Restaurant in Tampa, United States
Serious Florida cooking at accessible prices.
Ulele delivers Michelin Plate-recognized Floridian seafood at a $$ price that's hard to argue with in Tampa. Chef Patrick Quackenbush's kitchen focuses on Florida-native cooking with real specificity, backed by a 120-selection wine program that punches well above the price tier. For food-focused visitors who want to eat well without a $$$$ commitment, Ulele is the most compelling mid-price booking in the city.
Ulele earns a booking for anyone who wants serious Floridian seafood at a price that doesn't require a special occasion. At $$ per head (roughly $40–$65 for two courses before drinks), it sits in a range where the kitchen's technical ambition — informed by the state's indigenous culinary tradition — punches well above its price tier. The 2024 Michelin Plate recognition confirms it belongs in conversation with the leading mid-price restaurants in the region. If you're in Tampa for one dinner that isn't a steakhouse, Ulele is the decision to make.
The editorial angle here is cuisine mastery, and that's the right frame for Ulele. The kitchen, led by Chef Patrick Quackenbush, is working a specific tradition: Floridian cooking with a focus on native seafood. This isn't a generic Gulf Coast seafood house. The commitment is to ingredients and preparations rooted in the regional food culture of Florida rather than the generic coastal American formula you'll find up and down the waterfront. That specificity is what separates Ulele from a dozen lookalikes in Tampa Bay.
For context, the Michelin Plate designation , awarded as part of Florida's 2024 guide , is not a star, but it signals that Michelin's inspectors found the cooking worth tracking. In a city where Koya and Kōsen own the fine-dining Japanese conversation and The Pearl competes for date-night spend, Ulele occupies a distinct lane: it's the venue you'd book to taste what Florida actually produces, not what global fine dining trends prescribe. That distinctiveness has a real value for food-focused travelers.
For guests who care about wine alongside food, Wine Director Mike Sellmeyer (who also serves as General Manager) has assembled a list worth paying attention to. With 120 selections and a 3,010-bottle inventory, this is not a perfunctory wine program. The list skews toward California, pricing starts with many bottles under $50, and a $20 corkage fee is reasonable if you're bringing something specific. For a $$ restaurant, this is a wine program that punches up , comparable in scope and seriousness to what you'd expect at a price tier above. If you're a wine-focused diner, this is one more reason the value calculation tilts in Ulele's favor.
Ulele is the right choice for a few distinct profiles. First, the food-focused traveler who wants to understand Tampa and Florida on a plate , this kitchen is making that argument more seriously than most in the city. Second, couples or small groups who want a genuinely considered meal without the $$$$ price commitment of Bern's or Lilac. Third, anyone who wants a strong wine list at a mid-price restaurant: the depth here is unusual for the $$ tier.
It's less suited to guests who want pure luxury service, white-tablecloth formality, or international fine-dining styles. For that, Supernatural Food & Wine or Ebbe in Tampa offer different registers. If you're already committed to a high-end experience and cost is secondary, Lilac or Koya will satisfy that appetite. Ulele's proposition is specific: Florida cuisine, serious wine, Michelin-recognized kitchen, at a price that leaves room for a second bottle.
A 4.6 Google rating across 10,430 reviews is a signal worth taking seriously. At that volume, the score is not an artifact of a small loyal following , it reflects consistent execution across a wide range of guests. The Gonzmart family, who own Ulele alongside a portfolio of Tampa dining institutions including the historic Columbia restaurant, brings deep roots in the city's food culture. That institutional knowledge shows in the consistency of the operation.
Address: 1810 N Highland Ave, Tampa, FL 33602. Cuisine: Floridian seafood, American. Meals: Lunch and Dinner. Price: $$ ($40–$65 per head, two courses before drinks). Wine: 120 selections, 3,010-bottle inventory, many bottles under $50, corkage $20. Awards: Michelin Plate 2024. Google rating: 4.6 (10,430 reviews). Booking difficulty: Easy. Dress: No formal dress code data available , at this price point and style, smart casual is a safe default. Reservations: Bookable in advance; given the Michelin recognition and strong local reputation, booking ahead for weekend dinners is advisable even if walk-ins may be possible at off-peak times.
Tampa's dining scene has broadened significantly in recent years, and Ulele sits at an interesting intersection: it's serious enough for the food-enthusiast traveler but accessible enough for a regular local dinner. For a broader sense of where it fits in the city, see our full Tampa restaurants guide. If you're planning a full trip, our Tampa hotels guide, bars guide, wineries guide, and experiences guide cover the rest of the picture.
For comparison to other American-format restaurants with similar culinary ambition , though at different price points and in different cities , consider how Ulele's value proposition differs from Hilda and Jesse in San Francisco or Selby's in Atherton, both working the mid-to-upper American format. At the apex of American fine dining, The French Laundry and Smyth in Chicago show what the format can achieve at full intensity. Ulele is not competing at that level , but at $$ in Tampa with a Michelin Plate, it doesn't need to.
Book in advance, particularly for weekend dinners. The kitchen focuses on Florida-native and seafood-forward cooking , this is not a generalist American restaurant. At $$, the price is approachable, but the culinary ambition is higher than the price suggests. The wine list is a genuine asset: ask your server for a pairing recommendation if you're unsure where to start on a 120-selection list.
