Degust — Restaurant in Houston

tldr; Degust is meh and amateur in almost every aspect, while pricing itself and presenting itself as something far more.

Where to even begin.

Nothing about Degust cohesively expresses anything, has any sort of opinion (other than the wine, more on that later).

The food is okay. Sometimes, you can tell what a chef is trying to do with a tasting menu, but they just don’t quite execute on it. At Degust, we had no idea what the chef was trying to do. One or two dishes that were standouts, but most of the dishes were uninteresting and felt repetitive - the same textural elements over and over again, with standard flavor profiles.

The service was truly not good. While waiting in the waiting lounge, they had real trouble serving the amuse bouche, multiple were dropped, causing several guests to not receive theirs, but there was zero acknowledgement, apology, or replacement. Pacing was sloppy, the switch between courses rough, the explanation for each course was overdone.

The atmosphere was meh? The initial waiting lounge feels like a poorly decorated escape room. The music was quirky (not a bad thing) but was too loud. The design of the counters make it hard for groups of 4 or more to have any sort of real conversation together, especially given the loud music.

One highlight was the wine program. The short list was interesting, the pairings were highly opinionated but excellent. The somm takes risks, tries to have fun with it, and it works! That said, he really comes off a bit poorly in attitude, but can’t fault his wine selections.

Afterwards, we complained to a few local friends. Turns out, every single one of them also had atrocious experiences at Degust as well, going so far as describing it as one of their single worst dining experiences in Houston. We really should have asked before we went.

Overall, is Degust BAD? It’s…okay. If we had paid half the price for the food, if it toned everything down, if the reviews were mixed going in, we would have probably walked out feeling like it was a decent attempt by a fledgling team that needs to take a step back, go back to stage at a few more modern 2* and 3* restaurants, refine their menu with a pop up, and get a better ops team.

But no. Instead, we walked out almost mad. Why is it priced this high? Why are the public reviews so glowing? How could the delta between what it tries to come off as and what it actually is be so large?

Save your time. Save your money. Don’t go to Degust. If you want to support them, go next door to their cocktail...

I was initially quite excited to revisit Degust, given the amazing experience we had eight months ago. Unfortunately, our second visit left us sorely disappointed. It was our kids' birthdays, and I had requested a kitchen tour for them, hoping for an informative and engaging experience. However, the chef completely bungled it. He seemed disinterested, perhaps even high, and spent only two minutes glossing over a few kitchen details. It was a missed opportunity for a more in-depth tour.

Adding to our disappointment, the bathroom had an unpleasant odor and lacked soap and hand towels, which was surprising for a place of this caliber. The service was merely average, a far cry from the exceptional service we received during our first visit.

Most disheartening was the decline in the food quality. The creativity, flavor, and innovation that had wowed us the first time were completely absent during our second visit. The fall menu was a complete bust in my opinion. I ended up not eating several of the courses because of lack of flavor ! It felt like an entirely different establishment, leaving us underwhelmed and longing for the memorable experience we had experienced on our first visit. I hope they can regain the excellence they once possessed, as our recent visit did not live up to our expectations.

I must add that there were some bright spots during our second visit. The wine sommelier, Ashley, was a true gem. She was well-informed and incredibly sweet, enhancing our overall experience.

Additionally, chef Ash brought the kids to the prep island to decorate their plates. This was a thoughtful touch, but we wished there was more engagement in that regard and opportunities for the kids to be involved in different aspects of the courses. It would have added a much-needed layer of excitement and interaction, which was lacking throughout...

This place is not hyped up enough. What an experience! I adored everything about my night at Degust; from the fantasy themed entry room and sparkling wine start, to the golden girls photos all around, and the main dining room with the music, lighting, energy, and ambiance - Gold. Oh and I haven't even mentioned the fabulous food yet! That lobster ceviche was another level. And I loved interacting with the chef, som, and the entire crew. They know how to tell a story and make you feel right at home. The pace was actually a bit fast and I wish I had a tad more time to savior the food but the portions were a great size and I was happily full at the end. The music does get loud but the sound track was great. I highly recommend only going in pairs since a larger group would never be able to converse over all the noise. That being said, my girlfriend and I had a fabulous time. The drink pairings were different and interesting and I loved trying wines I would have never picked on my own. This place does it all and they do it right. Yes, it's worth the money. Yes, you...