1. Anise Global Gastrobar

   Downtown Tampa : 777 N Ashley Drive, Tampa, 33602

   A small posse of seasoned restaurant pros jumped on the gorgeous space at the bottom of SkyPoint, unveiling Anise Global Gastrobar early in 2013. Its focus is Korean-ish, with a southeast Asian palette of flavors that's fairly hard to pin down. With many of the share-friendly plates under $10, f …

2. Bar Louie

   Editor's pick

   International Plaza District : 2223 N West Shore Blvd. # B202, Tampa, 33607

   This IP hot spot is more bar than restaurant. It offers $1 burgers on Tuesday nights. Also, there are tater tots. Napoleon Dynamite would approve. The '80s soundtrack is a guilty pleasure, especially delicious when taken concurrently with a couple of the 40 beers on tap. The vibe is all funky ar …

3. BellaBrava

   Editor's pick

   Downtown St. Petersburg : 204 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg, 33704

   With its location along Beach Drive, it offers a hip yet affordable contemporary Italian menu that leans heavily on wood-fired pizzas (note especially the one with the fried egg on top) and boldly flavored and rustic pastas. Sidewalk seating expands the seating options, and a lively bar keep it  …

4. Blue Dog Bistro

   Ybor City : 1600 E Eighth Ave. # E200, Tampa, 33605

   Formerly the Rock n' Sports bar, Blue Dog has rebranded the upstairs Centro Ybor spot as New Orleans-inspired hangout. Its menu features po'boys, gumbo and red beans and rice, along with Abita beer on tap. It's dog-friendly for well-behaved pooches who want to hang by the outside seating. And it …

5. Boca Kitchen Bar Market

   South Tampa : 901 W Platt St., Tampa, 33606

   Along with a growing group of Tampa Bay restaurants, the new Boca Kitchen Bar Market isn't satisfied with a little local lettuce and some backyard herbs—it sources locally, Big Time. The locavore fervor wouldn't mean much if what Boca did with all this bounty was ho-hum. Executive chef Ted …

6. Boundary American Grille & Tavern

   St. Petersburg : 1101 First Ave. N, St. Petersburg, 33705

   American fusion cuisine, with American craft beer and wines, live music on weekends.Hours: 11 a.m-9 p.m. Mon.-Wed., 11 a.m.-1 a.m. Thur.-Sat. (kitchen closes at midnight on these days).

7. Brandon Ale House

   Brandon : 1817 W Brandon Blvd., Brandon, 33511

8. Brown Boxer Pub & Grille

   Clearwater Beach : 483 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater, 33767

   In the Pelican Walk Shopping Center the Cafe takes over a spot that used to be an Outback Steakhouse. It has indoor and outdoor dining, 20 flat screen TVs, pub fare and live music.Read more here.

9. Burrito Boarder

   Downtown St. Petersburg : 17 Third St. N, St. Petersburg, 33701

   Late night, Burrito Boarder has got you covered -- all the way to 3:30 a.m. Thur.-Sat. with a pickup window in front of which you can watch revelers unwrapping their carne asada burrito bombs like it's Christmas morning.

10. Cafe Alma

    Editor's pick

    Downtown St. Petersburg : 260 First Ave. S # 100, St. Petersburg, 33701

    This touches the tastiest parts of every coast: sausages and bean casseroles from Spain, eggplants and beets from Italy, bouillabaisse and mussels from France and the lamb tagine across the sea. Smart drinking, friendly bar plus a weekend brunch that features a Build Your Own Bloody Mary bar.The …

11. Capital Grille

    Editor's pick

    International Plaza District : Bay Street at International Plaza, 2223 N West Shore Blvd. , Tampa, 33607

    When you need a $40 steak to make your Neiman Marcus purchases seem a mere pittance, this is the place to go. It's a national dry-aged beef chain with a 400-plus label wine list. Capital Grille offers top-notch service and a steak menu that's more inventive than many (see: the dry-aged sirloin c …

12. Captain's Italian Restaurant-Pizza

    Safety Harbor : 324 Main St, Safety Harbor, 34695

13. Carmine's Seventh Avenue

    Ybor City : 1802 E Seventh Ave., Tampa, 33605

    Established nearly a century before the big renaissance of its Ybor City environs, Carmine's blends Italian and Cuban favorites in a spacious and characteristic brick building. A huge front window gives a great view of passersby.

14. Carne Chophouse

    Ybor City : 1536 E Seventh Ave., Tampa, 33605

    It's official. Jason Fernandez has an empire. Bernini, Green Iguana and Hot Willy's in Ybor City were joined in 2012 by Carne Chophouse in the historic 1912 El Centro Español Building. Steaks and chops take center stage, supported by nostalgia-inducing classics like garlicky escargots and …

15. Casanova Restaurant & Lounge

    Downtown Clearwater : 811 Cleveland St., Clearwater, 33755

    The bulk of the menu is devoted to pasta, and take that as a hint. There are classics like papparadelle Bolognese and other dishes that include combinations like saffron and strawberries. Lunch (Mon.-Fri.) and dinner, live music several nights a week.

16. Cassis American Brasserie

    Editor's pick

    Downtown St. Petersburg : 170 Beach Drive NE, St. Petersburg, 33701

    Few restaurant openings have been as anticipated as Cassis American Brasserie, opened at the base of the Ovation tower on the downtown waterfront. Cementing Beach Drive as the "it" spot in St. Pete, its decor is stunning. Yellow walls, unimpeded sightlines across the generously portion …

17. Ceviche (Tampa)

    Editor's pick

    South Tampa : 2500 W Azeele St, Tampa, 33609

    That cocktail of marinated fish is only one item on the biggest spread of hot and cold tapas laid out on both sides of the bay. The Tampa location is dark and cozy, St. Pete's open to the embarcadero. Crowds and food are fast and fun: olives, quail, sherried chicken livers and albondigas. The ba …

18. Ceviche St. Pete

    Editor's pick

    Downtown St. Petersburg : 95 Central Ave., St. Petersburg, 33701

    That cocktail of marinated fish is only one item on the biggest spread of hot and cold tapas laid out on both sides of the bay. The Tampa location is dark and cozy, St. Pete's open to the embarcadero. Crowds and food are fast and fun: olives, quail, sherried chicken livers and albondigas. The ba …

19. China Garden Restaurant

    Clearwater : 1550 N McMullen Booth Road, Clearwater, 33759

20. China Garden Restaurant

    South Tampa : 3904 Britton Plz, Tampa, 33611

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