Date Night Restaurants in Tampa, Florida
As a lover of good food and great company, I am pleased to share that there is a wide array of great Tampa date night restaurants for you and your partner to try! Whether you’re looking for a fancy restaurant on Water Street, a cozy spot in Hyde Park, or a great dining experience in the South Tampa neighborhood, there are plenty of options to choose from! Here, I’m sharing the top Tampa restaurants to try for your next date night out, with a mix of Italian cuisine, seafood and Mediterranean menus, French fusion, and more:
Top Date Night Restaurants in Tampa:
As with my Tampa Restaurant Guide, I will update this list of Tampa’s best date night restaurants as I try new places, so bookmark this page and join my newsletter for more recommendations!
Top Tampa Date Night Restaurants
BellaBrava
A great date night spot in between South and Downtown Tampa, BellaBrava’s menu has something for everyone. With a casual-yet-refined atmosphere (albeit a bit on the loud side), this is perfect for date night, after dinner cocktails, or simple celebrations. The restaurant’s goal is to be less formal than a traditional ristorante with an emphasis on flavorful and satisfying meals. And in this, it definitely succeeds!
I was craving pasta, so Brett and I decided to try BellaBrava out one Friday night, kind of spur of the moment. I made reservations online, which was probably a good call because it was fairly busy when we arrived (although there were plenty of reservations available within an hour or so of my requested time).
The wine list was so enticing that I hardly noticed the well-rounded menu of local Tampa craft beers BellaBrava has to offer. Beyond the drinks, I spent a good ten minutes or so eyeing what the tables around us were eating before I even flipped my menu over.
Brett and I split the Goat Cheese Al Forno appetizer, and devoured it too quickly to get a photo — which should be recommendation enough! I decided on the eggplant parmesan while Brett went with the Cacio E Pepe mac and cheese. Both were amazing, and the portions were fairly sizable. All in all, a great dining experience!
Read more about BellaBrava’s menu and atmosphere here!
Visiting BellaBrava
Address: Tampa – 1015 Gramercy Lane Tampa, FL 33607 | St. Petersburg – 204 Beach Dr. NE St. Petersburg, FL 33701
Useful Links: Website | Menu | Instagram
Boulon Brasserie
Set amongst the gorgeous greenery and contemporary architecture of Water Street in Tampa, Boulon Brasserie & Bakery is, at once, an eclectic and contemporary restaurant with an atmosphere of comfort and quietude. Boulon Brasserie is a newer gem in the Tampa restaurant scene, opening in summer of 2022 under the Next Level Brands hospitality group. It is ideal date night restaurant if you’re looking for great food and a luxurious atmosphere!
Serving a variety of French classics with a twist, Boulon is a food lover’s dream. I expected to enjoy the restaurant, when we visited for a friend’s birthday brunch, but walked away with my expectations exceeded (and ready for a carb induced nap).
In all, eating at Boulon Brasserie was a great experience. It is a bit expensive, so it’s certainly more of a celebratory space than an everyday option, but I can’t wait to celebrate birthdays and date nights and the like there going forward!
From the beautiful location to the delicious food, there was really nothing I would have changed! Oh, well, except next time I’ll definitely make a note to stop in at their bakery before we go. Having waited until after lunch to check it out, I was too full to consider anything else, but I should have gotten a pastry or two to go!
Read my full review of Boulon Brasserie & Bakery here!
Visiting Boulon Brasserie
Address: 1001 Water Street Tampa, FL 33602
Useful Links: Website | Menu | Instagram | Reservations
Forbici Modern Italian
If you’re looking for a more low key date night restaurant in Tampa, then Forbici is a great option. The atmosphere and menu are fun and colorful, and each pizza I have had from Forbici has been absolutely delicious. Plus, they have a great patio making them one of the best Tampa restaurants with outdoor seating in my book.
From appetizers to pastas, bowls to pizzas, Forbici Modern Italian has something for everyone, including a wide range of Impossible Meat! We split the Impossible Meat Meatballs as an appetizer and they were the perfect size to share. The house-made pomodoro sauce was so rich and delicious, a truly authentic flavor!
As for the pizzas, Brett and I definitely could have split one, but it was nice to have leftovers, too. Forbici offers both square and round pizzas, made with a light and airy crust. I had the Fiore Teglia (square) pizza and added a side of their truffle cream sauce. So colorful, so good! I can’t wait to go back!
Visiting Forbici Modern Italian
Address: 1633 W Snow Ave, Tampa, FL 33606
Useful Links: Website | Menu | Instagram
The Library
About a 15-20 minute drive from South Tampa, the Library is a beautiful cafe in St. Pete, connected with the Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital. It is inspired by the George Peabody Library in Baltimore, which opened its doors in 1957. Johns Hopkins was close friends with George Peabody, who inspired him to use his wealth for public good. “The collaboration between these men and the institutions they created is the inspiration for [the Library] restaurant, located within Johns Hopkins All Children’s Hospital in St. Petersburg,” the website notes.
The Library has a whole host of menus, for lunch, dinner, catering, and so on. I visited for lunch and enjoyed the warm burrata small plate and a custom salad with charred broccolini and truffle vinaigrette.
Before or after you dine, I recommend stopping by the coffee bar for a beautifully crafted coffee drink or tea, featuring Buddy Brew coffee and Te Bella teas.
Read my full Cats & Coffee review of The Library here!
