Tampa: Ybor City Stories and Flavors Experience
Discover the history of Ybor City on a guided walking tour in Tampa. Learn about the cigar industry, explore the lives of the workers, and enjoy food tastings that ref...
Bavaro's Pizza Napoletana and Pastaria is an italian restaurant in Downtown Tampa, Tampa.
Editorially verified June 3, 2026 by Elliot Marsh, TableJourney editor. Source.
Signature dishes: Margherita pizza, Quattro formaggi, Carbonara
Must order: Margherita pizza out of the wood-fired oven, the carbonara, and a Negroni at the bar before the wait clears.
Tip: The corner room at Franklin and Twiggs takes walk-ins; the bar seats are first-come for solo diners.
Discover the history of Ybor City on a guided walking tour in Tampa. Learn about the cigar industry, explore the lives of the workers, and enjoy food tastings that ref...
Discover Ybor City on our Secret Food Tour! Taste 6+ dishes including Cuban sandwiches, deviled crab, and Greek specialties while exploring Tampa’s vibrant history, cu...
Sip cafe con leche and enjoy a 90 minute walking tour with historic landmarks, architecture, and the stories of Cigar City. End with a famous Cuban sandwich at Florida...
Discover the art of building a Japanese bento box in this hands-on cooking class hosted at a trendy local hotel in Tampa.
Address: 514 N Franklin St #101, Tampa, FL 33602
Datz in South Tampa is the city's bacon-hoarding comfort-food gastropub, open since 2009 for big-plate brunch and gut-busting comfort dinners.
Signature: Biscuits and Crazy, Nashville chicken doughnut, Eggs Barbacoa
Order: Biscuits and Crazy at brunch with buttermilk biscuits, sausage gravy, two eggs.
Tip: Brunch on Saturday and Sunday from 8:30am until 3pm fills the patio; Sunday dinner runs late.
Oxford Exchange on Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa runs a bookstore, restaurant, coffee bar and TeBella tea bar, with a sunlit conservatory and Buddy Brew Coffee.
Signature: Buttermilk pancakes, Avocado toast, Afternoon tea
Order: Buttermilk pancakes with the maple butter.
Tip: Toast named Oxford Exchange among the top 20 brunch spots in America; arrive before 9am on weekends or expect a 90-minute wait.
Wat Mongkolratanaram on Palm River Road runs a Sunday Thai market every week from 9am until 1pm, with food cooked by temple volunteers under live-oak trees.
Signature: Pad thai, Guay tiew noodle soup, Mango sticky rice
Order: Pad thai from the noodle line, guay tiew beef noodle soup, and mango sticky rice from the dessert tables.
Tip: Cash only; arrive before 11am to beat the noodle lines; religious services follow at 1pm in the temple proper.
Wright's Gourmet House on Dale Mabry Highway has run a Tampa sandwich and bakery counter since 1963, famous for Cuban sandwiches and the legendary rum cake.
Signature: Cuban sandwich, Roast beef sandwich, Rum cake
Order: The Cuban sandwich pressed crisp and a slice of the famous rum cake to take home.
Tip: The Casper family bought Wright's from the founders in 2024 to keep the recipes in Tampa hands; cash and card both work.
Noble Rice at Sparkman Wharf is the minimalist Japanese sushi room flying bluefin and uni from Toyosu weekly, recognized in the Michelin Guide.
Signature: Nigiri omakase, Toro hand roll, Uni rice bowl
Order: Eight-piece nigiri omakase plus the toro hand roll and a cold sake pairing.
Tip: Reservations open on the 15th of each month for the following month through Tock; the chef's counter books out first.
Jotoro at Sparkman Wharf is Michelin-starred Chef Joe Isidori's modern Mexican kitchen, with tableside guacamole, birria tacos and a deep mezcal list.
Signature: Tableside guacamole, Birria tacos, Mezcal flight
Order: Tableside guacamole, the birria taco trio, and a mezcal flight from the Oaxacan section.
Tip: Same kitchen team also runs Jodog Craft Hot Dogs across the wharf for a casual second stop.