Farah’s guidebook

Farah
Farah’s guidebook

Food scene

Stop By The Columbia Restaurant This Tampa institution is so important that it trumps everything else on this list. No matter what, be sure to stop at this Tampa landmark! Not only is the Columbia Restaurant one of the largest and most famous Spanish restaurants in the world, but it’s also the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Florida. Some of the best dishes at the Columbia are a traditional seafood dish called paella (pronounced like “pie-A-yuh”), the 1905 Salad (named for the year the Ybor City restaurant opened its doors), and the Cuban sandwich. Insider Tip: Live Flamenco dancers perform on various evenings at the Columbia Restaurant. Call ahead or check the website to find out when the traditional Spanish dancers are performing.
365 locals recommend
Columbia Restaurant
2117 E 7th Ave
365 locals recommend
Stop By The Columbia Restaurant This Tampa institution is so important that it trumps everything else on this list. No matter what, be sure to stop at this Tampa landmark! Not only is the Columbia Restaurant one of the largest and most famous Spanish restaurants in the world, but it’s also the oldest continuously operating restaurant in Florida. Some of the best dishes at the Columbia are a traditional seafood dish called paella (pronounced like “pie-A-yuh”), the 1905 Salad (named for the year the Ybor City restaurant opened its doors), and the Cuban sandwich. Insider Tip: Live Flamenco dancers perform on various evenings at the Columbia Restaurant. Call ahead or check the website to find out when the traditional Spanish dancers are performing.
Eat At Bern’s Steak House Since 1956, Bern’s Steak House has been one of the ritziest places in the Tampa area to eat a nice meal and enjoy fine wine. Bern’s Steakhouse has won many awards for its food, service, and overall atmosphere. Nation’s Restaurant News industry magazine rated Bern’s as a “Top-50 All-American Icon” and it has been rated very well according to Zagats. There’s also an expansive wine cellar at Bern’s — which you can tour after enjoying your meal. Bern’s Steak House is 1 of just 3 restaurants nationwide that currently host Winefest. Don’t forget to get some dessert. The private Harry Waugh Dessert Room is worth a stop by the restaurant itself! Insider Tip: A full meal can easily slip into the range of $50 to $100 per person here. But you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy a meal at Bern’s. There’s a “secret menu” steak sandwich that you can get for less than $15 at the bar.
384 locals recommend
Bern's Steak House
1208 S Howard Ave
384 locals recommend
Eat At Bern’s Steak House Since 1956, Bern’s Steak House has been one of the ritziest places in the Tampa area to eat a nice meal and enjoy fine wine. Bern’s Steakhouse has won many awards for its food, service, and overall atmosphere. Nation’s Restaurant News industry magazine rated Bern’s as a “Top-50 All-American Icon” and it has been rated very well according to Zagats. There’s also an expansive wine cellar at Bern’s — which you can tour after enjoying your meal. Bern’s Steak House is 1 of just 3 restaurants nationwide that currently host Winefest. Don’t forget to get some dessert. The private Harry Waugh Dessert Room is worth a stop by the restaurant itself! Insider Tip: A full meal can easily slip into the range of $50 to $100 per person here. But you don’t need to break the bank to enjoy a meal at Bern’s. There’s a “secret menu” steak sandwich that you can get for less than $15 at the bar.

