Dining at Lona in Tampa was a delightful experience. The beautiful atmosphere instantly sets a welcoming tone, perfectly complementing the culinary finesse on display. The food was excellent, but the Passion Picante cocktail was the standout, offering a perfect blend of flavors that was both refreshing and spicy.
Samantha
Love this place! So excited they opened one up in Tampa. I used to go to the one in Fort Lauderdale all the time. They had a great ambiance and playlist the whole night. Food was also excellent, just a little pricey if you don't go for happy hour.
Christina Markel
We had a good time at Lona. The happy hour menu was good, and we enjoyed the guacamole and corn. However, the prices for entres were a little steep for what it came it. We had the Baja tacos, and Shrimp Tacos, and the flavors were all good, but I would expect a little more food or possibly a side. The atmosphere was nice as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Baja Fish Taco
Cathleen Stief
Awesome decor, but bland food and poor service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Karen Lam
Went at about 5:45 with husband and toddler. Was told 20 min wait. Left my phone number. I’m still waiting to get the text saying my table is ready.Incompetence at copying my phone number? Prejudice against a toddler? Either way, pretty surprised at the lack of service. Will never return. Ruined our evening as we waited a while for a text.
Unbelievably great restaurant. Great vibes. Best Salsa and chips ever. Server was exceptional offering her favorites and was spot on each pick. Would definitely return next time visiting Tampa.
Charles Allen
Used to be a nice sports bar. Now it's some kind of mexican restaurant with a terrible menu. Ordered a hamburger it was terrible and twenty one bucks. When I go to games I will find another bar.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 4
Tate Grant
I would only recommend you stop by this place for the happy hour deals. I couldn’t imagine paying the regular prices for this kind of food. You would think with the chefs name in the name of the restaurant that they could at least put salt in the guacamole.The drink deals during happy hour were the saving grace on our visit and helped to distract us from the mediocre Mexican fare. The house margarita was very good and they go down easy. The complimentary salsa they provide was the best thing that we had, if that tells you anything.I was excited for this place because of the nice location, however, it seems to suffer from being just another disappointing restaurant attached to a hotel, which is always a recipe for disaster.
daniel mullings
Terrible service. Server could not remember order forgot multiple drinks. Waited mutilple times for forgotten drinks and food. Not worth it many other good places with better service.
Daniel M.
Terrible service mediocre food. Many other better places definitely will not be returning. Server forgot the order then could not remember what was ordered.
we had an amazing time! the food, service and ambiance was awesome! the manager ryan was so accommodating and our waitress was so patient. we had a reservation for 12 but had to change to 17 and ryan was able to change last minute. additionally help me find sunglasses i thought i lost!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Eve V.
Good service, good cocktails, and quality food. Came to Tampa for a conference and decided to try this spot. The restaurant is beautiful with a Latin vibe that gives an air of Tulum (minus the melodic EDM). I had the spicy avocado cocktail which was nice and refreshing but the avocado seemed to cut the bite of the spirit making it a much smoother experience. The lump crab guacamole was fire, with the right texture and consistency, and the lobster quesadilla was good but the flavor was very rich. The pico de Gallo cuts some of the richness but I felt like I needed a little more to balance each bite. I would consider sharing or splitting this dish to get a different flavor profile and variety of texture. This place is near the convention center so prices may reflect the area but all in all great experience and good food.
GLong
I made a reservation at this place and notified them of my allergy in advance. When I arrived, I was seated and when I asked about how my allergy could be accommodated, since I was assured on the phone that it could be, I was told that they would not be accommodating my allergy and wouldn't even make a simple side dish that I could eat. I got up to leave and no one even apologized. I understand that I have a tough allergy that can on the spot, be tough to work around. However, that's why I call in advance and ask. The restaurant could have at least had the decency to tell me when I called that they wouldn't or couldn't accommodate my allergy, and saved me from wasting my time.
Melissa Briscoe
Terrible for food. Terrible for valet. Great for entertainment if you want to spend $75/hr for a suite space to play games. The photos definitely do NOT do justice. I am beyond disappointed with the food along with the valet hanging out on their phones even when the crowd comes out. Where is the management?
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
Dawn Lettiere
We finally had a chance to visit Lona restaurant at the Tampa Marriott. The restaurant has an absolutely beautiful interior and is very inviting. Upon entering we were warmly greeted by Victor the Host, Ryan the Assistant Manager and Alexis the Manager. They were all so friendly and accommodating. Once we sat down our Server Adolfo introduced himself and did such an outstanding job. Since it was our first time we had a lot of questions about the menu and he could not have been more helpful, informative and PATIENT!! The food is delicious and very fresh authentic Mexican style. We loved everything we ordered and will definitely be back soon. Shout out to Natalia the bartender, I heard the Margarita's were amazing! Thank you all for such a lovely experience, we enjoyed every minute! If you are visiting Tampa or if you live here...you need to come check it out!
