Petra Mediterranean Restaurant is a mediterranean restaurant in North Hyde Park, Tampa.
Petra on Kennedy Boulevard in Tampa has served halal-certified Jordanian and Palestinian dishes since 2004, with mansaf and shawarma as the table builders.
Signature dishes: Mansaf lamb shank, Chicken shawarma, Knafeh
Must order: Mansaf lamb shank with yogurt sauce, the chicken shawarma wrap and the knafeh for dessert.
Tip: Halal-certified; gluten-free menu available except the pita; lunch special runs until 3pm.
Address: 1118 W Kennedy Blvd, Tampa, FL 33606
Donatello on Dale Mabry has run formal Italian service in Tampa since 1984, with tableside Caesar prep, osso buco and a captain-led wine program.
Signature: Veal saltimbocca, Osso buco, Tableside Caesar
Order: Tableside Caesar followed by veal saltimbocca with a glass of Brunello.
Tip: Jacket-preferred dining room; reservations a week ahead and book the captain section for the full tableside service.
Ichicoro Ramen in Seminole Heights opened in 2015 in a converted Florida Avenue bungalow and pulls Tampa's benchmark tonkotsu broth and pork bao.
Signature: Tonkotsu ramen, Karaage, Bao buns
Order: Tonkotsu Ichicoro ramen with the slow-cooked chashu, karaage on the side and a bao bun.
Tip: No reservations; the small dining room turns over fast and the patio takes overflow at peak.
Bern's Steak House in Tampa's Hyde Park has dry-aged beef in house since 1956 and pours from the largest restaurant wine cellar in the world.
Signature: Dry-aged Delmonico, Chateaubriand for two, Caviar service
Order: Dry-aged Delmonico medium rare with French onion soup and a tour of the kitchen and wine cellar after dinner.
Tip: Every table gets a kitchen tour and an upstairs dessert-room cubby; book the dessert room as a separate reservation if Bern's is full.
The Columbia Restaurant on East Seventh Avenue has plated 1905 Salad and Cuban sandwiches in Ybor City since 1905 and is Florida's oldest restaurant.
Signature: 1905 Salad, Cuban sandwich, Paella a la Valenciana, Spanish bean soup
Order: 1905 Salad tableside, Cuban sandwich with the house Cuban bread, and the Spanish bean soup.
Tip: Book the flamenco performance nights Monday through Saturday; the restaurant spans an entire city block with 15 dining rooms.
Ulele on the Tampa Riverwalk in Tampa Heights cooks native-inspired Floridian fish, alligator and pompano over a 10-foot open barbacoa grill.
Signature: Charbroiled oysters, Pompano, Alligator hush puppies
Order: Charbroiled oysters with paprika butter, pompano off the barbacoa, and a pint of Ulele's house-brewed Light Lager.
Tip: The 1903 water-works building sits on the Riverwalk; ask for a riverside table and walk to Armature Works after dinner.
The Pearl on Water Street in Tampa is Cameron Mitchell's downtown gastropub, an oyster room and tavern with a pie-only dessert menu by an in-house pastry.
Signature: Seasonal oysters, House-made pasta, Pie of the day
Order: Half-dozen seasonal oysters, the dry-aged burger and whatever pie is on the rotating dessert menu.
Tip: Saturday and Sunday brunch from 10am; the bar takes walk-ins when the dining room is fully booked.
