The Best Unique Dining Experiences in Tampa

When you head off in search of unique dining experiences in Tampa, you’re in for a seriously delicious time. Choose from a palate-pleasing range of possibilities, with upscale oceanfront kitchens, low-key eateries and high-energy night spots all on the menu.

Adventurous Eats and Oceanside Views

For adventurous eaters, there’s Dinner in the Dark, a sensory-deprivation dining experience that heightens your palate by serving your food with the lights out. Or see the Tampa dining scene through rose-colored lenses at the posh Donatello, with its subdued, pink-tinted atmosphere, northern Italian menu and piano bar offering a night of European romance.

Naturally, seafood is a must in this oceanside city. Swigamajig is a self-proclaimed dive bar and fish kitchen serving up drinks and bites in a no-nonsense environment, while Oystercatchers offers traditional seafood dinners with unbeatable ocean views.

Unique Takes on Tampa Fine Dining

If meat and potatoes happens to be your thing, Bern’s Steak House is your best bet for an upscale steak dinner, complete with a wine cellar and separate dining room dedicated to desserts. Or plan a birthday celebration at Haven, an earthy dining room for fine cheeses, savory charcuterie boards and a bourbon collection that defies imagination, with over 300 labels to choose from.

For a themed dining experience that doesn’t skimp on style, Thee Tree House delivers a hip and inventive scratch kitchen menu packaged in an adventure motif that makes the most of Tampa’s swampy oceanside setting. And the Forgotten Generation gets remembered with its own hang-out space in Gen X Tavern, a kicky boîte celebrating the 80s and 90s through comfortable food and a pop culture-themed cocktail menu.

No matter where your tastes are leading you, Tampa puts something special on the table every time.