I loved my experience here but they double charged me for my meal. After trying to reach out then reaching out through social media I got a response but no resolution. It’s been almost Year.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
John V
Our small group greatly enjoyed the tasting menu with wine pairing. Ashley paired some great wines (and a sake) for each coarse. Service was on point and chef took the time to answer all of our questions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Michael McCarthy
This is the best tasting menu in Houston. I've been here three times, and each time they knock it out of the park. Rich, interesting dishes in an approachable atmosphere. Don't let the surroundings fool you, this is a restaurant that would be worthy of a star if the French deemed us worthy of the attention of their little book. The food is the main attraction, but don't sleep on the wine pairings. Every pairing Ashley made worked perfectly with the dishes for each course.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jonathan D.
We went for my birthday last year and had a wonderful experience. Creative dishes plated in front of us. Very engaged and descriptive about every dish and great wine pairings. We are pescatarian and they modified dishes excellently. We wanted something special for Valentine's Day and decided to go back and the experience was very disappointing. They were significantly late in seating us. The wine pairings didn't make sense and the wine pours were lite. She kept spilling wine on the table and covered the glasses which was sloppy. The food was basic and not creative. Open server seemed either high or drunk. Overall, not a good experience and we won't be back. Very disappointing as we loved our visit last year. The new owner me and staff are not living up to that standard and the cost.
John D.
Writing a 1 star review about this place is a real shame. Spring Branch is getting nicer and nicer by the day and a well run fine dining restaurant would be really nice to have in the area. Degust is not that place. There are very few occasions where I feel like I got completely ripped off by a restaurant. This is one of those times. To clarify, I have been to Michelin starred fine dining experiences all around the world. Degust plays it off like they fit into the category of "would totally have a star if they had the rating system in Houston!" And they charge the prices too. This couldn't be further from the case. Cheesy, cheap decor, and I found myself in a state of disbelief when I used the restroom. Old caked on pee from days prior, trim falling off the door frame and generally just unhygienic looking- especially for a place that is costing $400/person. I'm sure if the dining room was better lit I would have noticed more outside. Based off some of their stellar reviews, you would think that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover when you pull up. The exterior looks inhospitable, and fits right in with the ungentrified portion of long point Degust is located. WRONG! Absolutely judge Degust by their terrible exterior appearance. Then we get to the food. We came here for the New Year's Eve special. The menu had traditional American fair that you would expect to have a creative twist. That creative twist never arrive and we were just served a super tiny portion of some regular "fancy" food with a kind of expensive ingredient placed on top. Nothing tasted bad per se, but absolutely nothing tasted phenomenal and most of the entrees that were supposed to be hot were cold. Presentation was sub par-especially for the price point. Highlights of this experience: -Seeing a disgusting bathroom at a $400/head restaurant -Being served cold food when it's supposed to be hot at a $400/head restaurant -Getting OK service at a $400/head restaurant. -Paying $400 per person to be extremely disappointed and feeling ripped off. Long story short, this place sucks. Completely lacking in almost all measurable categories. If you want to impress a date, friends, or clients, I would advise you to look elsewhere. You will end up being embarrassed and then have to pay a hefty bill.
Traci V
Ashley and the team made my first time here an amazing one. They made sure to curb the menu a tab because of my dietary restrictions and that allowed me to try every course. I still can’t get over the fall have at salad; wish I could have gotten a huge bowl of it! I liked how the chef came out before every course and explained the dishes to us, just wish the music wasn’t as loud because it was hard to hear him.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Easter
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 the evening.
Christopher Lau
Me and my family had visited about a year ago and had an incredible experience with impeccable food and service. This year, we wanted to have a nice, Christmas dinner with expectations of a similar quality meal as we had before. Unfortunately, it seems the entire staff has changed, including all the chefs and assistants.The food is definitely sub-par and lacked the refinement and creativity of our previous experience. $150 for an onion panna cotta (gross, might I add), funnel cakes, chicharrones, and cold meat dishes?? Unless Javier and Rico come back, this restaurant is not worth the price you pay.All in all, an unsatisfactory experience.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
Miguel Saavedra
This place is amazing, perfectly set around the chef preparing the small, degustation plates. 9 courses and the menu changes every season. It is expensive, of course, but it is worth every penny, in my opinion. You can pick to pair every plate with a specific, sommelier-picked wine, or not, which adds to the tab, but it is worth to get the full experience. Explaining every plate we tried would require to write a full article, but let me tell you that everything is perfectly crafted, full of flavor. If I'd live in Houston, I would go every time the menu changes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Abigail G.
