We had the pleasure of going to The Olde Heights Bistro tonight. I'm not sure why I haven't been before, but I'm certainly kicking myself! The space is quaint and cute. The parking was nbd. There is quite a bit of parking in the back and a space or 2 in the front. We started out with the cheese plate...which I always get...everywhere. All 3 cheeses were delightful and even the toasted bread was 10/10. My husband had the Japanese Curry and I had Shoyu Ramen. Both were rich with flavor and perfect in this cooler, rainy weather. The portions were substantial and we both brought quite a bit home. Service was perfect and everyone in the restaurant seemed like a regular. We will definitely be back. read more

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Great find in Seminole Heights. I loved the variety and the menu. So many great Japanese and American options. Sandwiches are big and the Japanese entree options are also a great size. We ordered the steak sandwiches and the Japanese Curry. All very good! Service was provided by one of the owners and he was so courteous and attentive. We enjoyed learning more about his business and the story behind the menu. Ambiance is very casual and the restaurant is more of a tiny local hole-in-the-wall gem, but well-decorated despite its simplicity. A really good spot for lunch in the area. We're coming back :) read more

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My first time visiting Old Heights Bistro, located in the heart of Seminole Heights was a delight. This cozy gem, made for a warm welcoming vibe. John was very pleasant and attentive which I loved. I started with a house made red sangria which in my opinion the best I've ever tasted. You can tell it was thoughtfully curated. For my dish, I chose the spicy tuna and salmon bowl with rice, scallions, wasabi and it was filling, delicious and refreshing. I can't wait to come back to try other things on the menu. I would highly recommend!!!! Update: I came back and had the chicken Marsala and my fiancé had the shrimp pasta. Everything was fresh and delicious once again! read more

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Located right off of Nebraska in Seminole Heights, Olde Heights Bistro is a delightful little spot that feels like home from the moment you step inside. The warm, inviting atmosphere pairs perfectly with their homemade dishes, each bursting with fresh, flavorful ingredients. The portion sizes were generous, and the prices were surprisingly affordable. Service was friendly and attentive without being intrusive. You can tell the staff genuinely care about making customers feel welcome and the cook puts love into the food. If you're looking for a cozy, unpretentious place with delicious food and great service, Olde Heights Bistro is well worth a visit. I'll definitely be coming back! read more

The Old Heights Bistro - Japanese Curry Plate - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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When we walked in we were greeted so kindly by staff. They make you feel right at home. The restaurant is small in size, but the food is bursting with flavor! We started with the spring rolls. They were crispy and tasty. For my meal I had the Bistro Veggie Sandwich with chips. It was amazing! The bread was toasted perfectly and delicious! Fun fact share by cook: the bread they have is only in two restaurants in Tampa. The veggies on the sandwich were so fresh. The house-made hummus was creamy and had a few chunks of chickpeas, which I loved! I'd go back to try other items, but I definitely want the sandwich again. read more

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food 5/5: order the shiu mai, the Portobello stack, the Japanese curry, and the fillet mignon. The Shiu Mai was was on special and it was OK. There was no sauce that went with it. It was kind of dry. And the size was very small. The portobello stack was great! Very flavorful the mushrooms were cooked until tender. I really enjoyed that appetizer. The Japanese curry was super flavorful and had a lot of umami. There was pieces of pork within the sauce. It was a great dish. Great classic! I also over the filet mignon that was cooked perfectly and flavored so well! and the risotto was amazing! I usually don't like risotto, but this risotto was great! service 4/5: food came out slow, took a long time to get water. it was busy though. there was only one server. however he was very kind. I think he's possibly the owner or manager? ambiance 5/5: cute modern small restaurant with a small bar with Japanese touches. Definitely fills up fast. read more

Very tasty and fresh! We appreciated the kind hospitality from Phil. We ordered the gumbo, shrimp dumplings, beet salad, deviled crab, lightning roll and spicy tuna roll. Everything was delicious. Prices were very reasonable too. A cozy spot, off the beaten path. Will definitely be back. read more

