Ok, I'm so happy I finally tried this place. The ambiance, the service, the food were all top tier! They had live music and he sounded amazing. I can't wait to come back. read more

Stunning Speakeasy Vibes, but the Menu is Carb-Heavy, the entrance to Madame Fortune is pure magic. You enter through a small shop and ring a bell at a hidden bookshelf door--it feels like a true secret spot. The interior is cozy, dark, and incredibly unique. We arrived early while it was still quiet and sat at the bar. Our host/bartender/server, Chanel, took care of us. While she was pleasant, the service felt a bit disorganized and it took quite a while to receive our drinks, which was surprising given how few people were there at the time. The Food: The flavors are definitely there--tasty and with a nice Caribbean kick--but the composition of the dishes left me disappointed. I ordered the Oxtail Shepherd's Pie ($35), and while the flavor was good, it was overwhelmingly mashed potatoes and corn bread. For that price, I expected more than just a few small pieces of oxtail and a tiny portion of cooked greens and onions. The Verdict: If you love carbs and cornbread, you'll be in heaven. However, the menu feels like it needs a modern touch. There is only one salad option, and the meat-to-starch ratio is way off. I'd love to see more protein-focused options and fresh greens added to the menu to balance out the heavy sides. Great for a drink and the "wow" factor of the hidden door, but the value for the food isn't quite there yet. Also a lot of fried food, which I rarely eat. read more

Good vibe. The speak easy experience with the hard to find address, fake store front and secret bookcase door made it very unique. Overall the food, oxtails, pineapple upside down cake and Brussel sprouts were very good. I suggest giving the customer four oxtails rather than two. Somehow caramelize the pineapple on the upside down cake. That is a must. Don't just place a fresh piece of pineapple on a beautiful piece of cake. Even if you put sugar on the pineapple and scorch it with a torch. Do something. read more

I had this on our 'places to visit' while vacationing in Tampa as it had popped up on a list of '10 speakeasies in Tampa you gotta check out'. I had followed them on IG for the password but it wasn't needed. There was some awkward confusion about whether we could get in, but the bartender/server Jay jumped in and we were "in". Jay really was an asset and turned our experience around. We learned he served in the military and lived in our hometown Seattle for awhile (thank you!). We enjoyed cocktails only, having recently eaten. I had the 1866 - a light refreshing cocktail with St Germain and Aperol, topped with sparkling wine. Very vacation-y. We learned the cornbread is a must-try, but we'll have to visit again someday to try it. Atmosphere inside was swanky, chill, with a bit of ritz. Great history in their story. It's worth a visit! read more

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This place is tucked away in ybor. Its a speakeasy so its hidden behind what looks like a bakery. We had come for a friends birthday where a reservation was made prior for 10 people. They were told that there would be no problem seating everyone and since its a surprise the guests could be seated prior to the birthday girls arrival. Day of the table was not ready until 30 mins after the expected time. They also tried to seat two guests of the group separately. Unfortunately disappointing from what we had been told. The food was great with good portions & variey. The ambiance is nice reminds me of nola. And our server was great! read more

Late night dinner with some friends. We truly enjoyed ourselves. Food was excellent! I had the hot honey lemon pepper turkey wings, mac n cheese, brussel sprouts, cornbread, and espresso martini. Service was good. Atmosphere was a vibe! They had live music and a dj. It's on the pricey side but nice for a night out in town. Recommend you check it out! read more

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I ordered different desserts for delivery through Uber and I was not happy overall. The chocolate cake and sweet potato cheesecake were the only things I enjoyed. I also ordered corn bread, sweet potato bread puddle, and beignets-- all things I did not eat after a few bites. The bread pudding actually had fruit in it, not sweet potato. The beignets were not crispy enough and the corn bread was and dry. I had a better experience in the restaurant with the savory food so I did not expect to be so disappointed with the desserts in the delivery order. read more