Dining at Lona in Tampa was a delightful experience. The beautiful atmosphere instantly sets a welcoming tone, perfectly complementing the culinary finesse on display. The food was excellent, but the Passion Picante cocktail was the standout, offering a perfect blend of flavors that was both refreshing and spicy.
Love this place! So excited they opened one up in Tampa. I used to go to the one in Fort Lauderdale all the time. They had a great ambiance and playlist the whole night. Food was also excellent, just a little pricey if you don't go for happy hour.
We had a good time at Lona. The happy hour menu was good, and we enjoyed the guacamole and corn. However, the prices for entres were a little steep for what it came it. We had the Baja tacos, and Shrimp Tacos, and the flavors were all good, but I would expect a little more food or possibly a side. The atmosphere was nice as well.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Baja Fish Taco
Awesome decor, but bland food and poor service.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 3
Service: 2
Went at about 5:45 with husband and toddler. Was told 20 min wait. Left my phone number. I’m still waiting to get the text saying my table is ready.Incompetence at copying my phone number? Prejudice against a toddler? Either way, pretty surprised at the lack of service. Will never return. Ruined our evening as we waited a while for a text.
Unbelievably great restaurant. Great vibes. Best Salsa and chips ever. Server was exceptional offering her favorites and was spot on each pick. Would definitely return next time visiting Tampa.
Used to be a nice sports bar. Now it's some kind of mexican restaurant with a terrible menu. Ordered a hamburger it was terrible and twenty one bucks. When I go to games I will find another bar.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 2
Service: 4
I would only recommend you stop by this place for the happy hour deals. I couldn’t imagine paying the regular prices for this kind of food. You would think with the chefs name in the name of the restaurant that they could at least put salt in the guacamole.The drink deals during happy hour were the saving grace on our visit and helped to distract us from the mediocre Mexican fare. The house margarita was very good and they go down easy. The complimentary salsa they provide was the best thing that we had, if that tells you anything.I was excited for this place because of the nice location, however, it seems to suffer from being just another disappointing restaurant attached to a hotel, which is always a recipe for disaster.
Terrible service. Server could not remember order forgot multiple drinks. Waited mutilple times for forgotten drinks and food. Not worth it many other good places with better service.
Terrible service mediocre food. Many other better places definitely will not be returning. Server forgot the order then could not remember what was ordered.
Restaurantji Recommends
we had an amazing time! the food, service and ambiance was awesome! the manager ryan was so accommodating and our waitress was so patient. we had a reservation for 12 but had to change to 17 and ryan was able to change last minute. additionally help me find sunglasses i thought i lost!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Good service, good cocktails, and quality food. Came to Tampa for a conference and decided to try this spot. The restaurant is beautiful with a Latin vibe that gives an air of Tulum (minus the melodic EDM). I had the spicy avocado cocktail which was nice and refreshing but the avocado seemed to cut the bite of the spirit making it a much smoother experience. The lump crab guacamole was fire, with the right texture and consistency, and the lobster quesadilla was good but the flavor was very rich. The pico de Gallo cuts some of the richness but I felt like I needed a little more to balance each bite. I would consider sharing or splitting this dish to get a different flavor profile and variety of texture. This place is near the convention center so prices may reflect the area but all in all great experience and good food.
I made a reservation at this place and notified them of my allergy in advance. When I arrived, I was seated and when I asked about how my allergy could be accommodated, since I was assured on the phone that it could be, I was told that they would not be accommodating my allergy and wouldn't even make a simple side dish that I could eat. I got up to leave and no one even apologized. I understand that I have a tough allergy that can on the spot, be tough to work around. However, that's why I call in advance and ask. The restaurant could have at least had the decency to tell me when I called that they wouldn't or couldn't accommodate my allergy, and saved me from wasting my time.
Terrible for food. Terrible for valet. Great for entertainment if you want to spend $75/hr for a suite space to play games. The photos definitely do NOT do justice. I am beyond disappointed with the food along with the valet hanging out on their phones even when the crowd comes out. Where is the management?
Atmosphere: 3
Food: 1
Service: 4
We finally had a chance to visit Lona restaurant at the Tampa Marriott. The restaurant has an absolutely beautiful interior and is very inviting. Upon entering we were warmly greeted by Victor the Host, Ryan the Assistant Manager and Alexis the Manager. They were all so friendly and accommodating. Once we sat down our Server Adolfo introduced himself and did such an outstanding job. Since it was our first time we had a lot of questions about the menu and he could not have been more helpful, informative and PATIENT!! The food is delicious and very fresh authentic Mexican style. We loved everything we ordered and will definitely be back soon. Shout out to Natalia the bartender, I heard the Margarita's were amazing! Thank you all for such a lovely experience, we enjoyed every minute! If you are visiting Tampa or if you live here...you need to come check it out!
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5