Weather | Sports | Forums | Comics | Classifieds | Calendar | Movies
By MICHAEL CANNING
© St. Petersburg Times, published October 5, 2000
Ybor City was a hub for nightlife long before Centro Ybor. You'll find plenty to eat, drink and do in the blocks surrounding the new complex. And even if it hasn't been too long since your last visit to Ybor, you may well find something new. Here's the latest of what Ybor has to offer. (Restaurant listings accompanied by a star (STAR) are recommended by St. Petersburg Times food critic Chris Sherman.)
For establishments serving food, the following price guide is based on a meal for two:
$ Inexpensive, less than $25
$$ Moderate, $25-$50
$$$ Expensive, $50 and up
1. Amphitheater, 1609 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-2331. Joe Redner's 13,000-square-foot foray into fully clothed adult entertainment, complete with revolving dance floor.
2. Acropolis, 1518 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 247-6547. New ownership is switching the former Atomic Age Cafe over to a Greco-Roman themed bar with live music Wednesday-Friday, a DJ Saturday and a cranked-up sound system.
3. B Man's Barbecue, 1604 N 17th St.; (813) 247-1966. Temporarily closed for remodeling.
4. Bar, 1401 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-3422. It's noisy and it's crowded, and the young-and-buff set seems to love it.
5. Bernini, 1702 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-0099. There's a serpentine copper bar, and big plates of pasta whiz by. $$ to $$$ STAR
6. Blue Shark, 1620 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-3499. Pub with an odd range of offerings, from live blues to pool.
7. Cafe Creole, 1330 E Ninth Ave.; (813) 247-6283. Gumbo and crawfish in the historic El Pasaje building. $$
8. Carmine's, 1802 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-3834. Standby for Spanish and Cuban food, open late. $
9. Carlino's at the Don Vincente de Ybor, 1915 Avenida Republica de Cuba; Restored 1895 clinic is now home to atmospheric Italian Renaissance restaurant serving continental cuisine. Elegant inn upstairs opens Oct. 15. $$$
10. Castillo's Cafe, 1823 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-1306. Spanish-Cuban cafeteria spiced with live bands most weekends. $
11. The Castle, 2004 N 16th St.; (813) 247-7547. A gothic-inspired dance bar with iron candelabra, bare brick walls and a stream running through the stone-topped bar.
12. Cherry's, 1512 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 247-4541. Diner and bar stay open late -- 4 a.m. on weekends. $
13. Club Electra; 1618 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 241-0128. Video bar with 12 monitors showing music videos and football games; DJ spins Latin and salsa music on Saturday nights.
14. Club 1509, 1509 E Eighth Ave.; (813) 247-6606. Cushy couches, laser lights, wooden Georgian-style bars and an elevated stage and upstairs lounge/balcony for the VIP set.
15. Club Hedo, 1510 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-4336. Tropical-themed bar feels like a cross between Hooters and the set of Joe Versus the Volcano.
16. Columbia Restaurant, 2117 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-4961. Since 1905, this palace of Spanish tile and old-world ambience has reigned over Ybor. $$
17. Daddy Wigglers, 2015 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-2214. Wide open dark bar with confusing decor, live blues and swing.
18. Deli Plus, 1605 E Seventh Ave., (813) 241-9526. Sandwich and ice cream shop. $
19. 8th Avenue Grille, 1811 N 15th St., (813) 242-6616. Grown-up Italian restaurant with contemporary decor. $$$
20. El Molino Gourmet Coffee and Gifts, 2012 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-2521. Connected to the historic Naviera Coffee Mill. $ STAR
21. Elmer's Sports Cafe, 2003 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-5855. Dark and roomy sports bar with pool tables in the back and a liquor store on the side. $
22. Empire, 1902 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 247-2582. Regulation mix of house-techno-hip-hop-and-booty, all in a dark, noisy, gritty place that used to be alternative.
23. Fat Tuesday, 1722 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-9755. Did somebody say frozen daiquiris? Why yes, they did: 17 kinds in all. $
24. Frankie's Patio, 1920 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-3337. Sprawling concert venue and restaurant, with elevated dance platforms and upstairs patio commanding a view of Seventh Avenue. $ STAR
25. Full Moon Saloon, 1613 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-3309. Dark, cavernous bar with exposed brick walls and pool tables.
26. Fuma Bella, 1318 E Eighth Ave.; (813) 248-6130. Tiny bar featuring cigars (modest selection) and single malt scotches (21 brands).
27. Green Iguana, 1708 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-9555. Key West meets Bennigan's, including good vegetarian food. $
28. Harpo's, 1805 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-4814. Multiple stages, inside and out on the patios, featuring live bands covering Top 40 hits for buff babes and dudes.
29. The Irish Pub, 1721 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-2099. Looks like it could have been airlifted from O'Connell Street. $
30. James Joyce Irish Pub 17041/2 (upstairs) E Seventh Ave.; (813) 247-1896. Nice, quaint place to get smashed off your Blarney Stone.
