Piquant

Love this place for an early brunch or for dessert after a dinner or breakfast when I’m in the mood for a nice French pastry. I love having brunch here with my friends to catch up. Nice French décor, great atmosphere, delicious food, and the servers are super friendly. Love this cute little spot. If you’re into eggs Benedict, the ribs Benedict is awesome and very filling along with a nice coffee.

Food is absolutely delicious and the management is very friendly and accommodating. It’s surprisingly kid-​friendly and they have a lot of great gluten-​free options, which is nice for our wheat-​allergic kid.
We adore the almond croissants and the bacon, egg and cheese breakfast baguette — totally crave-​worthy. Also the Parmesan Frittes are to die for! Everything we’ve had there — breakfast, lunch and dinner, has been delicious.
The only negative is that the service there is ALWAYS painfully slow so be prepared for a «leisurely» meal. I don’t know if it’s a matter of being understaffed or simply a vibe they’re embracing a more laid-​back culture but it can get tiresome.

We were looking for a restaurant to eat in Hyde Park last night (Saturday) and most restaurants had long wait times & lines, but for some reason Piquant had available seating, no wait. So we chose to give it a try. My girlfriend has been previously for brunch before, but never for the full dinner menu. The atmosphere of the restaurant is very comfortable, as the hostess seats you, you’re walked by the desert case and your mouth starts watering immediately, we were seated in a booth (as we requested) and our waitress was very nice and helpful, having our drink orders on our table with 2 minutes of being seated… I ordered the pork belly burger which was delicious and came with blue cheese, my only complaint is that the burger was so tall it was impossible to eat by hand and had to use a fork and knife. My girlfriend had the salmon salad which was excellent, she really enjoyed it, the salmon was cooked perfectly and the combination of walnuts and fruits along with cheeses and potato strings that they used paired perfectly together. Prior to our meals we had the tuna tartare appetizer which was the star of the show and the hit of the night, biggest recommendation is to try the tuna tartare appetizer. The timing of our food coming out was perfect, our waitress checked in with us multiple times, I just wish that burger was a little bit smaller in hight.

This is my go to place for weekend brunch. I like sitting out on the patio, near the inside so you’re not in the sun. My favorite side is the Lemon Thyme scone with the strawberry jam. Served warm and fluffy; it is not like those dry garbage scones they sell at Starbucks. Favorite brunch entrée is the short rib Benedict. Has a nice Chipotle hollandaise sauce on it. For dessert I recommend getting two cronuts. One with guava jam and the other with Nutella. They also have a great café menu.

First off, been here a few times and Sunday can be tricky. No Open Table Reservation for Brunch so you do have to wait sometimes. Not this time. Walked right in and to a table.
After walking past all the delectable delights in the pastry case, we sat and looked at the options. I’ve done in the past the «mademoiselle» tartine and the salmon Benedict. Almost went to the Benedict again but decided on something new, the veggie tartine. My wife did the Canadian Bacon and gouda omlette and the harvest toast with strawberry jam. We splurged on duck bacon.
To say the food was good wouls be a gross undersell. Everything was tasty and cooked to perfection. The veggie tartine was a medley of veggies over challah toast and a fried egg on top. Some cheese to bring together and I was very satisifed. The harvest toast my wife had was excellent as was the house made strawberry jam. The omlette was very full and had a good proportion of meat and cheese. The duck bacon… that was in one word, ridiculous. It was slightly sweet and salty but had a good duck flavor. Worth the little extra.
Our server was excellent. Sorry to forget his name, but he’s the gentleman that used to work at Countryway Golf Club and we lamented our troubles there today and he empathized.
This place is killer for brunch, and recommend it to anyone walking around Hyde Park. You will not be disappointed.

