Address: | 601 N Florida Ave, Tampa, FL 33602, USA |
Phone: | +1 813-227-9555 |
Site: | bizoutampa.com |
Rating: | 3.7 |
Working: | 6AM–10PM 6AM–10PM 6AM–10PM 6AM–10PM 6AM–11PM 6AM–11PM 6AM–10PM |
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Alec Villanew
Can you spend the night at Le Méridien without staying there? Sure! The lobby presents plenty of opportunities to do just that. You can order lavender macaroons at the petite bistro and a side of café au lait to get rid of the smell of booze you just coincidentally acquired at the bar. The Longitude Bar’s lavished cocktails are a great temptation. No, the prices are not cheap, but the experience of the place makes them worthwhile. Try the Vieux Carre. Not a Shirley Temple. A concoction of rye whiskey and Benedictine that smells better than some, rather expensive perfumes, you have given an ex for Valentine’s in a failed attempt to get them back. A drink to be savored slowly unless your intentions are to end up dancing on tables by the end of the night. The “Not your Father’s Old Fashioned” is good, but actually might just be a left over from one of your father’s because, although quite nice, is not creatively fabulous. However, you can never go wrong with an Old Fashioned. If you are into girlie (I can foresee the avalanche of hate mail from feminist here, even when I am one myself) drinks or fruity drinks, you might enjoy the Bizou Bramble. A lovely cocktail of Flor de Caña rum, blackberry infused syrup and lemon. Personally, it would take me about ten of those to get my booze on, and by then, I most likely be washing dishes in the kitchen to pay for the bill… but if you don’t want to scare your first date, you might just order one because it is classy and unalcoholic like. Bizou Brasserie, the restaurant, redefines fabulous. I have taken pictures of the place and believe it haunted. The photos, even when unedited, always come out in sepia. Some trick of the lighting and the marble on the walls… pure magic. Bizou cooks the best duck in Tampa, in my very humble and gastronomically uneducated opinion. When I don’t ask for it, I harass someone else in the table to order it and then pout and annoy him or her into sharing it with me. The duck is pan seared and served with the celery root puree (but I always trade it for the cauliflower hash) and a citrus sauce. My favorite part are also the beluga lentils they garnish the plate with. More please. I have tasted the Pancetta Wrapped Monkfish and it was good. Not great because I learned to eat monkfish in Oviedo and the freshness and saltiness is completely different. The fish is quite savory nevertheless. If you choose to wander into the adventure of monkfish and you just don’t know what it looks like or you no longer remember… do yourself a favor and do not google pictures. Don’t be judgmental. Think of other unpleasantly looking things that are edible and enjoyable. As appetizers, Bizou serves an amazing beef tartare. They use filet mignon, capers, cornichons (baby pickles), artichokes and an alioli. The deviled eggs are also a treat. They are filled with crab meat and portioned to share. The escargots are cooked inside a puff pastry. A great way to try them if you have been afraid of ordering them otherwise. The building exudes elegance and refinement and the dishes and libations complement it. If it is a bit expensive to binge at, it is still a wonderful place to sit and sip coffee at. It is after all an old court house remodeled. One of the few times in which you can celebrate the feared: “you have officially been served.”
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Ric Rini
Located in an old remolded federal courthouse this restaurant has much style and a nice trendy atmosphere with high ceilings and grand open spaces. Its in the La Meridian Hotel that recently opened (2014). Once climbing the high staircase you first enter the the bar area that has nice a large social area and good bar top seating. The restaurant is located toward the back. We came for lunch and were seated promptly. The lunch menu has an excellent variety of salads, hot sandwiches, flat-breads and appetizers. We started off with the calamari that was excellent! Cooked to perfection, very tender with amble coating. The portion was a bit on the small side and was barley enough for two any more people sharing and it would have been a morsel. For the main entree I ordered the Bizou Burger with a side salad. I ordered it medium and it came out more on the well side and a bit dry. Hard to grab the flavor profiles because it was a bit dry. Basically tasted like any other burger but very expensive at $17.00. Thats a bit high for lunch. You have to consider where you are at though. My wife ordered the Salade Frisee with chicken ($19.00!!!). She siad it was good but at the cost and portion size it was not worth it at all. Really, a $20.00 dollar chicken salad.
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Chris Lontok
My girlfriend brought me here to kick off my birthday weekend and we had a fantastic time. We started with cocktails, which were smooth, mellow, and perfectly crafted. We continued with escargot and puff pastry. The snails were tender, flavorful, and so delicious. The sauce was garlicky and robust, and the puff pastry complemented everything perfectly. For dinner, we split pork with frites, and our server, Ryan, presented it to us on two different plates without us having to ask. The pork was well seasoned and moist, the fries, cooked in truffle oil, were crisp and delicious. It was served with a small salad on the side. I really liked the vinaigrette dressing. Then, after we mentioned it was my birthday, I received a free creme brulee cheesecake. The pricing is exactly what youd expect for a high-end, classy restaurant. Not at all unreasonable! I plan to go again.
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I. Hdez.
I got food poisoning there due to their bad higiene when preparing their food. Also their plates where not cheap. $14 for less than a half of white wine, $14 for a small old and spicy shrimp-less shrimp fondue, and $28 for a stale tiny piece of grouper served with weird sides. The $23 plate of calamari in Vodka sauce, had only few and tiny pieces of calamari. Basically, their menu does not contain any picture of the plates they sell, so it is difficult to appreciate what exactly one will be ordering beforehand.
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Other
If you love bland food and horrible service, go here! Do you love cold hollandaise all over your still frozen english muffin in the morning? If yes, then come here!Lets not forget the honorable mention of the managers who couldnt even handle my problem. Crystal, Justin, and Amber (lady with horrible twitch) are completely clueless. This has to be the worse restaurant in all of Tampa. Do yourself a favor and take your business elsewhere.
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CHARITY LANE
This was my first - and likely last- attempt at Bizou Brasserie. Since the reviews have been so positive, we decided to choose it for our annual Easter brunch. We arrived at 10:55 for the brunch that "begins at 11," and they were not set up. At around 11:15 they set the omelette station and carving stations up. The ladies restroom was trashed. It is clear that they were unprepared for this brunch and for the reservations they had today.
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Sarah DePerto
Nice place for an up-scale drink. We stopped in for a night cap the other night and got there just as they were doing last call. The bartenders were friendly and didnt seem annoyed that they had to wait for us to finish. Good drinks, a little on the pricey side, but fun for one or two if youre out for a special occasion. Previously, Ive picked up pastries from the case to go and they were excellent.