Guidebook for Tampa
Food Scene
If you do not eat here, you are doing yourself a great disservice. It is an all-you-can-eat hibachi and sushi restaurant. All food is prepared fresh (no buffet-style), and it is all very delicious. Lunch is $12, Dinner is $20 (with a substantially larger menu). Can you order 10 rolls of sushi at once? Yes. Yes, you can. Go hungry.
Koizi Endless Hibachi & Sushi Eatery
17012 Palm Pointe DrIf you do not eat here, you are doing yourself a great disservice. It is an all-you-can-eat hibachi and sushi restaurant. All food is prepared fresh (no buffet-style), and it is all very delicious. Lunch is $12, Dinner is $20 (with a substantially larger menu). Can you order 10 rolls of sushi at once? Yes. Yes, you can. Go hungry.
My favorite restaurant in Tampa. This family-run restaurant offers authentic Ethiopian cuisine (mom manages, dad cooks, kids serve tables). I recommend the Queen's Sampler for the whole table. Be prepared to eat with your hands.
Queen of Sheba Ethiopian Restaurant
11001 N 56th StMy favorite restaurant in Tampa. This family-run restaurant offers authentic Ethiopian cuisine (mom manages, dad cooks, kids serve tables). I recommend the Queen's Sampler for the whole table. Be prepared to eat with your hands.
This restaurant is really fun, and the food is delicious. Try the Zigeuner Schnitzel! They also have a huge selection of beer. Monday night is trivia night, and sometimes they have live traditional German music on other nights. The local beer brewers club also meets here regularly.
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Mr. Dunderbak's Biergarten and Brewery
14929 Bruce B Downs BlvdThis restaurant is really fun, and the food is delicious. Try the Zigeuner Schnitzel! They also have a huge selection of beer. Monday night is trivia night, and sometimes they have live traditional German music on other nights. The local beer brewers club also meets here regularly.
Serves very good Jordanian food (similar to Turkish/Mediterranean food). Easy to order to-go but you can also dine in. Casual place.
Petra Express Mediterranean Cuisine
17503 Preserve Walk LnServes very good Jordanian food (similar to Turkish/Mediterranean food). Easy to order to-go but you can also dine in. Casual place.
Drinks & Nightlife
If you haven't been to Ybor City, you need to go. It is a historic neighborhood that was established by immigrants. Today, it is a diverse and cultural hot spot with quirky shops, good restaurants, and a vibrant nightlife. I like to tell people that they need to experience Ybor by day and Ybor by night; they're very different.
If you need a place to eat, there are plenty of restaurants. The historic Columbia Restaurant has been around for over a hundred years (may require reservations). Check out the Ybor Cider & Mead while you're there for an awesome sampling of local ciders. If you're looking to party, just walk down 7th Aveneue and take your pick of a wild assortment of places.
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Ybor City
If you haven't been to Ybor City, you need to go. It is a historic neighborhood that was established by immigrants. Today, it is a diverse and cultural hot spot with quirky shops, good restaurants, and a vibrant nightlife. I like to tell people that they need to experience Ybor by day and Ybor by night; they're very different.
If you need a place to eat, there are plenty of restaurants. The historic Columbia Restaurant has been around for over a hundred years (may require reservations). Check out the Ybor Cider & Mead while you're there for an awesome sampling of local ciders. If you're looking to party, just walk down 7th Aveneue and take your pick of a wild assortment of places.
It's kind of like a diver bar with arcades. They have a great selection of local beers.
24 lokal ang nagrerekomenda
Lowry Parcade & Tavern
1213 W Waters AveIt's kind of like a diver bar with arcades. They have a great selection of local beers.
Very lowkey bar on one of Ybor's side streets. They make lots of delicious ciders. The bartenders are really friendly and will let you sample what they have on tap. You can also get flights, which are fun. Usually tamer/quieter than any of the spots on 7th.
11 lokal ang nagrerekomenda
Cigar City Cider and Mead
1812 N 15th StVery lowkey bar on one of Ybor's side streets. They make lots of delicious ciders. The bartenders are really friendly and will let you sample what they have on tap. You can also get flights, which are fun. Usually tamer/quieter than any of the spots on 7th.
Neighborhood bar, about a mile from my apartment. They have pretty good cocktails. A little pricey (about $11 per cocktail).
The Fat Rabbit Pub
16029 Tampa Palms Blvd WNeighborhood bar, about a mile from my apartment. They have pretty good cocktails. A little pricey (about $11 per cocktail).
If you're looking to get "turnt" this is a good place to start. Ask for the Grade Ape.
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Gaspars Grotto's Sand Bar
1805 E 7th AveIf you're looking to get "turnt" this is a good place to start. Ask for the Grade Ape.
Sightseeing
Tampa's downtown Riverwalk connects some great spots along the river. It's a truly pretty walk with really nice views and some historic markers. I'd recommend starting on the south end (or maybe even just starting at Curtis Hixon Park) and working your way towards the Armature works for food!