This bistro is secluded along a strip of used car lots, abandoned plots of land, and loan sharks. The word "Bistro" is advertised on the window but no where on the exterior did I see the full name of the restaurant which was a little confusing. The interior is dark and not necessarily the most welcoming, but the sole server was very friendly. He was quick to start us with water and suggest some of the menu items. I wasn't aware that this bistro serves Japanese cuisine, including sushi. I wasn't sure if I wanted Japanese food but saw that they offered a lot of other options. Sandwiches, salads, and a few main course options were more typical American cuisine. I ended up ordering the Tokyo Bowl, and quickly forgot most of the toppings so I can't comment on which specific parts that I liked. Luckily, I liked everything about the Tokyo Bowl (besides the ginger cos I don't like ginger). Service is great, food is great, location is a little too isolated from any other interesting businesses. read more

The Old Heights Bistro - Tokyo bowl - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

Awesome...quiet and just personable. We really enjoyed the space and the ambience....

This place is very hole in the wall spot and I had the yummiest rolls (Mango Shrimp Roll & Crunchy Salmon Avocado Roll ) and my friend got the Lomo Saltado. Def would come back to try mor ! It's a place I feel like people probably drive by this place all the time and not know it's there because it's so hidden. Great service , very attentive! The parking is in the back and a little confusing at first but def glad I stopped by for lunch ! This would be perfect spot for a date night so you can have a conversation without it being too hectic and loud like other places. They also have beautiful artwork on the walls that you can purchase! I like that they have so many food options incase there is someone that doesn't like sushi! My Peruvian friend loved the Lomo Saltado (a traditional Peruvian dish) , she approves! read more

The Old Heights Bistro - Mango Shrimp Roll & Crunchy Salmon Avocado Roll - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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We came to this restaurant for dinner on a Friday evening and it was empty. At first I was a bit skeptical about eating here since there was a pretty weird smell, almost like a gas leak. However, we did stay and ordered a few dishes including the octopus, the cold Japanese noodles and the Japanese curry. Overall the food was tasty, the udon noodles were definitely my favorite but the octopus was surprisingly good in terms of the combination of textures and flavors (the octopus itself was a bit overcooked, rubbery). The curry itself was very flavorful and had a slight kick, but the chicken cutlet was under seasoned. We ended our meal with their Japanese custard which is cream cheese based (I know, sounds weird) which was surprisingly light and not too sweet. Their prices are reasonable and they do have some parking in the back of the restaurant but access is only through the front. read more

My new favorite SH spot. Went for lunch today and we tried the buffalo chicken sandwich and a tuna and seaweed salad bowl. Both were delicious! The sandwich had homemade blue cheese sauce and homemade buffalo sauce. Love the ambiance of a small place with like 8 tables and a bar. One of the owners/chefs came helped us and he was super nice and genuinely cares about his customers. Will be back for dinner soon! read more

We tried this little bistro, we got impressed the food options: a mix of Japanese (Chef came to our table to recommend sake and food) and American. Highly recommend the Southern fried". The gumbo was amazing!, we also had Stir fry, delish! read more

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Over priced and lacks flavor in their food. The idea behind this small restaurant joint is cool but it's not worth the food. I had a Portobello aioli sandwich that was just ok with a veggie sushi roll, and my wife had a Cajun sandwich. They had no veggie sushi options so I had to design a roll which obvi cost more. The roll was bland and the avocado was not great. This place is cool to try but being vegan/vegetarian it's not worth it read more

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First time here. Nice little local spot with an interesting selection of good. A lot of sushi items, sandwiches and entrees. Small beer list but met our needs. I had a Japanese curry dish that comes with rice, fried boneless chicken breast and a sunny side up egg with a little bit of veg. Very good flavor. Hubby had a poke bowl type item- I do t remember the name. Friend had the Tampa steak sandwich which is their spin in a Philly cheese steak. We share an appetizer of a tuna dish. All was good. Would recommend and would certainly go back. read more

The Old Heights Bistro - Poke Shima Bowl (maybe) - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Chirashi was amazing! Doesn't get better than this local spot! Highly recommend for both bistro and sushi options, equally delicious. read more

The Old Heights Bistro - Chirashi - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