Amusement park

Visit Busch Gardens Since Busch Gardens Tampa opened in 1959 as a visitor center for people touring the onsite Anheuser-Busch brewery, the park has grown by leaps and bounds to become one of the top entertainment destinations in Florida. While the park’s Anheuser-Busch brewery is long gone, Busch Gardens now features more than 300 acres of exotic African animals (take the Serengeti Safari tour), world-class shows (be sure you catch Iceploration), and dozens of thrilling rides. In fact, the park is a hot spot for roller coaster vacationers and enthusiasts. Busch Gardens Tampa features a classic Anton Schwarzkopf roller coaster called Scorpion; several popular Bollinger & Mabillard roller coasters including Kumba, Montu, and SheiKra; and Cheetah Hunt, an Intamin triple-launch roller coaster. One of the park’s newest rides is another record-breaking Intamin ride called Falcon’s Fury, a 335-foot-tall drop tower that plunges riders to the Earth face first. This is one of the scariest rides I’ve ever been on. If you’re visiting Tampa in the spring or summer, be sure to check out Adventure Island, the Busch Gardens water park located just 1 block to the east. Insider Tip: If you’re going to Busch Gardens during a busy time of the year (spring break, summer, or the holidays), then get to the park when they first open and ride the most popular rides first — such as Falcon’s Fury, Kumba, SheiKra, and Montu.
2168 locals recommend
Busch Gardens
10165 McKinley Dr
2168 locals recommend
Visit Busch Gardens Since Busch Gardens Tampa opened in 1959 as a visitor center for people touring the onsite Anheuser-Busch brewery, the park has grown by leaps and bounds to become one of the top entertainment destinations in Florida. While the park’s Anheuser-Busch brewery is long gone, Busch Gardens now features more than 300 acres of exotic African animals (take the Serengeti Safari tour), world-class shows (be sure you catch Iceploration), and dozens of thrilling rides. In fact, the park is a hot spot for roller coaster vacationers and enthusiasts. Busch Gardens Tampa features a classic Anton Schwarzkopf roller coaster called Scorpion; several popular Bollinger & Mabillard roller coasters including Kumba, Montu, and SheiKra; and Cheetah Hunt, an Intamin triple-launch roller coaster. One of the park’s newest rides is another record-breaking Intamin ride called Falcon’s Fury, a 335-foot-tall drop tower that plunges riders to the Earth face first. This is one of the scariest rides I’ve ever been on. If you’re visiting Tampa in the spring or summer, be sure to check out Adventure Island, the Busch Gardens water park located just 1 block to the east. Insider Tip: If you’re going to Busch Gardens during a busy time of the year (spring break, summer, or the holidays), then get to the park when they first open and ride the most popular rides first — such as Falcon’s Fury, Kumba, SheiKra, and Montu.

Museum

See the Museum Of Science & Industry If you’re traveling with children who love science then you’ll definitely want to check out the Museum of Science & Industry. There are over 450 hands-on activities! Located just about a mile northeast of Busch Garden, MOSI is the largest science center in the Southeast United States. MOSI hosts various traveling exhibits. In addition, some of its permanent showcases include: • a hurricane wind simulator • a natural disaster exhibit • a planetarium • a children’s interactive exhibit that gives kids a hands-on place to learn about physics, the environment, technology, and more. MOSI also has an IMAX dome theater where science-related films and even some first-run movies play to large audiences. Insider Tip: While you’ll often find entire busloads of children touring the museum during the typical school year (late August through early June), weekdays are still the best time to go if you want to avoid the really big crowds which usually hit the museum during the weekends.
310 locals recommend
Museum of Science and Industry
4801 E Fowler Ave
310 locals recommend
See the Museum Of Science & Industry If you’re traveling with children who love science then you’ll definitely want to check out the Museum of Science & Industry. There are over 450 hands-on activities! Located just about a mile northeast of Busch Garden, MOSI is the largest science center in the Southeast United States. MOSI hosts various traveling exhibits. In addition, some of its permanent showcases include: • a hurricane wind simulator • a natural disaster exhibit • a planetarium • a children’s interactive exhibit that gives kids a hands-on place to learn about physics, the environment, technology, and more. MOSI also has an IMAX dome theater where science-related films and even some first-run movies play to large audiences. Insider Tip: While you’ll often find entire busloads of children touring the museum during the typical school year (late August through early June), weekdays are still the best time to go if you want to avoid the really big crowds which usually hit the museum during the weekends.
The Tampa Museum of Art’s transformative expansion plan for its downtown Tampa campus will add a crystalline, four-story structure to the waterfront, significantly enhancing the visitor experience and expanding the Museum’s education and event spaces. When completed in 2024, the expansion will include a site redevelopment and add approximately 51,000 square feet of new space along the Hillsborough River to its 25,000 square foot renovation currently underway to double its exhibition spaces and triple its education spaces.
265 locals recommend
Tampa Museum of Art
120 W Gasparilla Plaza
265 locals recommend
The Tampa Museum of Art’s transformative expansion plan for its downtown Tampa campus will add a crystalline, four-story structure to the waterfront, significantly enhancing the visitor experience and expanding the Museum’s education and event spaces. When completed in 2024, the expansion will include a site redevelopment and add approximately 51,000 square feet of new space along the Hillsborough River to its 25,000 square foot renovation currently underway to double its exhibition spaces and triple its education spaces.