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Upon entering this speakeasy there was art, music and the story of Madame Fortune and the trees she planted. The curry sauce with the dumpling was so flavorful and delicious. The Taylor made drink was my favorite drink I tried and would def recommend that drink to anyone who enjoys lavender honey drinks. The staff was very kind and a place I felt welcomed. read more

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My husband and I were in Tampa and looking for a place to grab dinner when he found this cute little speakeasy called Madame Fortune. We couldn't get a reservation at first because it's pretty popular, but we finally snagged one and I'm so glad we did. When you go, you actually need a password to get in, which was such a fun and unique touch. We booked an early time and ended up being the first ones there, which was nice because we got to take in the whole vibe. The atmosphere was cozy and creative, and the menu was amazing. Everything we tried was full of flavor. Honestly, every bite had something different going on in the best way. Our waiter was great too. He took time to walk us through the menu and gave some solid recommendations that didn't miss. The manager even came by to check on us, which I really appreciated. You don't always get that kind of attention at restaurants anymore, and it made the experience feel extra special. If you're in Tampa and thinking about going, definitely make a reservation ahead of time because this place fills up fast. Totally worth it though. Great food, great service, and such a fun experience. read more

Overall my experience was nice.. the hostess wasn't the friendliest but we all have our days when we don't want to be at work.. we were told immediately that the kitchen was behind about 30 mins. I do appreciate being told than not being told at all. My table order the tostones, the sweet potato cornbread and the crab cakes. The only thing was a no go were the crab cakes, way too salty. My entree choice was the lamb chops with potatoes and eggs.. phenomenal! The lamb was cooked to perfection, my potatoes were crunchy and fresh. I enjoyed every bite. However the friends both order the shrimp and grits and to return them. The grits were cold and clumpy. If you are a grit person, you know that is not acceptable. The restaurant was kind enough to remake their orders. One decided to switch her meal to the veggie omelet which she said she should have placed that order in first while my other friend was still let disappointed in the second shrimp and grits. The manager came over, apologized and gave them each a complimentary order of the sweet potato cornbread which I believed they both appreciated of. Give them a try. read more

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Absolutely terrible experience. We had a paid reservation and still waited nearly two hours to be seated. Another party that arrived before us also waited the same amount of time before finally giving up and leaving. The so-called "manager" with the mohawk was more interested in taking shots with patrons at their tables than actually managing the chaos. The hostess was completely overwhelmed and admitted that management wasn't communicating with her all night. Meanwhile, women were left standing in the tiny, overheated entrance in heels, sweating while waiting endlessly for tables. The bathroom was filthy--grime and hair all over the sink, no toilet paper, and a horrible smell that made it hard to even be in there. When food finally arrived, it was an insult: the oxtail plate came with only two pieces, both almost entirely fat. The rice was undercooked in spots, ice cold in others, and overall inedible. The naan was a joke. It had to be old, it was literally hard as a rock. Don't get the salmon. It was literally microscopic, and came with 3 asparagus... nothing else. It was a child's plate. Worst of all, this was supposed to be my friend's birthday celebration, and the entire experience completely ruined her night. read more

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Good: ambience. starters. waitstaff friendly. drinks mixed perfect Bad: 1 hr 30 mins for main courses to be delivered to the table and then not edible because 2 of them were cold. there are no microwave in the small kitchen so trying to replace the food was a nightmare that ended poorly. Hint: not edible. the manager (Jarvis) solution was to recommend I visit a second time and give his name. why specifically elude me. He should have satisfactorily resolved the matter immediately. A very disappointing visit to a restaurant that by all accounts should have been a pleasurable experience. read more

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Great atmosphere and great food . I really enjoyed the sweet potato pancakes Will definitely be back read more

