1. Alfano's Restaurant

   Largo : 1702 Clearwater Largo Road, Clearwater, 33756

   Classically prepared Italian food, superb (and affordable) wine list and elegant building make you feel at home, not outclassed. From tomato soup and pasta with simple sauces to fine veal and chicken with rosemary, cooking is fresh and service is warm.

2. Armani's

   Editor's pick

   Rocky Point : 2900 Bayport Drive, Tampa, 33634

   One of Tampa's top special-occasion and I-need-to-clinch-this-deal restaurants, Armani's has undergone major renovations and has seen new faces in the kitchen in recent years, but some of the traditions at the top of the Grand Hyatt remain unchanged: the antipasto offerings still have an almost  …

3. Beaune's at West Palm Wines

   Ybor City : 2009 N 22nd St., Tampa, 33605

   Beaune's Wine Bar is a classy yet comfy lounge, perfect for a first date or an intimate night with friends. Beaune's (pronounced "bones," after the city in Burgundy) opened for weekday lunch in 2009, quietly adding one of the most affordable and delightful lunches in Ybor City. Jim Sirna's wine  …

4. Bern's Steak House

   Editor's pick

   South Tampa : 1208 S Howard Ave., Tampa, 33606

   Naysayers can grouse, but there's no denying the fine meat and one of the world's best and cheapest wine lists. You can drink back through 20 years in Spanish, Italians, Rhones and zins for $75 or less. Lighten up and relax; just exploring the menu's new additions takes time. Dessert takes more. …

5. Cafe Ponte

   Editor's pick

   Clearwater : 13505 Icot Blvd. # 214, Clearwater, 33760

   Cafe Ponte is still a yardstick against which the area's other fine dining restaurants may be measured. The dining room looks positively spruce, its red, sage and black color scheme crisp and stylish; linens and table appointments are top-notch. Servers are courteous and professional even when s …

6. 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 …

7. Charley's Steakhouse

   Editor's pick

   International Plaza District : 4444 W Cypress St, Tampa, 33607

   The great American steakhouse wars are going hot and heavy — Morton's, Sullivan's Steakhouse, Don Shula's, Fleming's (and its more middlebrow parent, Outback), The Palm, and Ruth's Chris. Charley's is a teeny chain among giants, beloved for its fat, grilled steaks and sturdy California cab …

8. Circles New Tampa Bistro

   Tampa : 19651 Bruce B Downs Blvd. # B2, Tampa, 33647

9. Columbia Restaurant

   Editor's pick

   Sarasota beaches : 411 St. Armands Circle , Sarasota, 34236

   This is one of six branches (plus a cafe) of the original Ybor City location, considered the oldest restaurant in Florida (1905). You'll enjoy old-world service and traditional Spanish dishes such as paella, arroz con pollo and ropa vieja, to name just a few. Going to the Columbia is an experien …

10. Columbia Restaurant

    Editor's pick

    Ybor City : 2117 E Seventh Ave., Tampa, 33605

    The granddaddy of them all, Columbia Restaurant bears the distinction of being the oldest restaurant in Florida as well as the nation's largest Spanish/Cuban restaurant, with 13 rooms extending one full city block. Some of these waiters have been here a lifetime, there are stirring flamenco show …

11. Council Oak Steakhouse

    Editor's pick

    Tampa : 5223 Orient Road, Tampa, 33610

    Council Oak has managed to assemble a competent, thoughtful service staff and to train them well. Owned by the Seminole tribe (as is the restaurant of the same name in Hollywood), Council Oak is a new contender in the great American steak house wars. Morton's, Sullivan's Steakhouse, Don Shula's, …

12. Dempsey's Steak House

    Wesley Chapel : 5700 Saddlebrook Way, Wesley Chapel, 33543

    Should you find yourself plotting a golf or tennis outing to Saddlebrook Resort, consider a finishing meal at this traditional steakhouse. The chairs are clubby, the service excellent, and the steaks and seafood are topnotch.

13. Donatello Restaurant

    Editor's pick

    Tampa : 232 N Dale Mabry Highway, Tampa, 33609

    The blush is not off the rose at this nearly 30-year-old Tampa original. In the dining room, tuxedoed waiters have the assurance only longtime employment provides, whether that's guiding guests through the menu or whipping up a tableside Caesar (the best in town). The food is rigorously traditio …

14. Fleming's Prime Steakhouse

    Editor's pick

    International Plaza District : 4322 W Boy Scout Blvd., Tampa, 33607

    Outback cooked up a higher class venue here with first-rate trimmings. Sharp staff, smart wines, a broad menu and expansive hospitality, updated beyond showoff beef-offs. Fine steak in prime comfort starts with onion soup.

15. Forlini's Ristorante & Bar

    Clearwater Beach : 435 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater, 33767

    Seafood, steaks, homemade pastas, extensive wine list.Hours: 5-10 p.m. Tuesday-Sunday.

16. Heilman's Beachcomber

    Editor's pick

    Clearwater Beach : 447 Mandalay Ave., Clearwater, 33767

    Robert Edson Heilman may have passed away in 2007, but his legacy, Bob Heilman's Beachcomber, witness to countless birthdays and anniversaries, lives on. Pinot noir fanatics love it for their own reasons (Burgundy, Oregon, even his own FoxyRock — don't get them started), fried chicken fans …

17. Il Terrazzo

    Downtown Tampa : 700 S Florida Ave., Tampa, 33602

    The Marriott's signature restaurant offers Northern Italian dining and a wine list cited by Wine Spectator.

18. Island Way Grill

    Editor's pick

    Clearwater : 20 Island Way, Clearwater, 33767

    A waterside palace of seafood, art glass and Asian accents, Island Way centers on freshness. Eat at the sushi bar, order from the raw bar or have boat-fresh fish grilled. Go for an oyster tequila shot, a noodle and clam pot or Korean BBQ and dive into the endless wine list. Be back Sunday for a  …

19. Jackson's Bistro Bar & Sushi

    Editor's pick

    Tampa : 601 S Harbour Island Blvd., Tampa, 33602

    Lounge, patio, sushi bar and waterfront dining room of steaks and seafood all spill over this busy station on the downtown cruising scene. It's got an extensive wine list, plus good views of other people's boats and condos. The bar scene: On any night of the week, Jackson's is a fine place to si …

20. Kelly's for Just About Anything

    Editor's pick

    Dunedin : 319 Main St., Dunedin, 34698

    The day's fun could start with Butterfinger muffins or French toast with chocolate and Cognac, drift through lunch of banana pancakes or Hell-burgers and head into dinner of duck breast, Emeril's escolar and house-smoked pork chops. Virgel Kelly and pals always add an extra smile and a kick, lik …

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