Tampa weather is built for eating outside, and the city’s Italian spots have some of the best patios going, from breezy village courtyards to a rooftop over Ybor. These are the outdoor Italian restaurants in Tampa worth planning a night around, the ones where the patio is the point and not an afterthought. Below are six picks across Hyde Park, Ybor City, Davis Islands, and SoHo, each with a real outdoor space, verified hours, the neighborhood, and what to order once you are settled in with a glass of something cold.
| Restaurant | Neighborhood | The patio | Price | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Forbici Modern Italian | Hyde Park Village | Big fan-cooled village patio | $$ | Sun-Wed 11am-10pm, later Thu-Sat |
| Casa Santo Stefano | Ybor City | Indoor-outdoor rooftop, Santo’s Drinkeria | $$ | 11am-10pm daily |
| Timpano Hyde Park | Hyde Park Village | Front patio for people-watching | $$$ | Mon-Wed 11am-10pm, later Thu-Sat |
| Oggi Italian | Davis Islands | Lit, partly covered patio | $$$ | Wed-Sun dinner, closed Tue |
| Bella’s Italian Cafe | SoHo | Sidewalk tables on Howard | $$ | Mon-Thu 11:30am-10:30pm, Fri-Sat to midnight |
| Bernini of Ybor | Ybor City | Sidewalk tables on 7th Avenue | $$$ | Mon-Thu 11:30am-10pm, Fri-Sat to 11pm |
Outdoor Italian Restaurants in Tampa
Forbici Modern Italian
Forbici anchors a corner of Hyde Park Village, and its patio is one of the easiest places in Tampa to eat outside in summer, shaded and cooled by a row of giant fans so the heat never runs you off. The kitchen does modern Italian built around Roman-style pizza, cut with scissors (that is the forbici), on a light, airy square crust. Claim a patio table, order a pie and a spritz, and watch the village go by.
Casa Santo Stefano
This Sicilian restaurant sits in a restored 1925 macaroni factory in Ybor, but the outdoor move is upstairs at Santo’s Drinkeria, an indoor-outdoor rooftop that opens at 5pm for cocktails, Sicilian street food, and dessert. Downstairs the kitchen turns out arancini, hand-cut pasta, and wood-oven dishes rooted in the neighborhood’s Sicilian history. Eat dinner below, then take the garden-side stairs up to the roof for a nightcap in the open air.
Timpano Hyde Park
A few doors from Forbici, Timpano is the dressier Hyde Park option, an Italian kitchen and chophouse that shifts into a buzzy cocktail bar after dark. Its front patio is the prime people-watching seat in the village, strung along the main walk where the whole crowd passes. Come for a long patio lunch or an evening of rigatoni and martinis with the village lit up around you.
Oggi Italian
Oggi on Davis Islands is the romantic one, a small upscale Italian where the partly covered patio is strung with warm lights and feels a world away from the street. The kitchen keeps it tight and seasonal, burrata, house-made pasta, grilled octopus. The room is small and fills fast, so book a patio table rather than chance a walk-in. Closed Tuesdays, and dinner only.
Bella's Italian Cafe
Bella’s has been the SoHo neighborhood Italian for decades, with pasta and pizza dough made fresh in-house and a string of sidewalk tables on Howard Avenue for eating in the open. It is unfussy and dependable, the place you land on a weeknight without a plan. Take an outside table, order the Genoa pizza or whatever pasta special is running, and watch the SoHo foot traffic.
Bernini of Ybor
Set in a grand former bank building on Ybor’s 7th Avenue, Bernini pairs classic Italian, eggplant rollatini, shrimp scampi, chicken parm, with sidewalk tables right on the main strip. The outdoor seats put you in the middle of Ybor’s historic stretch, best for an early dinner before the bars take over and the street gets loud. It is an old-school sit-down that has held its corner for years.
Best for…
Best for beating the summer heat
Tampa summers are no joke, so the patios with shade and airflow win. Forbici runs giant fans over its Hyde Park patio that keep it usable even in August, and Casa Santo Stefano’s rooftop catches whatever breeze is moving over Ybor once the sun drops. Both let you eat outside without melting into your plate.
Best for a date night outdoors
Oggi on Davis Islands is the one to book for a romantic dinner under the lights. The patio is small, partly covered, and quiet enough to actually talk. Timpano in Hyde Park is the livelier runner-up, with cocktails and a front-row patio on the village walk.
Best for a casual lunch al fresco
For an easy midday meal outside, Bella’s puts you on Howard in the thick of SoHo, and Bernini’s sidewalk tables on 7th Avenue are pure Ybor. Both are walk-in friendly and good for a slow pizza or pasta while the neighborhood goes about its day.
Frequently asked questions
When is the best time of year for outdoor Italian dining in Tampa?
October through April is the sweet spot, when the humidity drops and patio season is at its best. Summer still works at night, especially on shaded or fan-cooled patios like Forbici’s or Casa Santo Stefano’s rooftop, but plan for an after-sundown table and expect some heat. Most of these patios stay open year-round.
Which outdoor Italian restaurant in Tampa has the best patio for a special night?
Oggi on Davis Islands is the top pick for a dressed-up dinner outside, with a small, lit, partly covered patio that feels private. Casa Santo Stefano’s rooftop in Ybor is a close second for something a little more lively. Both take reservations, and you should use them for an outdoor table.
Do I need a reservation to sit on the patio?
For Oggi, yes, the patio is small and books out fast, so reserve. Casa Santo Stefano and Timpano take reservations too and are worth booking on weekends. Bella’s, Bernini, and Forbici run more on walk-ins, though a Friday or Saturday patio table at any of them is still smart to call ahead for.
Which Tampa neighborhoods have the most outdoor Italian options?
Hyde Park Village and Ybor City lead the way. Hyde Park has Forbici and Timpano a few doors apart in a walkable, patio-lined village, and Ybor has Casa Santo Stefano and Bernini on its historic 7th Avenue. Davis Islands (Oggi) and SoHo (Bella’s) round out the list with their own patios.
Are these patios covered or shaded for Tampa’s rain and heat?
It varies. Oggi’s patio is partly covered, Forbici runs big fans and shade, and Casa Santo Stefano’s rooftop has covered sections. Bella’s and Bernini are open sidewalk tables, so they are best on clear evenings. Tampa’s afternoon storms blow through fast, so a covered patio is the safer bet in summer.
More outdoor dining in Tampa
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More Tampa dining guides
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- Tampa waterfront restaurants guide
- Our full dog-friendly Tampa restaurant guide
Hungry for more? Browse the rest of our guides on the Restaurants1 home page.
This roundup is part of our broader guide to outdoor restaurants in Tampa, sorted by cuisine.
Last updated: May 2026