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Tampa Riverwalk
Tampa RiverwalkTampa's downtown Riverwalk connects some great spots along the river. It's a truly pretty walk with really nice views and some historic markers. I'd recommend starting on the south end (or maybe even just starting at Curtis Hixon Park) and working your way towards the Armature works for food!
This is the historic Tampa Bay Hotel that was built by Henry B Plant. Plant built Florida's first railroads and used this hotel to drive tourism. Today, it's a museum and part of the University of Tampa campus. You'll get great views of it from the Tampa Riverwalk, but you can also stroll the grounds. Take the Kennedy Blvd bridge there if you are on the Riverwalk side.
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Museo ni Henry B. Plant
401 W Kennedy BlvdThis is the historic Tampa Bay Hotel that was built by Henry B Plant. Plant built Florida's first railroads and used this hotel to drive tourism. Today, it's a museum and part of the University of Tampa campus. You'll get great views of it from the Tampa Riverwalk, but you can also stroll the grounds. Take the Kennedy Blvd bridge there if you are on the Riverwalk side.
If you're looking for a real interesting cultural experience, check out the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks. This area was developed by Greek immigrants who established a sponging industry in this corner of Tampa Bay. Sponging, if you're not familiar, is the harvesting of deep sea sponges for household use. You can ask the locals all about it; they're so casually knowledgeable about it, it's awkward. While you're there, check out some of the great Greek restaurants and bakeries.
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Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks
735 Dodecanese BlvdIf you're looking for a real interesting cultural experience, check out the Tarpon Springs Sponge Docks. This area was developed by Greek immigrants who established a sponging industry in this corner of Tampa Bay. Sponging, if you're not familiar, is the harvesting of deep sea sponges for household use. You can ask the locals all about it; they're so casually knowledgeable about it, it's awkward. While you're there, check out some of the great Greek restaurants and bakeries.
Entertainment & Activities
Busch Gardens is a fun place with some really quality shows and lots of roller coasters. Tickets are pretty reasonably priced as far as theme parks go. This Busch Gardens is African-themed, so each area is themed after a different part of the African continent and there's a safari ride with actual animals.
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Busch Gardens
10165 McKinley DrBusch Gardens is a fun place with some really quality shows and lots of roller coasters. Tickets are pretty reasonably priced as far as theme parks go. This Busch Gardens is African-themed, so each area is themed after a different part of the African continent and there's a safari ride with actual animals.
Arts & Culture
This Thai Buddhist Temple hosts a public market on Sunday mornings (until around 1PM). It's hands-down one of my favorite things to do in Tampa. There is some great food that you can eat down by the river, you're supporting a vibrant local community, and you can even attend a Buddhist ceremony in the beautiful main temple building if you'd like. A very local experience.
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Templo ng Wat Mongkolrata
5306 Palm River RdThis Thai Buddhist Temple hosts a public market on Sunday mornings (until around 1PM). It's hands-down one of my favorite things to do in Tampa. There is some great food that you can eat down by the river, you're supporting a vibrant local community, and you can even attend a Buddhist ceremony in the beautiful main temple building if you'd like. A very local experience.
This is a bit out of the way, but you should definitely make it over to St Pete at least once if you have the time. The Dali Museum is one of the best curated museums I've been to. They have a stunning collection of surrealist works by Salvador Dali - the largest collection outside of Europe. The rotating exhibition usually puts his work alongside a contemporary of his. Afterwards, walk along Beach Drive and try to spot some dolphins.
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Dali Museum station
This is a bit out of the way, but you should definitely make it over to St Pete at least once if you have the time. The Dali Museum is one of the best curated museums I've been to. They have a stunning collection of surrealist works by Salvador Dali - the largest collection outside of Europe. The rotating exhibition usually puts his work alongside a contemporary of his. Afterwards, walk along Beach Drive and try to spot some dolphins.
Shopping
It's a nice mall with an outdoor area of restaurants and bars. It's a good place to go if you want to escape the heat or in the unlikely event that it's raining all day.
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International Plaza and Bay Street
2223 N Westshore BlvdIt's a nice mall with an outdoor area of restaurants and bars. It's a good place to go if you want to escape the heat or in the unlikely event that it's raining all day.
A pleasant outdoor mall with some good restaurants. There's a Red Robin if you're looking for decent burgers.
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The Shops at Wiregrass
28211 Paseo DriveA pleasant outdoor mall with some good restaurants. There's a Red Robin if you're looking for decent burgers.
Getting Around
This bus stop is a very short walk from my apartment. On weekdays, the bus stops every hour (starting at 6:40AM) and will take you downtown with stops at the University Area Transit Center, Marion Station Transit Center, and the Tampa International Airport.
Bruce B. Downs Blvd. @ Palm Springs Blvd.
This bus stop is a very short walk from my apartment. On weekdays, the bus stops every hour (starting at 6:40AM) and will take you downtown with stops at the University Area Transit Center, Marion Station Transit Center, and the Tampa International Airport.