Items Selected:
Key Lime Coconut Éclair
Blackberry Cream Tart
Almond Croissant
Hazelnut Creampuff
Nutella Croissant Donut
Almond Sugar Cookie
Chocolate Chip Cookie
White Chocolate Macadamia Nut Cookie
Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie
Told by trusted sources that East Florida’s best French Pastry was offered in an upscale outdoor mall suffice it to say that suspicion was aroused, but learning with time that every so often the best surprises are those that are least suspected it was with GPS fooled thrice by construction that way was eventually made to Piquant at Hyde Park, the service as excellent as the décor is eye catching while the pastries run the gamut from classics to things far more interesting.
Presenting the concept of «putting a French touch on American Breakfast Standards, using Farm Fresh ingredients,» with brews, vegetables, citrus, seafood and milk all source from in-​state, Puerto Rican Chefs Rosana Rivera and Ricardo Castro launched Piquant in 2013 and as the duo has continued to evolve the menu seasonally, if not daily, since opening the scope of the three-​meal eatery and bakery is almost overwhelming, the actual menu not even explored on this visit as the glass cases and bread alone proved quite compelling.
Not «faking French,» the servers all twenty-​something Floridian Females that show a good grasp of the cuisine and techniques involved, it was after discussing favorites with a young Barista that a nine-​piece order was assembled and taking a «some for now, the rest for later» approach any attempt at restraint was unfortunately soon rendered fruitless, first bites of the still-​warm Almond Sugar Cookie showing restrained sweetness and great texture that immediately made one wonder what was next.
Quickly diving the rounded drop-​style cookies in half, all of them good but the chewy Oatmeal cluster with dark chocolate studding particularly on-​point, it was next the «don’t-call-me-a-Cronut» croissant donut that commanded attention, the layers well laminated around oozing Nutella while the Hazelnut Creampuff unfortunately had become a bit flaccid with cream and spread beginning to permeate the choux.
Righting the ship with a green glazed éclair, mellow coconut-​key lime filling not compromising the pastry at all, fruit flavors were further exemplified in the Blackberry Cream Tart atop an all-​butter base, the Almond «Croissant» without a doubt heavy handed considering the pureed nut filling, yet at the same time same time as delicious as it was dense with the better part of valor a commitment to sharing.

Location: Piquant (Hyde Park)
Date: 5-​7-​2016
Time: 1500
Piquant is one of the many trendy spots situated in the upscale Hyde Park area of Tampa. It’s a French inspired, farm to table, blah blah blah… you know what I mean. The interior has a nice trendy vibe to it, with a well-​appointed bar located in the center of the dining area. It’s been awarded numerous accolades and is chef owned/​operated. Let’s get into the bouffe!
Boules De Fromage Frites ($ 12.00) — Must get for any cheese lover
Remember that the French word Fromage… is your friend… It means cheese. These are lightly fired smoked Gouda balls were served with a tangy aioli underneath and micro greens. These were little bites of deliciousness and were worth the high price tag. The fry on them was very light and just served as a way to keep in all the velvety cheese… until you pop it in your mouth. The aioli was a great counter balance to the richness of the from balls and the dish was dispatched in short order with us being hopefully for the rest of the meal.
«Adult» Grilled Cheese (Duck Confit) ($ 13.00) — Order it with extra Fromage
Next up was another cheese centric dish, the adult grilled cheese with confit duck. It arrived sliced down the middle atop parchment paper and accompanied by a nice looking side salad. The duck was tasty and cooked well, the bread was excellent and the fresh veggies were great… it was just missing something… Fromage… don’t get me wrong it had cheese in it, it just seemed like an afterthought. When I order a grilled Fromage… I expect the cheese to be the main star of the dish. This dish lacked that and it resulted in it feeling more like a duck sandwich (not a bad thing) than a grilled cheese, which is what I wanted. PS. The side salad was great!
Poutine «de jour» Steak and cheddar/​jalapenos ($ 13.00) — Pace yourself mon amie
After much debate with our serve we were advised that the poutine of the day was steak with a cheddar gravy and jalapenos. We love the many variations of poutine and decided to give this one a try. It arrived ready to serve a small battalion with heaps of gravy, a good portion of steak, lots of large fresh sliced jalapenos and frites. The steak and the cheddar cheese sauce made this dish very heavy and almost ate like a Philly cheese steak, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing… just depends what you’re in the mood for. It was tasty but I would recommend to split it among 3+ person and to not make a meal out of it for a single person… it’s just too rich and dense to enjoy by oneself.
Water Closets — Multi Stall
The wash room was well appointed with art work on the wall and a nice sink/​wash up station. There was a rolling video picture device that was placed above the sink that just looked out of place and rather tacky. Otherwise worth a stop… to make a stop.
Overall
The service was below average and the dishes were decent but forgettable (except those balls). As you can see we got a little Fromage crazy… but we love it. I’d like to try this place for dinner but for lunch I think there are better options around the corner and would recommend you trying those first before you come to Piquant.

