Cafe Zuppina — Restaurant in Lakeland

Cafe Zuppina, or as I call it, “Berna’s,” has been my favorite restaurant for as long as I can remember. Every childhood memory of delicious food takes place there. They’ve been open 15 years! That’s quite a long time to be fulfilling my tastebuds. Not only was the food exquisite, but the hospitality was just amazing. Berna was the sweetest owner, always handing out free treats and making sure to spark a conversation with a young me. She even gave us kids paper to draw on and then frame it on a little stand. Those memories, I will forever cherish. Lately however, everything has begun to degrade. I suppose it started around the time of Covid-19, when everything had to close, which was the last time I ever talked to Berna with her remembering me. I noticed after a while (late 2022) that the food was tasting less and less flavorful, but not by much. It still tasted like “Berna’s.” Something that made up for this, though, was the delectable dessert bar. The chocolate mousse was absolutely perfect, as were the beverages. Then in my most recent experiences there, the dessert supply began to dwindle, as did the tastiness of the food. As I said earlier, however, it still tasted like “Berna’s.” When I heard of their location change, everything began to make sense! I expected big things. Looking at the reviews, it seemed like the service and food were great, and I was very excited to try it again. Only now have I gotten the chance to taste it again. And, oh how I wish it was the same. I could never wish anything bad upon this restaurant, and I never thought I could say anything negative about it. But I must be blatantly honest. Every single thing that I usually order was different. The chicken: bland and unseasoned. The rice: mushy and salty. The delicious feta rolls that always manage to make my mouth water: tasted like fried donuts on the outside. And according to other reviewers, I haven’t gone in person yet, the dessert bar is gone! Everything seemed to lack the certain luscious taste and flavor that they used to encapsulate. My favorite, favorite part about the food at Cafe Zuppina was the flavor, the juiciness and tenderness of the chicken and rice. And just like that; it’s gone. Berna, if you happen to be reading this, thank you for everything you did for the restaurant and the memories that you gave me, but I don’t know if I can ever experience Cafe Zuppina...

I was in Lakeland and wanted good Mediterranean food to bring home to Haines City. I tried to get take out at the Mediterranean Grill near Legoland which is exceptional fine dining at a reasonable price. I have not been able to get their food out of my mind and was willing to drive the twenty minutes out of my way. Unfortunately they were closed. I found Cafe Zuppina which has amazing reviews. The restaurant part is closed but you can go to the market. I ordered two greek gyros, a slice of feta pie, two servings of pistachio baklava, and a piece of Royal kataifi. I was so excited for some good Greek food. After waiting 20 minutes with no other people coming in to the restaurant I got my food. I drove home and when I looked at what I had I was very disappointed. I got five slices of pre-sliced lamb on a bed of lettuce with some tomato slices served in a pita. No feta, no peppers, no onions nothing else that would bring any flavor. There was a cup of what I assume is tzatziki sauce but it was creamy and bland with no distinguishable cucumber. The pita was generic. It came with a side of potato salad which I have never had with a Gyro. Why not hummus? For $14 I got a subpar excuse for a Greek gyro. The baklava was good but $2.50 for a bite size portion is still too much. The Royal Kataifi was also good. It's hard to go wrong with honey and pistachios. The feta pie was terrible. One slice is $7.00. It was a tough series of oily layers of filo dough with some orange cheese in one of the layers. It was clear that it had been sitting out for a very long time. I don't know what everyone else is raving about. There was a cake being sold there that said that it was from the Cheesecake factory. $12 for a slice. I spent $60+ on a very disappointing experience. I have no problem with pre-sliced lamb and store bought pita if I'm only spending $5-$8. This place makes no sense to me. $28 for two gyros that took 20 min to assemble. If your expectation of good Mediterranean food is the equivalent of an Arby's gyro then you will only be slightly...

It’s worth mentioning we only had coffee and dessert here.

I was pleasantly surprised that a place like this even exist in Lakeland let alone Polk county.

Even though lakeland is trending more towards a foodie scene we still have a ways to go.

That being said international dining is still pretty underrepresented here.

So when I heard there was a “middle eastern” style restaurant/bakery in town I was intrigued.

Before I get into any negatives I will say the coffee was amazing.

The desserts were delicious as well but at 3 pm almost their entire selection was gone.

I’m not sure if this means the sales are good or if they just have a limited quantity on hand most days.

There is a market attached with some interesting food options as well but it’s more of an afterthought with no employees in sight of that area.

Now I will say the furniture was nice and gave an authentic vibe. However the interior of the building needs a refresh.

It feels like you are in a converted office space. I’m Assuming that’s what it was before they took over.

The floors feel like a cheap cafeteria and there is really no atmosphere to speak of.

To me this is probably the biggest thing holding this establishment back. Lack of identity.

It desperately needs a vibe.

I’m sure there are regulars who love the place and for good reason.

But in my mind it’s going to be difficult to attract new customers when the first impression when walking in is confusing and sub par at best.

I want to see places like this thrive in Lakeland and they definitely have the food to pull it off.

But unless they put some effort into really creating a space newcomers are intrigued by I doubt they will experience any...