Food & Beverage

For four years, Passerella Ristorante & Bar occupied a distinctive spot along the water at The Boardwalk at Towne Lake, where Cypress residents gathered over pasta and wine, celebrated anniversaries and birthdays, or simply settled onto the patio for dinner with a lake view.

That chapter has now ended.

Passerella permanently closed its Cypress restaurant at 9945 Barker Cypress Road, Suite 122, following service on Sunday, Aug. 23, 2026. Owners Doris and Paul Miller announced the closure on the restaurant's social media on Tuesday, Aug. 25, thanking employees and the community that had supported the restaurant since its opening in May 2022.

No reason for the closure was given in the announcement.

“After an incredible chapter on the Towne Lake Boardwalk, Passerella is closing its doors,” the restaurant shared. “We are so grateful for every guest who joined us for dinner, celebrated a special occasion with us, shared a bottle of wine, or simply stopped in to say hello. The memories, friendships, and support this community has given us will always be a part of the Passerella story.”

The owners also recognized the employees who helped shape the restaurant, writing, “To our amazing team—thank you for the passion, hard work, and heart you poured into this restaurant.”

And for the guests who made Passerella part of their own family traditions and milestones, the farewell was personal: “And to our guests: thank you for allowing us to serve you. It has truly been our pleasure.”

The message closed with a toast to the restaurant's years in Cypress: “Cheers to the memories, the meals, and everyone who made Passerella so special. Grazie di cuore per tutti i bellissimi ricordi. Arrivederci, amici. Thank you from the bottom of our hearts for all the beautiful memories. Until we meet again, friends.”

Passerella Began Its Story in Cypress

The closing carries particular significance for the Cypress dining community because Towne Lake was where Passerella began.

Houston-based Gr8 Plate Hospitality, the restaurant group founded by Paul Miller and known for concepts including The Union Kitchen and Jax Grill, opened the first Passerella at The Boardwalk at Towne Lake on May 17, 2022. The 160-seat restaurant was positioned beside sister concept The Union Kitchen, with indoor dining and a waterfront patio overlooking Towne Lake.

At the time, Passerella represented one of Gr8 Plate Hospitality's more ambitious projects, offering a chef-driven interpretation of food from different regions of Italy.

“We are very excited to see this project come to fruition,” Paul Miller shared with Culture Map Houston before the 2022 opening. “For us, it’s about bringing together the freshest ingredients we can find to create a menu that is distinctly different than anything we have done in the past. Our hope is to deliver an elevated dining experience that complements the beautiful views found at Boardwalk Towne Lake.”

The setting helped distinguish the restaurant from many other Italian restaurants in Cypress. Its interior featured Italian-inspired artwork, brick accents and bright Ferrari-yellow barstools, while the patio capitalized on one of The Boardwalk at Towne Lake's biggest draws: dining beside the water.

From Pasta and Pizza to Seafood, Wine and Date Nights

Passerella built its menu around Italian-inspired pasta, pizza, seafood, chicken and meat dishes, along with an extensive wine and cocktail program.

Its original menu included fritto misto with calamari and shrimp, whipped ricotta, arancini, charcuterie, branzino with spinach risotto, lamb tenderloin, Gulf shrimp and lump crab fettuccine, mushroom pizza and bucatini with meatballs.

Over time, the menu evolved. More recent offerings included Eggplant Parmesan, Stuffed Flounder, Brick Chicken, Lemon Caper Piccata, Pork Chop Marsala, Crispy Skin Salmon, Garlic Shrimp Scampi, Chicken Parmigiana and Cast Iron Ribeye, along with handhelds such as a Roman Muffalata and Lobster Grilled Cheese.

Wine was also part of Passerella's identity from the beginning. Its opening wine program emphasized Italian and California producers and included varietals such as Nebbiolo, Chianti and Sangiovese.

“We aim to create a clean and classic wine program that can grow with the consumers in the area,” sommelier Matt Stevenson said when Passerella opened. “Guests will find unique bottles that may lure them out of their comfort zone coupled with familiar brands with more well-known profiles. All in all, the current wine menu sports up to 55 bottles, including varietals like Nebbiolo, Chianti, and Sangiovese. We will likely expand the menu as we learn more about what guests tend to gravitate toward.”

That combination helped Passerella become a destination not only for Italian food in Cypress, but also for date nights, business dinners and special occasions. OpenTable described the restaurant as suited for special occasions, wine enthusiasts and business meals, while Visit Houston highlighted its handmade pizzas and pastas, wines, cocktails and waterfront views. 

Cypress Was the Original — and Ultimately the Last — Passerella

Passerella expanded beyond Cypress in 2023 when Gr8 Plate Hospitality opened a second location along Houston's Washington Avenue corridor.

That restaurant did not last as long as the Towne Lake original. The Washington Avenue Passerella closed in March 2025, leaving the Cypress location as the concept's sole remaining restaurant. With the Aug. 23 closure at Towne Lake, there no longer appears to be an operating Passerella location. 

Gr8 Plate Hospitality continues to operate other restaurant concepts in the Greater Houston area, including The Union Kitchen and Jax-branded restaurants. The company has also made several changes to its portfolio over the past year, including closing Union Kitchen locations in Katy and Garden Oaks and converting the Garden Oaks space into Jax on the Tracks, which closed in May 2026 after just three months of service.

What Passerella's Closing Means for The Boardwalk at Towne Lake

For Towne Lake residents and other Cypress diners, the loss is more than another change on a restaurant directory.

The Boardwalk has developed as one of northwest Cypress' best-known dining and entertainment destinations, and Passerella occupied a highly visible waterfront location there for more than four years. Its closing leaves a prominent restaurant space along Barker Cypress Road and creates a question many local residents will likely be asking next: What restaurant will replace Passerella at Towne Lake?

No replacement tenant or plans for the former Passerella space had been announced with the restaurant's farewell.

The neighboring The Union Kitchen at Towne Lake, also part of Gr8 Plate Hospitality, is a separate restaurant and has continued to maintain its Cypress presence at 9955 Barker Cypress Road. 

For those who spent birthdays there, shared a first date beside the water or had a favorite dish they ordered more than once, however, Passerella's departure is likely to feel less like a change in a tenant roster and more like the loss of a familiar piece of the neighborhood.

After four years of dinners, glasses raised and celebrations overlooking Towne Lake, the restaurant's own farewell may say it best: the meals are finished, but plenty of Cypress memories remain.

Stay tuned to My Neighborhood News for updates on The Boardwalk at Towne Lake, new Cypress restaurants and any plans announced for the former Passerella space.

By Tiffany Krenek, My Neighborhood News 

Tiffany Krenek has been on the My Neighborhood News team since August 2021. She is passionate about curating and sharing content that enriches the lives of our readers in a personal, meaningful way. A loving mother and wife, Tiffany and her family live in the West Houston/Cypress region.