The Manhattan Bistro

I still think this place is confused about what it wants to be.
We came in about 7 on a Thursday evening. It was ladies night so I got a long stem rose and discount coupons for flowers. salon. .and hair services.
The dj was blaring 80s music which was fun with the videos playing as well. just super loud for a place with 4 people in it.
The man ordered a Moscow mule and I got a sparkling martini made with pear vodka and champagne. Both drinks were yummy.
They’ve changed their menu since last I was here and it’s pretty basic. We opted for the avocado fries as they’re a fav of mine and he’d never tried them. They did not disappoint.
The bartenders were super friendly and attentive. We even ended up doing a breakfast shot recommend by the server.
We definitely had fun here. probably would go back. I just wish they’d class it up a bit

I had a horrible server shantell rude had no patience gave me a dirty glass I don’t feel the place is sanitary they need to do something about shantell I was treated horrible and I will never go there and I always go there but they lost my business I wish they had no stars the waitresses there are all low class and I feel they should shut it down the place is so sad and gross this shantell should be not there if she can’t handle costumer service correctly something needs to be done

Terribly smoky and loud. YUK!!! Loud blasting disco music. Not the romantic upscale restaurant we thought it was.

I am a sucker for a martini bar so my boyfriend and I wanted to give this place a go. I agree with Virginia G.‘s review about the identity crisis because if the place was empty you’d think this was a little upscale lounge but the crowd it draws is 50s and up, for the most part, and super casual in the typical Florida way. Nothing at all wrong with that; it’s just not my scene.
My boyfriend and I love live music and there are precious few venues for that in the Tampa area so we gave this place a try on a Saturday night. The band kept the dance floor busy with some gorgeous Cougars on the prowl. The gig was a jazzy soulful band and we enjoyed hearing them play their upbeat setlist full of old school and a couple of modern songs.
The drinks were good; not outstanding. I appreciated the creative martini menu which is better than some of the same old boring martinis you find on a lot of menus. I ordered two drinks: a cilantro vodka martini. And a Marilyn Monroe (strawberry) martini. The cilantro martini was refreshing but I felt was tiny bit weak. The Marilyn martini was sweet and fruity, which I liked, but I was hoping for something a little more potent. At around $ 9-​$ 10 per martini i have had stronger drinks for the same price.
The bartenders were very nice so service we felt was very good here.
We did not eat here and we did not see many people order food either. Definitely an after dinner spot.

Meh, they have delusions of grandeur. Tried to give them the benefit of the doubt while they had chef and menu issues early this summer. Stayed away for several months. Attempted to go back just for happy hour drinks this week. Owner fussed at us for coming in and sitting down 10 minutes before they opened at 5. Hmmm… maybe keep the front door locked until you are officially open? A measly 10 minutes early; they used to open at 4. It’s not a like a glass of wine was going to break their back or setup in those last 10 minutes. They try but it’s just not working. Such a bummer as there is not a lot of options in the Westshore-​El Prado-​Manhattan area when you want to stay close to home. Save your money and head further down to MacDill/​Palma Ceia area.

The only good thing about today was the waitress. Half of the menu wasn’t available. Whoever did inventory on their food needs a new job. Great place the first time I went but horrible this time

Great place! Good bands and DJ-​CY playing after words. We had a awesome time. Highly recommend!

I have lived in South Tampa for many years and have seen places come and go for many reasons, The Manhattan is a refreshing addition to the area.
Recently they have undergone some changes for the better, new menu and happy hour. A great Ladies night on Tuesday and live music after 10:00…
The staff is very friendly and accommodating with a nice tiki lite outdoor courtyard.

Walk in, sit down at the bar, ask for a Rye Manhattan, perfect. Bartender gives me a look, goes to make my drink. I watch, she comes back, plonks it down, and unceremoniously asks me «perfect enough?»
A perfect Manhattan simply means ½ of dry vermouth, ½ of sweet vermouth, all other ingredients the same. It’s not a dick move trying to tell someone they’d better deliver the best Manhattan ever made.
A quick discussion imparts this, and then we’re at that «Oh» moment. I shrug, sip my cocktail (it’s decent, just not what I wanted and no offer to replace it was made), and pull out my phone for company. A karaōke DJ begins hauling in equipment, and the bartender shows epic skills in the «bored, but no way in hell am I going to make eye contact» moves.
Awesome. *Sigh* Two more sips, $ 20 on the bar under the unfinished drink, and out. I’ll own part of the problem — shouldn’t have ordered a finicky drink to start off with. But, the place looks like someplace that would know the cocktail, right?
So, 2 stars for now, will go back later and see what’s up later on.

