With a number of fun activities to do along the Tampa Riverwalk, knowing the best places to eat in downtown Tampa is a question that people asked quite often. There is a number of great options for dining in Downtown Tampa. This is not a complete list but it is some of the top restaurants in Downtown Tampa.
Downtown Tampa Restaurants
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If you are visiting Tamps for the Super Bowl then most of these restaurants are within walking or biking distance from all of the downtown activities. Sitting in southwestern Florida, Tampa is a place of top-rated white sandy beaches and winning sports teams. This place also harbors top-rated restaurants and is incredibly good for you who venture here.
When it comes to some of the best restaurants, head downtown. Surrounding the Riverwalk you will get everything from simple sandwiches to fancy dishes, special cocktails and top wines. If you want to sit inside or outside to enjoy the bay view, city view or restaurant’s interior artwork then here are some of the best Tampa restaurants downtown to try on your next visit.
Downtown Tampa Restaurants on the Water
1. Ulele
Ulele is a restaurant that combines the best ingredients from Florida waterways with those found on land that once housed Native Americans. This restaurant is a different experience, they offer you specialized appetizers, desserts and entrees. You can start with an appetizer of alligator hushpuppies or crab mac-n-cheese and follow up with the gound grouper entree.
You can also try chargrilled oysters or stick with the specially marked Ulele Burger which is named after a young Native American princess. For desserts, you can go for Key West Lime Stack, flourless chocolate torte or candied bacon maple ice cream, etc. You can not go wrong stopping in at Ulele for your meal, this restaurant is a favorite of visitors and local residents.
Address- 1810 North Highland Avenue, (Tampa Heights) Tampa, FL 33602
Contact Number- (813)999-4952
2. Columbia Cafe
If you ask anyone to name a restaurant synonymous with Tampa and you will most likely hear Columbia Cafe. This restaurant is owned and continuously run by the same family since 1905 and this restaurant is touted as the oldest restaurant that is located not just in Tamps but in the entire state of Florida.
While the original restaurant is located in nearby Ybor City, the smaller version is located in downtown Tampa within the Tampa Bay History Center on the Riverwalk. You can sit outside on the wide patio to enjoy the panoramic water view. You can order a Spanish-inspired dish or can enjoy the Tampa treasure, a Cuban Sandwich.
Columbia Cafe uses an original 1915 recipe for their sandwich that has equal portions of Spanish ham, Genoa salami, Mojo marinated roast pork along with the best swiss cheese and mustard. The bread is made by the local bakery, La Segunda Central Bakery and is brushed with butter before pressing to a crispy resultant. For dessert, you can go for white chocolate bread pudding that is topped with a rich rum sauce.
Address- 801 Water Street, #1905, Tampa Downtown, Florida
Contact Number- (813) 229-5511
3. American Social
American Social restaurant in Tampa has so much to offer that you will want to come back here time and time again. This restaurant offers you waterfront views with an awesome ambiance day or night, they have delicious options for lunch, dinner and brunch on the weekends and so much more options. American Social offers you deals just about every day of the week like Burger Monday, Taco Tuesday and a special late-night menu for the post-bar snack cravings.
In the daytime, you can choose from small bites such as goat cheese croquettes, fried Brussels sprouts and deviled eggs. For the main course, you can go for tons of sandwiches, salads, burger and pizzas and their raw beer is an awesome option. In case, you are coming here for brunch drinks then you should order the cinnamon toast crunch pr the Lillet elderflower spritz. To have, you can try the donut holes to share or the brunch BLAT.
Address- 601 S Harbour Island Blvd, #107, Tampa, Florida
Contact Number- (813) 605-3333
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4. Los Chapo’s Tacos
Los Chapo’s Tacos is another one of the incredible food trucks in Tamps but they now have an inside area that is adorable to sit and have your food. They also have games outside such as cornhole and giant connect four to play while you are waiting for your order. The atmosphere of the restaurant is so fun and how could you not have a great time chowing down on some amazing tacos?
They claim that they have the best birria tacos in the area so you will have to go and see for yourself. They also have a number of other taco options such as carne asada and grilled portobello. You also can treat yourself to a burrito and some of their best sides such as chips and guacamole or queso. You should visit here and your visit is not complete until you have tried their sugar-loaded churros with ice cream.
