Tampa Bay Dining
The full range of American dining options is
well-represented in the greater Tampa Bay area, and there are already many lists of the finest dining
establishments in Pinellas and Hillsborough County which we do not intend to duplicate here. Instead,
we have presented below a small selection of restaurants which we feel not only excel in their area of
focus, but also are both representative of the gastronomy specific to Tampa Bay, and offer a unique
regional atmosphere and style that you will not find anywhere else in the country.
By no means are these the best restaurants which you may find on your own. Regard our selections as starting
points, if you are looking for something in particular, where you may be assured of experiencing exactly
what you are seeking, and from where you can branch off in search of your own discoveries that may even
exceed the standards we have identified below.
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Fine Dining
The Columbia at 2117 East 7th Avenue, Ybor City (813) 248-4961 has served some of the finest Cuban,
Portuguese and Spanish cuisine available anywhere since 1905, and its vast wine cellar includes the largest
collection of Spanish wines in the country. Their extensive menu of everything from a wide selection of
tapas and authentic albondigas soup, to their extraordinary Paella Valencia and pompano baked in parchment,
to their Crema Catalana and Brazo Gitano is perfectly prepared and artfully presented in any of a variety of
different dining rooms, each appointed with authentic antique furnishings, well-preserved murals and
strolling musicians that capture the atmosphere of old Spain.
Bern’s Steak House at 1208 South Howard Avenue, Tampa (813) 251-2421 claims to have the largest wine
cellar of any restaurant in the world, and judging from the phone book-size wine list of grand vins, rare
Sauternes and Cognacs, we cannot argue. If you want to experience the finest dry-aged steak dinner of your
life, reserve an evening for Bern’s. The menu also includes an astounding variety of caviar, foie gras and
truffle appetizers, as well as seafood, fresh locally caught fish, poultry and vegetarian entrees.
Mise en Place at 442 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa (813) 254-5373 is a consistent award winner among
top rating organizations for almost 20 years. The menu is varied and seasonal, and emphasizes regional
cuisine. To experience the finest in locally caught and harvested produce, prepared creatively and paired
with the perfect wines, this is the place to come for the best adventure in local gastronomy.
Marchand’s Grill in the Renaissance Vinoy Resort at 501 Fifth Avenue Northeast, St. Petersburg
(727) 894-1000 was formerly the Pompeii Room of the opulent Vinoy Hotel built in the 1920s, and is an
historical landmark worth visiting even if you are not hungry. The menu, presentation and service are top of
the line Continental, however, and provide a delightful fine dining experience within walking distance of
the Pier and other downtown attractions.
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Casual Dining Options
Ted Peters Famous Smoked Fish at 1350 South Pasadena Avenue, South Pasadena (727) 381-7931 has been
offering the same simple menu for over 50 years. From the smoked mullet spread and crackers to the
full-course smoked mullet, mackerel, mahi-mahi and salmon dinners, the aroma of Georgia red oak-smoked
locally caught fish fills the air around this unassuming roadside stop with outdoor picnic benches and a
small indoor dining room for rainy days. The generously sized cheeseburgers with big slices of sweet onion,
German potato salad and clam chowder also happen to be the best we have found anywhere.
Bon Appetit at 150 Marina Plaza, Dunedin (727) 733-2151 is right across from the Dunedin Marina and
next door to Yacht Harbor Inn, and offers the best casual yet elegant open-air waterfront dining in the
area. Serving a full menu of everything from pasta to seafood, sweetbreads to steaks, the chefs prepare and
present everything creatively using the freshest, seasonal ingredients, which you can enjoy casually dressed
at a relaxed pace.
Computer Port Cafe at 432 Poinsettia Avenue, Clearwater Beach (727) 441-2667 provides Internet and
e-mail access while you snack on English pub fare, raw vegetables, fruit smoothies, or a variety of coffees,
including espresso and cappuccino.
Woody’s Waterfront Cafe at 7308 Sunset Way, St. Petersburg Beach (727) 360-9165 has a full bar and is
also a great place for families. A great place to stop after a day at the beach, you can sit outdoors along
the water and enjoy great burgers, wings and other American fare while watching one the area’s famous
sunsets. Woody’s also is a popular late night spot.
Uncle Andy’s Ice-Cream Parlor in the shopping arcade of the Don CeSar Beach Resort at 3400 Gulf
Boulevard, St. Petersburg Beach (727) 360-1881 although not exactly a dining option is another great place
to bring the kids after a day at the beach, and offers the best selection of unusual ice cream flavors and
concoctions in the area.