Madame Fortune - Sweet potato pancakes - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The good. Place has awesome decor. The staff were all very friendly and interesting. The drinks were very good (tried the South of Harlem and another whose name I can't remember). We ordered the honey lemon pepper turkey wings and they were mind-blowingly good. I'd return just for that. The not so good. I wanted to make reservations. I happened to find them online, made the reservations for two and when I arrived they confirmed they saw my reservation. They then proceeded to ask for my password, to enter the speakeasy. I received no password. I pulled up the email confirmation I got and confirmed there was no password given. They said Open Table always provides it. I explained I'd reserved through their website. They explained they don't take reservations on their website because their website is non-operational. Except it wasn't because they clearly received my reservation. I was very confused. They let us in regardless. Clearly, they need to get their online presence together because there's definitely a way to reserved outside of open table. But just be aware of that little issue. The main issue here for me was that the place was very small (in typical speakeasy-type place fashion. But the rectangle layout and being seated in the very middle made it so that noise was all around us, everywhere. My date and I could not understand each other. We decided to leave after drinks and appetizer because we wanted to actually have a conversation. read more

The entrance is Hidden behind a bookshelf in a coffee shop. Love the decor inside. Comfortable seats at the car and half booths along the wall. We decided to stop in and luckily they had availability at the bar. Highly recommend reservations. For food we tried the Mac and cheese served in a skillet and the sweet potato cheesecake. Both were decadent. 10/10 read more

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Sooo, Madame Fortune is a hidden gem in good ol' Ybor. I love a speakeasy with a secret entrance! We were greeted by a friendly hostess and grabbed seats at the bar since it was just me and my friend. The low-lit vibe made it perfect for a cute date night, the art on the walls was amazing, and they had a great music playlist setting the mood. Now, let's talk about the food. Babeee, did you expect anything less? Every bite was on point! I enjoyed everything I ordered and can't wait to go back to try more. What was ordered: Turkey Chicken Wings: Big and full of flavor Fries: Cooked just right read more

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We enjoyed being out on the town and the beautiful decorations in the restaurant. However the service was slow and they did not explain the service charge fee on each individual bill. My bill alone was $99.00, very expensive. I had one drink, corn bread and main course. No one offered us a dessert. read more

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This speakeasy is a very cute date night place or just eating with friends. Very aesthetically pleasing. They play great music and it's at a good volume. My bad, camera didn't eat first. The oxtails rigatoni is delicious! Bussin bussin bussin. They are not shy with the meat and it is very flavorful and tender. The cornbread was overcooked. The bartender made me a whiskey sour with Sir Davis it was so good! read more

Madame Fortune - oxtails rigatoni Cornbread - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The ambiance is really unique. Overall, service is good. In the night my friend and I went, the host was less than friendly and our main server must have had tables around the dining room and not by section. The menu is very enticing and my friend talked it up from a prior visit. But we did not enjoy what we ordered. It might be a different chef or something going on in the kitchen. The cocktails were good. So, we will probably try again after some time. Hopefully, it was just an off night. read more

I saw this speakeasy type restaurant on Instagram and decided to visit while in Tampa. Once you arrive at ROAST bakery a secret password is requested. Then you open and walk through a bookshelf into this secret soulful restaurant. The crab cakes were good with an equal balance of filling and crab meat. The Mac n cheese had a nice cheese pull and flavorful. They were not stingy with the bubbly for the mimosas. The music was mostly R&B and was not overbearing to where you could not have a conversation. Madame Fortune is a vibe and I will visit again ! read more

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Food was awesome and the service was great. Loved the recommendations and the ambiance. I did go on a Sunday and they opened the restaurant 30 minutes so I'd recommend making a reservation for 30 minutes after they open. But soon as we walked in we were set and the experience was great from there. They don't allow anyone under 18, so be mindful of that also. We will definitely be back to try more items on the menu. read more

Madame Fortune - red sangria and the sweet potato cornbread with hot honey - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Disclaimer I was with a party of 16. The restaurant is small so we took half the restaurant. We had a great server Jodie. She what on half our party. I have to say water is a rare here. They give us a glass of water 1/3 filled ...it 90 degrees outside why can't I get water. After we finally ordered we waited 1 hours for food. The place has low lighting so trying to get picture for the birthday girl was a struggle. Let's talk food The main dish that was suggested was red snapper...market price 60. No we didn't have that. So at my table there was oxtail sandwich, jerk chicken fried rice, lamb chops, Salmon & oxtail nachos. Every said the meal was good. The lamb chops were tender. The fried rice had lots of flavor. read more

