Rococo Steak

Like most highend steak houses (with the exception of Bern’s) the menu is ala carte. Although they have daily menu items and a fine slection of steaks, the overall selection is sparse. In fact our waiter spend more time reviewing the specialty cocktail list only for me to tell him miday that we were nonalcoholic. In regards to the ambience, the lighting was too dim for the very dark gray walls that were mosting void of paintings or decortaive fixtures. The number of service attendees were well above average, however, they could use more training in the active listening department. They provide complimentary valet parking, but nothing is free when it’s cutomary to tip the attendant who moved my vehicle two parking spaces. We were celebaring a birthday and they were very nice by providing complimentary dessert to my 80 year old mother. Bottom line, good steaks, average service but for less cost go to Bern’s or for the same cost, better service, food selection and ambience try Ruth Chris.

Everything was outstanding!!! We shared the Seafood Gallery and a Super Tuscan at the bar. Kevin and his team were the best… this is my new favorite restaurant!

Wonderful food, great wine list, fabulous cocktails. However the service is very spotty. Have dined there 6 times and had 4 instances of poor service. Just not what you expect for these prices.

My wife, son and I chose Rocco for my birthday dinner on Friday night. Really have to say we were disappointed with overall meal. Being the first time, we over ordered multiple sides — Truffle fries, cream spinach, mash potatoes and mac and cheese. We did not realize these were family size portion so we took most of this home. The sides were very average. My biggest disappoint was my dry aged Delmonico steak. Ordered medium but defiantly was rare, very rare. I could have handled that but I would say a quarter of the steak was inedible because of the gristle. Our service was excellent however for 3 people with my wife and I ordering a couple of drinks the bill came to $ 208 (not unexpected) simply not worth it for the overall level of food we received.

Filet was tasteless, butter poached mushrooms did not have a buttery flavor, Mac and cheese bland, the table was in agreement, the fries were good. The waitress encouraged our large party to order more sides, we ended up with about $ 30 in sides we could not eat. A disappointment.

Rococo is a fairly solid steakhouse with an experience that checks all the boxes. The food is good, the atmosphere is nice, the service is efficient. But yet I was left wanting something more from Rococo.
We had a reservation on a sleepy Sunday evening, so the restaurant only had a few people dining. We probably should have gone on a busy Friday night and this was completely our fault. However the few people dining in the large restaurant were all efficiently packed together in a small alcove, and anything anyone said was easily heard by the other diners. This made dinner somewhat uncomfortable, and the few parties of diners should have been seated farther apart.
Our apps were the octopus bacon, lobster bisque and Cesar salad. The octopus and soup were both delicious, absolutely fantastic really. They are both highly recommended and were the highlights of our meals. The salad was fairly straightforward and unremarkable.
Wife had the fish special and I had the NY strip for main courses. We added a few sides and everything was fine, but unfortunately there was nothing that really stood out. The food was completely acceptable but not exceptional, and for the price of the meal not sure I saw a lot of value.
To sum up Rococo, I’d have to say if feels like your retired parents’ favorite steakhouse. It is nicely decorated, efficient, and inoffensive. But it is not bold or modern. Although the food was fine, it wasn’t really inventive or out of the ordinary. I felt in many ways like I was eating dinner at a country club.
I give Rococo 4 stars simply because they didn’t do anything wrong. It’s a nice restaurant, the food is fine, the service was ok. It was pricey, but in line with the class of restaurants it is in. I’m not sure we will rush back to Rococo, as it feels just a bit stodgy, traditional and formulaic for our taste.

Went with wife last night last minute decision, had not been here in over a year. I had heard about a new chef & a daily fresh sheet.
We sat at the bar & Barbara set us up. We had the hand harvested oysters, different & the octopus special app was Devine.
I also had the pappardelle pasta with filet mignon. Dynamite.
We won’t be waiting another year to go back.
Shout out to Barbara for great service!

Since we had a destination wedding, we decided to invite all of our guests to rehearsal dinner. We needed a location that could host 90 people without breaking the bank. After visiting several locations that were better suited for 40 – 50 people, we stopped by Rococo. They were fantastic, extremely helpful in planning our dinner, and we couldn’t have been happier with the outcome. Some highlights:
* Their food is amazing. The filet mignon is delicious, and everyone raved about the quality of the meat. Some people also ordered the seared ahi tuna and they said it was the best they’d ever had.
* The upstairs room is a great location for a large event. It holds up to 100 people but is cozy enough that everyone feels close to the big event.
* Bridget (the event coordinator) was exceptional. She made sure that all of our questions were answered, spoke with us leading up to the dinner, helped us choose furnishings, recommended a great florist, was continuously available during our dinner, and even helped us box up dinners for a couple who had to take their daughter to the hospital.
If you want great food *and* great service, you want the Rococo. We recommend them highly.

