The Pearl Tampa — Restaurant in Tampa

GOOD PEARL GONE BAD... Our experience could have & should have been so much better. Last night, our party of 4 was seated by friendly staff & greeted within a reasonable amount of time by our server Luke Andrew. We decided to start with 2 bottles of rosé champagne (one sweet one brut) & the seafood tower. It should not have gone so bad so fast, but that was where our experience went wrong. Prior to ordering 2 bottles of champagne, I asked our server if they had bucket stands & he said yes. They do NOT have them. If I go again, knowing they can not provide the space to order more, I will not order more. Easy solution. Next, our server brought 4 glasses, opened 2 bottles, served 2 people, set both buckets on our small square 4 person table ... & left. He brought 4 glasses, but only served 2 people. After he served two people & walked away, we all looked at each other like "I guess that's it" & laughed while I served champagne to the two gentlemen at the table. I urge The Pearl to invest in champagne bucket stands & train serving staff to, you know, serve. The seafood tower arrived (12 oysters on level 1, split lobster in tail, chilled crab, unpeeled shrimp on top) and it was impressive. However, other than how crowded we were at that moment, a few additional things could be improved on with our experience here: First: Don't skimp on accessories. There were 4 cracker packets for 12 oysters. Our server didn't ask who wanted crackers, but naturally since he brought so few, everyone wanted crackers. There was ONE single bowl for discarding shell parts that we were expected to pass around and ONE single small butter dish floating above a candle in a metal dish for 4 people to share. Which means that not only is it inconvenient to share, it's also a burn hazard. Summary: At some point it begins to hit you that you just spent $200 for them to bring a pretty seafood tower centerpiece. It felt like we were expected to just look at it, not to actually eat it. I would suggest they improve the guest consumption experience by not skimping on the items the guests need to actually consume the tower. This brings me to the LAST bad part, which to me was the worst: The BAD OYSTER. Yes bad things happen. According to our server, it is common. Suggestion: Handle it better. After observing the cracker/ condiment shortage, I decided to be unshellfish (see what I did there?) and just pop the closest oyster directly into my mouth... IT. WAS. BAD. I don't mean it just tasted bad so I spit it out (it was, I did) it SMELLED so bad that the two guests sitting to my right and left could smell it the second I spit it out. It actually started stinking up the table. Fortunately there's mouthwash in the bathrooms (although the sink in my bathroom was stopped up with water floating in it so that was unfortunate) so I spent, not exaggerating, the next TEN or so minutes gargling & spitting it into the toilet. The smell clung to my fingers & I washed them four times in the bathroom. After sitting down again, I realized I could still smell the putrid oyster on my fingers so I went back for another round of washing my hands. I think not being able to rinse them well the first time because of the clogged sink added to the difficulty in getting my hands clean the first time. When I went back to the table, I was told by my fellow guests what happened when they told the server that I got a bad oyster. He reportedly said "Yeah, it happens like 1 in every 1,000 oysters... " (they swear he didn't apologize) then he removed the bad oyster in our one and only shell discard dish... and that was it. He didn't offer to replace the bad oyster. We had to ASK him to bring another shell discard dish. A manager never came over to check on us... crickets... Conclusion: Our entrees that followed were fabulous. The Pearl might have the best adult grilled cheese sandwich in town. Overall, this place has potential. It could have should have been so much better... SUMMARY: Just stick to the fried pickles, grilled cheese sandwich & clam chowder until this guppy...

𝐏𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐥𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐥𝐲 𝐏𝐨𝐥𝐢𝐬𝐡𝐞𝐝 𝐃𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐄𝐱𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐒𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐥 𝐈𝐦𝐩𝐞𝐫𝐟𝐞𝐜𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧

Restaurant Review: 𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗣𝗲𝗮𝗿𝗹 – 𝗧𝗮𝗺𝗽𝗮, 𝗙𝗹𝗼𝗿𝗶𝗱𝗮

Downtown Tampa Bay has become a culinary hot spot, providing a transformative array of restaurants that offer elevated food and dining experiences. You don’t have to go to the depths of the sea to find a Pearl that genuinely highlights the flavors, beauty, and aroma of the sea, satisfying your palate with every bite.

As a seasoned traveler who has explored 68 countries and 36 states, I approach restaurant reviews with four primary criteria: taste, presentation, ambiance, and service. My goal is to provide an impartial perspective, highlighting both the positive and negative aspects of dining at the establishment.

