Tampa Bay’s 25 biggest restaurant openings of 2023
The past 12 months have been notable for the Tampa Bay restaurant scene, which shook off any lingering effects of the pandemic and hit a high note with a slew of new openings and its first-ever Michelin stars.
The first quarter of 2023 alone saw more than a dozen new restaurants open. Flashy developments like Midtown Tampa and Tampa’s Water Street filled out their rosters with rooftop bars, fine dining and $17 cocktails. On the other side of the bay, progress has been slower: We’re still looking forward to several previously announced spots coming to St. Petersburg, from Noble Crust’s downtown venture Noble Tavern to chef Chris Ponte’s second Olivia location. But there were a handful of exciting newcomers in St. Pete: Barbouni, Calida and Bin 6 South created a trend of intimate neighborhood spots, while the eagerly anticipated second location of King State finally opened its doors a couple of weeks ago.
In May, the Michelin Guide awarded three Tampa restaurants coveted stars, a first for this region. Koya, Rocca and Lilac each received one star, three of the four total to be awarded in Florida this year.
From national recognition to undiscovered local gems, there’s a lot to celebrate in Tampa Bay’s dining scene right now. Here are 25 of the biggest restaurants to open this year.
Barbouni
This tiny spot took over what was the bakery of St. Petersburg’s Baba in March. The little neighbor to owners Debbie and George Sayegh’s Mediterranean restaurant has a more specific focus: tinned fish and seafood. Barbouni sports the largest selection of “conserva” in the area, offering dozens of options from mussels to razor clams to mackerel, all served with toast, butter, sumac-spiced onions, lemon and flaky Maldon salt. The nine-seat bar also offers oysters, lobster and a caviar service. There’s a fun cocktail menu, too. The restaurant is only open Friday through Sunday, so it’s a treat to be able to snag a seat.
2701 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-954-3406. eatatbaba.com.
Beacon
They’re quick to tell you at this restaurant atop the JW Marriott that this is the tallest rooftop bar in Tampa, and the second-tallest in Florida. And at first, it can feel gimmicky — until you get up there. The views here are stunning, from the covered outdoor space that overlooks the Garrison Channel and Davis Islands to the large glass windows inside that look out at Amalie Arena. Grab a seat outside at sunset and sip on one of the Beacon’s signature cocktails, like the Zalamero ($18), a play on the espresso martini made with reposada tequila, lime, espresso liqueur and a thick pineapple foam. The food menu presided over by chef Roy Bryant is designed for snacking and sharing, especially outdoors, where the seating and tables are more playful, like you’re in someone’s trendy backyard. Start with the Steamed Buns, made with pork belly, pickled daikon and carrots, hoisin vinaigrette and a nice pop of Thai chili; or a tartine like the Fig & Pig, toasted bread topped with goat cheese, fig, chorizo and Marcona almonds. Inside, there are more traditional tables and two bars: the Signature Bar that serves as the centerpiece of the indoor space, and the Sidecar Bar, a more intimate room down the hall that was designed with Florida’s old train cars in mind.
Beacon is on the top floor of the JW Marriott, 510 Water St., Tampa. 813-221-4950. It’s valet parking only at the hotel, but the restaurant will stamp your ticket and waive the fee.
Bin 6 South
Get cozy: This St. Petersburg bungalow-turned-restaurant has just six seats at a communal table and another six at the bar. It’s all part of the charm here, where elevated kitchen technique is paired with an impressive international wine and sake program. Bin 6 South is open for lunch and dinner most days, and the menus change often, offering an eclectic mix of dishes that convey a playful spirit coming out of the kitchen. At lunch, you may find something like the Shrimp Escabeche with buttermilk sauce, parsnip, radish and black lime; or the Roasted Mushroom and Gigante Bean dish with a mix of mushrooms, sweet corn and a black walnut espuma. The Banh Mi Sandwich is a staple for good reason, made with chicken thigh or pulled pork, pickled vegetables, chicken liver mousse and sambal olek. Dinner these days features composed entrees like the Crab Rigatoni, Venison Saddle and Soffrito Squash.
