The Black Pearl

Review summary

1. H

   Harry

   VIP

   Tampa

   31 reviews

   5.0

   31 reviews

   Dined 4 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   First time dining at this fine restaurant. Really enjoyed everything we ordered including the Filet and mashed red potatoes. The sauce was very good. Excellent wine service and very attentive staff. Would highly recommend this fine dining gem!
   

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2. S

   Scott

   VIP

   Tampa

   3 reviews

   5.0

   3 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Wonderful evening all around!! Our server, Jay, was just great - very knowledgeable and personable, and he gave us great service! Adam, the Sommelier, was a real pleasure and he gave us some great wines along with some interesting explanations. Highly recommend The Black Pearl!!!!
   

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3. C

   Caitlin

   Tampa

   4 reviews

   1.0

   4 reviews

   Dined 5 days ago

   1. Overall 1
   2. Food 4
   3. Service 1
   4. Ambience 3

   This was one of the most bizarre and disappointing experiences I’ve ever had. I’ve dined here 3 times in the past, so I am familiar with the food, vibe, etc. We had an 8:00 reservation and arrived on time. We waited to be greeted for ~5 minutes, despite multiple staff members seeing us. The man who finally greeted us appeared to be the sommelier. He said our table wasn’t ready and it’d be a 10-minute wait. He suggested we go next door for a drink. This was a little perplexing as there were two 2-tops open along the wall, but we said ok and went next door. We returned at 8:15, thinking that would be plenty of time for our table to be ready. The two 2-tops that had initially been available at 8:00 were now occupied, and the staff was actively clearing off a 4-top booth. Considering I had requested a booth in my reservation (we were celebrating our anniversary and wanted the evening to be special), I thought the booth was the table we were waiting for. We again waited by the door for 5+ minutes before we were greeted by the same man. He said, “I tried to catch you when you left, but I couldn’t find you. I was going to give you this booth right here.” He pointed to the end booth adjacent to the booth that was being turned over. I thought that was weird as we were sitting at the bar next door where he told us to go, and had he so much as looked in the window, he would have seen us. Considering we were told to leave and come back, despite arriving on time for our 8:00 reservation, why was the party that arrived after us (now seated at the end booth) not told the same thing? At this point, two more parties of 2 were waiting behind us in line, and a 2-top in the middle of the room became available. The middle booth was ready, but instead of sitting us there he made us wait for the 2-top in the middle of the room to be cleaned. He then sat us at the 2-top in the middle of the room and put the party of 2 behind us in the middle booth. WTF??? We left and will never go back.
   

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4. B

   Brian

   Tampa

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined 6 days ago

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Exceptional food and service. What an experience. Wow!
   

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5. A

   Allen

   Portland

   2 reviews

   5.0

   2 reviews

   Dined on February 18, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Outstanding service and food. The. Courses were perfectly cooked. I cannot say enough except that I’ll be back.
   

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6. G

   Gary

   Tampa

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 17, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   We enjoyed a special prix-fixe menu for Valentines. This 7 courses delight was expertly explained, timely served, and appropriately apportioned. The dinner is better described as an experience (2 hours). The experience includes a sommelier if you have questions regarding your pairings. There are no awkward waiting periods as the wait staff were very consumer-centric! The food was nothing short of magnificent. If you want a downside, the evening had to end and I was too full to do much of anything! Definitely worthy of its placement as a Top 100 romantic restaurant!
   

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7. A

   Alex

   VIP

   Tallahassee

   18 reviews

   5.0

   18 reviews

   Dined on February 16, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Everything about the Black Pearl was excellent. Our server Sean was helpful, friendly and presented the menu in a wonderful way without leaving us feeling overwhelmed. We enjoyed their Valentine’s Day prix fixe and were blown away by every course. The amuse bouche really kicked things off well and the strawberry bread that followed was amazing. We then enjoyed a Caesar salad and the Black Pearl salad, lobster risotto, pork bell and those were followed by the sea bass and grouper. We ended the night with 2 great desserts! This restaurant is a perfect place to celebrate something special and I’d highly recommend it. They also had the BEST playlist keeping the restaurant lively and fun! Finding parking was a little tough so I recommend giving yourself some extra time before your reservation to ensure you’re not rushed.
   

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8. m

   matthew

   VIP

   Seattle

   1 review

   5.0

   1 review

   Dined on February 16, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Very rare to find a restaurant with service and food at this quality, top notch!
   

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9. J

   John

   Tampa

   16 reviews

   5.0

   16 reviews

   Dined on February 15, 2025

   1. Overall 5
   2. Food 5
   3. Service 5
   4. Ambience 5

   Great experience at the Black Pearl. We went on Saturday, February 15, 2025 and they still had the 4 course tasting menu from Valentine’s Day. Our waiter Sean was fantastic and thoroughly explained the menu. The sommelier, Tommy, was very knowledgeable. Will go back to the Black Pearl very soon. Food was fantastic, and the ambience was very romantic. 
   

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10. L

    Laisha

    Tampa

    11 reviews

    5.0

    11 reviews

    Dined on February 15, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5

    The Black Pearl did not disappoint! We have been to this restaurant many times over the years and it is consistently superior from beginning to end. Best filet in Tampa Bay - we recommend adding the foie gras and gorgonzola cheese crumbles… you won’t regret it!
    

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