SO DELICIOUS! They've really outdone themselves in their soft launch. The vibes are lovely, the decor and ambiance is relaxing and warm, and the service is really knowledgeable, accommodating, and friendly. We got the grilled vegetables, the oysters, the milk bread, the soba noodles, the scallops, and the dorade fish and it was all truly special and great. Really interesting original and well seasoned. The Paris Breast was also an excellent dessert. I could tell there was a lot of thought put into this menu. We have been longtime fans of Kosen which was how he heard of this spot, and it truly did not disappoint. Perfect for special occasions! Chef Alex, Rachel, and Samantha were all very cool. Highly recommend! read more

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New place in town. Started with Chilled Soba Noodles. Poached Shrimp, House Pickles, & Cilantro. Really nice start. Clean cool and refreshing. Then Scallop Dachi Cream, Rice, Celtuce. Scallops were cooked so good! This was a really nice dish. Then Wagyu Ribeye Black Garlic & Bok Choy. Again really well cooked with amazing seasoning. Delicious. Our server was amazing. So friendly and knowledgeable. Getting adjusted to St. Pete after moving from Hawaii. Everything was great. We look forward to our next visit. read more

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The food was pretty good, but unfortunately they have an auto-gratuity of 20% (I thought the whole purpose of tips was giving for good service?) And then they also default to an additional 22% on their Bilt app when you check out on your phone. Ridiculous. The manager was nice and apologetic and explained that they were trying to get that fixed, but not good enough. Under no circumstances should you "default" to a 42% tip. Close your business down for the night before you allow that bullshit. read more

Visited during their soft opening for our 6 year anniversary! We were not disappointed with the food and service. Everything was explained to us in detail and we got amazing recommendations from our server. I don't think I can pick which dish was my favorite because everything we got was delicious. There is paid parking directly in front of the establishment so we had no issues with that however we did go earlier than most people eat dinner so it was super easy for us. The management was very attentive and asked us near the end of our meal asking how was everything. The inside is very intimate, low lit and pretty quiet which I love so you don't have to scream to talk to the person in front of you. Would definitely come back again! read more

Mei - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

6/6/26 Another 5 star experience ... After day 2 of the Red Bull Cliff Diving competition, 6 of us meandered over to Mei where we ordered 11 of the 16 dishes they currently had to offer plus dessert: milk bread, crackers + dip, oysters, grilled farm veggies, madai crudo, chilled soba noodles, scallops, pork chops, duck breast, ribeye, lamb, & sticky toffee pudding. Thank goodness we were dining family style. Bonus points for running into two of our friends seated a table away + another two neighbors who stopped by for drinks & dessert. We eventually squeezed everyone into our table area towards the end of our gastronomic adventure. Kudos to all the staff for being able to handle our large, sun-beat & starving group with ease. Plus, a special shout out to hostess Autumn for her helpfulness in arranging these group dinners. I love seeing her friendly face in the neighborhood. Milk Bread - classic, must try Crackers & Dip - recommend - great snack with drinks Oysters - highly recommend - fantastic, melts in your mouth (and I'm not usually a fan of raw oysters) Grilled Farm Veggies - highly recommend - fresh, crisp, flavorful Madai Crudo - highly recommend Soba Noodles - recommend - another tasty app Scallops - highly recommend - wow, perfectly prepared Pork Chop - recommend Duck - recommend Ribeye - recommend Lamb - highly recommend - tied w/ Dorade fish from my previous visit for favorite entree Sticky Toffee Pudding - unable to properly rate as I don't truly enjoy desserts, but others seemed to like it Oopsie, I forgot to include from my first visit... Whole Dorade (Mediterranean Sea Bream) - highly recommend - tied for favorite entree - the slightly acidic, snappy veggies were the perfect accompaniment for this crispy skinned fish, eat it all, super delicious I look forward to dining at Mei again in a couple weeks with a third group of friends. read more

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The food was OK. The service was OK. The prices were expensive for the experience. There is so much potential but the menu did not deliver and the overall experience did not deliver. Nothing set it apart from the other venues in the downtown neighborhood. Hopefully this will change. The bread was fantastic and the ambiance was lovely! Next time we'll try the chef's tasting and see what's up with that. I'm not ready to give up on this yet! side note... the soba noodles are not as pictured. They are the skinny wheat ones. Not as good as what's pictured! read more

