anise global gastrobar

everything very good, nothing great

anise is in a beautiful space vacated by less successful restaurants. it looks like anise has found the right recipe to make the place a success.

servers are very casual and friendly although efficiency could be tightened up a bit.

food is mostly of the small plate and sharing variety. the sticky bunz were good and we especially enjoyed the shrimp one. the beef bowl and the tacos were good. the roasted beet salad was ok and not great value. drinks during the happy hour are nice and good value.

overall, anise is a very solid effort. being convenient to the straz center, it is a really good spot for pre-theater dining.

stopped in for lunch on friday. rather dead unsure why but happy it was empty. had great discussion and service from the bartender. went ahead and ordered the prize meal "sticky bunz". had three pork belly, fried zucchini and chili beef. awesome the pork belly and fried zucchini loaded with flavor well balanced. inexpensive too. still had a hankering for something small and had the deviled eggs. why hasn't anyone eggs put bacon on deviled eggs? can i stress this place is awesome... a must stop if in downtown tampa.

my friend and i went to anise this weekend for a late lunch. the service was good, although not great.

truffles tator tots were superb. curried chicken wings were good. the cheese plate was okay, albeit a very small portion. shrimp tacos were okay & the duck confit tacos were simply amazing. their gourmet ramen noodles were a disappointment, but the braised pork belly bowl was excellent.

the food isn't as pricey as you'd expect, even though most people will end up ordering many small plates. the atmosphere is chic and trendy, and is a good little snack place. i wouldn't necessarily eat here for a big dinner.

even with the liver of a drunken sailor. let me not cry or get emotional. let me try to be less fabulous. but i must. anise... what is anise to me since i have lived downtown and it became my “cheers”? i have visited anise way too many times. i have just thought about linking my personal savings account so that kevin, the owner, can just go ahead and deduct what he must as direct payment. i have promised myself to keep trying new places in tampa and not return for a while, but addiction is addiction and i just can’t help myself. what do i adore about anise? i will try to break it down without breaking down. i love ny pisco sours. they are not in the menu... but do ask for them... they are sexy and layered. like i am, and if you are bothering to read this... you are. get personal. anise is, most likely, the only place i have found in tampa where the ny piscos are worth it. i love the really personal bartending of ryan, and justin and drew... they get personal... they know what you want even before you, yourself, have a clue you have craved that. but if you are into deep conversation at the bar, they are service that is invisible. how do you get your refill without interrupting a great conversation? i don’t know. but you do! okay, i have tried all the specialty drinks... yes, the whole menu of drinks because i carry the liver of an alcoholic sailor and own the curiosity of pandora’s grandmother. yes, i have made faces... i am not into girly sweet stuff... i might look like a lady and act like one but i drink like a lonesome cowboy without the benefit of stress relieving smoking. even the very girly drinks are great. and then there are these dedicated people behind the incredibly stored with spirits bar...and they take their time crafting the drinks and stirring your round ice, and smiling pensively over your drink as if they knew something you don’t know... and they do. oh, they do!... and the drinks do taste like a secret... forget the chic décor, and the “your are too hot for this life” vibe of the place--- let’s talk grub. fancy? drunk food? i love: the stinky buntz (yes, all 4 of them), the lobster mac and cheese, the truffle tots, the deviled eggs, the manchego sandwich, the burger, the porkbelly bowl, the chili bowl. all good. and again, because it is so close to me, i have tried everything...and when my steak or my low carb cauliflower is anything but what i wanted (has happened only once in 2 years of binging) there is no face. it disappears and a new one shows up. no questions from a server whose eyes say “i aim to please”---fifty shades of gray--- loving attitude.