Food Court at The Pier, downtown St. Petersburg has a variety of casual dining alternatives, including
pizza, burgers, ice cream and fast food, all of which are generally higher in quality than what is usually
found in the malls.
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Ethnic
Armani’s at the top of the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, 6200 Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa
(813) 874-1234 affords the best view of Tampa Bay and the Tampa International Airport, and serves the finest
Italian cuisine in the area. Create your own antipasto platter of the finest ingredients, and try the
signature Veal Scallopini Armani at this Mobil four-star and AAA four-diamond restaurant.
Louis Pappas’ Restaurant and Riverside Café along the sponge docks at 10 Dodecanese Boulevard and
Pinellas Boulevard (Alt. U.S. 19), Tarpon Springs (727) 937-5101 has been serving the finest Greek cuisine
in the region since Louis Pappamichaelopoulus of Sparta opened it in 1925. Although huge and touristy now,
once seated, preferably near one of the tall windows offering a relaxing view of the Anclote River, you will
be swept away into the intimate delight of expertly prepared, locally caught seafood and classic Old World
delicacies, followed by the best Baklava you have ever sampled.
Hellas Restaurant and Bakery at 785 Dodecanese Boulevard, Tarpon Springs (727) 943-2400 is the best
casual, open-air café from which to enjoy a great view of the sponge docks while enjoying authentic Greek
pastries, or more substantial Old World fare like moussaka (an eggplant and lamb casserole) or dolmades
(grape leaves stuffed with ground lamb and/or rice) followed by galactombouriko (Greek custard) and glasses of
Retsina.
Le Bordeaux French Courtyard Restaurant at 1502 South Howard Avenue, Tampa (813) 254-4387 is set in
the living room of a restored house and conservatory, and offers a blackboard menu which changes daily, as
well as classic French favorites, with an accompanying bistro-style lounge in which you can enjoy live jazz
on Thursday through Saturday evenings.
Chateau France at 136 Fourth Avenue North, St. Petersburg (727) 894-7163 serves classic French dishes
in a restored Victorian house built almost a hundred years ago. The pate is made on the premises, as are the
bouillabaisse, coq au vin and crepes Suzette. Chateau France provides the most intimate atmosphere and most
authentic French cuisine available in the Tampa Bay area.
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Cafe Creole and Oyster Bar at Avenida de Republica de Cuba and 14th Street, Ybor City (813) 247-6283
offers an excellent New Orleans-style of French dining set in an historic, restored 1896 building formerly
occupied by the famous Cherokee gentlemen’s club, adorned with wrought iron balconies and stained glass
windows. Jambalaya, blackened grouper and fresh oysters are the specialties of the house.
The Moon Under Water at 332 Beach Drive Northeast, St. Petersburg (727) 896-6160 is an unusual
British Colonial-themed restaurant serving a number of ethnic cuisines, including Asian and Pacific Rim,
Indian and Middle Eastern, with a full bar that includes a good variety of British and Australian beers. A
fun place to have a casual and relaxing meal, you can also enjoy live music here on weekends.
Nadia’s at 2721 Gulf Boulevard, Indian Rocks Beach, (727) 596-7222 offers a Continental menu with a
Middle Eastern influence, with everything from hummus and baba ghanoush appetizers to rack of lamb with
rosemary glaze. Standard upscale Continental dishes such as coquilles St. Jacques and escargots also are
available and nicely done.
Ajanta Indian Cuisine in the Ramada Inn at 5005 34th Street North, St. Petersburg (727) 525-1181
offers a full and varied menu of meat and seafood entrees, from shrimp cocktail to lamb curry to quail eggs
stuffed with raisins and nuts, as well as the best selection of vegetarian entrees, yogurt and herbal
beverages available in the Tampa Bay area. Reserve an evening to experience this truly remarkable cuisine.
Skidder’s at 5799 Gulf Boulevard, St. Petersburg Beach (727) 360-1029 is a casual café offering an
excellent selection of Italian, Greek and American items, including homemade pan pizza, gyro and souvlaki
platters, burgers and sandwiches, chicken, veal and fish entrees. They also have an excellent children’s
menu.
