Izakaya Tori is a Japanese restaurant located in Tampa. The first thing you notice, even before getting inside, is the decoration. At the entrance, it really doesn’t feel like you are in Tampa anymore, so you know from the get-go you’re in for a treat.

 The decoration inside is even better—beautifully decorated, but in a casual way. It couldn’t be any different, since “izakaya” is the Japanese version of a pub. It’s an informal, relaxing place for you to sit down and grab a drink.

Now that we are all impressed with the decoration, let’s talk about the meals.

Takoyaki: The batter was just delicious. The bonito flakes were huge, and the octopus was perfectly cooked.
10/10

Scallops: They tasted pretty good, but for the price and quantity, they are not really worth it.
5/10

Gyuudon: It was really good, very well-seasoned, and the ingredients tasted fresh. The meat was very tender and juicy. The presentation was very nice.
10/10

Beef curry:
It’s extremely difficult to find restaurants in Florida that serve Japanese beef curry.
This one really hit the spot—it’s perfect. Also, it’s been the only place where we could find mild curry. It was delicious!
11/10

 

Overall:
The restaurant is extremely well-decorated, the staff is really nice, and the price is very reasonable (with the exception of the scallops). They also have Japanese beer on draft, which is very rare in Florida, at least.
9.8/10