330 Sixth St. S., St. Petersburg. 727-498-6735. bin6south.com.
Boulon Brasserie
This splashy Water Street spot brought a modern French American brasserie to Tampa when it opened in January. The restaurant from Next Level Brands, which also manages Hyde Park’s Forbici and Union New American in the Westshore area, is open all day. There’s a bakery serving up croissants and baguettes, a lunch program that caters to the working Water Street crowd, brunch on the weekends and dinner that showcases classic French dishes like Escargots en Croute, Coq au Vin and Steak Frites. Sit by one of the large windows or grab a seat at the gorgeous bar for some prime Water Street people-watching.
1001 Water St., Tampa. 813-768-9988. boulontampa.com.
Bouzy
Champagne, anyone? This Hyde Park Village restaurant from the Cru Cellars team is a tribute to all things bubbly, from the bubbles-inspired chandelier greeting guests in the entryway to the envelope-pushing dinner menu, designed to pair with owner Jen Bingham’s extensive selection of Champagne, wine and sparkling wines. The space is tiny, and tables fill up fast, but a speakeasy-style room toward the rear of the building does double duty as a Champagne cellar and features additional seating for 35 people.
— Helen Freund, Times food and dining critic
1640 W. Snow Ave., Tampa. 813-550-2560. bouzybar.com.
Calida
This newcomer north of downtown St. Petersburg is open just three days a week: Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 5:30 to 9:30 p.m. It’s part of the appeal at this petite spot, which has remained busy since it opened in April. Owners Dayna Bennett and Ian Florence run the place pretty much on their own, with Florence, who is the chef, spending the week sourcing all ingredients himself and Bennett taking reservations by hand and running the front of the house. The food and space are inspired by the couple’s travels around the world; they wanted diners to feel like they were stepping into a “European hole in the wall” when they walked in. The menu reflects their worldliness, with an eclectic mix of dishes that all feel part of a whole: beef empanadas, Chow Noodles, branzino, cheese and charcuterie. They hope to be open Wednesdays in 2024, and are thinking about offering wine dinners or Sunday dinner service in the future.
2909 Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. St. N., St. Petersburg. 727-202-0263. calidastpete.com.
Coasis
Folks know chef Melissa “Melly” Gardner from her popular St. Petersburg food truck Three Generations, where she won hearts with her tasty spins on Southern comfort food classics. At her brick-and-mortar in Tampa’s Seminole Heights, a bistro menu boasts dishes like French toast made with pound cake, bruleed bananas and salted caramel whipped cream; and truffle chimichurri lamb chops served with a citrus salsa. An equally exciting cocktail menu focuses on Caribbean-inspired spirits including rum, tequila and mezcal, with happy hour specials worth checking out during the week.
— Helen Freund, Times food and dining critic
7701 N. Nebraska Ave., Tampa. instagram.com/coasistampa.
Da’ Shrine
The flavors of West Africa and the Caribbean meet at this new restaurant in Seminole Heights. Traditional Nigerian jollof red rice is topped with stew chicken or goat. Whole red snapper comes with rice, beans and plantains, and pounded yam comes with several dishes, like egusi, a Nigerian soup made with ground melon seeds and assorted meat. It has a solid breakfast menu with red velvet pancakes and waffles on the sweet side and blackened salmon and grits on the savory. It also boasts a robust beverage selection, with Jamaican sodas and ginger beers, a full bar, beer (including several African ones) and wines. A tequila shot or lemon drop are available on the Breakfast Cocktail menu, so you can set the tone for the day.
— Maggie Duffy, Times staff writer
5137 N. Florida Ave., Tampa. dashrinerestaurant.com.
The Estuary
Fans of Clearwater’s Little Lamb Gastropub would be wise to go check out their sophomore effort, a modern new American restaurant right in the heart of downtown New Port Richey. Described as an elevated seafood-focused restaurant, roughly 70% of the menu is fish and seafood, both local and international varieties, with an emphasis on sustainable choices. There’s also a selection of East, West and Gulf Coast oysters and a cocktail menu featuring lighter, seafood-friendly spirits designed to pair with the dishes.
