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    Koya

    4.8 (23 reviews)
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    Best uni ever
    Christy H.

    I feel like after living in Japan and NYC, I've been very, very fortunate to have had some incredible culinary experiences. My husband and I really appreciate/value an expertly crafted meal.. Koya in Tampa absolutely blew us away. We came here for an early birthday dinner. I often speak in superlatives, but I truly think this was the best course meal I've ever had. They absolutely deserve at least one more star on top of the one they already have. The fish was so tender and flavorful. So often the rice can be overlooked, but not here. It was perfectly cooked and seasoned. I thought I didn't love uni or soup broth. My husband thought he didn't like raw squid or raw scallops. We were both proven wrong. I honestly think I can say I've never loved a meal as much as this. (I'm so sorry to all the places that have come very close.) I can't wait to go back, and if you ever find yourself in Tampa Bay, please go here. It's worth it. On top of all of that, the service was excellent. Koya has a small team full of friendly and knowledgeable staff. Once again, absolutely incredible. The vibe is of a typical sushi bar, which fits the ambiance well. However, you can feel relaxed and not on edge. It's the best of both worlds. Have I adequately expressed how obsessed with this place I am?

    A5 wagyu
    Kristen W.

    Koya is such an awesome intimate dining experience with a level of food quality that is unmatched. The ingredient sourcing alone is just fantastic. Add thoughtful presentation and skilled preparation and your meal is destined to be one of a kind. We enjoyed everything placed in front of us and even made new friends in our intimate space. I definitely recommend Koya for any omakase, high end food lover. You will enjoy the food and the experience.

    Katie J.

    Koya is in my opinion, outstanding on all accounts. The chic intimate interior is stunning. All the staff are honestly one of, if not the best I've ever had. They explained everything in detail and were so knowledgeable, kind and honestly funny. Calling the food served at Koya "food" doesn't do it justice. It's a true work of art that I honestly felt kind of bad eating because of how stunning it was. And of course everything was delicious. This restaurant is perfect for a special occasion or just a nice dinner. All in all a great place that I without a doubt hope to return to.

    Ika
    Jason Y.

    Food was amazing! The chefs were knowledgeable and explained in great detail of each course and the origin. Very small intimate 8 seat counter, great atmosphere and ambiance for an anniversary dinner or special occasion with friends. My top pieces were definitely the Uni on the milk bread. The Maguro and King salmon, the Ika (squid dish), Hokkaido Uni with the pasta, and of course the orange passionfruit ice cream. Basically the entire course! Definitely would come back again for their winter menu to see what they have to offer!

    Elle L.

    They are both creative & yummy dishes! Have been a few times and will continue to be our favorite omakase spot in Tampa! Definitely deserving of the Michelin stars!

    Travis S.

    If you're looking for the most authentic and highest quality Japanese experience in Tampa look no further. I have been to this restaurant several times now and it just keeps getting better. If you are a little weary about going to a Japanese restaurant where it's omakase style where you leave it up to the chef and you have no idea what the menu is until you show up don't be afraid. Take a chance and try this wonderful cuisine to its fullest. Or if you know what you're getting yourself into then you will be very pleased with everything. Everything is flown in straight from Japan. Chef Eric and Adriana and their team are very experienced and operate a the highest of levels. Don't let the price scare you away. Treat yourself and save this for a special occasion.

    Famous and popular uni
    Jon L.

    Honestly some of the freshest creative sushi around. We did the seasonal tasting NOT the nigiri tasting and it was full of delightful varieties of delectable treats like the famous compressed melon and a triple corn panna cotta with corn sorbet and popcorn! The most amazing waygu "steak sando" and of course their famous UNI. Worth the Michelin star and the hefty price tag and my wife opted for the reserve sake paring which was a real treat and sensory experience. Service was impeccable and the atmosphere was a simple, intimate 8 person tasting counter.

    Toro and caviar
    Peter C.

    I had an amazing Omakase experience at Koya and was blown away by the level of creativity behind many of the dishes that were served. There were too many dishes to recall each perfectly but I will go through some of the highlights: Scallop with passionfruit in some type of cream-based broth. Lovely blend of flavors here, scallop tasted very fresh. O-toro tartare with caviar on the side. A simple dish, but one of my favorites I tried tonight. Uni on toasted milk bread. I loved this concept! Milk bread being so sweet and savory, and the richness of the uni adding to that was next-level. King crab in some type of crispy roll. Delicious and I'd devour a second one in an instant. I was very impressed with their dessert dishes as well. I appreciate the blend of contemporary French and American in a traditionally Japanese setting. The service was immaculate and our host/server was always ready to refill our drinks and replace our dinnerware. This place definitely meets the service criteria for a Michelin star establishment.

