Try These Amazing Restaurants in Channelside and Water Street

Fabrica

Fabrica is one of our favorite pizza places and one of our top restaurants in Channelside. They serve Neopolitan-style pizza, with top-quality and unique ingredients.  Their pizza crust is burnt perfectly on the edges, making this your next new craving! We recommend the Verdura pizza with oven-roasted broccolini, whipped ricotta, baby spinach, and extra virgin olive oil. Ttry out the Funghi – with oven-roasted mushrooms, rosemary, and sweet & sour onions.

Cena

Cena is a luxurious Italian restaurant in the Grand Central area of Channelside Tampa. This spot has an intimate and chic ambiance – with light teal neon lights and modern furniture.

Visiting this spot before or after seeing a Stageworks show is a must-try weekend plan! If you’re looking for a menu recommendation, you can’t miss their Wagyu Braised Short Rib. This quality cut is served with an out-of-this-world gorgonzola red wine risotto and caramelized onions!

Bamboozle

Bamboozle is a modern Vietnamese fast-casual spot in the heart of Channelside. Known for their fresh rolls and amazing Pho, their successful Downtown location has expanded to the Channelside area. Craving some comfort food? You can’t go wrong with Pho. They have seafood, shrimp, vegan, beef, and chicken options! Bamboozle is the perfect place for your next date night tradition to enjoy some good food, and even sip on some wine!

The Poke Company

Park & Rec

La La's Sangria Bar

La La’s Sangria Bar is a delicious and fun addition to our favorite restaurants in Channelside. This fine-dining restaurant serves a mix of hot and chilled tapas to share. Their Spanish fare is known for being super flavorful and handcrafted.

We recommend ordering a couple of their tapas, but especially their cheeseboard. Their quality selection is served with mixed olives, flatbread pieces, and olive oil. Try this with their sangria flight and you’ll be set for date night!   You get to choose three flavors – ranging from classic to tropical or dark cherry chocolate!

Maloney's Local Irish Pub Downtown

District Tavern

District Tavern is a great spot downtown across from Duckweed Grocery. This is a local sports bar with a great menu with options for everyone.  This is perfect for families or spur-of-the-moment weeknight meals!

Does Margherita Flatbread sound like a dream right now? With fresh marinara, mozzarella, and basil – we think so! Join them Monday through Friday for their happy hour from 3:00pm- 6:00pm, for brunch on Saturdays and Sundays from 11:00am-3:00pm with bottomless mimosas! If you’re a sports fan, you have to go for Monday Night Football, or if you’re looking for a night of fun, bring your friends for trivia night on Wednesday at 7:00pm.

The Battery

Looking for a new spot to try? The Battery is a great option! This new restaurant brings the element of fine dining to the already fun and exciting Sparkman Wharf. They pride themselves on their fine bourbon and exquisite wine– but we can’t forget about the food! Their elegant plates will leave you drooling.

If you’re celebrating a birthday or special occasion, call and reserve the Den (their private room) and get a custom cake from their pastry team! Also, stop by on Sundays from 11:00am-3:00pm for a unique brunch menu.

Jotoro

It’s time for tacos, tequila, and a totally good time. Right on the main corner of Sparkman Wharf, JoToro is known for its wood-fired tacos and, get ready for it: MARGARITA FLIGHTS. They are customizable and so so good! What else can you need? JoToro is the perfect spot for a casual date night, or can accommodate groups of up to 200 guests! Head on over for Sunday brunch from 11:00am- 2:00pm to try the Churro French Toast– it’s as good as it sounds!

Splitsville at Sparkman Wharf

At Splitsville, you can enjoy your meal with a side of bowling. But, if you’re not into bowling, you can just hang out with a great dinner and some arcade games! A quick tip: ski balls and darts are free!

