Take a Walk Around Ouzo Bay and Loch Bar, River Oaks’s New Seafood-Obsessed Hotspots | Eater Houston

"After multiple construction delays, I visited Ouzo Bay in the River Oaks District, an upscale Mediterranean seafood restaurant that sits next to its sister spot Loch Bar. The space channels breezy Greek tavernas with a palette of pale creams and oceanic blues, coastal accents like seashells and coral, and a canopy of whitewashed grapevines imported from Greece paired with dramatic “octopus tentacle” light fixtures to create a cooling indoor-outdoor illusion that evokes Southern France or the Greek seaside. Occupying the larger corner space (7,000 square feet), it seats 275 guests, offers a private dining room for 30, and has a patio with an ivy-covered trellis and an indoor-outdoor fireplace. Washington D.C.–based designer Olivia Demetriou split the main space into three areas: a main dining room fronted by a floor-to-ceiling, glass-encased wine room, an elongated bar with banquette seating, and a secondary dining room adjacent to the bar; details like curved banquettes, flowering orchids, tall lattice dividers, and pale blue dining chairs reinforce the coastal theme. In the bar, a signature fish emblem anchors the backsplash, and fresh seafood flown in from around the world — including rare selections such as langoustines from Norway and Branzino from the Aegean Sea — is displayed on ice in a large exhibition-style case. The Mediterranean menu features spreads and dips, fresh catches from the lavish seafood display, and items like lamb meatballs or Saganaki Tiganito (pan-fried Kefalograviera cheese)." - Mai Pham