I was very much looking forward to trying a middle eastern restaurant in Florida. I suggested to a group of 7 people to make a reservation on a Friday night. The atmosphere was bland and had no life. I am thinking a different might have gone out of business and this one moved in and used the same decor. Our waiter definitely had no training and had been there three months. He left glasses and dishes all night, our food was served without serving utensils, and he would set the bottom of the tray down right on the table to serve the drinks. He was overwhelmed from lack of training. I had the short ribs. The meat was tender but devoid of flavor. The mashed potatoes were runny and honestly tasted as if boiled in bleach water. My friend had the snapper and it was cold and brittle. My other friend had the lamb kabob and chewed and chewed but it was so tough she could barely swallow. I think this place is a shame and I will not be surprised if it goes out of business quickly. I feel ripped off and cheated by this experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
SusanL
Our server was great, no complaints. Food was ok, nothing to rave about. But to be fair we only had hummus and feta apps and one lamb shashlik(which was a bit chewy). Will perhaps make a second attempt. I like the idea of eastern Med cuisine for our area.
StephenD
Unfortunately this restaurant has very little ambiance or atmosphere. It literally feels like you are eating in a hotel lobby near where they serve the continental breakfast. Art Ovation is a great hotel downtown with an awesome rooftop and lobby bar so we were a little surprised with Tzeva's lack of atmosphere and overall appeal.
PatKat
We had three starters which were all okay. The $45 skirt steak was a modest serving for the price and not particularly interesting. Server was a nice guy, but not very good at his job. And the place has the feel of a chain....which it is.
CindyE
Fresh ingredients combined in interesting flavor combinations, an attentive staff, comfortable banquette and upholstered chair seating, an airy room and expansive window views wherever in the room you sit...what more could you want?
Ted Brasso
The service here is terrible. The only time the server came to our table was when we sat down and to bring us our bill. For a party of two the server automatically added 20% to our bill as a tip. He should be fired. Worst restaurant I've been too in a Marriott hotel -Titanium member. I'll also be passing this on to Marriott.Parking: No parking available. Hotel charges $39 per day for parking.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
The hostess as well as the wait-staff were absolutely outstanding! The menu selection and preparation were impressive. Having lived in the Middle East for a number of years, this dining occasion brought back lots of very pleasant memories!
Healthyeater
The main courses were extremely spicy and we couldn't finish them. Normally we like spicy food, but this was overkill. The person who provided our service was poorly trained. They did their best, but it wasn't to the standard that you would expect. Some kind of scent was being diffused throughout the restaurant which was extremely irritating to the throat and causing us to cough. Will not return.
Yenrotta99
What a downtown Sarasota find! The food was amazing. Every dish was delicious (Classic hummus, white bean hummus - with lamb ragu, grilled octopus, chicken kabob). Veronika our server was delightful and very informative. Highly recommend!
DebB
Our server, Veronika, was excellent. She explained how the menu works and various dishes. The food was also excellent - the Hummus with Lamb Ragu also the baked Feta, and kebabs. I can't remember the name of the dessert cake - yummmmm. Don't miss it.
Staff was very friendly and helpful. Mehmet our servers was also very helpful. I would say the restaurant is Middle Eastern not Mediterrean, but I suppose that would put some customers off. The food is excellent particularly the hummus and salatim.
JackM
This was our second visit and we love Tzeva. We ate outside in wonderful mild weather ahead of our 7 pm show at Florida Studia Theater. My wife and I shared an assortment of small plates. We love octopus, which is hard to find, so we'll probably order it every time we dine there.
nyretiredgal
Casual middle eastern food with a nice medley of offerings. Hummus, kebabs, falafel, octopus were all delicious. The service was very attentive and the restaurant was pretty busy. They did a great job of keeping our meal properly timed so that all selections didn't come at once. A great place for a crowd - you can order small and large plates. I would like to see more mezze platters with veggies. We will certainly return!
StacyO
We had a fantastic dinner pre-opera. We had t planned it, but we were able to take advantage of the excellent happy hour prices, too. Cocktails were great, and every one of the five hummus options was delicious! Our favorite was t he feta cheese appetizer and the chicken and grouper skewered we would return in a second!
Nbhi
We had a wonderful meal last night at Tzeva. The dishes were so flavorful, interesting, just delicious. We loved every bite. After dinner we went to the Libby at the hotel and the music was fabulous. All in all it was a great evening and we look forward to returning.
