Lilac at the Tampa EDITION: A Starred Dining Experience with Room to Grow
Spicy Braised Rabbit's-semolina pasta halo, Provençal mustard, Parmesan potato cloud, guanciale.
Lilac blossomed in the Tampa EDITION Hotel in the brand-new Water Street district in 2022. Renowned Chef and restaurateur John Fraser brought his culinary inspiration to the hotel, helming five of the dining concepts. Lilac is the jewel in that culinary crown—and in 2023, it snagged one of Tampa’s very first Michelin stars.
The EDITION itself is a destination, Tampa’s first Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star hotel. Guests enter the plant-filled lobby—with its soaring 20-foot ceilings and sculptural staircase—and it feels like stepping into an urban tropical oasis. Lilac, one of seven food and beverage venues on the property, is located at one end of the lobby. The space is intimate, with lush green velvet booths, moody pendant lights, and lilacs (of course) perched on every table. The dining room is a vision of modern elegance.
Lilac is situated in the lobby of The Edition and is an intimate space featuring lush green velvet booths, moody pendant lights, and, of course, lilacs perched on every table. The dining room is a vision of modern elegance
Lilacs open kitchen, seen from the dining room, is bright and modern, accented emerald green ceramic tile
Several people warmly greet us as we enter. I mean full eye contact, “good evening, and welcome” hellos as we are escorted to our booth, followed by the typical clambering over sparkling or tap water and the introduction of our servers.
Lilac offers a four-course, prix fixe menu for $150 per person, accompanied by optional wine pairings for an additional $85. There are no à la carte options, and the hors d’oeuvres course is pre-set for all diners, with a caviar service available as a $175 supplement. Guests then select from a seasonally rotating menu of options for appetizers, entrées, and desserts.
The noise level is moderate, with upbeat, jazzy music playing, but still allowing fellow diners to maintain “inside voices.” The cocktail menu features eight inventive signatures, five zero-proof options, five beers, and several wines available by the glass. The more extensive wine list is stellar, offering a broad range of global vintages with prices that range from approachable to aspirational.
Our server is polished and knowledgeable, thoroughly familiar with every detail of the menu, cocktails, and the restaurant's philosophy. The hors d’oeuvres course features four bite-sized delights. The highlights: a Maine Lobster Feuilletine—chilled lobster in chili aioli wrapped in a delicate, crispy crepe- a decadent Poultry Liver Mousse, piped onto a fun mini almond croissant and crowned with port wine gelée. This morsel is a standout: sweet, salty, creamy, and packed with umami in a single bite. I’ll take a tray full.
Maine Lobster Feuillantine Is a crunchy creamy bite accented by a Calabrian chili aioli finish
Poultry Liver Mousse- port wine gelee, savory almond croissant.
Gooseberry and Soubise Tartlette is sour/sweet With a strong tarragon influence
Appetizers are a tough call, but we settle on tuna and rabbit. The Peppercorn Crusted Tuna Rossini is cooked medium (solid grey inside), sliced, and served with fois gras on a base of pistachio pound cake. The tuna is best enjoyed in combination with the accompaniments: a slice of tuna dipped in the pool of tuna jus, accompanied by a sliver of foie gras and pistachio. Together, it’s outstanding. Alone, the tuna skews peppery but flat. The Spice Braised Rabbit is perfection on a plate. Braised rabbit arrives with an aromatic curry goodness. It is served in a semolina pasta bowl (referred to as a pasta halo), topped with provincial mustard and Parmesan potatoes, and accompanied by a piece of guanciale (bacon-like Italian cured pork jowl) dusted with chives. It’s a refined take on the classic meat-and-potatoes combo—elevated yet soulful. Braised rabbit spiked with curry, nestled in silky, cheesy potatoes, with pasta for texture. C’mon.
Peppercorn Crusted Tuna Rossini-seared foie gras, pistachio poundcake, tuna jus.
Spicy Braised Rabbit. It's got everything: aromatic curry goodness, braised rabbit, and silky potatoes, all served in a semolina pasta bowl.
Midway through the meal, a large party is seated nearby, and our server’s attention noticeably shifts. He drops dishes at our table with a rushed, dismissive explanation—for my dish only—before quickly departing. It happened twice. We strain to listen to the lead server of the larger party to get our intelligence brief on the dishes being offered and sarcastically wonder if we can trade our server in. At this service level, such a lapse shouldn’t happen, even on a busy night. It doesn’t improve.
As with the appetizer, choosing an entree is tough. Everything sounds delicious, but we decide on two. Ōra King Salmon is sustainably farmed and known for its taste and texture. Lilac’s version is served with Alaskan King crab pommes—a crab salad on top of disks of fondant potatoes—accompanied by magical balls of spinach and paired with Fresno-lime butter. The salmon is buttery and flaky but, again, lacks magic.
Ora King Salmon- Alaskan King crab, Pommes fondantes, fresno-lime butter.
Colorado Lamb Loin-fines herbes crust, lentils du puy, apple mostarda, dukkah spice and sauce nicoise. Look at that herbascious crust!
Colorado Lamb Loin is two medium-rare, boneless, tender medallions of lamb with a perfect fat-to-meat ratio. It is crusted with a blend of fine green herbs that bring some tasty zing and add a beautiful visual element—paired with du Puy lentils, apple mostarda, dukkah spice, and sauce Niçoise, the flavors meld together in a decadent mouthful.
For dessert, we follow our server’s recommendation and order the Dark Chocolate Soufflé, served with pistachio gelato. It’s rich, airy, semi-sweet, and gooey, with a silky anglaise for added creaminess. Oddly, there’s no offer of coffee, digestifs, or Port, leaving us wondering if they are not available or if it’s another missing piece.
A dark chocolate soufflé, pistachio gelato, and saffron anglaise would have been complete with a cappuccino.
The Lobby Bar at the Edition Hotel.
Overall, the Lilac experience was interesting. As a long-time Tampeño, I am proud that we are offering this level of deluxe hospitality. Frankly, I expected more. I have traveled to eat for years, dining at high-end restaurants a few times a year and experiencing impeccable food and service. Truthfully, I may not be Lilac’s target audience, as I have such high expectations for the experience here. For most restaurant reviews, I try to go at least twice, if not more. However, with Michelin's recognition and two years of operations, Lilac’s food and service should be of world-class quality. It’s not. Elevated, yes, but.
Entrance to the Edition Hotel, with its towering lobby and home to the Lilac restaurant.
Edition Hotel at night. The beautiful building sits in the middle of the Water Street development and has been awarded Tampa’s first Forbes Travel Guide Five-Star recognition.
Lilac partners with domestic and at least five local farms. The cuisine is Mediterranean, with a strong French influence. Reservations are essential and should be made several weeks in advance and can be made online. The dress is polished yet relaxed. Parking can be a challenge in Water Street, but the EDITION offers a robust valet service. The menu is prix fixe only, and prices are high fine-dining level. Service is concierge level with exceptions.
Located in: The Tampa EDITION, 500 Channelside Dr, Tampa, FL 33602, (813) 771-8022, closed on Sundays and Mondays and open 5 - 10 p.m. other days.