The Olde Heights Bistro took over from one of my favorite local places to grab healthy food for takeout. When they moved in, they kept a few of the same items, and added a lot more, including sushi. I have ordered to-go a few times and thought it was okay, but the couple of times I have eaten in the restaurant, I have not been impressed. The parking lot is a hot mess. I'm not sure why it has not been paved, but be aware it's a rough, dusty, cluster of people parking every which way. The interior is small and bland, but fine. Service is friendly, but overwhelmed. This visit, my friend and I decided to eat in, and we both started with miso soup. The restaurant had just finished it's lunch rush, and we were 1 of 3 tables, yet the soup took a good 20 minutes to come out. It was salty but flavorful, although it was oddly served in a coffee mug. For my meal, I ordered the sashimi platter, which took a good 30+ minutes to arrive, and I felt it was just mediocre. While I did love that they included eel and squid on it, and the salmon was very good, the tuna was some of the palest, flavorless, worst tuna I have ever eaten. Not bad, mind you, just not high quality. I would positively not order it again. I come here about once a year, even though I live just blocks away, and I suspect it will be another year or two before I return. read more

The Old Heights Bistro - Sashimi platter. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Excellent food, friendly service, and quaint atmosphere! I can't believe I've passed this place for years.

Their food is amazing. I don't think I have ever got anything just okay as the flavors are so fresh. The sushi is awesome. The portions are good size and the price is great. read more

This is a small, intimate place in Seminole Heights. Parking is free. There's about 10 tables and a bar seating area. Great music and vibe. The menu is varied, with tapas and large size options of bistro fare such as hummus and various salads, soups and sandwiches. I've tried just the soup of the day, which was seafood gumbo, and the sushi. The gumbo ($3.50 for a generous cup) was delicious and packed with seafood and chorizo. It was rather underseasoned, so a bit of S/P did the trick. I then feasted on the rainbow roll, with fish so fresh and delicate. I was in heaven. Service was OK. My server had no idea if there was tomato and/or creme in the soup, and never bothered to find out to tell me after I asked. Just a little training will do her fine. It's amazing the variety of the menu, and I'll be back to try some more of it! read more

The Old Heights Bistro - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

This place is a little hidden gem. I'm not a big fan of Seminole Heights but there's a lot of nice little restaurants putting out great food. This is one of them. And about the menu, they have tons of different stuff from sushi to steak sandwiches to Poboys to clam chowder, you name it. That's one thing I like about the cheesecake factory, their menu is huge with a wide variety. This place has a nice menu and will handle any craving you have that day. Being on the small side it was actually only five tables in there with a small bar. But that's the old Seminole Heights type buildings. Our waitress was super friendly, asked us questions if we liked the food and if the taste was to our liking. She was also prompt bringing out our appetizers and our meals. The Gyoza and spring rolls were good. My friend had the portabella parm sandwich and I had the Tampa steak sandwich which was really good. I'll definitely be back to try some of the other meals that I'll be craving one day. Oh and I'll definitely be trying to sushi next! read more

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I should've known better when I walked in and the place smelled and was dirty. Ordered Chicken Bistro Sandwich (on their website menu it includes sopressata, provolone, bacon on a brioche bun for $16) to go. When I got home, All I received was a grilled chicken breast on a hard roll with lettuce and tomato on the side. When I called, Chris told me I was looking at an old menu (even though I told him it's the menu on their website right now, see below). No offer to help other than... "if you decide to order from us in the future, let us know this happened." Thanks, but no thanks!!! I cannot believe this place is allowed to sell sushi... and no parking also! read more

The Old Heights Bistro - Menu on website - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

We love our restaurant street at old height. This restaurant I have bookmark for some time. I love the creative chef went out their own and have their independent restaurant. This business owner did a good job for themselves. We were here on Friday night late after 8 pm. There were seats in this restaurant. The seating area is limited. Very nice clean bathroom. Tonight we order three small plate. The escargot, the sear blue fin tuna, and the mussel. The escargot is seat on the bread and pour in wine sauce. It make it perfect when they are soak. The escargot is in good size and they about 10 pieces. Sauce is about the right touch for the escargot. The mussel come with creamy sauce. It is a good dish to pickup not over power the material. I like the tuna the best. This a blue fin tuna in belly section. It is a bit fatter and rich in taste. They are likely seared top with a bit soy sauce with fragrant taste and lay over a special chili sauce. The price for the small plate is good. The price of the large plate in about the medium to high side. Not much of seating area but good enough for the night. read more

