Bar Scene: 717 South

(Credit: Nathalie Voirin)

Photos:

717 South’s moniker is also handy for those of us not enlightened by GPS technology: their name is also their address.  And it’s hard to miss – an awning emblazoned with the restaurant’s handle is just off Howard Ave, south of Swann in the self-proclaimed SoHo district in south Tampa. 

Drinks: There is a full bar and an extensive, notebook-sized wine list.  Visit from 5-7 Monday through Saturday for drink and appetizer specials – martinis and wine for $5.  The happy hour menu is quite abbreviated (2 wines and 4 or 5 martinis) but there is an eye-crossing amount of choices lined up like inventory at a liquor store behind the bar and a bartender waiting to concoct whatever drink your little heart desires.

Decor: Inside, the vibe is elegant, but relaxed.  Dark blue hues cover walls adorned with art deco paintings and warm wood tones.  Upon entering, there is a small dining room to your left and a long, narrow bar to your right followed by a second dining room.  There is also an outside dining patio facing Howard Ave, perhaps better suited for days when the heat isn’t so stifling.

Crowd: The crowd is a bit more sophisticated than, say, the typical MacDinton’s patron.  Well-dressed, subdued young professionals quietly file in to sip on a drink from 717’s full bar.  For that matter, well-dressed, subdued middle-aged professionals quietly file in too, as they adjust the sleeves on their cuff-linked dress shirts and return Blackberries to their designated holsters.  The lunchtime crowd probably sees some bar action - “ladies who lunch” sliding into 717 to ring in cocktail hour a little early – it is 5 o’clock somewhere, right?

Service:  The staff is friendly, attentive, and accommodating, foregoing the restaurant industry standard of understood wait staff snobbery if the menu is elevated above burgers and fries.

Sounds: Not too much to offer – except for quiet conversation and ambient lounge music being piped quietly through the restaurant speakers.

Food:  Nosh on some Edamame or a piece of Grilled Vegetable Cheesecake from the $5 after 5 drinks and appetizer menu to soften the blow of all that hard liquor hitting your stomach.  Or choose from the list of eye-catching Mediterranean and Asian inspired salads and entrees – a steeper price tag, but well worth it.

Bottom line:  Don’t expect to walk in wearing cut offs and flip flops and feel at home at 717.  The clientele this establishment aims for consists of the successful, sophisticated, well-heeled and upwardly mobile.

The damage:  Order from the happy hour menu – a couple of drinks and a couple of appetizers and you’re only out $20 before tip.  Sit down for a meal and you’ll easily triple that – more depending on your appetite.

Dress code: J Crew, Brooks Brothers, maybe Banana Republic.

***
717 South
717 S. Howard Ave.
Tampa, FL 33606
813-250-1661 

Add a comment