Lona By Chef Richard Sandoval

My drink reccomamdation is the loaded jarrito! mango or pineapple are my favorite!My top food choices that had me in a chokehold: tuna tostada, lobster quesadilla, shrimp and crab enchiladas, and Chile relleno!Service is relatively fast. Happy hour is a bit subpar, imo.Overall, Great vibe! Def feel like I'm in Mexico at times! I'm looking forward to trying their brunch soon!

Lona was top notch from start to finish, and so much about it was right, it's hard to know where to begin describing the dining experience. The dark woods, low light levels, and lush greenery made walking into Lona on a hot August evening like finding a cool oasis. The service was polished but unobtrusive, and the cuisine is best described with a term I may be making up, but I'll call it Haute Mexican. As if all of that isn't enough, it was very vegetarian-friendly, and I had decisions to make! We were in Tampa for three nights and Lona commanded our attention. I am mostly a purist when it comes to cocktails, and the Lona Margarita knocked my socks off exactly the right distance from my body. They were cool and refreshing, and crafted without a whiff of mixer. For dinner, we started with the vegetarian version of the generous nachos, and I also had the Market Salad which offered up a tantalizing combination of colors, flavors, and textures. Our entrées were the shrimp tacos and vegetarian enchiladas, which were remarkably delicious and fully consumed. This was a lot of food, and as much as we enjoyed the appetizers and entrées, dessert was such a highlight that we not only enjoyed it that night, but we also returned for it the following two nights.My husband was delighted with different desserts each night: Tres Leches, Churros, the Spiced Warm Chocolate Cake with cinnamon raisin ice cream, and the El-Jefe Mexican Espresso Martini all three nights. I floated above my body while consuming Churros all three nights , along with either coffee, espresso, or an Americano. I have never before had such perfectly textured churros and most likely never will again, because Chef Sandoval is wielding wizardry in that kitchen that simply does not exist elsewhere. The churros are crispy and almost flaky on the outside, but dense and lofty on the inside; when you bite into one, it melts away on the tongue leaving just a trace of the cinnamon sugar with which it was once cloaked, and then it's gone. If you have only one night in Tampa, this is the place.

I've eaten here 4 nights in a row! The food was on point for everyone! I had quesadillas 2 nights and burgers 2 nights! Even though it is a Mexican restaurant the burger was amazing.The quesadillas came cut up and slightly crispy and were awesome and the chips and salsa was fire!!We came in late one night and they accommodated us even though the kitchen was closing.The last night we showed up late with a party of 14 and they sat us and took care of us.**Lenny was our server and she was AMAZING!!! Ask for her when you come in!!The ambiance in the restaurant is festive old world and really nice to have dinner. For being in the lobby of the hotel this is a score!!!GET THE CHUROS!!!!!

The inside is stunning. It's a modern take on contemporary Mexican. I feel like the downtown area needed a new Mexican spot and Lona's is it! I had a guava margarita and it was absolutely delicious. My girlfriend had a spicy margarita which she also enjoyed. The complementary chips and salsa were delicious. I highly recommend coming here if you're in the downtown Tampa area looking for some good Mexican food.

Finally got to come here for Happy Hour! The place was surprisingly empty! The front staff was very nice & seated us quickly . We had about 45 mins for happy hour . I wouldn't mind coming back to try other stuff on the menu but seriously .. those tacos on the HH menu were enough! We were greeted with chips & salsa. It was a bit different than normal salsa but very tasty to me. The haha fish taco is what i got along with fries . They were hot and fresh. I think this place would be nice for date night as well ! My margarita was delicious and my husbands been that i stole was crisp & cold !

Not worth the prices. Prices displayed on website are off by what is displayed on their menu. Food is fine but not something I'd return to. Most dishes lacked flavor. Service was great, friendly and attentive. The restaurant is designed very well. The bathrooms are in the hotel lobby right by the kitchen so it reeks of fish.

The Baja fish and al pastor taco were delicious tacos. The freshness of each taco was splendid! Between the two I preferred the Baja fish as I'm not the hugest fan of pork. The fries were crispy and hot which was great. Solid chips and salsa. I heard really good things about the guac but I did not try it. Happy hour has pretty good deals. Great service and ambiance at this location. Stop by and give Lona a shot if you haven't yet!

I was hesitant to try Lona because of how pricey it is and wasn't sure the food would stand up to it, but I was pleasantly surprised. Love the decor inside and was happy to get a booth. The margaritas were great, bacon guacamole was good, as well as the tacos and fajitas. I had the fish tacos and thought the fish was prepared perfectly. The only thing that was off was the timing of the food coming out. They brought out the stuff for the fajitas (toppings and shells) and then it was a long time before the meat and the tacos came out. It was so long that a staff member came by and asked to clear the plates while we were still waiting for the meals.

Their happy hour is so underrated. The queso with the chorizo is a must and do not sleep on the nachos. With all the TVs you can even bring your boo during college football season.

Came here for brunch on Sunday. The breakfast tacos were incredible. Chips and salsa were on the table for us when we got sat, they were incredible. The coffee and cocktails were great as well. Lots of TVs and beautiful decor around the restaurant.