First look at Tampa Edition's bar and restaurant offerings
By Ashley Gurbal Kritzer
Tampa Bay Business Journal
Published: Sep 13, 2022

A Michelin-starred New York chef has created hospitality concepts for Water Street’s Tampa Edition — ranging from a Mediterranean restaurant to a Gasparilla-themed cocktail bar.

The Tampa Edition, which includes 172 boutique hotel rooms and 38 Edition branded condominiums, will launch in preview Sept. 20, with a grand opening in October. It is Tampa’s first hotel-condo; all of the residential units sold out in April, months before the building wrapped up construction.

Tampa Edition is a boutique flag owned by Marriott International Inc. Hospitality entrepreneur Ian Schrager — widely credited as the founder of the modern-day boutique hotel — created the Edition flag in a partnership with Marriott.

The 26-story mixed-use Tampa Edition tower is part of Water Street Tampa, the $3 billion-plus mixed-use district developed by Strategic Property Partners, a partnership of Tampa Bay Lightning owner Jeff Vinik and Cascade Investment LLC, the investment fund of Microsoft co-founder Bill Gates. Food and beverage concepts are a major focus in the first phase of Water Street — and the Edition’s bars and restaurants have long been pitched as a destination for locals, tourists and business travelers.

Hotel rooms are on floors two through nine; condos are on floors 10 through 16. Vinik has purchased a penthouse unit in the tower. On the second floor and mezzanine level is a 250-person private event space as well as several meeting areas.

“The opening of The Tampa EDITION marks an important milestone for Water Street Tampa as it signifies the opening of the final building in our first phase,” said Damian Presiga, senior vice president of development at SPP. “The incredible lifestyle experience that the EDITION brand is known for exemplifies the unmatched energy and vibrancy that this neighborhood is bringing to Tampa and adds to the excitement of upcoming retail openings and programming in the neighborhood.”

Chef John Fraser, owner of New York-based JF Restaurants, created three hospitality concepts for Tampa Edition: Lilac, Azure and Market, and will be overseeing the pool deck menu. Fraser has also created signature restaurants for Edition properties in New York City and West Hollywood.

“Recognized as one of the best chefs in the world, his health and well-being-focused cooking style is appropriate, not just for Florida’s climate, but it also fits into Water Street’s wellness principles,” Schrager said in a statement. “This is a great opportunity to bring a world-class, internationally recognized Michelin star chef to Tampa.”

Fraser enters the Tampa market shortly after Michelin Guide debuted in Florida but did not award a single star to any Tampa chef or restaurant. His Michelin star was awarded at Dovetail, a New York City restaurant that closed in 2018.

“Through great hospitality, architecture and design, we strive for our guests to feel as if they have arrived at a sanctuary where they never have to leave,” Fraser said in a statement. “We look forward to being a part of Ian’s vision through our food and beverage offerings — with something for everyone during all parts of the day.”

Here’s a look at what's coming to Tampa Edition.

The Lobby Bar: This bar will serve, as Marriott describes it, “elevated classic cocktails with a Mediterranean twist, along with shareable small plates.” It will be in — you guessed it — the main lobby off of Channelside Drive.

Lilac: A signature restaurant for Fraser, Lilac is inspired by his Greek heritage as well as his admiration of Turkish cuisine. It will offer a prix fixe menu focusing on Eastern Mediterranean food. Lilac is adjacent to The Lobby Bar on the hotel’s street level.

Market: This will be a more casual offering for Edition, which bills Market as “a streetside corner spot.” Market has an Italian flair, Marriott said, and will offer pizzas as well as a lighter, healthier take on traditional fare. It is on the opposite side of the hotel lobby from Lilac.

Punch Room: This cocktail bar on the hotel’s second floor is Gasparilla themed and boasts a menu that “focuses on the West Indies, highlighting aged spirits, spices, teas and tropical fruits in drinks such as The Black Pearl and The Tampa Punch, alongside elevated bar snacks.”

The Art Club: This second-floor space features The Lounge, a bar that serves cocktails and light bites and is home to a “specially commissioned photo booth in black lacquer with a gold interior.” It’s also home to a verde antico marble bar and the Arts Club Cabaret, which Marriot describes as a “Radio City Music Hall-inspired space that will play host to a roster of entertainers with spectacular effects.”

The Rooftop: This ninth-floor rooftop bar area includes a pool, cabanas, 81 sun loungers and resident DJs.

Azure: Also on the ninth floor, this restaurant will have a Mediterranean theme as well.

“Tampa is a city that’s really coming into its own,” Schrager said in a statement. “It’s got a good quality of life and a great food scene. It’s a city in the sun, but it’s not a vacation-only spot, it’s a real living, breathing city, and that’s what I think is so special about it.”