14 Incredible Restaurants in Ybor City, Tampa You Need to Try
Ybor City is Tampa’s historic Latin quarter, built in the 1880s around cigar factories that drew workers from Cuba, Spain and Sicily. Their food still defines the neighborhood: Cuban bread, deviled crab, Spanish bean soup and the Tampa-style Cuban sandwich, which adds salami. Most of the restaurants below sit on or just off 7th Avenue, the brick-lined main street locals call La Septima.
This guide covers 14 places, from a restaurant that has been on 7th Avenue since 1905 and a century-old bakery to Sicilian, Greek, Middle Eastern and Trinidadian kitchens, plus a speakeasy hidden behind a bookcase. Ratings and review counts come from each restaurant’s Google listing in October 2026.
Columbia Restaurant
Columbia Restaurant fills an entire city block of East 7th Avenue, and it bills itself as Florida’s oldest restaurant. It began as a corner saloon in 1903, became the Columbia Restaurant in 1905, and is still run by the founding family. Today it spans 15 dining rooms and seats up to 1,700, including a tiled patio with a mosaic fountain and a ballroom for flamenco shows.
Rated 4.6 stars from more than 22,000 Google reviews, it is the classic place to try a Tampa Cuban sandwich: roast pork, ham, Swiss, pickles and mustard on Cuban bread, plus salami, the Tampa twist that Miami versions skip. Also order the 1905 Salad, with baked ham, Swiss, olives and a garlicky dressing, along with the Spanish bean soup and the paella a la Valenciana.
Reserve through OpenTable, especially for dinner or for the flamenco dinner show, which runs most nights except Sundays and needs its own reservation plus a small cover charge. The restaurant is a short walk from the Centennial Park stop on the free TECO Line Streetcar. Look for the Don Quixote Dining Room, where handmade tiles tell the story. Check hours before you go.
Address: 2117 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Website: columbiarestaurant.com
La Segunda Central Bakery
La Segunda Central Bakery has baked Cuban bread at 2512 N 15th Street, just north of Ybor’s historic district, since 1915. It turns out roughly 18,000 to 22,000 loaves a day, and about 500 Tampa Bay restaurants serve them, including Columbia. Bakers lay a palmetto leaf on each loaf, which gives the crust its signature split down the middle. Four generations of the Moré family have run it.
With 4.5 stars from more than 4,100 Google reviews, the Ybor shop is best known for its Cuban sandwich, built on the house bread with pork, ham, salami, Swiss, pickles and mustard. For breakfast, order buttered Cuban toast with a café con leche, which is Cuban espresso with steamed milk, and add a guava and cheese turnover.
The Ybor shop is mainly a takeout spot, so plan to eat somewhere else, and expect a line at busy times. Go in the morning for breakfast, or order online for pickup. It sits under half a mile north of the 7th Avenue strip, an easy drive or short walk. This is an early-hours bakery, so check hours before you go.
Address: 2512 N 15th St, Tampa, FL 33605
Website: lasegundabakery.com
Flan Factory
Flan Factory is a casual Cuban café on Nebraska Avenue, at the western edge of Ybor City and about half a mile from the start of the 7th Avenue strip. The founder opened it in 2016 to honor his late grandmother’s flan recipe, and it has since added a small dining area and a second location at Armature Works. Local press counts it among the city’s most beloved dining spots.
Its 4.8-star rating across more than 2,100 Google reviews rests on two things. One is the flan, sold in a long list of flavors that runs from the classic original to guava and café con leche. The other is the Cuban sandwich, which won Best Cuban Sandwich at the 2022 International Cuban Sandwich Festival and stacks slow-roasted pork, Genoa salami, serrano ham, Swiss and pickles. Cuban bread French toast and empanadas round out the menu.
Walk-ins are the norm, and you can also order online. Check hours before you go: this is a daytime café, and its website lists Monday as a closed day. Cuban-style fried rice is served only on weekends. It is about a ten-minute walk from the western end of 7th Avenue, or a short drive, so it pairs easily with a stroll along 7th Avenue.
