Hotel bars and restaurants are becoming quite a thing in Tampa Bay. Anchor & Brine and Garrison Tavern (Tampa Marriott and Water Street), Taste Downtown Tampa (stylized "TASTE," Embassy Suites), Julian Restaurant (Marriott), and The Spaniard (Hotel Alba) come to mind when trying to name a few that have opened recently.
Ybor City wants in on the action, too.
The historic district recently welcomed a new boutique hotel with three of its own food and drink concepts. Hotel Haya is home to Café Quiquiriqui, upscale restaurant Flor Fina and the Haya Pool Bar. So no matter what the occasion, the hotel is ready to serve.
Located at 1412 E. 7th Ave. across the street from Southern Nights, Hotel Haya describes its vibe as "Old Ybor City charm meets modern flair." That means honoring the melting pot of cultures and flavors that are true to Ybor through its cuisine.
Café Quiquiriqui is more of a neighborhood café rather than a typical hotel espresso bar. The Cuban-inspired café offers indoor and outdoor seating allowing guests to enjoy their sips near the bustling city street. Its menu includes espresso drinks, coffee and café con leche alongside eats like pastries, Cuban sandwiches, empanadas, tostadas as well as grab-and-go eats for tourists and locals, alike. Quiquiriqui also offers seasonal gelato, pies by the slice and even cigars. Talk about a one-stop-shop. Hours for the café are 7 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week.
The hotel's upscale restaurant, Flor Fina, has a menu revolving around coastal cuisines of Latin America, the Mediterranean, as well as the Gulf Coast. The restaurant is headed by Executive Chef Douglas Rodriguez, a Miami chef acclaimed as the “Godfather of Nuevo Latino Cuisine.” Offerings include a rotating list of ceviches, soups, salads, pasta, shareable platters as well as eats hot from a wood-burning grill (whole market fish, a 24-oz. tomahawk ribeye, and the grouper a lo macho served with a fiery seafood sauce alongside mussels and calamari). If you're just looking for a small bite, bar snacks include eats like sweet corn fritters, smoke pineapple guacamole sandos, and an empanadas trio.
There is also a lineup of desserts like Lime in the Coconut Pavlova, Shock-alate Parfait and a Quatro Leches Cake made up of sponge cake, dulce de leche and toffee brittle.
The full bar pours wines by the glass and bottle, brews, and cocktails like the Conquistador made with Lustau Solera Reserva Brandy, Amontillado Sherry, fig leaf, lemon and Angostura bitters. The elevated vibes call for a date night atmosphere or even an after-work hideaway.
Bar hours are 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Mon., 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Tue.-Thu. and 11 a.m.-midnight Fri.-Sat. Dining room hours are 5 p.m.-10 p.m. Tue.-Sat.
The Haya Pool Bar serves up seasonal cocktails, boozy ice pops as well as shareable bites and salads. At the moment, Haya Pool Bar is closed due to COVID-19, but plans on reopening in the coming weeks when it is determined to be safe for both guests and staff.
As far as parking goes, street parking, as well as valet parking, is available for locals to check out the new Ybor City digs.
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This article appears in Nov 19-25, 2020.