Address- 951 E 7th Ave, Tampa, Florida 33605
Contact Number- (8130) 227-8999
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5. Oxford Exchange
Just a short drive or a leisurely across the bridge from the Riverwalk and downtown business district and you will find the Oxford Exchange, one another different find in a city. This is a restaurant that is combined with a bookstore coffee and pastry bar, tea bar and champagne bar, it is more of a destination for lulling away the afternoon.
You must try to catch a seat in the peaceful interior courtyard where you will be surrounded by greenery and a fountain in the center serenades you as you eat your food. There is another option that you can stay indoors and enjoy the contemporary dining room that is filled with unique artworks. Oxford Exchange is voted as having the best weekend brunch by local residents and you can not go wrong here any day of the week. You must stop in for their afternoon tea menu or lunch. Their bookshop is full of books on design and cooking. You can also pick up gift items from the trinkets and items they have on the shelves.
Address- 420 West Kennedy Boulevard, Tampa, Florida 33605
Contact number- (813) 253-0222
6. Edison Food + Drink Lab
If you are feeling adventurous then you should head to the Edison Food+ Drink Lab in downtown Tampa. Not only it is led by a 5 times James Beard award-winning chef because of its different differing and unusual flavor combinations that create a one-of-a-kind dining experience. You can not help but notice and appreciate the attention to detail Edison Food+ Drink Lab and staff take.
You can choose from a list of work-class wine offerings and just sit back and enjoy the moment. You can start with the Potato Crusted Oysters and then choose between a filet mignon, poached octopus and caramelized sea scallops. Their food menu is always changing thanks to their chef and it is always an adventure to see what might show up in the new menu each time you visit the restaurant.
Address- 912 West Kennedy Blvd., Tampa Florida 33602
Contact Number- (813) 254-7111
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7. Rooster and the Till
Rooster and the Till is an exciting restaurant by Chef Ferrell Alvarez, Chon Nguyen and Ty Rodriguez with a constantly evolving menu and an expanding dining room. Most of the customers opt for the small plated with the stars being the ginger tofu dumplings with intense chili oil but we are not sure what makes it intense, gnocchi with short rib and ricotta and seared for grass with huckleberry, pear nutella, vanilla pear and cashew and if you can not make up your mind then do not need to worry. The tasting menu is a 6-course food and wine pairing, with oysters, wagyu short ribs and many more.
Address- 6500 N Florida Ave, Tampa, Florida 33604
Contact number- (813) 374-8940
8. Yeoman’s Cask and Lion
In the late 1980s, Yeoman’s Cask and Lion has been the proud English pub of the Tampa area. You can get the usual British staples in this restaurant such as fish and chips but there is plenty of other less Anglicized options too.
There are some of the biggest hits of this restaurant such as buffalo chicken mac and cheese and the Piped Up Philly Cheesesteak. In case, you are going for brunch then you can not miss no= matter what you get but you have to make sure that you also get the bottomless mimosas and bloody mary’s so that you can drink during the daytime like a true Brit.
Address- 202 N Morgan Saint, Tampa, Florida 33602
Contact number- (813) 224-9367
9. Jackson’s Bistro, Bar and Sushi
Jackson’s Bistro, Bar and Sushi is the place to be if you want all things views and good eats! This restaurant is located on Harbour Island and it offers you beautiful waterfront and city skyline views. They are known for having tasty and delicious sushi but their food menu also offers you so much more than that. You can enjoy some of their stars such as the tomato and burrata or the coconut shrimp.
For the main course, there are quite a few options to choose from. You can go for chilled seafood, handhelds, soup, salad and pasta are just the starting of what Jackson’s Bistro, Bar and Sushi have to offer. You can come on in and enjoy the peaceful ambiance with a seasonal cocktail in hand. You can call ahead and ask to sit outside if the weather is nice and it is just lovely out there.
Address- 601 S Harbour Blvd, Tampa, Florida 33602
Contact number- (813) 277-0112
10. Sea Maids Creamery
No day at the beach is complete until you stop by the local ice cream shop. This restaurant is serving up a number of delicious rates along with their ice creams such as cupcakes, milkshakes, cookies and many more. Sea Maids Creamery has so many great flavors there is no way you would not be able to cure your sweet tooth here. Not only are they serving tasty treats but everything looks so well here in this restaurant.
Address- 4230 N Florida Ave, Tampa, Florida 33603
Contact number –(813) 766- 1097
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