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I never would of found this place if not suggested by a friend. He loves hole in the wall type places and this one definitely fits the bill. I showed up and parked in the back and couldn't figure out how to get into entrance of the restaurant. So I called and was told to hang tight and that they would meet me in the back to help me access the restaurant. I literally walked through the patio, through the kitchen and then to my seat. As a yelpie, this was a great experience as I got to check out a behind the scenes of their operation. I chose the tuna and my friend had the lomo saltado (he's Peruvian). My tuna salad was a bit different than pictured on yelp but was very delicious and tasted fresh. My friend said his lomo saltado was good and had the perfect amount of spice. The recipe is said to come from a visit the owner had in Peru, and the recipe was given to him from a local owner of a restaurant. Can't get any more authentic than that. They do have a decent beer selection and the service was great. The concept is Asian fusion since one owner is Japanese and the other is a southern dude. Phil said that they were going to expand the backyard patio, add a garden and looked towards growing out the space. This was a great visit and we really enjoyed our meal. read more

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We love this place so much. We're from Carollwood but we come here for a lot of reasons...excellent food, Dexter, the community feel... and last but not least one of the owners, Phil, will generously share his cooking knowledge. It's our home away from home, if that home also served really good food. read more

Back again since last time. Still stellar, still the same cool and friendly people. Still the same phenomenal food (oooooo and I asked for the rest of our olives to go since we had to go to get to the Paul Simon concert and they gave us *extra* olives!!!!! Bonus!!!!!) These really are such cool people. We had a schedule tonight, which was unfortunate. You should really go when you have time to hang out and shoot the shit and really *think* about what you want to eat. This is because their menu changes based on what's available locally and what's in season. Two things for dinner : 1). Make a reservation unless you're a regular and show up early 2). If you only have an hour or hour and a half to spend before you leave, let them know and they will accommodate you. When I tell you that these folks take their food seriously, I mean it. The food is crazy good and crazy fresh. The folks who run it make you feel like you're eating in their personal dining room. You'll like them so much, you'll want them to sit down with you and eat! (I'm not joking here, my friend said said he wished we could've spent 3 hours here) Having said all that yes the filet was still good, yes the scallops were still good, yes the wine was off the charts good, yes the hummus and olives were good, yes we wanted to try the gumbo and pot stickers but our stomachs weren't big enough and we were on a schedule yadda yadda yadda... read more

Feb 2018- I must continue to rave about this restaurant. Now- Old Heights Bistro is small and quaint and similar to tiny NYC restaurants. If you are looking for flashy, go elsewhere. Their flash and sparkle is their food. The restaurant is the BEST in Seminole Heights as far as I am concerned. I would give Heights Bistro 10 stars if that was possible. The food is spot on, and I have eaten in this establishment many more times than I have checked in- and I have never had a bad experience. The seafood gumbo is outstanding, the burger is the BEST in Tampa and the service is wonderful. Natalia is just amazing and can handle the dining room single handedly. I have to give it to the owners. They have nailed what having a quality product and an amazing business is all about. Walk do not run, to this restaurant if you have not tried it yet. They also serve breakfast, and Brunch in Sunday's! We were invited to lunch by a local friend who is a realtor in Seminole Heights and he frequents the establishment often. I believe that it used to be Reservations to Go. It is a small restaurant with a nice menu that also included sushi! I ordered the burger with a large side of pasta and my lunch mates had a po-boy and the meatball sub. The food was fantastic. The burger was so flavorful and I had it medium well with Swiss cheese, pickle, lettuce, tomato and onion. Delicious!!!! The pasta salad is also delightful. Cooked al dente with black olives, sun dried tomato and basil- yummy. The po-boy and the meatball sub was also delicious according to my guests. The service was lovely and speedy as well. We finished lunch off with a slice of carrot cake which I have to say- is to die for. Excellent lunch experience and just another great eating establishment in Seminole Heights!!! Since starting this review I have frequented this restaurant often! The food is always delightful! read more

Stopped in for lunch with a friend. Quick service great food. Menu looked like it had something for everyone. I had the Chicken Parm sub and it was great but all the food I saw going out looked awesome. Will go back. read more