So I’m a little frustrated, after having my mouth tuned up for a specific dish at Manhattan Bistro, I have passed several other amazing options to come here and be told that even though they open at 4pm they don’t start service at 4pm. What then does open mean? I’m beyond angry that I have wasted my time to come to an establishment that clearly doesn’t understand customer service or value my patronage.
So this is notice to all don’t go to this place when they open cause apparently they expect you to be tardy for the party and won’t serve you until about 5 or whenever they are ready!
I called the owner and he said its true even though they open at 4pm, that’s when the staff gets there so you can get drinks but not food until about 415 or 430 when the grill and ovens are warmed.
If your mouth is open in amazement then you look just like me. What?! The owner … enough said I’m done!

Haven’t been here in years, but was kidnapped last night under duress haha.
Definitely a mixed crowd here. The band, Wild Ginger, was playing last night and they were great. Many people were dancing and having a good time.
Definitely not my scene, but the patrons and the bar staff are very friendly.
I didn’t get a chance to try any of the food, but several of my friends have dined here in the past and say it isn’t too too bad.
Go see Karen, she is not only a sight for sore eyes but she can make a great drink too!

My first impression of outside was ehhh, but it’s actually very nice inside they did a classy job decorating a «shopping strip restaurant».
This review is based on happy hour and Bar time as we didn’t eat. The staff was very pleasant, owner was in making sure it’s ran up to par.
There was a band and I am not normally a band person, but they did a great job.
I had a very good time and will definitely return.

I’d rather over rate, then under-​rate since a lot of people base their decisions off people they’ve never met and their reviews of a certain place.
Having said that. We had never been. Have seen a few people check in on FB, but never actually asked how it was, so we figured we’d give it a try.
How was it? Well we got there at 8:00 on the dot and didn’t get out of there until after 9:30. There were four tables and one 8 top of South Tampa moms in their best ‘come hither’ outfits. The ‘moms’ were drunk, loud and pretty inconsiderate of everyone around them. I even heard one of them say, ‘everyone around us is being loud, so it’s not just us’. I looked around and saw three other tables of older couples, rolling their eyes. I couldn’t quite hear what they were saying over the cackling of these nice ladies, but I’m sure it wasnt nods of agreement. Regardless. As older, married women go — they were very easy on the eyes (not that that helped my ears)
What does that have to do with my review? Absolutely nothing. I don’t rate based on other customers and how loud they were.
Anyways.
I think there was one waitress, one bartender and a manager on the floor because it took forever to get water, food, then our check. It’s not our waitresses fault, she was bustling as fast as she could… but it did detract from the enjoyment we would have had, had we not been listening to 8 50 something year old women bad mouth their husbands and talk about Raul the pool boy… or maybe it was Saul the Jew boy — I couldn’t quite hear very well. Either way, those husbands are being stepped out on. Poor souls. I mean come on lady, you’re not 21 any more. Act your age. And for the love of God, stop ‘Sharon Stoning’ me every time you go to adjust yourself in your very high and eye level seat bottom.
;-)
As for the food. It was ok. It was ‘bar’ food masked as gourmet. $ 24 for filet tips is a lot considering you only get two small medallions. They were tasty, but not $ 24 tasty. Same with the mashed potatoes. They were ‘ok’, but not $ 24 ok.
Would we go back? Maybe… if those women weren’t there.
I give them credit for turning an odd location into a place that has a lot of potential. It’s subtle, modern and clean. Waiting an hour for food is unacceptable in any location, regardless of staffing issues. We’ll chalk it up to a bad night for them and lots of people calling in sick.

This place is lucky to have been in business for as long as they have been. As Betty and I rolled up and walked to the door this evening, what do you know, poof the neon open sign suddenly turns off. It was 10:45p. So we go inside and ask if they are still open and sure enough the bartender replies with a «we close at 11p.» That’s great and all except they are supposed to be open from 11p-​1a for their late night «2^nd» HH. So we made the trek back home and all I thought about for the next half an hour was that was a business that will not be open come next year. What a joke.