— Helen Freund, Times food and dining critic
6220 Grand Blvd., New Port Richey. estuarynpr.com.
Ebbe
Ebbe Vollmer moved from Sweden to Tampa earlier this year when his wife got a job in the area, and after his “plan to be a housewife for a couple years” proved to be too boring, he began looking around for his next restaurant venture. Vollmer worked at restaurants in Singapore and London, and opened his own in Sweden, which went on to garner two Michelin stars. In Tampa, he took over the old Mole Y Abuela space to create a chef’s counter experience, a tasting menu offering either five courses for $155 per person or 11 courses for $295 per person. Vollmer said the menu changes up to three times in any given week, based on what’s in season and what they can get delivered. He said the restaurant sources locally and all up and down the East Coast, from tropical fruits in Florida to lobsters from Maine. The spot, which opened in May, can serve about 25 guests each night.
1202 N. Franklin St., Tampa. chefebbe.com.
Fortu
St. Petersburg pan-Asian spot Fortu opened in early December, located in a prime downtown location: the former space of Ceviche Tapas Bar & Restaurant in the Ponce de Leon Hotel on Central Avenue and Beach Drive. (Ceviche moved to 332 Beach Drive NE in 2021.) The restaurant is owned by Shan Bakrac, who also runs Top Slice Pizzeria and Black Cattle Burger in Tampa under the Benson Hospitality Group. Bakrac is the son of the Ponce de Leon Hotel’s owner Savni Bakrac, and was a food runner at Ceviche in his youth. The space has been revamped, with dark furniture and warm lighting that creates an upscale steakhouse feel. The menu leans heavily on steaks, all of which are cooked over an open flame and served a la carte with sides and accoutrements like miso creamed corn and shiso chimichurri. There’s also a curated wagyu selection featuring high-quality A5 beef. Starters range from the Pan Seared Gyoza to the refreshing Fuji Apple Burrata, and entrees like the pork collar and scallop dishes (also served a la carte) are fun to share. You’ll find a large selection of booze here, too, from cocktails like the Royal Mandarin Highball (made with Toki whiskey and togarashi) and the Ume Grove Negroni (made with gin and plum wine) to lots of sake and wine.
97 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-256-0268. forturestaurants.com.
The Glass Noodle
Opening back in January, The Glass Noodle has been a welcome addition to the 600 block of St. Petersburg’s Central Avenue. The restaurant is from the owners of nearby spots Mangosteen and the Green Pagoda, and features a menu of noodle dishes from all over Southeast Asia, including Thailand, Japan, China, Vietnam, Laos, Singapore, Korea and Cambodia. On chillier days, a bowl of steaming Chinese duck noodle soup can’t be beat.
— Helen Freund, Times food and dining critic
681 Central Ave., St. Petersburg. 727-289-3720. theglassnoodle.com.
King State
Already a hit with Tampa Bay’s Instagram set, this vibey spot on the bottom floor of the COhatch co-working space in downtown St. Petersburg is the second restaurant from the King State brand, which opened their Tampa cafe of the same name in 2019. The idea for King State No. 2 started germinating in early 2021, when owners Nate Young and Tim McTague were approached by COhatch to create a new space for the historic building on Eighth Street North. As with most places that were developed during the pandemic, everything took twice as long and cost twice as much as originally planned, and the spot opened just a few weeks ago. Young said they didn’t want to “copy and paste Tampa,” and set out to figure out what would set them apart in St. Pete, creating a spot that is both chill and more elevated. Both King State locations are open almost all day, a spot to get coffee and breakfast but also happy hour beer and cocktails. But this spot is different in a big way: There’s a full kitchen. That means full-service dinner, every day starting at 5 p.m., and a just-announced Sunday brunch, with chef BJ Wright crafting items like a smash burger, pork belly mac and cheese, chicken thighs and breaded zucchini sticks with produce and meat from Florida farms. There’s an interesting cocktail list and some fun desserts, too, including a boozy play on milk and cookies.