    "A little variety please"

    Toro take out, sooo yummy. The takeout is limited days only, I can't wait to for the next one!

    Timmothy T.

    Very intimate atmosphere. Only 9 of us there for the evening. The chefs were great, had some good conversations with them along the way. Definitely suggest doing the alcohol pairing with the tasting. All the dishes were small but had so much flavor. It was a very relaxing and enjoy experience. Parking is easy, which is on the side or back. Expect to pay close to $600 a person if adding the pairing to the tasting. Everything was phenomenal, so fresh and so flavorful.

    a small piece of food on a white plate
    Rodney E.

    Amazing atmosphere, outstanding chefs who explain everything to you perfectly and interact with you throughout your tastings, highest of quality fish and meats, perfectly matched and balanced flavors, warning will leave you with super high expectations from any other Japanese restaurant!! Couldn't ask for a better experience.

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    5 months ago

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    2 years ago

    Great food, service, and ambiance. Best sushi in town. Great prices, we had a bit of everything on the menu.

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    2 years ago

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    3 years ago

    Amazing tasting menu, service, and experience. Although I do wish the portion sizes were bigger.

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    Izakaya Tori - Yum....

    Izakaya Tori

    4.6(702 reviews)
    2.3 miSouth Tampa
    $$
    Casual dining
    Grab-and-go

    EXPERIENCE: My…read morefriends and I made a last minute decision to come and grab dinner here. The placed was decked out in Japanese culture. It is a small restaurant so the atmosphere is very bustling -- I liked it though. Definitely expect a wait of at least 25-30 minutes, but once you sit down and order, your food comes out really fast! FOOD: Mentaiko Fries 10/10 -- Delicious! Definitely my #1 recommendation here. Krab Special Salad 6/10 -- You taste more mayo than anything. Shiso Rangoon (n/a) -- No rating because I didn't try any. Just keep in mind that the rangoon is wrapped in shiso leaves and it's tempura styled. It's not in the pictures since we ordered it later on. My friend liked it though. Takoyaki (n/a) -- I never tried it but my friend who loves takoyaki said it tasted really good. Katsu Curry 8/10 -- The rice to katsu ratio is upsetting because the curry sauce is soo good. BBQ Eel on Rice (n/a) -- My friends entree. She liked it enough to say she would get it again the next time she comes. Kimchi Cream Udon (n/a) -- Two of my friends ordered this entree. One enjoyed it and the other one couldn't finish it because she got sick of eating it. Said it tasted too "fatty", needs more seasoning (?). However both felt queasy on the ride home.

    Izakaya Tori is easily a 5-star spot for sushi in Tampa…read more Everything tasted incredibly fresh, high quality, and thoughtfully prepared. The sushi was beautifully presented, and every roll we tried was packed with flavor without feeling overdone. You can really tell they care about the ingredients and overall experience here. The atmosphere is also a huge part of what makes this place special...cozy, modern, and perfect for either a casual dinner or a night out. The staff was friendly, attentive, and made the entire experience feel welcoming from start to finish. Definitely one of my favorite sushi spots in Tampa right now, and I'll absolutely be coming back.

    Photos
    Izakaya Tori - Tonkotsu ramen.

    Tonkotsu ramen.

    Izakaya Tori - Assort of skewers

    Assort of skewers

    Izakaya Tori - Variety of Japanese sakes and Japanese craft beer

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    Variety of Japanese sakes and Japanese craft beer

    Ro Hyde Park - King salmon

    Ro Hyde Park

    4.1(275 reviews)
    0.5 miHyde Park

    The manager is a complete moron. I don't know his name, but it's some guy with a high pitched…read morevoice. If something is wrong with your order, good luck talking to that idiot. The food is good though.

