Welcome to the Speakeasy!

To celebrate Mallory's birthday we picked a restaurant that we heard had a great atmosphere, amazing drinks and stellar food. Ciro's Speakeasy & Supper Club in South Tampa did not disappoint. Actually, the only disappointment we felt was when our meal had come to an end.

A speakeasy was an establishment that illegally sold alcohol during prohibition. These clubs were secret and often ran by gangsters during the 20's. While they were often raided by the police their popularity did not diminish. Due to the illegal nature of the clubs, some of them required secret passwords. And thus the premise for Ciro's. You will not find their menu online (part of the secrecy) but you will find phenomenal reviews.

When you arrive at Ciro's you feel a little confused about if you have made it to the correct location because the restaurant is tucked away behind an apartment complex (it does conveniently have valet parking). Earlier in the day, you are given a password for entrance. Once your party has assembled, you are escorted to do the door to give the appropriate password and then the fun begins!

Knock, Knock

We were seated in one of their large lounge rooms. At first, I was a little curious about how this would work because it does not have traditional tables. I ended up loving this set up because, unlike most dinner parties, we were free to get up and move about the room to converse with different folks. I thoroughly enjoyed being able to talk with everyone in our party as opposed to just those that I am seated next to.

The drinks are definitely one of the biggest highlights. Ciro's only sells alcohol that would have been around during prohibition. While there may not be many of the drinks we commonly have today, their mixologists whip up some of the most delicious drinks I have ever tasted. Our server, Chuck, simply asked us what we normally liked to drink and then brought us back something amazing. For our second drink, Mal and I even said just bring us what you think we would like and that was the best drink of the night. I could not tell you what it was (he described it, I don't recall) but I enjoyed every sip.

The food is perfect to share. Mal, Dwayne and I ordered a couple items off of the menu that we wanted to try and then shared our dishes. We feasted on their truffle popcorn, chicken and waffles and crab cakes. No lie, this food was so good that we did not want it to end. For dessert, Mal and Dwayne had the waffles with ice cream. While theirs did look good, I wanted to die and go to heaven over my dessert. I enjoyed chocolate fondue with churros (my fave) and fresh fruit. This dessert was killer. I wanted to just repeat the whole meal as soon as it was over!

Don't worry, I shared

Chuck, the server, made the experience all that much better. He was insanely knowledgeable and provided us with great service. Our meal ended up being about $40-$50 a person but it was well worth the splurge. We had such a marvelous time that we keep trying to make up another excuse to go back, immediately.

If you are in the Tampa area, definitely check out Ciro's Speakeasy or look to see if there is a speakeasy in your neck of the woods.