One of Tampa’s more hotly anticipated restaurants has teased an imminent opening. O-Ku, a Japanese sushi restaurant from the same team behind Maru, made its first social media post this week, announcing a “late spring” opening of the new restaurant at 2907 W Bay to Bay Blvd.
O-Ku has a growing number of locations across the southeast, including Nashville, Charleston, Charlotte, D.C., Jacksonville Beach and more, all under the umbrella of Charleston-based The Indigo Road Hospitality Group. While it’s already mid-March now, the “late spring” opening window gives the restaurant a bit of wiggle room. The restaurant isn’t even listed yet on O-Ku’s brand-wide reservations list, so you almost certainly won’t have to worry about scrambling for a table as soon as this weekend, or even this month. We’ll be sure to share any opening updates as they come.
The Maru rooftop, O-Ku’s neighboring concept from The Indigo Road
When it debuts, O-Ku will feature an array of signature nigiri, sashimi, and makimono, alongside chef specialties and curated omakase offerings. The restaurant’s beverage program will include specialty cocktails, varietally correct and food-friendly wines, small production sakes, international and domestic beers, and thoughtful zero-proof selections.
The restaurant, which is the brainchild of James Beard Award semifinalists Steve Palmer and Kimball Brienza, promises warm hospitality and authentic Japanese cuisine inside the renovated Bayshore Gardens.
More from the O-Ku team: “O-Ku celebrates unique ingredients, traditional techniques, and sophisticated presentations through an approachable menu featuring sushi, sashimi, and nigiri alongside contemporary robata-style offerings and savory dishes.”
While each location varies with exact hours and offerings based on individual chefs and management, O-Ku is dinner service only, though most locations offer an early sushi happy hour on some weekdays. No O-Ku location is like-for-like with its sister restaurants, and we’re excited to see what the local culinary team at O-Ku Tampa comes up with.
You can keep up with any news and updates on the O-Ku Tampa website, or on their instagram.