We went to Mei during soft opening. If they are going for the Japanese word for niece, the pronunciation would be "may-EE". The food was pretty good and better than expected. The menu (at least right now) is quite small. We had the bread which was excellent. It comes with more butter than you need so they could optimize that. Then we had the Madai cruso. Four small bites. Quite yummy though. For entrees, most people at our table got the ribeye. 2 ordered the chef-recommended medium rare. The other ordered it medium. The ones that were medium rare arrived at the table just warm instead of hot. Assuming because they sat while the other one was still cooking. I got the scallops. There is four large ones to an order on risotto and ro. Pretty good. For drinks, there is no liquor license. That was fine though. They have Japanese beer which is reasonably priced. There is a variety of wine styles. When my beer was served, the glass came separately. For a restaurant going for this level of quality, you should pour it for me. For the appetizers they didn't reset is between the crudo and the bread so the bread absorbed some of the sauce when sitting on the plate. I'd also prefer if their water is cold. It was quite warm. If you are sitting along the windows and near one that does not have a curtain, it can be warm. when the scaffolding is removed from the building, it will be blinding and hot there in the evenings so I would be thinking about that. Note they do add a service charge of 20% onto the bill. All in all the food was good. They have a few kinks but they will get those worked out. read more

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We went here for their soft opening and if this is them working through the kinks before the grand opening, then oh man is St Pete in for a treat. Was it perfect? No. Was the food phenomenal and will we be back? Absolutely. It's located where Bento used to be and the aesthetic is clean and fresh. I will say the place is warm. Pretty much everyone was fanning themselves and they need a better ac system. We split appetizers and each chose an entree. I had the whole dorade. It was the crispiest skin I've ever had on a fish. And the sauce is made with fish stock from the fish head. Chef Alex has a no waste approach and he's so creative. The service is working out its kinks but honestly they were great. They communicated when things were happening, all of the staff was super knowledgeable and chef Alex himself is running plates. All in all this is a gem in St Pete. Don't skip it. read more

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From the moment the milk bread arrived, warm and pillowy with just the right touch of sweetness, it was clear the kitchen knows what it's doing. The accompanying butter, finished with marigold salt, was just one word - "lovely." My optimism wobbled slightly with the tartare. The dish felt underdeveloped - too much dill and not enough flavor. Things picked back up with the soba noodles -- fresh, well-balanced, and satisfying, if not particularly revelatory. The squash blossom was a more adventurous offering: a unique preparation, great texture and a wonderfully creamy cilantro sauce. The scallops were cooked to perfection, as was the risotto that came with them -- though the overall dish skewed a little too salty. A small correction away from greatness. And then came the duck: the undisputed highlight of the night. Flawlessly executed, with a cherry glaze that was nothing short of divine. One of those dishes you keep thinking about long after the meal is over. Dessert was a happy surprise -- the Paris Breast - we ordered blind and were rewarded with something unexpectedly delightful. Super light, anchored by airy puff pastry, with a popcorn texture that was the perfect way to close the evening. Service throughout was excellent. The open kitchen added a lively energy to the room. A few practical notes: the waiting area leaves something to be desired if you're held before being seated, and the layout doesn't lend itself well to large groups. Gratuity is included, which is always appreciated. With three glasses of wine, the bill came to around $300 for two people. For a restaurant that is just in its "soft opening" phase, the future is bright. read more

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We were fortunate enough to be invited to the soft opening of Mei. Given the tenderness of the staff and the quality of the food this is sure to be another landmark restaurant within the greater Tampa area. The milk bread was absolutely delicious and perfectly we enjoyed the lamb chops and the duck which were cooked to perfection. We also enjoyed the fish and the dessert which were phenomenal. This is definitely going to be a go to restaurant in the St. Petersburg area. Cheers to Chef Alex and thank you very much for allowing us to be a part of the grand opening festivities. read more

Mei - Milk bread - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

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Superstar Chef formerly from Kosen is pulling no punches and is taking the reins of his own restaurant. Went for the soft opening and we were not disappointed. Service was exceptional and the servers' recommendations blew us away. Every bite told a story! Space was gorgeous and intimate. Can't wait to return and try the Chefs counter. read more

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We dined in at Mei Restaurant tonight and had a great time. I was excited to come here since the restaurant is a fusion of French, Nordic and Japanese cuisine. The restaurant is easy to miss and kind of non-descript from the outside, but it's street facing near the Publix and by the Camden Apartments. There is paid street parking along the entire street and it's not expensive (I paid about 4.00$ for 2 hours or so). The inside is elegantly designed with lots of natural colors, fabrics and textures like most of the restaurants that are in the Bento Restaurant group. The staff as usually was giving 5/5 with great customer service. They were friendly and helpful and in a great mood which I always love. The menu is small yet, but they are just opening, so things are still coming together. I have Celiac Disease and they were so helpful advising me what can be made gluten-free. Unfortunately, there oysters ran out tonight, so I will be coming back to try them! We got to try some other items such as the beef tartare (not gluten-free) and the grilled vegetables with salmon roe and creme fraiche (gluten-free). If I had to recommend a dish I would definitely advise the duck as a fantastic entree. The duck was one of the best that we have had anywhere and we love duck and have had a lot of it. It was so tender and full of flavor and the side of swiss chard that came with it was absolutely delicious. We also had the lamb chops as well and finished with the mango sorbet (I also highly recommend this). The sorbet was thick and full of ripe mango, it was not like how most sorbets have a lot of ice in them, this one was basically like eating a delicious pureed mango. If you love mango you will love this. The sake was also fairly priced and eveeyone was extremely helpful with helping me find one that I would enjoy with dinner. From what I see the restaurant has beer, wine and sake. Overall, we loved dinner and would highly recommend Mei Restaurant for date night. If you dine in St.Pete and you liked Lingr then this place will probably pique your interest! read more