    5/5 We absolutely loved RO in Tampa. The place is beautiful and has such a great vibe the moment…read moreyou walk in, but what really made the night stand out was how special they made my mom feel. We started with a lychee martini and a beer, and that lychee martini was SO good, sweet, strong, and honestly one of the highlights of the night. We also got the edamame. It wasn't my favorite since I usually prefer a more classic seasoning, but it was still fine and not a big deal at all. For our main dishes, we had the chicken fried rice and the steak with eggs and potatoes, and both were delicious. Everything was flavorful, fresh, and cooked really well. The atmosphere was gorgeous, service was great, and since it was right after Mother's Day, they surprised all the moms with a rose and complimentary ice cream, which was such a sweet and thoughtful touch. It honestly made the experience even more memorable for my mom. The only small downside of the night was that they only had three baby high chairs available, which made it a little tricky since there were families there, but other than that, everything was amazing. Overall, definitely recommend this place if you're in Tampa; great food, amazing drinks, beautiful ambiance, and a really special experience all around.

    Photos
    Ro Hyde Park - Sitting at the bar, looking behind you

    Sitting at the bar, looking behind you

    Ro Hyde Park - Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice

    Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice

    Ro Hyde Park - Restaurant

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    Restaurant

    Noble Rice

    Noble Rice

    4.3(229 reviews)
    1.3 miChannelside
    $$$

    Definitely a five star experience…read more The things Noble Rice does well they do extremely well. I got the fig sour and it was absolutely delicious. I would get this every single time and I wish other places made it. My friends all loved their drinks too, so I think the drinks here were a total hit. Our absolute favorite dish was a mushroom coconut rice. We actually ended up ordering a second order of it because it was so good. If you like coconut, this is your dish. It is a savory dish so it is eaten for dinner. All of the rolls were very good too. They come with eight pieces so they are on the larger side. All of the fish tasted so fresh. The one thing I was not a fan of was the Shishito peppers. They weren't as blistered as I generally like it. Also, the kale salad was a little spicy for my taste. I did love the candied nuts and if it wasn't so spicy, I would have enjoyed it so much more. But I do think the taste was really interesting and if you can handle spice, I would recommend it. The desserts are divine. We got the Belgian waffle and the Panna cotta. The Panna cotta was definitely my favorite. They are small desserts so at first, I was nervous ordering two desserts for our table of four women, but when they came, we cracked up because our waitress said that the Belgian waffle was perfect for four people, and it was because we had another dessert. Otherwise it is tiny. These are not huge desserts. This place is basically on Sparkman's wharf. So paid parking is plenty full as long as there isn't an event happening. The decor of this place is beautiful. It is dark but not too dark and it is easy to have a conversation because it isn't super loud. I would definitely come back to this place.

    Michelin rated restaurant in sparksman wharf The food was…read moredelicious, the maki and the boa buns were good! Prices are on expensive side similar to miami. The servers super nice and very familiar with menu Food with super fresh and delicious however i excepted more from michelin rated restaurant. I think we have better in miami

    Photos
    Noble Rice - Negi toro roll

    Negi toro roll

    Noble Rice - Hanabi Maki

    Hanabi Maki

    Noble Rice - Cocktails

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    Cocktails

    Haiku Tampa - Braised Pork Belly

    Haiku Tampa

    3.8(522 reviews)
    0.8 miDowntown Tampa
    $$$

    I tried this place out while in town to watch the Patriots beat the Bucs. The food was very good…read moreand I enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant. The waitress I had was very friendly and helpful. I had a reservation so I didn't have to wait to be seated on a Saturday night. The vibe was pretty cool. I tried the dumplings and the Yakitori Tasting. I ended up going back the next night and it was quiet but the food was still good. I'd go back again.

    Recently visited Haiku for a friend's Birthday Dinner and had some items I loved and some that I…read moredid not care for. To start the crab cake was amazing. Didn't need all the micro greens for garnish on top but this could be overlooked because taste and flavor was amazing. The tuna tartare was super tasty as well and I would definitely order this again same comment for micro greens on this dish - didn't need this and found myself moving it off the dishes to actually enjoy the item. The two not so favorite dishes for me were the fried rice topped with fried chicken. While chicken was very tasty the rice was extremely basic. Could have used eggs or other ingredients to elevate this dish. Also the Volcano roll was extremely disappointing. Normally the volcano topping is cooked or (torched) and this topping was cold and very unappetizing. Would not recommend this roll. Overall this place is a hit or miss. Service for our large party wasn't bad and everything came out pretty quickly!

    Photos
    Haiku Tampa - Lobster Tamaki Roll

    Lobster Tamaki Roll

    Haiku Tampa - Haiku Uramaki

    Haiku Uramaki

    Haiku Tampa - Crab Maki, Haiku Uramaki, Lobster Tamaki

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    Crab Maki, Haiku Uramaki, Lobster Tamaki

    Koya - japanese - Updated May 2026

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