Predalina — Restaurant in Tampa

Well I cannot tell you how absolutely disappointing this Michelin appointed restaurant was on so may levels. How they got this rating is so beyond me. Save your money and go to so many other far better restaurants in the area. First I will say the atmosphere of this place is lovely. When arriving on a Tuesday evening at 5:30 the place is quite large and we are the second table to be seated. We are seated at a rather uncomfortable table right next to a tightly fitted four top. Within 10 minutes, they try to seat another couple on top of us with 99 percent of the restaurant empty. They refused and asked for a more intimate table. Hmmm. Perhaps for the restaurants convenience? Twenty minutes after that, they did succeed in placing a table of three right next to us in a place that is 5-10 percent full at best. So many other tables to sit at for privacy. Is it not common sense for them to understand you place people on top of one another as you start filling up. We were there for almost two hours and they were no where near full. Their consideration was not your comfort or experience. The waiter was a good waiter and was quite attentive. You could tell he was polished in his rehearsal of what to recommend. We started with lobster carpaccio and some grilled octopus.Both his suggestions. Well the lobster appetizer was just horrible. Couln't tell at all it was lobster and could have passed for very thinly sliced boars head deli meat. Small very thin slices with so much sauce, and two kinds, you couldn't taste lobster to save your life. And spicy. Very spicy and I like spice. That was defiantly a wash, especially for the price! The octopus was ok. Just ok because I've had much better at non Michelin start restaurants. Again, they love their sauce. We then shared a blue crab chitarri pasta and some crispy brussel sprouts. I mean, come on. Brussel sprouts are one of my favorite vegetables! They describe it as golden raisons, toasted almonds, and pomegranate molasses. Sounds incredible! Not. So disappointing. It is bowl of small crispy brussel spouts in a bowl of what almost tastes like a feta cheese puree. The sprouts are in the middle. So not sure where the menu description came from, but for about $15, also so disappointing. The blue crab pasta was one large ice cream scoop of what seemed like whole wheat pasta with some again, very spicy mushed blue crab. Very unappealing, and at a $40 suggestion, was another strike. We didn't finish the pasta nor the Brussel sprouts, and by the time dessert came, we were not willing to give it a try. The waiter did not seemed concerned at all that we did not finish our small unappealing meals. he just suggested that he box it up and went of with it. We actually tossed it in the garbage on the street when we left. Soo disappointing as it was also a surprise birthday dinner from my son. He made a reservation, told them it was my birthday, and they couldn't have cared less. The food was really some of the worse I have ever had for that kind of price point. We are a middle eastern family and thought it could be great. We left and went to Berns for their dessert room and they definitely didn't disappoint. They were also so kind enough to acknowledge my birthday with a piano piece and an additional complimentary dessert. DO NOT WASTE YOUR MONEY ON Predalina. It's ok perhaps to stop at the bar for a happy hour cocktail because it's a nice looking spot. That's it. Too many way better restaurants in the area if you are going to spend...

Summary: Food was excellent (recommend the appetizers, entrees were good but not outstanding). Definitely pass on the cocktails (not good, especially for $20+. Hotel bar has highly crafted, quality drinks for less). Service was awful.

My husband and I came here on a Tuesday night for our anniversary. We informed them of our anniversary during the reservation. When we arrived- the hostess glared up at us from the stand and we told her we had 7pm reservation. She proceeded to look at her computer, then at a paper, deadpan say "I'm waiting on someone to take you to your table" and didn't look at us again and we were the only ones at the front. Didn't smile once. Didn't acknowledge any special occasion.

Waited a few minutes and then were led to our seats. No cocktail menu on the table. 10 minutes later someone arrived to fill up our 6oz water glass and said the server would be with us. Another 15 minutes goes by before our server arrives (25 minutes after being seated). We placed our drink and food orders. We see her 2 more times during the entire visit (once when the food arrives and once when we have stacked up all of empty dishes on the table and finished eating, about 45 minutes later. She was friendly and quickly apologized the first time we saw her, but that was it. I worked as a server for many years, so I give servers a lot of grace, but when you're looking at $200 check, it was pretty unacceptable. Servers arrive to take your order and check on you quicker and more often at Chili's than we received here.

Food was excellent. Highly recommend the tuna crudo (perfect balance of sweetness, spice, acid). Cauliflower and brussel sprouts were also well seasoned and had a nice innovative mix of flavors/toppings. The scallops were good and cooked perfectly (seared and medium rare) but felt they were lacking a little.

Cocktails were not good. My husband ordered the "easy read" cocktail (gin drink). He did not like it at all. It is very botanical and reminiscent of the Mrs Meyers Basil countertop cleaner. Maybe some people would enjoy this, but I feel our palates are pretty well versed in recognizing a well balanced cocktail even if it wouldn't be our preference. This was not. Very very botanical and just not enjoyable. I ordered the Oliveria (their version of an olive martini). It tasted like nothing. I expected some salty, briney notes and got none. It literally had no taste except when I ate a bite of the olives which accompanied it. At $20+/cocktail I would have expected a lot more. I have amazing cocktails at Hotel Bar (every one I've tried is a hit) and their cocktails are in the $15 range.

We actually went to Boulon afterwards for another cocktail (two in the chamber) and creme brulee, and it was delicious.

Atmosphere was nice. Nice decor and lighting. Noisy with conversation, which I didn't mind.

Overall- solid 3 stars. Food was good, atmosphere was nice, everything else was subpar, especially for the price. I would go back for some appetizers, skip the cocktails, hope I had better service. With so many great options of restaurants in Tampa, it's unlikely we...

Great food. Here’s my only problem. I ordered a Remoissenet père et fils Chardonnay white Burgandy (labeled as such on the menu under whites). The server brought over the correct glass and we were waiting for the wine to arrive from the bar.

For anyone familiar with whites from the Burgandy region it is almost always a still, oaked wine (unless from Chablis or notated otherwise).

When a wine arrived from a runner from the bar to the table it came in a champagne glass and was sparkling. I thought it was a simple mistake and asked if they brought the wrong thing. I said it’s unusual for white Burgandy to be sparkling. They assured me it was correct by showing me the printout and stating I was wrong. They said I could taste it to see if I liked it. I tasted it and didn’t care for it because I wasn’t really in the mood for sparkling (mind you they have a whole sparkling section of the wine list and if I wanted sparkling I would have ordered as such). In the moment of confusion I wondered out loud why was a sparkling wine not under the sparkling wine section (literally saying “I wonder”) not really talking to anyone directly while trying to find an alternative. The wine runner said “it just isn’t” and once again pointed to the ticket print out from the bar. They did of course offer to let me switch and so I did.

As wine fans, we asked the manager if we could learn something. We assumed we were wrong as we have never experienced a sparkling white Burgandy. He was positive about the situation but said he didn’t want to misspeak and would send over the somm so we could learn. The somm never came, and he never returned. He wouldn’t even make eye contact passing our table.

In the end, no one was rude although the wine runner was a bit short of patience. However, the manager was wrong. So was the wine runner. We went to the bar to get a drink after brunch. I take photos of all the wine I taste and I wanted to log this unique wine. Turns out I was right though. It was a still wine all along and they poured me the wrong one.

We gave them two chances to own up to the fact that they were wrong. I questioned it when it was brought to me, and again to the manager. If I was wrong they needed to only bring me the bottle. They could have checked, they could have questioned the bartender like literally anything. Instead the wine runner made me feel a bit stupid.

Food was great. I’d be concerned about the inexperienced service and managers afraid to resolve situations when they actually become more serious then mine was...