3 times i have eaten here, and service is always bad. service is about thw worst i have ever expieranced. food is very tasty, but holy cow the service is really awful. the crazy thing is that it really wasn't busy.
i was seated outside and after about 15 minutes someone came out and said they couldn't find my server, so they would take my order. after awhile another person brought out the food. no silverware or napkin. i had go ask for something to eat with and for a drink. i got a napkin, and a glass of water.
so just used chop sticks from japcha and ate the pies of meat whole. what a wreck! but at least the food was good. i think it will be a long time before i go back if ever.

service sketchy at best. thankfully just popped in for appetizers so had decent service and food but the front of the house was disorganized and slow with any more than an easy two top.

slowest service ever. it took over 3 hours for our party of 6 to have dinner, but most of the time we were just sitting there looking around for our waiter while nursing our drinks, because we didn't know how long it would take to get another. took at least 15 minutes after we were seated to even have our drink order taken, then another 15 minutes or more to receive the drinks........it goes on and on like this. the check for me and my boyfriend was $130, including the 20% i regretted leaving. this was my first time at anise and i was so disappointed, because i had been looking forward to trying it for a long time. there were plenty of staff with a lot of empty tables, no excuse at all.

great place. was looking for a new place to try and i was very happy with our pick! good food for a good price. the atmosphere is great, and the server was on point. loved being able to relax and eat "not your everyday" twists on "everyday" food.

dysfunctional. i spent two hours at this restaurant last night and all i ate was tator tots. our food was served to other tables. our complimentary drinks were never brought out and our server yelled at us in front of tables outside saying he thought we didn't want them? where did you get that idea, we've been sitting for two hours i'll take anything! after everything, we never received our food but i did have a discussion with the manager who unapologetically told me they don't read reviews because he knows they have great service. he was egotistical, angry and made it seem like it was our fault we hadn't received our food. i've never written a bad review before but my experience here was exceptionally awful.

horrible bartenders. just went to try this restaurant last night for a date night. my husband and i arrived around 8:30 and were told it would be a 30 min wait for a table so we went to sit down at the bar which was not full. we sat and sat while the bartender standing almost directly in front of me did not even so much as acknowledge our presence. he was initially helping the couple sitting 6 in from me and couldn't even pause to hand us menus or say he would be right with us. in fact he as well as other bartenders went to help other people who arrived after us. my husband even attempted to alert them several times to no avail. none of them were friendly or welcoming. i have worked many years in the food industry so i have no tolerance for this kind of horrible service. so we left promptly and they lost our business. and we were probably the best tippers there!

my amazing birthday experience with anise gastropub. august 9th i celebrated my 30th birthday at anise. they closed down the entire restaurant, prepared a wonderful spread of their delectable wings, sticky buns, tots, flatbreads, etc. created a crowd winning drink menu to tie into the theme of the party and had the greatest staff working for us. the lighting was sexy and celebratory the drinks were masterfully made and their customer service was like no other. xuan (sing) really has a great gem in the heart of the city. the mixologists were full of energy and everyone had a great time! this venue captures everything i love about my city. from the bottom of my heart anise, management and staff thank you. you made this night truly unforgettable.

going back !. perfect for a pre-show dinner!!

the samosas apparently what been taken from the freezer and popped into the frier. one of them was cool inside the other two were barely warm. at $8 for three not a good value. we were there for a late lunch and it was not busy at all. you only get one chance to make a first impression. $35/ two people lunch was definitely not anywhere worth it.

tuesday night. 9:30pm. not busy. ordered a jai alai draft. barely cold. gross. ordered duck confit tacos. came out colder than my beer. they were made earlier in the night, didn't sell, and served to me almost right out of the fridge. the tortilla had char marks but it was cold?! please explain that. i have never had a bad experience there until tonight. but guess what? it only takes one. and they know that. which makes it even more sad.

small but tasty. second time here,always like to give at least 2 try's before reviewing. the food is different, small imaginative plates.. arepa w pulled pork was a fave- both times . it can get pricey,for small plates. server was fine. go early,or go home. drinks are okay- still looking for an awesome gimlet somewhere ......worth the trip,if you know what to expect.