Address: 1718 N Nebraska Ave, Tampa, FL 33602
Website: flanfactory.com
Carmine’s Restaurant & Bar
Carmine’s fills a corner of 7th Avenue at 18th Street in a former thrift store. Owner Carmine Iavarone, whose grandparents opened an Italian restaurant in Tampa in 1945, has worked in Ybor since 1981 and says this restaurant helped start the neighborhood’s nightlife. The menu mixes Cuban, Spanish and Italian dishes, a fitting blend for a district shaped by immigrants from all three.
Its 4.1-star rating comes from more than 3,200 Google reviews, and the menu rewards sticking to the Ybor classics. Start with the deviled crab, a Tampa specialty of blue crab and sofrito (a sautéed base of onion, pepper and garlic) shaped into a football, breaded and fried. Then try the Cuban roast pork, the Cuban sandwich, Spanish bean soup or linguine with clams.
Reserve through OpenTable, or call ahead for a larger group. The dining room is simple, with brick walls, and the bar has views of 7th Avenue. Lunch is a good time for the Cuban sandwich, which comes with yellow rice and black beans. The restaurant stays open late on Fridays and Saturdays, so check hours before you go.
Address: 1802 E 7th Ave #3808, Tampa, FL 33605
Website: carminesybor.com
Gaspar’s Grotto
Gaspar’s Grotto is a pirate-themed bar and restaurant at 1805 E 7th Avenue, named for José Gaspar, the legendary pirate behind Tampa’s Gasparilla festival each January. A University of South Florida archivist says the pirate was invented around 1904 by Tampa’s elite, who wanted a Mardi Gras of their own, but the legend stuck. Inside are four bar areas, two sunny patios and ship bells that guests can ring on request.
Rated 4.3 stars from more than 5,400 Google reviews, it serves more than bar snacks. The Cuban sandwich is the safe pick, and the menu also lists devil crab (Tampa’s spicy fried crab croquette), wings in many sauces, Abuela’s Spanish bean soup, and crab and shrimp quesadillas. On Sundays, brunch runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with chicken and waffle, shrimp and grits and chorizo hash.
Brunch reservations are suggested but not required. The patios host live entertainment weekly, with local DJs and musicians, so evenings and weekends get lively. The bar stays open until 2 a.m. and the doors open early in the morning, so check hours before you go. It is right on 7th Avenue, close to Acropolis, Carmine’s and the other restaurants on this list.
Address: 1805 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Website: gasparsgrotto.com
Acropolis Greek Taverna
Acropolis Greek Taverna has been at 1833 E 7th Avenue since 2001, with a patio facing the street and Centro Ybor and the free TECO Line Streetcar steps away. On Friday and Saturday nights it hosts Mykonos Nights, with belly dancing, plate breaking, Zorba dancing and napkin tossing, usually starting around 7 p.m. The dining room is lively and meant to be fun.
With 4.5 stars from more than 3,600 Google reviews, it keeps a long, crowd-pleasing menu. Start with the appetizer sampler of dips and pita, or order saganaki, grilled kefalograviera cheese flamed with cognac. Guest favorites include the Athenian fish topped with pesto and Santorini sauce, the chicken kabobs and the Pasta Santorini. Moussaka and spanakopita are classic alternatives.
Reservations are strongly recommended for the weekend Greek nights, and the restaurant suggests arriving by 6:30 p.m. for a good table. There is no dress code. Free two-hour parking before 8 p.m. is available in city lots 3, 5 and 6, all within a block. The restaurant stays open until midnight on Fridays and Saturdays, so check hours before you go.
Address: 1833 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Website: acropolistaverna.com/tampa
Bernini of Ybor
Bernini of Ybor occupies the old Bank of Ybor City at 1702 E 7th Avenue, and it still feels like a grand bank, with Italian marble throughout and the former vault now serving as the wine cellar. The restaurant has been here for about 30 years and is run by a Tampa family with Sicilian and Spanish roots. It is named for the Baroque sculptor Bernini.
Its 4.4-star rating comes from more than 2,400 Google reviews. The menu is Italian with an American twist, and regulars point to the eggplant with house-made pomodoro and Pecorino Romano, half a crispy duck with a dried cherry and vanilla Chianti demi-glace, and pistachio-crusted Gulf grouper with Marsala brown butter sauce. The bar adds craft cocktails and a wine list one local outlet called among the Bay area’s most impressive.