Sports

Take In A Game Tampa has long been a sports town. We have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football, Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer, and Tampa Bay Lightning professional hockey teams. We host New York Yankees spring training baseball games. And we have our very own University of South Florida Bulls football and basketball teams, too. The area has also hosted an array of other sporting events, not to mention a handful of Super Bowl games, dragon boat racing, Red Bull Flugtag competitions. Insider Tip: If you’re going to an outdoor sporting event, be sure to dress accordingly for the weather. We aren’t always basking in the sun with temperatures hovering in the balmy 80-to-85 degree range. I’ve sat in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers home game where the temperatures were dropping into the low 40s on the ground, and the air felt much colder as the wind picked up in the peanut gallery where I was sitting. At another Bucs home game, the heat (in December) soared past a very oppressive feels-like temperature of 90 degrees. Beware, summertime usually brings daily thunderstorms in the afternoons.
555 locals recommend
Raymond James Stadium
4201 N Dale Mabry Hwy
555 locals recommend
Take In A Game Tampa has long been a sports town. We have the Tampa Bay Buccaneers football, Tampa Bay Rowdies soccer, and Tampa Bay Lightning professional hockey teams. We host New York Yankees spring training baseball games. And we have our very own University of South Florida Bulls football and basketball teams, too. The area has also hosted an array of other sporting events, not to mention a handful of Super Bowl games, dragon boat racing, Red Bull Flugtag competitions. Insider Tip: If you’re going to an outdoor sporting event, be sure to dress accordingly for the weather. We aren’t always basking in the sun with temperatures hovering in the balmy 80-to-85 degree range. I’ve sat in a Tampa Bay Buccaneers home game where the temperatures were dropping into the low 40s on the ground, and the air felt much colder as the wind picked up in the peanut gallery where I was sitting. At another Bucs home game, the heat (in December) soared past a very oppressive feels-like temperature of 90 degrees. Beware, summertime usually brings daily thunderstorms in the afternoons.

Sightseeing

Walk Or Bike Along Bayshore Boulevard One of the most scenic routes anywhere in Tampa is Bayshore Boulevard. Its sidewalk is 4.5 miles long, making it the world’s longest continuous sidewalk. Along the path is a linear park and miles of stunning, waterfront views overlooking Hillsborough Bay. On the land side of Bayshore Boulevard are dozens of grandiose old and historic homes that belong to some of Tampa’s wealthiest residents. Insider Tip: Morning jogs and bike rides are great to catch the sunrise, but come rush hour (between 7 to 9 AM and 4 to 6 PM) the rush of cars may make for a less-than-pleasant trip down the scenic boulevard. Time your Bayshore Boulevard trek accordingly if you don’t want hundreds — possibly thousands — of motorists whizzing by you.
222 locals recommend
Bayshore Boulevard
Bayshore Boulevard
222 locals recommend
Walk Or Bike Along Bayshore Boulevard One of the most scenic routes anywhere in Tampa is Bayshore Boulevard. Its sidewalk is 4.5 miles long, making it the world’s longest continuous sidewalk. Along the path is a linear park and miles of stunning, waterfront views overlooking Hillsborough Bay. On the land side of Bayshore Boulevard are dozens of grandiose old and historic homes that belong to some of Tampa’s wealthiest residents. Insider Tip: Morning jogs and bike rides are great to catch the sunrise, but come rush hour (between 7 to 9 AM and 4 to 6 PM) the rush of cars may make for a less-than-pleasant trip down the scenic boulevard. Time your Bayshore Boulevard trek accordingly if you don’t want hundreds — possibly thousands — of motorists whizzing by you.

Events

Enjoy A Triple Treat If You’re Here In February! February is a jubilant time of year for Tampa residents. First, the Gasparilla pirate festival storms into town. Legendary pirate Jose Gaspar will shiver your timbers as he and his motley crew of hooligans march down scenic Bayshore Boulevard and aim to take over the city. Thankfully, the pirates show a little mercy to the 500,000 spectators. They throw countless strings of beads and other booty as the march past in their bedazzled boats, floats, and other vessels. Within days of the Gasparilla Pirate festival is the start of the Florida State Fair — a major regional event that draws hundreds of thousands of attendees from every state. After you hit up the rides, games, and shows at the Florida State Fair, don’t forget to check out the old-time merriment of the Tampa Bay Renaissance Festival — which unfolds over the course of several weeks adjacent to MOSI. It’s one of the largest such events in the Southeast. Make sure you check out the live jousting event! Insider Tip: While attending Gasparilla is free (except for parking), the Florida State Fair and Tampa Bay Renaissance Festival do have admission charges. You can save a bundle if you purchase tickets online before the events start.
313 locals recommend
Tampa
313 locals recommend
Enjoy A Triple Treat If You’re Here In February! February is a jubilant time of year for Tampa residents. First, the Gasparilla pirate festival storms into town. Legendary pirate Jose Gaspar will shiver your timbers as he and his motley crew of hooligans march down scenic Bayshore Boulevard and aim to take over the city. Thankfully, the pirates show a little mercy to the 500,000 spectators. They throw countless strings of beads and other booty as the march past in their bedazzled boats, floats, and other vessels. Within days of the Gasparilla Pirate festival is the start of the Florida State Fair — a major regional event that draws hundreds of thousands of attendees from every state. After you hit up the rides, games, and shows at the Florida State Fair, don’t forget to check out the old-time merriment of the Tampa Bay Renaissance Festival — which unfolds over the course of several weeks adjacent to MOSI. It’s one of the largest such events in the Southeast. Make sure you check out the live jousting event! Insider Tip: While attending Gasparilla is free (except for parking), the Florida State Fair and Tampa Bay Renaissance Festival do have admission charges. You can save a bundle if you purchase tickets online before the events start.

