Five Reasons To Love The Pearl Restaurant At Water Street In Tampa

The Pearl Restaurant on Water Street just opened. It's another unique, fine-dining option for locals and tourists.

The Pearl Restaurant is billed as a tavern & oyster room, but they have plenty of delicious items on the menu, beyond oysters and seafood. It's a Cameron Mitchell (restauranteur) concept located at 823 Water Street.

It officially opened on Tuesday, but we checked out the soft opening last weekend and really enjoyed all of the food and the vibe. We sat outside and got to people watch and enjoy the evening weather. Blake Shelton was performing at Amalie Arena, which is right next to the restaurant, so once the concert let out, there were swarms of people.

We tried quite a few different menu items. I was most impressed with the appetizers: teriyaki octopus, chicken wing confit, Thai curry mussels, and deviled eggs. But that's not to say the main course wasn't fantastic. I had the ricotta dumplings with acorn squash, ricotta Salata, crispy kale and toasted walnuts.

I'm not a big dessert person, but I'm obsessed with the two desserts that I ended up trying. One was like an apple cobbler with caramel, and the other had blueberries and heavy cream involved. They bake fresh pies daily. Overall, the food I ate was rich, not that you can't find lighter options.

I do enjoy going out to dinner in downtown. There is so much action, especially on a night that there is an event or a hockey game. That can be a good thing or a bad thing...it brings a lot of excitement, but it was a little tricky getting out of downtown with all of the traffic, so you have to plan accordingly. We thoroughly enjoyed the experience. We will definitely be back. So many great restaurants to choose from in Tampa. Here are five things that made The Pearl stand out.

I ate chicken wings and these adorable hard-boiled eggs. Look at this presentation!

Never have I ever had a better cup of coffee.

From raw to Rockefeller, they nailed every variety.

Great vibes whether you dine inside or sit outdoors on the patio.