Sushi Sho Rexley — Restaurant in Saint Petersburg

I have been to Rexley twice now, once when they had first opened up shop and again just yesterday (2.7.20). Both times we (2 of us) opted for the $90 omakase and the sake pairing ($50) along with it. I made a same-day reservation "wait list" request since their reservations were fully booked, but they got back to me within minutes to set us for an 8:30 spot (extremely accommodating). The service was pleasant and enjoyable both times. We were greeted by the host/server who also pours the sake - he is a lovely man! The chef is a master of his craft, and though most of our meal was crafted by his sous/apprentice, you can taste the expertise with every bite. If given the opportunity to talk to the chef (I believe Rexley is his name) make sure to do so as he is very informative and his attention to technique and quality is an awesome experience on it's own.

As for the food....

Nothing I have eaten in the Tampa bay area comes close to what is provided at this restaurant. It is produced with great care and consideration and is easily some of the best quality stuff you can get around here. To me, every bite was awe-inspiring and almost emotional. I have always been an enormously huge fan of japanese food and culture, but I truly believe even those who may know nothing about it - or even not care for it - can eat at Rexley and greatly appreciate it. It is an experience, and I can not recommend trying it enough.

Keep up...

Recently went for dinner with my wife. We had the Omakase Signature meal. I'm sort of confused because my experience was nothing like most of the reviewers here and on other sites. The fish/sake WAS delicious- really great...but it was a ridiculously small amount of food. We left still very hungry. I'm wondering if they somehow screwed up and didn't give us the full meal...?? No one had said anything and we were waiting for our next dish...after a couple of minutes we asked the chef and he said that was it. ?? We even double checked with him, telling him we had the signature ($150) meal. We were kind of shocked. I sort of assumed it was the type of place I would not get totally full, but this was really not much food. Also, even though the place had only 2 other diners the whole time, we were served not by the head chef but I guess his assistant, a young American kid(20 something, maybe a bit older) who mumbled through his mask whenever telling us about the dishes. For the price, and with only 2 other guests, a little more attention from the head guy might have been appropriate. Basically it comes down to this- I have no problem shelling out big bucks for good sushi- and this is good, but it's not nearly enough food for that price... unless as I said, somehow they inadvertently messed up the order or skipped...

Unfortunately disappointed. We were really looking forward to the signature omakase at Sushi Sho Rexley, especially since we’ve enjoyed dozens of omakase experiences in various locations and had heard great things about this one. The GM and head chef were both warm and welcoming, but the night didn’t live up to expectations. We arrived early as instructed, and were made to sit there and wait 20 minutes past the confirmed start time for a guest who never arrived, which was an unfortunate start.

The sushi itself was okay, but the biggest disappointment was the hosting. The sous chef running the dinner only engaged with half of the eight guests at the ten-seat table, and said fewer than around 10 words to us and another couple next to us the entire night. For an omakase- where the interaction and storytelling are as important as the food- the lack of attention or care really took away from the experience.

Overall, it felt underwhelming and inconsistent for the price point (roughly $600). For local comparison at similar price points, we found the Omakase at Noble Rice and Ebbe to be much better experiences overall. With stronger in-dining hosting and more consistency in guest experience, this could be a great spot, but unfortunately this visit really missed the...