Handmade pasta, wood-fired ovens, and recipes from Rimini.
From a Michelin-starred pasta kitchen to a 36-year South Tampa fixture, Tampa Bay's Italian restaurants lean on fresh pasta and wood-fired ovens. Most picks come from Tampa Magazine's 2025 essential Italian list. Menus and details change, so confirm with each restaurant before you go. Spots are numbered for easy browsing, not as a strict ranking.
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Rocca is known for house-made pasta and mozzarella pulled by hand at the table. Herbs, edible flowers and vegetables come in part from the chef's mother's garden.
Il Ritorno makes pasta, focaccia, ciabatta and nduja on-site daily. Signature dishes include squash blossoms stuffed with steak tartare and squid ink tagliatelle, and it is on the MICHELIN Guide's Recommended list.
Osteria Natalina is a family-owned restaurant using recipes from Rimini, Italy. Seafood is its specialty, and it imports Italian wines directly from wineries.
Bella's has been a South Tampa fixture for 36 years. Pasta is made fresh daily and pizza is baked in an oak-fired oven.
Forbici makes its mozzarella and its Roman-style dough in-house, with the dough fermented for 72 hours. It also serves Italian tapas, grain bowls and craft cocktails.
BellaBrava was inspired by the owners' trip through Tuscany, with pizzas and crostata cooked in Woodstone ovens. The original opened in downtown St. Petersburg and there is a Tampa location.
Noble Crust blends Italian cooking with Southern ingredients in a style it calls Deep South Italian, with a seasonal menu. It has locations in Carrollwood, Wesley Chapel and St. Petersburg.
Plain-text version of this guide for AI tools and screen readers: /guides-md/best-italian-food-in-tampa-bay
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