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12/26/24. We were here celebrating the holidays in Tampa and were encouraged by other Yelpers to have dinner here. They were absolutely correct in their recommendations because we loved it! First of all, I loved the Madame Fortune speakeasy ambiance. I had never been to one. This was a treat. We entered the Roast Deli store from the street where we parked and were welcomed by the hostess and then the bookcase started to open and we entered into a wildly decorated and beautifully decorated darkly lit bar and restaurant. I immediately felt excited wondering what was happening next. Was I on a movie set? I was ready, ha ha. We were warmly welcomed by our lovely server, Chanel No.5, aka Shannelle. She gave us some good recommendations. Ti start with, my daughter ordered a drink called Find Your Fortune and found it to be delicious. I wanted cold still water. The food selections all sounded good but I picked Pepper Pot Shepards Pie, which was Really good! It came with the delicious Cornbread and a bean and spinach salad. Great meal! Loved it. My daughter ordered the Lamb Chop entrée and loved it. There was great R & B Rythym and Blues music playing in the background to increase everyone's mood to soothing and relaxed. Chanel checked on us every so often at the right times. She was absolutely the best! For dessert, we picked a slice of 4 layer chocolate cake to share. We didn't know it was the size of half a cake, lol. We had a few bites and took it back to the hotel room for later. If you are a chocoholic, then this cake is for you!! The very fresh and sweet strawberries on it were amazing! We had a fabulous dining experience and will definitely be back next time we are in Tampa! Thank you, Shannelle and MF. read more

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We had a lovely anniversary dinner here. The waitress were so nice- even went above and beyond to capture the best picture of us. This place is where you go if you want to dress up and feel fancy. The food was delicious- the lambchops were perfectly seasoned and tender. The manager walked by every table and checked in with the customers. This place is one of few that doesn't include tip automatically on the check! read more

Waiter was awesome, I think he was the only one this day. Food did take a while but drinks and appetizer didn't take long! It's right next to 7th and Grove. Sweet potato cornbread and turkey wings were a hit! read more

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First time visiting for half of my party of four. Had a reservation for the first seating on a Saturday night. Took a minute for some of us to find the venue, but once we figured out the speakeasy part it was all good! Cozy atmosphere. Decor and art was spot on. Loved learning the story of Madame Fortune from the website. They have bar seating and tables. Everything we ate was tasty and visually appetizing. We dined on salmon with asparagus and rice pudding, plus grilled shrimp; oxtail pot with greens and cornbread; fried snapper, rice, greens and plantains. The only reason I couldn't give them a five is something was off in the kitchen in terms of timing. Three meals arrived at the same time, although one was missing shrimp. The fourth meal arrived at least ten minutes after the rest. Didn't like the fact that we had to ask about it. When it did arrive it was missing a side of greens which also came late. Our server was also doubling as bartender. Bathroom was nicely decorated and clean. I'd return again. We wanted to support a Black owned business, especially during Black History Month. So glad we gave them a try! read more

Madame Fortune - Oxtail pepperpot with cornbread and greens - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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We had a dinner reservation at 5:15 and no one had arrived yet so it was extremely nice just have the place to ourselves for a little while. Our server was Chanel and she was a ray of sunshine; so kind and very sweet. We ordered the sweet potato cornbread and curry empanadas for our appetizers, Taylor made and plaisance paradise cocktails, and for our entrees we had the jerk teriyaki salmon and the Benny burger. Everything was delicious and we had zero complaints and the music was really nice to listen to! Highly recommend and the place is absolutely gorgeous too! read more

