During my tenure as the food and dining critic for the Tampa Bay Times, the local restaurant landscape has evolved tremendously. Over the past five and a half years, we’ve witnessed a pandemic-fueled takeout game give way to a boom in quick-service concepts. We’ve swapped out casual spots for white tablecloths and high-end tasting menus. And, through it all, we’ve witnessed inflation on the plate firsthand: We are paying more than ever for our food and drink.

Recently, hurricanes Helene and Milton unleashed a tough blow for Tampa Bay eateries, in particular violent storm surge that flooded some local spots. Add to that rising food and labor costs and one of the slowest summers in recent memory, and it’s not hard to see why we’ve lost more than a few beloved restaurants the past 12 months.

But the Tampa Bay hospitality world is fueled by an incredibly resilient bunch, and when things got tough, the local restaurant industry got to work, with fundraisers and relief drives for hospitality workers out of a jobin the wake of the storms. It’s been inspiring to watch chefs and restaurateurs respond with such tenacity. And as we wind down 2024, I can confidently say — after consuming hundreds of meals across the area — that Tampa Bay’s restaurant landscape is teeming with talent and ambition.

Over the past four months, I’ve dined at restaurants all across the area to compile this list, whichencompasses the very best places to eat right now. In a way, this list is the result of hundreds of meals, research and reporting from the past five years: Until now, I’ve never crafted a ranked list culled from eateries both new and old.

“Best of” lists can sometimes come off as stale or elitist, out of touch with how so many of us choose to dine. I wanted this list to feel more dynamic and approachable — a fluid and diverse collection of eateries that showcases how varied and endlessly creative our local restaurant game has become.

On my list of the Top 30 Restaurants in Tampa Bay, you’ll see quick-service spots sidling tasting menu-only restaurants, and intimate eateries sharing the spotlight with sandwich shops.

There are spots like Rocca, which five years in is still hitting it out of the park with creative, finessed takes on modern Italian cooking. The list includes several fine-dining destinations, like Koya and Ebbe, home to some of Tampa Bay’s most innovative fare and avant-garde technique. They’re creating a roadmap for more ambitious endeavors to come. And then there are restaurants like Calida in St. Petersburg and Tampa’s Lucky Tigre, newer eateries that excel with creative global flavors in small spaces while showcasing up-and-coming talent.

You’ll likely notice a few newcomers have been left off, places that hadn’t been open long enough to work out the kinks and fully hit their stride. That’s OK — I know they’ll get there, and I’m excited to see where they land on next year’s list.

You might also notice that some long-running classics are absent. This isn’t to say these spots aren’t good, but they perhaps didn’t feel quite as contemporary as their counterparts, the places that really represent the current state of Tampa Bay’s dining culture. (For our rundown of the area’s most iconic restaurants, see our list here.)

There’s still room for Tampa Bay’s restaurant scene to grow. But we’ve come a long way — as restaurant owners, as chefs and as diners. These 30 restaurants best define how we love to eat right now.

11. Allelo

Beach Drive NE is looking pretty good these days, and a lot of that has to do with two restaurants. One is Allelo; the other is Juno & The Peacock. Both are owned by Shawn and Jeanna Damkoehler, longtime Pinellas County residents who have taken it upon themselves to revamp several long-running properties along St. Petersburg’s tony downtown boulevard. Juno & The Peacock opened in August and is thereforetoo new to be included in this list.

But Allelo easily stands on its own and is every bit worth the hype. Culinary director Nick Ocando has created an upscale, loosely Mediterranean menu that hinges on shared plates, ranging from a steak tartare made tableside with Moroccan khobz bread to a cacio e peppe with Tuscan kale and mushrooms to a showstopper of a roasted cauliflower that’s dusted in za’atar and served with a garlicky gremolada. The restaurant also offers an excellent cocktail program and lengthy wine list curated by sommelier extraordinaire Michelle Richards — an ambitious and wildly creative collection consisting almost entirely of Old World selections.

Don’t skip: Beef tartare, cacio e pepe

300 Beach Drive N.E., No. 128, St. Petersburg. 727-851-9582. allelostpete.com

Text by Helen Freund, Times Staff

Article Link