Wow what a great hidden gem! Living on the other side of the bridge, I often forget the great food options in Tampa and this did not disappoint. Let's get started, we ordered the following appetizers (all pictured): Octopus (daily special) - tender and delicious a must try Hummus - flavorful and fresh Cheese plate - a great variety and tasty Mozzarella Risotto balls (daily special) - not normally something I would order but it was so good and cooked perfectly Spring rolls - pretty standard veggie spring rolls, can't go wrong Marinated olives - my favorite, I wanted to ask where they get them so I can buy more! Now on to dinner: Beet salad - not part of my order but I had to try, it wasn't my cup of tea as I believe the beets were pickled but others seems to enjoy it French onion soup ×2 - I did not personally try it but others said it was pretty good (pictured) Sushi (steak roll, chicken roll, Mexican roll, California roll, Japanese begal roll and 2 other I didn't catch the name of) - not a single complaint about the sushi from all those who ordered it 1/2 Chicken ×2 - personally ordered the chicken and it was delish! Normally chicken comes out dry and tasteless but this chicken was so moist, juicy and flavorful (highly recommend)! (Pictured) Shrimp scampi w/ linguini - I did not try this dish but the plate was empty at the end, just mean it was good!(pictured) No, of course we're not done, we had to try the dessert: Carrot cake and peanut butter chocolate cake, both we absolutely amazing! The perfect ending to a fabulous meal with friends. (Both pictured) Last but not least the service gets an A+, Megan was fabulous and very attentive. Thank you! read more

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Had dinner with my special guy here. So good. The sushi is top notch and the drink selection, service, etc... on point. Large dog, very friendly. It looks like they fix VCRs from the outside and I drove by it 100x without knowing it was there. Highly recommend. read more

Quaint little spot tucked away on Nebraska avenue. Went here with a friend on a Friday night around 7pm. Service was extremely nice but painfully slow. Turns out, our waiter had either forgotten to put our order in, or it was sitting out there too long. In any event, the bartender/server bought our first round of drinks and apologized. Food was very interesting. Interesting beer/wine choices. I had the Amish bacon and the kale salad. My friend had a sushi roll. Food was so good we ordered another round of the same food. All-in-all, a great restaurant with a "Seminole Heights" feel to it. This establishment is very small - think: bistro-sized. Service is very nice. Would definitely come back again. read more

The Old Heights Bistro - Beet salad. Amish bacon. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I always forget Olde Heights Bistro exists but when I remember, I'm very happy! It's a small restaurant in a small shopping plaza along Nebraska Avenue. Don't let that fool you though- their menu is quite extensive for such a small place. Sandwiches, salads, steaks, sushi - they've got something for everyone. Great place for a business lunch or a date night. Only thing I wish they would do is upgrade their patio area a little bit - the weather is so nice here so often that they could double their seating space if the outdoor area got a face lift! read more

Tampa's hidden gem! Fantastic service by Gaby, she Remembers your name and order after one visit! Fresh ingredients, delicious menu with a variety of options from filet mignon served with mushroom risotto to the freshest poke bowl (aka shima bowl) in town! Incredibly reasonably priced! For lunch try their steak sandwich! Delicious!!! read more

Delicious food, service is the best! I don't know why it had been a while going to this restaurant. I suspect the difficulty getting into this restaurant. It's well worth the effort! Food is fresh. read more

Why 5 stars? Because it's another adorable restaurant in the Heights. --- --- --- Oh, and also Why 5 Stars? Because that freaking burger. --- --- --- Old Heights deserved two intro lines. A first for me! The restaurant is as cute as they come, and the burger had to squeeze through the pearly gates of heaven to reach my plate. I'm going to make a bold statement: this is possibly the best burger in Tampa Bay. There are quite a few fine burgers in TB, but I can't think of one that I enjoyed more than the gem from Old Heights Bistro. The patty is as thick as they come, but perfectly cooked and seasoned. You can keep it simple with just the basic fixin's, or add in a bunch of extras for a nominal fee on each item. I went with quite a few of the extras, which made this one heckuva messy experience. But I find that, for the most part, the messier = the tastier. In this case, it was incredibly messy. I'm not sure if this is the same ownership that Reservations to Go, but regardless, I'm in love. The rest of the menu looks great, but even if it's all a mirage, the burger alone makes this a must-visit and an easy 5-stars. read more