I was very much looking forward to trying a middle eastern restaurant in Florida. I suggested to a group of 7 people to make a reservation on a Friday night. The atmosphere was bland and had no life. I am thinking a different might have gone out of business and this one moved in and used the same decor. Our waiter definitely had no training and had been there three months. He left glasses and dishes all night, our food was served without serving utensils, and he would set the bottom of the tray down right on the table to serve the drinks. He was overwhelmed from lack of training. I had the short ribs. The meat was tender but devoid of flavor. The mashed potatoes were runny and honestly tasted as if boiled in bleach water. My friend had the snapper and it was cold and brittle. My other friend had the lamb kabob and chewed and chewed but it was so tough she could barely swallow. I think this place is a shame and I will not be surprised if it goes out of business quickly. I feel ripped off and cheated by this experience.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Our server was great, no complaints. Food was ok, nothing to rave about. But to be fair we only had hummus and feta apps and one lamb shashlik(which was a bit chewy). Will perhaps make a second attempt. I like the idea of eastern Med cuisine for our area.
Unfortunately this restaurant has very little ambiance or atmosphere. It literally feels like you are eating in a hotel lobby near where they serve the continental breakfast. Art Ovation is a great hotel downtown with an awesome rooftop and lobby bar so we were a little surprised with Tzeva's lack of atmosphere and overall appeal.
We had three starters which were all okay. The $45 skirt steak was a modest serving for the price and not particularly interesting. Server was a nice guy, but not very good at his job. And the place has the feel of a chain....which it is.
Fresh ingredients combined in interesting flavor combinations, an attentive staff, comfortable banquette and upholstered chair seating, an airy room and expansive window views wherever in the room you sit...what more could you want?
The service here is terrible. The only time the server came to our table was when we sat down and to bring us our bill. For a party of two the server automatically added 20% to our bill as a tip. He should be fired. Worst restaurant I've been too in a Marriott hotel -Titanium member. I'll also be passing this on to Marriott.Parking: No parking available. Hotel charges $39 per day for parking.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 3
Service: 1
The hostess as well as the wait-staff were absolutely outstanding! The menu selection and preparation were impressive. Having lived in the Middle East for a number of years, this dining occasion brought back lots of very pleasant memories!
The main courses were extremely spicy and we couldn't finish them. Normally we like spicy food, but this was overkill. The person who provided our service was poorly trained. They did their best, but it wasn't to the standard that you would expect. Some kind of scent was being diffused throughout the restaurant which was extremely irritating to the throat and causing us to cough. Will not return.
What a downtown Sarasota find! The food was amazing. Every dish was delicious (Classic hummus, white bean hummus - with lamb ragu, grilled octopus, chicken kabob). Veronika our server was delightful and very informative. Highly recommend!
Our server, Veronika, was excellent. She explained how the menu works and various dishes. The food was also excellent - the Hummus with Lamb Ragu also the baked Feta, and kebabs. I can't remember the name of the dessert cake - yummmmm. Don't miss it.
Restaurantji Recommends
Staff was very friendly and helpful. Mehmet our servers was also very helpful. I would say the restaurant is Middle Eastern not Mediterrean, but I suppose that would put some customers off. The food is excellent particularly the hummus and salatim.
This was our second visit and we love Tzeva. We ate outside in wonderful mild weather ahead of our 7 pm show at Florida Studia Theater. My wife and I shared an assortment of small plates. We love octopus, which is hard to find, so we'll probably order it every time we dine there.
Casual middle eastern food with a nice medley of offerings. Hummus, kebabs, falafel, octopus were all delicious. The service was very attentive and the restaurant was pretty busy. They did a great job of keeping our meal properly timed so that all selections didn't come at once. A great place for a crowd - you can order small and large plates. I would like to see more mezze platters with veggies. We will certainly return!
We had a fantastic dinner pre-opera. We had t planned it, but we were able to take advantage of the excellent happy hour prices, too. Cocktails were great, and every one of the five hummus options was delicious! Our favorite was t he feta cheese appetizer and the chicken and grouper skewered we would return in a second!
We had a wonderful meal last night at Tzeva. The dishes were so flavorful, interesting, just delicious. We loved every bite. After dinner we went to the Libby at the hotel and the music was fabulous. All in all it was a great evening and we look forward to returning.