the door.
Visit da Gama Canteen
600 N Shepherd Dr., Suite 520, Houston, TX 77007
Open for lunch, dinner, and weekend brunch
www.dagamahtx.com
@dagamacanteen
YOUR TABLE IS READY
Whether you’re craving brunch chai, a celebratory dinner, or just good company — come raise a glass with us.
