Tantō, a Japanese-inspired cocktail lounge from Kōsen’s team, opens in Tampa Heights this summer

A high-end bar and social club concept from the ownership of a Michelin-starred Japanese restaurant is headed to Tampa Heights.

Tantō, located at 306 W Palm Ave., will soon debut next to its omakase-style older sibling Kōsen.

Tantō will seat 25 guests in its cocktail lounge, with a focus on rare Japanese spirits, small-batch fermentations, housemade bitters and liqueurs and hand-cut ice.

The upcoming bar and lounge will be helmed by Kōsen’s Director of Beverage & Sustainability Mike Western.

“The response to Kōsen’s non-alcoholic fermentation program has been incredible. I knew I wanted to do more with it—to create a space where our Tampa community can stop by, grab a few small plates, and enjoy a proper cocktail without a 10-course commitment,” Western says in a recent press release.

In addition to its stacked cocktail program, Tantō also plans to serve a few of Kōsen’s most popular small plates out of its intimate, open kitchen. While these dishes may be slightly different and “reimagined for the cocktail crowd,” guests can still expect Executive Chef Andrew Huang’s use of traditional Japanese techniques, classic raw preparations and hyper-seasonal ingredients.

Tantō will debut in the space that once housed Kōsen’s slightly more casual counterpart Ko, a kaiseki-style dining space that dished out reimagined Japanese classics alongside its 12-seat chef’s counter.

Head to tantotampa.com to join its waitlist or follow @tantotampa on Instagram for the latest updates on its highly-anticipated grand opening, slated for sometime this summer.

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This article appears in Jul 3-9, 2025.