Illicit has always held a certain allure. As The Breakfast Club's John Bender once put it, 'being bad is pretty good'. Yet when being bad comes in the form of a perfectly legal speakeasy themed club, you just can't seem to shake that naughty feeling.
Perhaps that is what's so delicious about Ciro's Speakeasy and Supper Club. For starters, tucked quietly away on Bayshore Boulevard in Tampa, you're given very little instruction on how to actually find it. This all adds to the suspense of course and we could barely contain our excitement when we were told little more than to look for a wooden door, past a pool, and to ring the bell once we'd found it. 'You must be extremely discreet,' said a deep, serious voice when I had called to make a reservation.
Once we had found the front door of Ciro's- or at least, what we thought was the front door (there is no sign) - we knocked three times and whispered the password we'd received earlier in the day.
As the door swung open, I expected to see jazz bands, feather boas, tap and Charleston dances, and gambling tables galore. In reality, we still hadn't even reached Ciro's Speakeasy Club.
Before entering, you're made to read and agree to the house rules. One in particular sends joyous shivers down my spine. Men must not approach unescorted ladies. Really. Well, this is the 1920s after all.
The restaurant itself is dark, intimate and mellow (perfect for the underhanded Mafia transactions of the Prohibition era) and the staff are dressed head to toe in flapper dresses, feathered headbands, tuxedos, suspenders and spats. Low, rumbling jazz notes wind through the club and it's as much as I can do not to squeal with delight when we're led to a sumptuous, curtained off lounge complete with cocktail tables, ornate pillows and heavy, hanging fabrics.
As the bartenders - who really do look the part of Roaring 20s bootleggers - mix our drinks using vintage bar tools and fresh fruit, they explain that every cocktail has been created uniquely for Ciro's Speakeasy using custom booze and house purées. Alas, the cocktails are every drop the custom made drink and, though lethal for your pending hangover, are dangerously moorish. Every single sip has been crafted to perfection.
We chose not to eat a full meal - probably because we'd had more than our fair share of imported, top-shelf liquor - however the appetisers at Ciro's Supper Club really are to die for. There was something incredibly sexy about sharing small plates of tapas-like-food in an intimate Prohibition hideaway; smooth jazz floating through the dimmed lights and smart dress. Long gone is the illegality and cheapness of bootleggers. Rather, the secret-ness at Ciro's has been upgraded to a rare exclusivity.
I indulged my love of dairy with the fabulous artisan cheese plate, which included the likes of Cypress Grove and Royal Caveman Blue while my partner enjoyed a focaccia pizza from the Midnight Munchies section, loaded with pork and caramelized onions.
Ciro's Speakeasy and Supper Club is a truly fabulous and unique dining experience in Tampa. Intimate, private, fun and wholly sexy, it's the perfect spot for an all-important rendezvous with someone special. It certainly gets the Date Night Tampa Bay thumbs up!
The Details
Address: Ciro’s Speakeasy and Supper Club
2109 Bayshore Blvd.
Phone: 813.251.0022
Open dinner only, closed Sunday & Monday
2109 Bayshore Blvd.
Phone: 813.251.0022
Open dinner only, closed Sunday & Monday
Reservations essential
DNTB x
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