Passed by Byblos Café lately? You might’ve noticed some work being done on the longtime South Tampa restaurant. Some pretty neat work, actually.
Opened in 2001 by owners Roger and Ziad Estephan, Byblos has started what general manager Manny Quinones calls Phase 1 of a three-part expansion, which includes an updated look, reworked menu and new additions: a high-energy bar with a cocktail lounge and a sophisticated outdoor lounge to complement it all. The remodel will allow the restaurant, known for its Lebanese cuisine, to broaden its Mediterranean appeal.
“What we’re trying to do is we wanna hit more of every kind of demographic, so we’re gonna do more tapas style, meze style, with an upscale flair to it,” Quinones told CL. “Originally, we were gonna say, ‘Hey, let’s call it tapas.’ But I think meze fits perfect with what we’re going for, because we can hit every part of the Mediterranean and still be called meze.”
Luckily, fans of Byblos can look forward to more variety, not a different name or culture. In the back, where some parking is available, the restaurant plans to phase out its in-house marketplace, making room for a walkway that leads to the state-of-the-art bar (hang a left) and dining room (go right). Mahogany tables, white leather banquettes and floor-to-ceiling windows will contribute to the upscale restaurant’s bright, sleek dining area, while the open-air patio along South MacDill Avenue has new flooring and furniture (white leather to match the interior), TVs and a semi-closed canopy, giving Byblos the ability to cool things down or heat ’em up, in store.
Customers who head for the bar — which, like the dining room, is accessible from the restaurant’s second entrance out front — notice a different vibe altogether. Cabinets full of dark spirits such as bourbon and Scotch. A chef’s table. High-tops. More banquettes. A wine cellar with high-end wines and liquor on display. Look up from the white quartz bar and you’ll see 22-foot-high ceilings with mahogany-stained open trusses, too. The idea here is a lively, fast-paced environment that spills out to the canopy-covered lounge outside, where a waterfall, built-in fireplace, additional seating and, likely, a DJ for a little nightlife are planned. (Happy hour, running 4 to 7 p.m. daily with half-off food, cocktails and wine, should help as well.)
Representing the Mediterranean as well as refreshing drinks meant for sipping outdoors, the cocktail menu — developed by Quinones, who’s worked in and helped open fine-dining eateries in Tampa Bay and beyond, including Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino’s shuttered Grey Salt — spotlights about 10 to 11 signatures. There’s an Old Fashioned, which mixes rum and rye whiskey, smoked tableside, along with a Tito’s vodka cocktail that incorporates strawberry-basil-infused lemonade made in-house.
The wine selection also has something for everyone. In addition to eight draft beers, Byblos is set to serve sangria with an array of garnishes (think fresh pomegranate seeds and dragonfruit) and crowd-pleasing wines by the glass, alongside Mediterranean offerings from Greece, France and Italy, to name a few.
“We don’t wanna just have all French and Italian. We wanna have comfort wines that people are familiar with,” Quinones said.
Chef David Puatu, an Art Institute of Philadelphia graduate who previously served as chef de cuisine for another Hard Rock restaurant, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood, and is no stranger to Mediterranean cuisines, is behind the revamped bill of fare. But don’t worry — the original lineup’s core items, like kibbe and baba ganoush, remain. They’re just presented in a modern way. Kofta, for instance, lives on as sliders with ground Wagyu beef.
“We’re hitting France, we’re hitting Spain, we’re hitting Lebanon, we’re hitting Africa. A little bit of American in there, just so it’s more comfortable to look at the menu and try everything. A lot of fresh pastas,” Puatu said. “We’re trying to hit 12-minute times, and it’ll be fast and fun.”
The aforementioned hot and cold mezes, or shareable plates, drive lunch, dinner and now weekend brunch. Dinner includes charred octopus prepared on a wood-burning grill, free-range chicken roulade and whole branzino or tomahawk ribeye for the table. Dishes like rigatoni and jumbo shrimp, compressed watermelon salad with prosciutto and a lamb burger are on hand for lunch, a service that features a bit more Italian and salads. And quail and waffles, a serrano ham and egg sandwich and a Bloody Mary bar, along with dinner selections, are among the brunch highlights.
The menu is fit for patrons looking to splurge on high-priced items, but also those who want to enjoy a meal that won’t break the bank.
“You want to come in for an appetizer, or two small plates and a glass of wine, we’re gonna get you under $30,” Quinones said. “We’re really trying to hit that $15 to $35 range, and then you could go $55 to whatever.”
Byblos is shooting to complete its expansion, which provides the indoor-outdoor restaurant with anywhere from 160 to 170 seats, by the first or second week of October, give or take. While the remodel hasn’t halted operations Monday through Sunday, the restaurant does plan to close for a short time in the coming months to redo its dining room.
Over the next couple of weeks, customers can stop in for a taste of what’s to come. Byblos has started doing a $35 three-course menu that showcases two of its new dishes, plus a glass of wine.
“I just want people to know that we’re not taking away from Byblos. We’re just adding to it,” Quinones said.
Puatu added: “There’s no reason for Tampa to not be one of the best cities to go to for food. You’ve got good restaurants around here already. It’s really exciting. We just want to be part of it.”