15 Eighth St. N., St. Petersburg. 813-221-2100.
Kosen
This modern Japanese restaurant from Orlando-based Omei Restaurant Group owners Johnny and Jimmy Tung, who started the Bento restaurant chain in Florida 20 years ago, opened this fall in Tampa Heights. Chef Wei Chen brings some esteem to the spot, having worked most recently at New York City’s acclaimed Masa restaurant. There are two distinct parts of Kosen, the “kaiseki” side featuring six tables and a 10-course menu ($198) that changes seasonally. The other side of the restaurant is the omakase experience, a U-shaped table with room for 10 to 12 diners and 5 and 8 p.m. seatings nightly. The chef is the star in this room, preparing food in front of the guests and walking them through the 20-course menu ($298), half of which is nigiri, a style of sushi featuring raw fish.
307 W. Palm Ave., Tampa. 813-999-1720. kosentampa.com.
Lepley’s Kitchen + Lounge
This Seminole Heights spot opened by actor Tyler Lepley (“P-Valley,” “Harlem”) is already so hot that reservations can be tough to get. The Southern-Caribbean menu is small but dishes are packed with flavor, like the succulent jerk-seasoned lamb chops on top of garlic mashed potatoes and sauteed asparagus. You might get sticker shock by the price of Lepley’s Burger ($40), but it is wagyu beef and topped with fried lobster tail, candied bacon and served with truffle fries, so it’s decadent enough to fit the bill. Fried chicken comes as a three-piece dinner with mashed potatoes and green beans or as Chicks in Paris, a 12-piece bucket served with a bottle of Moet Chandon Brut Champagne for $145. Lepley’s has a happy hour from 4 to 7 p.m. Wednesday to Friday with $5 martinis and wine, $7 Old Fashioneds and $10 appetizers, like Cauliflower Wings with a light tempura crunch and tangy sauce, or the wagyu Trunk Sliders topped with slaw. Weekend brunch includes a chicken and waffle sandwich and a breakfast board. The lounge vibes are strong, with DJs every night and different themed parties like Ladies Night and Frequency playing alternative R&B, Neo-Soul and Afro House. It’s definitely the place to be.
— Maggie Duffy, Times staff writer
6310 N. Florida Ave., Tampa. lepleystampa.com.
Lona
This restaurant founded by chef Richard Sandoval in Fort Lauderdale expanded to Tampa this year, opening in July at the Marriott Water Street in collaboration with chef Pablo Salas. The menu features contemporary interpretations of traditional Mexican dishes, like lump crab guacamole, a lobster quesadilla and house-made churros. But the beverage program is even more notable, with a spirits list that includes more than 200 mezcals and tequilas. Diners can even stash bottles from the restaurant’s collection in private tequila lockers.
505 Water St., Tampa. 813-204-6390.
Palm Avenue Deli
Hi Hospitality Group has done it again. The restaurant group owned by Mark and Natalia Levey added a new restaurant to their collection of Sarasota hot spots this year: Palm Avenue Deli. The folks behind the popular Bar Hana, Kojo and Speaks Clam Bar opened the elevated Jewish deli in July, an homage to Mark’s Jewish heritage and childhood in New York. The restaurant on downtown Sarasota’s Palm Avenue draws a healthy lunchtime crowd, who come for everything from classics like matzo ball soup and latkes to towering pastrami sandwiches and even cocktails. Open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, there is a lot to behold here, from a traditional table service meal to a wide selection of grab-and-go items: bagels, egg salad, smoked fish platters and black and white cookies. It’s a boon for Sarasota, and all of Tampa Bay.