My partner and I celebrated our anniversary dinner amongst the exceptional staff and chefs at Degust this evening. We were met with warm hospitality, exceptional craft and professionalism, and an outstanding menu and wine pairing, complements of Chef Eric and Sommelier Ashley. We have been long time fans of Degust and continue to be awed and impressed by the Degust experience from start to finish. From the lighting and music which transports you to the countryside of France to the sublime food and wine, there is no experience quite like ours at an evening spent at Degust. We cannot recommend this special place more and know we will always be met with the utmost courtesy, professionalism, and customer service by their exceptional staff.
Came here with high hope but ended with great disappointment....we were here a year ago with everything exceptional. But this round seems the restaurant had changed hand. First off the entire old team were not here anymore. Food quality was subpar with only 2 meat dish that came out cold and tiny portion. The rest of the dish were like eating low end buffet....even the decoration was not even appealing....very disappointed. The so call chef brought all dishes out from the back kitchen and spend time putting decoration touch to food in front of us....I thought only chef assistant does that. In the past, the whole crew cooked in front of you. Entire different restaurant!
Nitin Talreja
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 the evening.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Seared Foie Gras with Duck Course, Tasting Menu
Pooja T.
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 the evening.
Jennifer K.
We made reservations here and had to cancel. We cancelled one week in advance. Per their policy, refunds would be given if cancelled greater than 24 hours in advance. I have been calling and emailing this restaurant for two months in attempt to get my refund, and am now going to have to dispute with the credit card company. Terrible customer service.
Cynthia Leong
The three stars was really more about value than anything else. Dinner for two, 1 wine pairing and 1 "enhancement" for $40ish ended around $550. Like another reviewer posted, if it was $300ish...maybe. There were definitely two to three very tasty dishes, the atmosphere is good and the service was also good. Again for that price, I was expecting much....more. Every bite needed to be something we crave for at that price.We went to get nuggets after!
I loved my experience here but they double charged me for my meal. After trying to reach out then reaching out through social media I got a response but no resolution. It’s been almost Year.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Our small group greatly enjoyed the tasting menu with wine pairing. Ashley paired some great wines (and a sake) for each coarse. Service was on point and chef took the time to answer all of our questions.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
This is the best tasting menu in Houston. I've been here three times, and each time they knock it out of the park. Rich, interesting dishes in an approachable atmosphere. Don't let the surroundings fool you, this is a restaurant that would be worthy of a star if the French deemed us worthy of the attention of their little book. The food is the main attraction, but don't sleep on the wine pairings. Every pairing Ashley made worked perfectly with the dishes for each course.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
We went for my birthday last year and had a wonderful experience. Creative dishes plated in front of us. Very engaged and descriptive about every dish and great wine pairings. We are pescatarian and they modified dishes excellently. We wanted something special for Valentine's Day and decided to go back and the experience was very disappointing. They were significantly late in seating us. The wine pairings didn't make sense and the wine pours were lite. She kept spilling wine on the table and covered the glasses which was sloppy. The food was basic and not creative. Open server seemed either high or drunk. Overall, not a good experience and we won't be back. Very disappointing as we loved our visit last year. The new owner me and staff are not living up to that standard and the cost.