Sun and Sand

Clearwater Beach is a very popular and busy beach that has been voted the "Best Beach Town in Florida" by USA Today readers. In addition to meticulously groomed beaches and tons of beach amenities, Clearwater Beach offers many additional attractions. Fishing, dolphin-watching and leisure charters are available close-by. You can also visit the famous dolphin, Winter, who lives at the nearby Clearwater Aquarium. Some of the best seafood restaurants in the Tampa Bay area are found here including perennial favorite, Frenchy's. There are also a wide variety of clubs and nightlife including two-story dance club, The Wave, at Shepherd's Beach Resort. There are always events going on and every evening people gather at The Pier to take part in the sunset celebration that includes entertainment and a craft market.
1870 locals recommend
Clearwater Beach
Gulf of Mexico Drive
1870 locals recommend
Clearwater Beach is a very popular and busy beach that has been voted the "Best Beach Town in Florida" by USA Today readers. In addition to meticulously groomed beaches and tons of beach amenities, Clearwater Beach offers many additional attractions. Fishing, dolphin-watching and leisure charters are available close-by. You can also visit the famous dolphin, Winter, who lives at the nearby Clearwater Aquarium. Some of the best seafood restaurants in the Tampa Bay area are found here including perennial favorite, Frenchy's. There are also a wide variety of clubs and nightlife including two-story dance club, The Wave, at Shepherd's Beach Resort. There are always events going on and every evening people gather at The Pier to take part in the sunset celebration that includes entertainment and a craft market.
One of the few untouched islands along the Gulf Coast, Caladesi Island State Park is accessible only by boat, but is worth the extra effort. Whether it is a stroll along the island’s pristine beaches or a kayak trip through the bayside mangrove forest, a trip to Caladesi Island is an unforgettable experience. Take a nature trail walk to the historic Scharrer Homestead through the island’s interior and listen to the ocean breeze whisper through old-growth slash pines and feel the embrace of expansive live oaks. Florida Beach Services Florida Beach Services operates Cafe Caladesi, offering casual beach fare such as fish and chips, burgers and fruit smoothies. The cafe has a small gift shop and is located steps away from the ferry dock. Beach chairs, beach umbrellas and kayaks are available for rent. For more information on prices, visit Florida Beach Services or call 727-443-4369. Park closes at sunset for the general public. For private events, special arrangements can be made at South Beach Pavilion by calling 727-260-5503. Caladesi Island Ferry Ferry service to Caladesi Island State Park is provided by the Caladesi Island Ferry, 727-734-1501.
192 locals recommend
Caladesi Island State Park
192 locals recommend
One of the few untouched islands along the Gulf Coast, Caladesi Island State Park is accessible only by boat, but is worth the extra effort. Whether it is a stroll along the island’s pristine beaches or a kayak trip through the bayside mangrove forest, a trip to Caladesi Island is an unforgettable experience. Take a nature trail walk to the historic Scharrer Homestead through the island’s interior and listen to the ocean breeze whisper through old-growth slash pines and feel the embrace of expansive live oaks. Florida Beach Services Florida Beach Services operates Cafe Caladesi, offering casual beach fare such as fish and chips, burgers and fruit smoothies. The cafe has a small gift shop and is located steps away from the ferry dock. Beach chairs, beach umbrellas and kayaks are available for rent. For more information on prices, visit Florida Beach Services or call 727-443-4369. Park closes at sunset for the general public. For private events, special arrangements can be made at South Beach Pavilion by calling 727-260-5503. Caladesi Island Ferry Ferry service to Caladesi Island State Park is provided by the Caladesi Island Ferry, 727-734-1501.