Visiting The Library
Address: 600 5th Street South St. Petersburg, Florida 33701
Useful Links: Website | Menu | Instagram
Olivia
A great date night restaurant here in Tampa, Olivia offers a robust menu of appetizers, sharing plates, pizzas, house-made pasta, and more. Conveniently located in the South Tampa neighborhood, the varied menu alone makes it the best of the best restaurants in Tampa. The sides are also rather large, so they’re great for sharing (especially the truffle mac and cheese). I am eager to try the various fish entrees, but, as it was our first visit, I knew I had to go with pasta for dinner. The cacio e pepe, featuring house-made spaghetti, black pepper, butter, and pecorino foam, was absolutely divine.
Do yourself a favor and just go ahead and order one or two plates of the arancini (first photo on the left above). These delicate stuffed risotto balls were out of this world. Oh, and if you’re thinking of dessert, definitely go for it. The salted caramel cannoli were the perfect way to end the evening!
Visiting Olivia
Address: 3601 W. Swann Ave. Tampa, FL 33609
Useful Links: Website | Menu | Instagram
Predalina
Predalina, a new Oxford Commons restaurant in Tampa’s Water Street district, is inspired by a coastal and Mediterranean heritage. The new restaurant has been a popular spot on Instagram, with many locals showing off their colorful dishes and the lovely interior design of the space. Open for lunch and dinner every day, Predalina is already becoming a big name mediterranean restaurant in Tampa, Florida.
I visited Predalina for lunch with friends and enjoyed the food immensely. The lunch menu’s seafood options are pretty limited, but the dinner menu is perfect for a night out with your partner. The atmosphere, service, and menus are ideal for a fancy date night out! I have to say, it is definitely one of the prettiest of the Water Street Tampa restaurants!
Read my full Cats & Coffee review of Predalina here!
Visiting Predalina
Address: 1001 Water Street Tampa, FL 33602
Useful Links: Website | Menu | Instagram | Reservations
P.S. Parking is tricky – we Ubered to Predalina, which was easiest,
but you can find information on Water Street parking here.
Rocca Tampa
Described as a love letter to the owner-chef’s time in Monforte d’Alba, Italy, Rocca is a Michelin Star Italian restaurant just off the Hillsborough River here in Tampa, Florida. It’s conveniently located across the street from Armature Works. There is plenty of parking in the shared parking lots between Rocca’s building and Armature Works itself.
Rocca is a colorful, comfortable restaurant, with beautiful decor and a quintessentially Italian atmosphere. There are plants everywhere, and texture throughout, from the beautiful blue walls to the elegant plates they serve their food on. As far as Tampa date night restaurants go, Rocca is perfect for a night out with your significant other or any celebratory dinner, the attire is elevated but not stuffy.
For dinner, I opted for the Spaghetti al Limone, which had pieces of blue crab and zucchini all through the dish, in a bright garlic lemon sauce. Brett had the Tagliolini al Ragu, with a hearty red sauce with beef, basil, and parmigiano cheese. Both of our entrees had robust portion sizes, and plenty of protein in each.
Click here to read the full Rocca Tampa review on Cats & Coffee!
Visiting Rocca’s Italian Restaurant
Address: 323 West Palm Avenue Tampa, FL 33602
Useful Links: Website | Menu | Instagram
Rome + Fig Bistro
Based in North Hyde Park, Rome + Fig is a cute and comfortable space with a great atmosphere and delicious food. A top pick of mine for Tampa date night restaurants or bunch place for the weekend, this restaurant offers delicious salads, unique sharable appetizers, and a robust entree selection. It has both indoor and outdoor seating, and it’s a fun restaurant for groups (be sure to make reservations ahead of time!).
Brett and I went for a double date with our friends on a Saturday night, and were able to get reservations relatively close to our seating time. Beyond a robust food menu, the drink list is overwhelming in the best way. Everything looked so good! They also offered a strong beer and wine selection, featuring both unique local options and classics we all know and love. We were too excited for our food for me to get photos, so check out the restaurant’s website for more food imagery.
I enjoyed the kale caesar salad with grilled Scottish salmon, which was more than enough food for a meal, particularly since we split a number of appetizers amongst us to start. The entrees are all quite sizable, and many would be easy to share. Next time we go, I think I’ll try to creamy risotto with peaches and marscapone cheese! Definitely one of the cutest and best restaurants in Tampa!
Visiting Rome + Fig Global Bistro
Address: 317 N Rome Ave Tampa, FL 33606
Useful Links: Website | Menu | Instagram
Are you looking for even more great dining options in Tampa Bay?
Click here for my complete guide to the best restaurants in Tampa, Florida!
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*This post was originally published as part of my Tampa City Guide in October 2023. It was most recently updated on March 19, 2024.
The Library looks like the perfect spot! Definitely gonna have to plan a whole date day out in Tampa now!
It’s such a fun restaurant! Great food in a beautiful space.
I visit Tampa several times a year! I really appreciate this list, we always try to sneak away from business for one night of fun! Thanks for the great list of places
Awesome!! I hope you find a new favorite spot in town!!
So many tasty options! It’s hard to know where to start, but I think I’d start with Rome & Fig. That outdoor seating area looks awesome!
We’re hoping to go to Tampa this spring. I will definitely be going to some of these scrumptious eateries. Thanks for the list.
Spring is the perfect time to visit! Happy to help!
Love all these date night ideas in Tampa! Definitely will hit some of these restaurants with the wife on our next visit. Thanks!
I hope you enjoy them!!