Tampa Bay’s 15 hottest new restaurants right now
Our food critic’s rundown of the area’s buzziest newcomers so far in 2024. The Tampa Bay restaurant scene has seen a surge in activity, with several highly anticipated spots marking their debuts in the first quarter and the addition of two new Michelin stars. The list includes 15 restaurants that opened in 2024 and will update it every few months to reflect newcomers to the area. While there are already plenty of established restaurants in the area, these are well-worth checking out. The most recent restaurant opened in April by the team behind Rooster & The Till is an Italian-inspired restaurant with a progressive and modern menu, featuring dishes like crispy artichokes with guanciale, amaro sabayon and Parmesan streusel. Casa Cami, the latest restaurant from the folks behind Oxford Exchange, offers an impressive rooftop patio with views spanning the bay. The first dinner cruise for Craft took place on March 15 with a culinary program designed by chef Allison Beasman.
Publié : il y a 10 mois par Helen Freund dans Lifestyle
We’re not even halfway through the year, but it’s already been a busy one for the Tampa Bay restaurant scene, with several highly-anticipated spots marking their debut during the first quarter and the addition of two new Michelin stars.
And despite a slew of recent shutters in St. Petersburg, there’s no indication that the industry is slowing down soon, with spots like Pulpo, from the folks behind Brick & Mortar, and Cheeky’s, from the Willa’s crew, expected to launch later this year.
The following list seeks to answer the proverbial question of where to dine right now. All the restaurants on this list opened in 2024 and we’ll update it every few months, to reflect newcomers to the area.
Keep in mind that there’s no shortage of fantastic, more established restaurants in the Tampa Bay area, and those are well worth checking out, too. But if you’re looking to stay up-to-date on some of the area’s biggest and buzziest openings, start here.
The widely anticipated restaurant and cocktail lounge from the folks behind Seminole Heights stunner Rooster & The Till has been the talk of the town since opening in April (so getting a reservation beforehand is key). Italian in concept, the menu at Ash skews progressive and modern, with dishes like crispy artichokes with guanciale, amaro sabayon and Parmesan streusel; and fried rabbit with Calabrian chile honey, pickled onions and Cambozola celeriac espuma. There’s also a great selection of handmade pastas and what might just be the most exciting beverage program to debut this year, with a martini selection, aperitivo list and an after-dinner amari service, as well as several creative twists on classic cocktails and long list of Italian wines. After dinner, head over to Alter Ego, the “music-forward” cocktail lounge, for a nightcap and some tunes.
When Casa Cami first opened on the 10th floor of the Current Hotel in Rocky Point, it touted some pretty serious selling points, including big names in the hospitality industry and a creative menu of contemporary Mexican fare. But more than anything, the latest restaurant from the folks behind Oxford Exchange deserves solid bragging rights for what might just be the area’s most impressive rooftop patio. With a panoramic perspective spanning the bay and then some, the stunning views here are reason enough to visit. The kitchen is helmed by Alex Hoaks, formerly the executive chef at St. Petersburg’s The Library, and the chef’s modern interpretations of Mexican cuisine include snapper crudo with charred pomelo segments and barbacoa short rib fajitas with a pistachio salsa macha. Keep in mind that if you’re eyeing a patio spot around sunset, reservations are a must.
Described as a “culinary and cocktail river journey,” Craft set sail for its inaugural dinner cruise on March 15. Designed with European riverboats in mind, the 130-foot-long vessel boasts a sleek, white silhouette with less than 11 feet of vertical clearance — meaning it can comfortably drift beneath many of Tampa’s low-lying bridges. But the ship’s strongest selling point is its culinary program, a contemporary New American menu designed by chef Allison Beasman (formerly of Edison: Food + Drink Lab). Yes, a trip aboard this Tampa dinner cruise will cost you. But for a special occasion, it’s totally worth it.
For Craft reservations and information, go to crafttampa.com. The riverboat departs from the dock at 603 Channelside Drive, Tampa.
