Matilde Credit: Next Level Brands
A few months ago, local restaurant group Next Level Brands announced the coming of its latest concept to downtown Tampa, “an elevated coastal Mexican steakhouse,” called Matilde.
This afternoon, the company behind popular local spots like Boulon Brasserie, Forbici Modern Italian, and Union New American, released a few renderings of what guests can expect before Matilde’s spring 2027 debut.
Named after co-founder Andrew Wright’s Colombian grandmother, Matilde will be the company’s fifth concept, and is currently under construction in a 7,600 square-foot space on the ground floor of the AER luxury condo building at 300 W Tyler Street, which is adjacent to the Tampa Museum of Art and the David A. Straz Jr. Center for the Performing Arts.
Built in collaboration with Atelier Zébulon Perron (AZP), the renderings a reveal a contemporary design with 25-foot ceilings, floor-to-ceiling windows, as well as seating for 195 guests indoors and 92 outdoors, along with a 40-person private dining room and a 50-seat bar.
Led by Next Level Brands’ Culinary Director, Jacob Rios, Matilde will offer lunch, brunch, dinner and late-night service centered around live-fire Mexican cuisine and agave-focused cocktails.
A full menu has yet to released, but a press release says Matilde is playing around with menu items like “Shrimp Aguachile Negro; Rib Eye and Pork Al Pastor Tacos; Lamb Shank Barbacoa; Hearth-Roasted Chicken with mole negro; and Heritage Pork Chop with pipián verde.”
“Matilde is a concept we’ve put a lot of care into, and we want it to go beyond what guests might traditionally expect from a steakhouse,” said Jeff Gigante, founder of Next Level Brands, in a statement. “Our time in Mexico City helped us bring that vision into focus and inspired us to think more deeply about the connection between food, beverage and culture. We’ve carried that influence throughout Matilde, creating a space that celebrates those elements in a way that feels thoughtful, immersive, and distinctly its own.”
Matilde Credit: Next Level Brands
Matilde Credit: Next Level Brands
Matilde Credit: Next Level Brands
Matilde Credit: Next Level Brands
Matilde Credit: Next Level Brands
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This article appears in Sept. 24 – 30, 2026.
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