In the blossoming Rome Collective in Tampa’s North Hyde Park enclave, V Modern Italian opens today.
V stands for the Roman numeral V, harkening to the five senses. It is a restaurant, yes, but on weekends the team plans to carry the party late into the night, staying open till 3 a.m.
The new spot joins the ranks of swanky club-esque concepts opening in Tampa as of late: Predalina on Water Street, which reopened last year; The Sapphire Tampa, an upscale 1950s-style supper club in Westshore; the reopening of Bello Bar + Kitchen in Ybor City, which serves Latin-Caribbean food; the forthcoming rooftop bar and izakaya Tokyo Swim Club; and Bosc Modern Bar + Kitchen in South Tampa, an elevated late-night dining option.
The illuminated granite bar at V Modern Italian in Tampa’s Rome Collective. The restaurant opened Thursday, October 8.
The space was designed by Livit,a global design firm based out of Madrid, Spain. It was founded by Benjamin Calleja, who co-founded V along with Christian Lagerlof. The duo’s concept was brought to the United States in collaboration with Ned Lyerly’s Fast Fine Restaurant Group. Lyerly, the corporate executive officer of Fast Fine, was the former CEO of CKE Restaurants, which counts Carl’s Jr. and Hardee’s in its portfolio.
V Modern Italian is a global brand with locations in Belgium, Spain and Saudi Arabia; and stateside in Charleston, South Carolina and Kansas City, Missouri.
The splashy 7,000-square-foot Tampaspace is open, dark and moody with focused lighting, dark walnutfeaturesand velvet upholstery. Striking murals adorn the walls by Spanish artist-duo PichiAvo, who energetically blend graffiti-style and classical art. A simulacrum of a fruiting olive tree is planted in the main dining room; a young guest petted its leaves with wonder during a recent preview dinner.
A replica of a fruiting olive tree in the center of the main dining room of V Modern Italian in the Rome Collective.
V partnered with Michelin-starred chef Stefano Ciotti, of restaurants Nostrano in Pesaro, Italy, and Veritas in Doha, Qatar.
“My goal with V has always been to take everything I love about classic Italian cuisine and make it feel fresh and exciting again,” Ciotti said in a news release. “Tampa has an exciting and evolving culinary scene, and we’re looking forward to becoming part of it.”
For drinks, V offers a Vieux Carre Isleno with Wild Turkey 101, Averna, Carpano Antica, Benedictine, Angostura and island spice. Going Coastal is made with Cazadores blanco tequila, Italicus, hibiscus passion fruit, lime and mezcal mist (yes, you want the mezcal mist). The spot offers a clever play on a Negroni with Ford’s Gin, Luxardo Bitter Bianca, Cocchi Americano, and Italicus, turning the classic spirit forward cocktail into a lighter, more approachable tipple without sacrificing depth or flavor.
A mural by Spanish artist-duo PichiAvo who combine classical and graffiti-style art inside V Modern Italian in the Rome Collective.
V paired with Ybor City-based BarrelHaus Beer Co. to create V Modern Italian Pilsner. European wines and sparkling by the glass and bottle are available.
For the food menu, options include a Caesar with little gem lettuce, crisp pancetta and parmesan. For primi, options include Vodka Rosa with pipette, pancetta, stracciatella, cherry pepper and Calabrian chili. A 16-ounce prime ribeye, 12-ounce Australian wagyu and on the bone lamb shank are on offer for secondi. Desserts include a housemade tiramisu.
“For Tampa, we wanted to create a space that complements the energy of North Hyde Park and Rome Collective while still transporting guests somewhere entirely unexpected,” Calleja said in a news release. “From the food and art to the music and atmosphere, every element works together to engage the senses.”
1701 W. North A. St., Tampa. v.restaurant.
Throw-ups and tags on a mural inside the recently opened V Modern Italian in the Rome Collective. The work is done by Spanish artist-duo PichiAvo who combine classical and graffiti-style art.
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