Marilu F.
Yelp
Hello darkness, my old friend.
We met again during my short stay in Tampa. I mean, come now, with a name like Dracula's Legacy Wine Bar, we knew we would.
That said, I had many Yelp friends check into this wine bar throughout the years and the place seemed fantastic from the photos I saw. I'm happy to report that it's even better in person.
Now, a note to the ones who have never been: This is slightly hidden. Just an itty bit. The GPS will have no problem leading you the correct area, but then you'll be baffled as you don't see the actual place. So where is it then? In the back! We fortunately saw an advertisement and managed to walk to the back. Also, if that doesn't work, try finding The Ale & The Witch, its neighbor.
Anyhow, all that known, this is as gimmicky as it gets. You'll feel you're walking into a horror movie with all the décor. There's a statue of Dracula at the entrance, and upon entering, just take a look at the ceiling. Bats galore! The wine bar has many trinkets, too, and the bathroom is Halloween central. When you sit at a table, take a good look at it. There are regions of Romania, and Europe overall, listing many famed wine locations.
As for the food and drinks, they have a pretty big variety. My companion on this adventure got himself a Timisoreana beer. I had a sip and I'm not a fan of beer overall (only enjoying a select few), but this one made the cut. Dracula's sparking rosé was my drink of choice. I chose the larger option at 9 oz, and oh dear, this packed a doozy. They have very generous pours. Good thing we shared a massive charcuterie board to boot!
The characterie board had it all. Crackers, cheese, deli meats, fruits, nuts, pickles, and even some dark chocolate. We inhaled it only leaving a few pieces, and mind you, that's because we ended up getting extra pickles and chocolate. I found the presentation for the board beautiful and the food itself a wonderful accompaniment for our drinks.
Oh, and as previously mentioned, if you think I'm done describing décor, that's hilarious. How could I forget my favorite part? There's a chair where you can sit and take photos. You'll totally get that Mistress of Darkness vibe. At least I did. I really can't tell you how much I adored this place. It's making me seriously want to dress up for Halloween and we're only in June.
You've no idea how much I wished we had something like this in South Florida. The décor, the food, the ambiance. It was all lovely! And of course, the staff was pleasant and entirely used to people going photo happy there, so yes, do indeed visit and greet your old friend, darkness.