Watervue Grille- Downtown Tampa- Harbour Island

Love the food. The service was amazing, the people are so nice and respectful.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

It had been a while since we checked out Watervue. We weren’t too excited last time when we repeatedly witnessed the bartender and servers using their bare hands to grab garnishments for drinks. Totally grossed us out. Yesterday, we decided we wanted a cocktail and dessert while out for a walk around 7PM (it wasn’t busy for a Saturday which surprised us) and thought we would stop in and give them another try. I asked the young man at the entrance if there was a dessert menu and the reply I received was … uuugh … we gotta lotta stuff. He said it in a low tone dopey voice. He knew absolutely nothing about the service industry. We could tell right then that we were not in the right place and went across the street to Motorworks and had fantastic service and dessert! Come on … do better. Act like you have some sense.

Service: 1

Great water view location . But absolutely no vibe . Great bartender but food is average. Especially for the price. 2 tacos $20+. No thank you

Very chill ambiance and great location. Service was great, and the food was good. We tried the beef carpaccio and tuna wontons, pasta and scallops, wedge and filet salad, and the grouper tacos - we would have gotten the oysters but they had none. The carpaccio was outstanding!

Based on recommendations from a local Facebook group, we decided to host lunch at Watervue Grille. I cannot rave enough about the food, staff, and especially the manager. We had about 40 family members who comfortably fit in the private dining area. They provided coloring pages and crayons for the kids and were responsive to allergy concerns. The manager even created custom menus with the event name on them.

I know Harbour Island parking isn’t the greatest, but I was able to pre-pay for parking at the garage, which made it easy for my guests. We’ve done private events at other lunch spots and I really think this is one of the best venues, especially given how large of a group they can accommodate! For events in the future, I will not hesistant to book here. They were absolutely fantastic!

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Perhaps my expectations got the better of me, but i was thinking shrimp in florida for this price would be amazing... ordered the shrimp and grits, the flavors were delicious, but the shrimp were so small and few, the dish was mostly grits. I am skinny, so after crab cake appetizer, the shrimp dish, and a beer i left feeling full, but a larger person might have left hungry. The atmosphere and view were relaxing, and staff were attentive and friendly.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 3

Service: 5

Great place on the water for an awesome drink & lunch. The food was amazing. The service was on point. Great views of the waterside canal, Amelie Arena & Downtown Tampa.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

I got the Salmon Bi Bim Bap and it was AMAZING! Salmon was cooked as ordered as was the accompanying jasmine rice, burnt miso sauce and mushrooms.The red sangria was rather boring so I ordered a glass of savignon blanc to go with my meal which was good. For dessert I ordered the key lime pie and was really exited to have it at home. I was extremely disappointed. it tasted like it had been baked in a pan that was used for something else and not washed properly. The crust was almost burnt as was the pie filling.
I wish I could give the entree a 5 though!!
all in all this place is good. Just don't get dessert.

Atmosphere: 4

Food: 4

Service: 5

We took a client to get dinner here, and it was a great experience! Our waiter was amazing and made sure we were taken care of the entire time. Their Brussels sprouts were perfect, calamari was some of the best I’ve ever had, and their fish and chips were also amazing! Everything about this place was great- from the food to the atmosphere to the service! 10/10

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Really nice place and just busy enough. Service was prompt and courteous. And lunch was a great value for the price. Highly recommend it!

The food and service were excellent. But the best of all were the pickles, they should be packaged and sold commercially.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5

Recommended dishes: Parmigiano Crusted Swordfish

4/19/25 This was my first visit to Watervue. It was okay, but other options are better in my opinion. The crab cake was actually pretty good. The mahi mahi (pictured) was okay, but we also ordered the scallops which were disappointing. The scallops were tiny and over cooked without much flavor. We may have just had an uncommonly negative experience but we'll probably choose other restaurants before returning to Watervue.

Atmosphere: 3

Food: 3

Service: 3

We were on vacation and in Tampa for 3 days. We had dinner at Watervue on our first night and liked it so much we had dinner again on our last night. The salmon was moist and cooked to perfection. Scallop Pesto Pasta was delicious. Highly recommend this local restaurant for a great meal. Suggest you make a reservation.

Second time dining here. Love the menu, the food and the wine list. And great service. Can't wait to go back and try new things. This is a neighborhood gem.

From arriving to leaving, staff was very welcoming & professional. The location with the water was great, the food & portions were phenomenal.

Atmosphere: 5

Food: 5

Service: 5