𝐀𝐦𝐛𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞 — The restaurant offers a cozy and sophisticated ambiance both indoors and outdoors, creating a vibrant vibe and a memorable experience for all occasions. Well-defined spaces throughout the restaurant and an artistic outdoor design offer opportunities for intimate dinners, social gatherings, and enjoyable spaces to share with friends, family, business professionals, and loved ones.

𝐒𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐜𝐞 —We were greeted by the smiling hostess, who led us to a table by the window. Our server was quick to introduce herself, attentive, and a wealth of information to help us navigate the menu and find the best dining choices for our expectations and preferred food choices.

𝐅𝐨𝐨𝐝 – We dined there during lunch, which provides a large variety of snacks, starters, shellfish, sandwiches, and entrees. We started with the Smoked Whitefish Spread and Garlic Shrimp before moving to our entrees, which included Scallops and Atlantic Salmon.

𝐀𝐩𝐩𝐞𝐭𝐢𝐳𝐞𝐫𝐬 – Unfortunately, this is where there was a slight misstep. When ordering the garlic shrimp, the initial thought is that you would be presented with shrimp with an infusion and obvious flavoring of garlic. To our surprise, the dishes were disguised with an intense red pepper flavor, which created a discerning spice that was welcome. The heart of the dish was lost as all you could truly taste was the spiciness of the red pepper – failing to elevate the flavors of the shrimp and the garlic. What was an additional disappointment was that it was very difficult to enjoy the Whitefish Spread with the lingering taste of the spiciness of the red peppers. After guzzling down some water (and whiskey), I was able to enjoy the true elegance of the Whitefish Spread, which highlighted an amazing balance of smokiness, savory flavors, and creamy/smooth texture. The dish was even more elevated with onions, sweet peppers, capers, and sesame seeds.

𝐄𝐧𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐞𝐬 – Only one word could truly describe the entrees – PERFECT. The chef was able to truly highlight the freshness, favors, and tenderness of the salmon and the scallops while pairing the seafood with the perfect blend of deep, complex flavors with purees that provide smooth textures, sweet flavors, and subtle buttery notes that complement the seafood rather than overpowering the dish. From the visual execution to the perfected flavor combinations, it offers sophistication and memorable taste with every bite!

Simply put – just slightly short of perfection. While the dining experience had a minor imperfection, the entrees truly allowed us to walk away with an unforgettable experience that has us yearning to come...

Phenomenal across the board! I had the pleasure of celebrating my birthday here for brunch this year! This was my first time ever and it did not disappoint!

From start to finish this place has it together! We had to circle the block to get parking prepare for that but know there are options, street parking( for the lucky ones) some lots are about a block away.

We had reservations we arrived separately the friendly hostess State at our table was ready and we were free to sit down prior to the entire party arriving. They also very thoughtfully had left a table beside us in case more people arrived than we originally thought.! Promptly greeted by our server appetizers, and drinks were served. The deviled eggs were delicious and adorable the way they were served.

All of the food and entrées came out together. One dish had the wrong protein, and it was promptly corrected and brought to us personally by a manager, who is also very attentive and kind the mimosa buckets were a hit. We enjoyed a few! It’s a great shared option. The seasonal cocktails were great. This is not a place that you’re waiting a long time for those fancy muddled cocktails. They have a great list. The food was fresh. Everything was delicious. The clam chowder is the real deal creamy thick flavorful the best I’ve had in Florida. ( if not anywhere). My entree was the hanger steak I like rare it was perfect and tender do not let it overshadow the kimchi fried rice which was outstanding! Make sure you save room for this famous pie. We tried several all of them were devoured. I miss getting pictures of the delicious Dutch apple pie and I also had the peach layered pie, which was served in a jar. It was just Everything you want in that peach pie dessert! All of the staff from the hostess server, and even the bus boy who took our group photo for us went above and beyond in every opportunity they could. We were a large party. We enjoyed the food ambiance and friendship never felt rushed or needing anything the staff did a great job!There was an auto gratuity which I have no problem for the level of professionalism that they exhibit here could inspire our server, politely mention the auto gratuity and upon interaction for Payment with each person in our party repeated it reminded them so no misunderstandings Could occur. She was great!

This was a memorable dining experience that will remain at the very top of my list for some time to come congratulations to those work in that Sunday morning, August 24, 2025 you all did a great job and it was so greatly appreciated. We will be back if you’re reading this review deciding if you should eat here or not don’t skip it. You’ll be sorry and missing out on a great...