Have You Not Tried Rome and Fig Yet?!

Looking for a new place to get affordable food with your friends? Well look no further. If you are a college student within the Tampa Bay area and you haven’t been to Rome and Fig, you're definitely missing out. This classic chic environment is one like no other. It's a very classic, vibrate, and spacious restaurant draws in the younger crowd and treats them to food from around the globe. Rome and Fig is a newly opened restaurant located in the heart of Tampa’s North Hyde Park. The restaurant opened back on August 5 and has been doing great ever since. Surprisingly Rome and Fig got its name by being located on North Rome Avenue and West Fig Street. This global bistro has a warm welcoming atmosphere as soon as you step inside. The restaurant is said to honor the art of personal connections while enjoying unique culinary experiences. They’re always adding new things to the menu and they never disappoint.

This restaurant is a great way to get out with some friends and still be safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. During these times it's very important to make sure everyone is doing their part to stay safe and Rome and Fig is doing just that. After each party leaves the restaurant each table and seating area is fully disinfected before the next party of guests is seated. The inside dining area was originally planned to seat 80, but now it will only seat 40. Outside on the patio, all the tables are spaced out to follow the social distancing protocol. Rome and Fig does an excellent job following the COVID-19 guidelines to keep their guests and employees as safe as possible. So, with that being said this restaurant is a great place for college students to go grab dinner and some drinks with friends to unwind after a long week. They always have their menu up and available on their website for customers to view beforehand to see the kind of food and drinks they offer.

A house favorite in Rome and Fig is their Vegetable Quinoa. This delicious entree consists of grilled seasonal vegetables, fried Brussels hearts, avocado, ren onion, quinoa, and green goddess dressing. Every item on the menu is cooked to order, so the food is always fresh and is well plated. The restaurant’s two owners, Kristine Zostant and Eric Zostant and always walking around making an appearance to each group of their guests, asking if everyone is enjoying their time with them. They both go above and beyond to make sure their customers are happy with their meals and overall stratified with their time with them.

If you and your friends are the type of people that would rather enjoy a nice brunch on a mid-morning Sunday. Look no further, Rome and Fig just added brunch to their restaurant. Knowing how much people love brunch, they wanted to hope on the trend and be able to offer it to their customers. As you could have guessed adding brunch to their menu was a hit and people couldn’t be happier with their options that they offer. Having the option to dine inside or outside, that choice is up to you. They offer everything from eggs and pancakes, to sandwiches and salads. Another restaurant favorite among the brunch crowd is the Kale Caesar Salad. This brightly colored, leafy green salad is made up of kale, romaine, spinach, polenta croutons, parmesan shavings, and their house caesar dressing, with the option to add a protein like chicken, salmon, or steak.

Now, my favorite part of a good restaurant. Let's talk about drinks. Not only does this global bistro have a wide variety of drinks for you and your friends to try, they also have a happy hour. They have everything from your classic cocktails, red and white wines, rosé, and sparking all by the glass. Having spoken with Kristine, one of their highly recommended drinks is called “Lime in the Coconut,” which is el encanto silver rum, rumhaven coconut rum, and fresh lime. If you love the taste of coconut and lime, then this drink is definitely for you. Not too much coconut, nor lime, but the perfect amount to make a very enjoyable drink. Topped off with a little slice of lime, floating in the drink. The drink itself was too pretty to even want to drink but tasted delicious.

Personally, having gone to the restaurant with some friends, it was an overall great time. Everything from the appetizers to the entrees was amazing, the food came out perfectly. Just the whole environment was great, everyone was super nice, and you can really tell they are treated just like family and want you to feel the same. Rome and Fig is definitely a newfound hidden gem within the Tampa Bay area and has gotten nothing but excellent feedback from everyone who has dined with them. The restaurant wants to represent a “home away from home” feeling among all its customers and they do just that. From my personal view, Rome and Fig is definitely college friendly because a lot of students from the University of Tampa work for them part-time. Both Kristine and Eric are very accommodating to their staff knowing that they are college students and have a heavy workload.

So, if you happen to be in the Tampa Bay area this restaurant is worth the visit if you're looking for a new place to try. It has amazing service, beautiful decor, and an overall five-star attitude. This restaurant is a little slice of heaven that not many people know about. Rome and Fig came to us in a time of need, during this coronavirus outbreak taking all the safety precautions and still managing to accommodate everyone who walks through their door. Getting to personally experience Rome and Fig was phenomenal, this is definitely a place you don’t want to miss out on trying.