My Creative Loafing allies posted a great deal for a $ 30 coupon to this place so I jumped at the chance to try a new neighborhood eatery. First, we shouldn’t have gone on karaōke night… we are not «karaōke people» even though my fiancé believes that he needs to share his self-​proclaimed angel voice with the world (he is mistaken about the world’s desire to experience it).
We sat at an outside table and started with the tuna stack sans pumpkin seeds (Angel Voice has diverticulitis and can’t eat seeds). Very fresh and very tasty! Loved the jicama! I ordered the Po Boy Crab Cake Sliders. Why do I continue to order crab cakes outside the great state of Maryland? Because I’m a glutton for punishment. While these didn’t claim to be Maryland style they still were disappointing. Also, I’m not from New Orleans but aren’t Po Boys supposed to be on sub rolls? These were just small dry hamburger buns. The crab cakes themselves were pretty basic and miniscule, and the coleslaw wasn’t anything to write home about. Angel Voice got the Beef Carpaccio, which he described as «alright» … did I mention he is also a poet and all-​around wordsmith?
I’m willing to give this place a second chance to wow because there were some interesting dishes I’d like to try and I’m sure the atmosphere would be more tolerable on a non-​karaōke evening.
Random plus side — The bathrooms are very nice.

This was an OK place for a drink. The food was acceptable. It was a little pricey for what I got. The drinks were very high priced.
The crème brûlée was made there, but it was runny. Many other things coming from the kitchen looked rushed, or not all they could have been. One example was the brie, not very well baked, not a lot of fruit, and for the price not what I was hoping for.
Atmosphere was trendy and aspired to be cool and urban. Again, they just needed a touch more to get there.

I’ve visited the Manhattan a couple times and enjoyed the food immensely. I’m a cheese chick, and these folks know how to add it in all the right places. Beef medallions with goat cheese… mashed potatoes with feta… ooh wee! But if you’re looking for good-​sized portions, this isn’t where you want to be. It’s gourmet food that tastes good and looks good… on a tiny plate… but without a tiny price.
Loved the bourbon ball drink, made with Makers Mark, Frangelico hazelnut, and crème de cocoa.
I dig live music, so I applaud any establishment that aims to offer it on a nightly basis. But I worry about this spot because both times I went, I thought they were closed because there was literally nobody there. Granted, these were weeknights. It’s in a residential area, so maybe location is a factor.

The Manhattan… wants so badly to be more than just another neighborhood bar. I mean, even the name tries too hard. Either way, it’s not a bad place, but it’s nothing that will leave you yearning for more. I was there in early February for a few drinks and to see a local band. I spent most of my time on the patio because it was virtually impossible to hear anything inside — drink orders, friendly chat, fire alarms… Ok, there were no fire alarms… I think.
It was dark, so nothing about the décor stuck out to me, good or bad, and the crowd was equally vanilla. It was probably an equal split of people over 40 to people under 40, but with that particular band there, the demographics could have been skewed. The drinks were acceptable; I had a cosmo (which, given the name of the place, you would think would be a specialty there, but not so much).
All in all, if I lived on that side of town, I could see myself stopping in to grab a casual drink after work or for a happy hour, but I don’t think I’ll go out of my way to make it back there. Don’t get me wrong — it’s not a bad place, but my experience was that it didn’t offer anything I couldn’t get from a place in my neighborhood.

Had a girls holiday brunch party here this past Sunday and I was SO impressed. The service was amazing, our servers were so attentive, friendly and knowledgeable.
The food was AMAZING. They had a brunch menu with about 5 different items that were only $ 7 but we ordered mostly from the app/​dinner menu and were not disappointed at all, the prices are a little high for some things but the food was excellent. We ordered: Tomato Mozzarella Capri, Salmon Carpaccio, Lobster Rangoons, Sambuca Mussels and the Uptown Crab Cakes and everything we ordered was phenomenal.
There was a Jazz Band, outdoor seating AND the most impressive Bloody Mary bar I’ve ever seen. I will definitely come back and anyone in Tampa, this is a great spot for Sunday afternoon!

A group of us went of us went out last night and I guess I didn’t check Unilocal before we left. I am so glad we didn’t. Our party of four got to the Bistro about 7pm and we had our drinks and some appetizers… a plate of hummus with veggies and pita bread along with a plate of tomato and mozzarella caprise. The weather was great and our server Sunny was awesome. The woman singing in the bar (glorified karaōke) was not the best, but we weren’t there for the entertainment.
We next had plates of Salmon, steak tacos, chicken roulade and short ribs on flat bread. All were delicious and were the perfect size. (I sometimes worry about reviews that say there wasn’t enough food and think maybe they would be better served at a Macaroni Grille or Carrabbas.)
We then followed up with dessert of a plate of a Chocolate Flourless Torte and Crème Brulee with black and red raspberries. Both very good.
After we finished eating about 9pm, the featured band took the stage. We headed into the bar area and took up space in a booth opposite the bar. The band was good and started with mostly older rock tunes, but then as the evening progressed, came out with hits like Brick House, White Wedding and The Roof Is On Fire!
The mix of people was older, which was just fine for us and the atmosphere was great. Just a fun place to go on a Saturday night where you be at one place, but feel like you went to three!