The company that operates Ford’s Garage and Tiki Docks purchased the iconic Don the Beachcomber brand in 2022 and opened a Madeira Beach location earlier this year on the first floor of the new Cambria Hotel. Reporter Maggie Duffy writes: The drinks were delicately balanced with layers of rum, spices and flavored syrups like falernum and orgeat. The Zombie has three types of rum, something called “Don’s Mix,” falernum and fresh lime and is very potent — there is a limit of two per person, and we recommend you take that seriously!
Inspired by New Orleans’ famed Carousel Bar inside the Hotel Monteleone, a rotating carousel bar is the anchor and heartbeat of this eclectic new food hall and event space in downtown Dunedin. With several different food vendors to choose from, it’s a place to lounge, have a few cocktails and graze. On the menu: Huli Bowls, a Polynesian-inspired poke bowl and rotisserie chicken concept; Al Dente, an Italian pizza and pasta spot; Spoons, a globally-inspired tapas restaurant; and vegan burger and milkshake spot The Green Table.
Breakfast is the name of the game at this new cafe and art gallery hybrid, which opened in February in St. Petersburg’s Warehouse District. Helming the kitchen is Mario Brugnoli, a local chef with an impressive resume whose previous gigs include stints at the since-shuttered FarmTable Cucina at St. Petersburg’s Sundial development, Tampa modern Italian restaurant Rocca and, most recently, Meliora in Sarasota. The small but mighty menu focuses on breakfast and brunch dishes, like poached egg dips with creamed potatoes and sourdough toast; sweet and sour ricotta pancakes with cinnamon whipped cream and blueberry syrup; and a confit duck leg served over grits with whipped feta and roasted red peppers. Keep in mind the spot is still operating with limited weekend hours and for now is only open Friday through Sunday.
This massive Chinese restaurant and dim sum parlor opened earlier this year next to the MD Oriental Market on E Fowler Avenue and has already attracted plenty of hype, most notably for the spot’s extensive menu and impressive Hong Kong-style dim sum spread, which is served daily. From turnip cakes with XO sauce to pork soup dumplings, shrimp shumai and egg custard buns, there is something here for everyone. Added bonus: The sprawling 17,000-square-foot building does double duty as a large event space, with a stage and 10 private karaoke rooms.
The folks behind Grove Surf and Coffee Shop in St. Pete Beach have opened a cafe in Indian Rocks Beach with an expanded breakfast and lunch program, along with the same espresso drink program (made with Bandit Coffee Co. coffee) and baked goods that garnered them a strong following at their flagship spot. On the new menu: whipped ricotta on sourdough toast with honey, pistachio and brown butter; a beet sandwich on ciabatta with mozzarella, pesto, tomatoes and a balsamic glaze; parfait bowls with almond butter, banana, granola and toasted coconut; and a bacon, egg and cheese on a brioche roll with chive aioli. The new location also serves beer, wine and cocktails (and a few mocktails) to spritz up your next brunch at the beach.
Tucked inside the chic Hyde Park village boutique hotel, the Palihouse Lobby Bar features all-day cafe charm and cozy, welcoming vibes for lounging over a cocktail or two. The wide-reaching menu includes breakfast-leaning starters like avocado toasts and bruleed grapefruit and lands comfortably in lunch to late afternoon snack territory, with dishes like Cobb salads, lobster tacos, gin-marinated olives and tuna tartare. Cocktails are the highlight here — they all cost $17 — and run the gamut from espresso martinis and Aperol spritzes to a 50/50 martini made with gin, vermouth and lemon oil. The hotel’s posh aesthetic is mirrored throughout some of the menu, but there are a few great happy hour options to be had, including $10 burgers and cheese plates, $7 wines and $10 cocktails.
One of the newest additions to downtown St. Petersburg, this Japanese bakery and cafe from the Majestic Food Group features a short menu of boba drinks, coffee and sweet and savory treats. On the savory side, there are egg sandwiches on Japanese milk bread and avocado toasts topped with jammy eggs, nori, scallions and chile crisp; smoked salmon onigiri; and cold sesame udon noodle bowls. For the sweet tooth, there’s brown sugar boba tea, fruit sandwiches, Portuguese egg tarts and ube bubble waffles. The company also recently launched Han Hand Roll Bar, Bap Bap Korean Eats and Ling’s Dumplings, all inside Armature Works in Tampa.