Call 813-242-9555 to reserve, since the restaurant lists the phone number rather than an online booking link. It is not open every day, so confirm days and hours before you go. The website also promotes happy hour deals on martinis and entrées, so ask about specials when you book.
Address: 1702 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Website: berniniofybor.com
La Terrazza Ristorante Italiano
La Terrazza is a small, family-run Northern Italian restaurant at 1727 E 7th Avenue, behind an understated brick storefront. The dining room is compact by design, with warm walls, soft lighting and ornate framed paintings, and there is patio seating too. A local tip dates the restaurant to 1996, so it has been feeding Ybor for roughly 30 years.
Rated 4.8 stars from more than 600 Google reviews, it is an old-school Italian spot where handmade pasta takes center stage. Reviews single out the bruschetta, then agnolotti filled with lobster and crab, spaghetti ai frutti di mare (seafood spaghetti), penne alla vodka and linguine al pesto. Fettuccine Bolognese, tiramisu and cannoli are other good ways to finish a meal here.
Reservations are strongly recommended, especially on Fridays and Saturdays, so call (813) 248-1326 ahead of time. One local guide lists dinner service Thursday through Saturday, so confirm hours before you go. The room is small and there is no children’s menu or high chairs, which makes it better for a date night than a family outing.
Address: 1727 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Website: facebook.com/p/La-Terrazza-Ristorante-Italiano-100063548828530
Casa Santo Stefano
Casa Santo Stefano is a Sicilian restaurant at 1607 N 22nd Street, a block south of 7th Avenue at the east end of Ybor. It opened in November 2020 in a former macaroni factory, from Richard Gonzmart of the family behind Columbia, as a tribute to Tampa’s Sicilian immigrants. Dishes arrive on hand-painted plates from Caltagirone, in Sicily, and the open kitchen has a wood-fired grill.
Rated 4.6 stars from more than 3,300 Google reviews, it is the place to taste Tampa’s Sicilian side. Start with the scacciata, a warm starter with crisp edges, a soft center and Caciocavallo cheese on top, and the thin grilled sausage made from a Tampa family recipe from the 1940s. Then try pasta alla norma, the sardine pasta bucatini alla sarde, or ricotta and pesto ravioli, and finish with a cannoli made to order.
Reserve through OpenTable for dinner. Parking is free in the nearby Columbia lot. Upstairs, Santo’s Drinkeria is a separate bar with its own smaller menu and a broad terrace overlooking the east end of 7th Avenue, a good spot for a drink before or after dinner. The dress code asks men to wear sleeves and everyone to remove baseball caps.
Address: 1607 N 22nd St, Tampa, FL 33605
Website: casasantostefano.com
7th + Grove
7th + Grove opened in July 2019 at 1930 E 7th Avenue, started by three Tampa natives who wanted a welcoming place for Southern food, cocktails and music. It has an eatery on one side and a lounge on the other, and many dishes are named after songs. The restaurant shares its building with Madame Fortune, a speakeasy tucked behind a deli.
Rated 4.5 stars from more than 5,300 Google reviews, it is best known for slow-braised oxtails. Also look for shrimp and grits, fried chicken, crab cakes with orange sauce and cornbread with a sweet and spicy crema. The Grove-made layered sangria, built from red wine, melon liqueur, peach schnapps and tropical juices, is the drink to order.
Reserve through Toast, which the restaurant recommends, especially for weekend brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. on Saturday and Sunday. The lounge side is for guests 21 and older, and DJs play on weekend nights. Live music returns on the first and third Wednesdays of the month. Check hours before you go, since they change by day.
Address: 1930 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Website: 7thandgrove.com
Madame Fortune Dessert + HiFi Parlour
Madame Fortune is a speakeasy at 1930 E 7th Avenue, Unit C, entered through Roast Deli + Bakery, where a bookcase opens into a small, dimly lit room. It is named for Fortune Taylor, a Black businesswoman who, with her husband, farmed more than 30 acres in Hillsborough County after the Civil War. The full name, Dessert + HiFi Parlour, points to the sweets and the music, with live jazz on Friday nights.
Rated 4.6 stars from more than 2,300 Google reviews, it serves Caribbean-inspired food worth ordering widely. Try the sweet potato cornbread with hot honey, blackened salmon with a guava glaze, or the oxtail pepper pot with pigeon peas, rice and roti. Save room for the plantain cream pie, and at Sunday brunch look for sweet potato pancakes and the mimosa tree, a sampler of five sparkling drinks.