I have been to Piquant for brunch, dinner but now for this review– lunch.
We arrived late Saturday afternoon and had about a 15 min wait, not bad. We sat inside and good thing they give you a pillow for the bench seats, I almost wouldn’t have reached the table otherwise!
we ordered the Boules De Fromage Frites– fried smoky Gouda cheese balls with a sriracha aioli. can’t go wrong with those! fluffy and not heavily fried yet with the creamy delicious Gouda inside.
next up we had the adult grilled cheese with duck confit and a side salad– guilt led us to that decision over fries but it was really tasty and a nice size to split. the grilled cheese lacked, well, cheese. the challah is great and light, and the duck was nice but it was a bit dry and definitely needed more gooey cheese.
lastly after having to ask our server multiple times if they had it, we ordered the poutine du jour which was listed as a signature entrée (on the lunch menu which we had) so we didn’t understand why they wouldn’t have it yet. then just put it on the dinner menu! we’ve had a lot of poutine and it was good, not the best. the day’s special was beef with jalapeño which was really nice and cut down slightly on the richness, no lack of cheese or gravy in this dish! they also added other peppers and onions which was nice.
overall the food was pretty good, but have to say the service lacked which cost a star. as noted we had to ask several times about the poutine and not once was our water refilled unless we did it ourselves.

Two days in a row, I have gone to restaurants that have reputations for being amazing and just fell short of my expectations.
The hostess didn’t smile or acknowledge us when we walked in. I have this weird thing where I expect the hostess to greet me when I walk in and lead the conversation, aka asking questions like «dining in?» Or «how many?» So when I walk in and get stared at and I have to be the one to say, «hello, table for two please,» I get mildly annoyed. Our waiter was friendly though, so that was nice.
I ordered the roasted turkey and bacon jam sandwich and upgraded to the truffle Parmesan fries, as well as the green tea frozen lemonade. I enjoyed my lemonade, it was perfect for a hot Florida day. The sandwich however left a lot to be desired. It was really plain, dry, and flavorless, and I was confused because I remembered reading the description on the menu and it sounded full of good flavor. To write this review, I pulled up the description of the sandwich again and it was not the same sandwich. My sandwich lacked the avocados and the bread, which was supposed to be garlic bread, was very dry. There is no way there was garlic butter on that bread. The truffle fries had a mild truffle flavor, and we’re just okay.
At the end, I got a pastry. The girl misunderstood and gave me a cronut instead of a croissant (which I didn’t discover until later, at home), but it was still tasty. Overall, it wasn’t horrible, just disappointing. I will be back to try it again, maybe for brunch next time (I have my eye on that salmon Benedict).

I was in Tampa for a wedding back in December. I don’t normally get time off from work and since it was my bosses wedding I took full advantage of taking some extra time off. My best friend and I explored different areas around Tampa. I was told numerous times by numerous different people that I had to check out this restaurant!
I have not been able to get the croissant donuts out of my head since leaving. So much so that I paid my little brother to drive over and pick some up. I live in Sanford… If That doesn’t tell you how great these damn donuts are then I don’t know what will.
I had a meat lovers omelette for breakfast. It was the freshest tasting omelette I think I’ve ever had. The house brew coffee is a local coffee company named Buddy brew (That has opened its own shop or is opening its own shop in Hyde Park) absolutely delicious. Perfectly smooth and taste not bitter or weak!
Not only was the food delectably delightful the waitstaff was over-​the-​top perfect. The manager on duty was sweet welcoming and clearly enjoyed her job! When we spoke on my first visit she and I discussed restaurant management as that’s my job title as well. I came back two days later before I finally headed home. She remembered me the conversation we had my name and what croissant donuts I wanted to take with me! All-​around spectacular! And the Decour is super cute too