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The atmosphere, food, AND service was TOP TIER! Tim, our bartender was fixed a "Find Your Fortune" that was delicious! I only planned on having a cocktail. By the time I finished talking to Jarvis about various items on the menu, I became intrigued! Sides of Parmesan & Hot Honey Brussel Sprouts, smoked Gouda Mac & Cheese, and Parmesan fries, Beignets... I WILL BE BACK!!! read more

Madame Fortune - Find your fortune - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Came here for brunch. It's kinda like a speak easy, the entrance is through a book case which was pretty cool. I ordered the pitcher of the sangria and it was very good, I recommend the potato corn bread and Mac and cheese. Everything was supper flavorful and the vibe was there. If you're in the area looking for some good food I would def try this spot! read more

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We came in with a reservation for 5 on a Sunday for bunch. The Ambiance: Very cool, aesthetically pleasing. It's smelled like an old and musty building though at 11am. I'm sure it gets better once the kitchen fires up. We were the only table for the first 30 minutes of our visit. The music was so loud we were shouting hear each other. The Menu: Everything looked good. Items with unique twists made choosing difficult. The Meal/Service: The food itself was probably a 4 star rating. The service seemed promising, our server came & took our orders 1st for drinks and again for food and never came back until we were finished to drop off checks. We were missing an ordered item and several in our group would have ordered more drinks. There is an automatic 20% gratuity on each check. My bill for French toast and a part of a champagne tower was just under 38 dollars. Paid in Cash, received no change, so I guess my tip was a non elected 20 plus percent. Overpriced, underwhelming. read more

There was a mix-up with our reservation: I booked for 7:45 PM, but it was changed to 7:00 PM. When we arrived, the host initially said our reservation had been canceled, and we had to wait 15 minutes before being seated by the manager. Service was slow, and our food took 45 minutes to arrive and was lukewarm. The Lemon Pepper Honey Flats were tasty but slightly dry. We ordered the Whole Fried Snapper and Jerk Salmon; the roasted corn purée with the salmon was gritty. The restaurant has a nice atmosphere, but service speed and food temperature need improvement. read more

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The ambiance was 5/5. The food was 2.5 for the price. I am so disappointed. The menu descriptions of curry, cajun, and other flavors promises an exciting taste. But everything we tasted fell flat. The cajun mussels was literally a bowl of melted butter, no cajun flavor. Portion size was ridiculously small for $11, maybe 6 mussels?? The non happy hour price was $22! Then the shrimp ceviche was all avocado, again no citrusy flavor. The menu said jerk shrimp, that shrimp was flavorless. Served with Truffle plantains, that had no truffle flavor. The lamb chops were extremely charred and should have been served. I could flake off the burnt crust The pasta literally says: spicy curry alfredo. It was not spicy, and I have a very low spice tolerance! I really wanted to like this place, but I guess you don't come here for the food. They charge an automatic 20% service charge!? For a table of TWO people. I am so disappointed At least the service was good and the music too. read more

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Great food with a nice vibe but seating was limited. Even with reservations we were packed in tight. I loved the live RNB music. Shouts out to our server Jade who did an amazing job. The cornbread and the Jerk lamb chop dish are a must. read more

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I waited until I had quite a few meals under my belt before I decided to do my review so now I'm sure Madame Fortune really deserves the 5 stars I want to offer. Madame Fortune is a speakeasy with Caribbean inspired dishes, located behind the "secret" bookcase once u give the passcode for the week. The password changes weekly so you have to make a reservation on open table so they can send it to you ahead of your reservation. It's located inside of Roast Deli which looks like a coffee shop and bakery from the street. It's a pretty small dining room so it gets filled quickly so trying to go as a walk in isn't a great idea on Fridays and Saturdays when they're most busy. Now let's get to the food... Chef Ed really knows what he's doing in that kitchen. Here are the things I've tried, ordered from most to least liked and what I thought of them... Oxtail Pepperpot Snapper Lobster & Shrimp Curry Stew Lobster Macaroni Seafood Rice Cook Up Truffle Mushroom Omelet Beignets Blackened Citrus Salmon & Crabcake Shrimp & Chicken Curry Alfredo My rating of the Alfredo is possibly a bit skewed because I ordered it to go. Alfredo is never good when it's reheated. read more

