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When the guys behind Tampa Bay’s popular Green Iguana restaurant/nightclubs agreed to take over a portion of The Westshore Hotel they took on two club-worthy quarters. They knew, of course, that a new Green Iguana would take advantage of the wide patio and indoor/outdoor space suitable for a tiki bar. But they had to put their heads together … meditate, if you will … on what would become of the more private, windowless space accessible through a door at the rear of the club. They decided on a new concept for Green Iguana – a V.I.P extension with a lounge-lizard feel, upscale cuisine and drinks, and promotions that elevate Tampa’s nightlife.
Buddha Lounge’s following: Advertising for Buddha Lounge has been minimal – on purpose, according to managers – but word-of-mouth travels fast. By 10 p.m. on a Friday night chaise lounges and ottomans are being pushed aside to reveal a dance floor. Photos of attractive guys and girls partying in weeks past start to flash on the flat-panel televisions that hang from the ceiling. Stylish 20- and 30-somethings (and celebrities – Nick Carter was recently spotted partying here) begin to gather around the sunken bar and on the overstuffed V.I.P. (and by reservation) couches lining the room. And the bartenders, servers, and sushi rollers, all dressed head-to-toe in black, prepare for the onslaught. By 11 p.m., it becomes harder to carry on a conversation.
Expect a college crowd Saturday nights when it’s 18+ girls/21+ guys to party. And yes, it’s OK to wander from Green Iguana to Buddha Lounge … just make sure you’re dressed to impress.
Buddha’s spin on nightlife: Some of Tampa Bay’s best-known DJs (including resident DJ/Producer Jeff Retro, DJ Eyeball) and guest DJs mix electro- and progressive-house, hip-hop, R&B and top-40 Wednesday-Saturday nights until 3 a.m. Wild 98.7’s Freakshow broadcasts live Thursdays during Happy Hour, 6-8 p.m.
Sake: Shaken or stirred? There are hints of The Green Iguana slinking around Buddha Lounge’s specialty drinks menu. An example: The Green Lizard, one of the four “saketinis” ($8-9), or martinis made with Gekkeikan sake. If you prefer your sake without the “tini” you can order it by the bottle (take your pick of unfiltered, flavored or sparkling) or on draft. If you prefer your “tini” without the sake take your pick of seven specialty martinis ($8-9). And here’s an insider tip: if a bartender named Jason is working request the Liquid Paint-remover, a concoction that sounds like it tastes really heinous but actually isn’t quite bad. Just don’t ask him what’s in it because he won’t say … (but the best guess is that there’s pineapple in there somewhere). Disclaimer: Jason says the Liquid Paint-remover is a chick drink.
Buddha Belly: The anti-bar-food: Late-night eats at Buddha Lounge won’t have you hating yourself in the morning. The former sushi chef at Hawks Neighborhood Grill (Bay to Bay Blvd., Tampa) and Green Iguanas’ head chef have created an Asian-fusion menu that includes appetizers and tapas, plus Hawaiian ahi tuna flown in daily and prepared in interesting ways (try the Spicy Tuna Nachos – spicy marinated tuna served over wonton chips with wasabi mayo for $10) and specialty sushi rolls. Among the staff members’ sushi favorites are the Jade Mountain, Buddha Lounge’s version of the volcano roll, with ahi, crab stick and cucumber wrapped in avocado and topped with baked Thai red curry dynamite ($12); and the “Monk”-ey Business, yellow soy paper wrapped around crab stick, banana and tempura chips and topped with unagi ($10). The Buddha Lounge’s menu is available until midnight Monday-Tuesday and until 1 a.m. Wednesday-Saturday. And in case you’re not in the mood for sushi, the full Green Iguana menu is available until 1 a.m. in the Buddha Lounge, too.
Buddha Lounge
Address: The Westshore Hotel, 1200 N. Westshore Boulevard, Tampa, FL 33607
Phone: 813-868-7600
Hours: Monday-Tuesday, 5 p.m.-Midnight; Wednesday-Saturday, 5 p.m.-3 a.m.
Website: buddhaloungetampa.com
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