Best Restaurants for Foodies in Ybor City

We thought this place deserved 5 stars. We were a little late to our 5:30 reservation… about 20 minutes. When we got there the hostess took our name and we were seated within 5 minutes. We started with the Sangria and the Basil Basilica and both were fantastic. For appetizers we had the ricotta spread (which was very good but a little too much ricotta cream), the octopus (very good) and the wagyu carpaccio (which was my favorite!). My boyfriend had the chicken for the entree and I had the Mafaldine. Both were absolutely amazing and will be going back!

I’m a foodie and always look for great restaurants when we travel. This turned out to be a great choice. I started with the tuna appetizer. It was fabulous. The accompaniments complemented the tuna perfectly. My wife had the mushroom soup. OMG it was tasty. My wife never orders pork in a restaurant, but the waiter’s description of it was so good she tried it and was glad she did. It was delicious. I had the steak. It was perfectly cooked and had a great tang to it. If you don’t like spicy foods I’d stay away, but I thought it was fabulous. I had the shortbread cookies for dessert. I would have preferred them with a little less jam and more ice cream, but that’s a minor complaint. My wife said the pomegranate sorbet was the best sorbet she ever had. Originally my wife gave me grief for picking a restaurant that was 40 minutes away from our hotel, but when we were done she acknowledged it was worth the drive. A few reviewers complained about the prices. Good food is expensive today. Don’t blame the restaurant for the Fed’s inflation.

I’ve been here before. This was for a special occasion and we had the best time. Everything was excellent… from the service to the food to the drinks. It was definitely worth the visit. I will be returning again. I highly recommend this restaurant.

We went for their Christmas Eve dinner. This was an amazing meal. One of the best I have ever had. From the hor d'oeuvres to the appetizers and then the salmon, duck, rabbit and langoustine. Then topped off by an amazing dessert. Of course, accompanied by a delicious lemon drop martini. The atmosphere was festive, and the wait staff missed nothing. Lilac is definitely on our list of favorite restaurants. Can't wait to go back. KUDOS!

The food was delicious and the service was amazing.