So much was good but the entrees struggled. It’s a great design for a restaurant, spacious and comfortable. The wine list is extensive and the appetizers popped. The sashimi tuna melted in our mouths. The beets, dressing, and pomegranates all blended nicely. The steak tartar was another winner. The Caesar salad was bland and we asked for anchovies.
Then the steaks came. They were perfectly cooked but way over salted. All 3 of us were disappointed. When they asked how things were, we let them know, and they comped an appetizer, which we appreciated.
To much was right to not give them another chance. We’ll let them know we don’t like a lot of salt.

Let me start by saying the steaks are on point. They use quality meats and know how to cook them to perfection. The other dishes and desserts on the other hand don’t all match in quality. I dinned at Rococo on business with 3 other people. We got the opportunity to sample a large portion of their menu and a few fabulous wines. I like the traditional steakhouse menu with modern local dishes, it’s a good combo and believe me there is NO shortage of options. In fact there may be too many options. We started with wine, the entire book of wine, there is something for EVERYONE and ANYONE, typical of a traditional steak house. After more time than I’d have preferred we settled on a universal red. Next the appetizers and salad. We went with the octopus bacon and special beet salad. The beet salad was amazing, the goat cheese mouse and Marcona Almonds were a perfect complement to the beets! Plus, we ordered two for the table and they portioned and plated the salad accordingly, which is always nice. The octopus on the other hand was prepared well but paired oddly. The capers and the purée seamed to fight the octopus. While this is typically a favorite of mine, it left me wanting more. (Or perhaps it was simply over shadowed by the beet salad.) The steaks arrived and were promptly devoured soon there after. The mushrooms were done beautifully and I liked the combination of fungi. But, the mac and cheese was nothing to write home about. It looked and tasted like a supped up box of Velveeta Shells and Cheese, not that I was looking for lobster or anything mind blowing, but a bit of texture and a bit more of a flavor profile would have been nice. We finished with two desserts, the first I cannot recall as I did not act fast enough to taste and the second a chocolate Crème Brulee, one of my all time favorites. If you are a lover of Crème Brulee you will understand my disappointment with the following sequence of events. I picked up my spoon, eager to tap the surface of the dish and watch the caramelized top crack in a most unpredictable pattern. Excited for the first bite, by far the best bite of the dish, you only finish the dish because you are hopefully that you will get a second bite as wonderful as the first, deep down knowing that was THE BITE. To my dismay, no crack! With dim lighting and since the dish is brown, I couldn’t tell, did I miss the noise? Is the layer so thin it melted in my mouth? So I did what any adventurous eater does, took a bite, and another. It was cold mush. Just Crème, no Brulee. The staff sent out a new dish and was kind enough to take it off the bill, but the second did not satisfy, I still had the taste of the limp and cold first round in my mind. I’ll most likely go back, but with a little caution. They have the most important ingredient down pat and I guess that’s what’s most important.
Side Note: Great décor and service, intimate and inviting, a surprise on this side of downtown.

The food was amazing and the overall service was great! We really enjoyed the atmosphere and it is one of the best restaurants we’ve been to locally.

Amazing dining experience all around. Great drink offerings, superb steak, delicious sides and yummy desserts. Service by Donald was impeccable. Rococo is a true gem among the St PETERSBURG dining scene.

