Cafe Dufrain, Tampa

I like that the Restaurant is Clean, Eclectic, and the staff is aiming to please....As for the food...Yummy!!...a great place to impress out of towners or lunch clients! Great Drinks too....

PORK SHANKS! Perfect dish. Anson mills polenta is already good, here, the best I've had. Baby Root Veg even better. Scallop pappardelle solid. Pasta a little heavy, but flavor is on point. Boar sausage, though not on the menu, was delicious. Chefs/Foodies/Regular Customers put the chef on the spot. Chef Alvarez will deliver. Ask him to make u a course from the "Pantry", Awesome.(Be prepared to pay, just cuz its not on the menu doesn't make it free):) Service was attentive but not overbearing, and we overstayed our welcome with no mention of "We're Closing soon/Closed." Very professional, very accommodating. Again, Shanks! The wine list full of affordable choices. Some mainstream, some boutique, all reasonably priced, and ours were delicious. ($26,67) respectively. In my top ten in Tampa for sure. Great date night spot. Sounds like an advertisement, so to keep it fair, other nine: Sideberns, BT, Vizcaya, Pelagia, Ceviche, Matoi Sushi, Pane Rustica, Taconazo(Taco Bus), n Fly Bar(Happy Hour). La terrasita n Pho Quyen r good too.(11) Support local, artisanal, and organic products??? Support your local restaurants!!!!! Cafe Dufrain IS worth it!!!!

I was excited to try this restaurant because South Tampa Magazine highlighted it, plus the advertised connection with Mise en Place, one of the best restaurants in south Tampa. I was sorely dissapointed. The dinner took in excess of 45 minutes to arrive at the table; my husband's pork was astonishingly undercooked and my food was cold. The food was not impressive, though the prices were. I would never recommend this place for dinner. The only plus it has going for it is the view. On the other hand, if you'd like a great meal, go to Mise en Place.

Kudos to the new chef! They've recently introduced a new menu & chef. I'm not overstating when I say incredible! For the past several years, the food was solid just in need of a revamp. Now, however, I can't wait to get back there again & see what the new Chef is dishing up. Each visit is better than the last. My wife and I love the food, decor & service. The waterfront views and dining al fresco are also nice. I highly recommend!!

Kudos to the new chef! Just wanted to write a quick note about my lunch today at Cafe Dufrain. They have recently introduced a new menu & chef. I'm not overstating when I say ... incredible! The new chef, Ferrell, came out to introduce himself even during a busy lunch, and he's definately a "rising star". I have to say that, though I've been coming occasionally for the past 4 years, I was getting a bit tired of the old menu, and the food was always solid. Now, however, I can't wait to get back there again, and can't wait to see what Chef Ferrell has planned for making it an even better experience. I had the Duck Confit Salad (excellent) followed by the Wagyu Loin (PERFECT!) Again, I rarely write, but wanted to send this quick note to say how great it is... I'll be coming back often and highly recommend it.

Nice decor but dark. It was all down hill after I was srved. Skirt Steak was undercooked & must have been marinated for hours in a highly acidic mix. It turned the tissue into a chew toy for my dog. NO ONE came to my table to ask about my meal after it was served. Very disappointed. Called & told them when I got sick several hours later. Did not want to go back for more abuse & they did not offer to refund any of the meal. JJ.

Cafe Dufrain was an amazing find. I located it in the restaurant listings of the Weekly Planet newspaper. It did not dissapoint. The menu is diverse with everything from a great ahi tuna (with an awesome plantain mash) to pizza. The lunch menu is pretty good as well. I like the Cuban sandwich (for those of you not from Tampa that is roasted pork, ham, salomi, mayo, mustard and pickle) and the awesome yukka root fries. The price is great too. For what you could waste at Chili's on lunch or dinner you could enjoy something prepaired by a chef rather than a college dropout.

Visiting family in Tampa, so my first time at this restaurant. My cajun chicken was very good everything seasoned which is sometimes hard to find, salad could have been better with less dressing,and service was fast but not overly friendly. Overall I would return for lunch and try dinner when im in town again.

A friend recommended this restaurant for a catch-up lunch. The restaurant is subtitled "Waterfront Gourmet"--waterfront yes; gourmet no. The view of this restaurant is probably what's keeping this establishment alive. The food certainly isn't. I ordered Cambodian Lemongrass soup as an appetizer and Ahi Tuna rolls for the entree. The server switched the order then argued with me about it. The rice was al dente and tasted like it was cooked days ago. The hard stickiness and after-taste obliterated the tuna. I finished one of four pieces. The waiter took the remaining three without asking what was wrong. Fairly hungry, I was looking forward to the lemongrass soup. There was nothing lemony about it. The pink broth was wicked spicy and infused with what tasted like sour milk. The waiter claimed it was “fresh” but the lettuce was dark green and wilted. After fishing for something edible in it, I found three pieces of hard chicken swimming around. Two spoonfuls was enough of that. There was a last-minute ingenuine attempt to learn why I didn’t like the food. As a consolation, the waiter helpfully suggested that their burger, some steak dish, and the Chilean sea bass were good. To their credit, there was no charge for the two dishes I didn’t eat. If you're looking for a waterfront neighborhood restaurant, you've found one--just don't plan to enjoy either of the two asiatic dishes I mentioned.

Fantastic neighborhood location, terrible food. Met a friend for lunch and ordered lemongrass soup and ahi tuna rolls. The rolls were tasteless owing to what seemed like day-old al dente rice. I ate one & returned the remaining three. The lemongrass soup had nothing to do with lemon. The pink-colored broth was overwhelmingly spicy and tasted of sour milk. There were 3 hard pieces of chicken floating amidst dark-green wilted lettuce. Yum.