Oof, what happened to Pesce? In its nascence, we guessed that its over-the-top atmosphere and high prices would either be a hit or a flop. After a few promising months, during which we reviewed it for the 2nd edition of our Houston restaurant guide, the food started swimming south. Now, we’d avoid it completely. If you must go, the vibe is as slick as ever, with a bustling open kitchen and eye-catching tanks full of lively fish. But the round banquettes and jazzy music epitomizes the overpriced, upmarket restaurants of the 1990s tech boom. So, too, does the fish. When we say this is old-school, we don’t mean it’s consciously retro, like Oceannaire, but rather cluelessly outdated-hotel-restaurant.

Most of the mains are small and expensive, which isn’t a negative in and of iteself—many of the world’s best restaurants serve small, but life-affirming portions for lots of lucre. But here, with overcooked and uninspired platings, it’s just insulting. Pesce’s signature “Seafood Martini” (Danger, Will Robinson!), which we used to like for its teeming, quality crab and lobster, now has scant and watery meat, and a cabbage slaw mislabeled as “kimchi.” Some things are more reliable, like top-notch lobster bisque and Creole dishes. Sushi rolls deliver much too little for the egregious mark-up—same goes for the overly made-up old dames trotted out of Napa for the predictable wine list. Looks like Pesce has gone belly-up.