Lilac 紫丁香 @ Edition
500 Channelside Dr
Tampa, FL 33602
Downtown Tampa
… more pix on Google Maps, Yelp, TA & OT
Will return for the service and the decor.
One of Michelin starred restaurants in town.
Location: 5
Ambience: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Picayune: milk bread is too big
The food is good but could be better:
~ the milk bread is awesome
~ the freebies are all very good
~ spiced tuna: they’re chunks, could it be a bit smaller and more moistened (?)
~ salmon – is very good and tender, but a hair shy from Trump’s link @ Waterfront in Bronx, NYC
~ grouper – tasty, skinned cherry tomatoes are yummy
The hot bread is delicious, but a little to large. It looks like a K2 that I’ve to conquer. Maybe making it half the size, less waste? The texture is croissant-ish, reminds me of the breads from a bakery in Beijing – Zhongguancu Bakery 中关村茶点 (… after 60+ years and the Cultural Revolution, it has closed down and moved to a new location early this year…)
Lilac means 紫丁香 in Chinese: purple clove. So I put on as much purple as I could but … there isn’t purple in sight (until 6pm when they brought out the snap dragon).
The entrance of the hotel Edition has fake Bougainvillea (why?!?) Large plants filled the narrow high ceiling lobby and the restaurant, like an oasis. Green is the theme of the restaurant: green tiles, green booths and chairs that feel like 1960s or 80s but with clean and modern twist, the large green plants (real) bring me to now, today. (I do have green dinning chairs and love them.)
The restaurant is small: six tables for two, one long table for eight, and six half circular booths that could accommodate up to four. It’s empty from 5 and three more tables filled by 6pm, then by accident or planned, they brought out beautiful snap dragon to tables: thank you.
Many restaurants use Riedel (Santa Fe!) but their water glasses are the best: look ordinary but is extraordinarily delicate – I think I’d three glass of water. The matte tableware Sera by Piet Boon is nice.
The female hostesses is very beautiful, who asked us what kind of occasion this dinner is. It draws a black – nothing really special, just a dinner. But I don’t want to disappoint her, so I said, “I just won a lawsuit.” (… which is turn – I did indeed https://www.tampabay.com/life-culture/food/2025/06/04/hales-blackbrick-sues-yelp-reviewer-restaurants-tampa-bay/) She asked me how my day was as she led us to our table, I blah blah blah, eagerly offered that I won all my three set of tennis (it was a hard fought match – my left forearm is in pain!!) … by the time we leave, she congratulated me on the two wins again – thanks sweetie, you’re a dear.
The location is great: it’s cross street from Amelia Arena, a block from the 2.6 miles riverwalk (about 1.5 miles from @ Armature Works / Waterworks / a mile from Straz, where we go often). Across the river (Garrison Channel?) is Watervue Grille @ Harbour Island.
The buildings in the area look young. The large parcel at north of E Cumberland Ave @ Water Street is being developed.
Nearby restaurants:
- The Pearl
- New York Pizza
- Boulon
- Yard House
- Cava – a lunch place for the offices (?)
- Columbia Cafe @ History Center