1297 N. Palm Ave., Sarasota. 941-263-3742. palmavenuedeli.com.
Predalina
This Mediterranean-focused restaurant opened in July at Tampa’s Water Street complex. The seafood-heavy spot is owned by Blake Casper and Allison Casper Adams, who also own Oxford Exchange in Tampa. The menu and decor are inspired by their great-grandmother, Predaliana Oliveira, who lived in seaside communities throughout the world, from Brazil to Portugal to Rhode Island. The interior features neutral colors and stone textures, with a large bar up front and a modestly sized dining room full of natural light. The Crudite and Pita is a popular starter, a sampling of four different spreads plus house-made pita and fresh veggies that’s perfect for sharing. Other small plates include the Blistered Cauliflower, a tender whole floret topped with herbs and set atop a creamy tahini puree; and the saganaki, aged kasseri cheese wrapped in crispy phyllo and served with truffle honey, preserved cherry and za’atar. Entrees range from a snapper dish with a complex saffron broth to a flank steak with green harissa to the blue crab spaghetti. Predalina is open for dinner, lunch and brunch on the weekends.
1001 E. Cumberland Ave., Tampa. 813-344-3442. predalina.com.
The Pearl
East and West Coast oysters, craft cocktails and an elevated gastropub menu are on deck at this Water Street spot from Ohio-based restaurateur Cameron Mitchell that opened in March. It’s a nice, casual contrast to some of the more upscale restaurants in this part of Tampa, with strong nautical vibes and plenty of great seafood options. A chalk menu features a nightly rotating selection of different East and West Coast oysters, and there are hot dishes like the Parmesan-baked clams. Beyond seafood, there are other menu highlights, including the Old Fashioned Deviled Eggs, Devils on Horseback, a jalapeno corn spoon bread and the standout burger.
823 Water St., Suite C-100, Tampa. 813-709-7776. thepearlrestaurant.com.
Ro
Ro is right at home in Tampa’s Hyde Park Village, a swanky newcomer serving up Asian cuisine with plenty of trendy touches, like cocktail ice cubes with the name of the restaurant on them. Ro opened in October from Three Oaks Hospitality, the group behind Armature Works spots M.Bird, Steelbach and Stones Throw. Michelin-starred chef Kiichi Okabe is behind the menu, which features pan-Asian items but is heavy on fresh seafood and draws from his previous work in the Maldives, Japan and Dubai. There’s a wide selection of sushi here, with fish being sourced from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, according to the restaurant. Maki rolls include the Surf and Turf, with lobster and wagyu beef, and the Ro, with spicy tuna, avocado and hamachi. There are also a dozen nigiri rolls, featuring everything from yellowfin tuna to king crab to freshwater eel. Other menu standouts include the tableside Peking duck, which is dry-aged for three days, and an A5 wagyu beef entree that guests can grill themselves. There’s also a 12-course omakase lunch, available Monday through Friday at the sushi bar. The cocktail menu is an adventure, too, a multipage book that features each cocktail like it is its own short story. There are some interesting combinations here, like the Pomelo drink that blends Nikka Coffey gin with Aperol, grapefruit, Szechuan peppercorn and lemon. Or the popular Tokonatsu, made with Espolon reposado tequila, shishito peppers, lemongrass, lime and yuzu soda.
1500 W. Swann Ave., Tampa. 813-358-2036. rohydepark.com.
Sal Rosa
Tampa’s historic Le Meridien hotel said hello to Sal Rosa, a revamp of its Bizou Brasserie, in 2023. The restaurant on the second floor of the downtown hotel debuted its new Latin-Caribbean focus in September after a renovation that updated everything from the menu to the furniture to the flooring and added a new cafe and expanded bar/lounge area. Helming the kitchen is executive chef Jennifer Salhoff, who came to the hotel in 2022 and also oversaw the menu at Bizou Brasserie. The menu is full of familiar Latin dishes that Salhoff has put her stamp on, like a ceviche featuring sous vide octopus that’s been diced and marinated and served with avocado mash, an orange citrus sauce and pressed Cuban bread. In keeping with the Caribbean theme, the menu is fish-heavy. There’s a seafood paella, a deconstructed version of the classic dish in which shrimp, clams, mussels and poached lobster tail surround a mound of rice. It’s served with a punchy saffron lobster broth. The whole yellowtail snapper is a stunner, the fried fish sitting upright on the plate with its tail curled around a bed of coconut rice and mango coconut curry sauce. And the mole short ribs are a hearty and flavorful option, served with polenta cakes, a guajillo pepper gel, almond chimichurri and mole sauce. Sal Rosa is open every day for every meal, beginning at 6:30 a.m. on weekdays and offering distinct breakfast, lunch and dinner menus.