31. Joffrey's Coffee Co., 1616 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-5282. Java, decadent desserts and breakfast sandwiches. $
32. Johnny's Pizzeria, 1833 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 241-2279. New York pizzeria fare; great fresco. $
33. Kaos, 1812 N 17th St.; (813) 241-8818. Warehouse-y postmodern nightclub, with a hip-hop patio out back.
34. La Cueva, 1707 E Eighth Ave.; (813) 242-4249. That's Spanish for "the Cave," where Latin rhythms reign.
35. La Femme Buvette, 1320 E Ninth Ave.; (813) 247-9966. Ybor's most beautiful club routinely packs its dance floor and puts on high-energy drag shows for women of all persuasions (and sympathetic men).
36. La Mezzanine, 1619 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 241-4139. Cool yet inviting decor; menu features French classics, American favorites, New World and Asian inspirations. $$$
37. La Terrazza Restaurant, 1727 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-1326. Intimate restaurant with Northern Italian cuisine. $$ STAR.
38. La Tropicana Cafe, 1822 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 247-4040. Have a little politics with your Cuban sandwich at this old-time cafeteria with a drive-through window. $
39. Little Sicily, 1724 E Eighth Ave.; (813 2940. Historic former grocery and produce market is now a cozy deli/cafe with Sicilian, Cuban and Spanish staples. $
40. Luna Lounge, 1802 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-3460. Above Carmine's restaurant is a stylish little aerie with mellow, modern sounds and a balcony overlooking the avenue.
41. Market on 7th, 1816 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-2356. Pool tables, TVs behind the bar, sandwiches. $.
42. Masquerade, 1503 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 247-3319. In its new digs in the renovated Ritz Theater, it has become the grande dame of Tampa alternative clubs, with a huge dance floor where the theater seats used to be, and the more intimate Solarium on the side.
43. The Mission, 1909 15th St. N, (813) 248-4443. An enduring clubhouse for the Ybor cognoscenti.
44. Moses White & Sons BBQ, 1815 E Seventh Ave., (813) 247-7544. Friendly family barbecue with deep Tampa roots. $ STAR
45. New World Brewery, 1313 E Eighth Ave.; (813) 248-4969. One of the few bars/clubs that hosts progressive, alternative and underground events (DJs, film, live, experimental music), mostly on Wednesday and Thursday nights. $
46. NRG, 1502 E Seventh Ave., (813) 248-1023. Nude club king Joe Redner has turned this into another glitzy club where techno thumps and the booze flows. Also female impersonator shows.
47. Orpheum, 1902 Avenida Republica de Cuba; (813) 248-9500. Has emerged as the cradle of the local alternative scene, and the place to catch the hippest touring alternative bands.
48. Ovo Cafe, 1901 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-6979. Late-night watering hole and daytime eating spot featuring pirogies, martinis and waffles the way Mom should have made them. $$ STAR
49. Platforms, 1625 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 241-6603. Music evolves from sleek polyester grooves of the '70s to thumpin' dance mixes of today as the time ticks toward 3 a.m.
50. Pleasuredome, 1430 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 247-2711. Female impersonators in the El Goya showroom; two mininightclubs with rotating themes of hip-hop/booty, high energy dance and progressive house; and the adjoining Velvet lounge.
51. The Rare Olive, 1601 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-2333. Small, but can heat up with some of this town's better jazz acts.
52. The Rock, 1817 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 242-0613. Honest sandwiches and salads, plus fried seafood, Cajun gumbo and pastas with chicken. $
53. Seventh Heaven Psychic Cafe, 1725 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 242-0400. Get your fortune told while you munch on a salad. $
54. Spaghetti Warehouse, 1911 N 13th St.; (813) 248-1720. The perennial anchor at Ybor Square, popular with families and tour groups. $
55. Spurs, 1915 E Seventh Ave. (813) 247-7787. Fun, friendly club where you feel welcome even if you're not wearing a big hat and pointy boots.
56. Sushi on 7th, 1919 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 247-8744. American and Japanese pop culture collide in an unlikely formula that actually works. $$
57. Tahiti Joe's, 1327 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-5533. Roomy, loud place with faux palm trees and '70s, '80s and '90s Top 40 music.
58. Tampa Bay Brewing Company, 1812 N 15th St.; (813) 247-1422. Beers brewed on premises, plus sandwiches and burgers. $ STAR
59. Turbulence, 1910 E Seventh Ave.; (813)241-8593. Lots of red and black, a loft VIP area with one-way glass, dance wherever you're standing. Wednesday nights are hip-hop; Saturdays are Latin.
60. Velvet, 1430 E Seventh Ave.; (813)247-2711. This adjunct to the Pleasuredome is heavy on the velvet (as in couches), and loungey vibe.
61.Ybor City Diner, 1724 E Seventh Ave.; (813)248-2828. It really is a diner -- they serve breakfast all the time -- only one with cool postmodern decor. $
62. Ybor Market, 1632 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-0615. An open-air bazaar of food and goods that disaffected youth can't live without.
63. Zion, 1802 E Seventh Ave.; (813) 248-3834. Funky little bar, good place for people-watching, plus dancehall, hip-hop and other funk genres provided by colorful DJs.