The room is small and tables are hard to get, so reserve online ahead; if dinner is full, try brunch. The restaurant lists live music on Friday nights, resident DJs on Saturdays and Sunday brunch from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Because the entrance runs through the deli, check hours and entrance details before you go.
Address: 1930 E 7th Ave C, Tampa, FL 33605
Website: madamefortunetpa.com
Rosenheim Restaurant
Rosenheim is a family-run Middle Eastern restaurant at 2001 N 22nd Street, about two blocks north of 7th Avenue at the east end of Ybor. The owners say they dreamed of bringing their home cooking to Ybor City. The dining room mixes Arabic-inspired details with a clean, modern look, and there is outdoor seating and hookah too.
It holds an impressive 4.9 stars from more than 3,500 Google reviews. Start with a cold mezza platter of hummus, baba ghanoush and labneh, then add falafel or fattoush salad. The Rosenheim Mixed Grill of kebabs, tikka and shish tawook (marinated grilled chicken) is made for sharing. Finish with kunafa, a cheese pastry soaked in sweet syrup, or Um Ali, an Egyptian bread pudding.
Reserve through Resy or by phone, especially for weekend evenings and larger groups. Portions are generous, so share the mixed grill, and order extra pita early. Dedicated parking helps on busy nights, and the restaurant stays open until 2 a.m. on Fridays and Saturdays, according to its website. A live band plays on select evenings.
Address: 2001 N 22nd St, Tampa, FL 33605
The Bricks
The Bricks sits at 1327 E 7th Avenue near 13th Street, at the western end of the strip. It opened in 2010 as a bar, restaurant and hangout connected to the Skatepark of Tampa, in an old brick building with exposed brick and archways. An open-air courtyard is the centerpiece, used for live music and community events.
With 4.5 stars from more than 1,800 Google reviews, it is a relaxed bar-and-kitchen rather than a destination dinner. The menu runs to hot dogs, salads, pressed sandwiches, tacos and rice bowls, and past write-ups single out the vegan portobello tacos, tuna nachos and mojo pork in a toasted pineapple bun. Add a draft beer or a cocktail from a long list.
Hours change by day and Monday is closed, so check before you go. Live music plays in the courtyard, trivia is on Tuesdays, and happy hour runs Wednesday through Friday afternoons. The free TECO Line Streetcar stops at Cadrecha Plaza, at 13th Street and 7th Avenue, a short walk away, which makes this an easy first or last stop on the strip.
Address: 1327 E 7th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Website: thebricksybor.com
Pepper’s Island Restaurant
Pepper’s Island is a Trinidadian restaurant at 1701 E 4th Avenue, three blocks south of 7th Avenue in a historic brick building. It opened in August 2023 and adds a Caribbean option to a neighborhood better known for Cuban, Spanish and Italian food. A hand-painted, Trinidad-themed mural covers one wall, and the mood is relaxed, with good music.
Its 4.8-star rating comes from more than 800 Google reviews. The restaurant is known for roti, a flatbread wrapped around curry, and doubles, a Trinidadian street snack of fried flatbread holding curried chickpeas. Early reviewers praised the chicken roti and the doubles. Also look for curry goat, curry stew chicken, dhal, curry cabbage and Trini-style pepper shrimp.
Check hours before you go: the website lists Wednesday through Sunday, from late morning to early evening, so it works best as a lunch or early dinner stop. Catering is available through the website. It sits a few blocks south of the 7th Avenue crowds, so it makes a calmer stop, and Nana’s Vegan Cafe and Pete’s Bagels are nearby.
Address: 1701 E 4th Ave, Tampa, FL 33605
Website: peppersislandrestaurant.com
Final Thoughts
Ybor is a daytime neighborhood and a nightlife district in one. Come early for Cuban bread and café con leche, linger over lunch on 7th Avenue, and book dinner at the busier places, especially on weekends, when the strip fills up after dark. The free TECO Line Streetcar from downtown Tampa makes it easy to skip the parking.
Planning the rest of your visit? See our guide to the best things to do in Ybor City.
Main photo, from left: Eaters Collective, Felippe Lopes and Christopher Chung / Unsplash
