Tampa Restaurants

[rncruiser]

We will be staying at the Home2Suites the night before our cruise. We are looking for a nice, but not too pricey, restaurant for dinner. Preferably within walking distance from our hotel, but it doesn’t have to be. No chain restaurants please. 

[crewsweeper]

If you're staying at the Downtown Channel location, Columbia Cafe on Riverwalk.

Edited August 18 by crewsweeper

[bajathree]

2 minutes ago, crewsweeper said:

If you're staying at the Downtown Channel location, Columbia Cafe on Riverwalk.

Second that recommendation. Columbia cafe is located at the Tampa History Center...right close to the port.

Edited August 18 by bajathree

[Capt_BJ]

the Home2 you mention <on Kennedy near Channel District> would be about 1/2 mile from the Columbia Cafe and along a corridor that is not exactly a popular tourist street.  Uber might be a better idea.

 

If using a ride - and in the summer a half mile in HEAT is not fun - you may want to consider the FULL original Columbia in Ybor city. The Cafe has only a portion of the menu of the 'original' ... check the web site. For the original you really want a reservation btw  https://www.columbiarestaurant.com/ The full rest' is a mile away.

 

Alternately if using a ride anywho .... one of the best steak houses in the US and the rest' with possibly the largest wine collection is in Tampa. Bern's https://bernssteakhouse.com/ more than just a meal you can have a night of entertainment .. tour the kitchen and the on site wine cellar and after dinner move to the completely separate dessert room ....... <about 2.5 miles> again reservation is a must.

[bajathree]

Berns while an excellent restaurant doesn't exactly fall under the not to pricey category. Another suggestion if you are considering the "original" Columbia restaurant in Ybor would be their sister restaurant just a block away called Casa Santo Stefano.....excellent...better than even the "original" Columbia IMHO https://casasantostefano.com They are also well priced......make a reservation as they are always packed.

[TJ O'Pootertoot]

FWIW, sailing out of Tampa last year we ate at the Columbia in Ybor City and it was great - it felt like a real, unique (tourist?) Tampa thing to do. The food was good, the place was huge and we paid a few $ extra to see the flamenco show, which they do in one of the dining rooms.

 

Even if you're staying in the port area, it's only a couple of easy stops on the free trolley and IMHO, it's worth seeing Ybor City anyway.

[rncruiser]

Thanks all for your recommendations. 
We ended up at the Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City. The food and service were fantastic. We took the free trolley to get there and enjoyed that experience.