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Seafood
Oystercatchers in the Grand Hyatt Tampa Bay, 6200 Courtney Campbell Causeway, Tampa (813) 207-6815 is
the best place to enjoy the Gulf Coast’s fabulous sunsets while savoring the finest fresh seafood in the
region in an upscale but casual atmosphere. The Sunday brunch is particularly generous and memorable.
The Colonnade at 3401 Bayshore Boulevard and West Julia Street, Hyde Park (813) 839-7558 provides a
wonderful view of Hillsborough Bay, the cruise ships and the dockside activity along Bayshore Boulevard,
while you enjoy locally harvested seafood, and sample the best appetizers of wild alligator found in Florida.
They have been a local favorite since 1935.
Fourth Street Shrimp Store at 1006 Fourth Street North, St. Petersburg (727) 822-0325 specializes in
shrimp, and has the freshest in town. You can select from a variety of different preparations, enjoy them
casually in their unusually decorated dining room, or buy some from their market and cook them at home.
The oysters, clams, grouper and catfish also are served in generous proportions at very reasonable prices.
Lobster Pot at 17814 Gulf Boulevard, Redington Shores (727) 391-8592 serves the freshest Maine lobster
available in the Tampa Bay area, and in a variety of preparations. Most lobster served in Florida
restaurants is the smaller, locally grown variety, which lobster fans will tell you is crawfish and not
really lobster. Other specialties include a great bouillabaisse, snapper, swordfish, all manner of shellfish,
and they offer an excellent children’s menu.
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Friendly Fisherman at 150 John’s Pass Boardwalk, John’s Pass Village, Madeira Beach (727) 391-6025 is
at the fishing docks, and will prepare, cook and serve whatever you catch for under $5. They also offer a
good seafood menu for the less ambitious, and the dining room provides an excellent view of the fishing
area.
Backfin Blue Cafe at 2913 Beach Boulevard, Gulfport (727) 343-2583 is along the beach, in the middle of
the Gulfport art community, in an old Florida cracker-style house with a back porch built in the 1920s, and
offers a seafood menu prepared and served in a down-home, local style. The food is excellent, and the
atmosphere is informative of how the natives used to live before the tourists arrived.
Beachside Grille at 35 182nd Avenue, Indian Rocks Beach (727) 397-1865 is a very small place and
usually has a line, but is well worth the wait. The entrees of fish and shellfish are the freshest in town,
and the Louisiana gumbo is a local favorite. Barbecued ribs also are available, and they will prepare a sack
for you to take to the beach which has a public entrance just next door.
Frenchy’s Original Cafe at 41 Baymont Street, Clearwater Beach (727) 446-3607 is a casual old
Florida-style café right on the beach at the end of Highway 60 which has been serving award winning grouper
sandwiches for over 20 years. They maintain their own fishing fleet, and everything they serve is grilled on
the premises, fresh off the boat.
Guppy’s at 1701 Gulf Boulevard, Indian Rocks Beach (727) 593-2032 is right across from the beach, and
provides both indoor and outdoor seating. Standard beach fare is available, as well as daily upscale
chalkboard specials like salmon grilled with a potato crust accompanied by a white leek sauce. Black Angus
steaks and filets, as well as a variety of vegetarian entrees, also are on their full and varied menu.
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Hurricane at 807 Gulf Way, Pass-a-Grille (727) 360-9558 offers an unusual adventure in seafood dining
in this restored 3-story Victorian building, right across from the beach. Enjoy a varied menu of fresh fish
and seafood indoors or on the veranda for a great view of the setting sun. You can even step off the beach
in your bathing suit and enjoy a drink at the upstairs beach bar. After hours, the top floor opens as
Stormy’s Nightclub, which is popular with the locals.
Seafood and Sunsets at Julie’s at 351 South Gulfview Boulevard, Clearwater Beach (727) 441-2548 offers
about the best view of the setting sun along the Gulf Coast, along with a wonderful selection of seafood
entrees, like grilled mahi-mahi with parmesan, herbs and sour cream. Julie’s is the best place to enjoy
cocktails and delicious seafood on a beautiful evening.
The Salt Rock Grill at 19325 Gulf Boulevard, Indian Rocks Beach (727) 593-7625 is a tri-level, upscale
and contemporary seafood restaurant with indoor and outdoor seating by a dock with a tiki bar and live music,
where you can enjoy steak and other meat entrees cooked on a wood-fired grill as well as a large variety of
seafood specialties, including cedar-cooked salmon, pan-seared tuna and coconut shrimp.
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