Date night in Tampa: dinner, theaters, wine bars, late nights

Last checked Oct. 10, 2026. Every detail comes from the venue’s own website, linked with each entry. Hours change; check the link before you go. We list places, not rankings.

Tampa’s classic date nights are dinner in South Tampa or Ybor City, a show downtown and a nightcap with a view. Below are the venues, with the facts from their own pages. Seasonal ideas are on our Valentine’s Day page.

At a glance

• Dessert only: Bern’s Harry Waugh Dessert Room, reservations 6 to 6:45 p.m.
• Dinner and a show: Columbia Restaurant’s flamenco show, Ybor City
• Live jazz: Bouzy Jazz Thursdays, Hyde Park Village
• Latest: M.Bird’s rooftop, open until 3 a.m. on weekends

Dinner

• Bern’s Steak House, 1208 S. Howard Ave. The dining room is open 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday to Thursday, 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and closed Monday. The dress code is business casual to semi-formal; guests in more relaxed clothes may be seated in the lounge. The Harry Waugh Dessert Room seats guests in private booths built from old wine casks, and takes dessert-only reservations between 6 and 6:45 p.m. daily (dessert room).
• Columbia Restaurant, Ybor City, 2117 E. Seventh Ave. Opened in 1905, it now has 15 dining rooms across a city block. The flamenco dinner show is at 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday, with a second show at 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday; reservations are required and there is a cover charge for guests over 12 (flamenco show).
• Casa Santo Stefano, 1607 N. 22nd St., Ybor City, a Sicilian restaurant serving dinner daily from 4 to 10 p.m., with Santo’s Drinkeria open in the evenings and free parking in the Columbia lot across the street (Casa Santo Stefano).
• Ro, 1500 W. Swann Ave., Hyde Park, a modern Asian restaurant with a sushi bar, a chef’s omakase that requires reservations, and a tableside Peking duck dinner that takes three days to prepare (Ro).

Wine and cocktails

• Cru Cellars, 2506 S. MacDill Ave., opened in 2010, is a wine bar and shop specializing in small-production bottles, with food. The kitchen opens at 3 p.m. Monday to Friday and at 11 a.m. Saturday and Sunday (contact and hours).
• Bouzy, in Hyde Park Village, a “cocktail-first” restaurant, open until midnight Friday and Saturday. On Thursdays it hosts live jazz from 7 to 10 p.m. with seatings at 7 and 8:30 p.m. (Bouzy, Jazz Thursdays).

Shows

• Tampa Theatre, 711 N. Franklin St., the nonprofit movie palace that opened in 1926, shows films and hosts live events. Its 100th celebration is 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 15, free (Tampa Theatre, city listing).
• The Straz Center for the Performing Arts, downtown on the Riverwalk; see its calendar.
• Concert venues from The Ritz Ybor to the Hard Rock Event Center are in our live music and nightlife guide.

Late openings and views

• M.Bird, on the second floor of Armature Works, 1903 Market St.: rooftop dining with downtown and river views, then live DJs Thursday through Sunday, open until 3 a.m. on weekends (M.Bird).
• Armature Works, 1910 N. Ola Ave., is open until midnight Friday and Saturday, with the Riverwalk outside (hours).
• A walk on the Riverwalk costs nothing; see our Riverwalk guide.

What this means for you

• Bern’s is closed Mondays and has a dress code; the dessert room can be booked on its own.
• For dinner and a show in one place, book the Columbia’s flamenco seating.
• On a Thursday, pair Bouzy’s jazz with a walk in Hyde Park Village.

More: brunch in Tampa, Valentine’s Day and free things to do.

Frequently asked questions

What are Bern’s Steak House hours?

Bern’s dining room is open 5 to 10 p.m. Sunday and Tuesday through Thursday and 5 to 11 p.m. Friday and Saturday, and closed Monday. The dress code is business casual to semi-formal.

Can I go to the Bern’s dessert room without dinner?

Yes. The Harry Waugh Dessert Room takes dessert-only reservations between 6 and 6:45 p.m. daily. Diners with a dinner reservation do not need a separate one.

Where is there a wine bar in Tampa?

Cru Cellars, 2506 S. MacDill Ave., is a wine bar and shop specializing in small-production bottles, open from 3 p.m. weekdays and 11 a.m. on weekends. Call 813-831-1117.

Where can we see a show with dinner in Tampa?

The Columbia Restaurant in Ybor City runs a flamenco dinner show at 7 p.m. Monday to Saturday and 9:30 p.m. Friday and Saturday. Reservations are required.