As an European myself, I had high expectations for this restaurant. I loved the ambiance and choice of interior design, but it was lacking a little bit in the food. My husband ordered the meat lovers omelette and I ordered the smoked chicken salad on croissant with parmesan truffle fries. There was no smoky flavor in my chicken, there was melted cheese on there, so I am not sure if the sandwich was supposed to be warm or cold, it was somewhere in the middle. My husband’s omelette was cold; the truffle fries were delicious, but WAY too salty. The waiter did not really spend a lot of time on our table to check in on us, but she was at least friendly. We brought home different cronuts, the texture felt like it was maybe 1 day old, but the flavor was good. My expectations have not really been met, but I definitely see the potential.

I was impressed with everything, including the food, service, atmosphere, and creativity. Having a menu with uncommon ingredients, with a perfect execution is what puts Piquant over the top!
First, I would like to mention our server by name. Evan was truely outstanding! He was everything one could ask for in a server; polite, professional, and fast. We were very impressed, and we made sure to tell him (and the manager) how pleased we were before leaving.
The food was on point! It was lick the plate good! I enjoy when chefs push me out of my comfort zone and have me try ingredients I would not normally order. The preparation and execution of everything was marvelous! I would say this is one of the best places in the Tampa Bay area to order a burger. Although, I really don’t think you can go wrong on the menu. The pork belly was also freaking amazing! All the ingredients are fresh, and they do their best to source ingredients locally.
It’s located in a nice part of town, with a free parking garage nearby. The building is super nice inside and out! Inside is very classy and upscale. The menu is priced on the high side, but for the quality of ingredients and perfect execution of the meals, I would say the value is a win.
Overall, next time I’m in the Tampa Bay area, Piquant will be at the top of my list.

My go-​to Brunch in Tampa!
Just an awesome place to enjoy brunch on Saturday or Sunday (but gets busy so call ahead, get there early, or know your gonna wait and enjoy a walk in the Hyde Park area).
Great brunch options with some fairly creative concoctions. Great coffee/​teas, amazing bread and homemade jams.
The breakfast options might leave a little to be desired in terms of quantity, but if you end up getting lunch, you’ll leave more than stuffed!
Have also been their for dinner once, and it did not disappoint!
Just go… Plain and Simple

At first glance you think pastries and coffee, but Piquant is much more. It has the charm of outdoor seating, allowing you to wind down and people watch in Hyde park.
I’ve been for brunch and dinner and prefer brunch for a few reasons. Their coffee is wonderful and you can order a french press to the table to enjoy over time. The service is never fast, but sometimes I appreciate that because it is nice to relax and enjoy a beverage before the food. They have a nice wine list and multiple champagne options. There is also an option for a table side mimosa «bar» so you can customize for $ 35. Love that! I usually get the granola with Greek yogurt, honey and fruit. Today I tried the ham Benedict and what really made it top notch was the lemon thyme homemade scones. I could have eaten them plain! Would love to see those on the menu again!
Piquant is perfect for brunch with the ladies or a nicer brunch date. They used to have a veuve happy hour and I’m sure I’m not the only one missing that :)

I’m over the pretentiousness of this place. We’re in Tampa, not New York… Not that it’s ever ok to have an elitist attitude, but I digress.
Stood at the hostess stand with a friend for about 10 minutes while multiple people came and went from the hostess stand and completely ignored us. I understand restaurants can be busy, but it was odd that no one acknowledged we were standing there.
Sat at the bar, had our glasses filled with water, then was completely ignored again for about 10 more minutes.
Cronut was old. Key lime iced tea was good. $ 9 for both.
After we ordered, our server/​bartender was great.
Not sure I ever need to go back. Too many reasonably priced, not pretentious places in Tampa to choose from.

