Highest-rated fine dining restaurants in Tampa by diners
Fine dining in the U.S. isn't what it used to be. Many customers are no longer interested in classic white tablecloths and 16-ounce New York strips; instead, it's about cutting-edge culinary experiences.
Although steakhouses have defined fine dining in America since the 19th century, that started to change in the mid-1990s. Elite chefs like Thomas Keller at the French Laundry unearthed a whole different kind of tasting experience (with 40 courses), and a new age of fine dining was born. Soon, prix fixe meals—a French style of serving with a set menu—became the norm for fine dining in the U.S.
Between the rise of chef's tasting menus and consumers' continued desire to have diverse culinary experiences, the restaurants that grace the pages of top-tier restaurant reviewers like Zagat or the Michelin Guide look very different today than they did 30 years ago. Restaurant goers aren't just looking for high-quality food. They want the type of menu that will tell a story. They want creative ingredients they've never tried before. They want to be transported into a whole new world.
With so many innovative menus and restaurant experiences popping up across America to choose from, it can be challenging to choose where to go for a special evening. Stacker compiled a list of the highest-rated fine dining restaurants in Tampa using data from Yelp. Businesses were selected using Yelp's ranking system, which calculates an adjusted rating value that takes into account the number of ratings as well as the rating score itself.
Only businesses with at least five reviews and at least level 2 pricing (i.e., $$ to $$$$) were considered. Also, in an effort to highlight independent businesses and local chains, those with five or more locations nationally (based on Yelp data) were not included. Restaurants in certain lower-cost categories (like "diners," "buffets," and "food trucks") were excluded. Data is as of Aug. 19, 2024.
Read on to find a potential restaurant for your next special meal out!
#26. Cooper's Hawk Winery & Restaurant- Tampa
- Rating: 4.1/5 (1487 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 4110 West Boy Scott Blvd. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: American, Wine Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#25. Trattoria Pasquale
- Rating: 4.3/5 (140 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 3671 South West Shore Blvd. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#24. Restaurant BT
- Rating: 4.4/5 (274 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2507 South MacDill Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: French, Vietnamese
- Read more on Yelp
#23. La Terrazza Ristorante Italiano
- Rating: 4.5/5 (273 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1727 East 7th Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Italian, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#22. Donatello Restaurant
- Rating: 4.1/5 (397 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 232 North Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#21. Council Oak Steaks & Seafood
- Rating: 4.1/5 (471 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 5223 Orient Road Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Steakhouses, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#20. Boulon Brasserie and Bakery
- Rating: 4.1/5 (346 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1001 Water St. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: French, Bars, Patisserie/Cake Shop
- Read more on Yelp
#19. Mise En Place
- Rating: 4.1/5 (482 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 442 West Grand Central Blvd. Ste 110 Tampa, Florida
- Categories: New American, Venues & Event Spaces, Wine Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#18. Steelbach at Armature Works
- Rating: 4.1/5 (1098 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1910 North Ola Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: New American, Steakhouses, Southern
- Read more on Yelp
#17. Predalina
- Rating: 4.2/5 (242 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1001 East Cumberland Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Mediterranean, Bars, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#16. Rome + Fig
- Rating: 4.2/5 (318 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 317 North Rome Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Seafood, New American
- Read more on Yelp
#15. Ulele
- Rating: 4.2/5 (4455 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1810 North Highland Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: New American, Breweries, Seafood
- Read more on Yelp
#14. Haven
- Rating: 4.2/5 (511 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 2208 West Morrison Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Venues & Event Spaces, Tapas/Small Plates, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#13. Union New American
- Rating: 4.2/5 (218 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1111 Northwest Shore Blvd. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: New American, Lounges
- Read more on Yelp
#12. Bern's Steak House
- Rating: 4.2/5 (3736 reviews)
- Price level: $$$$
- Address: 1208 South Howard Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Steakhouses
- Read more on Yelp
#11. Ciro's
- Rating: 4.2/5 (1136 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 2109 Bayshore Blvd. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: New American, Speakeasies, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#10. Bulla Gastrobar
- Rating: 4.2/5 (914 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 930 South Howard Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Spanish, Gastropubs, Tapas Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#9. Casa Santo Stefano
- Rating: 4.3/5 (533 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1607 North 22nd St. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Sicilian, Seafood, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#8. Oxford Exchange
- Rating: 4.3/5 (2563 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 420 West Kennedy Blvd. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Bookstores, Venues & Event Spaces, American
- Read more on Yelp
#7. Hales Blackbrick -Tampa
- Rating: 4.4/5 (248 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 4812 North Dale Mabry Hwy Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Asian Fusion
- Read more on Yelp
#6. Rooster & the Till
- Rating: 4.4/5 (784 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 6500 North Florida Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: New American
- Read more on Yelp
#5. Ponte Modern American
- Rating: 4.4/5 (283 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1010 Gramercy Lane Tampa, Florida
- Categories: New American, Seafood, Cocktail Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#4. Rocca
- Rating: 4.5/5 (516 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 323 West Palm Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Italian
- Read more on Yelp
#3. OLIVIA
- Rating: 4.5/5 (1356 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 3601 West Swann Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Italian, Desserts, Bars
- Read more on Yelp
#2. On Swann
- Rating: 4.5/5 (2065 reviews)
- Price level: $$
- Address: 1501 West Swann Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: Bars, New American, Desserts
- Read more on Yelp
#1. Oak and Ola
- Rating: 4.5/5 (903 reviews)
- Price level: $$$
- Address: 1910 North Ola Ave. Tampa, Florida
- Categories: New American, Modern European
- Read more on Yelp
This story features data reporting by Karim Noorani, writing by Kiersten Hickman, and is part of a series utilizing data automation across 299 metros.
