Think traditional Asian Cuisine with with a contemporary twist. Envision Tokyo’s Toyosu Market. “ro,” located in Tampa’s Hyde Park Village turns Fine Dining into a Modern Asian & sushi experience.

I visited Tampa’s new high-scale restaurant, ro, amid the excitement of its opening and am blown away by the restaurant’s stunning artful design, quality flavors of the cuisine, and fully immersive experience.

Beginning with what the eyes notice first; ro’s artful architecture and interior design. I am swept away with the appearance inside the restaurant, creating a luxurious atmosphere and and transformative space. ro features beautiful ceiling-to-seating details between the center booths, a colorful wall-sized mural by renowned muralist, Alex Proba, mesmerizing grand barrel-vaulted ceilings above, large curved booths for bigger parties, an intriguing use of circles, unique yet intimate lighting, and many other countless details in which make the atmosphere of Ro both impressionable and memorable.

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The dishes are like no other. ro stays true to authenticity receiving deliveries from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market to ensure the freshest and most authentic fish. In addition, ro selected key ingredients found in the Southeast Asian region to create an authentic experience. Originally from Tokyo himself, multi-Michelin starred chef, Chef Kiichi crafts the most outstanding modernized traditional Asian dishes.

The presentation of each dish is absolutely beautiful, a work of art itself, and definitely tastes even more delicious than it looks. They offer a large menu, in my opinion, of maki & sushi, cold & hot tastings, lamb chops, duck, soups, and more. I love their drink menu as well, offering uniquely crafted specialty cocktails of Asian influence. Below each cocktail and list of ingredients is a paragraph of detail and explanation of the cocktail’s story or meaning, giving a cool piece of education and cultural experience. ro also offers sake, wines, beers, and spirits.

Here’s what we ordered – Everything was amazing:

Cocktails:

kuusou
awayuki gin, aperol, strawberry sorbet, agave, lemon

ichigo-ichie
rumhaven coconut rum, coconut cartel rum, matcha, coconut, orgeat, almond milk

tokonatsu
espolon reposado tequila, shishito pepper, lemongrass, lime, yuzu soda

kizuna
reyka vodka, apple sake, chai, montenegro amaro, lemon

Cold Tastings:

hamachi carpaccio
yuzu kosho ponzu, serrano peppers, chili sauce

Maki (Sushi):

spicy hamachi
shishito peppers, hamachi

ro
spicy tuna, avocado, hamachi

spicy salmon
spicy salmon, seared salmon

tonkatsu
pork belly, soy paper, black bean sauce

Another aspect of what I love about ro is the immersive experience; our kuusou cocktail was lit with a torch at the table, the matcha of our ichigo-ichie cocktail was poured at the table, and other dishes offered at ro leak fog onto the table, etc.

I had such a pleasant and memorable experience at ro. From the outstanding service, to the elite dishes and dazzling interior design – creating a luxurious fine dining experience in the heart of Hyde Park Village, Tampa.

I can’t wait to return!

Want to read my other food & drink recommendations? Click here.