I was cruising up Nebraska Avenue one evening after some meetings in downtown Tampa, and spotted the Old Heights Bistro just north of MLK, and before Osborne Avenue. Since this place has been on my bookmarks list for a while, I decided to stop for dinner. The Bistro is known for small plate, elegant bistro dishes like marinated olives, beet salad, and escargot, along with larger plate entrées like steaks, seafood, risotto, and roast chicken. There are nightly specials advertised on the chalkboard out on the sidewalk. Also, the Bistro serves fresh sushi - with nigiri, sashimi, and assorted sushi rolls. The indoor restaurant is small, with maybe 7 tables and a bar area. Inside the restaurant you'll find a number of pieces of artwork hanging on the walls, which are all for sale by local artists. There's a covered outdoor patio where you can order food and drinks while enjoy the sounds of passing vehicles along Nebraska. The Bistro also does a brisk carryout business, and I believe that they still offer delivery in the local Seminole Heights area. My server was Julie, and she first directed my attention to the chalkboard over the bar which advertised all of the specials on craft beer and wines by the glass. The menu is a double-sided sheet with sushi on one side, and the small plates & larger appetizers on the other. I was in the mood for something light, and so I decided on sushi in the Heights for my dinner. First up was a cup of homemade miso soup which was served in a classy little teacup. The dashi broth was very tasty, and I liked this soup a lot. Next, I ordered two sushi rolls -- one was a traditional spicy tuna roll, and the other was an Hamachi & Scallion roll. Both were quite good. They serve sake, both cold and warm to compliment your Japanese meal. I mentioned to Julie that I was surprised by the quality of my soup and the sushi, and she told me the story of the chef who decided to strike out on his own, and open this little bistro in Seminole Heights. Three cheers for a local business owner who's doing it right! This is a place where I'll definitely be back to try some of the other items on the menu, and enjoy a craft beer or two with my dinner. read more

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I hate to go against the wave here, but this restaurant was not impressive to me or the other couple Todd B and I were dining with. It is the definition of A-okay. Restaurants in Seminole Heights usually impress me, but you can get better sushi elsewhere without sitting in a grey cube-like restaurant. Average food with meh ambience is not a place I am going to rave about. I ordered two sushi rolls and they contained generous amounts of seafood but there was not any wow factor to any of it. With so many sushi options popping up all over, you don't have to go far to find better sushi. They did have pretty good sangria. The ambience here is also lacking. Definitely NOT a date night place. As with most places around SH, you see some sketchy looking places. That doesn't bother me. This restaurant looks like you are entering an abandoned low-end business. Then you go in and it really needs a decorator's touch to bring it where it needs to be. If the outside looks as bad as it does, the interior really needs to feel like it is transporting you to a new experience and it doesn't and that's my issue. Service was friendly and though the food seemed to take longer than it should we were okay with the service until the end when it took 10 minutes for the entire restaurant staff to figure out how to divide a check between two cards. We finally said never mind, use one card, but it was a pain. Especially after being the couple to suggest this restaurant hang ups like this do not go over well. Anyway, if you're a local, check it out for lunch only but don't drop everything and run over here. Maybe get something other than sushi. Lunch would be a better option than dinner if it were not so gloomy inside. And if you're a tourist, this is something you can miss. read more

The Old Heights Bistro - Exterior. Outside it looks terrible& uninviting. We were hoping the interior made up for it but it doesn't. Todd's look says it all. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

I was always a fan of the prior restaurant that was in the same spot as Old Heights Bistro. I was happy to see the same waitress working when I came in for dinner on a Friday night! This is a small restaurant. I would recommend getting reservations if you have more than 2 people in your party just in case it is crowded. Their dinner menu consists of fancy bistro dishes (steaks, scallops, salmon..etc) and sushi. The lunch menu has sandwiches, salads, and soups. We ordered some craft beers and wines for the table and they have a nice selection. We started with the escargot bread pudding, which was LEGIT! I had the filet mignon for my meal and it was very very nice. One of my dining companions got the sushi and said it was very good - I will likely try this on my next visit as I'm excited to have great sushi in the Heights! The service was great and I over all liked it. I will be back! read more

