I arrived at EBBE in downtown Tampa on a quiet Wednesday night and, for a little while, had the place entirely to myself. Sitting alone in a Michelin-starred dining room is rare, and I appreciated the moment.
I was in Tampa visiting family and decided to treat myself to dinner at EBBE. I prepaid the five-course Discovery Menu for $185, plus drinks, tax, and a 20% service charge. Since the restaurant was only two blocks from my hotel, I walked over.
Inside, a beautiful green marble counter anchors the dining room, with two round tables for four set by the front windows. A couple wandered in just before six, so my solo restaurant moment was brief, but the atmosphere remained quiet and relaxed.
At my seat, I noticed a pair of tweezers standing upright in a wooden utensil rest. They were a first for me, as far as I could recall. But once dinner began, I forgot all about them and missed my chance to use them.
The Chef Behind EBBE
Swedish chef-owner Ebbe Vollmer opened EBBE in May 2023. The restaurant earned its first Michelin star in 2024, less than a year later.
Vollmer's interest in cooking began at his grandmother's hostelry in southern Sweden. He moved to London at 16, later worked in Singapore, and returned to Sweden to co-found Vollmers with his brother. That restaurant earned a Michelin star in 2015 and a second in 2017.
In Tampa, he focuses on seasonal cooking with Scandinavian influences. In an interview with Michelin, Vollmer described starting with vegetables and building dishes around them, with each component serving a purpose.
Choosing a Wine
Before dinner, the staff offered me tastes of three white wines to help me choose a glass. I went with the 2025 Bernard Defaix Chablis, which stood out as my favorite. It was a thoughtful gesture and a good example of the hospitality here.
My Discovery Menu
Dinner began with a savory éclair filled with sunchoke, topped with caramelized onion and Havgus cheese. Sourdough bites with housemade butter followed; simple, but always welcome.
The white tuna with cucumber and horseradish arrived next, beautifully presented.
Then came a savory flan with trout roe and asparagus, similar to chawanmushi.
The cod was a highlight. Cooked sous vide, it was tender and buttery beneath a brown-butter crumb topping. St. George mushrooms and thyme were carefully arranged alongside, and a sunchoke purée underneath tied everything together.
Dorset lamb arrived medium rare with garden pea purée and morels. The staff added the sauce in front of me.
The lamb shoulder, served separately in a white dish and topped with onion soubise, was my favorite. It had a stew-like quality that stayed with me well after the meal.
By this point, I was more than full and feeling the pleasant effects of my glass of white wine. The shorter menu was plenty for me.
Dessert was a Danish rye mousse layered with a caramel pumpkin-seed tuile and housemade dark-molasses crème fraîche.
To finish, I was served a white chocolate truffle, a black-licorice Swedish fish, and a strawberry cream puff. A few more candies arrived with the check, a playful end to the meal.
A Dinner for One
I chose just one glass of white wine instead of the full pairing. My final bill covered the wine, Evian still water, tax, and the beverage service charge, since the tasting menu was prepaid.
EBBE in Tampa offers tasting menus of different lengths, and the dishes change with the seasons. My July dinner is just a snapshot of the Discovery Menu, so your experience may be different. For current menus and prices, check EBBE's website.
For me, this was a chance to carve out a solo dinner on a family trip. The green marble counter, the tender cod, and especially the lamb shoulder made the evening feel memorable.
