Carmel: New Cafe, Wine Bar Opens In South Tampa

With locations in Clearwater, Carrollwood and Sarasota, Carmel Café & Wine Bar has made its way to South Tampa.

Offering a modern interpretation of Mediterranean cuisine, a convenient and innovative MenuPad app and, of course, wine, Carmel Cafe's newest location on Swann Avenue at Henderson Boulevard in South Tampa celebrated its opening on August 14th. The 4,000-square-foot restaurant is Carmel Cafe's first free-standing location, designed by Alfonso Architects and constructed by TWT Restaurant Design and Construction.

“We are extremely excited to introduce the Carmel Cafe & Wine Bar experience to South Tampa. Opening in the area has always been one of our goals and we are very pleased to be here,” says Chris Sullivan, a founding partner of Carmel Cafe. “This is the first location we have been able to design and build from the ground up which marks a milestone for us."

The new location will initially be open for dining guests to enjoy nightly dinners with hours expanding to include weekday lunches beginning on September 17th and weekend brunches on September 22nd. Featuring flavors introduced by Mediterranean countries such as Italy, Spain, France, Greece and Morocco, the Carmel Café Mod Med menu offers both small and large plates to pair with the a global selection of old and new world wines.

Setting itself apart from traditional restaurants, Carmel Cafe's innovative MenuPad app ordering system allows guests to completely customize their dining experience by using tableside iPads. Featuring crisp, colorful photos and detailed descriptions of each dish, guests are allowed the ability to control the preparation, presentation and pacing of their dining experience; the app also identifies wines to pair with dishes.

“This is a very different dining experience that encourages our guests to leisurely share several small plates, casually meet for a glass of wine or cocktail or just relax and enjoy their favorite menu items,” says Terry Ryan, a founding partner of Carmel Cafe. “Using the MenuPad app, our guests are able to get exactly what they want, the way they want it, when they want it.”

In addition, the thrifty-minded can enjoy the South Tampa location's “Five After 5 @ Carmel” menu every Wednesday, featuring a selection of wines and flatbreads for $5 each.

Writer: Alexis Quinn Chamberlain
Sources: Chris Sullivan and Terry Ryan, Carmel Cafe