Phenomenal Birthday Dinner. Rococo Steak is that kind of wonderful tasting and filling food that has you leaving 100% pleased. Plus, this is a NO CHAIN. The staff at Rococo truly make you feel welcome and treat everyone like a honored guest.
We came here on ¹⁰⁄₂₀ for my 30^th birthday, just myself and Alex B+1. We have done Bern’s on a few occasions and absolutely love Bern’s but wanted to try something new. Rococo, with its modern vibe and being much more local to where we live, made a lot of sense. We considered Eddie V’s, but that is also in Tampa and we just got a that chain vibe browsing Eddie V’s website. Some trusted Unilocaled ranked Berns, Eddie V’s, and Rococos as the best in the area. I have no reason to disagree with the three, but maybe the order. Everyone has their own priorities.
Drinks: Old Fashion, top notch, we each had one. Strong, flavorful, and a fair size drink. Very pleased. I also tried a Texas Mule. I love myself a Moscow Mule. This was very similar. I did not inquire as to what made it different. Very distinct citrus flavor. Very good.
Appetizer: Seared Ahi Tuna. Might as well call it BEEF FISH. REALLY REALLY GOOD BEEF FISH. It was mouth wateringly delicious. Eat it slow and enjoy.
Soup/​Salad: I got the chef selection salad. It as arugula and figs and cream, but the figs were out so they subbed in straw berries and I think I may have enjoyed that even more than I would have enjoyed the figs. There was other things in the salad and it all went together perfect. The chef’s here have a real talent for turning food into art. Alex B+1 got the lobster bisque. It was AMAZING! The cognac gives it a really rich flavor. The chunks of lobster are huge and plentiful. Plus the chef styled a little R into the soup, surely for Rococo, but since it was my 30^th, I like to think it was for Ross.
Sides: Truffle Mac & Cheese. Not on the menu, but I saw it on someone else’s Unilocal review and they will make it for you. Very delicious and huge portions. They advised that one side easily feeds 2 people, its more like 4 people, we have lots of left overs. We also got a side of the creamed corn mash. Alex B+1 loved it and insists that we figure out that recipe, it cannot be that difficult and would be perfect with a Thanksgiving Dinner! The huge trays they bring the steaks out on are very practical for the huge portions of sides, you can keep a good distance between say the cream corn mash and the steak. Not that it is a huge deal if it touches your steak, but when you have a really good steak, you really should not let anything mess with the best juicy meat flavor in the world.
Alex B+1 went with the 7oz grass fed filet. I went with the 16oz Kansas City Dry Aged Strip. It was on the ever changing fresh menu and highly recommended by the staff. Alex B+1 liked mine better than hers, but it was pricier. I loved the both. I do tend to love filet’s with a little less grizzle and usually would have picked the same as her but for the tip from our waiter. When you go out for an amazing steak meal like this, its best to get something different and each get a taste. LET ME BE VERY CLEAR, MY STEAK WAS AMAZING! I actually ate a lot of the marbleized stuff that I would have otherwise avoided. This never happens, except maybe a Berns. The steak was exceptionally prepared and while it has been a little over a year since my last visit to Berns, I think my dry ages strip was better than the best steak that I have ever tried at Berns or anywhere else for that matter. It was pricier than I usually get at Berns, but it was my 30^th birthday and totally worth the indulgence.
The one issue we had was as follows: we made reservations but they could not find us. Alex B+1 made the reservations since it was my birthday and she is not a big fan of having to call places to reserve, I usually do it for her because I talk to much and can’t shut up often, so it gives her some peace and quiet to send me on a mission like making dinner or hotel reservations. I will ask lots of questions and talk the hosts ear off. Unfortunately, on one of the few occasions she makes reservations, they somehow happen to not be in the system.
Nevertheless, they had a very nice table/​booth for us with a kingly sized and styled seat for me, the birthday boy. We also happened to be seated at the table next to some quasi-​famous locals known for the jewelry store commercials. We could not help but steal a couple glaces once we recognized them and, perhaps oddly, we had more confidence that if these luxury good merchants trust the quality of Rococo, we should too. After our experience, we are 100% sure they have very good taste because we love Rococos.
Dessert: Dark Chocolate Pot De Crème Brulee and the fresh special, Tuxedo Cake. Both were absolute chocolate heaven. The Crème Brulee was rich and the Tuxedo Cake was light. They complimented each other well with the rich — light dichotomy all dazzled up in chocolate. Lost reservation no longer a problem. LOVE!

The Renaissance of Rococo Steak:
Kevin and I had not been to Rococo in quite a few months. We decided to go last Thursday night before our play. We were pleasantly surprised by the changes not only to the menu but to the kitchen staff and the ambiance as well. We had complained several times in the past about the obnoxious club music that was always too loud. In fact, when we were raving about the changes to someone later that night, he described the atmosphere created by the music as «like a strip club in Beetlejuice». Finally, we were greeted by some lovely upbeat jazz that sets the tone that was sorely lacking for a restaurant of this caliber.
St Petersburg has so many amazing restaurant choices that to survive in this city, all elements must be superb, especially at this price point. Rococo was lacking in the food department. It was always good, but something was missing that made it just not stand out.
Well it will stand out now! Wow! The menu is brand new with the addition of the Daily Fresh Sheet. The new head chef, Matt Rainey, actually spends two hours schooling the kitchen staff on the daily menu, daily. All the fish is brought in fresh that morning and the pastas are now made in house fresh.
We started with the Seafood Gallery. This is a huge portion and, even shared, could be an entire meal. It was on the Daily Fresh Sheet and had Lobsters, Oysters (six and you could choose to have all east coast, all west coast or a mixture of both, which is what we did), Mussels, Jumbo Shrimp and Crab. You can see from the photo how decadent this platter is… just a tantalizing seafood lover’s delight!
Next, Kevin Quinn, Rococo’s GM and the leader of most of these changes, surprised us with the Chef Selection Salad of the day. To me it was more like a cheese/​charcuterie dish than a salad. Kevin enjoyed it more than I did but everything was very fresh and yummy. It is served deconstructed and contains Marcona Almonds, Fig on top of a Goat Cheese Mousse, Lamb’s Lettuce annd Speck, which is smoked prosciutto.
We also got to try the Tagliatelle from the Daily Fresh Sheet. All I can say is it was a party in my mouth! Wow! Kevin likes his pasta cooked a bit more al dente than I do. I thought it was cooked perfectly and it was so obvious that it was house made. It had a perfect combination of Trumpet Royale Mushrooms, Ox Tail and Tomato Ragu. This is a must try for pasta lovers!
We then were served the meal that we ordered and shared which was the Grass Fed Ribeye and Creamed Corn Mash. I find it near to impossible to not order steak in a steak house, but I can promise you next time, I will try other items from this menu. Grass Fed beef is tough to cook because many times it does not have as much flavor and cooks differently leading to a tough steak. This steak was cooked perfectly. I ordered rare to medium rare and they nailed it! It was tender and juicy and is cooked in just butter and salt. We have had the corn there before, but it wasn’t like this corn. It is cut fresh off the cob and it had the perfect flavor. Not too creamy and I loved the smashing of the corn. I took a tiny bit that was leftover home and you can bet I ate it.
Kevin Quinn’s excitement just oozed out of him as he spoke with us about all of the changes. He was so excited for us to try a Daily Fresh Sheet fish dish that he brought out the American Red Snapper for us to taste, as if we could eat another bite. I am not a huge red snapper fan. It usually comes out thin and I don’t love the flavor. This snapper however was thick and juicy (see last picture) and served over a Tomato Sherry Butter. I only had one bite but it was delicious!
Other Daily Fresh Sheet items last Thursday were: Bacon Wrapped Northern Atlantic Cod, Grilled Pumpkin Swordfish, Roast Rack of Elk and «Poulet Rouge» Chicken. For all of the bacon lovers out there, they do still have the Bacon Flight on the menu.
If you haven’t been lately, all I can say is GO! And tell all of your friends…
This link talks about the new chef and expansion:
– with Kevin Quinn and Kevin Godbee at Rococo Steak.

