Massimo's Eclectic Fine Dining — Restaurant in Palm Harbor

Massimo's Eclectic Fine Dining restaurant sports a daringly ambitious name, and a very clear cut description, noting to be "casually elegant", serving Italian, French and Mediterranean cuisines. We scheduled an 8:30PM reservation and pulled up to a dimly-lit restaurant in a strip mall that was difficult to locate. The restaurant appeared to be closed, as the main sign was off, or burned out. With no clear path for entrance, we spent a few moments outside attempting to find the front door.

We were greeted by a hostess station that was introduced to us by a square table covered in cleaning products. It appears that the same table being provided for hand sanitizer was also being used as storage for their tools used to clean each table after use. The décor also felt forced and spontaneous, with rock waterfalls along the walls and occasionally placed bottles of liquor on display along the bar.

The wine list was large as promised, but I focused on the food as wine has never been my forte. The menu offered exactly what was promised. Some classic French dishes such as Duck L'Orange, French dishes such as Brie with Duck.

The dishes sampled were the lobster and crab bisque, the Risotto of the Day, which was prawn and scallop, and then the "Maple Leaf" duck and brie.

The bisque was a sign that we had experienced a bad first impression. It was buttery, smooth and tasted fresh. The crab and lobster were tender and given in generous amounts.

The Risotto was the beginning of the end. The rice was undercooked by possibly 2 minutes. Chewy and at times crunchy. The scallops appeared to be boiled with the Risotto, were colorless and undercooked. Upon splitting the scallops we found them to be slightly translucent in the center, at which point I had hoped they at least cooked the prawn properly. Upon pressing my spoon into the tail I immediately hit a solid barrier as if they placed a hockey puck into the shape of a shrimp. I daringly cut into it with my knife to find one of the most overcooked pieces of seafood I've ever had in my life.

We sent our risotto back and asked for the duck and brie. The brie had been tragically melted down to a muggy swamp of oily cheese, and the duck was like no other duck dish I've ever seen before. The duck was so unrecognizable that I actually thought it was veal. When asking the server, we were informed that the duck had been ground down and coated in a pistachio crust, then fried. With this knowledge I didn't find the dish as repulsive, but instead simply disappointing.

For dessert we ordered a Creme Brulee, which tasted very impressive for an amateur chef. It appeared it had been cooked for about 5 minutes too long, and contained too much vanilla extract. For a restaurant that claims to be "Eclectic Fine Dining", I at least expected real vanilla bean to be used. Although we did enjoy it, the Creme Brulee was essentially Boston cream with a crust of sugar on top.

We provided a hefty tip to our server and left feeling that COVID-19 has been detrimental to the operations and excitement of the owners and head chef. The complacency of this restaurant seeps out into the parking lot and can be felt days after our meal. I can not in good conscience give this restaurant any rating more than 1 star with this experience. It's possible in their earlier days they were able to provide an "eclectic fine dining" experience, but that day...

I was recently introduced to Massimo’s Eclectic Fine Dining by a good friend who’s been a loyal patron for years and couldn’t speak highly enough of the place. I’ll start with the positives: the food was up to par, offering a decent dining experience, and the service during our meal was attentive and pleasant. Based on that alone, it seemed like a spot worth recommending.

However, an unfortunate incident completely soured my impression, not of the meal, but of the restaurant’s management and character. When my friend and I dined there, the bill was supposed to be split between us. Instead, my credit card was mistakenly charged twice. Mistakes happen, and when we pointed it out a few days later, they did refund the duplicate charge, which I appreciated. But what followed was unacceptable.

My friend, an 80-year-old regular who’s brought countless guests to this restaurant over the years, returned with two new diners more business for Massimo’s. Rather than discreetly addressing their earlier error, the owner chose to confront him at his table, in front of his guests, claiming he hadn’t paid. It turns out they had presented two slips during our original visit, one to each of us, but both charges went to my card my friend had unknowingly signed a slip tied to my second charge. Instead of handling this quietly or apologizing for their mix-up, they turned it into a public spectacle, embarrassing a long-time customer who was simply trying to share a place he loved.

No one from the restaurant reached out to me to apologize for the double charge or the subsequent fiasco. The owner’s lack of judgment and poor handling of a simple mistake revealed a troubling lack of character. For a business that relies on loyalty and word-of-mouth, this was a baffling choice. While the food and service were fine, I can’t overlook how they treated a devoted patron and by extension, me. I won’t be spending another dollar here, and I’d caution others to consider the kind of management running this place...

EXCEPTIONAL!!! WOW…. Massimo’s Exceeded our Expectations!!! We were greeted by the beautiful smile of our server Jennifer, who welcomed us in & shared with us the very interesting history of Massimo’s. She shared with us the night’s specials & showed us patience as we asked an array of questions. I have severe food allergies so I spoke with Jennifer about my concerns and the next thing I knew Massimo himself, ( the owner & the chef) came to our table to discuss the many options I had where he could accommodate my allergies. All of us at the table were sooo very impressed that during a busy evening Massimo took the time to speak with me personally to discuss creating a meal for me. Dinner was served with a gorgeous presentation & Absolutely DELICIOUS!!!! Chef Massimo made me the Halibut Special with a flavorful garlic sauce, side of sauted vegetables as well as a delightful pasta with red sauce. All four of us devoured our incredible meals with sheer delight. Jennifer did not miss a beat and kept a close eye on us, keeping our wine & water glasses filled, checking to see how we were doing and if we needed anything at all. She was so very kind & friendly and she & Massimo made the night extra special. I highly recommend Massimo’s as it is a true Class Act Restaurant where your dining experience is Top Notch!!! Thank you Massimo & Jennifer for your superb hospitality & for the perfect dining experience. See you both...