Christy H.
Yelp
We went here for my husband's birthday dinner, and it didn't disappoint!!! After we had to reschedule our original reservation due to the flu (which they generously did for us even though we were past the reschedule/cancelation window without any fee), we were excited to try this Tampa restaurant.
The restaurant itself is beautiful, high ceilings with a sleek and elegant feel. Definitely dress a bit nicer if you're coming here, as that is the upscale vibe. We had a 7:30 reservation (made on Resy) and we're seated promptly.
The service is excellent! Not only was our waiter incredibly friendly, but the restaurant had a whole service team to quickly attend to every need. No empty water cups here! I also loved that even though there was talented and impeccable service, it wasn't stuffy. I could tell our waiter was a genuinely good and fun person, and we enjoyed talking with him. He also steered us in the right direction when it came to appetizers, recommending we swap out one dish we ordered for another, and he was so right.
So yes, the food!! It was incredible!!
We started with the hamachi crudo and scallop ceviche. Both were outstanding, with fresh fish and amazingly flavorful sauce. Our waiter recommended the scallop ceviche, and while my husband was more inclined to get the tuna or salmon, we're so glad we listened to our waiter's advice. The scallop ceviche was insanely good!! Definitely, definitely get it!
We also got the Parker house rolls, and while they were soft, fluffy, and delicious (with a honey glaze on top and served with truffle butter), the portion was a bit much for two people, and they also offered free bread service in lieu of the $10 rolls that looked really good. I'd say if you're coming with a group of 4 or more, the rolls are worth it, but if you're just two, save yourself the temptation of eating 5 rolls before dinner and just get a piece of bread through the regular bread service.
Then on to dinner! My husband got the beef wellington and I got the grilled scallops. We had the shishito peppers and mashed potatoes on the side. The side portions are very generous! After the rolls, we didn't need the potatoes, although they were deliciously rich and creamy. The shishito peppers were AMAZING! Lightly tempura fried on the outside, but not too much so you could still taste the tender pepper underneath. The seasoning was great, too. Would definitely get these again!
My scallops were perfectly cooked with a yummy seasoned crust on top. A light meal with some cirtus fruit to add to the depth of flavor. The portion size was perfect as at this point I was getting pretty full, but it is one of the lighter entrees, so keep this in mind.
I'm not a huge steak fan, but my husband's beef wellington was amazing!! While one of the pricier options, the steak was perfectly cooked and melted in your mouth. The flaky puff pastry wasn't overpowering, and there was a good steak-to-pastry ratio.
We somehow squeezed in dessert--we had to, as we needed a birthday cake! We ordered the carrot cake which came deconstructed with an amazing presentation. As someone who loves the cake part of the carrot cake but isn't a huge fan of the cream cheese frosting, this was perfect!! I could eat the cake and graham cracker crust, even some of the ice cream on top, but avoid the dallops of cream cheese. The cake itself was so moist. One of the best desserts I've have in a long time and I'd absolutely get it again. We had an espresso martini along with the cake, and it was also delicious (sweet but not too sweet).
Overall, an incredible and absolutely five star meal! Note that they include and automatic service charge of 15% to give to the entire attentive waitstaff team, but anything you give above that goes directly to the waiter.
We'll be back!