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    Koya

    4.8 (24 reviews)
    Closed 7:00 pm - 9:00 PM

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    Recommended Reviews - Koya

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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.

    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!

    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.

    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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    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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    3 years ago

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

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    Tori Bar

    Tori Bar

    4.5
    (332 reviews)
    0.3 mi
    $$

    My partner and I tried this spot during their happy hour, mainly for the matcha martini but we…read moreluckily tried a few other items on the menu and loved them! The ambiance is very dark and intimate inside, moderate noise from all the other parties around but the decor is too notch. They have very fast service with plenty of workers constantly around cleaning and bringing items. We ordered the matcha martini which was very good but on the sweeter side, we also tried the HH highball and cocktail of the month which were also good. For food we tried the shishito skewer, karage, and 4 different hand rolls which came with wasabi and ginger on the side. Everything tasted fresh and was very flavorful, what a great spot for happy hour and we will definitely be back!

    3/5 Stars Great spot…read morefor a happy hour! The waitstaff was fantastic and super attentive, though the hosts could definitely work on being a bit friendlier. I'm leaving 3 stars mainly due to their gratuity policy and a minor service mix-up. They automatically added auto-gratuity for a "party of 6." Hear me out--our party was actually 4 adults, a toddler, and a 3-month-old who slept in a carrier the entire time. Charging automatic gratuity for an infant feels a bit excessive. But they said that is the owners rules. They have to count by head, not by who gets served. On top of that, we asked three separate times for our second order of edamame and it was never brought out. Overall, good vibes and food for happy hour, but the billing policy for babies and the forgotten item were definitely frustrating.

    Photos
    Wine display at Tori Bar!
    Wine display at Tori Bar!
    Braised pork belly, mentaiko fries (huge portion even during happy hour!)
    Braised pork belly, mentaiko fries (huge portion even during happy hour!)
    Bar area

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    Bar area
    Ro Hyde Park Sushi Bar & Asian Restaurant

    Ro Hyde Park Sushi Bar & Asian Restaurant

    4.1
    (293 reviews)
    0.5 mi

    Excellent experience. Sit at the sushi bar- they are so engaging and hospitable. Logan and Ameer…read moremade the night entertaining and made the evening worth it. When you spend good money on good, it ought to be worth it. It is certainly worth it here. The food was fantastic, the decor and environment was so high end. I will be back. Highly recommend!

    Had a fabulous dinner at Ro while visiting Tampa last month with my sister! We were both craving…read moresushi and this was the perfect spot for a girls night out. We also love Hyde Park and it's just so nice to walk around that area before or after your meal. We started off with cocktails -- I went with the pomelo (nikka coffey gin, aperol, grapefruit, szechuan peppercorn) and she got the shinshun (sparkling sake, yuzu extract, & honey). We both really enjoyed our drinks. For appetizers, we shared the wagyu gyoza and I also got a couple pieces of nigiri -- Hokkaido Hotate (scallop) and the otoro (fatty tuna belly). Yum! We both ordered sushi rolls (maki) for our mains. I got the Ro signature roll which has spicy tuna, avocado, and hamachi. My sis got the classic tempura shrimp roll topped with crispy potato chips which was a nice twist. We definitely got our sushi fix! The end of every meal comes with a complimentary sweet surprise and I'm so glad we saved just enough room for dessert. They make their own ice cream in-house and have fun rotating flavor combinations. I can't remember the exact flavor we had, but it had a passion fruit ganache on top with some crumble topping and it was phenomenal! Some of the best ice cream I've ever had. That alone is worth going back for.

    Photos
    Interior
    Interior
    Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice
    Spicy Tuna Crispy Rice
    Sitting at the bar, looking behind you

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    Sitting at the bar, looking behind you
    Noble Rice

    Noble Rice

    4.3
    (240 reviews)
    1.3 mi
    $$$

    First time eating here and it didn't disappoint. Everything was fresh and creative. Service was…read morestellar and our waiter was knowledgeable about not only the food menu but the drink menu as well. Hubby and I started with the neki toro and tempura poke rolls both which were super fresh. The rolls also seemed to have less rice than other sushi restaurants we frequent which we both loved. If you are a tuna lover like I am, I highly recommend to try the toro flight as well! The Dungeness crab salad was interesting but absolutely delish. It comes on a bed of tuna carpaccio which makes for a nice presentation. The kamo crostini (duck breast with onion jam on house made toast points) is inventive and flavorful. Each bite had that satisfying sweet and savory element to it. To round out our supper, we also shared the kinoko gohan with salmon (mushroom coconut rice with a salmon filet) and it was for sure the highlight of the meal!The salmon is marinated and cooked to perfection so it just melts in your mouth and much like the crostini, there is a sweet and savoriness to each bite of the salmon and rice. For desert we tried the soy milk panna cotta which was silky and light. The restaurant itself is super cute and well done inside. It is dark enough to create a cozy, intimate ambiance without being so dark you can't see what you are eating. The noise level is also acceptable. The restaurant was pretty busy while we were there yet we were still able to enjoy good conversation without feeling like we had to yell to one another across the booth. We cannot wait to go back!