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Unbelievable experience at Mei! From the Milk bread and crudite to the soba noodles, and the duck experience was perfect from start to finish! Our server, Melissa was also exceptional!! Highly recommend!! What a fantastic addition to the St. Pete food scene! read more

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Such an amazing experience at Mei, we tried 9 menu items and loved everything !! My favorites were the soba noodles and the ribeye! The service was exceptional and explained everything very well ! The restaurant is beautiful and homey feeling which adds to the experience! We will definitely be back ! read more

Mei - Ribeye, Scallop, Whole Dorade - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

Terrible service Embarrassing portions Lacking flavor Save your money and go anywhere but here read more

Delicious spot! The menu was limited but I didn't mind it, as I felt like they did the dishes on it very well. Smaller share sized plates which I liked because you got the chance to try several things. Atmosphere was intimate and cozy. Service was very good. I would definitely visit again! read more

Server Madison was the best part. Crudite, wine, soba noodles were great. We were disappointed that the Dorade was three small pieces and not the whole fish as pictured in other reviews. They do add a 20% service fee which is clearly noted on the bill with option of leaving additional gratuity. Check out is on an app which was fine with us. Nice atmosphere but we left a bit unsatisfied. We hope then success. May return in the future but not our go to place. read more

Service was not good, 3 of 4 meals were not finished. Dorado fish so so fishy, pork chop dry along w chicken was dry. W most of meals still left on 3 plates and server never asked about it. Save your money. The bread was amazing though. read more

The aesthetics were great. The drinks were great. The food was very good. I love the duck. The scallops were probably the best scallops I've ever had no joke. The general manager and the director were absolutely amazing. They made me feel very welcomed and took very good care of me. read more

Mei - chips and dip - Asian Fusion Near Me - St. Petersburg, Florida

This was one of the worst restaurant experiences I've ever had, and we never even got to eat. We live 30 minutes away and were on our way to the restaurant when a major car accident created severe traffic delays. Knowing we would be late, my husband and I did exactly what any reasonable customer would do: we tried to call the restaurant. Not once. Not twice. SIX times. We also left THREE voicemails. The problem? Their phone apparently doesn't work. When we finally arrived, the hostess wasn't even at the hostess stand. Someone had to point her out to us. We then watched her look directly at us multiple times without acknowledging or greeting us. When she finally spoke to us, we were told we could not be seated because we were late. We explained that we had repeatedly tried to contact the restaurant and that their phone wasn't working. To remove any doubt, we called the restaurant right there in front of them and proved in real time that the phone still wasn't working. Despite that, nobody cared. No apology. No attempt to accommodate us. No manager stepping in to help. Nothing. Had we simply shown up late without trying to communicate, I would understand the policy. But when customers make six phone calls, leave three voicemails, and the restaurant's own phone system fails them, the responsibility no longer falls solely on the customer. For a brand-new restaurant, this level of disorganization and complete lack of customer service is astonishing. If your reservation policy depends on customers calling ahead, perhaps make sure your phone actually works. We wasted over an hour driving, sat through accident traffic, made every reasonable effort to contact the restaurant, and were still turned away because of their own operational failure. This experience guaranteed one thing: we will never return, and I would strongly encourage others to think twice before making the trip. read more

We recently dined at Mei during their soft opening and had an A+ experience. The food was delicious, flavorful and exquisitely prepared, with lots of interesting twists. I had the scallops, which were cooked to perfection and served with a creamy and tasty corn polenta with fresh corn. Everyone else loved their entrees as well. Don't miss the milk bread or the desserts. The corn waffle with blueberries and corn ice cream was unique and terrific, same for this sticky toffee pudding. The service was excellent and the setting and ambiance were just lovely. It is a bit pricey, but well worth it - definitely an ideal spot for a special occasion. We'll be back! read more

We visited during the soft opening. Service was slow which was understood. Food was good until someone at my table took a bite of fish and blood was in her mouth. After we pointed out to waitress, the chef came to table and tried to explain "it was cooked it was the bloodline" but he wasn't aware we also had a chef at the table. The bottom line is the fish was undercooked. Hard to give a second shot. Chef should have just owned up to mistake. No apology in any form. read more