Writing a 1 star review about this place is a real shame. Spring Branch is getting nicer and nicer by the day and a well run fine dining restaurant would be really nice to have in the area. Degust is not that place. There are very few occasions where I feel like I got completely ripped off by a restaurant. This is one of those times. To clarify, I have been to Michelin starred fine dining experiences all around the world. Degust plays it off like they fit into the category of "would totally have a star if they had the rating system in Houston!" And they charge the prices too. This couldn't be further from the case. Cheesy, cheap decor, and I found myself in a state of disbelief when I used the restroom. Old caked on pee from days prior, trim falling off the door frame and generally just unhygienic looking- especially for a place that is costing $400/person. I'm sure if the dining room was better lit I would have noticed more outside. Based off some of their stellar reviews, you would think that you shouldn't judge a book by its cover when you pull up. The exterior looks inhospitable, and fits right in with the ungentrified portion of long point Degust is located. WRONG! Absolutely judge Degust by their terrible exterior appearance. Then we get to the food. We came here for the New Year's Eve special. The menu had traditional American fair that you would expect to have a creative twist. That creative twist never arrive and we were just served a super tiny portion of some regular "fancy" food with a kind of expensive ingredient placed on top. Nothing tasted bad per se, but absolutely nothing tasted phenomenal and most of the entrees that were supposed to be hot were cold. Presentation was sub par-especially for the price point. Highlights of this experience: -Seeing a disgusting bathroom at a $400/head restaurant -Being served cold food when it's supposed to be hot at a $400/head restaurant -Getting OK service at a $400/head restaurant. -Paying $400 per person to be extremely disappointed and feeling ripped off. Long story short, this place sucks. Completely lacking in almost all measurable categories. If you want to impress a date, friends, or clients, I would advise you to look elsewhere. You will end up being embarrassed and then have to pay a hefty bill.
Ashley and the team made my first time here an amazing one. They made sure to curb the menu a tab because of my dietary restrictions and that allowed me to try every course. I still can’t get over the fall have at salad; wish I could have gotten a huge bowl of it! I liked how the chef came out before every course and explained the dishes to us, just wish the music wasn’t as loud because it was hard to hear him.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
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 the evening.
Me and my family had visited about a year ago and had an incredible experience with impeccable food and service. This year, we wanted to have a nice, Christmas dinner with expectations of a similar quality meal as we had before. Unfortunately, it seems the entire staff has changed, including all the chefs and assistants.The food is definitely sub-par and lacked the refinement and creativity of our previous experience. $150 for an onion panna cotta (gross, might I add), funnel cakes, chicharrones, and cold meat dishes?? Unless Javier and Rico come back, this restaurant is not worth the price you pay.All in all, an unsatisfactory experience.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 3
This place is amazing, perfectly set around the chef preparing the small, degustation plates. 9 courses and the menu changes every season. It is expensive, of course, but it is worth every penny, in my opinion. You can pick to pair every plate with a specific, sommelier-picked wine, or not, which adds to the tab, but it is worth to get the full experience. Explaining every plate we tried would require to write a full article, but let me tell you that everything is perfectly crafted, full of flavor. If I'd live in Houston, I would go every time the menu changes.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
My partner and I celebrated our anniversary dinner amongst the exceptional staff and chefs at Degust this evening. We were met with warm hospitality, exceptional craft and professionalism, and an outstanding menu and wine pairing, complements of Chef Eric and Sommelier Ashley. We have been long time fans of Degust and continue to be awed and impressed by the Degust experience from start to finish. From the lighting and music which transports you to the countryside of France to the sublime food and wine, there is no experience quite like ours at an evening spent at Degust. We cannot recommend this special place more and know we will always be met with the utmost courtesy, professionalism, and customer service by their exceptional staff.
Restaurantji Recommends
Came here with high hope but ended with great disappointment....we were here a year ago with everything exceptional. But this round seems the restaurant had changed hand. First off the entire old team were not here anymore. Food quality was subpar with only 2 meat dish that came out cold and tiny portion. The rest of the dish were like eating low end buffet....even the decoration was not even appealing....very disappointed. The so call chef brought all dishes out from the back kitchen and spend time putting decoration touch to food in front of us....I thought only chef assistant does that. In the past, the whole crew cooked in front of you. Entire different restaurant!
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 the evening.
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 2
Service: 3
Recommended dishes: Seared Foie Gras with Duck Course, Tasting Menu
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 the evening.
We made reservations here and had to cancel. We cancelled one week in advance. Per their policy, refunds would be given if cancelled greater than 24 hours in advance. I have been calling and emailing this restaurant for two months in attempt to get my refund, and am now going to have to dispute with the credit card company. Terrible customer service.
The three stars was really more about value than anything else. Dinner for two, 1 wine pairing and 1 "enhancement" for $40ish ended around $550. Like another reviewer posted, if it was $300ish...maybe. There were definitely two to three very tasty dishes, the atmosphere is good and the service was also good. Again for that price, I was expecting much....more. Every bite needed to be something we crave for at that price.We went to get nuggets after!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5