Raymond James Stadium
Make a Buccaneers or USF game a full day out. Plan a meal in West Tampa, then settle in at a TV stop in Tampa Heights or SoHo.
Benchmark International Arena
Make a Lightning game a full evening, with restaurants within a quarter mile of the arena and a hockey bar a few blocks away.
Suncoast Credit Union Field
Watch Sun FC pro women's soccer beside the Hillsborough River, then eat or drink at Stones Throw or Armature Works within a quarter mile.
Hattricks
Hattricks is the hockey bar of downtown Tampa, an Irish pub and sports room on South Franklin Street that has been there for years and fills before and after everything at the arena. Its own description is the number one spot for Lightning pregame parties, postgame celebrations, and any concert or event at the arena or the convention center. The posted closing time is honest about how that works: eleven in the morning until as late as three, according to volume.
BellyUp! Tampa / Sports
Sports & Game Day Tampa
Pro and college venues, nearby food and drinks, and places to watch on TV.
4 spots
Cousin Vinny's Sandwich Co.
Cousin Vinny's Sandwich Co. is a single-location sandwich shop on West Cass Street, started by what its own site calls 'a group of paisans originally from New York looking to share their passion for quality New York inspired sandwiches with the Tampa Bay community'. The shop was added to the MICHELIN Guide in the 2025 Florida selection and kept its place in 2026, and Creative Loafing reported it would appear on Guy Fieri's Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.
Predalina
Predalina is a waterfront Mediterranean restaurant and lounge on East Cumberland Avenue in the Water Street district, a concept by Oxford Commons. It runs dinner, dessert, weekend brunch and a full cocktail and spirit-free drinks list, and it is one of the few MICHELIN-listed rooms in Tampa that stays open past midnight, to 1am on Friday and Saturday. It has been MICHELIN Recommended in both the 2025 and 2026 Florida selections.
The Brisket Shoppe
The Brisket Shoppe is a Texas-style barbecue counter on North Armenia Avenue in West Tampa run by pitmaster Danny Hernandez, who smokes hand-selected Akaushi wagyu brisket daily over locally sourced oak. The board also carries heritage turkey breast, Cheshire pork ribs and house sausages, with local craft beer and wine alongside. The kitchen states its rules flatly: 'No Freezers. No Microwave. Chef Driven.' It serves Wednesday through Saturday from 11am until the meat runs out, and entered the MICHELIN Guide for the first time in the 2026 Florida selection.
The Pearl
The Pearl is a restaurant, tavern and oyster bar in the Water Street district, serving made-from-scratch entrees, shareable plates and seasonal oysters with a long cocktail and beer list. It runs lunch on weekdays, brunch at weekends and dinner seven days, with a weekday happy hour from 2pm to 5pm. Its own site records inclusion in the 2024 through 2026 MICHELIN Guide.
What these spots are known for
The same sports spots, sorted by the reasons people actually pick them.
Origin Stories
Who built this and why?
Big Groups
Will they seat twelve of us?
Rooftops and Patios
Can we sit outside?
Waterfront Dining
Can I eat next to the water?
Private Dining and Buyouts
Can we take a room?
Neighborhood Institutions
What has been here forever?
Late-Night Food
What is still open?
Vegan and Plant-Based
Where can I eat with no asterisks?
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