SideBern's
Tampa, FL 33606-2432
Phone: (813) 258-2233
- Price:
- $$$
- Hours:
- Fri-Sat 6pm-11pm, Sun-Thu 6pm-10pm
Editorial Review for SideBern's – by Sara Kennedy
The Scene
Picture sheer, robin's-egg blue curtains, big bowls of fresh flowers and avant-garde modern furnishings that endow the restaurant with a 21st-century grace. It's a formal setting, but not uniformly so--most of the glitzy crowd dresses up, but people do come casual as well, but with the attitude of trend-setting fashionistas. SideBern's is a terrific place to take a particularly discriminating date, or someone you'd like to impress with a truly memorable night out.
The Food
It's an imaginative, elegant blend of Eastern and Western culinary traditions. Start with dim sum, a selection of bite-sized appetizers like lobster spring rolls and foie gras pot stickers. For an entree, order Szechuan-glazed Florida grouper, accompanied by shrimp tempura, sweet-pea shiitake stir-fry and coriander jasmine rice. For dessert, try the calorific Valrhona and Vanilla, a liquid-centered chocolate cake with vanilla bean creme, dark-chocolate mousse and ice cream.
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Insider Tips
When to GoArrive early and sit at the long, curved bar--it's the place to see and be seen.
User Reviews for SideBern's
02/13/2008 Posted by allsaint
Being from Chicago, I may have too high of a standard, but sideberns, which came highly recommended, is overrated. First, the staff seemed quite arrogant, from time of presentation to seating to ordering. The appetizer (foie gras) was expensive and rather poor quality although the reduction was pretty good. Ordering of a entree was a fiasco. My wife and I ordered, 10 minutes later the waiter came back to say they were out of the item, I ordered a different item, 10 minutes later the waiter came back stating that item was no longer available. The staff was rather unapolegetic and our waiter seemed to avoid us by walking the "long" way around. Wine by the glass selection was good. overall the food would be decent for a low-end restaurant but certainly not worth the high prices. Go to Ceviche instead for good food. If this restaurant was opened in chicago, it would last about 1 week.
Pros: location, wine selection
Cons: bad service, mediocre food, high prices
05/04/2007 Posted by bigfoodie
Sidebern's seems to me to be the kind of place that should be alot better than it actually is. The food is good and the service excellent, but I wasn't "wowed" like colleagues told me I would be. I was most disappointed in the dim sum. These appetizers/amuses bouches were a let down - tiny crab rangoons tasted more like crispy cream cheese more than anything else. I wondered what chef in their right mind would ruin high-quality Kumamoto oysters by frying them. The dinner menu is an interesting read, as you are bombarded with all sorts of exotic ingredients and combinations. Some of them just don't work. A powerful spice like fresh-ground cumin and chorizo sausage shouldn't go anywhere near rare ahi. I imagine the kitchen to be some sort of mad scientist's lab, but perhaps the culinary staff should go back to chemistry 101. Very good wine list, which also includes sake - a personal fave (a little more variety in that area would be a great idea). The server was very knowledgeable about every ingredient - these kids must have to study like they're taking the MCAT to work in a place like this. He was also attentative without being annoying or obtrusive - heavy kudos for that. Overall a decent dining experience, something worth doing again. My advice: If a dish sounds too complicated, then it probably is. You might be turned off by it. Stick with what you know, not what the restaurant wants you to.
Pros: Ingredients, Service, Wine List
Cons: Too much fusion = confusion
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