The Old Heights Bistro - Filet mignon. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

It's certainly better than 2 stars, but this is in no way a 4 star restaurant. Maybe another place to go 3.5 if I could, but I really think this is solidly 3 stars. Came here with the lovely and wonderful Melissa Z and another couple we're friends with. I've gotten used to the fact that Seminole Heights can be a strange mix - nice for a block, run for your lives the next. This place sits in a sketchy strip mall - the type of place you'd expect to find a check cashing business, a bodega, maybe a laundromat, and all of the angel's dust you can handle before overdosing. Next thing you should know - make reservations if you still want to come. It is very small. When I made the reservation, I spoke to the owner and I have to give the owner a lot of credit. He asked me before hanging up if anyone in my party had any dietary restrictions, allergies, etc, because they would cater to those issues when we arrive, but they prefer to know in advance to make sure there are options for those with restrictions. I thought that was incredibly warm and customer focused and I would love to be able to give such a business owner a better review that this. Unfortunately, our meal just didn't live up to the other reviews. We ordered 2 appetizers - I ordered a spicy tuna roll and the other couple ordered the amish bacon appetizer. Obviously, the roll would be done first, but they were both appetizers and should have been served together. This isn't one of those places (Hawkers in St. Pete comes to mind) where they warn you everything is served as it comes available. It's supposed to be a nice restaurant, any my appetizer roll should not have come out 10 minutes before the other appetizer. I enjoyed my roll, and I really liked the amish bacon appetizer (I was given a taste because I think I was staring at it with crazy eyes and drool dripping down my chin). The roll was a good size and full of tuna. Good spice to it, too. No wasabi needed. Very well done. In fact, I thought Melissa would really enjoy her rolls based off of how good mine was, but as you will see in her review, that wasn't the case. Next came the entrees. They had a double cut pork chop on special that I went with, and I was very disappointed. It was the last one they had, and the server told me I made a good choice, but I found it bland and uninspired. One of those times when you think, this is okay, but you really hope the regular menu is good, and the specials are just things they want to try out and this time, they failed. Unfortunately, based on everyone else's reactions, the food was mediocre all around. Finally, service. Friendly, but far from prompt. We sat at 8:00 and didn't get up until 10. We weren't eating slowly, and many of you may think 2 hours for dinner is fine, but we had reservations at a comedy club for 10:30, and I thought 2.5 hours for not-fine dining would be plenty. It almost wasn't. The longest delay was the check - we split it to each couple, but then Melissa and I wanted to put ours on 2 cards. No one who worked for the restaurant who was there could figure it out. I sh-- you not, at least 20 minutes passed at the computer while the server, another server (or bartender), chef (maybe the owner, too) and another person tried to figure this out. In the end, they couldn't do it and I finally just took one of the cards away and had them run ours on a single card. We weren't trying to make things difficult, but I have never seen a restaurant computer system that doesn't allow you to simply type in how much you're putting on 1 card, run it, and then type in the rest for the second card. If their system is truly that confusing and really doesn't allow it, then they have a horrible system. In the end, it almost made us late. Frankly, it shouldn't take that long to pay out. This place had such good reviews, including reviews from yelpers I trust, that maybe we just had a bad experience, but I can't concur with those reviews. For me, this would be a skip. There are better restaurants in Seminole Heights for the money. read more

The Old Heights Bistro - Small inside. Make reservations. - Sushi Bars Near Me - Tampa, Florida

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Another cool SH joint! It's very small, best to make reservations. We started with the Amish bacon and the cheese plate. The bacon was like pork belly. Very flavorful. We had to ask what the cheeses were. The presentation was nice and the toast points were good. Nothing special about the cheese though. I had the risotto and was disappointed. It was bland. Definitely needed something. The others loved their meals. Shrimp scampi, filet, and the sashimi plate. The sashimi looked amazing! Big chunks of tuna, salmon, eel, scallops. They had 7 craft beers on the board but we're out of 4 of them! Including both IPAs. They serve lunch during the week and it sounds good. They also have a full sushi menu. I will be back! Just not for the risotto. read more

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