Mise en Place — Restaurant in Tampa

Exceptional service and exceptional food!

I made reservations for my husband and I as a kick off to our Tampa mini staycation for just the two of us. We were running behind on getting to our hotel to check in before we left for dinner, so I knew we were going to be cutting it close to our dinner reservation.

I gave the front desk a call, but since our reservation was close to the time they opened, the restaurant wasn’t open when I called. I decided to leave a voicemail letting the attendant know we were running behind, and to please leave a voicemail in the case I missed a call back. The attendant was so kind as to call back and leave a voicemail letting me know they were very booked for the evening but would hold the reservation for about half an hour after our original time. Thank goodness because we arrived towards the end of that window but they were so kind as to accommodate us with no issue and no additional wait.

I’m so glad because we ended up having a fantastic time. The French cuisine was modern and a little intimidating if you’re not used to exploring food, but we thoroughly enjoyed everything we received. We ordered the Korean Argentina Red Shrimp Crab Pancake and Wow. It was delicious. Cooked to literal perfection, with a lightly fried crispiness to the top which gave it a wonderful texture, and the tonkatsu sauce with the red pepper just made the flavors mix so well. My husband isn’t typically a fan of seafood but enjoyed this. I would absolutely order it again. My husband ordered the filet of beef, and I the duck breast. Both were so incredibly tasty, and presented so beautifully. We savored each and every bite. Our server, who was attentive and personable, really made our experience enjoyable. He encouraged us to explore the menu and made great recommendations. We suggested a smoked whiskey bourbon for my husband, which was a fun delivery and a whiskey not for the faint of heart 😅 I received a “Bird is the word” which was a flashy flame drink. It’s a genius drink. As soon as you take your first sip, you’re hit with a refreshing coolness that contrasts the hot fire that was literally just blown out. I thoroughly enjoyed that drink.

The dessert menu is ultimately what made me make the reservations in the first place. I knew my husband would love the dessert. He ordered the Milk Chocolate S’mores Tart and I the White Chocolate Hazelnut Praline Cheesecake. Funny enough, we took one bite of each other’s desserts and immediately switched. They were both delicious, but turned out we’d ordered desserts that were perfect for one another.

Overall, we’d highly recommend this restaurant. From the host, to our waiter, to the bartender, to the fantastic chefs, they KNOW what they are doing. It’s not just the appearance of a fancy restaurant with an unjustified price tag to match. This restaurant knows cuisine and service through and through and earned each star in this review, and then some. We will absolutely be...

First time customer and last time customer too. I'd like to consider myself a person that enjoys food for flavor and never to just fill my stomach. That being said I went into this very excited about the possibilities of the food ahead. From walking in it felt like a place that was a bit in need of a makeover. However decor ultimately is never my main concern but more so the food placed before me. We started our night off with the CORNMEAL CRUSTED OYSTERS dish, which wasn't all that bad but certainly did not have that rich oyster flavor you look for in a fried oyster. Could of been one of many things under all the sauce and chutney. From there we tried the SAUTÈED CALAMARI, the YUZU SAKE BUTTER broth the sliced rings were in was by far the best part of the dish and probably the most flavor aspect of the entire night. The biggest problem with this dish was that some of the calamari was pretty tough and chewy. For entrees we went with the KOREAN BARBEQUE SPICE RUBBED GRILLED FILET OF BEEF TENDERLOIN, BRAISED SHORT RIB DUMPLING, CELERY ROOT RAMP PEAR KIMCHI, MUSHROOM PEANUT FRIED BAMBOO RICE, MISO MUSTARD VINAIGRETTE, YUZU SOY STAR ANISE BARBEQUE . . . and the COFFEE MOLE CHILE CRUSTED TUNA, ROCK SHRIMP YUCCA CORN SOFRITO RAGOUT, TAMARIND VANILLA RUM GLAZED PLANTAINS, CARAMELIZED PINEAPPLE HABANERO VINAIGRETTE. Sounds pretty amazing! Both dishes read extremely well but neither followed through on taste or presentation. Both of these dishes were very underseasoned and very bland. The dishes looked and tasted like something you would expect to get at a wedding reception dinner. Everything on the Tuna plate had the same texture to it and all the same color. This dish was by far the most disappointing of the entire night. The Filet dish was a little better overall but still had major issues. Like several bites had gristle throughout and the meat was not very tender. I really hate to complain and this is my first review I've ever written online, but I really felt compelled to share my experience. At the end of the day you expect an elevated dish when you spend the type of money an establishment like this garners. I work very hard for my money and It sucks to throw it away on food that leaves you so unsatisfied. I hope this helps you make your decision on if this place is worth the risk on your wallet. I love great food and there was nothing great about the food I ate at...

4 stars: Unique dishes and solid flavors

Our first night in Tampa, we decided to check this place out based on a recommendation from locals from our golf pairing earlier in the day (thanks, Scott!).

The ambiance in here is super cute and upscale - perfect for a date night. Service was fantastic. Attentive, informative, and friendly. They have a menu with lots of different options, as well as multiple appetizer and entree specials described by our server.

FOOD: ~Complimentary salmon spread (5/5): This little spread on a crostini was so good. If it was a menu item, I would definitely order it.

~Complimentary bread (3/5): While the flavors were really good, the focaccia and biscuits were on dryer side

~Pulled Duck Butternut Squash Mushroom Ragout (4/5): The flavor of this ragout was so good and was perfect with the grits. The sauce alone was a little too salty at times for me, but it was balanced out with the grits.

~Cobia Crudo (2.5/5): the flavor wasn't necessarily bad, but this dish confused my palate. It felt very muddled with too much going on.

~Buffalo Meatballs (special; 3/5): Meatballs were very soft and juicy, but the dish as a whole was very one note. Nothing spectacular.

~Duck Breast (3.9/5): The flavors of the duck, sauces, onions, potatoes, and cabbage salad were phenomenal. However, the duck looked like it was cooked to the perfect temperature, but was very tough and hard to chew. If the duck was tender, this would easily be a 5/5.

~Molasses Pecan Crusted Rack of Lamb (3.5/5): Again, the meat looked like the perfect temp, but it was just a little tough. The flavors were decent and not too gamey. The vegetables that came with this were undercooked for our liking and the onion ring was soggy. This also came with grits.

~Wild mushrooms side (4/5): no frills. Various different type of mushrooms which gave you different textures within one bite. Lets the mushrooms speak for themselves.

My only very minor complaint is that a lot of their dishes comes with grits as their base. While the grits were some of the best I have had, several of the dishes we ordered were accompanied by grits (more so my fault), and so it became increasingly difficult to continue eating since grits are heavier and denser to eat in a large quantity.

Overall, this place is solid and...