Yes, clearly. A Michelin Plate recognition at a $$ price point is a strong value signal. You're getting kitchen-serious Floridian seafood and a wine program more typically associated with a price tier above, at $40–$65 per head for two courses. For Tampa, that's a favorable deal. The closest comparable value proposition in the city is Rocca at the same price tier, but they're working a different cuisine entirely.
For weekday lunches, same-week booking is likely fine. For weekend dinners, aim for at least a week out, and further ahead if you're visiting during high Tampa tourist season (winter months, major events). The Michelin Plate recognition has raised the profile, so don't assume you can walk in on a Saturday night without a reservation.
No formal dress code is published. At the $$ price point and Florida setting, smart casual is the right call , clean, presentable, not overdressed. Think along the lines of what you'd wear to a well-regarded neighborhood restaurant rather than a white-tablecloth fine-dining room.
No specific dietary accommodation data is available for Ulele. The standard advice: call ahead or contact the restaurant directly to discuss restrictions before your visit, especially for allergies. The seafood-forward menu means pescatarians will find plenty of options, but if you're avoiding seafood or have specific allergen concerns, confirm with the kitchen directly.
No tasting menu data is confirmed in our records for Ulele. Do not assume one exists. The venue is confirmed to serve lunch and dinner at the $$ price tier. If a tasting format is important to your visit, confirm directly with the restaurant before booking. At the $$ level, the value case for Ulele rests on the a la carte and standard menu execution, which the Michelin Plate supports.
The setting and mid-price format make solo dining practical. The strong wine list is a genuine asset if you're happy to order by the glass, and the Floridian seafood focus gives a solo diner real culinary interest without requiring a large group to share dishes. For a solo food traveler wanting to understand Tampa's cooking, Ulele is one of the better single-seat options in the city at this price point.
| Venue | Cuisine | Awards | Booking Difficulty | Value |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ulele | American | WINE: Wine Strengths: California Pricing: $ i Wine pricing: Based on the list\'s general markup and high and low price points:$ has many bottles < $50;$$ has a range of pricing;$$$ has many $100+ bottles Corkage Fee: $20 Selections: 120 Inventory: 3,010 CUISINE: Cuisine Types: Seafood, Floridian Pricing: $$ i Cuisine pricing: The cost of a typical two-course meal, not including tip or beverages.$ is < $40;$$ is $40–$65;$$$ is $66+. Meals: Lunch and Dinner STAFF: People Mike Sellmeyer:Wine Director Wine Director: Mike Sellmeyer Chef: Patrick Quackenbush General Manager: Mike Sellmeyer Owner: Richard Gonzmart and the Gonzmart Family; Michelin Plate (2024) | Easy | — |
| Koya | Japanese | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Bern’s Steak House | Steakhouse | Unknown | — | |
| Columbia | Cuban | Unknown | — | |
| Rocca | Italian | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
| Lilac | Mediterranean Cuisine | Michelin 1 Star | Unknown | — |
How Ulele stacks up against the competition.
The kitchen's focus on Florida-sourced seafood gives it a natural lean toward pescatarian-friendly options, but specific allergy protocols and vegetarian depth aren't confirmed in available records. Your safest move is to check the venue's official channels before booking. At $$ pricing, a wasted cover is not a minor inconvenience, so confirm ahead if restrictions are significant.
Go in expecting a kitchen that takes Florida produce and seafood seriously — this isn't a generic American grill with a waterfront view. Chef Patrick Quackenbush leads a menu built around Floridian identity, and the 2024 Michelin Plate recognition confirms the kitchen is operating above casual territory. Lunch is available if you want to test the room at lower commitment before returning for dinner.
Nothing in the venue record specifies a dress code, and at $$ pricing Ulele isn't positioning itself as a formal occasion restaurant. Clean, put-together casual is a safe read for dinner; lunch skews even more relaxed. If you're coming from the Tampa Riverwalk or a day out, you won't be turned away for it.
At $$ ($40–$65 per head for two courses), Ulele is one of the stronger value cases in Tampa for serious cooking — a 2024 Michelin Plate at that price point is not common. For comparison, Bern's Steak House charges significantly more and is a different format entirely. If you want Florida-native seafood without a special-occasion budget, Ulele is a straightforward yes.
No tasting menu is confirmed in the venue data, so this isn't the right frame for Ulele. The kitchen operates at $$ per head across lunch and dinner — the format appears to be a la carte rather than a fixed progression. Book accordingly if a chef's tasting sequence is what you're after.
Specific booking windows aren't documented, but with a 4.6 rating across 10,000+ Google reviews and Michelin Plate recognition, demand is real and consistent. For dinner, especially on weekends, booking at least a week in advance is a reasonable baseline. Lunch likely has more flexibility, making it a lower-friction entry point if your schedule is tight.
Nothing in the record suggests solo diners are discouraged, and a la carte lunch service is typically the friendliest format for eating alone. At $$ pricing, a solo lunch at Ulele is a low-risk way to get a read on the kitchen — Chef Quackenbush's Florida-focused approach gives a solo diner a clear editorial experience rather than a meal designed around group sharing.
Keep this venue in your Pearl passport, rate it after you visit, and track it alongside every other place you collect.
