Best Romantic Dining in Tampa

With expansive terrace dining and views of Garrison Channel, Anchor and Brine is ideally located in the Tampa Marriott Water Street on the downtown Riverwalk. Mixed seating provides a variety of options from hanging out at the outdoor or indoor bars, traditional tables, and lounge seating. As the name indicates, the menu is focused on seafood and features a raw bar stocked with fresh oysters and their signature ceviche. Other seafood delicacies include grilled octopus, grouper, and pan seared scallops. The restaurant is open for lunch and dinner as well as brunch on the weekends. Popular with locals and hotel guests alike, this is the perfect spot to stop for a casual bite while you're out exploring Tampa's downtown attractions.

Set slightly away from the downtown bustle on Harbor Island, Jackson's Bistro features a large and sophisticated menu with dishes ranging from hand-rolled sushi to an oak-grilled NY strip steak. They are also known for their extensive wine list. The setting is romantic and upscale, featuring dark mahogany walls and candle-lit tables, but it's the views of Garrison Channel and the Tampa skyline that steal the show. If the weather is good, take advantage of their large outdoor terrace. Sunday brunch at Jackson's takes the buffet route, offering a turkey, ham and roast beef carving station, pasta station, sushi station and waffle bar.

Yacht Starship sails from Tampa's Channelside neighborhood and is billed as America's first three diamond rated dining yacht by AAA. Perfect for an intimate night out or a group celebration, Yacht Starship provides a three-course dinner while cruising the waters of beautiful Tampa Bay. Prepare for a sophisticated night out - there are spectacular views, private seating, table service and dancing under the stars. The menu changes seasonally, and although limited, takes advantage of many regional flavors and takes into account both gluten-free and vegetarian lifestyles. Public dinner cruises are offered most weekend nights, but there are also lunch cruises, party cruises and special event cruises on their schedule.

Understated elegance and a premiere dining experience await you at this celebrated restaurant. The décor sets the stage for romance with white-clad tables set with fresh roses, crystal and china. The perfect lead-in to the traditional Italian cuisine. Waiters in black tie deliver perfectly prepared osso buco, linguine with lobster, and poached salmon with shrimp and asparagus. You'll also find beef carpaccio, a grilled porterhouse and pasta with scallops and calamari. The extensive wine list, populated with numerous Italian vintages, ensures that you'll have a perfect complement to the meal. Finish off your dining experience with a divine dessert of profiteroles or Grand Marnier souffle.

Malio's has been a Tampa landmark since it opened in 1969. Reinvented in 2007 as Malio's Prime Steakhouse, the restaurant moved downtown and picked up where it left off as a Tampa favorite, but with updated décor and menu offerings. Malio's is frequented by Tampa's movers and shakers, from mayors to professional athletes, and was the favorite of late New York Yankee's owner, George Steinbrenner. As befitting the clientele, the dress code here is business casual. The décor is modern classic and the ambiance is very romantic with soft lighting and intimate seating. Take advantage of the views offered by Malio's location on the Hillsborough River by requesting to sit on the upper tier of the restaurant, or outside on their cigar-friendly patio.

Ciro's is a 1920s style speakeasy and they take their prohibition-era theme very seriously. In addition to the discrete entrance that is void of external signage or advertising, you must call ahead for the password to gain admittance. Once inside you are greeting by staff dressed for a 1920's night out who, for the most part, stay in character throughout the evening. As is befitting, specialty cocktails are their specialty. Expert barkeeps create mostly original concoctions that are both delicious and slightly dangerous. Their small but intriguing menu offers a variety of succulent entrees and some really interesting snack foods like their black truffle popcorn.

Sleek and sophisticated, Council Oak Steaks & Seafood is located in Tampa's Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino. A popular destination for prime steaks, fresh seafood and selections from the award winning wine list, the atmosphere is contemporary and upscale, and the service is second-to-none. The steaks at Council Oak are 100% U.S.D.A. prime, dry aged 21 to 28 days, and cut on-site in their own butcher shop. Seafood options include fresh and local fish, Alaskan King Crab legs and their custom saltwater tanks are filled with live Maine lobsters. Live entertainment is provided nightly Sunday - Thursday in the lounge which also offers a carefully curated menu of happy hour appetizers and craft cocktails. Reservations are recommended.

Mise en Place is an intimate, well-appointed restaurant located across from the University of Tampa. A pioneer of the chef-driven restaurant model, the signature of this bistro is the ever-rotating menu specializing in New American cuisine. You are almost guaranteed to find something you've never had before, like sous vide venison loin or mustard pecan crusted rack of lamb. The flavors reflect Chef Marty Blitz's creativity and love of food and Florida. Mise en Place offers a substantial cheese and charcuterie selection, as well as a decadent dessert menu that lists creations such as the molten chocolate beignet.

More than just a restaurant, the Columbia is a Tampa institution. Since 1905, this living history lesson has been serving some of the most authentic Spanish/Cuban food in Tampa Bay. The menu is expansive, spanning a wide array of traditional beef, pork, and seafood dishes made in the same way for generations. Today there are several locations in Florida, but the flagship restaurant is still located in the heart of Tampa's historic district, Ybor City. The building is a beautiful Spanish revival with Moorish influences and features hand-painted tiles, ornate antique furniture and rich fabrics throughout. The restaurant has been added on to over the years and now features 15 dining rooms that seat over 1,700 patrons and encompasses an entire city block. The Columbia even hosts Flamenco shows every evening except Sundays. No one forgets a night at the Columbia.

Bern's Steak House is one of Tampa's best-known restaurants. Family-owned since opening in 1956, this venerable steak house is legendary for its impeccable service, top-quality food, and incredible attention to detail. Guests rave about the aged, charcoal-grilled steaks, which are ordered according to weight and thickness. Each comes with a salad, onion soup, baked potato, garlic toast, onion rings, and organic vegetables, so bring your appetite. Many of the restaurant's vegetables are locally grown on the Bern's farm. In addition to steak, chicken, and seafood, vegetarian options are available. The wine list is astounding, consisting of one of the largest wine collections in the world featuring over 7000 vintages. After dinner, head to the Harry Waugh Dessert room for decadent desserts, after-dinner drinks and dancing. Jacket, tie and reservations are required.