As a search around Tampa, there’s always abetter and better brunch places and this by far is my favorite place for breakfast food so far. The décor was very chic: couch style seating and then normal seating on the other side of the table. The spotlight lighting was a nice touch. I was able to sit in the comfy couch seat while my boyfriend sat in what seemed to be plastic seats. Needless to say they were as uncomfortable as it looks, but enough about the décor.
We were seated immediately. There was no problems with the service at all. Staff was very nice and came by a few times. The menu is however, amazing! Whether you want breakfast or lunch, There’s a little bit of something for everyone. The food has a French flare to it, which is my favorite part. We ordered the truffle fries, Madame croque, side salad, meat lovers omelette and hashbrowns. No meal is complete without drinks either: mimosas and Belgian pale ales.
My Madame croque was not soggy at all (since it had a béchamel sauce). The toast was nice and crispy with a wonderful sized egg on top. My boyfriends meat lover omelette seemed fairly simple, till I tried it that is. The omelette was airy and fluffy, not dry at all. the meat inside was not overly salty considering it consisted of two types of bacon and chorizo. The fontina is what brought it all together. The side salad was refreshing. I love that it was their own house dressing. Not to sweet or overly acidic.
To end the meal, we ordered a few pastries. I have yet to try them but I’ll definitely update when I do! I’ll definitely be coming back to try dinner!

Really cute place in Hyde park. I’ve been multiple times. The cronuts are amazing. Service is so-​so.
I stopped in recently with my girlfriend who just had a baby and I am newly pregnant. We both ordered decaf coffee’s and our waiter informed us they did not have decaf coffee at the moment. I thought that was odd that a French bakery/​restaurant doesn’t have decaf coffee at all times. From then on our waiter kind of blew us off since we didn’t really want to order anything else.
Seems like the food is good but the service is just not like it used to be.

I came on a Sunday and it quickly filled up. We waited about 20 min but we were there semi early, maybe 10:30am. I came here for brunch and what else would I get? My favorite brunch meal! Eggs benedict. They had a smoked salmon eggs benedict on a scone. It was lemon blueberry I think. I really liked the uniqueness of this benedict since I had never tried it on a scone. The entry and décor is gorgeous and I plan to be back to get friends b day or dessert gifts as needed. Beautiful dessert display. I love how near this place is to my house also.

I went to Tampa to visit my sister and she insisted that we come here, and I am so glad she did! We requested to sit outside since she had her newborn baby with her. The staff was awesome and even turned on the heater for us since it was a little chilly outside and my sister overthinks everything now involving her baby :).
We both got the chicken salad sandwich and devoured it. The sandwich comes with a choice of fries or chips. I opted for the chips and she opted for the fries. Both were solid choices in my opinion so I’m not sure what I would choose next time I go back.
This place also has a little bakery with lots of yummy choices. I didn’t really get to look too much at them since we were in a hurry, but everything looks awesome!
Hyde Park is adorable and you can do some pretty good shopping before or after you grab a bite here ;).

My friend and I got off from class early today and decided to try piquant for breakfast. I’ve heard about this place through different people and I’ve seen several reviews on my newsfeed, so I was very excited to finally try it myself.
The place was pretty empty when we arrived, about 5 – 6 other parties were seated. We were seated promptly. Our waitress was pretty friendly and brought our drinks quickly. We both ordered an ice latte which tasted delicious with a rich coffee taste that wasn’t overly watered down even after the ice melted (unlike some lattes I’ve tried at other places). They allow the option to add flavoring. The latte was about $ 4 pretty comparable to what you would pay at Starbucks or most other coffee shops.
For our meal I ordered the smoked salmon eggs Benedict. They give you the option to sub the bread for gluten free bread for an extra $ 3. The food came out surprisingly quick which was nice. I read on some reviews that the service was slow but, it was not a problem for me. I was little surprise by the small portion size considering the price of the food. However, I was pretty full after eating just half of the meal. I actually appreciate the fact they have small portion sizes because it allows me to have some kind of self control with my meal but it was hard to appreciate the extra moola. lol But that’s just the nature of most placed in hyde park and south tampa in general.
My friend ordered the banana bread french toast which I also taste tested. It was also very delicious with a powerful banana taste without tasting overly doughy. She also only ate half the meal before feeling pretty full.
I would give this place 5 stars if some (not all… because there are items in the menu which are fairly priced) of the items were about $ 2 – 3 less because I think it would be a more reasonable price for the quality and portion of food.
Overall, pretty enjoyable dining experience. Don’t think I can afford to eat here on a regular basis but I’m glad I tried it. :) May come back to try the cronuts!