601 N. Florida Ave., Tampa. 813-999-8214. salrosatampa.com.
Sunda New Asian
Sunda opened in June at the Midtown Tampa development. The concept, inspired by owner Billy Dec’s travels through Southeast Asia, features a vast and varied menu that is strong on sushi and an array of Asian dishes. Sushi options range from shrimp tempura to spicy tuna to a decadent lobster wagyu roll that’s topped with foie gras aioli. There’s also a selection of nigiri and sashimi, and, in the back of the restaurant, a sushi bar where diners can get a peek at the action. There’s a lot to enjoy beyond sushi. The flaming chicken inasal is a standout entree, sizzling on a platter with a yummy sweet-and-sour sauce and grilled vegetables. If your group is really hungry, try the Kamayan Feast, an array of “celebratory Filipino dishes” for $180 that includes adobo pork belly, crispy pata, chicken inasal, garlic shrimp, lumpia egg rolls, green beans and jasmine rice. The trendy dining room is outfitted with bamboo, light woods and lots of greenery, a nice setting for the menu’s Asian flair that’s infused into the cocktails and desserts, too.
3648 Midtown Drive, Tampa. 813-497-2900. sundanewasian.com/tampa.
Torchy’s Tacos
The Austin, Texas-based taco chain opened in January at Tyrone Square in St. Petersburg. It’s one of only two locations in Florida; another one just opened in Altamonte Springs. Everyone raves about the queso here, and they’re not wrong: The Green Chile Queso topped with guacamole, cotija cheese, cilantro and their Diablo Sauce is tough to stop eating once you start. Try the “Hillbilly” version with chorizo on top, too. Torchy’s does classic tacos on house-made corn tortillas filled with pork carnitas, fried avocados, smoked beef brisket and even Beyond meat. But they’ve also mastered the art of the breakfast taco, which pile flour tortillas with eggs and everything from bacon to chorizo to potatoes.
2314 Tyrone Blvd. N., St. Petersburg. 727-308-3332. torchystacos.com.
Uncle Funz Provisions
Many will recall chef and restaurateur Zack Gross’ celebrated spot Z Grille in downtown St. Petersburg, which closed in 2017. Six years later, Gross and his wife Jennifer are back with Uncle Funz Provisions, a mostly grab-and-go concept in St. Pete Beach that doubles as a gift shop with general store vibes. (Think charcuterie kit supplies, knives, hats and T-shirts, linens, fresh flowers, salt blends and gourmet chocolates.) The menu is constantly changing, but pretty much anything on the sandwich board is a great bet, from a vegetarian Brie, apple, hot honey and arugula combo to the smoky, delicious jerk chicken sandwich, paired with pineapple pico, greens and pepperjack cheese.
— Helen Freund, Times food and dining critic
6640 Gulf Blvd., St. Pete Beach. 727-498-6873. instagram.com/unclefunz.
Union New American
One of Tampa’s buzziest openings this spring, the modern new American spot from Next Level Brands (of Forbici and Boulon Brasserie) launched in April at Westshore City Center. The gorgeous bilevel space went on to open an upstairs, upscale lounge called Up in September. Downstairs, the dining room is elegant and lively, with a large bar in the center and lots of marbled tables, rounded chairs and gold accents. (There’s also a lot of great patio seating, situated under a pergola for a bit of shade.) The menu features lots of different cuisines, from the Southern-inflected Country Biscuits served with cured Kentucky ham, blueberry pepper jam and pimento cheese to the General Po’s Iberico Pork served with shrimp fried rice. There’s sushi too, a list of steaks and a very solid selection of shareable sides.
1111 N. West Shore Blvd., Annex B, Tampa. 813-768-9989. uniontampa.com.
Times staffers Helen Freund and Maggie Duffy contributed to this report.