    What an amazing evening and experience…read more The staff is incredibly helpful and nice. The food is incredible extremely fresh. Had the omakase and it did not disappoint. The most delicious and surprisingly treat was the chocolate covered foie gras. Don't be a hater you must try.

    Photos
    Negi toro roll
    Negi toro roll
    Panna cotta
    Panna cotta
    Cocktails

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    Cocktails
    Kinjo

    Kinjo

    4.8
    (29 reviews)
    0.0 mi

    My fiancé surprised me with a reservation to Kinjo for my birthday and it was 10/10. The restaurant…read morewas very intimate. The staff was super friendly and accommodating. The food was absolutely delicious. For our appetizer, we had the bread service with whipped ricotta and confit yolk butter. The butter was perfectly salted and was very creamy. I had the pappardelle as my main and it had this nice spicy kick. We will definitely be back.

    Kinjo is an innovative concept for Japanese Italian fusion. We've been driving past this location…read morefor years and mostly remember it as an ice cream shop. We found parking in lot just north of the building. The room is not large at all, so I expect the volume level to increase later in the evening when mostly full. The tables are tiny which caused an issue for me. I asked our waiter to leave the menu so I could study the Japanese beer options which appear to be very unusual. He insisted on taking the menus away. If the beer list was on the online menu I would have researched each offering in advance. My goal was to see the Beer Advocate ratings and review for each, but without enough time to check each on my phone I gave up and ordered wine. We found the corstini with anchovy quite good and the caesar salad featuring bechamel crisp interesting. They are quite proud of their balsamic vinegars and featured them prominently. We had pappardelle and risotto for mains. Each was good and fit the profile of the restaurant.

    Photos
    Kinjo
    Cappelletti
    Cappelletti
    Dessert Caprese

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    Dessert Caprese
    Haiku Tampa

    Haiku Tampa

    3.8
    (522 reviews)
    0.8 mi
    $$$

    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!

    Terrible from start to finish. Waited 25 minutes at hostess stand without anyone coming to help…read more Ended up seating myself and waiting another 15 minutes for a waitress to help. Food is terrible - they even forgot the egg as a part of my ramen and brought me a frozen egg when I mentioned the missing item which was disgusting. Octopus is so tough and chewy. Terribly cooked from frozen. Mango sticky rice is absolutely horrendous. Nothing like what you expect. Temperature is terrible - they don't use A/C so it's incredibly hot and humid in restaurant. Avoid this place at all costs.

    Photos
    Lobster Tamaki Roll
    Lobster Tamaki Roll
    Haiku Uramaki
    Haiku Uramaki
    Crab Maki, Haiku Uramaki, Lobster Tamaki

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    Crab Maki, Haiku Uramaki, Lobster Tamaki
    Yoko's

    Yoko's

    4.1
    (336 reviews)
    2.4 mi
    $$

    It was my BFF's birthday and we had planned on going to a different restaurant, however, they were…read moreclosed, so we came here and I'm so glad we did. We ordered wine spritzers to start off and they were light and refreshing. Then we ordered crab rangoons to share. These are not the same ones you get at your favorite Chinese take-out. The dumpling was crispy around the edges but soft in the middle, with a very delicious filling. Next time I think I'll order my own!! We also ordered salads with ginger dressing which was good. We shared two sushi rolls: the Gronk and the Red Devil. The presentation was very nice and the rolls were really good. Our server Veronica was sweet and did a great job of taking care of us. We got there early, around 4:45ish, as we had reservations for a craft project afterwards, and had only an hour or so for dinner. It was nice and leisurely and we never felt rushed for time, thanks to our server and the kitchen. A very lovely meal!

    My bestie brought me here for my birthday, and we had a great meal. Our server was friendly and…read moreefficient, and there when we needed or wanted anything. It was early evening, so we were some of the only people in the place, but I know it gets crowded later. We started with crab rangoon and spritzers. The filling in the crab rangoon was excellent; I just wish the dumplings themselves were hotter. Followed that with a basic ginger salad-just lettuce and a good ginger dressing. Our rolls is where they shined, though. We shared 2: the Red Devil and the Gronk. The Red Devil was great with a bit of a kick, but the Gronk was my favorite; just a winning combo of yellowtail, krab & cucumber topped with tuna, yellowtail, eel sauce, spicy mayo, tempura chips and roe. Delicious! Dessert was going to be had later in the evening, so all in all a very fun meal.

    Photos
    Inside
    Inside
    Mackerel Nigiri
    Mackerel Nigiri
    Sushi rolls, Yoko sushi

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    Sushi rolls, Yoko sushi

    Koya - japanese - Updated August 2026

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