A new bar serving high-end tequilas and mezcals and fine-dining Mexican cuisine is working toward an opening in the Bayshore Royal building, at 2109 Bayshore Drive. You may know this space as the former home of Ciro’s Tampa, but for Gene Davis, who is opening Quiote Tequilaria there this winter, the connection to the space runs deeper.
“The original Ceviche was in that location,” Davis, who is the son of Gordon Davis, one of Ceviche’s creators, told What Now on Wednesday. “We owned and operated that for years, and we had great success in the location.”
This time, the name of the game is tequila.
“We’ll be doing super, super high-end tequilas and mezcals, along with a limited fine-dining menu,” Davis said. “It’s going to be refined and elegant.”
The space will retain some of the décor that made Ciro’s a great date spot: the Spanish-style ceiling tiles, distinctive rock walls and mirrors. And though the chef has already been hired, Davis says mum’s the word: it’s too early to reveal a name just yet. Meanwhile, Davis described the drink program as featuring “clean, refined, elegant tequilas and mezcals that have no additives and no coverup. Our mixed drinks are going to be over-the-top.”
No official opening date has been announced yet, but the tequilaria is working toward an opening sometime in December.
“We’re looking forward to opening in that space again, in South Tampa. We’ve had a ton of success there in the past, and we’re excited to get something really cool going in that space. We’re trying to turn people on to tequila and mezcal that’s not just shots, but something you sip and enjoy.”
Stay tuned for more details on Quiote Tequilaria.