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This is a Black owned business, a sister business and next to 7th and grove! It is a speakeasy, so you will need a password and reservation. You might can walk in and get a bar seat, just from my observation while I was there. The front is a nice bakery with tasty pastries and sandwiches. It used to be pretty hard to get a reservation but I think a day before NYE, not many people were wanting to go out to eat so I made a resy an hour and a half before we went. The decor is so nice and speakeasy-ish. So kinda dark, maybe a little too dark. Delicious Caribbean Soul food. I've only been for brunch will need to go back fro dinner. They do seem to run out of ingredients, so just a heads up. The food needs no extra seasoning; my only complain would be the long wait for taking our food and drink orders. read more

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Make sure you make a reservation because this place gets busy (yes, even on a weekday). I enjoyed my lamb chops dinner and my drink. The curry chicken empanadas are very dry I would skip. For the quality and quantity of food that you are receiving, I do think it is overpriced. The ambiance is very cute and it is a "speakeasy" hidden behind a deli store. If I return it will likely be for drinks. read more

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This is the sexiest Speakeasy in Ybor City. Disguised as a coffee shop with subtle vibes you enter through an unsuspecting bookcase you're transported to a dimly lit dining room and bar. Now lets get to the food: We had a variety and everything was phenomenal Brown stew chicken-flavor was amazing, chicken was moist Rice and peas were plentiful but just ok The cabbage/greens were SOO GOOD! Mussels were a little salty Oxtail sandwich: flavorful and the plantain chips were a perfect addition Lobster Mac and Cheese- I could eat it everyday!!! Drinks: YES PLEASE. They were out of 1 but their signature drinks were amazing and pretty Service: Chanel N° 1 the bomb! Attentive, great disposition and the right energy read more

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This was my second time coming to Madam Fortune's and first time for brunch!!! The brunch options were great and I ended up getting the sweet potato pancake entree that came with chicken wings, eggs, and a whole slice of sweet potato pie! I also got a side of grits. Overall, my food and the vibes were amazing! Docking a star because the service was a bit slow. It took over 20 minutes for my iced coffee to arrive after ordering it. But again, can't complain about the food one bit! read more

Madame Fortune - Sweet potato pancake meal - Caribbean Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I went to Madam Fortune's with a couple friends on a Thursday evening. We were impressed with how cute the decor and inside is! We shared a few items off the menu to include the wings, empanadas and shrimp along with the Madame Fortune specialty cocktail. The wings were okay and a sauce would have been ideal to dip them in. The empanadas were very good and the shrimp coating was a little too soft but good overall. The cocktail was on the sweet side and good overall too. The best part was dessert. The chocolate cake was SO good! The service was also very good and our server was pleasant. The menu is overpriced but nice for a date night or girls night out. read more

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Y'all, when I tell you that I left this place in awe, calling friends and saying we gotta go back - I am not exaggerating one bit. Everything about this place was INCREDIBLE. From the music, the decor (very Florida and classy and moody!!!), to the food, and the drinks?! Plus, phenomenal service. The food was straight fire. The bread board was fine, but that sweet potato cornbread was to die for. Next time, I'm gonna skip the bread board and get double cornbread for a big group. My curry chickpea stew was sooo good. I barely dug in (too full from the breads!), and definitely had enough leftover for two meals. I also got the Brussels sprouts, and they were super yummy. Baked to a crispy perfection, with tons of chili crisp. My friends got some different things and loved them all. We were all silent cause we were eating! Now the piece de resistance to me was the Room 30 Espresso Martini. It's their house espresso martini, made with Hennessy. Y'all, I can hold my liquor, but this thing was STRONG! And DELICIOUS! It threw me for a delightful loop. Cannot recommend it enough. Like I said earlier, I will be returning and introducing tons of friends who weren't familiar to this place. Shoutout to their restaurant group for an excellent addition to the Tampa foodie scene. read more