Boulon Brasserie & Bakery in Tampa, Florida
Set amongst the gorgeous greenery and contemporary architecture of Water Street in Tampa, Boulon Brasserie & Bakery is, at once, an eclectic and contemporary restaurant with an atmosphere of comfort and quietude. Boulon Brasserie is a newer gem in the Tampa restaurant scene, opening in summer of 2022 under the Next Level Brands hospitality group. Serving a variety of French classics with a twist, Boulon is a food lover’s dream. I expected to enjoy the restaurant, when we visited for a friend’s birthday brunch, but walked away with my expectations exceeded (and ready for a carb induced nap).
Image credit: Boulon Brasserie via IG
First Impressions of Boulon Brasserie
As I mentioned above, Boulon is located on Water Street, Tampa, and is surrounded by the lovely landscaping and greenery that this otherwise-metropolitan block offers. Neighbors with The Edition, Tampa’s newest and nicest hotel, and an impressive list of Tampa businesses (restaurants and otherwise, like my favorite local ice cream shop, Chill Bros), Boulon is in great company.
Even on a gray and drizzly day, the exterior of the restaurant was impressive. While it was obviously not a day to sit outside, there were plenty of comfortable seats and tables for patio dining in better weather.
The inside of the restaurant, though, was visually stunning. A mix of soft tan, black, gold, and rich blue-teal navy, the design scheme in Boulon Brasserier is extremely thoughtful and cohesive. The space is huge, and it clearly seats a large number of guests, but the spacing isn’t cramped in the least. Even the bar was thoughtfully designed, with little alcoves to allow for quiet chats even during busier times, almost like a contemporary tete-a-tete chair.
The Menus
Drinks at Boulon
First things first, the Boulon Brasserier drinks menu is almost as fun to read as it is to order from. I’m not one for cocktails, really. I tend to stick with a nice glass of wine at restaurants like this. However, even I was tempted by the specialty cocktails Boulon offers. With names like Haute Couture, Boulon Frose, and Antoinette, it is hard to ignore their allure.
I decided on the French Martini, drawn in by the promise of lavender. A play on the French 75 (which was also the inspiration behind the Antoinette cocktail, we believe), the French Martini was the perfect balance of sweet and sour, fruit flavored and citrus infused. And it came with a cute little spring of lavender!
The mocktails at Boulon are also noteworthy. My friend ordered the Kiwiosity — in part because of the fun name — and it was delicious. Perfect for a warm summer day!
Boulon’s Lunch Menu
As I mentioned, my friends and I visited Boulon Brasserier for lunch, so we sampled their lunch menu. At first, the options were almost overwhelming — there were so many dishes that caught my eye! Our waitress was very sweet and went over a few of her favorites to help us all narrow down our choices. Some of the dishes sounded great, but potentially too heavy for lunch — the Lobster Pot Pie, for example. However, perhaps it would be great to share, or for dinner (it is available for dinner, as well).
Hors D’Oeuvres
Ultimately, we decided to share two orders of the Pain Maison (a warm baguette with salted butter) and the Blue Crab Beignets to start. This was…a very good choice. The Blue Crab Beignets were absolutely delicious, full of perfectly-cooked crab with a light filling and delicate crispy exterior. The spicy remoulade they came with was similarly delightful — not spicy, in the traditional sense, but it definitely had a kick.
As for the Pain Maison, what can be said about a warm baguette with perfectly salted butter? You have to get it.
Mains & Entrees
As for our mains and entrees, a couple of my friends opted for bowls of the Maine Lobster Bisque with an extra order of baguette or another appetizer. The soup was plenty large enough for a full meal, and it was absolutely delicious. Rich and creamy without being too heavy, it was everything you’d want the perfect lobster bisque to be.
Personally, I was intrigued by the Ratatouille Crepes. This dish came with three semi-sweet crepes filled with squash, eggplant, and tomato, served alongside some sautéed spinach and with goat cheese and tomatoes. The serving looked a bit small when it arrived, but it was actually perfect, especially for lunch.
Sweet Endings & Desserts
Since we were celebrating a birthday, we just had to get something sweet to close out the meal. For the four of us, we split the Warm Butter Cake and Profiteroles. Both were delicious, of course, and so very different from each other. The Warm Butter Cake was almost like a pound cake mixed with a tres leches cake, with rich lemon throughout. The Profiteroles, on the other hand, were delightful little chocolate and vanilla cream puffs that could easily be shared. Both paired well with an oat milk cappuccino!
Final Thoughts on Boulon Brasserie
In all, eating at Boulon Brasserie was a great experience. It is a bit expensive, so it’s certainly more of a celebratory space than an everyday option, but I can’t wait to celebrate birthdays and date nights and the like there going forward!
From the beautiful location to the delicious food, there was really nothing I would have changed! Oh, well, except next time I’ll definitely make a note to stop in at their bakery before we go. Having waited until after lunch to check it out, I was too full to consider anything else, but I should have gotten a pastry or two to go!
Visiting Boulon Brasserie in Tampa
Address: 1001 Water Street Tampa, FL 33602
Useful Links: Website | Menu | Instagram | Reservations
P.S. Parking is tricky – we Ubered to Boulon, which was easiest, but you can find information on Water Street parking here.
Looking for more great restaurants in the Tampa area?
Explore my complete guide to the best Tampa Bay restaurants here!
*This post was originally published as part of my Tampa City Guide in August 2023. It was most recently updated on August 11, 2023.