Not only is the ambiance fun, but the food is surprisingly amazing! They’ve even cooked for Oprah before! Check out their “Kitchen Table” meal, where you pick and choose a platter of three sides.  We recommend the mac and cheese, yummy cornbread, and crisped-to-perfection house-cooked chips. Their Loaded Fries with gooey cheese are delicious too! This is one of the most checkout places in the Channelside for sure.

BurgerFi

BurgerFi conveniently opened a location in Sparkman Warf to satisfy all your burger cravings. BurgerFi is committed to providing the best burger experience around. They serve delicious, fresh food, including their mouth-watering truffle fries or their beer-battered onion rings.

We LOVE that BurgerFi is an eco-friendly establishment. Good for the environment and good for our stomachs? Also, a good place to eat in Channelside? Sign us up!

7th and Grove South

It’s time for perfect southern comfort food at 7th and Grove South, one of our must-visit restaurants in Channelside. Be immersed in the culture and ambiance by enjoying fresh meals such as Jerk chicken bites and mac n cheese bites. Have a drink and relax with tasty mimosas on Sundays! We recommend you save room for their dessert– “save room,” for the perfect amount of cinnamon, caramel, and roasted pecans.

Gallito Taqueria

Anchor and Brine

Columbia Cafe

Located in the Tampa Bay History Center, the Columbia Cafe is a fresh and classy spot for an authentic Cuban meal. With patio seating overlooking the Riverwalk – the vibe is very serene. We recommend visiting with friends or family to catch up over an amazing Cuban meal. Do not miss their original “1905” salad, served tableside. Check out their list of Tapas that includes fried sweet plantains, calamari, and empanadas! We can’t get enough of their plantains and their classic Cuban sandwich, which was so big, it could’ve easily been shared with two people! If you’re feeling like trying something truly authentic, get the Gambas “Al Ajillo” – we dream of this dish!

Driftlight Steakhouse

Have you ever tried French onion soup? This restaurant on Water Street has our favorite version of French onion soup. If you have, this soup will blow your mind. It’s SO tasty! Just a short walk away from the Amalie Arena, making this restaurant in Water Street the perfect pre-game spot. Order a few margaritas and carrot cake (may sound like a weird combo, but delicious nonetheless). It’s by far the BEST carrot cake we’ve ever tried, it has subtle hints of goat cheese in the layers of frosting. If you’re not a fan of carrot cake, maybe try the key lime pie or the famous Nutella basque cheesecake – so yummy! Next time you’re near Water Street, definitely give this place a shot.

Naked Farmer

Want to enjoy a great meal but don’t want to feel guilty about it? Naked Farmer is the place for you. Enjoy eating clean with no artificial coloring, flavoring, sweeteners, etc. We LOVE their mission to provide fresh food from local farms right to our plates! Located in Sparkman Wharf, stop by Naked Farmer for their build-your-own bowl, basket, or even family meals! We recommend their roasted sweat potatoes– we can’t get enough of them!

wagamama

Whether you’re looking to have a self-care day and enjoy some comfort food, or if you’re trying to find the perfect date night restaurants on Water Street, we couldn’t recommend wagamama more! There are more than a few things we love about the place: how cute it is, how friendly the servers are, and how absolutely incredible the food is!

If we had to choose ONE item from their menu, it would have to be the spicy salmon noodles. BUT, thank goodness we don’t have to choose just one because we recommend the Korean barbecue beef bao, Toyko fries, and the bang bang cauli. Their craft cocktails is another topic, you seriously can’t go wrong with anything on the cocktail menu. We tried the blossom, kabira bay, yuzy, and aviation, and we love all of them!

Boulon Brasserie

If you’re wondering whether or not the food is good at Boulon Brasserie, the answer is yes. It’s amazing! It might be due to the fact that one of the chefs used to work with Gordon Ramsey and another chef worked at Bern’s. You can only expect the best! Crab beignets are a must-try, the risotto is out of this world, and even if you don’t get a reservation (which we suggest), you’ll be seated at the bar with just as great experience.