The Restorative — Restaurant in Dunedin

We had been to Dunedin once before. For the uninitiated, it is a little town in the Clearwater FL area. It’s a really nice little strip with a bunch of good and happenin’ restaurants and bars.

The Restorative is NOT on that strip. The Uber pulled up to a little strip mall that was definitely in a “not positive this is the place I wanna be” zone. But it’s Dunedin - I’ve walked some dangerous blocks in Philly - how bad could it be?

So we got out and went in without incident. Except that we were late and it was evident they were looking to close up soon. But there were two couples in there still eating and drinking so the owner very graciously welcomed us in and sat us down.

When you get inside and away from the seedy strip mall feel outside, it’s a really nicely done little place. Apparently has been there for a bunch of years.

Very cool and imaginative menu. Started with a na’an appetizer, and then had a wagyu dish with burnt onions and smoked garlic, and a salmon dish with mushrooms, miso and sea beans as mains.

I never order salmon out because it’s like the vanilla of fish, but because we were so late they only had two choices left. Guess what - it was really good! The wagyu was fantastic, as well.

I’m anxious to get back and would highly...

We were so lucky to find this place! It’s chef owned and operated. Very small and cozy, probably seats about 20 people total. The fact that the kitchen is in the dining room makes the dinner more enjoyable because you smell everything and it increases your appetite. My husband and I decided to go there for a Labor Day dinner and it went like this: First we ordered the kitchen sink from the happy hour menu so we could try everything. I’m so glad we did! We had a bottle of 2015 California Pinot Noir. Then started out with the charcuterie board where we tried cheeses and sausages from all over Europe, from Albania to Spain. Then the chilled tomato soup, salad with soft boiled egg and a great homemade dressing, fingerling potatoes in this creamy sauce and the best part was the bucatini pasta with carbonara sauce, cooked to perfection and oh so delicious! We had to try the octopus since they’re famous for it. Cooked in sous-vide served on beans and tomatillos. But that wasn’t even the best part. We completed this very enjoyable meal with the beet and goat cheese cake topped with caramelized walnuts. We highly recommend this restaurant to anyone who enjoys high quality food with very...

Absurd policy — my husband and I made a reservation to eat here. We already knew we wanted to come so I didn’t read the paragraph above the spot where you select day, time and party size. We show up and we are informed that no children under the age of 12 are allowed in the dining room. Then was asked if we had a reservation and after stating yes, was told that it states in on the reservation page. It was humiliating as he stated it and all the customers were looking. Since it was unknown, the least he could have done is seat us, have the server inform us for any future dining experiences. For being a small restaurant across from a bowling alley — they really do have some absurd rules. Even fine dining such as Meat Market allows my child to be present at the table. Black Pearl in Dunedin has allowed us to dine as well with our daughter. Never again, even if I have a baby sitter, will I visit The...