From start to finish this place was amazing. Enjoyed Pride Cabernet, oysters, NY strip, Mac and cheese, asparagus, quinoa, and after dinner drinks. Our server was Jose and his table side presence and knowledge was phenomenal! I can’t wait to go back. Thank you Rococo for a lovey evening.

I wish I could give 3.5 stars, that being said I’ve never given 5 stars to anything. I can walk to this place so, I’m trying to be optimistic.
I’ve been 4 times and I love stupid expensive steakhouses, but this place is just a tad off in someway or in several small ways, not sure. Definitely worth a try though, to determine for yourself.

I have only one bad thing to say about Rococo and that is its not in NJ!
In the Tampa area on business and came genre for a group dinner.
Amazing from the drinks to the apps to the main course!
My favorite dish was the surf and turf cooked perfectly
Great service and we took our dessert outside on the patio. Try the desserts!

The restaurant is beautiful. The wait staff is on top of everything and are very friendly. The food was delicious. We had goat cheese pie, tuna, and seafood platter for appetizers. For dinner I had the 14 Oz aged ny strip and he had the 16 Oz ribeye. The steaks were amazing. The place is pricey but well worth it. We spent $ 270 for two people with dinner and appetizers

Stopped by on a rainy day in south Florida. Everything was amazing. The wedge salad was delicious. The filet was cooked med rare to perfection. The sides exceeding expectations, Mac n cheese and truffle mushrooms. Will def go back again

This is a good place for a steak. This is also a good place for wine. My husband and I would probably rank the TB Bay Area steak places as follows:
1. Berns
2. Eddie V’s
3. Rococo
One thing we liked about Rococo was the large parking lot. It was a breath of fresh air to not have to valet park.
The restaurant is huge! The bonus is that it was easy getting a last minute table.
Service was quite good. Our waiter was attentive and polite, and he had the back up of the sommelier and a couple bus boys. They made sure my water glass and wineglass were full and that plates were cleared promptly.
My husband started with the New England clam chowder. He thought it was phenomenal. It was very creamy, and the clams were so sweet and fresh. I had the bacon spicy caesar salad. I loved the large chunks of bacon (although I wish they weren’t cold) and the spicy dressing.
For our main courses, I had the prime rib, and my husband had the NY strip. Both were so good, very tender, perfectly cooked. I thought the crust of my prime rib was a little too salty. The vegetable garnish was perfect: I don’t remember having carrots so good. Also, we shared the whipped potatoes. They were ridiculously tasty.
For dessert, my husband had the cookies with malted cream. Oh, were those cookies good. I had the bread pudding, which was good but not great. I liked the crispy salt, but I found the bread a little dry. I wish the frozen custard on the online menu was available, but I was told that they do not have a freezer so do not serve ice cream. Please take that off your online menu, Rococo, and stop breaking my heart!
The cocktails we tried were excellent. The wine list is excellent. It’s probably the best list in Pinellas County. We had a 1973 rioja for only $ 100, and it was quite drinkable.