Downtown Tampa has a new 180-seat Japanese restaurant and whiskey lounge where Gen X Tavern used to pour drinks. Nagi by Soho Sushi officially opened Monday at 103 E. Jackson St., bringing sushi, wagyu dishes and tableside preparation to a stretch of downtown that lost a longtime nightlife fixture earlier this year.
The opening caps months of work by Burton Holdings, which according to tbbwmag.com acquired the longtime South Tampa restaurant Soho Sushi in 2022 and took on the conversion of the former Gen X Tavern space. Gen X Tavern closed July 4 after seven years at the downtown location, the outlet reports, clearing the way for the new concept to move in. Nagi is from the team behind South Tampa’s Soho Sushi, bringing a modern izakaya concept to the Jackson Street address. The Tampa Bay Times reports that Nagi opened in the former Gen X Tavern space and lists expected Japanese foods.
What's On the Menu at the New Izakaya
Diners can expect Japanese small plates, wagyu dishes and pork belly fried rice, per the same tbbwmag.com account. The sushi program is a centerpiece of the new spot: the menu lists more than 30 rolls, including at least a dozen house specialties, according to myq105.com.
That outlet also highlights Nagi's tableside sushi service, in which chefs wheel ingredients up to guests' tables and build each dish as diners watch. It's a hands-on touch meant to turn a sushi order into part of the evening's entertainment rather than just a trip to the kitchen and back.
Previews, Hours and What's Planned Next
Before Monday's official debut, Nagi ran reservation-only previews from Oct. 19 through Nov. 1, giving early guests a taste of the space ahead of the wider opening, the tbbwmag.com report notes. Looking ahead, the restaurant plans to remain open until 1 a.m. Thursdays through Saturdays, catering to a downtown crowd looking for a late-night option.
Additional offerings on the horizon include lunch service alongside dinner, plus late-night food and DJs on Fridays and Saturdays, according to Creative Loafing Tampa. For now, the focus is on settling into the 103 E. Jackson St. address and introducing downtown Tampa to a sushi and whiskey lounge built on the bones of a bar that spent seven years in the same room.