One of the Tampa Bay area’s most popular food trucks now has a brick-and-mortar in St. Petersburg’s EDGE District. The truck is pulled up behind the storefront, so guests can order through a tablet inside or walk out to the lush outdoor courtyard to pick up their food. Fan’s of owner Ronnica Whaley’s signature dishes will be thrilled to find all of her biggest hits here, from the Bang Bang Chicken and Short Rib Dirty Rice to Ahi tuna bao buns, lobster rangoons and the crazy delicious Schezuan Mandu dumplings. What’s more, it’s one of the few spots in downtown St. Pete with truly dependable late-night options.
Jesus Puerto’s Tampa roots go way back to Ybor in the 1930s, when his great grandfather worked as a master baker at the iconic La Segunda Bakery. And though the idea for his Cuban restaurant Sol de Cuba was sparked back in the 1980s, it wasn’t till 2004 that the flagship restaurant opened, in New Haven, Connecticut. The premise at this Seminole Heights spot hinges on promoting and preserving Afro-Cuban culture through art and food, with a menu that connects the dots with dishes ranging from mojo chicken wings and lechon asado to oxtail stew and, of course, Cuban sandwiches.
Within months of opening, this contemporary Mexican restaurant garnered widespread buzz, including accolades from the esteemed Michelin Guide, which bestowed the South Tampa spot with its Bib Gourmand distinction in April. The restaurant is an homage to chef Michael Brannock’s lifelong appreciation of Mexican culture and cuisine and features creative takes on regional Mexican fare along with a killer drink program. Brannock partnered with Jack Murray and Nick Reader, managing partners of Michelin-starred Tampa restaurant Rocca, to open the spot, where nixtamalized heirloom corn tortillas arrive wrapped around the likes of crispy carnitas, topped with crunchy chicharron and smoky chile de arbol salsa. A fantastic drink program compliments the menu here, and runs the gamut from watermelon and smoked agave margaritas to signature cocktails like the Macho Libre, made with Woodford Reserve bourbon, La Fuerza Rojo vermouth and Campari.
Among the more widely anticipated restaurant debuts this year was Ten Rooms, a multifunctional dining, drinking and retail space inside Ybor’s historic El Centro Español de Tampa. The upscale spot, from Tampa Bay bar industry veteran Ro Patel, combines a fine dining restaurant called Bar Martinez with a craft cocktail bar and lounge, bakery and a cafe. There’s also a specialty goods store, rotating artwork displays and a yawning lobby-like space for guests to lounge and linger. Patel tapped San Francisco chef Parker Brown to helm the restaurant’s kitchen and the opening menu of contemporary New American dishes hasn’t failed to impress. Diners should start with the buttery Parker House Rolls with fennel pollen and cultured butter and progress to dishes like a dry-aged beef tartare with barrel-aged soy and egg “fudge,” and the candy-like sweet plantains, which are paired with salty farmer’s cheese, pickled Fresno peppers and a punchy chimichurri.
“We hope to grow into being your neighborhood eatery. We have some big shoes to fill!” At Tchotchke, there’s an acknowledgement from the get-go that the restaurant’s predecessor was kind of a big deal. The shoes in question belonged to Munch’s, the beloved and iconic St. Petersburg diner that shuttered in December 2022 after capping a 70-year run. The new restaurant, while distinct, still plays to a breakfast, brunch and lunch crowd, with dressed-up diner favorites ranging from biscuits and gravy to country-fried steak and a fried chicken sandwich paired with red pepper aioli and a hot pepper relish. There are also dishes with a more contemporary flare, including shakshuka that pairs poached eggs with a red pepper and tomato sauce; poke bowls; and a gussied-up grilled cheese sandwich with Parmesan butter, prosciutto, a three-cheese blend and sage.
Les sujets: Food & Drink