Maru Rooftop Nikkei — Restaurant in Tampa

As locals to Tampa, we enjoy dining out 2-3 times over the weekend at many of the local spots, so we were genuinely excited to visit the new rooftop bar after seeing some videos on Instagram. We arrived on the second week of its opening and called ahead to inquire about reservations, only to learn that it was first come, first serve. Undeterred, we arrived at 8:30 PM on a busy Friday night, eager to enjoy a drink and some small bites.

Upon arrival, the restaurant security kindly assisted us in taking the elevator to the rooftop. However, we were surprised to find no host present and no signage indicating we should wait to be seated, so we made our way to the bar area. We noticed an open table near the lounges and decided to take a seat. Just five minutes later, a host informed us that we needed to move because she had a “reservation” for that table. This was a bit frustrating since we had been told earlier there were no reservations, and the couple seated there had just shared the elevator with us, indicating they didn't have one either.

We were then moved to a quieter table by the water, which, while a bit removed from the bar atmosphere, was still pleasant. Our new host took my partner's drink order, a Hefeweizen beer, and mentioned that our server would be with us shortly. Unfortunately, after a 10-minute wait with no drinks in sight, a second waitress came to take my order for a lychee martini, but after another 20 minutes with no drinks arriving, we decided to leave. Something we’ve never done due to poor service.

Encouraged by the potential for a better experience, we returned the following Sunday afternoon. This time, our waiter was attentive and knowledgeable about the menu, which was a great improvement. Although they were out of the beer my partner had wanted, he helped find a suitable alternative, and I gave the lychee martini another try. Both drinks were enjoyable and reasonably priced compared to other bars in the area.

We ordered the lobster roll and Civiche Classico, but unfortunately, the lobster bao bun was a bit disappointing. It was a single bao bun that wasn’t really sharable, and at $19, it felt overpriced. The Civiche portion was more reasonable, but the corn (cancha) was rather dry and chalky.

Overall, we appreciate the effort that goes into a new establishment and hope to see these areas improved in the future

We probably won’t...

The drinks are watered down. We ordered cocktails that were terrible. They recently opened so we gave them a benefit of the doubt and ordered champagne. Even the champagne was watered down. They’re clearly trying to cheap out on everything. The only other thing we could think of is the bartender got backlogged and added ice to the drinks to keep them cold. You could taste the water though, which made the cocktails and champagne taste terrible. The prices are insane for the basic drinks. You can charge those prices if the drinks are actually good and unexpected - not the case here.

All the severs are wearing matching weird skimpy, fake silk dresses that don’t really make sense. It was almost like management was trying to pimp all the waitresses out, but it’s even more odd as the outfits don’t make sense for the vibe/interior design of the space. On top of that, waitresses are wearing black sneakers with these uncomfortable looking dresses. It’s kind of off putting and confusing.

The food was bland. A majority of their outdoor rooftop looks at the Selmon Expressway/highway or to the condos next door. There is a small sliver that looks at the bay, but there are only a handful of tables (literally 5 tables) that look onto the bay. The entire place is designed so oddly. You would think they would have designed it so a majority of the rooftop looks at the bay. Truly 90% of the outside rooftop is looking at the highway.

They have an odd stage-like area inside that doesn’t really make sense. The interior design is the trend from 5 years ago where everything is this one color of cream so it looks like the place has no personality,… which makes sense as the drinks and food don’t have personality.

Very weird place. It’s just not memorable, but trying to charge prices as though they are. It could have potential, but they’re trying too hard and not focusing on the important things - like the drinks and food. Kind of defeats the point of going. It’s not like the view makes up for it as you’re just staring at the people in the condos or the cars driving on the highway....

We visited on a Tuesday night to celebrate a birthday. we went after having dinner so we did not purchase any food. Lets start with the buzz on the high minimum spend if you make a reservation - we walked in did not have a minimum spend.( Please see response to my review below for clarification on reservations). There were tables available when we arrived around 7:45. We had a party of 2. Apparently, Mondays & Tuesdays are slower than the rest of the week so we did not have a wait. The service is absolutely top notch, from start to finish. This is a real high point. Staff is friendly and well trained. Outstanding!!! The drink menu has a good selection and prices are what you would expect to pay at an upscale place in Tampa. The picture in my review is their specialty gin martini - excellent choice and the most expensive cocktail on the menu. The atmosphere is nice but i must admit that I like several other Tampa places a bit better. Maybe a weekend visit with the DJ would make me feel different. The views are ok in some directions but not great all around. If you look at one of my sunset pictures, there are wires and poles in the line of sight. Overall, it was a pleasant evening. I will come back and update my review as it is definitely a great addition to Tampa. My review is updated to reflect the response, as my facts on the reservation spend was not...