When you drive by the sleek silver diner in St. Pete Beach, you might say “Cute place for a burger.” But don’t let the cool exterior fool you; this is one of Tampa Bay’s best upscale casual eateries, thanks to Chef Oliver.
Said one happy diner: “We really enjoyed our dinner at MadFish. The service was excellent and the fish fresh. It was my first time eating oysters and the waitress brought me a plethora of sauces to try.” No wonder Trip Advisor rates MadFish among the top 10 restaurants in St. Pete with a consistent 4.5 rating and Yelp fans dither over the flair and flavor of Chef Oliver’s dishes.
With a lovely cozy interior, MadFish serves the freshest fish and delectable hand cut aged steaks, superbly seasoned with a “secret” Chef Oliver recipe. Best of show are the Chateaubriand for 2, Beef Wellington, Chilean Sea Bass and Drunken Shrimp. Speaking of drinks, the boutique wine list is well-curated and a couple of local craft beers rotate on tap (Green Bench, Big Storm).
Service with a smile is the catch of the day, and you can dine alfresco when the weather cools off. Chef Oliver trained and cooked at restaurants and hotels in England, often vacationing here to visit his dad, but three years ago he made the trek permanent and took the helm of MadFish, transforming the interior to look like a sleek retro dining car.
Start your meal with Madfish Mussels or fresh premium oysters chilled and shucked to order or share the Mad Tower Caprese style salad with tossed greens and Parmesan disc.
For dinner, you can’t get a better Chateaubriand anywhere in Tampa Bay. This luscious 24 oz. center cut tenderloin filet is grilled and seared, served with handcut steak fries, a mixed green salad, Campari tomatoes and homemade Bernaise sauce. The Chilean Seabass is also hand cut and pan-seared, served over jasmine coconut rice with leeks, sun-blushed tomatoes and baby shrimp.
Chef Oliver loves meat, so it’s no surprise that his English heritage inspired him to whip up a divine Beef Wellington, a 10 oz. filet wrapped in prosciutto, mushroom duxel and puff pastry served with white asparagus.
Can’t make up your mind? The surf and turf rocks or you can go claw-crazy with twin coldwater lobster tails.
Seafood aficionados recommend the seared swordfish steaks with lemon caper butter or soy and wasabi sauce, lobster-crusted Gulf grouper with hollandaise or the drunken island shrimp sautéed in butter, black pepper, garlic and spices with crusty Cuban bread for dunking up sauce.
Save room for dessert, especially the Créme Bruleé, tangy Key Lime pie, decadent flourless chocolate cake, apple pie a la mode and Cheesecake.
When he’s not cooking or dreaming up new dishes for the winter menu, Chef Oliver hangs out with his border collie, Millie and enjoys fishing.
Article by Nanette Wiser
MadFish Restaurant
5200 Gulf Boulevard, St. Pete Beach, FL 33706
(727) 360-9200
http://www.madfishonline.com
Hours: Open 7 days a week, 4 pm – ‘til closing
Early Bird: 4-5 pm daily
FYI:
- Reservations recommended.
- Free parking (25 spaces adjacent to the building).
- Gift Certificates available.
- Parties welcome; Private events can seat up to 80 people.