Visiting Tampa, Florida
In February of 2020, when the pandemic was just a blip on our radar and unknowingly only a couple of short weeks away from completely altering our lives, my friend Laura and I flew down to Tampa for a weekend getaway. We made great travel partners, as we both like to do a lot of advance research, we both prioritize eating good food, and we both love exploring and learning.
It’s taken me over a year to write this blog post; not because Tampa wasn’t worth writing about but because life happened. With travel opportunities on the horizon again given the vaccine rollout, it seems like a good opportunity to pick up where I left off with this travel blog! Here’s where we ate, where we drank, and what we did in Tampa, Florida over a three-day weekend.
As always, scroll down for a map of all the places we visited!
Restaurants in Tampa
Brick and Mortar Kitchen
We had beautiful weather on our first night in Florida. After visiting the Dali Museum (more on that below) across the water in Saint Petersburg, we walked over to Brick and Mortar Kitchen for dinner outside. The restaurant was really cute with a rustic-chic vibe, and service was great. We shared a bottle of rosé and a few delicious plates, including a salad; ahi tuna tartare with kimchi, wasabi aioli, and shrimp chips; braised short rib, peas, mint, Brussels sprouts, and citrus over noodles; and truffle fries with garlic aioli.
On Swann
I think it’s fair to say On Swann was my favorite meal of the weekend in Tampa. We sat at a cozy two-top near the bar and enjoyed the bustling vibe, great service, and the beautiful setting. We shared a bunch of delicious plates, including mushroom tartine; parmesan zeppoles with ricotta-corn dip; and scallops with curried carrot, Brussels sprouts, kale, almonds, raisins, and bacon aioli. For dessert we shared bread pudding with bourbon caramel. And, along the way, we drank delicious handcrafted cocktails.
Heights Public Market at Armature Works
One night for dinner we headed to the Heights Public Market, a massive food hall, complete with bars, shops, full-service restaurants, and event space. If you haven’t picked up on it yet, Laura and I love sharing food so we get to try more things! We tried a few different food stands and enjoyed empanadas, wings, a black-bean burger, and ice cream for dessert. It was fun to walk around and check out the different options.
Carmine’s
To be honest, our first choice for lunch while exploring historic Ybor City (more on that below) was Columbia, a Spanish restaurant that’s been around since 1905, but they were full! We headed over to Carmine’s, where we enjoyed a Cuban sandwich, which Ybor isn’t lacking.
La Segunda Central Bakery
We started our Ybor morning off with a stop at La Segunda Central Bakery, which has been baking fresh Cuban pastries and bread since 1915. It seemed to be very popular with locals, who were popping in for pastries and coffee to go. We did the same before heading to explore Ybor City.
The Restaurant at Oxford Exchange
We didn’t actually eat brunch at the trendy Oxford Exchange like we wanted to, but we did drink and shop there (see below). All I will say is - make a reservation in advance!
Bars in Tampa
BAR AW at Armature Works
Before our eating tour of Heights Public Market in the same space, we snagged a couple of seats at BAR AW for some great craft cocktails.
The Champagne Bar at Oxford Exchange
We headed to Oxford Exchange on a Saturday morning thinking we would be able to get a table at The Restaurant for brunch. Hah! It’s one of the most popular brunch spots and reservations are definitely needed in advance. So, instead, we visited The Champagne Bar within the Oxford Exchange for a liquid brunch.
The bar looks like a millennial’s Pinterest board come to life, with lots of exposed brick, pinks, and florals. You can choose from wine, champagne, or any of several champagne cocktails. The friendly bartenders made us each an OE Grand Mimosa, with Grand Marnier, Florida orange juice, and champagne. We took our drinks and sipped them as we wandered around The Shop (more on that below).
Cigar City Cider and Mead
After an afternoon of exploring Ybor, we stopped by Cigar City Cider and Mead. We each had a flight so we could try a few different ciders (surprise, surprise) and played cards near the window.
To Do in Tampa
Dali Museum
On our first night, we took a cab from Tampa over to Saint Petersburg to visit the beautiful Dali Museum. Set on the water among palm trees, the outside is just asking to be photographed.
At the time, they offered reduced admission and extended hours every Thursday evening. That night they had opera singers from St. Petersburg Opera Company performing on the central staircase. We also took a free tour to learn more about the art.
Ybor City
The historic Ybor City neighborhood used to be home to the cigar industry as well as several immigrant communities, who prided themselves on building a multi-cultural community with little racism. Just walking around Ybor is an experience, as you can see chickens crossing the road, watch cigars being made in a shop window, and stop to eat a Cuban sandwich.
We visited Ybor City Museum and for $4 each watched an informative video on the history of the area, toured the museum, and went on a guided tour of a casita. The history of the neighborhood is rich and it was worth spending some time understanding it!
Oxford Exchange
Oxford Exchange is a beautiful, sun-lit space that includes The Restaurant, The Champagne Bar, The Shop, The Bookstore, and a coffee shop. Since we weren’t able to eat brunch at The Restaurant, we sipped our mimosas and wandered around The Shop - which sells beautiful gifts, houseware, and more - and The Bookstore.
Street art
North Franklin Street in Tampa is lined with interesting street art. We saw most of it around Robertson Billiards & Spa and south.
Scooters
Like many cities (except NYC), you can use an app to easily rent scooters as a fun way to get around, and usually leave them on the sidewalk, out of the way, when you’re done. We rode these to see the street art and then rode them down to the water.
Additional recommendations
With only a short three days in Tampa, we couldn’t possibly experience all the recommendations we received from friends and other blogs. Next time! Here’s some of that list: